FOM: Gorosaurus (Concept Art)

Coloured sketch of Gorosaurus, King of Mondo Island.

For nearly two-hundred million years, the Earth was ruled by reptiles. Not since the primordial nuclear age did life proliferate at such immense scale, for they were only surpassed in might by the grandest daikaiju of old. All of the lands of the ancient continents and the churning seas were dominated by the vast scaly behemoths, until an unexpected cataclysm wiped them out almost completely. However, on the Skull Continent, they continued to thrive and proliferate in the steaming super-jungles, the unique climatic and geological conditions allowing their survival on the shattered landmass well into the age of man. However, during the mid-1900s, many of these species were wiped out when the Skullcrawler species invaded the archipelago, gorging themselves insatiably on the endemic life.

However, not every species of saurian had been eradicated in this slaughter. During a 1995 expedition to Mondo Island, it was discovered one last carnosaur still roamed the Earth. The grandest of his species, the apex of two-hundred million years of theropod evolution, he and his kind feuded with the Kong species for untold millennia for dominion of the Skull Isle. The Iwi say he led his kind to final battle with the Skullcrawlers; although suffering serious injuries, he killed many of the invaders in the invasion. However, he was left the last of his species, and now he holds a lonely existence in the vast caverns beneath the vegetation of Mondo Island, only periodically emerging to patrol his territory, and see off any rivals that dare challenge him.

Honed by millions of years of natural selection, the form of the most successful predators to ever walk the Earth has been enhanced by the unique evolutionary conditions of the Skull Isle, the genetic amalgamation of various theropod species into an ultimate form, producing what is arguably the most powerful tetrapod carnivore to ever live. Blade-like teeth over six-feet long are powered by one of the most powerful jaws of any land animal, a devastating weapon able to kill most prey in a single attack. Huge, hooked claws on both the hands and feet are highly effective grappling weapons for pulling down and pinning opponents, and ripping through flesh. Plate-like armoured scutes cover most of the body, deflecting most physical, chemical, and incendiary attacks. Superb olfactory, visual, and auditory detection make escape almost impossible once locked on.

Huge, muscular legs allow for explosive speed and huge leaping bounds greater than his own height, and the armoured tail can inflict tremendous impact from behind. Several rows of bony spikes near the tip form a thagomizer able to gouge through steel. By rearing back on the base of his tail, he can aim savage kicks from his back legs, while moving with surprisingly swiftness and agility even though the most broken and tangled undergrowth. Although lacking any specialized kinetic or energy-based long-range attacks, Gorosaurus' sheer physical might and ferocity in battle allowed the species to rise to the top of the most fearsome food chain on the planet.