Rock Aghrahn

'Important note: This species was created with vore in mind so there will be references to it throughout this (both fatal and non-fatal). If you don’t like vore this species doesn’t have to be used for it but please keep this in mind when reading, thank you!'

Rock aghrahns are a dragon-like tauric species that are found all over Faria's mountainous regions. Rock aghrahns are the only aghrahn species that is sentient and can speak in common languages, though in spite of this they still prefer to live wild away from other species.

Biology
Rock aghrahns are a large species resembling a dragon, though dragon-like species within Faria are known as aghrahns. Rock aghrahns are related to the nonsentient species of aghrahn but their keen intellect has allowed them to evolve in a very different direction. It's unknown what sort of mutation in evolution allowed for rock aghrahns, among other tauric species, to develop their unique body-form but it's likely that this mutation helped them develop a keener brain and learn the use of tools while not compromising the natural strengths of quadrupedal species.

The average standing height of a male is 16-20ft tall excluding their horns, with a length of 25-30ft from shoulder to tail. Females stand at 12-15ft tall with a length of 24-28ft long. The horns are also the strongest indicator of a rock aghrahns sex, with males having much larger horns with more branches curving forward and four spikes on the end of their tails. Females horns are smaller with fewer branches and curve backward, and they lack the tail spikes of the males.

Rock aghrahns in spite of their large size have an uncanny sense of balance. Their toes being highly flexible allow them to grip surfaces reliably while their upper arms can afford them extra places to grip themselves if needed. Their tails help them to retain their balance, this combined with their gripping ability allows them to walk along extremely tight or steep cliffs with ease in a manner akin to goats. They can even walk on ice thanks to their toes being lined with scales made for finding grip on even the smoothest of surfaces, making them perfectly adapted to mountain life.

Rock aghrahns can be a small handful of colours but their hues vary greatly, they can be found in various hues of black, grey, brown, blue, green or white. Their colour is largely dependent on their natural terrain. Rock aghrahns living in an environment that regularly sees snow will more likely be blue, grey or white, those living in forests are more commonly black or green, in dry or rocky environments they are more likely brown or grey and those who live in caves are almost all black or very dark hues of other colours.

Behaviour
Rock aghrahns are very rarely seen in settlements outside of hunting, preferring to live in groups among themselves. Groups of rock aghrahns number between 8 to 10 members and are typically lead by the strongest male, though female group leaders are not unheard of.

The dynamic of these groups vary strongly. Sometimes they are siblings who continue living together, other times they are all friends and sometimes they are just working together for the sake of breaking up their days with activities like wrestling and other rough-housing.

While they don't need to live in groups to hunt successfully, rock aghrahns are a more social species than their nonsentient relatives so they have their stresses relieved by having companions to interact with daily, even if their rough demeanor makes other species question this notion.

Predation
Rock aghrahns are known and feared predators to many settlements. While they favour hunting in the mountains, they are smart enough to pursue opportunities for food far from their territory.

Like other species in Faria rock aghrahns are capable of ingesting their prey live and whole, a feat not difficult for them due to their large size giving them a significant advantage over other species, which can make them a dangerous threat to a settlement.

Rock aghrahns as Predators
While they are a somewhat social species, rock aghrahns are solitary hunters. Their large size makes hunting in groups a more difficult task, so they rely on ambush to hunt their prey.

The most common means of a rock aghrahn hunting food is to try to get the jump on their prey before they can make a break for it. If prey does run, a rock aghrahn will try to force their prey onto steep terrain to get the upper hand in a chase.

Rock aghrahns as Prey
A rock aghrahn becoming prey is seen as highly unlikely to happen unless they encountered a giant predator like a sphinx, Oskeli wyrm or a very determined deceiver, which is unlikely as their terrains don't overlap. Of course in a world like Faria it should never be considered impossible for this to happen.

Diet
Rock aghrahns are obligate carnivores so they are unable to get nutrients from plant based sources. In order to get the nutrients they need per day, rock aghrahns will eat any source of meat they can get ahold of. Humans and other such sentient species are all prey to rock aghrahns, but they are known to prey on large game and livestock like caribox.

Rock aghrahns are known to become fixated on a favourite food and will frequently favour this food to a near-obsessive degree, although favourite foods differ among individuals. This can make them a danger to a settlement if an individuals favourite food is a sapient species or a form of livestock the settlement is dependent on.

Weaknesses
While rock aghrahns are a very intimidating species to have to tackle in an encounter, they are not without weaknesses to exploit to evade being eaten by them at the very least. The key thing to take advantage of is their size, due to their large size they are dependent on having an open terrain to hunt in and excel at forcing their food into positions where they are at a further disadvantage, so one must find ways to get out of their reach.

The most common trick used by adventurers in rock aghrahn encounters is to use the steep cliff terrain to their advantage as well, many cliffs have narrow nooks a person can slip into but that a rock aghrahn can't reach into as easily. Rock aghrahns have little patience so they will not wait for prey to escape a hiding hole for hours on end, preferring to call it a failed hunt and move onto the next meal, though it's best to wait for some time as some rock aghrahns are more cunning and may pounce prey that emerges from their hiding place too soon.

Another weaknesses that can be used against a rock aghrahn is their favourite foods. Because rock aghrahns will continually pursue their favourite foods, this makes it quite easy to plot a path of where they are travelling in order to hunt. A group of fed up townsfolk may set a trap at a rock aghrahns destination to use the farm as bait or set a trap en route to capture the rock aghrahn. Typically these encounters end in the rock aghrahn being relocated after being drugged with tranquillizers or it may well be the last hunt a rock aghrahn ever goes on.

Spirituality
Rock aghrahns are very disconnected from wider society so they have little to no concept of religion. Some may hear of it in passing but not take it seriously, misunderstand it or take it literally to the point of trying to make demands to the gods for things they want before getting frustrated over being ignored and carrying on with their lives.

Overall
Since rock aghrahns largely live in the wilderness and keep to themselves, they don't forge close relationships with other species very often. More often than not, a rock aghrahn will see other species that cross their path as potential prey, making an encounter with a rock aghrahn quite dangerous.

Rock aghrahns also tend to see themselves as a superior species over all others, so even outside of viewing other species as food, they see them as weaker and lesser than themselves and will usually underestimate other species capabilities because they lack the qualities and strengths of a rock aghrahn. To put it more bluntly, they see themselves as big, strong and smart while all other species are weak and dumb, and it's not easy to convince them otherwise.

Because they lack any particular complex history with other species, it can be safely said overall that other species don't get along well with rock aghrahns, but there are always exceptions to the norm.

Treating Each Other
Rock aghrahns do get along relatively well among themselves, though it is not often apparent to an outsider. Rock aghrahns are known to have a simplistic culture based around placing value on the strong in mind and body, believing they are smarter and stronger than all other races. This rather simple core value means that those who are more meek or submissive are frequently outcast by their kin, often forced to live alone due to being mocked relentlessly for being different.

Rock aghrahn groups love to spend their days showing off their musculature, feats of strength they are capable of, challenging each other to wrestling matches or just arguing over nothing. Rock aghrahns are also known to groom one another from polishing and sharpening horns and tidying up loose scales, this serves as a common means of more casual bonding between group members to keep peace or to have some time to wind down.

Only every so often is a fight between rock aghrahns a serious one. Most commonly this may be rival groups crossing paths and fighting over territory, or sometimes a member within the group challenging the leader to the right to lead the group. These fights are often the most brutal, rock aghrahns will not kill their own but they will bruise and bloody their opponent as much as they can. The winner of the fight will continue or begin to lead the group, while the loser is forced into exile from the group to become an outcast themselves. It can be very difficult for outcasts to get into another group so they often remain alone for years to come until they can draw younger members of their kind to forge a group with them.

Reproduction
Rock aghrahns mating season has a longer span of time than most species, running from December to February. Rock aghrahns are rather straightforward with the whole affair of deciding they want to find a partner or have children and are quite forthcoming with their prospects, unafraid to blatantly (and crudely) state their desires for one another as it's considered the height of endearment (even the females do it to the males).

Rock aghrahns usually become least active in the winter as much of their prey hibernates or migrates elsewhere for winter, so they'll settle down lower on the mountains to reproduce among each other and use the quieter time in the year to lay their eggs and keep them warm during the cold months until they're ready to hatch in the spring. Eggs are laid in clutches of 3-5 and take about 4 months in total to hatch.

The sex of their offspring is determined by the temperature eggs are kept warm at like with many reptiles. 30 °C or less produces mostly females, at 31 °C offspring are equally of both sexes and 32-33 °C produces mostly males. Due to rock aghrahns living on the mountains, the altitude they choose to have their eggs at can also affect the temperature of eggs as the higher up on the mountains they nest the lower the temperature in winter. Remaining at too high an altitude will likely mean the eggs will not develop at all.

Life Cycle
When rock aghrahn fledglings hatch, they are immediately able to get up and follow their mothers, which is a necessity for her to ensure their safety from dangers. Fathers don't get involved in the process of raising fledglings at all and will remain relatively separate from mothers while she raises offspring, though they may meet up from time to time to catch up.

During their youth, fledglings horns are quite small and take some time to grow into their adult length, usually happening by the time they reach their early teens. In order to identify her offspring and allow them to identify each other, their mother will carve their horns with her own claws in the same patterns. This is done as a measure against inbreeding and it's theorized by that this behaviour could be one of the most ancient of passed down traditions in all of Faria, as fossilized rock aghrahn horns have markings that have been matched to rock aghrahns alive today.

Fledglings will stay with their mother for 18 years until they reach adulthood and strike out on their own. At about the age of 15-16, they are likely to go exploring their territory alone or as a group. Siblings usually drift apart from here, though some may remain together as a social group but still hunt separate from one another.

Rock aghrahns have a potential lifespan of 100-120 years, though they may only live as long as 20-30 years due to their rougher lifestyle.