Creature - D'xjuk

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"Dude, I've got a bad feeling about this..."
"Come on! It's not too hard!" I said, climbing higher into the twisted limbs of the swamp tree. "I'll guide you from here! Over there is a path of rocks over there that lead though that murky part! You don't even need to get your feet wet!"
"...Alright, if I fall, it's your fault!" my friend called, and leaped to the first rock.
There was a loud roar and a colossal column of water erupted where he was standing, and I barely got a chance to catch sight of an arm flailing and pale skin disappearing beneath the murky water, then all was still.
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This is one bug you don't want to mess with.

This is a D'xjuk (pronounced ZHUK), courtesy of =darkNarel. D'xjuk are capable of living in aquatic, semi-aquatic and arid climates. They secrete a slimy substance that keeps their skin moist at all times, and it is this film that allows them to live in such diverse environments. D'xjuk also have different colorations based on their environment (pale blue, light green or of white). Pictured is a Swamp D'xjuk, so it is slightly green in color

No matter what their environment, D'xjuk are always taking in sediments through their skin. They store these particles in a layer of flesh under their skin until ready for use. D'xjuk can force these soil particles though their skin to the surface, allowing them to form a hard shell over any and all parts of their bodies.

D'xjuk are very territorial, violent creatures. Personally, I find this ironic, since they are nothing at all like their slug ancestors. They will completely shred anything that steps foot within their boundaries, not for food, but for the simple joy of killing. They have very keen eyesight, and use this to their advantage while hunting.

D'xjuk have very tough skin, which is constantly being strengthened by the film they produce. It takes a tremendous amount of force to rip or pierce their skin, and even when something managed to do so, their film heals it in a matter of seconds.

When D'xjuk reproduce, the female lays thousands of eggs, each about the size of a basketball. In only two weeks, the eggs will be ready to hatch. Their eggshells are even tougher than their skin, making it impossible for predators to consume them, so all of them hatch. The only thing keeping their population in check is their only downfall: their voracity. Usually, the first D'xjuk to hatch will wait around for the others to hatch as well, and devour them as they come out of the eggs. Only two or three D'xjuk per clutch survive to maturity. Despite the low population growth rate, D'xjuk can live for thousands of years, and grow as long as 150 meters, their bodies nearly as thick as three cars side-by-side, and weigh in at several thousand kilos.

Made in Adobe Illustrator.

D'xjuk are (c) to Rainthatfalls