Ismassk
"And so the hunters headed thither, onto the snow-dusted slope to the mountains. One by one, they were clamped in place. Snared in unseen brambles, they gaped in terror as the looming head of an Ismassk surfaced from the depths."This apex predator makes its home in Noravägen and the Northern Beastwilds, using the snow to trick unwary prey into becoming ensnared by the small setules on its back. Seen as a dangerous pest by the local denizens, beast hunters are trained on how to avoid these predators more than hunt them. Some apprentices accompany their instructors into the tundra and winter woods, hoping to hunt them professionally. They have long been considered an invasive species, so exterminating Ismassk has become a traditional livelihood for northern Vandrere. Since they are so elusive and large, such quarry fetches large prices in hunting markets. The most prominent trades make use of their setule-covered shells, using them as saddles for horses or as an adhesive. Bags use parts of the Ismassk to seal easier. For these civilian uses, some of the setules are cut so that they don't end up stuck.
Basic Information
Anatomy
It has fine hairs called setules on its white exoskeleton in the winter, which it sheds when hibernating in the summer. Underneath the carapace is has around 50,000 legs that it uses to walk. The older the Ismassk, the more legs it'll have.
On the front end of the creature, it has two small eyes that pick up infrared light that sit on the top of its head and peek out the snow. On first inspection, they could be mistaken for nostrils, but on closer look are black and have a deep red glow when exposed to light. This is where its maw is also located, with one row of sharp teeth and no tongue.
It uses holes in its shell to breathe, all about as small as a pinhole. The number on these holes on a single Ismassk is unknown, but they seem to be spaced about 30 cm / 11.8 inches apart from one another along the creature's length. The thin hairs it uses to ensnare prey more resemble fuzz, too small to properly measure, but cover only the top of the shell.
The Ismassk will shed a damaged part of its shell, restoring lost hairs in the process. It has to be severely damaged - either split or cracked - for the shell to shed. The hairs its loses during the hunt grow back on their own. Its setules also allow it to hang upside down or stick to walls, much to the distress of anyone travelling underground during hibernation season.
Biological Traits
Females have more segments to their shells with slightly wider gaps, ready to receive young when they lay their eggs. They are also slightly longer and thinner than males, able to slip through narrower gaps. These traits make them prime target for hunters, looking for shells suitable for saddles and vulnerable areas to take one down. When they have young, females are more aggressive.
Genetics and Reproduction
Ismassk mate in the winter so their young can feed up in the spring and stay safe during summer hibernation. The average Ismassk female lays around 20-40 eggs which take 3-4 weeks to hatch.
Mate Location & Courtship
Males are the first to reach adulthood. As mating season approaches, females call at a frequency that males are hardwired to detect. This attracts males to the area, but also causes vicious competition between them. The victor - or the one first to the female - will court them with a song. If the female approves of the call, they will join in with their own. Otherwise, they will eat the male and move on.Post-Mating Behaviour
After mating, the male will leave for its own territory. The female's eggs stick to the gaps in her shell, keeping them safe from hazards but also close enough to food when they hatch. When her shell sheds during hibernation, the young are ready to feed on the remains. If her shell breaks unnaturally, the young will eat it and hide between two others whilst it regrows.Growth Rate & Stages
Upon hatching, Ismassk young are about the size of an ordinary centipede and start with 10 legs, which grow in number with every shedding. Their carapaces are a dull grey or a brown until they reach full maturity at around 2 years old, when it gains the signature white colour. Until they are fully grown, Ismassk use their skills to hunt for prey underground.
Ecology and Habitats
It prefers cold climates and uses the snow as camouflage in the winter. The Ismassk's habitat is primarily under the snow or underground, so open terrain or arid environments make it vulnerable.
Dietary Needs and Habits
It eats whatever gets stuck on its carapace. Camouflaged to the colour of the snow around it, the Ismassk lies just below the surface, ready to ensnare a victim. Once it feels the unusual weight of potential prey on its back, the creature will eat directly off its shell. When the Ismassk is stocking up for summer hibernation, it'll gather a large collection of food before eating.
In the summer months, it primarily lives off the resources it's been conserving throughout the year. If the need arises or if the Ismassk is awoken, it can and will scavenge for food underground. Sometimes, this can include other hibernating Ismassk, though documentation of this is uncommon. Since they are viciously territorial, there tends to be only 2-10 Ismassk in an area of 1,500 square kilometres.
Biological Cycle
As the snow melts, the Ismassk stores up on water and food. Since it's harder for it to predate in the summer months, it goes into hibernation underground and sheds its winter shell. The new one reforms, at first having a dark brown colouring and getting paler with the onset of winter.
A typical hibernation will start at the end of (May) and end at the beginning of Reaptide (September). The calculated average comes to 102 days of hibernation, though they may become active to protect their young, compete for territory or feed. Their hibernation cycle varies since Ismassk instincts are based on air temperature rather than a set body clock.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Ismassk spend most of their adult lives alone or in breeding pairs, who take turns guarding over the same territory. These pairings only last during mating, since females feed even on their partners if they stay too long, eager to stock up on nutrients for their young.
Ismassk young usually stay within the hibernation caves or crevices of their mother's shells until they are fully matured, feeding on whatever their mother can provide. Once they graduate to the snowy outside, the young part ways from their mother to their own feeding grounds.
Young males who arrive in territory already occupied compete with other males for the space. They will give a call if victorious, or eat the competitor if they're hungry enough. Young females will fight other females, but opposites will not fight each other unless the female has eggs.
Domestication
Some elves, regarded as foolhardy or incredibly brash, have domesticated Ismassk to ferry people over long distances or to carry excess luggage. This uses their winter shell to keep cargo atop the animal for ease of transportation. Therefore, these types of Ismassk are white the whole year round. Since they're not used to being outside in the summer, however, they're known for being dozy and incredibly lazy, preferring to eat off the ground rather than actively hunting for food.
Their sense of location relies even more heavily on sonar. The owner uses a specific sound to call them and help an Ismassk navigate if the need arises. An Ismassk can recognise specific individuals from the texture of their skin, able to pick up the smallest bumps and wrinkles. If needed, an owner can help the Ismassk associate them with a sound instead - helpful when they are wearing gloves.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Ismassk shells are sometimes used as saddles, though it takes someone who knows them well to get off again safely. These products are quite expensive, since the setules wither when the shell is cut, as it would on a living Ismassk. The female's narrower and shorter shells are prized for this purpose.
Eating the meat, much like other beasts, isn't recommended. Ismassk meat is reported as particularly bitter and chewy. Excess from hunts is often sold on black markets to people who have already grown dependent on beast meat rather than offered as a delicacy. The risk of developing Beast Consumption from Ismassk flesh is higher because they have less muscles and bone, increasing aether concentrations.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Its eyes see in infrared, which enables limited sight but no perception of colour. This allows it to pursue live prey and gauge its own temperature. The setules on its shells serve both as snares and as feelers.
When this fails, an Ismassk has acute hearing that makes it sensitive to loud noises and able to hear prey travelling on the snow above. Its sense of sound helps it navigate with the absence of heat. This is most useful underground, in caves, or when there's a lot of objects for their sound to bounce off. The noises, of course, can be made by their struggling prey, but when a pinch they will let out clicks to monitor their position.
Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms
Scavenger birds help themselves to the prey attached to the Ismassk's back if it hasn't already. These usually include small creatures that end up ensnared, but are too small for the Ismassk to find and consume.
Scientific Name
Chilopoda Ruinam Glacies
Lifespan
between 10 - 20 years
Conservation Status
No effort has been made to put the Ismassk under protection. Hunters are often encouraged to hunt the Ismassk, since it's considered an invasive species and career-ending for hunters and travellers.
Average Height
10'4" - 18'4" / 3.2 - 5.6 m
Average Weight
30 - 50 tonnes
Average Length
120 m / 394 ft
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
When they are active, Ismassk have their white shells. This changes to a brown colour when they are hibernating, blending into the dirt. The colour also protects them from sunlight more.
Since Ismassk are blind to colour, they don't distinguish mates or different social cues from their colouring. Instead, this is determined by a specimen's weight.
Geographic Distribution
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