MORTASHEEN

COMMON GASPER

CLASS: WORMBRAIN

Named for the sharp inhalation that precedes an attack, Gaspers are a family of unusual Wormbrains adapted to a largely sessile, predatory lifestyle. The typical Gasper consists of a single, enlarged platyhelminthoid parasitizing a larger outer nematoid worm, in turn rooted in the body of a shrunken Wormbrain hostling.

BIOLOGY:

Also known as a "chomping" or "snapping" Gasper, this archetypical gasper keeps itself firmly anchored to hard surfaces by the sticky suction pad of its slug-like hostling. The degenerated little creature is the first to detect potential prey, its delicate fingers sensitive to the slightest movement in the surrounding air. The massive, parasitic nematode deduces the edibility of the interloper with its chemosensitive whiskers, and the hyperparasitic flatworm - its innermost "self" - employs its suckers to both grapple prey and taste its nutritive contents.

The razor-edged maw of the Gasper's nematode-body can cleave flesh and bone with a single bite, and portions bitten from its prey are slowly liquefied within its oral cavity, circulated through the digestive system of its hostling to sustain all three organisms.

BEHAVIOR:

A Gasper is a rude and belligerent creature, or creatures, always eager to pick a fight and relentlessly taunting potential meals into coming closer. Given the choice, it has a preference for any prey with a distinct head it can fit within its mouth, aiming to decapitate the victim in a single bite and suck on the severed cranium at liesure.

A Gasper will typically choose an inconspicuous place to hide itself, especially large pipes or other hollow objects, and can be highly protective of its chosen "house" as well as the collection of skulls and bones it may accumulate within.

APPLIANCE:

With simple care and remarkable bite force, the common Gasper is regarded by many as the quintessential "potted" or "planted" monster, though there are those purists who consider this the more appropriate domain of botanical-class monsters.

TACTICAL MECHANISMS:

COLONIAL MIND: the monster's consciousness is distributed across multiple organisms, giving it immunity to mind-altering substances and psychowave attacks.

WORM TONGUE: the monster's inner flatworm firmly attaches to prey with a nearly unbreakable bond.

CHOMP: the Gasper's nematoid body is equipped with hardened, sharpened ridges that can snap shut with incredible speed and force.

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