| Rakk | |
 | |
| |
| Sapience level | Non-sapient |
| Average height | 4-5 ft. (estimate) |
| Wing span | 6 ft. (estimate) |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Social unit | Flock |
| Population status | Common |
| Danger rating | Significant threat |
| Subspecies | Common, Feeder, Bloated, Defender, Kamikaze, Elemental |
Rakk are flying creatures native to the planet Pandora.
Rakk seem to be a sort of parasitic creature as they live inside of the fatty humps on the back of Rakk Hives, with the cavities possibly having been dug out by the Rakk. Alternately, the relationship may be symbiotic with the Rakk gaining new hunting and foraging territories every Pandoran year as well as a temperature-controlled haven during the long Pandoran winter. The Rakk Hive gains protection from predators while they hibernate and migrate throughout the Pandoran summer, and possibly gains information on where to find food.
Anatomy and appearance[]
Rakk do not have beaks. Instead, they have a flat, fleshy head ending with a pointed snout, with a brightly colored, bony plate on the top, and hooked, rasping barbs lining a soft, slit-like mouth on the bottom. Rakk do not have grasping claws or lower limbs, and instead have a set of curved, razor-sharp talons upon a flexible tail that they use to adhere to rocky surfaces.
Behavior[]
Rakk appear to be highly social creatures with a task-based hierarchy that includes scouts, hive defenders, food processing, and perhaps even long-term food storage. They are known to be vocal, howling or screeching to rally a flock when a target presents itself or proves itself to be a threat. They also emit a screech at the moment of their slashing attack. Carnivorous and known to kill living prey as well as scavenge, Rakk can swoop down and use their tail to lacerate their targets without losing speed, letting them quickly gain altitude and set up another attack run.
Castes[]
Common[]
The common Rakk (or just Rakk) is dark brown with bright orange markings on its head, tail, and wings. The most regularly encountered type, the common Rakk can normally be seen circling in the sky waiting for something to blunder into the territory of its flock. Sometimes they can also be seen hanging upside down, preening itself with its rasp-covered mouth.
Feeder[]
Feeder Rakk are bluish white with slightly darker blue splotch-stripes running down the length of their fat lower bodies and tails. Like common Rakk they are most often encountered either circling in the sky, or hanging upside down.
Bloated[]
Bloated Rakk are easily identified by their large size and brightly acidic-green color and lemon-yellow markings. Bloated Rakk are rarely encountered out and in the open, making their appearance usually when the hive is threatened or the flock is called.
Defender[]
Gray colored Rakk that defend the Rakk Hive in the event of an attack. They are very similar to the common Rakk, and aren't particularly strong, despite their name. They are also slightly larger than the common Rakk and attack in swarms.
Kamikaze[]
Like the aforementioned Defender, they could be seen only released from the awakened Rakk Hive. What makes them even more unique is their suicidal attack: they simply explode upon contact with the victim. Kamikaze Rakk have dark, green bodies and lurid, orange wings. They're also the smallest kind.
Elemental[]
Elemental Rakk come in the usual array of fire, shock, and corrosive. Unlike regular varieties of Rakk, Elemental Rakk will swoop down near the player, and begin bombardment with an elemental projectile instead of using the normal dive and slash attack pattern. They are extremely resilient and dangerous.