Crest-eater

Crest-eater

(Creature)

Type

Magical beast

CR

4

Environment

Warm deserts (Kasath)

Alignment

LG	NG	CG
LN	N	CN
LE	NE	CE

Source: Alien Archive, pg(s). 30

Crest-eaters are specialist bone-eating predators native to Kasath, the homeworld of the kasathas. They feature prominently in kasathan folklore, and have also been brought to the Pact Worlds system via the generation ship Idari.

Appearance

Crest-eaters are muscular and quadrupedal with blunt toe claws that serve to scrabble rocks. Two arms are attached to the crest-eater's lower back, which have sharper claws to tear through prey's flesh, and can also be used as legs. Crest-eaters' teeth can deliver painful bites and a venom that melts the bone of prey and liquefies minerals from rocks.

Crest-eaters grow distinctive large horns and sails from their heads and backs, which get larger and more elaborate as they age. A typical crest-eater is 14 feet long, 6 feet tall (excluding the protrusions) and weighs more than 1000 pounds.

Ecology

Crest-eaters feed exclusively on bone: when hunting kasathas, they only eat their bony crest, leaving the rest of the corpse to rot. Their advanced metabolism process the minerals that they consume into their bony protrusions. These sails are made from reflective compounds that serve as solar panels and gather nutrients for the crest-eater.

Crest-eaters are social animals, gathering in small prides of unrelated members to hunt, forage and protect each other. Crest-eaters are endothermic and viviparous; pregnant mothers become ravenous and thirsty, and other members of their pride help them by aggressively hunting and protecting water. Infant crest-eaters can dissolve bones immediately and grow their first protrusion at the age of one.

Society

Crest-eaters often become close to creatures that live near them, like scavengers that feed on the parasites on their body and the parts of prey that the crest-eaters don't eat. Large male crest-eaters often become aggressive and are driven from their pride as they grow old. Deprived of reliable food sources, these solitary crest-eaters become unpredictable, fearless and dangerous, often raiding desert communities and taking several heroes to be defeated.

Ancient kasathas feared and revered crest-eaters, seeing them as terrifying messengers of death. The kasathas have since studied the crest-eaters' protrusions, which became the foundation of their solar technology. Crest-eaters have since been spread to other worlds, either by kasathas relying on their power-generating ability, or by other races employing them as pets, guards or game. The Idari is no exception, and the crest-eaters on it are carefully contained, though feral crest-eaters are rumoured to hide in ventilation shafts.

The kasathas' bone cetuses were originally crafted from crest-eater bone as badges of honour for mighty warriors. Modern ones are now usually made out of high-quality resin instead of actual crest-eater horns.