Zomorroak

More than a Mouthful

The Zomorroak is a creature of the South Spiral Mountain Range. Built to live in the dangerous geothermally active areas where geysers are a frequent occurrance, the Zomorroak has created a protective coat of hardened, thickened bone and shell that sheds scalding water away from the creature. It also is extremely effective against direct strikes from ash and small rock debris from volcanic areas. The shells of these creatures are segmented and overlap, creating an armor-like shell in which the creature is protected at all times.
On occasions when the animal is under attack, it can roll into a ball and the armor protects from all sides, leaving no entry for a dangerous predator to gain ourchase and unroll it, getting to the more vulnerable underbelly of the Zomorroak. While the belly has scales, the armor there lacks thickness, making to the most vulnerable part of the animal.
Zomorroak are non-magical creatures, but they hold their own with creatures that seem much more capable. Armed with viscious teeth, long sharp nails and a propensity to fight rather than fly, the Zomorroak have no permanent homes, and only seek out nesting areas when they are ready to breed.
Zomorroaks are sexual breeders, with the female tending to young for up the three months prior to chasing them from her nest. To prepare for breeding, she will seek out a male who has located and prepared an underground shelter which he uses to entice the female. She will inspect the underground nest, and if she finds it suitable, she will mate with the male. They will then proceed to guard the nest from other animals until gestation is completed. When the feamle is ready to brith young, she will chase the male from the borough, and then have her babies. Zomorroaks are live bearers and will drop litters from 5 to 10 young at a time. The males will stay close and bring food for the young to the ectend the female will allow. After the young are mostly self sufficient, the feamle will chase them from the nest and the male and female will part ways. If the couple breed early in the season, they may breed twice in the same year timing gestation of the second litter to arrive several weeks after the the older kits leave the borough. The second litters are much smaller and the young are much larger at birth than early season young. Typical Zomorroaks live for four to six years and die shortly after losing the ability to breed.