Lisha [Manticores]

Lisha, or Manticores, as they're sometimes called, are fearsome reptilians found living across the wastes of Devkarth. They are solitary predators, but widely considered one of the most fearsome monsters prowling across Devkarth, barring actual dragons.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Lisha is a terrestrial reptile that has features somewhat similar to a crocodilian. Despite that, they prefer land, but skulk around river ways where they're most likely to encounter prey that interests them. They have a broad and flat head with a trap-like jaw that allows them to clamp down into their prey, with pronounced bottom fangs that are connected to a special anti-coagulant they produce.

Body: The Lisha is usually relatively rotund and hulking. Its entire back is covered in plate-like scutes that overlap and protect its back and sides, allowing it to lower itself to the ground to gain an advantage at defending itself. The stomach lacks these scutes and is thus more vulnerable. Due to this, it prefers to take its time with hunting, and relies on tracking and prowling skills.

Neck: Easily the most prominent part of the Lisha's body, and what makes them so feared and notorious. Their necks are covered in a series of overlapping, thick yet sharp quills that remain stiff. This not only provides an even more powerful armor for the creature, but when seeking prey, it can puff its neck out to shoot these quills at its prey. These quills are coated in a powerful anti-coagulant, which causes prolonged bleeding to anyone and anything struck by them. With its preferred hunting grounds often being either a riverside or open desert, it's very difficult to hide a trail of blood, which the Lisha uses to track its prey as it bleeds out.

Head: The Head of the Lisha is reminiscent of an alligator. A long, wide mouth, filled with sharp teeth designed to rip into its prey and hold down like a vice. Its serrated teeth make hard for any of its prey to escape its grip, but it has two prominent fangs connected to special glands that it uses to inject the aforementioned venom into its victims. Its preferred method of killing is gripping with its jaw and lifting its prey in the air, allowing the blood to drain swiftly from their body.

Limbs & Tail: Lisha possess powerful limbs that are designed to quickly cover ground in a straight line ahead of it. They rush forwards like a bull, while their tail is used to help in shifting weight to 'steer' their bodies in other directions. A charging Lisha is often likened to one of the most nightmarish things somebody could ever see in Devkarth, with its open mouth constantly clamping and opening in anticipation to meet the body of its prey. The legs are capable of lowering its body down in a squat to provide better protection in a pinch, but are strictly designed to help it charge and prowl for prey.

Growth Rate & Stages

Lisha whelps are typically raised by the mother. The mother carries its whelps on its back and makes use of its quill-laden neck to defend any hazards that would threaten its young. Whelps do not begin with quills at first; though they can still puff it out to make them look more imposing to attackers, they are wholly reliant on their mother to protect them from any harm. After they grow quills, the mother will train them how to track and hunt, until leaving each Lisha to take its first hunt off on its own.

Ecology and Habitats

The Lisha prefers open areas; and can usually be found across all of Devkarth. The only exception to this rule is forests, which it generally avoids if possible. Forests are hard for the Lisha to navigate effectively through, and though it can probably still track, it prefers open deserts and fields to make use of its sprinting capabilities. The Lisha is cold blooded, and thus needs hot or sunny environments to bask in.

The Lonely River: Lisha can typically be found across areas around a long, winding river found in western Devkarth. This is notably one of the only bodies of fresh water that creatures can stop at, making it prime hunting grounds for the Lisha.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Lisha typically eat just about anything they can get their teeth on, but usually prefer to go after bigger prey. They are thus often uncaring of humans, as they usually aren't big enough to be worth the trouble of hunting. Despite that, they are known to attack humans when aggravated or hungry enough to do so.

Bleeding Out: The Lisha's usual method is targeting larger prey is by sending quills or getting a bit into its legs. The bigger the meal, the better, as their large bodies mean they have to eat a lot, making smaller prey more energy than it's worth when hunting. It takes its time tracking prey, slowly skulking after its blood trail until it eventually reaches either a dying animal, or a fresh carcass to dine on.

Meal Protective: Lisha are very protective of their food. They will sleep nearby any leftovers they have and not leave until the full meal is consumed. This is because full meals in Devkarth are rather rare to come by, making them harshly territorial to other predators -- including other Lisha.

Biological Cycle

Lisha are known to leave quills around when they do not use them for a certain amount of time. These quills grow very fast, and replace each other within a day. When quills grow too large, Lisha can often be seen using their claws to dig or pick them away from their necks to dispatch of them, finding them too unwieldy and a nuisance to deal with.

Additional Information

Domestication

Lisha are very popular animals in Devkarth, if only due to their stance as being the apex predators of their location. As a result, the idea of having one as a pet has always appealed to many, but their ravenous appetites and carnivorous diets mean that they have an insane upkeep compared to other pets. Furthermore, the creatures are hunters by nature, making it almost nigh-impossible to really tame one.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Taste: The Lisha have the ability to define things through taste alone. No one thing tastes the same to a Lisha. This also allows it to identify whether or not any blood it spilled belongs to prey it struck with one of its quills, as it can sense the anti-coagulant from any mark left behind.

Lifespan

40~60 years

Average Height

1.5~2.5 Meters

Average Weight

8,500 Lbs~10,000 Lbs

Average Length

11.5~12 Meters, from nose to tail tip.

Geographic Distribution

• Devkarth