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Common Name: Gorgonops Species: Gorgonops secutor Time: Late Permian Diet: Carnivore Temperament: Aggressive Wild: “Gorgnops secutor has the most developed sense of smell I’ve witnessed among the local wildlife. It’s a hunter in every sense of the word: once it memorizes the scent of its next prey, it will seek it out anywhere, no matter how far it runs. Gorgonops prefers to take its time to bring down its target, since it’s no fast runner. Its unqiue way of storing charge light allows it fend off the many dangerous creatures that could potentially threaten its life. Furthermore, its sturdy physique allows it to resist venom and toxins that would knock out or even kill any other creature of the same size. That means Gorgonops doesn’t have to worry about snake bites, bug stings, poison gas and such! Good thing it’s not so ravenous to devour anything it smells!” Domesticated: “I’ve met some ingenious survivors who specialized in training their Gorgonops as bloodhounds. This beast’s smelling is so masterly, it can be taught to recognize the scent of just about anything. Wild herbivores, tamed creatures, enemy survivors, you name it! It can even learn to detect hidden traps or treasures! Its unique method of charge light can make traversing the many dangerous caverns and raditaion easier. Moreover, tracking creatures such as Parasaurus are able to detect threats from greater distances, with a tamed Gorgonops’ help. But that’s not all: thanks to its durability, survivors can use Gorgonops to carry knocked out creatures on a special transport sledge.” Introduction: Greetings, survivors! I introduce to you the stalker of scent; the Gorgonops! The foundational ideas and selling points for this therapsid include: Role as a tracker and taming assistant Taming method involving kidnapping Ability to find max-level creatures Immunity to torpor and toxins Enhances the tracking abilities of other creatures Can drag unconscious creatures to safer locations for taming Is a moving Mountable Charge Light Pet due to the Charge Light stored in its fur. The Gorgonops has repeatedly appeared in votes and makes it to the Top 10 consistently, but hasn’t made it through. As one of ARK’s scrapped creatures and one of the few from the mainstream to have not made it into the game, this concept for Aberration will give it time to shine. Wild: Gorgonops most often patrol the Blue and Red zones of Aberration, though they may occasionally appear in the Green Zone as well. Their incredible sense of smell allows them to detect creatures in a wide range around them. Not being very fast, they tend to go after specifically slower prey, which includes survivors. They’re patient, and will track down their targets until an opportunity presents itself. In the Blue and Red Zones, they guard something valuable. Taming Process: G. In these dens, they will store food and raise their pups isolated from the outside world. Survivors can enter these dens and kidnap the pups for themselves. However, parents have increased aggression towards anything within the vicinity of their dens, gaining a parental buff. The owners of the den will need to be dealt with in whatever way a survivor desires, and ensure that they can collect the pups in relative safety. From there, survivors will need to tend to the young beast’s needs until they are satisfied and reach adulthood. Tamed: Congratulations! You’ve successfully tamed a Gorgonops! With such a fierce predator and expert tracker in your hands, its utility will be immeasurable. Actions: Primary Attack (, , ): A basic bite attack. This ignores armor. Secondary Attack (, , ): The Gorgonops raises its nose to the air and takes in a scent. A reticle will appear, allowing for aim. Creatures sniffed out by a Gorgonops will be permanently tracked until they sniff out a different target. The current target will have their level and stats revealed like HLNA. Learning the scent of a specific animal will allow the Gorgonops to passively identify others of that species in the future. They can also identify the smells of objects like traps and explorer notes. Roar (Click C, , ): A strictly cosmetic roar. Jump (Press Space, , ): A basic jump. Cannot jump with the Gorgonops Sled Saddle. Passive Abilities: Autoalert: Like a Parasaur, the Gorgonops can detect specific threats. Because of its sense of smell, it can better pinpoint specific species. However, it needs to have been exposed to the scent before in order to properly warn their masters. Immunities: Gorgonops are immune to the effects of torpor, poisons, and radiation. Gorgonops Den: In their inventory, survivors can craft a den like those found in the wild. This structure can house anything up to the size of an adult Gorgonops and can store food like a trough. Babies will be able to eat from the stored reserves, and will grow at a faster rate while in the den. There is also notable insulation. Treasure Hunting: When idle, Gorgonops have a chance to uncover rare resources, equipment, blueprints that are added to their inventory. The quality of unearthed gear is entirely random. Tracking Buff: Nearby creatures with similar tracking ability such as Parasaurs, Troodons, and Direwolves have their own detection range increased in the presence of a Gorgonops. Sled Saddle: The Gorgonops has a standard Gorgonops Saddle. A more advanced Gorgonops Sled Saddle can be constructed as well. Unconscious creatures can be placed onto the sled and transferred to a different location. Multiple Gorgonops may be required to drag larger creatures. Two for a Rex, three for a Bronto, etc. Having this saddle equipped prevents jumping. Charge Light: Like its smaller bretheren, Gorgonops has charge light that it stores in the fure along its body. This build up of light allows it to fend of creatures like the Nameless and Reapers. This can be drained and recharged like the normal charge pets Parental Buff (Wild Only): In the presence of their own pups, wild Gorgonops receive a buff that increases damage output and damage resistance. Pups raised by survivors don’t develop this behavior. Utility & Scenarios: PvE: Gorgonops provide lots of use when it comes to taming creatures. Their scent being able to identify the levels and stats of creatures makes finding worthy tames far easier. Bringing unconscious creatures to safety as they tame is also incredibly helpful. If you need to return to a particular creature later since you don’t have the resources, you can leave the creature marked and come back once you’re ready. The Gorgonops Den is great for raising babies with the growth buff and food reserves. The den can also act as a temporary base when on the go. Digging up valuable treasure is certainly valuable in itself. Gorgonops may see use in swamps and other areas with lots of venomous insects and beasts. PvP: Gorgonops make for great base defenders. Their autoalert defining specific species is paired well with Parasaurs who identify particular groups of enemies, now at an increased range. In the midst of a fight, their fangs come into good use when ignoring armor of all kinds, allowing them to deal high damage to normally beefy targets. If a target is sent on the run, the Gorgonops can pick up on their scent and hunt them down until they’re caught. Sniffing out traps can ease raiding by helping raid parties avoid disaster. The main thing to note is that the Gorgonops isn’t a great fighter. It operates more as an ambushing assassin that ganks when opportunities present themselves. Directly involving themselves in battle leaves them vulnerable to creatures who fill those bruising roles better. Conclusion: If there is any creature that truly deserves to join the roster of ARK, it is the Gorgonops. Countless entries in previous submissions with a wide variety of ideas show that this creature can work! In the last map of the original ARK storyline, bringing back a scrapped creature, and a popular one at that, would close things off on a great note before the transition into Genesis. Have fun, survivors! Go Gorgon or Go Home! Art credits to Lapis Lazuli & RiskyBiscuits Creator of Fasolosuchus. Writing credits to DynastyOfDragons on Discord. Idea Credits to BPP