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| - The Arboreal Walrus of Kasputin Yar is a curious creature. Its skin is thick enough to make attack by most water-dwelling creatures of its homeworld utterly ineffective, but insufficient to ward off the sharp beaks and claws of many small airborne threats. Because of this, the muscular creatures climb quickly up the Rofalssa Stalks, dislodge as much of the heavy, tough fruits and nuts as they possibly can, and then scamper back down as fast as their four three-clawed flippers and similarly clawed, broad tails will allow them. Failure to move fast can cost the creatures dearly, as flocks of predatory fliers may descend upon them, to claim meals of flesh and blood from the walruses' backs.
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| abstract
| - The Arboreal Walrus of Kasputin Yar is a curious creature. Its skin is thick enough to make attack by most water-dwelling creatures of its homeworld utterly ineffective, but insufficient to ward off the sharp beaks and claws of many small airborne threats. Because of this, the muscular creatures climb quickly up the Rofalssa Stalks, dislodge as much of the heavy, tough fruits and nuts as they possibly can, and then scamper back down as fast as their four three-clawed flippers and similarly clawed, broad tails will allow them. Failure to move fast can cost the creatures dearly, as flocks of predatory fliers may descend upon them, to claim meals of flesh and blood from the walruses' backs. Their common name was given to them by offworlders, comparing them to seagoing carnivores from their own native biospheres, but the native Yari call them by a name that translates roughly to 'swimming great-fangs' in an old dialect. The four long, sharp teeth that protrude both upwards and downwards from the beasts' mouths earned them his name, and are used mainly for cracking open large, tough fruits and nuts. It is well known among the Yari that, despite these amphibious beasts being no larger than the planet's dominant civilized species, one should never taunt an arboreal walrus. Their jaw strength alone is ample reason. This jaw strength is owed entirely to their diet. The high silicon content in most of the plants found on Kasputin Yar has resulted in many seeds being protected by a shell that can be compared without exaggeration to a layer of rock. Having embarked upon the career of eating such things, the arboreal walrus has forced a sort of arms race with the trees, causing the plants to produce heavier and heavier shells on their fruit, and the walruses to evolve steadily more powerful jaws and harder, sharper teeth. anyone encountering one of these creatures is advised to keep that in mind, as f all the body armours currently on the market, precious few can stop one of these 'swimming great-fangs' from biting clean through. These animals are, when not provoked, and approached in a non-threatening manner, often quite curious, especially about anything that drives away the flying creature they so dislike. This can prove a hazard as well, for if they should pick up something in their teeth out of curiosity, getting them to release it can be a daunting task. Offering them something that smells sweet, like the interior of the fruit they so enjoy, will generally suffice. Should the creature begin to honk loudly, it may be safest to simply let it have whatever it's taken, as this is a sign the creature is beginning to anger. The closest relatives of the arboreal walrus include a much smaller, also amphibious family of venomous seal-like creatures that feed mainly on fliers by ambush from shallow water.
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