Creature · ICARUS 3.0.26 · Week 248
Low-slung and wide-framed, Hoppers move in a series of explosive bounds that make them hard to track and even harder to avoid. Their wing-like forelimbs don't grant true flight, but they act as stabilizers and shock absorbers when landing, letting the creature ricochet across swamp muck or volcanic scree with unsettling agility. Small but vicious, they favor ambushes - launching themselves straight at a target's torso or face.
Believed to descend from a terraforming pest-control species, Hoppers were originally meant to keep invasive insects in check. Exposure to exotic particulates in geothermal regions combined with radiation spikes in the swamplands accelerated their musculature and destabilized their equilibrium systems. The result is a creature that moves more like a spring-loaded trap than an animal, striking anything that enters its perceived "pounce radius."
"If you see the mud twitch, it's already too late. They don't stalk you - they just appear, teeth first."
Spawn weight is relative within a zone, not a percentage. Level bands are the zone's, not this creature's.
| Zone | Median level | Max level | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELY Geothermal | 30 | 40 | 4 |
| ELY Geothermal Center | 30 | 40 | 4 |
| ELY Geothermal Channels | 30 | 40 | 4 |