ARANTAK

Length: 1.64 m
Width: 0.71 m
Height: 2.10 m
Weight: 411.15 kg
Speed: 27.01 km/h
Habitat: Variable. Prefers dry, shaded climates.
Anatomical Features: Biped. Powerful rear legs and shortened front legs. Large, flat-surfaced teeth designed for crushing and grinding.
Feeding Habits: Herbivore with a preference for young cactus chutes.

The Arantak appears to be the land-borne variant of the Reed Stalker. A lower posture and beefier hind legs allow the heavyset Bloksus to use them as battle mounts and beasts of burden. They are not especially fast in the field (nothing with a Bloksus on its back will be), but they do admirably. The bony structures of the Arantak are also thicker. Several comparable structures that are composed of several bones in the Reed Stalker are fused in the Arantak. This reduces the overall “flexibility” of the beast, but also makes it unbelievably sturdy. As a functional unit, a Bloksus-Arantak is a mobile, blunt trauma instrument…and they know it.

Should the fight be one sword against many, the Arantak will use its nearly indestructible head and neck as a weapon. Its hind legs are no less lethal, and equally difficult to overcome. I’ve witnessed a minor rockslide land on top of a herd of Arantak…and then dig themselves out, shake themselves off and returning to graze… It makes one wonder exactly how much force these animals can ultimately withstand.