The Tsor-Shotak lizard - Entry Revision

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[Azhira Styralias]

Overview

The Tsor-Shota (TSOR SHOW-TAH, singl. Tsor Shotak) or Giant Mountain Lizard, is a heavy, slow moving lizard native to the mountains of Northern Sarvonia. They primarily can be found in the Imlith, Celeste and Prominent mountain ranges. The lizard's extremely tough and scaly hide is often used as armor by the reclusive Kaaer'dár'shín human tribe while the lizard meat is often dried and stored for consumption during the tribe's winter months. Despite the lizard's unsightly appearance and dangerous bite, it is a shy animal and is rarely seen by travelers.

Appearance

The Tsor-Shotak lizard averages over three peds long, from the tip of its snout to the tip of the tail, with the males easily weighing nine hebs and females weighing up to six hebs. The lizards possess thick, muscular bodies covered in dark brown to black scales. They lie flat upon the ground when still but when they move, they pick themselves up on their legs and crawl with their bodies fully off the ground while dragging their tail. Their legs are heavily muscular with wide padded clawed feet that are approximately one palmspan across and toes with which to grip and hold the steep mountainous rocks of their homeland. Their heads are well over a fore in length with a blunt snout and two large nostrils at the tip. The lizard's eyes are small, dark beady looking organs.

The Tso-Shotak's tongue and mouth are noteworthy in that the lizard's bite is nearly always fatal, causing a infection that will eventually kill whatever has the misfortune to be bitten, even if they escape immediate death. The anima's fully opened mouth is wide and is capable of seizing and holding prey much larger than itself. The many rows of teeth line the upper and lower jaw and are small with each tooth only one nailsbreadth in length. Light green saliva coats the animal's tongue and mouth. It is this saliva that causes the infection when seeped into an open wound.  The lizard's tongue is a dark pink in color, approximately two palmspans in length, which is used to flick in and out of crevasses and holes to detect food. The lizard uses the tongue to smell odors in the air.

The lizard's tail is almost as long as its body, slightly under a ped in length. The tail is used for balance when the lizard runs, climbs trees or even for self defense. The lizard often uses its tail as a weapon when it swings it with the goal of tripping or sending its opponent off balance so the animal can bite its throat or belly.

The main parts of the Tsor-Shota's body that the human Kaaer'dár'shín tribe finds useful is the lizard's hide and meat. The hide is mostly black in color, and quite tough to penetrate, almost like a turtle's shell. However, when cured with salt water and the sap from the Tulmine tree, the hide can be made flexible enough to actually be crafted into an armored vest for a human to wear. The hide provides protection for the lizard from the sharp rocky mountain surfaces where the lizards live but also allows the lizard a surprising amount of flexibility. The hide scales are small, almost beady in appearance, arrayed in different patterns of varying degrees of brown, black and dark gray.

Special Abilities

Tsor-Shota lizards possess two unique methods of defense. The first is the tough, elastic hide. The hide is flexible and difficult to tear or stab through and this provides excellent protection from the hard gravel and sharp rocks that the lizard frequently travels upon. This hide has also been adapted for use as armor by the The Kaaer'dár'shín tribe.

The lizard's second method of defense is a highly infectious bite. The Tsor-Shota will rarely fight to bring down large prey and instead use its bite to infect it and slowly weaken it. The lizard's mouth and teeth are coated with a powerful, poisonous saliva that enters the bite wound of prey and infects the victim over a period of three to four days. The site of the infected bite turns red and swells causing extreme pain in the victim. Within those few days, the victim ceases to be able to breath and slowly dies. The lizard's acute sense of smell allows it to track down the dying prey and eat it without struggle.

Territory

The Tsor-Shota are generally found in three major mountain regions of Northern Sarvonia - The Celeste, the Prominent and the Imlith mountain ranges and plateaus. They are not found elsewhere as they do not travel for long distances and crave solitary living among the caves and crevasses of mountainous terrain.

The lower areas of the mountain sides are where the lizard can be found. They do not generally venture much higher than about three strals as they do not prefer the colder mountain tops. The lizards prefer to live in heavily brushy areas where they can hide and where the soil is softer for burrowing. Small caves and rocky holes are favorites. The lizard will visit lakes and streams in lower mountain areas for drinking, but will rarely make a den near any major water source. Ideally, if a high mountain stream can be found, most likely a group of lizards will be living nearby. Anywhere dry, arid and rocky with few large trees are where the lizard prefers to live.

Habitat/Behaviour

Tsor-Shotak lizards spend most of their time underground in burrows, caves and abandoned dens from other animals. The lizards prefer dark, damp places to live and sleep during the daylight hours and hunt at night. The lizards will typically search until they find a den or nest and if it is empty, they will quickly move to take it over. If eggs or young of another animal resides in the den, the lizard will waste no time eating the easy prey and make a home for themselves.

The animals prefer to live in clustered groups of rocks and brush away from sight. During mating season, the females will gather in small groups and remain together within large dens while the males fight for mating rites. Once mating season is over, the males and females go their way to live and hunt alone. They are solitary creatures, usually taking a den for a lifetime and only search for another when the food within their territory becomes scarce or to find more room for laying eggs.

The lizards are aggressive when provoked and are most alert and roaming at night. During the daylight hours, the lizards will burrow or crawl deep within a hole or crevasse and it can be quite difficult for hunters to find them. When cornered or captured, the lizard will thrash its heavy tail and attempt to bite with its powerful jaws. The lizard, however, is slow moving and slow to attack and a quick, agile hunter can easily dodge their attacks.

Diet

The Tsor-Shota are meat eaters and will feed upon living or dead flesh. They hunt during the evening and night, crawling over and under burrows and caves searching for nests with eggs or young. They prefer small to medium sized rodents and birds. The lizards are slow moving and will usually not give chase to fast moving prey. They will lie in wait and ambush any passing prey by quickly lunging at it and biting it in throat or belly. Once bitten, the lizard holds on to the prey with its jaws while its poisonous saliva enters the wound and begins to cause an infection. The prey then can be allowed to escape, but not for long. Within three days (depending on its size), the prey will succumb to the bite's infection and begin to slow down. Usually, the area of the bite will swell and become inflamed while the animal experiences increased fatigue and pain. Once incapacitated, the lizard has only to find the dying prey and eat it. The lizard eats large meals infrequently and once they eat their limit in food, they are not required to eat again for several weeks or months.

Mating

The Tsor-Shotak lizard's mating season is in spring during a period of three to four months from the months of Changing Winds to Rising Sun. During this time, the male lizards seek out any females and begin their courting ritual by grunting and swinging their tails from side to side in rapid succession. When two males encounter each other, they will fight for domination over any females nearby. The winner of this contest, usually not fatal, will win the right to mate with as many females as he is able. The losing male is forced to move on to a new territory. Should he be lucky enough to find any uncontested females, he must first win them over with the mating "dance" before being allowed to mate.

The females are pregnant for about four months before laying eggs during late summer and early fall. The female will forage alone and find a damp, empty burrow and rest quietly for many days. She will be alert, but will not hunt during this time. Then, over a period of several hours, she will lay her eggs. Usually a typical nest will contain three to four eggs. She will stay with the eggs in the nest until they hatch five months later in the spring the following year.

The young look like tiny versions of their parent. They are born alert and full of energy and venture from the nest early.

Usages

The Tsor-Shotak lizards are used primarily for their meat, which is said to have a stringy and heavy consistency, but also said to be quite tasty when cooked over a spit or dried and salted. When dried, the meat can last for many days and provides excellent nourishment for the nearby tribes who hunt it and store the dried meat for the winter months.

The hide of the lizard is also used primarily by the Kaaer'dár'shín tribe for body armor and cover for their shields. The animal is killed and skinned and the hide is set to dry for several days. Once it is dried, the hide is stretched and tied together and worn over clothing and tied further around the warrior's waist, arms and neck. The dark colored hide armor provides an excellent method of hiding in the dark and is also tough and flexible enough to withstand the rigors of hand-to-hand battle.

Myth/Lore

The name Tsor-Shotak means "tough skin" in the old tongue of the Kaaer'dár'shín. This human tribe has made use of the lizard for many generations and guards the known lizard's hunting and living territories from others who would want to also use the animal as a resource for themselves. It is also known that the Ashz-Oc orc tribe utilizes the lizard's hide for a type of armor, but it is the Kaaer'dár'shín who have mastered hunting and using this lizard to its fullest.

The Kaaer'dár'shín have an old fable about the Tsor-Shota that is told to young warriors by the tribal shaman. It goes something like this:

"The Tough Lizards are gifts to us from the gods. They provide all we need to live. They give us hide to soften the blows of our enemies. They give us meat to feed our hungry bellies. They strike hard and fast! Their enemies fear them for they know that certain death lives within their bite. Be as the Tsor-Shota! Mind your ways, but be ready, for the enemy may come as a thief in the night and you will be called upon to strike them low. Watch as your enemies cower and flee...watch as they whimper and cry. Watch as they die a slow death. Be as the Tsor Shota! Tough, deadly and without mercy."

[Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels]

You are allowed to do the tribe so I see no problem with this beast, especially if you need it.

[Alysse the Likely]

Here's what we call a uri-check--a thorough going over for comments, suggestions and critiques.  My comments in orange

Overview.

The Tsor-Shota (TSOR SHOW-TAH, singl. Tsor Shotak) or Giant Mountain Lizard, is a heavy, slow moving lizard native to the mountains of Northern Sarvonia  (There are several  mountain ranges in Northern Sarvonia--please specify.  I know you do later, but do it here too.). It is a venomous lizard, with a painful, poisonous bite that can render a man paralyzed for up to three hours. The lizard's dark, scaly hide is often used as armor by the reclusive Kaaer'dár'shín human tribe and is (which, the hide or the meat?) also a delicacy among the more wealthy taverns and eateries in Southern Sarvonia. Despite the lizard's unsightly appearance and dangerous bite, it is a shy animal and is rarely seen by travelers.

Appearance.

The Tsor-Shotak lizard averages three peds long, from the tip of its snout to the tip of the tail, with the males weighing up to nine hebs and females weighing up to 6 hebs. The lizards possess thick bodies that lie flat upon the ground when still. Their legs are heavily muscular with wide padded clawed feet with which to grip the steep mountainous rocks of their homeland. Their heads are wide with a short, blunted snout and tiny dark eyes. The Tso-Shotak's tongue is extremely long, up to three palmspans, which they use to flick in and out of crevasses and holes to detect food. (Do they smell with their tongues as snakes and lizards do in RL, or is the tongue primarily a touch-sensory organ?)

The main part of the lizard's body that the human Kaaer'dár'shín tribe finds attractive is the lizard's hide. The hide is mostly black in color, and quite tough to penetrate, almost like a turtle's shell. However, the hide is not so tough to bend and manipulate. The hide provides protection from the sharp rocky mountain surfaces where the lizards live but also gives the lizard a surprising amount of flexibility. The hide scales are small, almost beady in appearance, arrayed in different patterns of varying degrees of black and dark gray.

Special Abilities.

Tsor-Shotak lizard possesses two unique methods of defense. The first is its tough, elastic hide. The hide is flexible and difficult to tear or stab through and this provides excellent protection from the hard gravel and sharp rocks that the lizard frequently travels upon. This hide has also been adapted for use as armor by the The Kaaer'dár'shín tribe.

The lizard's second method of defense is its poisonous bite. The venom is injected through its lower teeth when the lizard bites. The prey is held firm by the lizard's powerful jaws while the Tsor-Shotak casts its head back and forth several times further seeping the wound with venom. The prey suffers a terribly infected bite wound and is also paralyzed for several hours while the lizard eats its catch. (Some clarification needed here.  First, does the poison kill the prey or just paralyze it while the lizard eats it alive? Eeeww.  Second, poison doesn't cause infection.  Third,  infection takes a few days to settle in--it isn't going to have time for that before it's eaten, rendering infection a moot point.   I think you may be thinking of RL Komodo Dragons, who do not actually have a poisonous bite but their saliva is so laden with bacteria that even a scratch from a tooth can be lethal.)
 
Territory.

The Tsor-Shota are generally found in the regions surrounding the Celeste Mountains of Northern Sarvonia. They are not found elsewhere as they do not travel for long distances and crave solitary living among the caves and crevasses of mountainous terrain.

Habitat/Behaviour.

The Tsor-Shota live in the mountainous regions and plateaus of Northern Sarvonia, specifically the Celeste Mountains.  (Habitat refers not to the region but to the kind of conditions--sandy, rocky, or snowy areas?  Caves or woods? Near water or not?  This paragraph is meant to cover behaviour as well--what is the social structure? Are they pack animals, solitary, pairs?  How do they relate?  Will males compete for females?  That sort of thing.)

Diet.

The Tsor-Shota, carnivores, will eat rodent to dog-sized animals, provided they are easily eaten and don't fight back in packs. Not being picky, they will also scavenge from dead animals. Quite simply, the Tsor-Shota will eat anything that won't eat them too easily.  (These critters are big enough to tackle something the size of a horse, such as the wild Tirpans that live in the area.  They could certainly take on a human or deer as well.  One bite and then they just have to wait for the poison to take it down, right?)

Mating.

Come spring, male Tsor-Shota will attempt to wrestle some of the larger females in a rather confusing mating ritual. (more detail here, please)  In a good two months, the female will lay five to eight large eggs in a nest (quite good to make omelets, as the chronicler can confirm). Three months later, they will hatch into half-ped long young. These will strike out on their own, eating anything they can until they obtain sufficient girth and age to defend themselves.


Obviously, you need to fill this out a bit more, but this is already better than the original entry.  That entry was quite old and our standards have changed since then.  You maintain a nice balance of  keeping a researcher's objective tone without becoming to stilted or formal.  I do like reading your entries, Azhira!

Alysse the Likely

[Azhira Styralias]

Oh! Thanks for the comments, Alysse...but I wasn't done with the entry yet. 

I know I have lots to finish. In fact, every section will be re-written completely. More than likely, very little of the original entry will be intact when I am done. But, you did give me a few things to think about! Thanks for that. 

[Alysse the Likely]

I didn't really think you were--you're more thorough than that.  But I thought as a sort of unofficial mentor, I should let you know that I'm around and keeping an eye out for your stuff.  When I was new, I always found it encouraging to know people were commenting on and looking at my entries, so I try to do the same for our apprentices now.  And with your things, it's no hardship!

Alysse

[Azhira Styralias]

I have found that I am not fond of developing bestiary entries for some unknown reason and I struggled through this seemingly simple lizard entry...

Nevertheless, I am finished and it is ready for comment. 

[Miraran Tehuriden]

Overview.

The Tsor-Shota (TSOR SHOW-TAH, singl. Tsor Shotak) or Giant Mountain Lizard, is a heavy, slow moving lizard native to the mountains of Northern Sarvonia. They primarily can be found in the Imlith, Celeste and Prominent mountain ranges. It is a venomous lizard, with a painful, venomous again.. i suggest changing this. (venomous is for active poisons, inflited through bites and stings, poisonous things are dangerous only when touched or ingested) bite that can paralyze its prey. The lizard's dark, scaly hide is often used as armor by the reclusive Kaaer'dár'shín human tribe and the lizard's meat is a delicacy among the more wealthy taverns and eateries in Southern Sarvonia something is a delicacy among certain people, not places.. Despite the lizard's unsightly appearance and dangerous bite, it is a shy animal and is rarely seen by travelers.

Appearance.

The Tsor-Shotak lizard averages three peds long, from the tip of its snout to the tip of the tail, with the males weighing up to nine hebs and females weighing up to six hebs. The lizards possess thick bodies that lie flat upon the ground when still. Their legs are heavily muscular with wide padded clawed feet with which to grip the steep mountainous rocks of their homeland. Their heads are wide with a short, blunted snout and tiny dark eyes. The Tso-Shotak's tongue is extremely long, up to three palmspans, which they use to flick in and out of crevasses and holes to detect food. The lizard uses the tongue to smell odors in the air. This is a bit to brief.. i still have no idea of the proportions of this animal, only that it can be upt to three peds long. Be creative here, and try to paint an image of this beast in the readers minds!

The main part of the lizard's body that the human Kaaer'dár'shín tribe finds attractive .. somehow i doubt that "attractive" is the right word here.. how about "The most usefull part of this lizards body to the Kaer'dár'scín humans is the thick, scaled hide." is the lizard's hide. The hide is mostly black in color, and quite tough to penetrate, almost like a turtle's shell. However, the hide is not so tough awkward wording, as well as repetitive use of "tough" to bend and manipulate. The hide provides protection from the sharp rocky mountain surfaces where the lizards live but also allows the lizard a surprising amount of flexibility. The hide scales are small, almost beady in appearance, arrayed in different patterns of varying degrees of black and dark gray.

Special Abilities.

Tsor-Shotak lizard possesses two unique methods of defense. The first is its tough, elastic hide. The hide is flexible and difficult to tear or stab through and this provides excellent protection from the hard gravel and sharp rocks that the lizard frequently travels upon. This hide has also been adapted for use as armor by the The Kaaer'dár'shín tribe.

The lizard's second method of defense is its poisonous bite. Most of the lizard's teeth have two grooves that conduct the venom, a nerve toxin, from glands in the lower jaw. The toxin is not injected like that of the snake, but flows into the wound as the lizard chews on its victim. While the bite can overpower predators and prey, it is can be fatal to humanoids if not treated within a short time of receiving the bite.

Territory.

The Tsor-Shota are generally found in three major mountain regions of Northern Sarvonia - The Celeste, the Prominent and the Imlith mountain ranges and plateaus. They are not found elsewhere as they do not travel for long distances and crave solitary living among the caves and crevasses of mountainous terrain. Expand a bit. Maybe tell us what kind of places this lizard prefers? (proximity to water, steep or gentle slopes, litle or much plants, big caves or small crevasses, etc etc..

Habitat/Behaviour.

Tsor-Shotak lizards spend most of their time underground in burrows, caves and abandoned dens from other animals. The lizards prefer dark, damp places to live and sleep during the daylight hours and hunt at night. The lizards will typically search until they find a den or nest and if it is empty, they will quickly move to take it over. If eggs or young of another animal resides in the den, the lizard will waste no time eating the easy prey and make a home for themselves.

The lizards prefer to live in clustered groups of rocks and brush away from sight. During mating season, the females will gather in small groups and remain together within large dens while the males fight for mating rites. Once mating season is over, the males and females go their way to live and hunt alone. They are solitary creatures, usually taking a den for a lifetime and only search for another when the food within their territory becomes scarce or to find more room for laying eggs.

The lizards are aggressive when provoked and are most alert and roaming at night. During the daylight hours, the lizards will burrow or crawl deep within a hole or crevasse and can be quite difficult for hunters to find them. When cornered or captured, the lizard will thrash its heavy tail and attempt to bite with its powerful jaws. The lizard, however, is slow moving and slow to attack and a quick, agile hunter can easily dodge their attacks.

Diet.

The Tsor-Shota are meat eaters and will feed upon living or dead flesh. They hunt during the evening and night, crawling over and under burrows and caves searching for nests with eggs or young. They prefer small to medium sized rodents and birds. The lizards are slow moving and will usually not give chase to fast moving prey. Because of this, the lizard has the ability to eat large meals infrequently and once they eat their limit in food, they are not required to eat again for several weeks or months. large meals from slow, small prey? how do they accomplish that? And why are they venomous if they don't use it? I suppose this is a Komodo Dragon variation, but komodo's just charge a big prey, bite it once, and then follow the scent trail, knowing their bacteria-infested bite will kill the victim eventually..

Mating.

The Tsor-Shotak lizard's mating season is spring during a period of three to four months from the months of Changing Winds to Rising Sun. During this time, the male lizards seek out any females and begin their courting ritual by grunting and swinging their tails from side to side in rapid succession. When two males encounter each other, they will fight for domination over any females nearby. The winner of this contest, usually not fatal, will win the right to mate with as many females as he is able. The losing male is forced to move on to a new territory. Should he be lucky enough to find any uncontested females, he must first win them over with the mating "dance" before being allowed to mate.

The females are pregnant for about four months before laying eggs during late summer and early fall. The female will forage alone and find a damp, empty burrow and rest quietly for many days. She will be alert, but will not hunt during this time. Then, over a period of several hours, she will lay her eggs. Usually a typical nest will contain three to four eggs. She will stay with the eggs in the nest until they hatch five months later in the spring the following year.

The young look like tiny versions of their parent. They are born alert and full of energy and venture from the nest early.

Usages

The Tsor-Shotak lizards are used primarily for their meat, which is said to have a stringy and heavy consistency, but also said to be quite tasty when cooked over a spit or dried and salted. When dried, the meat can last for many days and provides excellent nourishment for the nearby tribes who hunt it and store the dried meat for the winter months. this is not consistant with your earlier statement that they value the hide most of all..

The hide of the lizard is also used primarily by the Kaaer'dár'shín tribe for body armor and cover for their shields. The animal is killed and skinned yes, i see where doing this the other way around would raise some objections, in particular from the lizard.. and the hide is set to dry for several days. Once it is dried, the hide is stretched and tied together and worn over clothing and tied further around the warrior's waist, arms and neck. The dark colored hide armor provides an excellent method of hiding in the dark and is also tough and flexible enough to withstand the rigors of hand-to-hand battle.

Myth/Lore

The name Tsor-Shotak means "tough skin" in the old tongue of the Kaaer'dár'shín. This human tribe has made use of the lizard for many generations and guards the known lizard's hunting and living territories from others who would want to also use the lizard as a resource. It is also known that Ashz-Oc orc tribe utilizes the lizard's hide for a type of armor, but it is the Kaaer'dár'shín who have mastered hunting and using this lizard to its fullest.

[Azhira Styralias]

Thank you for the comments, Mira. Edits are in lime green. I've tried to add more detail so let me know if that is suitable.

I did infact base this lizard on the komodo dragon as I know nothing about lizards and I felt it best to base it upon a RL animal. Some of the other information is based on the gila monster of the southwestern US as well.

[Miraran Tehuriden]

I'll notify Decipher that he should take a look at this

[Alysse the Likely]

Okay, just checking one more time (also bumping so that bestiary mods remember to check and blarrow this.  Not that I'm hinting or anything...)

Comments in orange

Overview

The Tsor-Shota (TSOR SHOW-TAH, singl. Tsor Shotak) or Giant Mountain Lizard, is a heavy, slow moving lizard native to the mountains of Northern Sarvonia. They primarily can be found in the Imlith, Celeste and Prominent mountain ranges. The lizard's extremely tough and scaly hide is often used as armor by the reclusive Kaaer'dár'shín human tribe while the lizard meat is often dried and stored for consumption during the tribe's winter months. Despite the lizard's unsightly appearance and dangerous bite, it is a shy animal and is rarely seen by travelers.

Appearance

The Tsor-Shotak lizard averages over three peds long, from the tip of its snout to the tip of the tail, with the males easily weighing nine hebs and females weighing up to six hebs. The lizards possess thick, muscular bodies covered in dark brown to black scales. They lie flat upon the ground when still but when they move, they pick themselves up on their legs and crawl with their bodies fully off the ground while dragging their tail. Their legs are heavily muscular with wide padded clawed feet that are approximately one palmspan across and toes with which to grip and hold the steep mountainous rocks of their homeland. Their heads are well over a fore in length with a blunt snout and two large nostrils at the tip. The lizard's eyes are small, dark beady looking organs.

The Tso-Shotak's tongue and mouth are noteworthy in that the lizard's bite is nearly always fatal, causing a infection that will eventually kill whatever has the misfortune to be bitten, even if they escape immediate death. The lizard's fully opened mouth is wide and is capable of seizing and holding prey much larger than itself. The many rows of teeth line the upper and lower jaw and are small, each tooth only one nailsbreadth in length and tinged with blood (why are its teeth tinged with blood?) and light green colored saliva. This saliva coats the animal's tongue and mouth. It is this saliva that causes the infection when seeped into an open wound.  The lizard's tongue is a dark pink in color, approximately two palmspans in length, which is used to flick in and out of crevasses and holes to detect food. The lizard uses the tongue to smell odors in the air.

(You are starting a lot of your sentences with "The lizard..."  Maybe you can re-arrange some of them a little just to avoid the repetition? There is no structural/grammatical problem here, it's just a question of aesthetics)

The lizard's tail is almost as long as its body, slightly under a ped in length. The tail is used for balance when the lizard runs, climbs trees or even for self defense. The lizard often uses its tail as a weapon when it swings it with the goal of tripping or sending its opponent off balance so the animal can bite its throat or belly.

The main parts of the lizard's body that the human Kaaer'dár'shín tribe finds useful is the lizard's hide and meat. The hide is mostly black in color, and quite tough to penetrate, almost like a turtle's shell. However, when cured with salt water and tree resin (any specific tree?) , the hide can be made flexible enough to actually be crafted into an armored vest for a human to wear. The hide provides protection for the lizard from the sharp rocky mountain surfaces where the lizards live but also allows the lizard a surprising amount of flexibility. The hide scales are small, almost beady in appearance, arrayed in different patterns of varying degrees of brown, black and dark gray.

Special Abilities.

Tsor-Shota lizards possess two unique methods of defense. The first is the tough, elastic hide. The hide is flexible and difficult to tear or stab through and this provides excellent protection from the hard gravel and sharp rocks that the lizard frequently travels upon. This hide has also been adapted for use as armor by the The Kaaer'dár'shín tribe.

The lizard's second method of defense is a highly infectious bite. The lizard's mouth and teeth are coated with a powerful, poisonous saliva that enters the bite wound of prey and infects the victim over a period of three to four days. (assuming it escapes in the first place, right?) The site of the infected bite turns red and swells causing extreme pain in the victim. Within those few days, the victim ceases to be able to breath and slowly dies. The lizard's acute sense of smell allows it to track down the dying prey and eat it without struggle.

Territory.

The Tsor-Shota are generally found in three major mountain regions of Northern Sarvonia - The Celeste, the Prominent and the Imlith mountain ranges and plateaus. They are not found elsewhere as they do not travel for long distances and crave solitary living among the caves and crevasses of mountainous terrain.

The lower areas of the mountain sides are where the lizard can be found. They do not generally venture much higher than about three strals as they do not prefer the colder mountain tops. The lizards prefer to live in heavily brushy areas where they can hide and where the soil is softer for burrowing. Small caves and rocky holes are favorites. The lizard will visit lakes and streams in lower mountain areas for drinking, but will rarely make a den near any major water source. Ideally, if a high mountain stream can be found, most likely a group of lizards will be living nearby. Anywhere dry, arid and rocky with few large trees are where the lizard prefers to live.

Habitat/Behaviour.

Tsor-Shotak lizards spend most of their time underground in burrows, caves and abandoned dens from other animals. The lizards prefer dark, damp places to live and sleep during the daylight hours and hunt at night. The lizards will typically search until they find a den or nest and if it is empty, they will quickly move to take it over. If eggs or young of another animal resides in the den, the lizard will waste no time eating the easy prey and make a home for themselves.

The lizards prefer to live in clustered groups of rocks and brush away from sight. During mating season, the females will gather in small groups and remain together within large dens while the males fight for mating rites. Once mating season is over, the males and females go their way to live and hunt alone. They are solitary creatures, usually taking a den for a lifetime and only search for another when the food within their territory becomes scarce or to find more room for laying eggs.

The lizards are aggressive when provoked and are most alert and roaming at night. During the daylight hours, the lizards will burrow or crawl deep within a hole or crevasse and it can be quite difficult for hunters to find them. When cornered or captured, the lizard will thrash its heavy tail and attempt to bite with its powerful jaws. The lizard, however, is slow moving and slow to attack and a quick, agile hunter can easily dodge their attacks.

Diet.

The Tsor-Shota are meat eaters and will feed upon living or dead flesh. They hunt during the evening and night, crawling over and under burrows and caves searching for nests with eggs or young. They prefer small to medium sized rodents and birds. The lizards are slow moving and will usually not give chase to fast moving prey. They will lie in wait and ambush any passing prey by quickly lunging at it and biting it in throat or belly. Once bitten, the lizard holds on to the prey with its jaws while its poisonous saliva enters the wound and begins to cause an infection. The prey then can be allowed to escape, but not for long. Within three days (depending on its size), the prey will succumb to the bite's infection and begin to slow down. Usually, the area of the bite will swell and become inflamed while the animal experiences increased fatigue and pain. Once incapacitated, the lizard has only to find the dying prey and eat it. The lizard eats large meals infrequently and once they eat their limit in food, they are not required to eat again for several weeks or months.

Mating.

The Tsor-Shotak lizard's mating season is in spring during a period of three to four months from the months of Changing Winds to Rising Sun. During this time, the male lizards seek out any females and begin their courting ritual by grunting and swinging their tails from side to side in rapid succession. When two males encounter each other, they will fight for domination over any females nearby. The winner of this contest, which is usually not fatal, will win the right to mate with as many females as he is able. The losing male is forced to move on to a new territory. Should he be lucky enough to find any uncontested females, he must first win them over with the mating "dance" before being allowed to mate.

The females are pregnant for about four months before laying eggs during late summer and early fall. The female will forage alone and find a damp, empty burrow and rest quietly for many days. She will be alert, but will not hunt during this time. Then, over a period of several hours, she will lay her eggs. Usually a typical nest will contain three to four eggs. She will stay with the eggs in the nest until they hatch five months later in the spring the following year.

The young look like tiny versions of their parent. They are born alert and full of energy and venture from the nest early.

Usages

The Tsor-Shotak lizards are used primarily for their meat, which is said to have a stringy and heavy consistency, but also said to be quite tasty when cooked over a spit or dried and salted. When dried, the meat can last for many days and provides excellent nourishment for the nearby tribes who hunt it and store the dried meat for the winter months.

The hide of the lizard is also used primarily by the Kaaer'dár'shín tribe for body armor and cover for their shields. The animal is killed and skinned and the hide is set to dry for several days. Once it is dried, the hide is stretched and tied together and worn over clothing and tied further around the warrior's waist, arms and neck. The dark colored hide armor provides an excellent method of hiding in the dark and is also tough and flexible enough to withstand the rigors of hand-to-hand battle.

Myth/Lore

The name Tsor-Shotak means "tough skin" in the old tongue of the Kaaer'dár'shín. This human tribe has made use of the lizard for many generations and guards the known lizard's hunting and living territories from others who would want to also use the lizard as a resource. It is also known that Ashz-Oc orc tribe utilizes the lizard's hide for a type of armor, but it is the Kaaer'dár'shín who have mastered hunting and using this lizard to its fullest.

This looks pretty good, so far, very thorough.  I have noticed that behind some of your paragraph headings you have placed periods--just omit those.    Maybe the Kaaer'dár'shín have a saying about the lizard that you could incorporate into the lore?  "Tough as a Tsor-Shotak", something like that?

Good work!  I'll try to keep up with your entries.  Feel free to Shout or PM me if I'm missing something, okay?



Alysse

[Miraran Tehuriden]

Decipher is rarely online at the moment, leading me to believe he has urgent RL priorities. If need be, we can just notify Art to include it in the update anyway.


Odd... a board with three Mods, and still no-one looking after the entries..

[Azhira Styralias]

Ok! Thanks for comments, Alysse. I've integrated your comments and added a small fable about the Tsor Shota. It's a kind of pep talk given to the Kaaer'dár'shín warriors, or even the boys, when they are young. I hope it works and thought it was cute. 

[Tharoc Wargrider]

Excellent entry, Azhira. I particularly liked the Ashz-oc mention, as you know, that is my clan.*quickly unsheaths scissors from belt and deftly cuts paragraph from text, to use in his own Ashz-oc "stuff"*

[Azhira Styralias]

Thanks, Tharoc! 

Right, I figured that the Kaaer'dár'shín can't be the only ones who make use of the lizard's hide as an armor...and being that the Ashz-Oc live in the same area as the lizards, the two tribes can compete for its resources. Its a small bit as the orc entry doesn't mention the hide but it can be used for further orc related entries if needed. It's called cross referencing. 

[Alysse the Likely]

Nice blood-thirsty little "pep talk", Azhira! 

If the bestiary mods are unavailable to okay your entry, I will briefly usurp that privilege and exercise my own rights as Northern expert to give you official permission to blarrow it.  It's an excellent entry and I really can't see that there would be any objections, so go right ahead.

Alysse

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