The Graz
Along the Eastern reaches of Dunn Dierdiere Bog there exists a legend of a strange and truly horrifying create of malevolent design and foul purpose that has trod along the muck and mire of those cursed swamps since the final trembling shudder of the Blight grew still. This creature is said to exist only to feed its unquenchable hunger, preying upon anything and everything unlucky enough to cross its path. The towering beast needs no rest and is impervious to pain, able to endure grievous injury and stalk an intended victim for weeks on end, unrelenting and refusing to slow until its quarry is engulfed within it's writing claws and slowly devoured bite, by rending bite. The beast is a master of camouflage and mimicry, and able to hide virtually anywhere within its domain and fool the unwary close enough to strike.
Basic Information
Anatomy
The physical appearance of the creature changes often, moving through a ten year cycle of painful metamorphosis and decay until it falls apart, revealing for one day the true form of what it once was before the cycle takes hold and begins again, the form of conspirator, Fontelle Graz . From the one day where the fallen ban drui is permitted to assume her human form, the cycle begins to split her flesh and cause her limbs and feature to grow and twist at an excruciatingly slow pace, forcing her to endure the pain of ever wrenching bone, every tear in her skin, and every tortuous straining of sinew and muscle as the hours drag on endlessly tormenting her, all the while driving her with a hunger that supersedes all her pain and discomfort, removing all ability to think and act beyond the pursuit of sating her appetites. Very quickly, her figure becomes unrecognizable as human, as the murky swamp and Blight infested waters infect every open wound and cause them to fester and decay, leading to a blubbery, gangrenous tone across her mottled and tumescent skin. Within weeks, the bones have begun to tear through, exposing muscle and connective tissue and further exceeding the damage and moving further and further away from anything resembling human. This process continues at this pace over the course of a decade, each cycle slightly different than the previous one.
Ecology and Habitats
The Graz seems to be trapped within the domain it calls home, the eastern reaches of the Dunn Dierdiere Bog . The creature never strays beyond a certain boundary within the bog itself and never leaves the boundaries of it. While many speculate that this may be due to whatever curse it suffers from binding it there, there is no evidence that proves this, or the idea that it may well be a preference and nothing more. No one to date has been brave or foolish enough to test either theory.
Dietary Needs and Habits
The Graz will devour any animal form, living or dead that it encounters without a second thought. Smaller creatures are swallowed whole while larger ones will be torn apart and consumed entirely, bones and all. The Graz does not always kill a creature before it eats them either, and horror stories of people waking up to find limbs missing and their partially dismembered bodied being dragged deeper into the marshes are common in the area as a means to warn off the unwary and the innocent to avoid those parts of the swamp at all costs. While the creature does not need to eat, it is in a constant state of starvation, that hunger remaining in place no matter how much or how often it does eat, and if left idle for too long, the creature will often nibble upon itself.
Behaviour
The Graz is an irrational and fearless creature, as she shrugs off any wound inflicted upon her, and no matter how much damage is done, the cursed form of Fontelle Graz will reform over a matter of days and resume its tormented existence. While it hunts its prey, using its mimicry and ability to remain nearly invisible in the bog, where it waits, silent and unmoving, but it will never hesitate to launch a surprise attack upon an individual or creature and begin attempting to make a meal of them on the spot, despite any other creatures in the vicinity. If possible, it will pick off members of a group one by one, grabbing them from the back of the primary gathering and dragging them away before returning once the creature is consumed to select another.
Additional Information
Average Intelligence
While the Graz maintains its full intellectual capabilities it had prior to the curse, she cannot call upon the faculties to affect the behavior of the creature in any way save for the one day she resumes her true form. During this time, the former ban drui hides herself within the bog and has been said to weep in despair, unable to leave or seek escape from the torment of her condition.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Despite the maddening pain she remains in constantly, the Graz's senses are extremely acute and heightened, making her awareness dangerously sensitive. She is an intrepid and adept hunter, able to follow prey long distances without error, and to see them at distances far greater than most creatures can detect her in return.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Scientific Name
Cursed Human
Origin/Ancestry
Lifespan
Unknown, presumed immortal
Average Height
At the zenith of its metamorphosis the creature can reach over three meters in height ranging up to four meters in some instances.
Average Weight
90 to 200 kg depending on the point of the transformation the creature is in at the time.
Geographic Distribution
Related Ethnicities
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