Mauler - Concept 1

This is a concept for an order of demonic tigers known as maulers in my RAVAGE AND REQUIEM series. The archdemon (Dranixile) who leads them is a female Drixile tigress called Lumoc.

Unlike werewolves, which obviously require a full moon to transform, maulers can shapeshift at will but are limited only to masquerading in human forms and taking their true feral cat shapes. When in their tiger forms, they tend to be virtually hairless, with ridged, corrugated pewter studding much of their striped hides, armoring them to an extent without hindering their agility in combat. Unlike normal tigers, which tend to be mostly solitary creatures, maulers travel in packs, or sometimes "covens" when in human form, conducting witchcraft and rituals out in the wilds of Raktogin.

I've included an alternate concept below, as well as a close-up of the head, as I was experimenting with different textures and postures; maulers can vary slightly in appearance, as far as the presentation of their stripes and the grooved pewter embedded along their skin.