Shrogre

Descended from Seashrogs that made landfall on Barlowe island, the Shrogres represent a lineage that have lost their seafaring nature and have instead taken to an existence on dry land. With a plentiful food supply and not much competition within a similar size range, under the effects of island gigantism the Shrogres have grown large indeed. Similar to their ancestor in terms of sociality - they form family groups composed of a mated pair and their offspring, centralized around a constructed mound-like nest of various timber - they have managed to spread throughout the island and shifted the ecosystems to center around themselves. From carving paths through the forests to having entire ecosystems of microfauna flourishing within their nests, they have essentially become a keystone species, one capable of physically changing the world around them with but a few swings of their axe-tails.

Anatomy
To accompany its increase in size, the Shrogres have evolved a larger, bulkier form in response to living in a steady, year-long temperate climate. Towering over almost every other species on Barlowe Island, with the exception of the Megalosheh, the Shrogres have few natural predators once fully grown. This ease in the pressures of predation has in turn led to a reduction in size of the spines that adorn the head, neck, and upper back region. While many no longer even penetrate through the fur, those closer to the head region are still quite prominent due to their role as a desirable sexual feature - specimens with larger, more robust spines are more likely to attract a mate, and thus natural selection favors those who possess them.

Trailing behind them, the tails of the Shrogre, while still utilized to shred vegetation and cut through wood, have developed a new function. Broader and flatter compared to those of Seashrogs, the axe-tail of the Shrogre can be laid flat against the ground in order to allow them to stand straight up for short periods of time. Not only does this dramatically increase their range of vision, it also significantly increases their already considerably large and imposing frames. This can be quite useful when it comes to scaring off potential predators, such as the Great Leotam.

The elongated limbs of the Shrogres are, despite their lankier-looking appearance, packed full of muscles. A fully grown Shrogre can quite easily dislocate a limb from its socket and, if particularly threatened, even shatter a skull with a well-placed swing. Of course, Shrogres would very much prefer not to engage in such actions, as it puts them at risk of relations, and as such will rely on spears to defend themselves as they can keep a threat at bay.

Similarly to the Great Leotam, Shrogres bear tusks, though they are only present in males. In a manner similar to the spikes, they serve as a sexual display in order to attract females. Yet they also serve a second, darker purpose. With a reduced range a limited access to mates and territory, as compared to that of Seashrogs, male Shrogres will on occasion use them when battling one another. Such fights often involve both combatants grappling one another and, in some extreme cases, using their outward-pointing tusks to spear into each others necks. Such occurrences are rare, however, as such an act holds a great risk of a tusk cracking or even outright breaking should it either strike a bone at an odd angle.

Diet
Compared to the Seashrogs, the Shrogres possess a much more herbivorous diet, one composed of a wide range of vegetation, from low growing Cluterspades to the fallen leaves of the immense Obsiditall, with a distinct preference for the latter as well as the leaves of other large tree-like flora. To round out this diet and supply themselves with essential nutrients, the Shrogres are also known to hunt small prey items from time to time, such as the likes of Doboors and Buttpipers. Above all else, however, they have developed a notable taste for Gossalizards, devouring them with much relish, especially if they have washed them in seawater first - though they don't live on beaches, they will on occasion visit them in order to wash food and clean their fur of less salt-tolerant parasites. On occasion, when hunts have not gone well, they may even scavenge the kills of other large predators, using their prodigious size to scare off the original hunters as well as other scavengers.

Tool Use and Food Preservation
Much like the Seashrogs, the Shrogres have retained their capacity for tool use. Carving spears from the trunks of trees such as the Obsidibarrage, they further refine the tips with their teeth until they sufficiently sharp enough. With these spears, they are able to hunt various smaller fauna by skewering them out of their hiding spots or the underbrush, not unlike how Seashrogs utilized spears to hunt aquatic life. Said spears are also useful for driving away predators, as a well-sharpened spear can deter even the hungriest of Great Leotams. Most interestingly, however, is a new function for the spear not seen before in its ancestors. Whenever excess meat is acquired, such as a nest of Gossalizards or the freshly discovered corpse of a Megalosheh, a Shrogre will attempt to preserve it for lean times. To do so, they will sharpen both ends of a spear, skewer either entire prey items or parts of them upon it, then plant the spear somewhere where it will receive direct sunlight, that way the prey will dry out before it has a chance to rot. While such a preservation method only lasts for a limited period of time, some younger generations of Shrogre have been noted to associate this "jerky" lasting longer if it has been washed in seawater first.

While Seashrogs also accomplish a similar task of preserving food, the utilization of salt by them is more of a passive occurrence due to the splashing of waves against their ships rather than any active effort on their end. Nonetheless, both species have accomplished this similar goal, even if they have achieved it via different means.

Nest
Given their larger size compared to their Seashrog ancestors, the Shrogre require an equally larger nest to dwell in. Given their land bound nature, their nests are no designed to float on the open sea nor facilitate the act of spearfishing. As such, there is no longer a deck, and thus the overall structure more resembles the nests that Tamjacks built, given its large, dome-like appearance, though one that is often based around a large stone or, on rare occasions, tree(s) for added support. These nests are often built within more sparsely forested regions, such as the edges of the chaparral that dominate a good portion of the island, as the more open spaces allow a greater freedom of movement for Shrogres. This has the unintended consequences of hindering the expansion of the forests, as the foraging of Shrogres limits the amount of new saplings that would otherwise begin to spread into the chaparral.

Once a suitable spot is located, construction begins with a mated pair of Shrogres felling several sizable trees - preferably those such as Obsidibarrages, Mainland Fuzzpalms, and immature Obsiditalls - with the aid of the axe-tails. Once this is accomplished, the trees will be dragged to the nesting site and, thanks to the Shrogres great strength and the flexible capacity of the tree trunks themselves, bended into half-circles and forming the ribs of the nest.

After the structure has settled for a bit, the Shrogres will continue their efforts by applying smaller tree trunks or the shredded remnants of them along the outsides of the nest, securing and sealing them together with an identical glue-like substance the Seashrogs use - a mixture of their own saliva and the berries of the Mainland Fuzzpalm. Following this, more will be utilized as an additional layer of Obsiditall and Obsidibarrage leaves are attached to the roof of structure, forming a barrier that will help prevent rain from leaking in. Spears will often be arranged around the base of the nest, save for a spot for an opening covered in further leaves. These spears not only deter other creatures from wandering into the nests, but also serve as storage spots for drying food on.

With the outside of the nest completed, it is time for the inside to be completed. While the nest is sizable on its own, it is further expanded by some light burrowing that typically consist of removing a few meters of soil beneath it, though leaving enough to support the foundation, which is often reinforced with additional, smaller tree trunks. Side chamber may be excavated, and these are often used for either further food storage or for storing excess building materials. A layer of soft bedding is placed throughout the interior, typically consisting of a variety of leaves from nearby flora that have been allowed to dry out sufficiently beforehand.

A completed nest can last for many years, as long as it is routinely reinforced and patched up.

Relationship with Other Species
Interestingly, Shrogre do not hunt Spotted Saucebacks despite their small size and, on the former's part, an ancestral enmity with a related species. In fact, they appear almost amused by their antics, and will watch them for hours at a time as the little hunters run about in their packs. Shrogres even go so far a to allow them to live within their nests and feed from their preserved food stock. While this is a good deal for the Spotted Sauceback, their presence does benefit the Shrogres a well, since they help to keep the nests clear of small pests.