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Description
From the Files of Frank Womack, Kaiju Expert*

Kaiju File # 003

Meeraj (Me-Rahj)

First Seen: Jezîrat al-Tennyn, Indian Ocean
Last Seen: Papua New Guinea (Currently Located)

Primary Range: Equatorial Zone, Preferably Shorelines Bordering the Indian Ocean

Dietary Preference: Energy Sources, Preferably Electrical and Geothermal

Description: Among the smaller known kaiju, Meeraj is a seamless fusion of predator and prey. Resembling a cross between a big cat, rabbit, and unicorn, with the retractable claws and teeth of the former as well as the large ears and legs of the middle, and the single protruding cranial horn of the latter, it is a highly mobile, alert creature that would prefer to circumnavigate around danger rather than face it head on. When cornered, however, it is a combatant most kaiju, even ones more than twice its size, would come to regret engaging. Meeraj is one of the most successfully adapted kaiju to urban combat, using its smaller size and excessive jumping power to circle most enemies before they can even process its direction.

Its body is covered in thick, quill-like fur colored in various earth tones, from bright yellow to a deep brown, with several stripes running down its legs and tail. These quills are surprisingly good at defending the creature against physical blows, and can even detach in the event of an emergency. Most notably, however, is the ring pierced through its nose, the first true evidence of Precursor engineering mankind would ever behold.

These fearsome traits do not bestow recklessness, however, as Meeraj is never one to stick to combat longer than needed. Its tactics reflect a personality torn between predator and prey, with the lethal flexibility of a killer and the flighty instincts of an animal more used to being hunted than hunting itself. As such, when too far inland to escape by sea, the destruction potentially skyrockets when Meeraj resorts to a very messy method of fleeing the scene, burrowing underground, which can demolish the infrastructure of an area entirely.

Strangely, in the event of fighting alongside others against a common enemy, Meeraj is quick to drop its flight instincts and will attack alongside its allies as long as needed, darting in and out of view with fast hit and run attacks until it falls.

Defense Protocols: Meeraj is not prone to standing it's ground when truly overwhelmed, so it is recommended that a simple, up front brute force approach should be taken to steer it away from where it is not wanted. If inland, air strikes will suffice, as would moderate drone deployment, but when in coastal ranges an assault from an Atlas Carrier will suffice. A mecha deployment would simply amount to a waste of life, and is only to be used if the creature is not alone.

Noteworthy Abilities:

-Energy Redirection: An ability Meeraj only partially possesses in a natural sense. Like most kaiju, Meeraj is able to absorb energy from the world around it, most notably lightning strikes through its cranial horn. But, with the aid of the mysterious Precursor ring around its nose, Meeraj is able to absorb and reflect incoming energy attacks from other kaiju with little effort. The intensity of the attack can alter its chances of success significantly, and some of the biggest and strongest, such as Stormback's Electron beam or Grorn's Mana Pulse, are best still avoided.

-Extreme Land Speed: Meeraj, due to its chimeric anatomy and the seamless fusion of kaiju cells, is the fastest terrestrial kaiju on record at a full sprint. Its maximum clocked speed approached 400 mph, though it only can hold these speeds for a few minutes. The windstorms generated from this can rip apart mountainsides, and the force generated from a collision can cause disturbances on the Richter scale. This is a double edged sword for the kaiju, however, as even with its excellent shock-absorption, the torque can still cause muscle and even bone damage if it misses. That, and it is unable to outrun fighter aircraft and some airborne kaiju such as Uthegeiar which can go faster than sound.

-Flexibility: Meeraj, thanks to its feline anatomical traits and kaiju cell tweaking, is extremely flexible, able to alter is trajectory on land and in midair in seconds. Most notably, when battling T'Zakka, it demonstrated it could twist its spine around almost 180 degrees without harming itself, and, pardon the cliche, it always lands on its feet.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: There have been many reactions globally speaking to the kaiju emergence. Some have been positive, taking advantage of the new global climate to make a living, others understandably negative, with a lot of nostalgia to the good ol' days and wishing things could be the way they were before. Some, funny enough, have been beyond logical, with conspiracies about their origins spreading and even actual cults being founded in their shadows, though they cannot agree if they are agents of punishment or salvation. Its almost surprising how many have ascribed religious attributes to these biological anomalies. But, when I look at monsters like Meeraj, it makes sense.

For the uninformed, this monster bears a STRONG resemblance to a mythological creature, its name is even a direct reference to it. Adding on to the fact that it was found in a location matching the myths only adds questions to the pile, questions that were on everyone's mind.

Have kaiju appeared before? The answer would become obvious in a very short time, turns out.

Now, as for Meeraj, I can't help but get attached to the thing. Maybe its the mammalian brain in me feeling kinship and sympathy, or maybe I can appreciate its scrappy attitude and underdog status on a personal level? Doesn't matter which to me. All that matters is that unlike some of the early kaiju, this one is still kicking. Its a consummate survivor, braving some of the nastiest events humankind has ever faced, and walked away largely unscathed. Its fought alongside giants like Stormback and against unstoppable menaces like Syyd and, surprisingly, its survived every single time. It doesn't seem very interested in us the way kaiju usually are, so in a way, its almost like we have him in our corner. As far as kaiju go, anyway. And I am proud to offer it that chance again and again.

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

*These files are in no representative of nor indicating the opinions and/or facts concerning various government bureaus, including but not limited to: The United Nations, UNDER, etc. These are unofficial productions by a private citizen determined to aid the concerned public in the event of a kaiju or extraterrestrial incursion and are in no way to be considered authoritative reports on the aforementioned dangers.

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

Surprise! I have two ready for this week!

You can chalk it up to having a lot of time off for New Years.

For those who read my last entry, this monster should already be known to you in name only. For those from farther back, its also included in my old sketchdump last year. Based on the creature from Arabic mythology, Meeraj falls into one of my favorite kaiju archetypes, the scrappy friend. You know the type, its a monster that while not the biggest, or the strongest, it is among the bravest, charging into battle against common enemies even if it won't be leading that charge itself. I know most of the famous cases of these are reptilian and prehistoric, but I wanted the next monster to be a mythical, mammalian one to better demonstrate the variety I'm shooting for. Its got a lot of Anguirus and Baragon in its personality, though!

Meeraj will be appearing in many of the big events to come, and its a blast writing him so expect to see a lot of him. For now though, the series is about to go into some new territory. And it should be pretty exciting. So until then.

Description
From the Files of Frank Womack, Kaiju Expert*

Kaiju File # 003

Meeraj (Me-Rahj)

First Seen: Jezîrat al-Tennyn, Indian Ocean
Last Seen: Papua New Guinea (Currently Located)

Primary Range: Equatorial Zone, Preferably Shorelines Bordering the Indian Ocean

Dietary Preference: Energy Sources, Preferably Electrical and Geothermal

Description: Among the smaller known kaiju, Meeraj is a seamless fusion of predator and prey. Resembling a cross between a big cat, rabbit, and unicorn, with the retractable claws and teeth of the former as well as the large ears and legs of the middle, and the single protruding cranial horn of the latter, it is a highly mobile, alert creature that would prefer to circumnavigate around danger rather than face it head on. When cornered, however, it is a combatant most kaiju, even ones more than twice its size, would come to regret engaging. Meeraj is one of the most successfully adapted kaiju to urban combat, using its smaller size and excessive jumping power to circle most enemies before they can even process its direction.

Its body is covered in thick, quill-like fur colored in various earth tones, from bright yellow to a deep brown, with several stripes running down its legs and tail. These quills are surprisingly good at defending the creature against physical blows, and can even detach in the event of an emergency. Most notably, however, is the ring pierced through its nose, the first true evidence of Precursor engineering mankind would ever behold.

These fearsome traits do not bestow recklessness, however, as Meeraj is never one to stick to combat longer than needed. Its tactics reflect a personality torn between predator and prey, with the lethal flexibility of a killer and the flighty instincts of an animal more used to being hunted than hunting itself. As such, when too far inland to escape by sea, the destruction potentially skyrockets when Meeraj resorts to a very messy method of fleeing the scene, burrowing underground, which can demolish the infrastructure of an area entirely.

Strangely, in the event of fighting alongside others against a common enemy, Meeraj is quick to drop its flight instincts and will attack alongside its allies as long as needed, darting in and out of view with fast hit and run attacks until it falls.

Defense Protocols: Meeraj is not prone to standing it's ground when truly overwhelmed, so it is recommended that a simple, up front brute force approach should be taken to steer it away from where it is not wanted. If inland, air strikes will suffice, as would moderate drone deployment, but when in coastal ranges an assault from an Atlas Carrier will suffice. A mecha deployment would simply amount to a waste of life, and is only to be used if the creature is not alone.

Noteworthy Abilities:

-Energy Redirection: An ability Meeraj only partially possesses in a natural sense. Like most kaiju, Meeraj is able to absorb energy from the world around it, most notably lightning strikes through its cranial horn. But, with the aid of the mysterious Precursor ring around its nose, Meeraj is able to absorb and reflect incoming energy attacks from other kaiju with little effort. The intensity of the attack can alter its chances of success significantly, and some of the biggest and strongest, such as Stormback's Electron beam or Grorn's Mana Pulse, are best still avoided.

-Extreme Land Speed: Meeraj, due to its chimeric anatomy and the seamless fusion of kaiju cells, is the fastest terrestrial kaiju on record at a full sprint. Its maximum clocked speed approached 400 mph, though it only can hold these speeds for a few minutes. The windstorms generated from this can rip apart mountainsides, and the force generated from a collision can cause disturbances on the Richter scale. This is a double edged sword for the kaiju, however, as even with its excellent shock-absorption, the torque can still cause muscle and even bone damage if it misses. That, and it is unable to outrun fighter aircraft and some airborne kaiju such as Uthegeiar which can go faster than sound.

-Flexibility: Meeraj, thanks to its feline anatomical traits and kaiju cell tweaking, is extremely flexible, able to alter is trajectory on land and in midair in seconds. Most notably, when battling T'Zakka, it demonstrated it could twist its spine around almost 180 degrees without harming itself, and, pardon the cliche, it always lands on its feet.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: There have been many reactions globally speaking to the kaiju emergence. Some have been positive, taking advantage of the new global climate to make a living, others understandably negative, with a lot of nostalgia to the good ol' days and wishing things could be the way they were before. Some, funny enough, have been beyond logical, with conspiracies about their origins spreading and even actual cults being founded in their shadows, though they cannot agree if they are agents of punishment or salvation. Its almost surprising how many have ascribed religious attributes to these biological anomalies. But, when I look at monsters like Meeraj, it makes sense.

For the uninformed, this monster bears a STRONG resemblance to a mythological creature, its name is even a direct reference to it. Adding on to the fact that it was found in a location matching the myths only adds questions to the pile, questions that were on everyone's mind.

Have kaiju appeared before? The answer would become obvious in a very short time, turns out.

Now, as for Meeraj, I can't help but get attached to the thing. Maybe its the mammalian brain in me feeling kinship and sympathy, or maybe I can appreciate its scrappy attitude and underdog status on a personal level? Doesn't matter which to me. All that matters is that unlike some of the early kaiju, this one is still kicking. Its a consummate survivor, braving some of the nastiest events humankind has ever faced, and walked away largely unscathed. Its fought alongside giants like Stormback and against unstoppable menaces like Syyd and, surprisingly, its survived every single time. It doesn't seem very interested in us the way kaiju usually are, so in a way, its almost like we have him in our corner. As far as kaiju go, anyway. And I am proud to offer it that chance again and again.

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

*These files are in no representative of nor indicating the opinions and/or facts concerning various government bureaus, including but not limited to: The United Nations, UNDER, etc. These are unofficial productions by a private citizen determined to aid the concerned public in the event of a kaiju or extraterrestrial incursion and are in no way to be considered authoritative reports on the aforementioned dangers.

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

Surprise! I have two ready for this week!

You can chalk it up to having a lot of time off for New Years.

For those who read my last entry, this monster should already be known to you in name only. For those from farther back, its also included in my old sketchdump last year. Based on the creature from Arabic mythology, Meeraj falls into one of my favorite kaiju archetypes, the scrappy friend. You know the type, its a monster that while not the biggest, or the strongest, it is among the bravest, charging into battle against common enemies even if it won't be leading that charge itself. I know most of the famous cases of these are reptilian and prehistoric, but I wanted the next monster to be a mythical, mammalian one to better demonstrate the variety I'm shooting for. Its got a lot of Anguirus and Baragon in its personality, though!

Meeraj will be appearing in many of the big events to come, and its a blast writing him so expect to see a lot of him. For now though, the series is about to go into some new territory. And it should be pretty exciting. So until then.