Tathanka

:”It's okay. They can't get us. We're behind two inches of seven-ton glass plates. It would take some kind of bear-shark-wolf to break through this bad boy.” - Words spoken moments before disaster by an SGA agent.
Tathanka is one of Moreau Ryder's abominations, and is one of Tahcawin Ryder's aquatic charges alongside Icamni. One of the more stormy temperaments among the main six charges, she is an extremely powerful water predator.
==Biology and Appearance==
Comprised of a stocky body with four sturdy legs, Tathanka has a flat shark-like head with rows of sharp teeth and beady eyes. Along the backs of her arms up to her lower belly there are two manta ray-like flaps. She has huge, powerful paws and a long tail with a razor-sharp stinger. Her body is built to withstand high pressures and deliver devastating blows in combat.
Her body, rough and covered in ridges, is mostly a teal-grey colour, darker on her back. Her manta-wings are teal while her gills, scars and tail tip are a salmon pink. She is amphibious and despite being able to dive deep, requires oxygen periodically, necessitating oxygen tanks for both the rider and the charge.
==Behaviour and Abilities==
Surly with a stormy disposition, Tathanka tends to be grumpy and stubborn, even with Ryder on occasions. Despite this, she respects Ryder's authority as pack leader and will follow approximate instructions. She will protect weaker pack members as her bear and wolf heritage give her a strong instinct for leadership and control.
Extremely strong, her swimming speed isn't as blistering as Icamni's but her strength far outmatches any competitor. Her swats with broad paws can toss humans long distances and break bones easily, while her bull-like head can batter through obstacles without sustaining damage. Her tail can pierce through armour deftly, and her hide is tough enough that her one scar - on her nose - was the result of colliding with a sea mine. Anything short of that would likely not pierce her skin.
==History==
After the percieved failure of Icamni, Tathanka was made to be a perfect oceanic predator. She faced routine hard training and little praise, hardening her temperament. When she was released by Tahcawin, she made an attempt to eat Moreau Ryder before his arrest, but begrudgingly prioritised rendezvousing with Tahcawin and the other escaped creatures - her 'pack'.
At the UNWD, she shares a temperature-controlled enclosure with Icamni. Although the two have conflicting personalities, they play regularly, with Icamni's shocks providing harmless enrichment to the super-tough Tathanka. Her ability to roam the land as well allows her to interact with the tunneling Akayake, whose nearby enclosure allows her to visit regularly.
==Trivia==
* Her name comes from the latter halves of the Lakota words ble tánka and shungmánitu thánka, being ocean and wolf respectively.
Category:Monsters
Category:Ryderidae