Grox

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"Couldn’t give a grox’s left testicle"

- Figure of speech among Imperial citizens.[10]


A Grox.[1b]

The Grox is a large, fast and aggressive reptilian animal originating from the Solomon system.[8] They are the most common type of livestock animal in the Imperium,[1b] commonly raised for both food and leather.[8]

History

When the Solomon system was absorbed into the Imperium, it was discovered the animal possessed many useful traits, such as the ability to survive in almost any environment and to thrive on even the most indigestible food. Grox meat itself is also extremely palatable and nutritious. Because of their value as livestock, they have since been introduced to other worlds throughout the entire galaxy, so that the Grox is now the most common type of livestock animal throughout the Imperium.[1b] Grox is considered a finer food, by Imperial standards. Grox burgers,[16] succulent strips of grox sirloin[15a] or pickled grox tongues are especially tasty.[15b]

Primitive human natives consider it a rite of passage for young men to hunt grox alone, and then ritualistically eat its heart in front of the tribe. It's from these men that the local tribal populace choose to provide as their Imperial tithe of soldiers every Spring.[1a]

Grox have been discovered persisting in the wilds of abandoned Imperial worlds. One such planet is Ikaneos-Alpha, now an abandoned Death World covered with irradiated deserts and toxic pollution created by unchecked industry and catastrophic war. The grox livestock brought by ancient Imperial colonisers would survive and evolve over thousands of years into smaller, leaner versions of their larger livestock ancestors which act as opportunistic predators, whenever vulnerable prey appeared in their wasteland home. These vicious descendants of the grox retained their thick hides, overlapping scales, and ability to bite off a human limb. One could easily kill a man in moments.[9]

Ecology

Wild grox, known as Psycho-grox,[16] are considered extremely territorial and like their privacy, usually charging any creature on sight – including other grox. They are large, fast and dangerous beasts, well-muscled with large adults reaching about 5 metres long.[1b] Of note is that they have a soft underside, and it's hard for them to right themselves if upturned, a strategy sometimes employed in hunting them in the wild. Grox are a formidable part of the jungle ecosystems of their homeworld.[1b]

Grox have an extremely efficient digestive system, able to thrive on common minerals, surviving weeks on a diet of rocks and soil.[1b][8] They are known to lay eggs.[2a][11]

Related species

The Argrax[5] and Spined Rhodox[6] are known to be closely related to the Grox.[5][6] There are also Megafauna herd animals known as Megagrox, though what relation they have to Grox are unknown.[7]

In agriculture

Due to their territorial nature, attempting to herd grox together would easily drive them into a rage and their aggressive and vicious temperament, poses a problem towards their practical use. This problem is solved by lobotomising most of the stock, known as lobo-grox,[16] while keeping the breeding animals suppressed with electro-prods wired directly into their small brains[1b] (should the batteries on these elextro-pulsers die, these breeding animals revert to Psycho-grox).[16]

Lobotomy is often prefered over the less unpredictable method of drug sedation, also used as an alternative, as during attacks by hostile forces on Agri Worlds, the now no-longer-sedated Grox pose an added danger to both locals and troops.[1b]

Even with these precautions, accidents still happen, and Grox are usually kept isolated on Agri Worlds or as far away as possible from human settlements.[1b] Cattle country used for grox grazing are typically vast moors or[14] expansive swathes of savannah with tall grasses. Some locales herd their grox to various pastures, from upland or lowland or other locations, depending on the local climate's seasons.[13] Grox dung patties in these fields can be sold as a cheap (and smelly) combustible used for other local industries. Usually a hydraulic press is used to flatten the patties into cakes for easier transport. The enclosures grox are herded into can be simple stone-walled pens.[14]

Grox herders are also known as Gaksmen[3] or Grox-prodders.[2b] An example of one of their duties would be to herd the lobotomised grox meat-stock to the slaughter.[4] Many brave (or foolish) youths find themselves herding these aggressive brutes. Most youths who do so have a predictably low life expectancy due to the high likelihood of being gored or trampled.[2b] Herds of lobotomised grox are often minded as well by laser-grox, grox fitted with powerful lasers on mechadendrites which fire at any would-be grox-rustlers who come too close to the herd.[16]

Images

See also

Sources

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