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Malicrus — Description
This species entry is going to be a little different from the ones I usually write. I am going to go over things like anatomy, hunting habits and culture significance as usual, but frequent readers of my work may find this entry to be a little sparse. I know some previous entries have been a little shorter than others, especially for creatures I don't have easy access to, but this one is a different story. For the ocean dwelling beasts, I can at least rely on other researchers and natural historians to help gather information and fill in the gaps. In this instance, though, I cannot even do that, because the beast known as the Malicrus is sadly extinct.

I am sure there are some people out there wondering what is the point of writing an entry for an extinct species. If they are gone forever, then why do we need to know about them? Well, I like to think that writing about them and teaching others about them makes it so that they are not gone forever. In some way they live on through tale and tome, gone from the flesh and forever in our minds. I also wanted to write about them because I find their tale a fascinating one, and a good look at what happens when ecosystems are altered. Perhaps this tale of the past may help us be more mindful of our actions in the future!

First, let us know more about what the Malicrus were. The Malicrus were a species of megafauna that lived in Underworld, primarily in fungal forests. Such a beast was hard to miss, as their adult form was massive in size, and their exoskeletons were covered in brilliant colors. Thin scales the color of fire hung from their frame, almost giving them a feathery look. I am sure they were a sight to behold when they roamed the fungal forests, though I am sure their huge size would be a little frightening. According to the tales, a full grown Malicrus reached to length of about 70 feet (this number is shaky due to both conversions and hyperbole that often sneaks its way into stories). They were truly a titanic creature, and a good chunk of this impressive length was its head and neck. Like an armor plated snake, this neck had surprising flexibility and maneuverability, allowing it to wrap around prey and hold tight. Their heavy tail and six limbs were used to help stabilize the Malicrus when its used its neck, and it also helped to anchor it when wrestling with feisty prey. This was important, because they fed mainly on another huge species, the Halugyth, and they did not go down easy.

If you have seen a Halugyth, then you already know that taking down one of these beasts is no easy task. They are utterly massive, with long necks and lance-like spines. It would seem crazy to hunt this species alone, but the Malicrus were designed to topple these titans. By following scents and sound, the adult Malicrus would locate a Halugyth and look to take it on face-to-face. Since both species are so huge, running and chasing isn't really an option, so they instead do stand-offs. The Halugyth would look to keep its dorsal spines pointed at the Malicrus and its vulnerable neck out of grabbing range. The Malicrus would seek to attack from the front and get a claw hooked into the serpentine neck. The large curved front claws helped to snare the evading neck and hold it still, while the Malicrus' own neck would wrap around and hold tight. Anchoring its limbs, the Malicrus would keep the Halugyth from thrashing itself free, while its oral arms got to work. Located on its face were two flexible arms that were covered in sharp hooked spines, and these nasty limbs did the most damage. The Malicrus would wrap these oral arms around the soft flesh of the neck and squeeze, causing the sharp spikes to saw through the meat. While these arms sliced in deeper and deeper, the beaked mouth located behind them would also gnaw on the neck, until they essentially decapitated the Halugyth. While sadly such a scene can only be witnessed in paintings and carvings now, it still is incredible to look at! To see two great beasts wrestle until one rips the other's head right off! It sure is morbid, but I have to say it really sounds cool.

While the Malicrus focused its hunts mainly on the Halugyth, they did consume other prey. Isodons and the Propabis were potential food sources, as their thick armor did nothing against the powerful oral arms of the Malicrus. It would seize the comparatively small creature in its oral arms and squeeze, cracking them open like a nut! It was said no creature was safe from the hunger of the Malicrus, and I have heard the demons compare this creature to the dragons we have up above. The great titan ruled the fungal forests like a king, and all fled from its ravenous jaws. Like all rulers, though, such tyrants must some day fall.

What brought about the end of the Malicrus was the advancement and expansion of the sapient denizens of the Underworld: demons and shades. As their society developed and their cities grew, they sought to expand their reach and connect with more of the Underworld. One must remember that the Underworld is not structured like our wide open surface above; if you want to go somewhere, you have to hope there is a tunnel that goes there. Imagine if you lived in a world where you could only walk on roads, and that every other space was a solid, inaccessible wall. If you wanted to go to one town, you have to follow a specific network to get there. And if there is no road that makes a shortcut nearby, then too bad! So with this, the demons and shades started to dig and tunnel their way through the known world, connecting their homes and creating a network that brought everything together. Places once sealed off or only accessible through one or two tunnels were now caught in a spider web of activity. The demons and shades now had a wider range of movement, and so did everything else that lived down there. Before, the Malicrus remained relatively isolated in their fungal forests, with only a few sources of food they could rely on. With their habitat now connected to a whole slew of new ecosystems and food webs, things began to rapidly change, and not for the better.

Though the titanic adult Malicrus could not take advantage of these demon-sized tunnels, it was a different story for the young. When born, the Malicrus larvae come out the size of cows, and they are a much different beast. At this young stage, their armor is not as interlocked and their limbs are much thinner, making them much more agile and quick. This was important for them, as they needed to be able to chase down prey and grab them in their crushing arms. While the Malicrus laid dozens of eggs, the limited supply of food insured that only a few young would survive to reach adulthood. When things got dire, it was said that the young would turn upon each other and devour their own kind. This ensured that the population stayed at a manageable size, and that the strongest Malicrus would survive. This system, though, was utterly destroyed when the expansion occurred. Now connected to an entire network of food sources, the young Malicrus instead chose migration over cannibalism, leaving their home territories in search of more food. Soon packs of hungry armored predators flooded the tunnels, and they devoured anything they could get their spiny arms on. At first they ate the Isodons, then the Propabis, then the Armored Mole Rats and Rock Leeches. It wasn't long before every species was on the menu for these greedy beasts, and this included the demons and shades. While the legends and tales speak of heroic efforts and valiant battles, the stories kept away from outsiders and surface dwellers are ones of terror and bloodshed. The people of the Underworld did not expect such a thing to occur, and so when the Malicrus breeding season came, their homes were soon swarmed with vicious larvae. They burst from the tunnels, they tore into dwellings and they went after every morsel they could find. Their natural armor helped ward off weapons, while their claws and powerful arms crushed metal and tore flesh. Miners and traders vanished as they traveled through the tunnels, and towns were besieged when a hungry pack caught wind of food. The expansion that was meant to open new roads and connections soon resulted in sealed tunnels and barred doors, as the people desperately sought to fend off the hordes.

With so much death and destruction, the people of the Underworld knew they had to act before their society crumbled. Armies were made and every town and cavern enlisted all the able bodies they could find. Battalions of hunters marched into the tunnels, slaying every Malicrus they could find. They used bait to lure the hordes to them, and then brought fire and stone down upon their heads. Entire packs were sealed inside tunnels and then burned alive, while walls of shield and spear drove them off cliffs. While the hunters sought to exterminate the larvae, the adults were not left off this kill list. Due to the bountiful food sources and the migrating young, the adults were now laying even more eggs in response, which meant that such a disaster would happen again and again with each breeding season. The blades and flames turned to the adults, and the hunt was on to topple these giants. Hunters climbed up the fungal trees, carrying massive spears of obsidian. Shades would possess these huge spikes and then drop them onto the Malicrus below. A rain of spears from the heavens pierced their armor and crippled their limbs, while battalions attacked with hooks and chains. The great beasts were restrained and pinned down, so that the demons could drive white hot stakes into their heads. Throughout the entire Underworld, the Malicrus found themselves the new targets of a massacre, and their species was wiped out. For years, the forests and tunnels were searched for eggs and larvae, ensuring that none escaped the slaughter. When time passed and the hordes never showed, the Underworld declared the war over and the Malicrus extinct. Gone from the Underworld this great beast was, the only remains of its kind being found in trophies, weapons and ornamental armor. As the decades and centuries passed, even these began to vanish, leaving only carvings and murals for me to witness this ancient leviathan.

With so much time passing since the extinction of the Malicrus, I was hard pressed to get any real info. The Underworld is not huge on museums and preservation efforts, so its not like any specimens remain for study. All that I have written was gathered from my helpful guides, and some fine folk who humored my inquisitiveness. I am thankful for the stories that were shared with me, and I can see why such a species could not survive in this new world. Even then, I still feel saddened by their death. What befell them was not their fault, they were just adapting to a quickly changing environment. I cannot blame the people either, as they had no idea that such a change to the Underworld's structure would lead to bloodshed. Who could've predicted a disaster like this? Who could have imagined that an effort to connect and thrive would cause a massacre? At the time, no one could, but with this knowledge now perhaps we can better foresee these things. Changing the environment and world causes changes to everyone and everything. It is foolish to think that such actions would only affect the willing party. As we build, grow and expand, we must be mindful of what we do and what we change, or we may bring about another extinction. It is a tale we know all too well.

But perhaps this is not the end of the Malicrus. The Underworld is a massive place, with its citizens only living in a few layers of it. There are so many layers and realms left unexplored, worlds left isolated and sealed. Perhaps somewhere the great Malicrus still lives, striding through its domain, oblivious to the fate of its brethren. A pocket cavern could remain isolated from the network, keeping these two worlds safely separate. It is an interesting thought, but you know what? I hope we never find out. I hope we never discover these hidden worlds, because that will inevitably result in their destruction. Let us remain apart, let us remain ignorant of each others existence. That way we may both live in oblivious peace, and I may dream of a fiery titan watching over its hidden kingdom.

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

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More Underworld beasties! Well, kind of.... To be honest this kind of makes me sad.