Ayalubu

*"For any other realm, these would be monsters of legend, creatures to be feared and loathed. For the Favsim Dominion though, they are the perfect representation of their race and way of life: Strong, fierce and always ready to fight"*

In the capital world of theFavsim Dominion, deep within the few remaining wildlands to the North, exists a race of predators feared and respected by the Favsim  in equal amounts. As large as light tanks and equiped with fangs, claws and a tail sharp and strong enough to cut through steel with ease, **Ayalubu**were the apex predators of the lands of the Favsim before their arrival. Known for their savage nature and ability to eat almost anything (including bone and rock), Ayalubu still survive in the wild, thanks in no small part to the efforts of the Dominion, who see them as sacred animals.

## Biological details

### Appearance

   The Ayalubu have been described by those outside the Favsim Dominion as "creatures born from the most twisted of nightmares". Half feline, half insectoid in nature, an Ayalubu can be seen as a mixture between a great cat and a scorpion, its armored tail often being longer than the rest of its body, yet still just as fast (if not faster). Depending on the weather, the fur of these creatures may change, a process which can last between a few days and a week.

Huge in size, an adult Ayalubu can easily stand over a personal vehicle, with claws as long as daggers and several rows of teeth sharp like needles.

### Main traits

What makes the Ayalubu such a dangerous predator, aside from its strenght and speed, is its ability to climb and prepare ambushes for its prey where it least expects it. While still unable to perform any complex thoughts, or focus on anything else aside from its next meal, an Ayalubu who has managed to survive to adulthood is often a shrewd creature, ready to do anything to survive.

The scorpion tail of the Ayalubu, as expected, is filled with toxin. While mortal for anything smaller than a human, the true purpose of this venom is to slow down the Ayalubu's prey, make its moments sloppy, its vision blurry so it cannot fight back when the predator decides to deliver the killing blow. Once that happens, the Ayalubu will more often than not go for the neck, holding to its prey until it finally stops moving and the feast can finally begin.

### Numbers

Despite the best efforts of the Dominion, the number of Ayalubu's in their homeworld remains below the 10,000, a factor not helped by the growing lack of preys as more and more lands are required to build barracks or factories for the war effort. Nevertheless, a few specimens have been brought to other worlds of the Dominion and have slowly adapted to their new environments (to the horror of the planet's previous wildlife and inhabitants).

## Ayalubu and the Dominion

Back in the time before the Tyrannus, even before there were any kings or emperors to rule over the Favsim, there was a time called "The Bleeding skies". According to Favsim legends, during these years spirits from the sky came in in great numbers to hunt down their kind and take them to their great charriots of steel and fire. Armed only with crude weapons and still not united, the Favsim were unable to do anything but hide from these invaders.

A Favsim from one of these ancient tribes, a young female called "Herretia", fled during one of these attacks and was separated from the rest of her group. During her flight, some invaders chased after her and would have taken the young Favsim to their ships had it not been for the sudden appearance of an adult Ayalubu. Even the spirit's weapons were useless to them as the creature appeared from the darkness, cutting them down with its claws while piercing their bodies with the sting of its tail.

The legend carries on explaining how Herretia managed to "domesticate" the creature, or at least make a deal with it so it would continue to hunt down the spirits. Soon, other Ayalubu joined in, slaying so many spirits they were forced to fall back and leave the Favsim alone. As a payment for their services, Herretia promised to always give a home to the Ayalubu, as a way to keep their alliance.

To this day, the Favsim continue to do this. Nevertheless, while they respect the Ayalubu, Favsim warriors wanting to show their worth will sometimes be allowed to go on ritual missions to hunt down and bring back the corpse of a grown Ayalubu. Armed with only rigles, knives and their wits, they must hunt the hunter through the wilderness and try not to be hunted down in return. Such expeditions are filled with celebration and ritual, as those Favsim who manage to kill an Ayalubu in "fair combat" will be considered to be the best amongst their kind.

The Ayalubu too secretly celebrate this event, as few hunts end without several Favsim ending up in one of these hunters' bellies.