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Jesseth — Altamaran Apex Predator:

Published: 2012-06-14 00:56:28 +0000 UTC; Views: 4170; Favourites: 93; Downloads: 60
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Description These guys have existed for aaaaages but I've never actually posted anything I've drawn of them. Probably for the best because I did a big overhaul of them for this sheet.
They even got a name change... originally they were called chirimin, but I finally decided that no, that didn't sound frightening enough. I might change the name again, but for now it's Charan.

Pic just about says everything. They're huge but hard-to-track subterranean horrors that occasionally surface and wreak havoc on hapless surface life. Luckily, being so huge, they need massive territories- so they've a naturally small population.

Other things that could cause Charans to attack are the sorts of issues that often result in 'man-eating' predators on Earth- Lack of other food, injury or disease, natural disasters, young males driven from their territories... Ect.

Because of their huge size and their natural tendency to target them, the Altamara have a deep, instinctive fear of Charans that is strong enough to cause all but the bravest to flee at the sight or even chemical scent of them. One of their enemies the Dirga's final acts on the Altamaran home world before being driven off was the capture of several Charan to use as weapons of war. These 'Dirgan' Charans have been cloned and engineered for so many generations since that they are visibly and genetically different from those found planet-side. Altamaran scholars regularly debate if these individuals qualify as a separate species, and if so, if captured samples should be re-introduced into the wild.

Just a little scientific aside.. I did my research and thought long and hard over how to size them, based on body type, gravitational differences and lifestyle. As it stands they are roughly the length of an albertosaurus and a little shorter (but a lot thinner) than a blue whale.

In terms of Altamaran nature, they are distant relatives of and share some anatomical similarities with these guys:



© me.
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Comments: 5

VikingFox [2012-06-18 01:10:33 +0000 UTC]

First visitor to Altamara: "So, yeah... I know I said Earth was dangerous before... And I knew you guys weren't as soft and squishy as us in some ways, but holy hell I never knew you had things THIS hard.... That's only over a thousand things that want to kill you everyday..." O_o

Visitors encouraged to reinforce respect for the Altamaran race XD

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Teavian [2012-06-17 22:57:44 +0000 UTC]

Wow, the Charan is pretty darn scary! I'd hate to come across one, there's no wonder the Altamarans are terrified of them.

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QuazarShark [2012-06-17 15:31:48 +0000 UTC]

Chirimin sounds like their chibi versions xD

These guys are awesome, though I have a tough time accepting the fact that something that big and spiky can tunnel well underground, unless they're like rabbits and use warrens that have been built steadily over generations.
I love their cicada-like way of just grabbing a tree's roots and sucking it to death forever. That mouth is also pretty fucking terrifying, I love it.

I'm thinking these guys are sort of like the equivalent of lions or dragons; do they feature heavily in artwork too?

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Bluewyrm [2012-06-15 19:42:37 +0000 UTC]

Cool! Hmmmm.... I feel like these guys would affect Altamaran architecture. Perhaps some type of tendency to build fortress-type walls around villages, or concrete foundations the spread out underground a ways beyond large buildings so these guys would have to surface before they got close...

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SoldierToger [2012-06-14 03:50:08 +0000 UTC]

Looking pretty neat there! Lovely concept.

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