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Description
From the Desk of Frank Womack

Kaiju File # 023

Bayron

First and Last Seen: Site G, Beneath Appalachia

Primary Range: Site G

Dietary Preference: Flesh, Thermal Energy

Description: An abominable fusion of mammalian beasts of all types and sizes, with the worst of their respective traits all rolled into one, Bayron is a centaurine monstrosity armed with strength and smarts in equal, lethal measure. It's humanoid torso is rotund and full to bursting with coiling, rock hard muscle beneath even harder skin, with a pair of powerful grasping limbs sloping down all the way to it's proboscidean knees, giving it a wide physical range and formidable reach and dexterity few kaiju could match. This upper body is supported by a massive, stocky lower body clearly derived from the genetics of Mastodons, giving it a low center of gravity and fantastic balance in intense situations. The head driving this beast is where the familiarity to known species ends, however, as it's skull and cyclopean eye betray the presence of Gath DNA in it's makeup, thus far only found in one other, albeit dead, kaiju.

But the most distinct feature, shared only with Crunchausen thus far, is the seamless infusion of organically grown minerals in the dermal layers of the body. They seem to lack the aforementioned Saurian's regen-cancelling power, but they are quite formidable all the same, especially the pair that curve off of the back into massive offensive weapons akin to tusks.

All these abilities and traits make for a deadly package, and the personality driving them knows it. Bayron is not necessarily a genius, but it knows how to use its body as a weapon, and even more frightening, how to use the bodies of others. The beast's hominid DNA has granted it a boon few kaiju can survive, higher intelligence allowing it to craft tools and weapons. More detailed expeditions into Site G reveal it had a whole armory of dead creature parts scattered around.

Defense Protocols: Bayron was not a particularly long-lived threat, being dealt in by Crunchausen before it could reach civilization, but given the aforementioned Saurian creature's ability to be 'reborn' as it were, Bayron's reappearance is a considered factor. The beast is more intelligent than most kaiju due to the presence of limited hominid DNA, not quite enough to fall into the traps full sapience brings them but enough to make it a craft opponent. It has a brutish, sadistic sense of humor and enjoys tormenting things smaller than itself, and can use weapons, so engaging it will be a tricky matter. It is believed that long range tactics are best advised, while also attempting to bait it away from populated areas with some manner of distraction. Fighting it hand to hand would likely just give it ideas for how to fight better the next time, should it, lord forbid, come.

Noteworthy Abilities:

-Mineral Hide: An ability only found in a few kaiju of direct Gath make, Bayron's skin naturally produces crystalline and mineral heavy growths, most notably large, lustrous amethysts. These grant it a strong defensive boost in combat, and can even be used as offensive weapons as well, such as its back tusks.

-Tools: Bayron's budding intelligence manages to skirt past the pitfalls most kaiju attempting to gain sapience face, and this comes with some especially nasty tactical options for the creature. It was observed making full use of it's environment, making weapons from plants and animal parts, as well as setting elaborate traps for enemies and potential prey/playthings.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: The UNDER Expedition into Site G was a rollicking adventure, for sure. Plenty of crazy things to see, experience, record... so long as you don't offend the locals. The team learned this the hard way, with some of their kin falling prey to flesh eating nocturnal hominids now called the Arigo, only to be saved by interference from the local ruler of the roost, the mutated dinosaur called Crunchausen , who drove the horde away. The dinosaur's appearance was not the biggest shock, we'd seen one before after all, but it was a welcome one all the same, especially when the elder beast simply turned and walked away, refuting people everywhere's childhood impressions of how meeting a large theropod would go.

'Morning' came without incident, or rather the photonic crystals began to emanate radiation on the cavern ceiling again, and they took to exploring the cavernous expanse, documenting all manner of unique species, many of which defied belief and extinction. Small dinosaurs flitted about through the air, only to be preyed upon by freshwater stingrays leaping and gliding across waterfall expanses, all the while massive Brontotheres grazed in the swampy foliage, all overshadowed by enormous fungi rivalling the redwoods and sequoias on the west coast in stature. There was even a species documented, or rather, a society of tribal, arboreal arachnids that could communicate through sign language and even demonstrated higher level intelligence and altruism. They are now known as the Phidhi.

But all of this was overshadowed, literally, by the Precursor facility in the center of the cavern. Getting into that was a high priority, but as they approached they found the even more dessicated corpses of the skeletal apes that had ambushed them the night before, strewn about an open plain. The medical officer, Doctor Rosalyn McClean, swore that they'd starved to death. But before any further study could be made, the group was ambushed and many perished via thrown boulders. The culprit was what you see above, standing on a cliff side, hooting indignantly. The beast now known as Bayron. The group fled as fast as they could, but the centaurine beast managed to separate them via triggered rockslides and left many isolated in this new, forbidding landscape, with quite a few valid reasons to be afraid.

One group were driven into the fungal forests, dealing with all manner of strange, lethal flora and fauna before being rescued by a Phidhi scout. One, Doctor McClean's in fact, found themselves in the bone riddled domain of Crunchausen, but the third managed to find their way into the lab and what they learned and were exposed to would go on to shed a lot of light about the nature of our planet's several million year old 'infestation.' The base was operational, but operating on autopilot, the natives that had dwelled in it were long gone, their bones discarded against a single wall lined with scorch marks. We never completely got the picture, but it's believed that the Gath, whenever active operations here ended, were at war with one another, and this place was a sort of genetic laboratory where they experimented with different sequences and combinations in order to produce deadlier weapons, that is, kaiju, against their foes. It seems the dwellers' lives were not ended by natural causes, either. But the facility was left standing and operational for all these likely millions of years, which raised questions we still don't have answers to.

One member of the team that made it inside, Doctor Reo Garcia, apparently discovered something more, something that changed him forever. But whatever it is, he's never said no matter how intense the interrogation. But apparently while this discovery was being made, Bayron had confronted Crunchausen, and the pair had engaged in lethal battle. A battle that Bayron won, using the humans as bait to make the dinosaur hesitate, only to utilize a trap and knock the gnarled up old dinosaur off the face of a cliff, falling to its apparent death. As this battle ended, Bayron whooped and roared, pounding its chest, then turned and charged straight for the precursor facility. The reason? We would soon find out...

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

Have another Fathom File, kiddos! Bayron will be a new face for most of you, he's super loosely based on an old pachyderm centaur kaiju concept I made almost ten years ago, but his current design came about as a direct counterpart to Crunchausen. I wanted a reversal of the King Kong formula with a strong, lost world aesthetic rich foe for him that felt appropriate to the story type. The design all kind of came together at once, thankfully, and allowed me to make a more outrightly Harryhausen style monster than I ever have before. And honestly, he's not got what you call a winning personality, but I can't help but love the galoot.

Anyhow, more to come! Enjoy!

Description
From the Desk of Frank Womack

Kaiju File # 023

Bayron

First and Last Seen: Site G, Beneath Appalachia

Primary Range: Site G

Dietary Preference: Flesh, Thermal Energy

Description: An abominable fusion of mammalian beasts of all types and sizes, with the worst of their respective traits all rolled into one, Bayron is a centaurine monstrosity armed with strength and smarts in equal, lethal measure. It's humanoid torso is rotund and full to bursting with coiling, rock hard muscle beneath even harder skin, with a pair of powerful grasping limbs sloping down all the way to it's proboscidean knees, giving it a wide physical range and formidable reach and dexterity few kaiju could match. This upper body is supported by a massive, stocky lower body clearly derived from the genetics of Mastodons, giving it a low center of gravity and fantastic balance in intense situations. The head driving this beast is where the familiarity to known species ends, however, as it's skull and cyclopean eye betray the presence of Gath DNA in it's makeup, thus far only found in one other, albeit dead, kaiju.

But the most distinct feature, shared only with Crunchausen thus far, is the seamless infusion of organically grown minerals in the dermal layers of the body. They seem to lack the aforementioned Saurian's regen-cancelling power, but they are quite formidable all the same, especially the pair that curve off of the back into massive offensive weapons akin to tusks.

All these abilities and traits make for a deadly package, and the personality driving them knows it. Bayron is not necessarily a genius, but it knows how to use its body as a weapon, and even more frightening, how to use the bodies of others. The beast's hominid DNA has granted it a boon few kaiju can survive, higher intelligence allowing it to craft tools and weapons. More detailed expeditions into Site G reveal it had a whole armory of dead creature parts scattered around.

Defense Protocols: Bayron was not a particularly long-lived threat, being dealt in by Crunchausen before it could reach civilization, but given the aforementioned Saurian creature's ability to be 'reborn' as it were, Bayron's reappearance is a considered factor. The beast is more intelligent than most kaiju due to the presence of limited hominid DNA, not quite enough to fall into the traps full sapience brings them but enough to make it a craft opponent. It has a brutish, sadistic sense of humor and enjoys tormenting things smaller than itself, and can use weapons, so engaging it will be a tricky matter. It is believed that long range tactics are best advised, while also attempting to bait it away from populated areas with some manner of distraction. Fighting it hand to hand would likely just give it ideas for how to fight better the next time, should it, lord forbid, come.

Noteworthy Abilities:

-Mineral Hide: An ability only found in a few kaiju of direct Gath make, Bayron's skin naturally produces crystalline and mineral heavy growths, most notably large, lustrous amethysts. These grant it a strong defensive boost in combat, and can even be used as offensive weapons as well, such as its back tusks.

-Tools: Bayron's budding intelligence manages to skirt past the pitfalls most kaiju attempting to gain sapience face, and this comes with some especially nasty tactical options for the creature. It was observed making full use of it's environment, making weapons from plants and animal parts, as well as setting elaborate traps for enemies and potential prey/playthings.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: The UNDER Expedition into Site G was a rollicking adventure, for sure. Plenty of crazy things to see, experience, record... so long as you don't offend the locals. The team learned this the hard way, with some of their kin falling prey to flesh eating nocturnal hominids now called the Arigo, only to be saved by interference from the local ruler of the roost, the mutated dinosaur called Crunchausen , who drove the horde away. The dinosaur's appearance was not the biggest shock, we'd seen one before after all, but it was a welcome one all the same, especially when the elder beast simply turned and walked away, refuting people everywhere's childhood impressions of how meeting a large theropod would go.

'Morning' came without incident, or rather the photonic crystals began to emanate radiation on the cavern ceiling again, and they took to exploring the cavernous expanse, documenting all manner of unique species, many of which defied belief and extinction. Small dinosaurs flitted about through the air, only to be preyed upon by freshwater stingrays leaping and gliding across waterfall expanses, all the while massive Brontotheres grazed in the swampy foliage, all overshadowed by enormous fungi rivalling the redwoods and sequoias on the west coast in stature. There was even a species documented, or rather, a society of tribal, arboreal arachnids that could communicate through sign language and even demonstrated higher level intelligence and altruism. They are now known as the Phidhi.

But all of this was overshadowed, literally, by the Precursor facility in the center of the cavern. Getting into that was a high priority, but as they approached they found the even more dessicated corpses of the skeletal apes that had ambushed them the night before, strewn about an open plain. The medical officer, Doctor Rosalyn McClean, swore that they'd starved to death. But before any further study could be made, the group was ambushed and many perished via thrown boulders. The culprit was what you see above, standing on a cliff side, hooting indignantly. The beast now known as Bayron. The group fled as fast as they could, but the centaurine beast managed to separate them via triggered rockslides and left many isolated in this new, forbidding landscape, with quite a few valid reasons to be afraid.

One group were driven into the fungal forests, dealing with all manner of strange, lethal flora and fauna before being rescued by a Phidhi scout. One, Doctor McClean's in fact, found themselves in the bone riddled domain of Crunchausen, but the third managed to find their way into the lab and what they learned and were exposed to would go on to shed a lot of light about the nature of our planet's several million year old 'infestation.' The base was operational, but operating on autopilot, the natives that had dwelled in it were long gone, their bones discarded against a single wall lined with scorch marks. We never completely got the picture, but it's believed that the Gath, whenever active operations here ended, were at war with one another, and this place was a sort of genetic laboratory where they experimented with different sequences and combinations in order to produce deadlier weapons, that is, kaiju, against their foes. It seems the dwellers' lives were not ended by natural causes, either. But the facility was left standing and operational for all these likely millions of years, which raised questions we still don't have answers to.

One member of the team that made it inside, Doctor Reo Garcia, apparently discovered something more, something that changed him forever. But whatever it is, he's never said no matter how intense the interrogation. But apparently while this discovery was being made, Bayron had confronted Crunchausen, and the pair had engaged in lethal battle. A battle that Bayron won, using the humans as bait to make the dinosaur hesitate, only to utilize a trap and knock the gnarled up old dinosaur off the face of a cliff, falling to its apparent death. As this battle ended, Bayron whooped and roared, pounding its chest, then turned and charged straight for the precursor facility. The reason? We would soon find out...

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

Have another Fathom File, kiddos! Bayron will be a new face for most of you, he's super loosely based on an old pachyderm centaur kaiju concept I made almost ten years ago, but his current design came about as a direct counterpart to Crunchausen. I wanted a reversal of the King Kong formula with a strong, lost world aesthetic rich foe for him that felt appropriate to the story type. The design all kind of came together at once, thankfully, and allowed me to make a more outrightly Harryhausen style monster than I ever have before. And honestly, he's not got what you call a winning personality, but I can't help but love the galoot.

Anyhow, more to come! Enjoy!