A Triff in an expectant position, by xDopts
The Triffs are carnivorous animals that lives in Ewdtia Planeta, specifically in Értrad, a great group of continent-islands. The Ewdtia Planet it is located in Nermecodi, a Frozen Shain.
There are Triffs in in many places of Értrad, but are abundant in Arhtia and its near archipelagos (archipelago of Adtia, archipelago of Ardtea). There are also, although in less number, in Xiberl, Contaa, Detavo and Setalu.
They are beings of a nervous temperament, they are swift in its movements and in order to find food. It might seem that this attitude makes them waste a lot of energy but the Triffs move with a special grace that makes their movements (and also it seems externally) elegant and without any waste of energy.
Their habits are diurnal but in some specific periods of the year they become more nocturnal in order to capture more prey. They are very intelligent (though their communication ability with other species are zero) and can be arranged in large packs.
A comparision between a Triff, an human and an Upandu, by Jakeukalane (xDopts, Keberyna)
In the islands populated by the Upandu, such as Contaa, Detavo or Setalu, they organized gigantic hunting parties against the caravans of goods, obtaining important loots from the Upandu. Although its small-medium size (1.80 meters high) might seem slightly dangerous for Upandu, is the large number of the Triffs not its size that gives them advantage against trade caravans.
They have small horns on the sides of the head they use in their fights. Generally, they don't fighting among males but among any individual who wants to gain supremacy of the group, whether male or female.
The Triffs usually hunt maintaining a strict social hierarchy based on favors and complicated challenges that are proposed each other. The Triff that hold higher hierarchy which is exposed to less danger when hunting (as previously undergone lower hierarchies involving direct attack). This translates even to their childish games that are highly competitive.
Their colors are mixed with vegetation, making it difficult for prey to see them. However, the preys also camouflage perfectly in the jungles of the island-continent more hardwood of Értrad. His eyes —behind the peculiar chitinous surface of the face appears to be a mask— are able to see in the infrared spectrum. They also have heat detectors along the back, but do not provide visual information of another type (heat, vibration).
Even the horns are used for an additional function apart from the struggle to resolve conflicts and also can amplify sounds far away.
Usually they are despised by Upandu as a harmful species to the environment, because where they settle their number increases exponentially, as they not having many predators (because not only are able to scare away predators such as Upandu huge but other even more dangerous as Giant Purple Spiders).
Overall, they don't fear so much the beings that Upandu fear: they live with Tyrannopendras of Ahrtia (the larger Tyrannopendras of Értrad, much larger than the Tyrannopendras of Setalu) and other dangerous species. However, they prefer to live away from the coast to avoid encounters with Shirkoiveas species (Syhks, Sharkeths, etc ...), preferring marshy interior environments, where his quick movements and agility make them move seamlessly between the leafy vegetation.
The triffs are capable of rolling, making themselves a hard fur ball and it is difficult to damage and very difficult to distinguish from the environment.
There are no great rivalries within the huge packs of Triffs since the sense of community and competitiveness between them does not require aggressiveness. Individuals who are strongly misfits are expelled or removed (depending on how extreme their behavior has been). The outward case is more complex. In general it is very rare that two packs of Triffs meet each other and it is not known know what the reaction could be. It may be aggressive, but also be friendly or that be established tests to determine which is the stronger pack and after determining the weakest pack, that would be subordinate to the stronger.
Due to their extreme abundance and also that almost never can't be seen a lone Triff, it is difficult to establish the age that they can achieved. Some scholars are risking throwing numbers between the 12 ewdtians years (about 17 Earth years) and 26 ewdtians years (36.4 Earth years).
The higher mortality is caused by parasitic diseases or young Tyrannopendras attacks that are in their initiation rituals. A high percentage of non-adult Tyrannopendras die in these rituals in which attack the packs of Triffs.
Their food includes small fishes (if they lives near lakes or rives), small birds and, mainly, quadrupeds herbivorous as Chardaqua.
The relationship with other mid-sized predators such as Xaqeyl or Cezals it is not good.
Although they all seem to be clones each other, the Triffs themselves are able to distinguish from each other because of the intricate pattern of the surface colored chitinous covering their face.
Normally they are polygamous, excepting the alpha leader that will seek the best female of all the pack.
In Ewdtia is difficult to follow the evolutionary path of any specie and Triffs are no exception. While there is some resemblance to some species that live in the deserts of the distant continent of Eakehe, no fossil endorse any other connection and obviously taxonomic and genetic science in Ewdtia are not sufficiently advanced to allow discussions of this caliber.
They are able to capture a prey by build small mechanical traps that are dangerously efficient. They also around the perimeter of their largest territory with those traps.
