Thursday, March 10, 2011

Charybdis

Named after the dreaded whirlpool of ancient Greece, these marine monsters are truly the kings of the warm coasts of Io. They are extremely aggressive, and have been known to attack creatures much larger than themselves when provoked. They possess massive jaws with unparalleled strength, commonly crushing their prey with a single bite. Their self-sharpening teeth are not separate as they first appear, but are rather fused onto the skull and jawbone.

Though they spend most of their time in the water, they can move quite quickly on land, and will eat any small prey they happen upon. They have ravenous appetites, and have been known to gorge themselves to death when food is plentiful.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Nactrill

One of the stranger predators of the Farian Isles, the Nactrill attracts its prey with the florescent, gas-filled, balloon-like appendage that also allows it to float. As with various Earthly creatures, such as lampreys, electric eels, and platypuses, the Nactrill relies on electroreception to detect its prey, and kills them with a powerful electric charge.

These silent drones do not sleep, nor do they ever seem to rest except the coldest days of the year when the usually solitary Nactrills congregate, forming impressive swarms in order to stay warm. They are thought by many to be distant relatives of the giant Nexalae, but the isolated conditions of the Isles caused them to develop extensively and uniquely.