The Whalrus is a cold-world animal that lives on floating ice islands. Able to hold its breath for more than an hour, the whalrus is a warm-blooded animal prized for both its ivory and oil. There are two sexes, and mating season occurs once every 2-3 years. There are between 2 and 6 young per breeding cycle, and the young stay with their parents for at least 2 years. The whalrus lives in large groups called bundles, with between 30-40 adults and up to 150 or so young in various age groups. They are omnivorous, eating local seaweeds as well as small sea creatures similar to plankton. The average life span is 35-40 years.
Their ivory, when worked like scrimshaw, is prized and expensive. Collectors pay large amounts of credits for well-crafted art. Additionally, the oils produced are useful in a variety of cooking methods and contains copious vitamins. It is rumored that the oils are being examined for anagathic benefits. The blubber, when deep fried, is considered a delicacy, and the meat from a whalrus, while having a distinctive odor, is an excellent source of protein.
Female tend to be larger than the males. An average female is close to 600 pounds (272 kg), a male averages 500 pounds (226 kg). They have 30 hit points with the equivalent of cloth armor due to their thick blubber. While not aggressive, they are protective of their young and tend towards herd mentality in defense. On ground they are slow, and a human can easily outwalk them. In the water, though, they are much more agile than expected. They have been known to sink small submersibles that get too close to their young.
Possible game use:
1. You are hired to hunt several of these to bring in several kilograms of their ivory, blubber and meat.
2. You are hired by animal rights people to protect a local bundle from hunters.
3. You are hired as part of a scientific team to observe a local bundle, and get in the middle of a fight between hunters and animal rights activists.
4. You are eating an excellent meal at the TAS, and find that the meat is from the whalrus. There is a hunting party going in the next few days, and you are invited along.
5. A local population sees the whalrus as their totem, and they have an almost mystical connection with the local bundle. Turns out the whalrus are slightly psionic and can extend their bundle to non-whalrus sophonts.
6. The whalrus is actually a sophont who has turned their backs to technology.
Create your own at: http://digitalcultures.pl/hybridizer/
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