Bunyip

"I will forever be grateful that the Bunyips hate the salt water. If they roamed around these parts, we may just have to abandon the entire region to save ourselves." - Salt Marsh Local

Written by: jester2b

Cover Art by: Rafael Sewa

Beast of the Shallows

When traversing the dense jungles of Stelwen, one must be careful when approaching small lakes and rivers, for a mighty hunter may be waiting to strike. Ever territorial, the Bunyip will kill any who strays too close to its watery home, ripping them apart with one swipe of its claws.

Morphology

The Bunyip is a large, furless mammal with extremely muscular forelimbs, broad shoulders, and digitigrade hindlimbs that allow it to ambush prey from the water. On its front legs are three massive claws measuring half a meter long used for digging and killing targets. Its hind legs are digitigrade in structure with much shorter claws, allowing them to be used for lunging and clinging to slippery surfaces. Its hide is thick and durable, which combined with its sheer muscle mass allows this beast to withstand slashing attacks from animals like Monarch Drakes or Ghalrakans. This hide is normally brown in color, though some rare specimens have been found with grey hides.
Some superstitious individuals believe the Bunyip to be a supernatural creature due to its head, which has a whiter coloration that slightly resembles a skull. Around its eyes are black circles that help block sunlight from its eyes and add to its skeletal visage. Four large fangs stick out from its mouth, which are trailed by rows of razor-sharp teeth. Male Bunyips have small, dark horns above their eyes, while females have no horns.

Habitat

The fearsome Bunyip can be found around shallow rivers and lakes all across mainland Stelwen. The Fal Orkensa forest that lies between the Rocturran provinces of Ugarra and Syrakyes is known for its abnormally large population of Bunyips. The exact reason for this large population is unknown, though it is commonly believed that the region has a wider abundance of shallow rivers and lakes for these creatures to call home. It has been noted by those living near the coast that these creatures hate salt water and will avoid it at all costs, making coastal areas safe from these terrifying beasts.

Diet

Bunyips are opportunistic hunters that will feed on any creature it encounters. However, it prefers prey closer to its size, with its favorite seemingly being the Aranmorta, an arboreal ambush hunter that often clashes with the Bunyip. They have also been witnessed scavenging the corpses of large creatures as well, though this is believed to only happen when they are desperate for food.

Behavior

These creatures are incredibly aggressive and territorial, willing to kill anything that approaches their watering hole. Due to their aggression, studying the Bunyip is quite difficult, though this aggressive nature seems to play into the majority of their behaviors. The Bunyip rarely travels far from its watering hole while hunting, preferring to use the water to ambush its prey. Sometimes they will drag victims into the water and force their heads underwater to drown them if they survive a claw swipe. This particular behavior seems to be exclusively used on animals like the Monarch Drake and Cubarkar, the only two animals that are willing to attack the Bunyip, particularly the young ones. The only creatures that are spared from the wrath of the Bunyip are smaller animals that would have no chance of threatening them.
If one were to encounter a Bunyip on their travels in Stelwen, your best chance at survival would be to run away as fast as possible and hope the beast gives up. Fighting the Bunyip is an easy way to a swift and gruesome death, with only the most elite hunters being able to fell one. Some have claimed to have survived encounters with these beasts by being unarmed and cowering before the creature while backing away slowly. Those who have survived with this method believe that by cowering, you show the Bunyip that you are harmless and not a threat to it or its territory. However, some will claim that only older and well-fed Bunyips will do this, for a hungry one would just kill them without giving them the chance to escape.
Bunyips are solitary creatures, rarely seeing another member of their species outside of mating season. However, when two of these beasts cross paths, it becomes a territorial war that often ends with only one standing. The only peaceful interaction between two Bunyips is when a pregnant female will stay with her mate in his territory. The pregnant female will stay within the water while the male patrols his territory in search of food and to protect his mate from danger.

Reproduction and Growth

It is believed that the Bunyip's mating season is sometime within the summer months. During this time, the females will wander from their homes in search of a suitable mate. Once it finds a lone male, the female will make its presence known to the male and allow him to mate with her. Once they have finished, the female will stay with the male until she has given birth, which is believed to take around 7 months. Male Bunyips are particularly aggressive when will their mate, willing to risk their lives to protect their mate. Once the newborn calf can walk, the mother Bunyip will take its child with it to either her original home if it hasn't been taken or to a new home. Here it will raise and protect its child until it is one year of age when it will be ready to survive on its own.

Lifespan

60 Years

Average Height

3.3 Meters (11 Feet)

Average Length

5.8 Meters (19 Feet)

Geographic Distribution

• Ugarra