The Qintaro are unsettling creatures from the rugged lands of Shakan, a region already infamous for its unforgiving wilderness and predatory beasts. Roughly the size of large dogs, these dark, vicious pack hunters are covered head to toe in twig-like quills that bristle and clatter as they move, a sound that many in Shakan have come to associate with impending violence. Their quills are sharp enough to pierce leather and even light armour, and when threatened, a Qintaro can lash them outward in a violent shudder, turning its body into a whirling mass of spikes.


A lone Qintaro is dangerous enough, but a pack of them is a nightmare few survive to describe.


Yet, despite their savagery, the people of Shakan have found ways to harness their brutality. For centuries, the Shakan handlers have captured and trained Qintaro from birth, breaking them through harsh conditioning and pain-linked obedience rituals. Once tamed, though “controlled” might be a more accurate term, they serve as guard beasts for homes, factories, and trade posts, their menacing presence a deterrent to thieves, smugglers, and would-be saboteurs. Wealthier merchants often keep pairs of Qintaro tethered at their gates, their quills tipped with metal to increase their lethality.