Cruork
| Cruork crew-orc pl. cruorken | |
|---|---|
| |
| Fact File | |
| Classification: | Reptilia |
| Frequency: | Rare |
| Size: | Huge |
| Lifespan: | 95-180 years |
| Domesticated?: | No |
| Diet: | Carnivore |
| Biome(s): | Ocean |
The cruorken are among the most feared entities of Ramath-lehi. Children who live near the coast and have heard their stories often wake up in the middle of the night, sweating, or screaming. The nightmare is always the same... Vast black waters extending all around you, your feet unable to reach bottom, you think you catch a flash of movement, and the masses around you pulse threateningly, before a titanic beast bursts forth from the endless depths, eerie black doll's eyes looking past you, colossal jaws stretching, ready to eat you alive, and the last thing you see are those many rows of jagged teeth...
They are like robots. They do not think, they do not feel. Their sole purpose is to eat and reproduce. Eat, reproduce. They are Nature's ultimate predators. The young are 10 feet in length, but they grow quickly, ranging from 20 to 30 feet at the height of their maturity, mouth about four or five feet wide, though there have been tales of truly gargantuan individuals, perhaps 50 feet, but these are mere stories from rattled old fishermen. Sensitive nostrils may smell a drop of blood hundreds of miles away. Their lifespan is unknown, as their nomadic tendencies take them all over the globe. In their studies of the rise and fall of 'Earth', the Ramathians found that close relatives of these creatures have been around for hundreds of years.
The cruorken possess tough, leathery skin, typically dull in color, gray or pale-blue. One tall dorsal fin extends from their back, but a row of sharp 'spikes', actually additional fins, extend down towards their tail. The pectoral fins are long, often a third or more of their body length. These predators are deaf, however, they sense vibrations extremely well. In short, there is little escape.
