Varying in size from a few feet to five meters in length Byrg appear to be a cross between a crustacean and a reptile. Their hard chitaneous plating makes them impervious to most bladed weapons and their blood is highly caustic causing damage to flesh and metal when spilled. Their colouration varies from muddy bronzes through to green flecked tans depending on the local vegetation of their habitat. It has been speculated that colour changes may occur during moults with larger (and therefore older) individuals being duller in shade than smaller and younger examples of the species.

Combat:
Byrg, unless trapped, will never attack out of the water - their small, prawn like legs, make moving on land almost impossible.
When they can the ambush their prey from below the water, grab with their teeth and drag whatever meat they can down under water where they trap it in the reeds or mud to soften by decay before consuming it.

Habitat/Society:
Solitary by nature a Byrg spends the majority of it's life alone, travelling, by whatever available waterways, to the sea once every six turns of the season, where they reproduce, the females return to their territory carrying fertilised eggs stored under their tails. These eggs are then deposited around the marshland claimed by the female and ignored. When the eggs hatch the offspring not eaten by the parent or siblings make their way to unclaimed territory, often living on the edges of other Byrg's marshes.

Violent fights occur when two mid to fully mature Byrgs of either gender meet outside of breeding season.

Ecology:
Byrg meat is unpalatable to almost all species out side insects and some varieties of marsh fish. The corpse of a Byrg tends to make the water/soil in the vicinity highly acidic - furthering the stagnation of the area. Thus plant species that grow in a Byrgs territory tend to be acidic soil loving varieties.

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