Morribolg

Little Aela, the wash-woman's daughter, had broken a vase containing the last of the oil a full week before winter's end, and with bitter old Zelka looking after her, made more bitter still with her bone-aches and chills. The girl fled the switch, and I, being the only hunter who had yet returned from the hunt, set out to track her - she was not far, just hiding on the ridge overlooking the village. I found not one girl but two, one terrified and backed into a corner, the other silent, stepping lightly forwards, as briers curled towards the fallen child. It looked at me, its face cracking a wide, uncomfortable smile, rictus-tight and disappeared before my eyes. I retrieved Aela and turned to flee, but the thing had reappeared between us and the exit, huge and rippling with muscle, its girl-guise discarded. A morribolg is a creature of appetite, that it chooses its prey like a bear chooses its den, and it cannot be reasoned with, and I knew the stories, and I had no choice, but... it haunts me still. The walk back to the village was lonely beyond belief, and in all these years since, I have never been able to look at another child without seeing the betrayal in her eyes and feeling new grief and shame in my heart.

~~Vonnel, Harnun Ranger

Basic Information

Anatomy

Skin tones ranging from slate to burgundy to olive, covered in coarse fur to match, with extra tufts of fur sprouting from the joints, chin and scalp, the Morribolg is an imposing figure, with thick bony ridges on its brow, a broad, flaring nose, and musculature to rival a minotaur or an ogre. The eyes of a morribolg are grey, but they become dewy and silver as they age, and as the creature grows less predictable.

Genetics and Reproduction

Young morribolg live in packs or primitive tribes, but become aggressive and wild as they age, and if not slain in battle or by disease, poison or happenstance, they can live to quite advanced ages, spanning up to seven or so generations of humans. Sexual reproduction occurs towards the third decade of a morribolg's life, as they reach sexual maturity. Parents rarely remain with the group long enough to see their offspring give birth, instead being forcibly ejected as they become more violent.

Growth Rate & Stages

From birth, the infant generally spends three years clinging to its mother or father until it begins travelling on its own, sticking close to the pack territory, where adults will return food, which they will give to their young. Crafty morribolg will assume the guise of their peers to get their share of food as well, ensuring that each generation of monster features the most devious hunters.
At ten years of age, they are considered adolescent, and will travel with adults to hunt, where they can learn the ways their pack ambushes, overwhelms and butchers their prey.
At thirty, they reach sexual maturity and are considered adults, able to hunt, mate and travel according to instinct.
At forty, they begin to show signs of madness, with ticks and quirks and outbursts that begin to isolate them from the pack.
At fifty, they begin to show signs of violent madness, with outbursts usually seeing them ejected from the pack or attacked by its younger members, resulting in the death of the morribolg or its exile.
Beyond that age, humans measure them in centuries, guessing at their ages based on when they appeared, and telling stories about the monsters that lurk beyond fortified walls.

Ecology and Habitats

Morribolgs are found on the slopes of Mount Balor, and the Verulean Peaks, drinking from mountain streams, hunting game in packs, and nesting near to deposits of mercury, which they find fascinating.
Packs of young morribolg will den near mercury pools and deposits if they are available, or else favour areas with access to flowing water and dispersed pockets of shelter.
Roving adult morribolg will roam until they find a lair that they find satisfactory, and they will then drive out all animals in the area until they have established a territorial border with bones, gore and signs of violence, such as scratches, gouges and broken wood and stones. Once they are settled in, they patrol their territory, leaving it only if they have been unable to hunt for sufficient food.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Morribolg are omnivores, who hunt game as small as a dog and as large as an elephant provided they are confident that they could overcome their mark with sudden and savage force. They will size up a target, following them for several days as they wait for a prime opportunity, eschewing other hunts until they lose the victim of their fascination or until they are successful in taking it down.
As they are large creatures, they tend to eat quite a lot, infrequently supplementing their diet of raw meat with nuts and roots. They have been noted to delight with quicksilver, playing with the substance and drinking it whenever it is available.

Biological Cycle

As the climate cools with the season, morribolg grow thicker coats of fur, which lightens in colour the longer it gets. Specimens that never leave the highest peaks tend to be shaggy all through the year, while lowland specimens tend to sport shorter, darker coats.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Vilurion; Mt Balaron, Verulean Teeth.

Average Intelligence

Animal

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Morribolg are said to be able to exert some primal control over plants and animals, and they will frequently bribe denizens of their territory with meat from hunts in exchange for being alerted about trespassers. They are also able to disguise themselves with enchantments, but as they are not particularly intelligent, these forms are generally imperfect copies of humanoids they have seen recently, such as the prey they are stalking, or a recent kill. An extension of this ability is its illusory movement, in which it is able to become invisible for a short period of time, which it uses to spring an ambush or make an escape if caught unawares.

Scientific Name

Homo gigantus vaecors

Lifespan

700+

Conservation Status

Morribolg are considered dangerous and monstrous creatures, and are marked for death by all able communities as soon as they are detected in the area.

Average Height

250cm

Average Weight

200kgs

Average Physique

Powerful