Tahrun

Across the barren desert another ancient relic lies, though few would remember its significance. Like some other fringe creatures it once had many cousins, all now lost to the sands of time. For a while it was believed that it too was gone as it was known only by the bones it left behind. Since the storms receded these beasts have made the migration back to their ancestral home- returning to the niche they left behind in North Ludwag. A Tahrun is a disgruntled beast of old ways, though their hardiness makes even the most modern challenges fair for these creatures.

#### Physiology and Anatomy

Tahrun are bulky and hardy reptiles. Their bodies are lined with packed muscle and fat reserves to stave off scarcity and brave the harsh climates of their desert home. Their scaly, leather-like skin is thick to retain heat and study enough that stingers, darts, and thistles cannot pierce it. They aren’t irritated by the spines on cactus or the thistles on thorns when they feed. Tahrun possess a cranial frill and brow ridges to shield their eyes from flying debris and protect their vulnerable neck. Their frills are filled with blood vessels which they can flush with blood to cool themselves down or to produce a vibrant display of color. They can march through thick sandstorms without incurring injuries too severe. If all else fails they can immerse themselves into the sand to retain heat, their nostrils positioned at the top of their snout so they may breathe.

Tahrun don’t have the luxury of soft and abundant vegetation so they must make do with what they have. They are armed with a sharp keratin-covered beak to tear spiny vegetation away from sharper thorns. The inside of their mouths are protected by a series of rib-like bumps to keep the spines from getting hitched on the interior of the mouth, allowing the Tahrun to eat cactus and other desert plants. They possess two sharp tusks which they can use to unearth underground roots and tubers, though they may also be used as weapons. Should a Tahrun get a running start it can easily gore an opponent, breaking bone on impact.

Tahrun have their clutches every dry season. Females will bury their eggs about half a foot beneath the sand so they aren’t found easily by predators. The sand itself incubates her eggs so she can forage while they bake. Young Tahrun are particularly vulnerable as they must shed before their scales are fully-formed and their tusks are yet to stick out of their mouths. They instinctively know to stay by their mother for shelter, where they will remain as they mature over the course of a few years.

#### Psychology

Tahrun are social and caring beasts, forming intimate social bonds with up to six adult individuals at a time. They have a very diverse vocal range to communicate feelings; gurgles, growls, snorts, and booming hoots are all used to convey emotions. This sociability doesn’t extend to other creatures or sapient races though, quite the opposite is the case. They’re intolerant of other organisms within their personal space unless they’re particularly small, charging if they get too close. Protective parents, these charges will become more aggressive if calves are present. In these states of anger and panic they’re incredibly hard to calm down. The effects of soothing magic are totally useless on them. Tahrun are willing to endure intense pain if it means rescuing their calf from a predator.