A I: Vine Mimics OUTDATED

Written by Neons-Mindrealm

Vine Mimics
Elusive Predators of Alterna I: The Lands of Paradise

Origins:

It is said that the Vine Mimics were originally nothing more than ordinary vines, hanging from the many trees in the Endless Forest.
And that through the great curiosity of the forest's deity Ariya, some of them were mutated and turned into creature plant hybrids.
With the drapes hanging down the vine's stem occasionally possessing a mind of their own, who prey on the creatures that pass through them.

Current Habitat:

The Vine Mimics are spread far across the Endless Forest, with a higher density in the deeper parts. Where they grow from vine stems, and inconspicuously hang down amongst the other drapes of the plant.
Whilst some rarer variants of this elusive predator also appear to have been seen on the islands in the Singing Sea, or the weeping willows in the Living Decay.

Average Size / Height:

The average length of a Vine Mimic cannot be accurately determined. As their size depends heavily on the height of the tree branch their vine stem is attached to.
But based on the reports of some adventurers, it is said that they can easily grow up to multiple meters long, and in some cases could even surround an entire house.

Diet:

Given their creature plant hybrid nature, Vine Mimics have two different primary sources of food intake.
One being photosynthesis, and the absorption of water and nutrients from the soil or air, like ordinary flora.
And the other one being of a sanguivore nature, in which the predatory part of the Vine Mimic ambushes unsuspecting prey that passes through the drapes of the vine. To strangle whatever it caught, and suck out its blood for nutrients.

Physical Appearance:

Based on the kind of vine a Vine Mimic is sprouting from, their body varies heavily in color, shape, and in some cases even added leafage, growing from their forms.
With the Vine Mimics found in the Endless Forest being more of a dark green or light-brown color, hanging straight down from the trees, with a roughly 1-meter distance above ground.
They also have rarely any foliage growing from their bodies, and a mouth at the end of their spindly long forms, that opens up in a multi pointed star formation.
The ones found on the islands in the Singing Sea possess a very similar, but quite a lot lighter color scheme.
And other than the ones growing in the Endless Forest, the ones on the Singing Sea's islands are also known for not only sprouting a semi dense leafage, covering their bodies, but some crimson red flowers as well, to lure in prey.
They also appear to be a lot smaller than the Mimics in the forest, and don't hang from the palm trees, but are only seen wrapping around their trunks.
And lastly, the Living Decay variant, which, unlike the other two forms, does not sprout from a vine growing on a tree, but rather from the weeping willows itself, as a hanging down branch.
Their bodies seem to follow a similar color scheme than the other two, but appear to be slightly thinner. With a pale green foliage covering their entire body.
Some aspects all variants have in common though are their star-formed mouths, and tiny, almost unrecognizable eyes, as well as a lack of ears and nostrils.

Behavior and Social Structure:

The Vine Mimic, regardless of what variant, does not seem to possess any form of social structure.
Once sprouting from a vine stem, they do nothing but hang down and wait for prey to come within reach.
And even though, depending on the vine's size they sprout from, there can be up to three different Vine Mimics on the same flora at once, they do not interact with each other in the slightest. Whether it be in aiding another one of their kind in subduing its prey, or competing for it.
Vine Mimics appear to be completely indifferent to anything that is happening around them, until a blood bearing being passes right by them, almost touching them. Which leads the Mimic to lash out and instantly wrap its body around whatever it was that came by.

Role in the Food Chain:

Despite their unimpressive and quite weak-looking forms, Vine Mimics actually pose a reasonable threat for most creatures or sentient beings that happen to cross one.
As, thanks to their spindly, but pure muscle-based bodies, Vine Mimics are capable of lashing out and wrapping themselves completely around their prey within no more than a second. From which point on they will then quickly constrict and strangle their prey until it stops moving, either by passing out or dying from lack of oxygen, or critical internal injuries.
But even if their prey only happens to fall into temporary unconsciousness, their fate is most likely sealed. As once a Vine Mimic holds an incapacitated being, they will then follow it up by piercing the skin above a vital artery with their star shaped mouths, and begin to suck out their blood. Which, if undisturbed, is almost guaranteed to be fatal.
However, if able to act fast enough, or traveling with a group carrying sharp weaponry, it is actually quite simple to sever the body of a Vine Mimic from the vine's stem, and instantly kill it before it can do much harm.
Which combined with them being rooted in place, and unable to freely roam around, only ranks them as a low to mid-tier class predator.

Special Abilities and unique Physical Traits:

On top of their already formidable strength, due to their pure muscle-based bodies, some believe that Vine Mimics also possess a primal level of Infusion Channeling.
Which is not enough to ignite the ethereal flame within their preys body, but can easily cause a high fever to strike within an instant, weakening larger prey so that they can't fight back, or robbing Channelers of their ability to utilize their manifestations.
Although, many who survived an ambush of a Vine Mimic do claim they haven't felt anything similar to an Infusion. Whilst adventurers covered in plate armor, or those who rely on Channeling, claim they have. Leading to the assumption that Vine Mimics only use their primal Channeling on larger prey, or those who can effectively fight back with Channeling themselves.

Additional Insights:

Even though Vine Mimics appear to be a variant of the abundant forms of Carniflora, in truth they are more like parasites, leeching off the vines nutrients when their hunts remain fruitless for longer periods of time.
And how exactly they are reproducing is not entirely known. As some believe them to be genetic defects, caused by Ariya's curios experiments on the Endless Forest's flora and fauna. While others believe they spray out egg like spores, which then infest the vine they land on.