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Description
The Holemaw:

"I salute thee, oh Holemaw, whose hide is the cloak of heroes, and whose crushing grip drives even the coward to courage! May its three-fold form remind us, Lord, of your own blessed Trinity."

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A potent obligate carnivore hailing from the Arctic Taigas of our world, the "True Holemaw" is considered by many to be among the most charismatic members of the Trilobe superphylum. Though similar in size and niche to the "big cats" of pre-Impact Holy Terra, Holemaws and their close kin are in fact born of trilateran pseudo-arthropods, as evidenced by what we believe are the more basal members of the Trilobes in existence today.

The Holemaw closely follows the body plan of the derived Trilobes, with three lobes surrounding a central oral axis. The more primitive inverted triangle shape of the head and neck quickly transitions into a roughly M-shaped torso. The front limb of the middle lobe is specialized into a sclerotized raptorial appendage with an intensely powerful grip, which compensates for the poor penetrative ability of the weaker, more abrading-oriented mouth. The back limb is derived into a combination of tail and genital structure, serving as the womb in female individuals.

As with all megafaunal clades of the Trilobes, the 'skeleton' of a Holemaw is derived from the remnants of its ancestors' exoskeleton, being long, mineralized stretches of integument which serve as muscle attachment points and structural support. The rest of what was once a chitinous hide has been notably softened and covered in a smooth, supple cuticle, removing the need for shedding its skin in order to grow. Despite this, a Holemaw's skin is still noticeably tougher than that of, say, a Bluedeer, and is further ringed with strands of cartilage-analog. When combined with the blubber that insulates them in place of fur, this makes them extremely difficult to kill with non-plasma melee weaponry, as is required by the initiation rituals of several Militant Holy Orders.

Though not particularly aggressive unless provoked or defending young, Holemaws can and will still readily prey upon sapient individuals who enter their territories alone or in small groups. The Mendicant Order of Saints Longinus and Sampson actually takes advantage of this tendency, requiring would-be Initiates to hunt down an adult male Holemaw in its own territory with nothing more than some clothing, a partner, and a melee weapon of their choice.

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Art by the ever-skilled Vanga-Vangog(www.deviantart.com/vanga-vango… ) depicting a predator from my ongoing science fiction setting. My thanks as ever, Vanga.

Description
The Holemaw:

"I salute thee, oh Holemaw, whose hide is the cloak of heroes, and whose crushing grip drives even the coward to courage! May its three-fold form remind us, Lord, of your own blessed Trinity."

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

A potent obligate carnivore hailing from the Arctic Taigas of our world, the "True Holemaw" is considered by many to be among the most charismatic members of the Trilobe superphylum. Though similar in size and niche to the "big cats" of pre-Impact Holy Terra, Holemaws and their close kin are in fact born of trilateran pseudo-arthropods, as evidenced by what we believe are the more basal members of the Trilobes in existence today.

The Holemaw closely follows the body plan of the derived Trilobes, with three lobes surrounding a central oral axis. The more primitive inverted triangle shape of the head and neck quickly transitions into a roughly M-shaped torso. The front limb of the middle lobe is specialized into a sclerotized raptorial appendage with an intensely powerful grip, which compensates for the poor penetrative ability of the weaker, more abrading-oriented mouth. The back limb is derived into a combination of tail and genital structure, serving as the womb in female individuals.

As with all megafaunal clades of the Trilobes, the 'skeleton' of a Holemaw is derived from the remnants of its ancestors' exoskeleton, being long, mineralized stretches of integument which serve as muscle attachment points and structural support. The rest of what was once a chitinous hide has been notably softened and covered in a smooth, supple cuticle, removing the need for shedding its skin in order to grow. Despite this, a Holemaw's skin is still noticeably tougher than that of, say, a Bluedeer, and is further ringed with strands of cartilage-analog. When combined with the blubber that insulates them in place of fur, this makes them extremely difficult to kill with non-plasma melee weaponry, as is required by the initiation rituals of several Militant Holy Orders.

Though not particularly aggressive unless provoked or defending young, Holemaws can and will still readily prey upon sapient individuals who enter their territories alone or in small groups. The Mendicant Order of Saints Longinus and Sampson actually takes advantage of this tendency, requiring would-be Initiates to hunt down an adult male Holemaw in its own territory with nothing more than some clothing, a partner, and a melee weapon of their choice.

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

Art by the ever-skilled Vanga-Vangog(www.deviantart.com/vanga-vango… ) depicting a predator from my ongoing science fiction setting. My thanks as ever, Vanga.