Wartesák

Amongst the peoples of the swamp there's a tale of a deadly beast. One that is less seen as a figure but instead a stream of victims. He who takes Mangwallow in the night. He who brings man to bleed in the marshes. It is the most elusive and misunderstood creature of the swamp. A mythic reputation lends itself to a desire to find it. Searches for the Wartesák are constant, killing too. From centuries of persecution they have become rare. But these elusive oddities remain in the places where man or elfkind dare not tread. For the Wartesák’s territory is to be respected by all.

#### Physiology and Anatomy

A large felid beast, the Wartesák is the largest species of cat on Ludwag. They have dappled, spotted bodies which disrupt their outline amongst the greenery so that they may sneak up on prey. Their gray-black fur makes them difficult to see in shadow or at night, even for elves. The only thing that one might catch a glimpse of in the darkness is the rungs of purple organs running from the shoulders to the back. Unlike the rest of the beast’s body, these purple growths are totally hairless. The fur of a Wartesák is hydrophobic so while they spend a lot of their time in and around water they don’t stay wet for long.

Wartesák are proficient climbers and swimmers. They can scale trees -although they cannot leap between them- using their unsheathed claws. A sheath of fur and flesh keeps them sharp when out of use, giving their paws a cuddly appearance when they are not unfurled. These paws are incredibly muscular and may punch right through chainmail, a move some unwise travelers unfortunately learn from mistakenly believing the Wartesák is defenseless. They also have saber-length fangs which slide down from the top jaw. These fangs are sharp to the touch and effortlessly glide over flesh and muscle. A Wartesák can deliver a serrated bite through flesh, muscle, and leathery osteoderms right to the bone. Wartesák’s mode of killing is oftentimes restraining their victim with their powerful forelimbs before biting down on the neck, severing it from the head.

But to imply that the Wartesák is merely an exemplary animal would not indulge the aforementioned purple organs. These organs are glands which channel vitor. A Wartesák is able to unleash this vitor in the form of blinking, akin to a **Master Psychomancer.** A Wartesák can blink several times over short periods to disorientate their prey and or move to vantage points. As they are not particularly fast -though they would still outpace any sapient race- this method of positioning is vital for their ambushes. Should a Wartesák’s glands be depleted or wounded, they may not be as effective or controllable as before- teleporting sporadically over short distances without direction.

Wartesák have two cubs each wet season. They’re born totally jet-black, developing their purple-gray spots as they mature. Cubs are largely defenseless as they are yet to develop their vitor glands. They can emit loud contact calls which a mother can easily pick up. Adult Wartesák have exceptional hearing and sight so while they may be out searching for food they can be readily aware of the happenings of their cubs at home.

#### Psychology

Wartesák are something of a social oddity. They may form monogamous pairs which will stick together even outside of the pairing season. Though they often hunt alone, pairs may on occasion link up to hunt larger prey like Tortitans and Voduur. A pair will establish a territory and defend it fiercely from other Wartesák that may be trying to move in. Fights between rival pairs can and often do prove lethal given the available territories have vastly decreased. Wartesák have an aversion to sapient races and their settlements and will avoid them when possible. If provoked or desperate, Wartesák will engage sapient races in combat- particularly if their cubs are in danger.