Name: Lycanth (Wild)
Planet: Amargosa
Type: Fauna — Apex Predator
Summary:
The wild lycanths of Amargosa are large, wolf-like predators native to the planet. Muscular and fast-moving, they prowl the forests, foothills, and rural areas, including regions near Lansdorp and the Misty Mountains. Resembling Terran wolves in general build but larger and more heavily furred, lycanths are apex predators in Amargosa’s ecosystem, feared by settlers and farmers alike.
Before the invasion, lycanths were considered a dangerous nuisance, particularly to remote farms and livestock herds such as moosalo. Farmers routinely defended their animals and properties from lycanth attacks, often using energy rifles or old-style projectile weapons. Some colonists even specialized in hunting lycanths to keep their populations in check.
During the invasion, lycanths remain a threat to human survivors in the countryside. As settlement defenses collapse and farms are abandoned, the predator population expanded into previously controlled territory. This increase in encounters poses additional dangers to refugees and resistance fighters, compounding the already overwhelming threat of the Gelt invaders.
It’s important to note that these lycanths are distinct from the later-discovered sapient lycanth populations, who play a very different role in the Compact Universe timeline. The wild lycanths of The Children of Amargosa are purely animalistic, operating on instinct rather than any form of sapience or organized behavior.
Notes:
- Large, wolf-like predators native to Amargosa.
- Significant threat to livestock and isolated humans.
- Range expanded during the invasion due to human population displacement.
- Frequently hunted or driven off by armed colonists before the invasion.
- Not to be confused with intelligent lycanths who appear later in the series.
Author’s Note:
Initially, like ursoids, they were intended to be analogous to wolves, although they would more accurately be described as a cross between coyotes and ancient dire wolves.
The sapient lycanths came about when the author decided not to kill of Ellie Nardino but send her on her own journey.
The werewolf resemblance was intended to push them further into the uncanny valley by making them somewhat human-like. This worked out when a sapient breed emerged in later stories.
Appearances: Gimme Shelter, The Children of Amargosa, Second Wave, “The Interlopers“