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Description
I am sure there are some people out there surprised to hear that the Underworld has lakes and rivers. According to many tales on the surface, that land down below has replaced such water bodies with fire and lava. While it is true that some regions have magma pools and fiery springs, the majority of the Underworld has water just like us up above. Some of these bodies are so big, that they almost act like oceans! I bet you never thought that the Underworld would have coastal towns! They are definitely a sight to see, and they bring with them an equally amazing amount of flora and fauna that you find on the surface. One of these interesting species is the Klost.

Klosts are freshwater dwelling creatures that are mainly found around pools, lakes and rivers. They possess slick, wet skin like a frog or salamander, which means they thrive where ever there is moisture. Due to the structure and environment of the Underworld, some regions are constantly humid and damp, which allows some Klost to live in areas without major water bodies. A set of gills allows them to breathe underwater, but they also have lungs so they can breath normal air. Due to their amphibious nature, they spend half of their lives out of water and the other half in it. With this in mind, their anatomy is built to let them maneuver on land or underwater. A pair of webbed forelimbs are capable of acting as arms or fins depending on the situation, and they are often used to manipulate objects or food. Three pairs of fins line their lower body and they help provide propulsion when the Klost is swimming. On land, they act as crude legs, pushing the Klost along as it slithers across the shore. They are not nearly as fast on land as they are in water, but thankfully their food doesn't run all that fast.

Before talking about their diet and feeding habits, one has to bring up the most notable thing about Klosts. If you have ever talked to any demons or shades about these beasts, you would get the impression that Klosts are not to be messed with and should be given their space. When you finally see one of these creatures squirming across the land or lazily resting in the shallows, you may wonder how it got such a reputation. With their strange limbs and big goofy mouths, many describe them as a cross between a fish and a salamander. So what is so fearsome about them? Sure they are large and they have sharp spines, but what is the big deal? This answer will come to you when you observe the Klost eating or warding off threats, and it will be pretty hard to miss. When looking to take a big bite out of something, the mouth will open wide and its entire "face" will unsheathe itself. The slimy skin will pull back to reveal a terrifying face built of bony armor and shearing plates. With a single bite, the Klost will crack through stone, armor and exoskeleton with ease. Once its meal or foe is chomped into pieces, the skin shall slide back into place and the Klost's goofy appearance will return. When watching this amazing transformation, some people get the impression that the Klost is opening its mouth to release a second head from its throat, but this is not the case. What is actually happening here is the skin on the face is sliding back as if you were pulling up an arm sleeve. This hide is not fully connected to the head region, and special muscles allow it to pull this layer on and off. The point of this skin sheath is not fully known, but it is believed that it acts as a protective layer when the Klost is not eating. Another theory is that this maneuver is meant to keep the skin from being damaged when it is feeding, as its armored plates can take a lot of punishment. I can see that one having some merit, as you wouldn't want to bite your lip with those chompers!

Just by looking at its mouth, you can tell the Klost has some serious power in its bite. Instead of teeth, its jaws are lined with tough sharpened plates that kind of look like a beak. Backing up this intimidating grin are several powerful muscles that create an amazing amount of force. Combing the two together creates a bite that can shear through just about anything. The fang-like protrusions can be positioned on its meal so that they puncture thick armor and rinds with little resistance. Bare flesh is an absolute joke to these jaws, as Klosts can bite through a leg or torso without missing a beat. Armed with this incredibly powerful weapon, the Klost is able to take on its favorite food: Fruit!

Shockingly, the Klost is not some powerful carnivore but instead an omnivore that favors fruits, nuts and vegetables. The cracking jaws are meant to take down thick shells and rinds, allowing the Klost to get to the meaty center. One of their particular favorites are Geode Fruit, which possess a rock-like exterior. While we would have to access this food with a hammer and chisel, the Klost merely needs to take a bite to crack open this impossible shell. For food, the Klost roams the waters and lands in search of vegetation. Due to the environment found in the Underworld, many plants and fungi grow their pods and seeds closer to the ground. With its arms, it will dig up buried roots or pluck low hanging fruits. Aquatic plants can also provide a crunchy meal, and the Klost will slither across the water bottom in search. They are indeed capable of eating meat, but they often find it too fast and bothersome to deal with. Shelled mollusks and insects are their main meals in the meat department, as these critters are slow and rely on their armor to protect them. Hiding in your shell, though, will do nothing to save you from these jaws though! The Klost can sometimes eat softer animals, but this usually happens when some fool decides to pick a fight with one of these beasts.

When it comes to defending itself, the Klost's preferred weapon is obvious. An array of sharp spines can deter attack, but its powerful jaws are the thing that can take down any foe. Armor and hide are insignificant to this bite, while flesh and bone offer as much resistance as a bowl of warm butter. If one is not careful around a Klost, they can easily lose a limb to the beast. Tales even suggest that the Klost can bite through weapons, shattering blades as if they were twigs. Demons and shades are sure to give Klosts plenty of space, and any boat captain will avoid getting too close to foraging individuals so that the irritated beast doesn't bite through the hull. Thankfully, the Klost is a lazy creature that is perfectly fine slithering along and chowing on fruit. They are not territorial and will only be aggressive if an idiot chooses to get too close and antagonize them. When I got to watch these creatures in action, I literally sat on a ledge overlooking a shore line and watched a dozen of Klosts just laze about in the shallows. I don't even know if they registered the fact I was there! With this strength and laid back attitude, Klosts are a danger only to the ignorant and stupid. Vespar said that they warn young ones about Klosts like how you would warn them about a precarious ledge or cliff, "you can look at them if you want, but don't go dancing on top of them." Another thing that I have heard was that Klosts are one of the beasts that can be considered a "Fool's Trophy." I never heard of the phrase before, but Mamin explained it to me. A Fool's Trophy is an indicator amongst hunters and warriors that let you know if someone is absolutely full of it. If you go into a boastful hunter's abode and find a trophy or a mount of a Klost in their collection, then you know that they are a fake and an idiot. The reason behind this is that Klosts are incredibly strong and they have an intimidating visage, but they are lazy and uncaring oafs. To actually hunt one of these beasts is not all that difficult and such a feat is hardly an accomplishment. No professional hunter would put up a trophy of a Klost because it is meaningless and proves nothing, but a try-hard fool would solely on the reasoning that Klosts are strong and they look scary.

While Klosts are really cool with their bizarre facial anatomy and pretty colors, I have to admit that this species is a little ruined for me. I am not saying they are bad, stupid or boring, but every time I see them or hear about them something else comes to mind. You see, the sharp jaws of a Klost bears some resemblance to the shearing plates that we dryads have. This was an observation that was not missed by my demon guides, and I never heard the end of it. The name "Klost Face" became a frequent thing I heard during my trip, most of which I blame on Valac. I guess this is what happens when you try to "smile with teeth" for people who have never seen a dryad before. I was just trying to be nice and polite! Gimme a break, guys!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Historian

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Back into the Underworld we go for a spell!

Description
I am sure there are some people out there surprised to hear that the Underworld has lakes and rivers. According to many tales on the surface, that land down below has replaced such water bodies with fire and lava. While it is true that some regions have magma pools and fiery springs, the majority of the Underworld has water just like us up above. Some of these bodies are so big, that they almost act like oceans! I bet you never thought that the Underworld would have coastal towns! They are definitely a sight to see, and they bring with them an equally amazing amount of flora and fauna that you find on the surface. One of these interesting species is the Klost.

Klosts are freshwater dwelling creatures that are mainly found around pools, lakes and rivers. They possess slick, wet skin like a frog or salamander, which means they thrive where ever there is moisture. Due to the structure and environment of the Underworld, some regions are constantly humid and damp, which allows some Klost to live in areas without major water bodies. A set of gills allows them to breathe underwater, but they also have lungs so they can breath normal air. Due to their amphibious nature, they spend half of their lives out of water and the other half in it. With this in mind, their anatomy is built to let them maneuver on land or underwater. A pair of webbed forelimbs are capable of acting as arms or fins depending on the situation, and they are often used to manipulate objects or food. Three pairs of fins line their lower body and they help provide propulsion when the Klost is swimming. On land, they act as crude legs, pushing the Klost along as it slithers across the shore. They are not nearly as fast on land as they are in water, but thankfully their food doesn't run all that fast.

Before talking about their diet and feeding habits, one has to bring up the most notable thing about Klosts. If you have ever talked to any demons or shades about these beasts, you would get the impression that Klosts are not to be messed with and should be given their space. When you finally see one of these creatures squirming across the land or lazily resting in the shallows, you may wonder how it got such a reputation. With their strange limbs and big goofy mouths, many describe them as a cross between a fish and a salamander. So what is so fearsome about them? Sure they are large and they have sharp spines, but what is the big deal? This answer will come to you when you observe the Klost eating or warding off threats, and it will be pretty hard to miss. When looking to take a big bite out of something, the mouth will open wide and its entire "face" will unsheathe itself. The slimy skin will pull back to reveal a terrifying face built of bony armor and shearing plates. With a single bite, the Klost will crack through stone, armor and exoskeleton with ease. Once its meal or foe is chomped into pieces, the skin shall slide back into place and the Klost's goofy appearance will return. When watching this amazing transformation, some people get the impression that the Klost is opening its mouth to release a second head from its throat, but this is not the case. What is actually happening here is the skin on the face is sliding back as if you were pulling up an arm sleeve. This hide is not fully connected to the head region, and special muscles allow it to pull this layer on and off. The point of this skin sheath is not fully known, but it is believed that it acts as a protective layer when the Klost is not eating. Another theory is that this maneuver is meant to keep the skin from being damaged when it is feeding, as its armored plates can take a lot of punishment. I can see that one having some merit, as you wouldn't want to bite your lip with those chompers!

Just by looking at its mouth, you can tell the Klost has some serious power in its bite. Instead of teeth, its jaws are lined with tough sharpened plates that kind of look like a beak. Backing up this intimidating grin are several powerful muscles that create an amazing amount of force. Combing the two together creates a bite that can shear through just about anything. The fang-like protrusions can be positioned on its meal so that they puncture thick armor and rinds with little resistance. Bare flesh is an absolute joke to these jaws, as Klosts can bite through a leg or torso without missing a beat. Armed with this incredibly powerful weapon, the Klost is able to take on its favorite food: Fruit!

Shockingly, the Klost is not some powerful carnivore but instead an omnivore that favors fruits, nuts and vegetables. The cracking jaws are meant to take down thick shells and rinds, allowing the Klost to get to the meaty center. One of their particular favorites are Geode Fruit, which possess a rock-like exterior. While we would have to access this food with a hammer and chisel, the Klost merely needs to take a bite to crack open this impossible shell. For food, the Klost roams the waters and lands in search of vegetation. Due to the environment found in the Underworld, many plants and fungi grow their pods and seeds closer to the ground. With its arms, it will dig up buried roots or pluck low hanging fruits. Aquatic plants can also provide a crunchy meal, and the Klost will slither across the water bottom in search. They are indeed capable of eating meat, but they often find it too fast and bothersome to deal with. Shelled mollusks and insects are their main meals in the meat department, as these critters are slow and rely on their armor to protect them. Hiding in your shell, though, will do nothing to save you from these jaws though! The Klost can sometimes eat softer animals, but this usually happens when some fool decides to pick a fight with one of these beasts.

When it comes to defending itself, the Klost's preferred weapon is obvious. An array of sharp spines can deter attack, but its powerful jaws are the thing that can take down any foe. Armor and hide are insignificant to this bite, while flesh and bone offer as much resistance as a bowl of warm butter. If one is not careful around a Klost, they can easily lose a limb to the beast. Tales even suggest that the Klost can bite through weapons, shattering blades as if they were twigs. Demons and shades are sure to give Klosts plenty of space, and any boat captain will avoid getting too close to foraging individuals so that the irritated beast doesn't bite through the hull. Thankfully, the Klost is a lazy creature that is perfectly fine slithering along and chowing on fruit. They are not territorial and will only be aggressive if an idiot chooses to get too close and antagonize them. When I got to watch these creatures in action, I literally sat on a ledge overlooking a shore line and watched a dozen of Klosts just laze about in the shallows. I don't even know if they registered the fact I was there! With this strength and laid back attitude, Klosts are a danger only to the ignorant and stupid. Vespar said that they warn young ones about Klosts like how you would warn them about a precarious ledge or cliff, "you can look at them if you want, but don't go dancing on top of them." Another thing that I have heard was that Klosts are one of the beasts that can be considered a "Fool's Trophy." I never heard of the phrase before, but Mamin explained it to me. A Fool's Trophy is an indicator amongst hunters and warriors that let you know if someone is absolutely full of it. If you go into a boastful hunter's abode and find a trophy or a mount of a Klost in their collection, then you know that they are a fake and an idiot. The reason behind this is that Klosts are incredibly strong and they have an intimidating visage, but they are lazy and uncaring oafs. To actually hunt one of these beasts is not all that difficult and such a feat is hardly an accomplishment. No professional hunter would put up a trophy of a Klost because it is meaningless and proves nothing, but a try-hard fool would solely on the reasoning that Klosts are strong and they look scary.

While Klosts are really cool with their bizarre facial anatomy and pretty colors, I have to admit that this species is a little ruined for me. I am not saying they are bad, stupid or boring, but every time I see them or hear about them something else comes to mind. You see, the sharp jaws of a Klost bears some resemblance to the shearing plates that we dryads have. This was an observation that was not missed by my demon guides, and I never heard the end of it. The name "Klost Face" became a frequent thing I heard during my trip, most of which I blame on Valac. I guess this is what happens when you try to "smile with teeth" for people who have never seen a dryad before. I was just trying to be nice and polite! Gimme a break, guys!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Historian

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Back into the Underworld we go for a spell!