Cheeroonear
"MythicMay: Cheeroonear" © deviantArt user ShadeofShinon, accessed at her art gallery here
[The cheerooneer appears in "W. Ramsey Smith's" Myths and Legends of the Australian Aboriginals, which does not attribute its stories to particular groups of people. The book's actual author is David Unaipon, a Ngarrindjeri elder, though Smith published it under his own name and credited Unaipon as his "assistant". Blech. So the cheerooneer is probably Ngarrindjeri in origin. In Myths etc, it's said that an unprecedented peace among animals and people were interrupted by Cheeroonear's arrival, which inspired my take on them as profligate hunters.
Thanks to @abominationimperatrix for tracking down the origins of Myths and Legends of the Australian Aboriginals]
Cheeroonear CR 6 NE Monstrous Humanoid This giant creature is roughly humanoid, with arms so long they drag on the ground. It has a dog-like face, and a pouch like a pelican’s hangs from its throat.
Cheeroonears are large humanoids with an outsized appetite and an outsized impact on their environments. They do not hate animals, but instead see them solely as tools or resources without caring about their lives, and view smaller humanoids with a similar callousness. They do not draw distinction between animal and human meat, and will eat whichever is easier to come by. Most druids view cheeroonears as a menace, as they disrupt ecosystems by hunting vulnerable species and set fires to smoke out prey.
Most cheeroonears hunt with animals as companions—dogs are just about the only animal they have any fondness for. The dogs are used to flush out and harry prey while the cheeroonear attacks with its incredible reach. If enemies have animal companions or mounts, the cheeroonear attacks them at a higher priority. The throat pouch of a cheeroonear is big enough to allow them to swallow man-sized prey whole, but they rarely do so unless it is unarmed or already unconscious. Cheeroonears value their lives, and are more likely to flee or surrender than they are to fight to the death.
Cheeroonears typically live in mated pairs or small families. They are nomadic hunters, but do supplement their diet with roots, berries and other plant matter—usually harvested in an unsustainable way. They are happy to raid the livestock of other people if that’s more convenient than hunting wild game, but view attacks on their own dogs as a violation to be avenged. Cheeroonears are not by and large religious, but they are superstitious. Many of them hold divination in high regard, and cast lots or consult the stars before making major decisions.
A cheeroonear is about eight feet tall while hunched over in their usual posture, and ten feet when standing straight.
