Editing Magical Realm Cyoa/Sauros (section)

== Bestiary ==

Sauros is home to many creatures, and a few of them are outlined below.

HUTSHELLS
 
Of all the beasts of Sauros, this, perhaps, is the most important. At first glance, it just looks like a giant tortoise of some sort, but when you see the 120-foot tall trees growing on just a small patch of its shell, which is home to an entire ecosystem (and, likely, a Saurosian village), only then do you realize just how important these animals are. They are both the stable living space and primary means of locomotion for the Saurosians, and support a number of other organisms endemic to these living, mobile islands. For a creature of such size and bulk, however, they also move surprisingly quickly - at about a human's walking pace. It is not yet known just how these creatures sustain themselves or reproduce. However, as evidenced by a sighting of a Saurosian tribe that entered another Realm on foot and in a state of desperation, it appears that the Hutshells are, in fact, capable of dying. Such an event would no doubt be devastating to the creatures that rely upon it.
 
SAUROSIANS
 
The Saurosians themselves are the most intelligent inhabitants of Sauros, save perhaps for the somewhat elusive (or perhaps cowardly?) being known to them as No-Scale (inquiry as to whether it introduced itself as such to them or they named it such currently underway). They, notably, tend to resemble Earth's extinct ornithopod dinosaurs, though at least three tribes have been noted to resemble small, bipedal stegosauroids and one has been noted as having more similarities to prosauropods. Their level of technology is low, understandably so, for such a world, but they are almost shockingly quick to learn for such a people - their curiosity occasionally gets them into some trouble, but the speed at which they take to new trades is somewhat alarming. However, it is also rather easy to scare them - simply appearing unexpectedly will do, as this is the usual tactic of the predators they seek shelter from on the Hutshells. When startled and unable to flee, they are capable of becoming very... loud. The sonic pulse they can emit is, in fact, capable of knocking its target unconcious. It is noted, however, that they seem entirely unwilling to weaponize this ability, regarding it, instead, as a means of escape from danger.
 
ROOTTUSKS
 
These pig-sized creatures, notably domesticated by the Saurosians, have a curious dicynodont look to them. What is more, while they reproduce in a mammalian manner and bear live young, they still lay edible constructs similar to eggs. The most commonly accepted hypothesis is that these "eggs" are used to deter predators from consuming their actual young by giving them a stationary, unliving, and notably, rather spicy target. The levels of capsaicin in the "eggs" are known to be lethal to a number of wild predators, and are potentially lethal to humans in their base state. However, these "eggs" feature heavily in Sauroisan culinary culture, and are said to make excellent rejuvenating drinks as well as good bases for a sort of soup that also features several vegetables. Roottusks are, beyond this, notoriously opportunistic eaters - don't leave ANYTHING edible unattended near them.
 
RENDCLAWS
 
The common rendclaw of Sauros is a cassowary-sized predator of dromaeosaurid appearance and demeanor. Other breeds, such as the chicken-sized Miniature Rendclaw, the turkey-sized Dwarf Rendclaw, and the moa-sized Giant Rendclaw, are known to exist, and one breed is even known as the Fireclaw, due to its seeming ability to breathe fire (though this is likely a primitive local attempt at communicating the biological weaponry of a creature that would very much like to have them for dinner). While not sapient, the various breeds of rendclaw are cunning, vicious, and swift. Their dexterity, combined with the namesake claws on their hindlimbs and their propensity towards hunting in packs, makes them almost unrealistically difficult to defend against. Saurosian villages are protected by the sheer size of the hutshells, but any who fall to the ground and do not react in time are made short work of - if the fall didn't already kill them, that is. It is known that the most common breeds of rendclaw - the Common, Dwarf, and Miniature - have a particular distaste for overly bright lights - sunlight or fire, they can handle, but most artificial lights leave them disoriented and helpless. A camera flash could leave them unable to pursue for two minutes. The reason for this unclear - it is entirely possible that this Realm's Wizard simply decided to give the creatures an exploitable weakness so as to prevent travellers from suffering ill-timed deaths.
 
TREENECKS
 
The Common Treeneck, being something close to 80 feet long and half as high, is the largest "mundane" creature in the Saurosian ecosystem. An herbivore, it spends its days travelling in small herds and peacefully eating leaves. In appearance, it is most similar to the Amaragasaurus, though it also boasts some titanosaurid traits - notably, the scutes on its back resemble those of a Saltasaurus. Beyond this, there is little to say - the creatures are docile and decidedly not too bright.
 
CRUSHJAWS
 
The Crushjaw is the most fearsome beast of the Realm. Its appearance is the unholy amalgamation of a tyrannosaurid, a spinosaurid, and an allosaurid, and its strength, ferocity, bite force, and appetite exceed all three combined. The one saving grace one might be granted when near these bus-length, 4-meter tall beasts is that only the most desperate of them prey on anything smaller than the treeneck. Little is known of the animal's mating habits or social structure, given that those who go to examine it have a tendency not to come back.
 
WHIRLJUMPS
 
While snakelike in appearance, these small creatures have a strange means of gliding - the membranes to the sides of their bodies are used to catch the wind, and these placid creatures then coil into a sort of "air screw" so as to glide further. This technique is used to catch flying insects, and it is known that these reptiles can coil tighter, then loosen slightly to launch themselves in a springlike manner from tree branches, roofs , or open hands. The Saurosian tribes seem to like keeping them as pets, as they consume a number of known pests and are non-venomous. Some who have encountered them say that the little creatures are "strangely adorable."
 
SKYLEAPS
 
The skyleaps of Sauros are curious creatures, with some varieties given to migrating long distances over land and water to mate, loud vocal displays to assert dominance, desire to mate, or even simple concepts such as hunger, and/or a habit of stealing shiny things. Furthermore, these pterosaur-like animals are notably diverse in their diets - some consume only fish and shellfish (these varieties are notably common in the Geyser Isles), while others feast on fruit and vegetables. Others still are hunters, and some operate as vulture-like scavengers. There is even supposedly a large, swift variety that hunts rendclaws, though it is difficult to say. What is not difficult to say is that a number of these creatures appear fit for domestication, but simply do not possess the benefit required for the locals to engage in such a process. It is rumored, however, that the largest of the herbivorous varieties may be mountable by smaller creatures, if tamed successfully, and they have proven to be able to carry, at most, about five times their weight while flying without discomfort. How such a creature could do so remains to be discovered, but these Whooping Skyleaps, named for the sound they make, show promise. Perhaps, with time, the locals might learn their use - it is certainly an interesting thought.