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.

Also known as an intelligent social animal, they tend to 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.

The Protanthropos are opportunistic omnivores, they consume carrion, fruits, plants and if they have the opportunity they will kill small animals. although they usually avoid approaching people, this does not prevent the possibility 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

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 Protanthropos.

Abilities

Strength

For its size the Protanthropos has great strength, this makes them a very difficult beast to kill and only large groups of hunters who possess gunpowder weapons are capable of successfully taking down a fullgrown 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.

Aestivation

Althought a rare occurrence but becoming increasingly common due to the erratic changes of temperature, Protanthropos can enter a state of lethargy to avoid dying from the extremely high temperatures, they start by slowing down their metabolism and digging on the dry dirt and sand, then laying down on these holes while the growth of the enviroment covers their whole body, assimilating large lumps of rock, this state can last months.

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.