Walking with Monsters Reborn

Clash of Titans

After millions of years of evolution, our distant ancestors have filled the oceans and crawled out onto land. They have survived the giant arthropods of the Carboniferous swamps. Then they have mushroomed into the stem mammals of the Early Permian, armed to the teeth.

But now, the war they have waged so long ago, is much more than a battle between predator and prey. The whole planet is entering a different kind of crisis. One that will destroy most of these creatures and wipe out 90% of life on Earth.

252 MYA, Permian Period

Place : Siberia

60% Hotter than today.

Hazards : Extreme Heat, Volcanic Activity

All the continents on Earth have now drifted together to create one giant landmass, called Pangaea. It's a brutal world, where animals have to be tough. This is perfect for reptiles. A large animal feeding on the vegetation as he looks around the area.

This is a 3 meter long Siberian Scutosaurus. He's distant ancestor of modern day turtles. Although he has no shell, his back is covered in hard bony plates, and just as well. These wastelands hide a fearsome predator. Scutosaurus usually travel alone, but this old male is from a smaller herd, he's gotten left behind.

His keen nose senses danger. The old Scutosaurus starts running from the vegetation. Once he tires, he's vulnerable. A predator watches him from the vegetation. The creature resembles a wolf but with saber teeth. 

She dashes towards the old male Scutosaurus before getting a bite in. The Scutosaurus calls out in pain, before making an attempt to run. His attacker is a carnivorous gorgonopsid called Inostrancevia. While he makes an effort to run, the Inostrancevia follows him. She's fast, powerful, and has been equipped with deadly weapons. 

No other hunter until this time has had weapons just like hers. The old male Scutosaurus reaches a dead end. Exhausted, trapped, and weakened by his wound, the old Scutosaurus has no fight left. All he can do is wait for the killing blow. As the old Scutosaurus collapses, the Inostrancevia lunges towards him going for his neck.

As he cries out in pain, blood flies onto the dirt. The Scutosaurus lets one final call out before succumbing to his wound. The Gorgonopsid's huge jaws hold a pair of fangs which are 15 centimeters long. She has the world's first saber teeth. These lethal weapons would be used by some mammalian predators will later use.

In this harsh landscape, the biggest battle for the synapsids and pareiasaurs is now with the elements. A massive surge in volcanic activity is beginning to heat up the atmosphere. This creates the highest temperatures life on Earth has ever known. Each year, the wastelands get bigger, even here in Siberia, far north of the equator. Animals are forced to cluster around any lasting sources of water.

Regardless of how small. Several younger Inostrancevias are drinking from the lake. There are also some tusked animals called dicynodonts. They're keeping an eye on the gorgonopsids. The female Inostrancevia has come looking for a drink to wash down the Scutosaurus.