Varcolacs are an highly aggressive alien lifeform, One of the deadliest and most hostile of all species unique to Ereshkigal, alongside their most hated enemies, Revolutionary Engine Extension Endragon’s. They manage this being the use of ruthless pack tactics, agility and a fear inducing psychic ability.

It is currently unknown if the Varcolac are native to Ereshkigal or not.

Due to Ereshkigal's low light enviroment and the Varcolacs own preference for underground places, almost every variant has been reported with low levels of vision, if any. However, to compensate, every variant has displayed several methods of visualization, from echolocation, and high olfactory capabilites to vibration sensing and touch stimulus.

Even their smallest variants are able to overpower and outpace a non-enhanced and unarmored human. Their durability is consistent with their variant sizes, with the Brute able to withstand up to Anti Material weaponry and the Goliath all but impervious to small arms. A key feature of all variants, is their hate of high temperature. Will it takes quite a while to get a Varcolac to burn, due to their biology, they have an averse reaction to fire. Some theorize that it came from their long rivalry with the Revolutionary Engine Extension Endragon’s species, while others argue that the rivalry is due to said aversion.

Despite their varied evolutions and appearance, there are several elements found in every Varcolac.

• Thick chitinous armor.
• Sharp claws.
• A prehensile tail with a venomous stinger.
• Angular faces with protuding jaw bones coming into one if not several sharp points and spiky sweptback crests. With each evolution they grow more spikes, gaining a crown-like appearance.

Traces of the original Varcolac class can be evidenced with each variation. Hellbats and Skirmishers, share the deceptively gaunt and almost serpentine body shape of the Grunt class. The beginnings of the Brute's armor and musculature and the Spiker's stingers can be seen in the Reaver class and so on.

Of note is the grotesque detail that a Varcolac may resemble the originator of their biomass, ie. the Hellbat's wings and Goliath's scales traits and biomorphic aspects gained from their victims.

Every Varcolac is a simultaneous hermaphrodite, having both male and female reproductive organs. For reproduction, a Varcolac, usually of the Grunt class is selected to be inseminated by other near Varcolacs, usually by stronger and bigger variants. That Varcolac becomes an incubator, it's own biological processes slowing down and decaying to ensure each egg hatches successfully. The number of eggs can vary between numbers of 50 to hundred of eggs. While all eggs will usually be of the Grunt class, it is theoretically possible that the caste of the “father”, affects the possible evolution of the child.

After hatching, the spawn feast on the remains of their incubator, growing into the Grunt variant. After that, if they are able to survive for long enough and feast on enough biological material, they can enter a stage of metamorphosis, sealing themselves into a chrysalis as their bodies change and grow in often drastic ways.

🕮 Evolution tree

1. Grunt
   1. Hellbat
   2. Skirmisher
2. Reaver
   1. Spiker
   2. Brute
      1. Goliath
3. Wraith

Varcolacs inhabit every continent of Ereshkigal, able to be found lurking in every biome but desert enviroments. They seem to prefer tight and dark and moist places, regularly found in cave systems, where they grow their spawn in incubating stations.

Due to how deep their cave systems can go, how widespread they are and how numerous they can grow, none can say for certain how many exist in Ereshkigal, however estimates range from hundreds of thousands to millions.

Varcolacs exhibit a largely carnivourous diet, sustaining themselves almost primarily off other Ereshkigal fauna.

As a highly adaptable species, the Varcolacs can grow into several different observable “classes”. It is yet unknown what causes a varcolac to evolve one way or the other.

The most common class. Foot soldier and stepping stone to other evolutions. On average, measuring 6 feet tall when standing and weighing 500 pounds, Grunts either hunt smaller prey or hunt larger prey in large numbers, swarming them. They are lean quadrupeds and their tail are the most flexible of all the variants.

An evolution of a Grunt, Hellbats stand out from their brethren by possessing large wings which they use to fly. An ambush creature, they wait in high locations for unsuspecting prey. Known for a preference in Revolutionary Engine Extension Endragon’s eggs for food, and thus reviled by them.

When a Grunt grows an additional pair of limbs they become a Skirmisher, the most agile and quickest variant. Weighing 400 pounds and measuring 6 feet in length. With their extra legs they are able to walk and climb over difficult terrain. Able to keep pace with most ground vehicles.

The most straightforward evolution of the Grunt, being tougher, faster and stronger. On average, measuring 8 feet tall when standing and weighing 700 pounds, Reavers are often seen leading “packs” of Grunts. They can be distinguished from their lesser variants by their size and by the spiked protusions along their spine and the gaining of two more points in their crest.

The only Varcolac variant possessing of eyesight, the Spiker is mostly found in the plains of Ereshkigal, where their infrared vision and ability to shoot poisonous spikes out of their forward facing tail, make them an apex predator. They are roughly the same size as Reaver, the variant that they evolve from, with distinguishing features being their singular glowing eye that rests in the front of their skull and their heavier and more bulbous tail, similar to a scorpion. It is covered in the small 1 meter long spikes that give it it's name.

An evolution of the Reaver class. Sizes range from 10 to 15 feet. The Brute trades speed and agility for strength and mass. It's chitin growing much more dense and much tougher, increasing the Varcolacs durability substantially. Yet despite the increased mass, they are able to leap to tackle low flying Revolutionary Engine Extension Endragon’s out of the air.

However, due to the increase in mass, they also require far more sustenance. If no other species are found, Brutes are known to eat the lesser members of its' species.

When a Brute consumes enough Revolutionary Engine Extension Endragon’s flesh, they evolve into a Goliath. Their dimensions increase once again with sizes reaching 20 feet or more and weight in the tons. Their chitin armor becomes nigh impenetrable, their strength astounding. Strangely enough, they seem to take on a key feature of their enemies, many displaying breath weapons similar to the Revolutionary Engine Extension Endragon’s they feasted upon.

They are quite rare however due to the sheer upkeep of energy and how many Endragons are needed for such a transformation.

The rarest of all Varcolac classes, the Wraith possesses psychic abilities. Wraiths are both generals and anomalous weapons of the Varcolac. While not that different physically from the Reaver class, they can be distinguished by their biolumescent feature, with parts of their body glowing in shades of green, purple and orange (reason for color variation unknown), and additional points to their crest. Their greatest difference is their powerful anomalous abilities, being able to induce extreme emotional states of rage and fear. The first they use to direct their fellow Varcolacs in battle while the latter is used to debilitate their enemies.

It is believed that Wraith's developed by consumption of a specific Endragon organ responsible for their bio luminescence, and is what has lead to them developing empathic abilities similar to the Endragons.

• Player wolf626 created this on 2022/02/06 11:46.

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