Gristleback

ENTITY FILE: GRISTLEBACK

Overview
Gristlebacks are large, tusked predators from the deeper thickets of the Briar Reaches, drawn to human aggression, rage, and unresolved violence. They resemble monstrous wild boars with bark-thick hide and eyes like moss-filled hollows. Though corporeal, their presence warps tempers, incites bloodshed, and amplifies conflict. A single Gristleback appearance has turned peaceful protests into riots.

They are not beasts. They are tempers given tusks.

Appearance

• Size: Comparable to a large bull. 6–7 ft at the shoulder.
• Hide: Iron-thick, bark-like, mottled with scars and thorns.
• Tusks: Jagged and veined with red resin. Constantly drip sap or blood.
• Eyes: Hollow moss sockets. Occasionally glow when enraged.
• Sound: Deep, rumbling snorts, like thunder filtered through wood.

Behaviour and Abilities

• Rage Amplification: Instantly escalates conflict. Victims within proximity report heightened aggression and irrational fury.
• Adrenal Scent Lure: Attracted to battlefields, brawls, and emotionally charged arguments. Drawn by hormonal spikes in the air.
• Berserker Charge: Once engaged, cannot be stopped without injury or appeasement. Destroys terrain indiscriminately.

Signs of Presence

• Trees gouged with tusks, still bleeding sap.
• Sudden hostility in nearby wildlife or people.
• Heat shimmer and the scent of scorched earth—even in cool air.

Folklore and Signs

• “The Boar Beneath the Thorn”: Some say every violent uprising has a Gristleback at its centre.
• Ash-Wallows: Blackened clearings in forests, often found after unexplained fits of rage. Believed to be Gristleback wallows.

Effect on Earth and Human Minds

• Mild Exposure: Irritability, short temper, and reckless speech.
• Prolonged Exposure: Violent outbursts, physical fights, even among close allies.
• Long-Term Contact: Blackout rages, bloodlust, or psychosomatic tusk pain. Rare cases of spontaneous mutation of molars.

Summary for Field Operatives

Trait	Detail
Threat Level	High. Physically and psychologically volatile.
Signs of Presence	Aggression surges, clawed trees, sudden heat and noise.
Containment Risk	High. May breach from Reaches via conflict zones.
Engagement Advice	Suppress all conflict. Use calm-state pheromone dispersal agents.
	Avoid shouting or panic. Carry sacrificial bark effigies.

Quote from Field Report #172:

“We were just arguing tactics. Then Sam pulled a knife. I was screaming at him—I didn’t even realise it was me. When the boar burst through, it looked at us like we’d called it. Maybe we had.”
—FDG Incident Log, Operative C., Blackmarsh Perimeter

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