Quildalt

In Ludwag’s forests rumors of an unknowable terror reign supreme. Past taboos of an older time still take root in the minds of those who first made them. Fear of what lies beyond the confines of their walls. Man and Elfkind have come to hate its dreaded howls, damning it to the role of an antagonist. The imps, as nature-bearing as they are, have a different view. Like the Stalaakai they hold dear, Quildalt acts as emissaries of wisdom and truth. Though unlike the Stalaakai, Quildalt brings predictions of foreboding. Amongst imps it’s believed that should one be seen an unsavory event shall follow. In any case, the Quildalt are both respected and feared by the Amnisican populace.

### Physiology and Anatomy

The Quildalt is an odd beast with no clear connection to any other animal on Ludwag. Their skin is rough like sandpaper, retaining heat and sensitive to touch. The Quildalt lack both eyes and ears, instead relying solely on their sense of smell and touch sensations. Two bulbous organs on their heads act like enormous nostrils, taking in scents via nodules along their exterior. Quildalts have the best sense of smell of any organism on Ludwag, able to track the movements of prey by smell alone. In cases of ideal conditions it is almost like they can ‘see’ with their scent glands, making it all the more crippling should they lose them. Though this specialization allows them to operate even without any light at all.

To protect themselves from adversaries they may not detect, Quildalts have adapted some of its scales into a very curious weapon, earning its namesake. These quills are designed in such a way to break off and sink into flesh when disturbed. The quills have barbs which face backward from the tip so as to make impossible attempts to remove them by hand. These jagged barbs may also be flung off by the Quildalt intentionally, sent at their aggressors with kicks from their hindlegs. Though this attack can be devastating it cannot be used very often as it takes some time to regrow them. Should one wish to remove these quills they need immerse the wound in an oil or lubricant before slowly removing them with tweezers. Due to this painful shock most larger carnivores tend to avoid confrontation with these beasts.

Despite a fearsome appearance they’re not particularly effective hunters. Their muscular legs, while powerful, can’t take them very far that quickly. What a Quildalt can be is persistent. They can walk to a sign of food for days, living off the fat reserves they build between meals. Once they’re at a kill they can often bully other predators off it, either by the quills mentioned before or by their enormous jaws. Quildalt teeth aren’t designed so much to slice as they are to crunch, able to break open bones. They use this move to eat the marrow within, something most other predators cannot. This does put them at odds with predators like Urgunths and more recently invasive animals like Ogres, who they choose to avoid. In recent years as their ranges have diminished many have taken to active predation, feeding on: livestock, yetiants, and sapient races.

### Psychology

Quildalts are not sociable animals, living alone the majority of their lives. In their infancy they reside alongside their mother who rears them alone, departing from her as they reach maturity. Infants may form small bands who stick together only for the protection they collectively form. These bands slowly disintegrate as they become more experienced hunters until they no longer exist. Adult Quildalt are extremely territorial and will often attack one another with their quills. Though the quills don’t get stuck in their hides like they do to others, it can still prove grievous to an inexperienced pup.

Elusive, Quildalts avoid contact with other creatures and settlements. They have an aversion to others deeply rooted in their psyche. Paranoid, they often patrol their territories over an inkling of potential invasion. They’re quick to lash out at the slightest disturbance and can be the most unruly beast to come across in dire circumstances.