User blog comment:Dracosaurian/Discussion of The Week: Cave Dwellers/@comment-6050823-20150201172932

Things You May Not Know About The Cave Dwellers

Khezu
 * Khezu are mostly found living in during cold snowy areas but they will move to warmer areas with caves like the Swamp or Old Jungle during colder months.
 * Khezu are quite rare to see due to their nature and ecology.
 * Khezu has no scales on its body yet its skin is flabby and is covered in a mucus. From this mucus on its hide, its hard to craft equipment using its material.
 * It has an electric organ used against predators and prey alike.
 * When it does its electrical field, it uses its tail as support but as they get more experienced with their electrical powers, they will climb less and use their tail less often, unless they need it for stronger electrical attacks. These Khezus are the HC Khezus.
 * Khezu mostly prefer eating live prey. When they smell prey around, they will move quietly on ceilings or walls in order to ambush their prey. When its close to its prey, it will extend its neck out, grab it, and than swallow it whole.
 * Its neck is flexible from its skin and body built.
 * Their salvia is acidic in nature but not as strong as Deviljho's, which melts through armor.
 * Despite being blind and using smell, they seem to have another way to see prey because in experiments, done by the Guild, the Khezus would actually smell the corpse of a Kelbi or larger herbivores and avoid it but would eat any small animal that was alive with them. Its believed that they may also use their electricity to sense heat in a way but there are other different theories behind this.
 * Khezu is a hermaphrodite and reproduces asexually. They will ambush some type of monster/animal and inject them into them. The young will feed on the creature alive and hatch out of it when they reach a certain size. They can sometimes be seen living in cracks in caves, ready to ambush prey to suck them dry.
 * Interestingly, Khezu Whelps are a delicacy but Adult Khezus aren't a delicacy, no matter how you try to cook their meat, though they are used for medical supplies.
 * Red Khezu is normal while Khezu is a genetic defect.
 * Its neck can stretch much farther than the normal one and it has a lot more muscle in its body.
 * Red Khezu can be found living in the same areas as Khezu but they are better adapted for colder environments, unlike Khezu.
 * Pale Extract is used for many different medicines.
 * Interestingly when Khezu dies, Thunderbugs will actually feed on its electrical sac.
 * Red Khezu skin is also soft but is better known for the many colors in its wings.
 * Some Khezus have been found to have hair on their belly.

Gigginox
 * Gigginox evolved from the same ancestor as Khezu.
 * During the day, they sleep much longer than most other monsters in the area but at night they become truly active. They will spend sometime awake during the day but if they instantly sense potential prey in the area, they will actively stalk it in the caves, even at day.
 * Despite their looks, they are quite intelligent compared to some other Flying Wyverns.
 * Their red underside has many hairs on them sort of like some geckos with their toes.
 * Just like Khezu, it produces a similar mucus-like substance on its body but this substance isn't really produced while its calm, making it look dry. Its mainly produced when enraged.
 * If hunters are carrying a torch, the chances of a Gigginox attacking them increases.
 * Gigginox spits the globs of poison on the ground because if its able to get something to inhale enough of the poisonous gas, it will have a chance to kill it.
 * When enraged, it combines the toxins with the mucus, giving it a darker appearance.
 * Gigginox saves food in the caves and those strange things in Zone 5 of the Tundra are corpses of prey it has taken and saved. Gigginoxs may also leave behind corpses in caves to make it easier to catch prey.
 * The occasional outbreak of Gigginoxs is sometimes caused by one laying egg sacs like crazy or just by multiple Gigginoxs.
 * The moment the Giggis are born, they are on their own. Despite hundreds of them being born by one Gigginox only a handful of them will survive. While small, Giggis can produce their own poison but not as effectively as Gigginox. From this they need to feed on the blood of other monsters not just to feed themselves but to also make their own poison. When they make it to a certain size, they will cocoon themselves by using a thread from their mouth to make a cocoon. These cocoons can often be seen in the caves of the Tundra.
 * The Baleful Gigginox is a genetic mutation of Gigginox. It gets its electrical abilities from its and Khezu's ancestor.
 * Where their poison organ is suppose to be is now where their electrical organ is at.
 * Baleful Gigginox cannot reproduce or lay egg sacs full of Giggi from its genetic defect.
 * Unlike Gigginox, who saves prey, Baleful Gigginox actually actively hunt for prey, even outside caves.
 * The claws or talons of a Gigginox are used for magical properties.
 * Gigginox has short teeth and fangs much like Khezu, which are used to eat the frozen corpses.
 * Their poison sac is said to glow with a creepy eerie glow.

Tetsucabra
 * Tetsucabras have a few things in common with frogs while also having a few things different from frogs but it seems to have a lot more in common with frogs.
 * Its ecology is just like Frogs.
 * They mostly live on land but are confirmed to sometimes ambush prey from water. They have been seen living in the Sunken Hollow, Underground Volcano, Frozen Seaway, and Unknown Great Forest showing they are quite adaptable monsters.
 * The scales of a Tetsucabra is used mainly for camouflage inside caves and on them is a special oil that holds heat.
 * Despite the look of the scales, its skin is actually flexible yet hard somewhat resembling an actual toad's skin.
 * A Tetsucabra's skull is robust and durable enough to take a lot of damage from threats of all sorts.
 * Though the Tetsucabra has two large tusks, these are not used for hunting. The primary function of these tusks is for defense and as means to manipulate the environment. The tusks themselves are capable weapons, but the Tetsucabra is also capable of hefting up heavy boulders. The Tetsucabra flings these boulders out of the way of its path but it can also use this as a method of attack to injure predator and prey alike. It uses these boulders as a shield against predators and hunters to prevent attacks. It also uses this to enclose small, tight areas, making it harder to manuever.
 * It has the ability to spit a glob of fluid at prey items. This sticky material acts as a powerful adhesive, sticking to the body and ground like glue. Even for a hunter, the adhesive quality of this material is not very strong, but it makes every movement a labor and greatly weakens the prey, leading to a reduction in stamina.
 * When the Tetsucabra exerts itself, its tail inflates. The legs of a Tetsucabra help it perform powerful leaps, lunges, and jumps in the air to help it either ambush prey or to reach steep slopes out of its reach.
 * A Tetsucabra's claws are powerful enough to break rock with ease and can destroy powerful armor.
 * Tetsucabras will attack and eat almost anything that moves like real-life frogs. They have huge appetites and can be quite aggressive while hungry.
 * Tetsucabras prefer smaller prey because they can easily swallow it whole without worrying about other large monsters. While eating larger prey, they put themselves at risk.
 * When it spine retracts, its tail inflates, possibly for extra balance while doing certain attacks and when it picks up huge boulders or rocks.
 * Tetsucabra's main environment is the Underground Caves but they rarely appear in the Frozen Seaway. To survive the cold of the Frozen Seaway, it produces a strange oil around itself that holds heat, which Zamtrios and the Zamite also have.
 * During Breeding Season, males will make huge holes for females to judge before the females lay their eggs in them. The male will fertilize the eggs before carrying them in his bottom jaw until they develop their legs and hatch from the eggs. The father will not eat anything until the eggs hatch out of his mouth.
 * From the huge holes Tetsucabras make, many miners and transporters have problems mining/transporting people, so hunters are sent to get rid of them for that reason, especially during Breeding Season.
 * Berserk Tetsucabra gets its title, Wild Demon Frog, from its violent appearance and wild behavior.
 * Due to the gas and soot from the explosive rocks, it has changed the Tetsucabra's color to this green. Its face changes to a red hot appearance when it crushes the hot boulders.
 * Some of the colors it once had can still be seen on some parts of its body such as its front legs.
 * This suggest that both species are actually the same species.
 * The Berserk Tetsucabra prefers to crush explosive rocks and kill their enemies or attackers with explosions. This is risky because it would also put them at risk from the explosions but their jaws, shell, and scales have become tougher from the soot and gases of from those explosive rocks.
 * Its scales have become dirty from the explosions of the rocks becoming a mix of green and yellow with no scars on them.
 * Its tusk are heated like iron and show embodies anger.

Taikun Zamuza
 * During the time the Guild were still researching the Tide Island, the Guild were exploring the surface of the Tide Island and were about to begin to explore the caves of the Tide Island. At about this time, they were side tracked by the recent Abiorugu invasion in the Old World, delaying the exploration of the Tide Island caves. Sometime later the exploration was put back on track and they than discovered one of the inhabitants of those caves, Taikun Zamuza.
 * It gets the title, Multi-Shell Crab, because it has multiple layers of shell for protection.
 * Taikun Zamuza have a special relationship with a mushroom found in the Tide Island caves. These mushrooms help attach dirt and rocks to the Taikun Zamuza's outer shell from Taikun Zamuza absorbing the mushrooms and covering its outer shell with rocks and dirt, making it blend into the caves. Some of the mushrooms can be seen in the dirt and when attacked, the mushrooms will shoot out spores into the atmosphere to blind attackers for both offense and defense. In return, the Taikun Zamuza transports the mushrooms to other parts of the caves, allowing them to grow and spread in other parts of the caves. The longer the mushrooms are on a Taikun Zamuza, the harder they are to get off the Taikun Zamuza.
 * The larger claw is used like a shield as it attacks but its smaller claw is used like a weapon when its clear and free to attack.
 * Due to the rocks and dirt being on the Taikun Zamuza's body, it moves very slow but the moment it starts to break off its shell, Taikun Zamuza's speed increases and its able to put more power into its physical attacks. Due to the floor in some of the caves being weak, Taikun Zamuza can accidentally cause a the cave to collapse with its physical attacks now and use the environment to its advantage.
 * Some Taikun Zamuza that hunters have faced would just die in their orange armor from hunters but some hunters have encountered Taikun Zamuza in their true form.
 * Taikun Zamuza in reality are smaller than they appear. They lack a tail, are blue in color, and use the Thunder Element. The dirt and shell covering them is used only for mimicry and protection but can be broken with enough damage plus force from a fall.
 * Its larger claw is actually drill-like and used for drilling through the ground while also cutting through rocks.
 * Its said that the claw is as long as a Shogun Ceanataur's claw.
 * Its smaller claw is thinner and sharp. Its used to cut through things.
 * The true shell is thin and a nice pale with high flexibility.
 * When all of its armor is taken off and its left in its true form, it will become aggressive to a point where it doesn't depend on defense anymore but more about attacks as a last resort to survive from threats.
 * Taikun Zamuza was based on the Fiddler Crabs for its concept.

Nerscylla
 * Its title, Shadow Spider, comes from the fact that it is very creepy.
 * Nerscylla is very different from the Carapaceons and the Neopterons and is in its own class from its fangs or mouthparts being able to extend out.
 * It has been well-witnessed in the Primal Forest and the Sunken Hollow.
 * They've been rarely seen in the Unknown Great Forest as well.
 * It makes huge webs in certain areas and makes them in areas where prey will most likely appear. It actively patrols its web and if it finds a monster that has wandered in its web, it will quickly pounce it.
 * Nerscylla usually nest near farms and when livestock is walks through its nest, it will grab a few of them and possibly any villagers who wander into its web. After attacking livestock, you may notice yarn in its web along with carts. This causes hunters to be called in to hunt them for that reason.
 * Their webs can expand throughout a whole cave system.
 * Nerscyllas will change the shapes of their webs and will sometimes leave their nest altogether, causing them to wander in unsuspected areas putting them in high risk off being attacked by other monsters or just wandering in a person's settlement before hunters come for pest control.
 * Throughout Nerscylla's nest, large numbers of wrapped up prey can be seen in its web.
 * Usually with some of its prey, it will rip their skin off.
 * Nerscylla preys on Gypceros and wears its skin but the reason why it wears its skin is to increase its strength by using its preys material to protect it from some of its thunder weaknesses, which may suggest some high intelligence.
 * Nerscylla is skilled in combat and prefers to ambush its prey from above, below, or behind.
 * As they get older, the toxins in their needle in their abdomen gets stronger.
 * Nerscylla is about as dangerous as some medium-sized Flying Wyvern, according to the Guild.
 * Its outer shell has a poisonous look and is quite light.
 * Many women like wearing it with some other goods and dresses.
 * The spikes on its back store its poison and inside the spikes are an internal organ that produces it.
 * While upside down, the poison can drip from the spikes while its upside down as an extra way to inject poison in prey.
 * Its two front claws are very light and allows it to attack with lightning speed.
 * Its fangs have a number hooks on them with large amounts of poison on them, allowing it to attack and capture prey from a distance using its jaws while also leaving huge wounds in larger prey.
 * The Nerscylla Subspecies is a Subspecies of the Nerscylla.
 * The Sunken Hollow's BGM is Nerscylla's Theme.
 * They mainly inhabit the Old Desert/Dunes and can only really be seen wandering it at night.
 * They wear Khezu Skin as a cloak possibly due to a different environment/region. It's unknown how they get the skin and the Guild are researching the Dede Desert so they can find out how along with discovering if Khezu even lives there.
 * One theory fans have is that it leaves the Dede Desert and goes to the Underground Cave/another area in order to kill a Khezu.
 * It should be noted that they have been seen wearing the hide of other monsters as well though unknown which ones.
 * The Nerscylla Subspecies doesn't make a web like the other Nerscylla Species and prefers to wander the desert in search of prey instead of waiting for prey to come to it. When it finds prey, it will sneak up on it by burrowing through the sand and ambush it from underground to catch it off guard and to attack it from its blind spot.
 * It is able to use its web to swing from rocks and cliffs plus it can freely swing in the air with its web like a pendulum.
 * Similar to Nerscylla, it gains its paralyzing toxins from its prey such as Genprey and possibly even the Seltas Subspecies, which is than stored in the spikes on its back. Once its back is broken, the venom will drip from its back. It also still has the poisonous toxins of the other species, which can be injected from its stinger and jaws.
 * From the Nerscylla Subspecies' beautiful colors, it has become a popular good in the markets around the world.
 * The shell has an eerie look to it.
 * The Khezu skin is used to protect itself from its elemental weakness.

Meraginasu
 * Meraginasu is believed to be a close relative of Espinas. It was thought to be extinct and was known from fossils of them but were recently rediscovered living underground, untouched by time. Meraginasu lives in the deepest and darkest caves of the Tide Island.
 * Meraginasu is completely blind and sees with its powerful well-developed hearing to find prey/threats. It will constantly listen to find prey while roaming around. When it identifies possible prey, it will turn to try to face it, gold markings will glow on its body, and it will relentlessly attack threats until their dead/can't hear them anymore. Sonic Bombs don't effect it because they have a different sound frequency that doesn't bother Meraginasu.
 * Its roar can crack the ground around it easily.
 * The Darkness Element is Ice + Dragon and is used by Meraginasu. It uses this element for its shocking mind blowing speed and to produce some of its attacks such as its roar, breath, and tornado. Its tail mainly produces the element and shoots out the element like a rocket from its tail for its speed and as a weapon.
 * Its scales can produce a high pitch sound if you rub them together. Some of them glow a bright gold.
 * The thorns all over its body are used to protect it from falling rocks while digging and as a minor weapon.
 * It will wrap its horn with wind and actually use its horn like a drill to burrow through the caves.
 * Its tail has good heat resistance.
 * The fluids its body produces is important for the research of the Tide Island ecosystem. Their blood is vibrant in color and actually considered to be golden in color.
 * Special crystals found inside Meraginasu might actually be the source of the Darkness Element in Meraginasu. These crystals complete engulf light and are apart of some of its organs.