Wildegroll

The wildegroll is a distant relative to the Wendigo. Much like their cousins, the wildegroll is a rare and dangerous creature that is rarely found in the northern forests and mountains of the frigid north, and are extremely dangerous. Similarities end there, as the wildegroll differs greatly from its distant cousins. Where wendigos succeed in speed and agility, the wildegroll exceeds in strength and intimidation.

## Physiology

The wildegroll is a large, knuckle-walking bipeds. When standing idle, a wildegroll can range from 6-7 feet from their head to their toe. However, due to their knuckle-walking nature, their body is sloped, with their shoulders slightly higher than their rear end. When standing fully erect, a wildegroll can reach up to heights up to 10 feet tall, head to toe. Wildegrolls only ever stand fully erect to reach high places, or to intimidate. Their bone structure does not promote long periods of standing fully erect. The wildegroll has extremely thick arms, legs, as well as a large trunk and neck. Their body is extremely efficient at storing fat, but harbor dense muscles as well. Furthermore, their hide is thick upon their back and limbs, with their bellies being the thinnest parts of their hide. They have dense fur ranging in colors between grey, brown, and black, with the majority being brown. Around the top of their heads, the outside of their hands, and the bottom of their feet, the wildegroll has thick, rough, calloused skin, which aid in locomotion, as well as their predatory and territorial habits. They do not have claws.

The wildegroll also sports wide, moose-like antlers atop its head. This is only seen in both males and females, with males sporting larger horns. Their skulls sport a tall sagittal crest, similar to a gorilla, as well as tall and wide jawbones. This lends the wildegroll powerful jaw muscles. They are primarily carnivorous, but are indeed omnivores. They have a majority of molars to grind bones and cartilage, as well as canines and front incisors for more precise eating. They have wide noses, also like a moose, and have a tremendous sense of smell. Their eyes are small, and they have poor eyesight. Their hearing is sub-optimal, but not a detriment to their survival.

## Climate

The wildegroll primarily lives in the North, with their most common habitats within dense coniferous forests with plenty of snow and mild undergrowth. Due to their highly efficient nature, the wildegroll rarely, if ever, migrates within its lifetime, provided nothing endangers the ecosystem it is currently thriving in. The wildegroll tends to create large dens constructed of small trees they've pulled and broken and dragged back to their den. Dense underbrush as well as caves serve well.

## Diet

The wildegroll are primarily carnivorous, but are technically omnivores. They have an extremely slow and efficient metabolism. Due to their large size and predatory activity, they require large amounts of energy. Adversely, they have smaller windows of activity than year-round wildlife. During mating season, just before, and just after hibernation, is when the wildegroll primarily eats. When they do eat, the wildegroll primarily hunts bear and elk. Utilizing their keen sense of smell, they are often known to approach another predator's kill and fight for the remains. If short on energy, they are also known to eat vegetation.

## Predatory and Territorial Behavior

If a wildegroll has recently and plentifully fed, and is not too close to their den, they could be described as hesitantly docile. They hibernate in the winter. They will not pursue further prey or defend against non-threats if it meant saving energy. However, due to their inherent requirement of a stable ecosystem, the wildegroll is extremely territorial. If a wildegroll is looking to feed, and a potential threat or competitor crosses its path, they will fight for the territorial dominance as well as for sustenance. The wildegroll uses its large limbs to throw a 'tantrum' in a form of intimidation, swinging its horns and long arms to and fro in attempts to scare off anything coming too close. Furthermore, thewildegroll has the ability to use its short term memory to 'mimic', to a certain extent of clarity, the sounds of another creature to a higher volume and bass, as well as a deeper pitch, in a form of natural mockery. If a wildegroll is forced to defend itself, or confront prey, it is capable of bursts of energy to propel itself forward utilizing mainly its front limbs, with its back limbs for stability and direction. While they are usually slow when they are docile, when forced to expend energy to defend itself or to feed, they are quite quick, but not very nimble. They will grapple punch with their large fists, and charge adversaries with their horns.

The wildegroll is extremely instinct based and lacks intelligence.

## Population, Mating, and Lifespan

The average lifespan of a wildegroll is quite long, with perhaps a lifespan range of 30-40 years. Due to the Blight's complete reset of the biosphere, the wildegroll has become extremely endangered. Only by way of its nature of hibernating for long periods was it a miracle that a few survived. Only a short number remain. Wildegrolls mate, but the parents do not stay together. When a female is ready to mate, they will emit a loud crescendo for males to hear, as well as pheromones for them to smell. When they mate successfully, the male leaves, and the female begins to hunt with veracity, until they give birth. Young and adolescent wildegroll are born with tremendous survival instincts, often hunting smaller mammals for food, until they slowly grow and challenge larger prey.

## The Great Hunger

When a wildegroll is on the brink of starvation, or a male is confronting a male with a female, the wildegroll enters an adrenaline and testosterone fueled state of 'fight or flight', in which the beast's inhibitions are lowered for a last ditch effort to find food or to mate. They become enraged, and act as a crazed animal might, with dangerous, unpredictable strength and speed. If a male wildegroll enters this state when confronting another male with a female, the males will fight to the death, and the victor will consume the deceased and mate wit the female. If a starving wildegroll does not find enough food during this period, it acts as a catalyst for their starvation. They become extremely lethargic, and die, as a result of their energy deficit.