The Wakaatu is a type of avian beast that appears in the Gears 5 DLC expansion, Hivebusters. An example of Seran mega-fauna, this animal is native to the island of Pahanu.
Overview[]
For centuries, the Wakaatu has been revered as a god by the tribal natives of Pahanu. Even when the natives migrated to Weilehi, they continued their tradition of sending their children to face the beast as part of a rite of passage called the Awakening. In the rite, a Weilehan would follow a path through ancient temple ruins through the island to the Wakaatu's nesting ground. There, they would face the creature and if they survived, would take a feather from the Wakaatu as a symbol of their success. This practice was eventually discontinued for decades and the Weilehan came to consider the creature to be a myth.
The Wakaatu's existence would be rediscovered in 42 AE by the Coalition of Ordered Governments when the Hivebuster squad Team Scorpio arrived on Pahanu to investigate the presence of a Swarm hive. The Wakaatu was not happy with the presence of the Swarm in its territory and began attacking them, its toxic venom proving to be highly effective against all Swarm forms. Witnessing the Swarm fall to the beast's "nightmare acid", Leslie Macallister sarcastically mentioned using the substance to enhance the Venom Bombs the Hivebusters used to destroy Swarm hives. The other members of the team took the suggestion literally and Dr. Hana Cole began researching a means of combining the Wakaatu venom with the nerve gas used in the New Hope Research Facility's defense systems. However, Team Scorpio still needed to acquire a sample of the venom and to do that, they needed to face the Wakaatu.
After making their way through a section of temple ruins flooded with hallucinogenic vapours, Team Scorpio entered the Wakaatu's nest and fought the creature. They succeeded in bringing the beast down without killing it and took a sample of its venom in order to enhance their Venom Bombs. They then put their new ordnance to the test when they returned to the Swarm hive on Pahanu.
Biology[]
The Wakaatu is 10 feet tall and 25-30 feet in length from beak to tail. Its head sports a triangular mouth with a sharp beak part on each corner. It has two wide eyes and its head is surrounded by black and yellow plumage. Also surrounding the head are a series of venom sacs which contain the Wakaatu's potent acid; this toxin can be expelled from the creature's mouth in streams or as thick globs that explode shortly after landing.
The Wakaatu is able to fly using its six wings and also sports three long tails that lack feathers. It can use these tails as weapons, sweeping the area around it to fend off enemies that attempt to surround it. Its two legs possess sharp talons useful for grasping and tearing apart prey.