Sheepsquatch

Sheepsquatches are creatures found in Appalachia.

Background
A mythical creature stalking Appalachian hills and mountains, the Sheepsquatch was allegedly a bipedal, highly aggressive ram-like creature interested in sheep. Whether existing or not, the Sheepsquatch myth was an obsession for a cryptid hunter named Calvin van Lowe, who devoted his life to hunting it down.

While Calvin could never prove it himself, the Sheepsquatch was a very real thing, even before the Great War. How it came to be is unknown, though a Sheepsquatch was responsible for the deaths of two teenagers near Toxic Larry's Meat 'n Go before presumably being hunted down by Toxic Larry himself.

Although the exact nature of how they were created is an enigma, one of the more popular theories among wastelanders is that an ordinary farm animal was mutated into a Sheepsquatch via radiation. However, such an idea is seen as too basic to some, with radical theorists going so far as to say that they are the unholy result of fornication between a man and a sheep. Some even say it is a hoax, created by a thief in order to hide his identity and easily rob gullible travelers, though that is clearly not the case.

Biology
Standing approximately ten feet tall, the Sheepsquatch is a large, woolly cryptid bearing a strong resemblance to sheep. Sheepsquatches possess a set of large horns protruding directly from the sides of their heads. Their wool coat is reduced to meager, mangey patches on the dorsal side, leaving most of its skin exposed. In some sections, sharp quills protrude amongst the fur. Their faces appear almost skeletal, especially around the nose area. Their eyes are large and bulge from their sockets, with rectangular pupils typical of normal sheep and goats. They have small ears, with a tracking tag embedded in the right ear. The ears are dwarfed by their massive horns. They have large jowls, prominent especially when howling. Their teeth are small and flat, like that of a herbivore, however, Sheepsquatches are carnivores. They have a potbelly and three large claws on each hand. They stand on two legs, on large hooves. Their legs have inverted knees, similar to that of a dog's legs, and they have a short tail. When enraged, they will emit a red glow throughout their upper torso. In the wild, they can be found sleeping in their nests, surrounded by dead brahmin and bones. Sometimes, they will be found with their head surrounded by a swarm of flies.

Sheepsquatches communicate through howls and groans, with long, somber, drawn-out moans. This noise appears to come from the unique way that they vibrate their jowls when calling out. This method of calling allows them to change the pitch quickly and easily, in order to convey what they want to. They appear to be solitary, however during Free Range, more than one can appear at the end of the event.

Gameplay attributes
 Sheepsquatches have an inordinately high amount of Hit Points and are always 1-star Legendary enemies, which makes them hardy adversaries. Upon regenerating to full health and gaining their Legendary bonuses, they will begin to glow red.

When encountered towards the end of the Free Range event, they will dig themselves out of the ground, similarly to the deathclaw at deathclaw island. They will howl before initiating combat, giving ample time to prepare for the challenging fight ahead. They will also howl at random intervals during combat, allowing the player character a few precious moments to heal.

They will often perform a basic swipe and headbutt attack at nearby enemies. This does not do significant damage, but if they manage to stagger the player character, it can make it quite difficult to survive a repeated bombardment of hits. They can also jump and launch their quills in a powerful area of effect attack.

If their opponent is out of melee range, they can rip out a handful of poisonous quills and throw them at their target. They can also perform a ram attack that allows them to close the distance between themselves and attackers very quickly.

They will consistently perform a jump attack that staggers the player character, resulting in a temporary debuff of 50% to movement speed and a cut to ranged accuracy. Due to their ability to utilize ranged attacks, they will never flee from the player character, even if the player character is attacking from high ground. Sheepsquatches are unable to be permanently crippled. If both of their legs are fully damaged, they will collapse momentarily, but get back up again and resume combat.

Locations

 * Event: Free Range - Up to two Sheepsquatches will appear as the boss fight.
 * Event: Primal Cuts - A prime Sheepsquatch will appear as the final boss of the Ash Heap variation.
 * Event: Project Paradise - An alpha Sheepsquatch may appear as the boss should Habitat A receive the most items deposited.
 * Assault-type random encounters (Ash Heap, Cranberry Bog, the Mire, Savage Divide)
 * Braxson's Quality Medical Supplies
 * Creekside sundew grove
 * Overgrown sundew grove
 * Sparse sundew grove
 * North of Monorail elevator
 * Outside Vault 96, to the southwest, down on the edge of the cliff
 * On the road south of Scenic overlook
 * Southwest of Scenic overlook and west of Federal Disposal Field HZ-21, at the top of a high cliff.
 * Near the Top of the World. (If used for Rose's syringer during Flavors of Mayhem, Rose will act accordingly.)
 * Southwest of Welch when leaving town via the road, next to a house containing an overseer holotape.
 * Scene-type random encounters (Ash Heap, Cranberry Bog, the Mire, Savage Divide)
 * Sleeping Sheepsquatch
 * Sheepsquatch vs. albino radstags

Appearances
Sheepsquatches appear only

Behind the scenes

 * The Sheepsquatch is a woolly-haired cryptid reported across numerous counties in West Virginia, predominantly within the southwestern region of the state.
 * Ian Olsen created the character model for the Sheepsquatch, in addition to providing sculpting tips for its related weapons, including the sheepsquatch club and staff.