A relatively harmless species, Morkas primarily inhabit regions covered with geysers, like many of the vast deserts found on Manadia, the origin world of the Gniwers. Morkas are not limited to Manadia though; reports of sub-species that even live in completely different environments are – while rare – not completely unheard of.
Almost all Morkas are born with some form of heat vision, allowing them to easily distinguish between many different intensities of temperature. It is this ability, paired with their unique physiology, that allows them to survive in such barren lands. When spreading their arms, it almost looks as if Morkas have wings and they do in fact look for food from way above.
The heat-resistant body of Morkas allows them to catch the hot steam, shooting out of geysers, with their wing-like arms which catapults them into the air. From there, they glide around looking for their next prey, and with their long tongue they are able to reach even the most secluded places between rock formations.
Loners at heart, Morkas only meet and travel together during mating season which doesn’t occur more than once a year. During those few weeks, these creatures flock together in large groups in order to ensure the survival of their species. While the males leave on their own shortly after, the females give birth to their offspring only weeks from the time of mating. After nurturing their newborns together for about two months, the females then scatter again as well, leaving all the young Morkas to fight for themselves from here on.
Morkas usually only hunt for plants, insects and prey not bigger than possums, but if frightened or hungry enough, it has happened that a Morka went into a nosedive, heading straight for something much bigger than itself, only to rip out a piece of flesh and flee with it. So it certainly cannot hurt to look up every now and then when travelling through a region covered in geysers, just in case there is a desperate Morka about to surprise you…
