Sand horror

Easily the most deadly creature of the golden shores of the Thracian beach is the terrifying Sand Horror. Also known as the land shark or sand shark, these voracious killing machines are the bullies of the beach — only they don't kick sand in beach-goers' faces, they eat them.

How they diverged from normal sharks remains a mystery. One school of thought believes the same psychopathic wizard who created the mutated lobster (see my report on these bizarre creatures for further details) may also be responsible for these abominations. Other scholars argue that they may have somehow evolved from their water-breathing brethren in order to hunt and kill surface-dwellers. Whether a natural or man-made occurrence, these merciless monstrosities are built for one thing — to kill.

Description
Standing upwards of 12 feet tall and weighing close to half a ton, these powerfully built land-based leviathans come equipped with several rows of triangular-shaped teeth. Each razor-sharp tooth is roughly two inches long and has serrated edges for rending flesh from bone. The thick, coarse skin of these beasts is more armor than flesh and generally is some shade of golden brown, providing excellent camouflage. Dark, red eyes seem to burn with an inner fury and rage as they constantly search for prey to devour.

Biology
Much of the sand horror's biology remains as mysterious as its origin. What is known is that they are capable of eating virtually anything. But considering its aggressiveness, one can presume these creatures prefer fresh meat. It is also assumed that the land shark no longer possesses the gills necessary to breathe underwater.

Habitat/Society
Sand horrors prowl the beaches of Thrace exclusively. They tend to be solitary creatures, hunting and feeding alone. There have been no reports of young sand horrors spotted and it is rumored that they remain borrowed deep under the sands, feeding on sand crabs, insects and other creatures until large and strong enough to hunt on the surface.

Behavior
Highly aggressive, these creatures exist for one purpose: to kill and devour prey. Even the mightiest of adventurers have met their doom after encounters with these fearsome monsters. Often, the sand horror will stalk their victims while submerged under the surface of the sand, powerfully striking in an explosion of sand and quickly devouring the unsuspecting. In combat, the sand horrors often fly into a feeding frenzy, tearing at everything in the vicinity. They will also grab a poor sod, shaking him furiously until he gives up the ghost. Though not overly intelligent, these foul beasts have a hunter's cunning.

Author's Note
My studies of these living lethal weapons was purely unintentional. While observing the only slightly less dangerous mutated lobster, I had firsthand contact with these beasts. A few times I had managed to escape, my body torn and tattered, but one particularly nasty specimen managed to devour me. As Fate would have it, this occurred near my residence on the beach and I was later able to retrieve my notes, making this report possible.

Submitter
Tychaios