Ferpyra

Ferpyras are huge creatures of intense dark capabilities with bulletproof skin and a destructive, dangerous temper. Because of their temperament, they have gained the nickname "The Living Wrecking Ball" because of how destructive they can be when sent on a Warpath.

## Characteristics

Scientific name: *Timor Vampire*

Weight: *54 tons*

Maximum age: *340 years*

Habitat: *Coniferous forests of North America and Europe*

Family: *formerly Vampire, now considered Spawn of Argantus*

Physically, the Ferpyra is an elephantine sized, dog-like creature with a thick, meaty tail and pitch-black fur with a natural consistency of quills, being sharp and stiff. Their head is triangular shaped, and they have two prong-like ears that are vaguely reminiscent of batman's helmet. Their face is flat and looks very similar to a human skull, being lip less with multiple peg-shaped teeth and two slits for a nose. Their eyes are their most prominent feature, and are basically two swirling pools of purple energy that can hypnotize and Mesmerize anybody that looks into them, with a sharply angled chin.. Their skin is completely concussion proof, meaning that they can take rockets to the face, ingest primed mortar shells, or even get temporarily submerged in lava without suffering serious injury. The only weapon shown to have any desirable effect on them is the Centaurian greatbow, which can penetrate their skin and hurt their slightly more sensitive insides, killing them if they are hit in the right place. Their shoulders reach higher than their heads, meaning that their maximum height is measured at the shoulder, and the have huge claws on they bulky legs, their toes getting larger and longer the closer they are to the torso. They also show digitigrade traits in their back feet, walking on their toes like a canid or a feline, and their howls sound like a very deep, very guttural version of a Wolfe's call. They can also growl, a low pitched, bestial sound that can shake they very ground itself like an overly strong bass. They are dangerous and aggressive carnivores that have been known to eat their prey whole.

The best way people ave figured out to try and stop them at least partially is to hit their eyes, which is the only soft spot on their bodies, and can temporarily blind them and remove their Mesmer/Hypnosis capabilities as long as whatever was shot into their eyes stays lodged in. be forewarned that a blind Ferpyra can be even more dangerous than a normal one, as they become even more enraged and quick on their feet, and the best thing to do is steer them away from a heavily populated vicinity.

The best weapon to use against them is a high powered long range weapon with a high projectile velocity and heavy weight. Fear of over-penetration against this monster is near null and void, as the higher the projectile velocity the more damage a hunter can do. Weapons like shotguns, pistols, and assault rifles are completely useless against them, and their fur can tear apart any net that they touch, so the best bet that is the easiest to get your hands on is an anti-material rifle that can at least partially penetrate the skin. The most damage, however, is done by the Centaurian Greatbow, which has a draw strength of 350 pounds and a four foot long projectile, easily piercing their bulletproof skin and tearing vital organs on the inside.

## Cultural significance

Because of how destructive they can be when angry, their nickname throughout the Hunter community is "The Living Wrecking ball" simply because of their liking for ripping entire buildings apart with minimal effort in their case. They are considered high end and dangerous monsters, usually requiring a full team or two of hunters to kill or steer away. They are controlled mostly by Argantus and are not as intelligent as the Sentinal, relying mostly upon their bestial and destructive instincts to steer them in the proper direction.

When being hunted, the best way to stay alive in combat with them is to constantly move. because of their speed and size they are slow to turn and can be dodged if skill and effort is taken, allowing the hunter in question to attack it from a more suitable angle. Hunters have also been known to give themselves plated chain-mail armor and latch onto the monster's fur, attacking them up close while also trying to slow them down with powerful, high penetration melee weapons that can at least get through the skin of the creature.

## Trivia

* The etymology of the word Ferpyra is as follows: Fear = Fer, Vampire - Vam = Pire = Pyra. When slotted together, it creates it's name, Ferpyra.
* when first discovered at the beginning of the dark ages, it was originally thought to feed off of fear, similar to the IT from Stephen king's horror novel or the dark monster known as the Slender. However, it was realized that it did not feed upon fear, and was instead grouped with the spawn of Argantus with the Sentinal. The name, however, stuck.