Shiphog
Shiphogs are a group of bandits that live rafting along the seas of Ocearia. Many fear them, as themselves and their weapons have torn through small villages and towns, decimating the population while also stealing their goods for their own benefit.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Their soft, white bodies are protected with a coconut-like exterior. This exoskeleton is covered in a layer of short brown fur. Their six arms stick out from the sides of their exoskeleton, with 3 short, stubby fingers and one thumb on each arm. Their legs are also short, which, like their arms, can be tucked into their coconut shell if in danger. The legs have 3 toes with one thumb which makes it easier to climb.
Their heads are not visible apart from holes in the exoskeleton that the creature looks out from. Their heads are not merged with the shell, which means when the shiphogs are in danger they can hide every single part of their bodies inside their tough exoskeleton.
Sexual Dimorphism
The only major difference in design for shiphogs is that females possess large pouches on their backs, which are used when females give birth. The babies will sit in the pouch as they grow up until they become too big to fit in them.Genetics and Reproduction
Shiphogs care a lot for their young, and spend a long time teaching them how to fight, how to cook, and how to care for their city.
Gestation period is about 185 to 199 days, but on average is about 190. Females give birth to children the size of a pea, and are kept in a special pouch on the female's backs as the children grow up. The children only leave the pouch once they become too big to fit inside it.
Ecology and Habitats
Shiphogs are not a sea creature. They prefer the comfort of land, as they had evolved from squishy sea creatures to become land-dwellers. Their city is constructed from a fast growing bamboo, tied together with kelp and vines, with stacked houses that reach hundreds of metres tall.
They have lots of large rafts that they take out to plunder the oceans, and explore new islands, of which they have not found many.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Shiphogs are omnivorous, and they eat meat and plants. Those who permanently live at their city hunt fish and other creatures from the kelp forests below, and they also harvest said kelp, cooking it for food and fuel. They have a basic diet, only cooking kelp, fish and other creatures, and not experimenting with their food and making new things.
Additional Information
Facial characteristics
Shiphogs like to decorate their shells with patterns drawn on by chalk. They often combine dyes to the chalk to add colour to their patterns. These patterns allow people to distinguish one another, as everyone draws on their shells differently. This also helps them make up for their almost invisible faces.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Shiphogs have taken over a small region in the north of the Kirinian Region, in more shallow waters. They have tied their city to the sands with some of the thickest kelp, and they have established dominance of the surface of the oceans by scaring off anyone who approaches the settlement.
Lifespan
20 years
Average Height
1 metre
Average Physique
Despite them looking rather rotund, shiphogs are in fact very strong. Their constant fighting, driving their rafts, and running around means that they are all incredibly strong. This surprises people who come near the city as they expect these creatures to be an easy battle, but when they whip out their weapons they are sorely mistaken.
Geographic Distribution
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