| Class: | Real and realistic Beast, possibly Folk |
| Hab: | Rivers, swamps |
| Fre: | Uncommon |
| Num: | 2-40 |
| Lair: | 30% |
| Size: | 10-25', 200-500 lb. |
| Move: | Water: swift swim, leaps 10 x length; Land: slow humping crawl |
| Def: | Tough, slippery hide |
| Att: | = crocodile or shark bike |
| Int: | Bright beast, 10% smart as Humans |
| Spec: | Lures with mimicry, well camouflaged |
| Posns: | Incidental or by culture |
The real susu is a blind cetacean found in the greater rivers of India, susu gangetica or platanista gangetica. It is generally held to have earned its name either from the (mistaken) belief that it eats babies or from a confusion with crocodiles which do eat babies when they can; others hold that the name comes from their baby-like wailing squeak-cries. It is some eight or nine feet in length and rather resembles a dolphin with a long, slender, somewhat spatulate beak, set with numerous teeth. Its pectoral fins are rather large and triangular while its dorsal fin is reduced to a mere ridge. The susu needs no eyes because it has replaced the sense of sight, which is of limited use in muddy waters, with a very keen sonar or echo-location sense, supplemented by a bio-electrical sense.
The monstrous susu is in form very like its real counterpart, but up to twice as long and far more agile. It uses its mimicking cries to lure prey to the river, sounding like a lost child or a person crying out in pain or sobbing; at other times it lurks silently in the water, its ripple-mottled hide blending in with the muddy flow when it is not obscured by overhanging growth.
Able to lunge ten times their length form the water, the susu are not afraid to leap-charge at prey on the shore. While only able to hump forward slowly on land, the agile susu will bite any prey it can reach. A pack or pod of susu is smart enough to leap over their prey, acrobatically flipping in mid air to trap their prey between the water's edge and a semi-circle of monstrous susu. While they will do what damage they can to their prey on land, the susu seek to drive the prey in to the water; at about 20 lb./foot of length, they can overbear Humans and horses with equal ease, pushing them in to the water.
In the water, the susu use the bite-and-roll technique common to crocodiles, rending entire mouthfuls of flesh free form their prey. As the blood billows, other denizens of river and swamp are attracted to join in the feast. Because they are willing to share their prey, even young susu are not molested by the other hunting inhabitants of their territory.
About 10% of susu have are practically as intelligent as Humans. These will be the leaders of the pod or pack, even if they do not happen to be the largest individuals. These sapient susu may arrange cooperative strategies with other creatures or Folk who live in their area.
Susu often live in competition with packs of Swamp Sharks and Marsh Mauler Land Sharks, which SEE. Each preys upon the other when superior numbers provide sufficient safety.
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