Hoyosu - the Mobat of Castrovel (ho-yo-su)
Per Pathfinderwiki.com, Castrovel is one of the planets beyond Golarion on which Mobats dwell, and moreso, on which they thrive. While on Golarion Mobats prefer nocturnal forests or subterranean environments of the Darklands, on Castrovel almost the whole surface terrain invites them, millions of square miles of jungle dominated by giant megadendron trees, under whose lowest breaches stretched the ~Zellavya~ - the Darkfloor, where light never seeps. As night falls, just a couple hundred feet higher, the arboreal biosphere waits among the tree-limbs, where a stealthy, flying predator can find all kinds of possibilities.
At 250 pounds and with a 5-yard wingspan, Mobats are a large, stealthy flying predator that can pose a serious threat. While they may not be able to carry off a Lashunta Korasha, they may be able to pick up a Damaya, and certainly a child. Also, while not tool-users or speech-capable, they are highly intelligent, which implies the ability to plan and cooperate, maybe like flying dolphins. I foresee Mobats posing not only direct threats to Lashunta settlements, but also competition for resources, in terms of hunting range and fruit-gathering. Furthermore, Lashunta farming practices involving cultivation of both fruits and meat-animals might just present targets too tempting to resist.
So far, my vision for the Lashunta has been of one seeking harmony and even symbiosis with their environment. Even though cooperation would be possible with Mobats, I don’t feel like this commonly occurs. Instead, the Mobats trip the Lashunta’s genocidal trigger. Unable to match Mobats’ aerial mobility, Lashunta defend their settlements with nets and stakes to restrict ingress against their foes’ wide wingspan. Venturing forth alone into the jungle is rare, and anyone who goes is armed, where a bow or throwing-spear makes up advantage against a Mobat’s slow flight-speed. Also, if Lashunta ever learn the location of a Mobat pack’s lair, maybe a hollow megadendron or a cave, action is a premeditatively ruthless: a calculated burn and a spread of archers waiting for their smoke-rousted prey.
Thus I foresee two species vying for dominance of the same environment, a source for much conflict. This may need to be something I explore further in my creative worldbuilding experiment, where Lady Vaeol must deal directly with the Mobat threat, or maybe the aftermath of it, in a war beneath the Megadendron tree-limbs.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Large-size mammalian bat
~250 pounds / 110 kilograms
Wingspan up to 15 feet
Biological Traits
Mammal
Ecology and Habitats
Zellavya / Darkfloor biome of Castrovel's Megadendra Jungles
Dietary Needs and Habits
Omnivorous, with a preference for fresh meat.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Pack (2-8) or Single
Packs of Mobats will occassionally unite into a swarm, headed by a single leader who has defeated and obtained submission of all other pack leaders. These Mobat swarms can pose a significant threat. After the leader's dead, however, individual packs will claim separate territories and revert to more isolated existence.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Hide, fur & leather
Ivory (teeth)
Bones (hollow)
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Continent of Asana
Average Intelligence
Intelligent, with capability of learning and understanding (but not speaking) langage
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Blindsense - echolocation
Lifespan
40 Castrovellian Years (20 years)
Conservation Status
Least Concern
Average Weight
250 pounds / 110 kilograms
Average Physique
Wingspan up to 15 feet
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Dark brown, green, gray, or black fur
Comments