Discover Ark Clusters

This week’s Crunch comes with a touch of the mystical! The Spirit Bear has stepped out of legend and onto the pages of its dossier, a reminder that the ARK’s mysteries run deeper than tooth and claw. And while we’re marveling at that ancient warden of the wilds, the countdown is on for next week’s big splash: the arrival of the Helicoprion, ready to make waves with its jaw-dropping debut.

Species: Osto silvanimus
Time: Unknown
Diet: Carnivore
Temperament: Passive

This time it feels like I’m trying to describe a supernatural entity, instead of the usual living fossil. Crossing paths with Osto Silvanimus (commonly called Elderclaw) is like communing with a forest’s soul. As much flora as fauna, this ursine avatar seems attuned to local plant life.

Although Elderclaw rarely attacks unprovoked, it won’t shy away from a fight. It instinctively controls nearby vegetation to wrap itself in a thick tangle of protective vines, while sending out roots to entangle any aggressor... assuming it doesn't just knock them into a stupor with its massive paws.

A nettled Elderclaw will conjure up a Spirit Echo to help ward off threats. This ethereal talisman will then emanate vibrations that weaken threats while invigorating those in its protection. A Spirit Echo collects the energies of nearby violence and imbues its Elderclaw master with enough fury and power to trigger explosive growth.

While Spirit Echoes generally stay immaterial, they can also become tangible long enough to explode. The resulting cloud of charged spores will affect friend and foe differently, burning aggressors but closing wounds on allies.

While I've yet to see a tame adult Elderclaw, their cubs (or shrubs?) seem much more impressionable. Sadly, this has led Survivors to hunt and kill these lumbering giants for their seeds. Propagating your own is a long, difficult process, but once a sproutling has grown enough to leave its garden, you’ll gain a protective forest warden that can use its roots to sustainably harvest nearby trees.

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