Bestiary

Surge Worm - by T.A. Saunders ©2010 v1.0

Stats Description The Surge Worm is a serpentine beast specially developed to the cruel life that dwells beneath Imarel's waves. While not a direct product of the Cataclysm of D`Mir many things changed in the sea to the far south of its fallout, warping a good number of creatures to add further to the dangerous waters of the planet. This creature seems to have reached its final stages of development since then to reach a longest recorded length of fifty feet, most reaching only thirty-five to forty. They have a long, stream-lined body with an almost slimy skin texture that rarely differs from a dull gray that seems to reflect the color of water for camouflage. Some scholars believe that since their body shape is similar to that of ancient lungfish that the creatures may have developed from them.

They have a powerful lower jaw with an overbite that displays two rows of serrated teeth for ripping apart immobilized prey. Starting relatively near to their golden eyes are thick, spine-like structures with remarkable similarities to metals such as iron. Beneath them, parallel on both sides to its spinal cord, are special intestine-shaped organs that produce electricity. The spikes of imitation metal and organs work together to conduct sparks of electricity. They have three sets of fins, the frontal pectoral ones mutated to allow them to drag themselves up on land temporarily to sun themselves for short periods of time.

Lore Often confused with tentacles of a Krakken, the Surge Worm is a massive lungfish-like beast whose informal name as a Worm derives from their ability to burrow in the sand to lay eggs. They are among the beasts that captains that command rickety or unfortified ships at sea fear the most amongst other unsavory sea-dwellers, mainly for their ability to cause electrical disturbances that can severely shock and burn vessels with metal frames. Even worse is their activeness at pursuing and hunting, as the Surge Worm will stalk fishing vessels to attempt to pull the easy-to-attack ships into the depths of the sea for an easy meal.

Their primary means of attack is similar to that of a land-dwelling serpent, coiling themselves around prey with their thick, slimy hides. After partially restraining their victim they unleash their namesake ability — a powerful electrical surge caused by igniting their electricity sacs along their spine and conducting the currant through the dorsal spikes to send waves of energy coursing through the water. Because of a simple, unsophisticated set of lungs incomparable to modern fish they are able to actually survive on land limited amounts of time, found mainly in females as they swim up to the beach to lay eggs. This is off-set by their sluggish, snake-like movement and inability to retain moisture, making them targets on land by apex predators. Rarely however will they be engaged, because even a single Surge Worm is still liable to cause injuries.

They are almost completely solitary, coming together a single time a year for breeding underwater in a dance often said to leave both the male and female covered in ‘love burns' and bite marks before the female journeys onto land to lay her eggs underneath warm sand, oftentimes near or even among sea turtles. For whatever reason they share a bizarre mutual understanding of the rarity of their offspring surviving and rarely engage this turtles in predatory behavior…at least on land. Once the turtles return to the water the chase resumes. Some researchers have petitioned that the waves of chaotic force from D`Mir or perhaps even some unknown outside force left them with a tinge of complex thought, further supported by their ability to wield electricity so effectively. This effectiveness makes them deadly underwater, however it is ineffective on land, making the occasional times they sun themselves the only period when they can be engaged with relative safety by hunters who prefer to use distance weapons such as bows or guns.

Non-magical electricity is rarely found on Imarel as scientific advancements have yet to make harnessing it a valid method of powering much of anything. The pulpy organ situated along their spine is a different situation however, as they have occasionally been used underwater as simplistic bombs by an occasional looter or assassin. Making these shock bombs is a tricky job, requiring that the organ be removed and preserved immediately. These alone are unable to be ignited though, and they must be either altered through alchemical practices or through magical means. Because of their favoring of deep sea environs and viciousness they remain relatively safe from this trade as few see them useful with recent advancements with technology such as gunpowder.