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Keratherion — Description

There is often the misconception when it comes to past that things were "simpler" back then. That life and all its parts were just somehow more basic and plain, paling to the sheer complexity of the current age. The Age of Eitr gets that treatment at times, where common folk believe that that era was primitive and crude. The creatures of that time were mindless beasts of pure savagery, titans of brawn and no brain just lumbering across the land. The dragon lords were little more than watchers over this wild world, their role painfully simple compared to the grand might of the Church. Yet, the dragons had a civilization back then, with cities and temples. Other creatures back then had sapience as well, having societies in their own special way. Just because everything was bigger doesn't inherently mean it was dumber. Even the Archetherions in their bestial role had more going for them than "giant brute."
We point to fauna that lives now, and how some wield Humors and other fluids as proof of how much life as advanced. We have creatures of cunning and creativity! What were the titans of that gone age like? Brutal and savage, roaming monsters that smashed through the landscape and fought each other to the death. Their weapons were tooth, claw, pure brawn and nothing else. No clever abilities or secret tactics, they were as simple and subtle as a battering ram. Or, at least, that was what the public believed. To be fair, looking at mere bones you dig up for the forges doesn't give you a detailed picture, and the ire towards Eitr didn't exactly do these interpretations any favors. But the Antiquaries that recovered these remains and devoted themselves to the past now understand that age more clearly. They see the intricacies of that era, and gain a better glimpse of life back then. And with it we see how incredible it was, and how even the simplest of beasts often had abilities or tricks that made them just as clever as the creatures we have today.
The Keratherion is a good example of this, of a beast that seems so basic and brutal at first glance. A bulky herbivore that stomped across the land, using its bulk to knock down vegetation and feed on the brilliant plant life that covered this world. Of course, the most striking thing about the species was its gnarly spikes and impressive horns. Obvious weapons to protect them from the giant predators that stalked the land. Early discoveries of their carcasses painted a chaotic and savage picture, their bodies practically bursting with bony spines. Random outgrowths and head weaponry so errant and awkward, that it was a marvel this species could properly survive and interact with their own kind. Huge spikes jutting from their side would make travel through the wilderness a pain, and the sheer random spread of them felt lacking as a defense. One side of the body coated in barbs, yet the other side has only plain scutes? Not exactly a flawless strategy. And that head crest! Huge, bulky and absolutely messy! Their horns more a cancer than anything else, begging the question on how they didn't skewer mates and kin. The sheer randomness of the growths confused researchers on the plan, as why would your weapons be so erratic and uncontrollable? What good does it do a species if you have to gamble on if your defensive horns even grow in the right direction? Thus, the Keratherion was pointed to as the example of how chaotic and primordial the age was, when life grew without rhyme or reason.
But it was through the obsessive studies of the Antiquaries that the truth was revealed. The secret of the Keratherion was uncovered, and suddenly bafflement turned to astonishment. Careful studies of their "plain" scutes revealed an incredible ability. These lumps of bone were not just basic growths, but complex structures that were carefully folded and layered, while also containing a coating of living cells and stores of "unformed bone." These were insanely dense structures, practically taking an entire human skeleton and compacting it into the size of a dinner plate. But for what purpose? To simple make a sturdier armor? No, it made a reactive armor.
The scutes of the Keratherion were capable of detecting things like pressure and impact, essentially aware of any physical trauma the beast experienced. When these structures faced a heavy, steady source of it, a reaction would be set off. The packed down bone would suddenly burst free and jut in the direction of the damage. Like poking a hole in a water skin, this stream of bone would lance forth from the wound. In moments, it would solidify, which resulted in these erratic spikes. If the trauma had been caused by the mouth of a predator biting down, the exploding scute would have shot an ivory spear straight through their head. And that was the reason for the strange arrangements, as the Keratherion's weaponry was reactive to its environment, growing when the beast was attacked or wounded. Its incredible head crest and horns followed the same idea. When born, their head would have looked much smaller and simpler, bearing a meager crest and a coating of these scutes. But over the years, each blow and fight would cause the bone surrounding their skull to grow and morph, building up as it reacted to trauma. It is essentially a protective exoskeleton of bone that would form, creating the weapons and defenses needed to survive the current encounter. A Keratherion ramming its head into the gut of a predator would create the blow necessary to trigger its bones and rapidly generate a goring horn. If some folks think this sounds a bit like osteomancy, then they are correct. This was like a crude version of it, yet it was undeniably powerful.
Closer look at the recovered skeletons of Keratherions would reveal the differences between these rapid growths and their real bones. There were different structures to them, with their permanent skeleton far hardier, while the growths appeared to be a bit more brittle. In time, certain parts of the arrangement would breakdown, thus causing these spines to snap off. This was probably to allow the Keratherion to remove bits that were awkward once the battle was over. A spear sticking out from the side would get in the way, and thus the beast would snap it off by rubbing against a tree or something. And with the structure of the beak, it is believed they would eat these broken off portions, to recycle some of the lost bone. Without a doubt, no two Keratherion were alike, as their arrangements were unique to the trials and tribulations they faced. Some would say that a life of battle for them would eventually grow a crown of horns, a symbol of their might and age. Probably a way they won mates over, though females of the species did have the same kind of defenses.
The discovery of these reactive scutes has sparked interest within the Academy, with wonder on how such a biological marvel could be utilized in the current day. The obvious choice is creating reactive bone armor, which generates these destructive spikes when struck. Attempts have been made, but progress is slow with all the hang ups and issues. How to keep the explosion of bone from launching the wearer back, how to properly rearm it once it has gone off, and how to turn the effect off when outside of battle so that a friendly pat on the shoulder doesn't result in a lost hand. Solutions could be found, but so far basic osteomancy continues to be the better option for wielding bone in such a way. Another avenue is rapid growth weapons, using these discs to generate a full blade or tool on command. Think of being able to carry a war hammer in your pocket! Then think what would happen if you accidentally tripped and fell on that bone disc. Still working on that. Explosive bone mines have been suggested too, with a buried weapon that generated a impaling spire when stepped on. This is bit more feasible, yet still stupidly expensive. Any craftsman would bemoan the expending of something so complicated when a buried bottle of Yellow Bile would do just as well. No solid successes have come out so far, but the Academy does not give up so easily.
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Okay, maybe just one more Archetherion...