Protanthropos

Other names:Lykos-Protanthropos, Primordial Were-man

Category:Lycaon

Genus:Lykoscerades

The Protanthropos (Lykos Protanthropos) is a large and strong quadruped animal with an ugly and unpleasant appearance, it has a long snout with multiple rows of teeth that resemble a smile.

They belong to the genus *Lykoscerades*, which includes large quadruped beasts and they are currently the only surviving species.

They are quite intelligent and social animals, they form family groups of up to 10 members, these groups are made up of a dominant couple with their subordinate offspring, males usually separate when they reach adulthood to start their own pack by courting females from rival groups.

They are opportunistic omnivores, they consume carrion, fruits, plants and if they have the opportunity they can kill any animal that is close enough, although they usually avoid approaching people this does not mean that they are not capable of attacking any unwary traveler.

Originally killed for their hideous appearance, the general population began to take a liking to Protanthropos meat and it is now considered a very delicious dish. Being a Protanthropos hunter is a very well paid job due to the difficulty in killing them and the great risk of death.
It is believed that their blood has healing properties.

Although rare, *Pack-dwelling Protanthropos* can be found in mining centers or construction areas, semi-domesticated Protos used to transport large amounts of weight, to achieve this it is necessary to have the Protanthropos specimen under the effect of narcotics to render them harmless; currently, with technological advances, this practice has begun to be abandoned by replacing the Protos with more effective steam engines.

Lykos Protanthropos

Anatomy

Males average 3.8 metres (12 ft) at the shoulder while females are slightly taller, with the largest specimen found reaching a height of 4.2 metres (13 ft). Protanthropus are digitigrade, with their front limbs having an opposable thumb. They have a long, curved back with a broad, muscular neck, short hind legs and longer, thinner front legs; their tail is short and has no nerve endings; the tail of pack-dwelling Protanthropos is docked for hygiene.

Subespecies

Hyperborean Protanthropos

Also known as bears, they are an arctic subspecies with thick fur and more robust than their common counterpart; they are omnivores and most of the meat they consume is from scavenging or fishing.
They are solitary and two adults can only be seen together during breeding season, females can also be seen with their young.

Drifter Protanthropos

Height comparision of the different Protanthropos
subespecies

Found in the deserts of Terminus, the Drifter is an even more unpleasant-looking subspecies of Protanthropos, they have no fur and the only visible portion of hair is on the top of their neck, unlike their two common cousins, the Drifter is highly aggressive and carnivorous, actively hunting any unwelcome prey that crosses its path; They are usually found in groups of 3 to 4 individuals, due to their dangerousness, they are the least studied species of Proto.

Abilities

Strength

Like all megafauna of Terminus, the Protanthropos have great strength, this makes them a very difficult prey to kill and only large groups of hunters who possess gunpowder weapons are capable of killing a single specimen.

Regeneration

They are known to have super-accelerated regeneration; they can regenerate all organs including the brain almost immediately, the only way to permanently kill a Protanthropos is by removing its heart.

Source of Feralytosis

Their DNA was used to create Feralytosis, an artificial disease used as a biological weapon thousands of years ago. Even today, the consecuences of this are evident. Protanthropos are not capable of spreading the disease, but due to their resemblance to the half-man half-lycaon beast, the True Lycanthropos, a common misconception is that Protanthropos can spread the disease and this has caused them to be hunted indiscriminately.