CLASS: BIOCONSTRUCT
BIOLOGY: Using its solid, rodent-like skull to tunnel down through soil, wood or even stone, the Gravesnitch consumes entire corpses, especially bone, retaining only choice teeth and talons it distributes to the rest of its malleable, putty-like body. Resting during the day, it draws its skull completely inside its body and distributes its claws evenly throughout its surface, becoming a prickly sphere until dusk. Multiple Gravesnitch may even meld together to protect one another from predation, building a much larger and more powerful creature from their entwined bodies. With its brain tucked away in the leathery nucleus of its amorphous body, the Gravesnitch can safely shed its entire skull when necessary, leaving it to reflexively gnash at attackers while it oozes to safety and grows a new head over the course of a few weeks. Exchange of skulls between two or more individuals facilitates mating, and the skull will eventually serve as the egg of a single Snitchling. Unless sleeping, a Gravesnitch dislikes the sensation of covering its skull with its flesh, but must do so momentarily to lubricate its lidless eyes on an hourly basis. BEHAVIOR: In addition to its defensive collection of teeth and nails, the typical Gravesnitch tends to hoard a specific item it finds in or on the dead, such as a particular phalange, prosthetic joints, jewelry, hair of a certain color, or patches of tattooed skin. It maintains one or more hoards of its favorite "treasure" around its territory, and always respects the hoard of a fellow Gravesnitch. Gravesnitch are fascinated by the moon, especially the half-moon, under which they join in circles and chatter their jaws until dawn. APPLIANCE: With their stretchy, semiliquid bodies and powerful bite force, Gravesnitch are wildly versatile creatures especially adept at infiltration. Due to their natural affinity for the dead, they are commonly employed as gravediggers and cemetery caretakers, "paid" in a certain percentage of each corpse or a weekly offering of their favorite items. RAT TEETH: the Gravesnitch's front teeth are incredibly powerful and capable of gnawing through stone. SKULL TRAP: the monster can discard its skull at will, which will continue to bite at attackers. FANG COLLECTION: the Gravesnitch has dozens, sometimes hundreds of additional teeth, nails, and bone shards concealed in its body at any given time. AMORPHOUS: besides its tough skull, the monster has a putty-like amoebic body it can twist into any imaginable shape.   Contents copyright Jonathan Wojcik
|