Blood Creepers

When I woke this Blue, I didn't expect to be ending the expedition.
I did what we normally did and set up the Stones to cook. Hinner was sleeping in, so I gave him a bit of a kick. He still didn't wake up, so I shook him again. This time a small red worm crawled out of his mouth. I jumped back. Creepers. I quickly looked around for more holes. Seeing none, I checked on poor Hinner again. He was light, most of his insides gone and his back covered in tiny holes.
Creepers....a terrible death. Nothing left but to destroy the body and send his soul to the Cycle.

~Failed Journeys to the Lifestone Forest

Feast of Blood

One of the most dangerous creatures in the Lifestone Forest are the Blood Creepers. These small worms burrow into the body and absorb all the blood and eat the inner organs of a creature. Many creatures have fallen prey to these aggressive predators. They are not picky about their prey either. Even the insects and other worms are not safe.

Top of the List

Of all the creatures in the Lifestone, this is the one to fear. They are silent killers that have adapted to almost every creature in the forest. They are avoided by most creatures if possible. Even eating them is dangerous, so they have no real predators.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Creepers have an unusual structure. They are only a few inches long. They have a thick stretchy skin that also has a numbing agent on them. Inside are a series of sacs filled with an acidic substance. Once the substance is released, those sacs then fill with blood and the disintegrated internal organs of their prey. They also carry their eggs at the tail end of their bodies.

Genetics and Reproduction

Creeper eggs are more feared than the adult worms. The Blood Creepers keep 30-50 eggs at the very back of their bodies. As creepers ingest the blood and organs of their prey, their eggs are pushed out of their bodies into the body of the prey. They will gestate for 4-9 cycles before hatching and finishing off the creature, if they didn't die from the initial attack.

Growth Rate & Stages

Creepers have a very short lifespan. Once they are hatched they are only 2 cm long, they will eat some of their host and leave to create a burrow. They will sit in their burrow for up to 2 weeks where they grow up to 3 inches long and create their own eggs. Then they leave to hunt.

Ecology and Habitats

Creepers seem to be found only in the Lifestone Forest. Their burrows have been found in stone, wood, mold, and fruits.

Dietary Needs and Habits

They only eat blood and the internal organs of their prey. Once they feed once, they don't need to feed again for 2 weeks after they have grown more eggs.

Biological Cycle

Once the eggs have been laid and the Creeper has eaten, it will leave the prey...usually alive, for their children to feast on later. The primary weakness of the Creeper is starvation. If they don't eat and lay their eggs within a 1 week of creating those eggs. The eggs will burst and kill the creeper.
They also seem to have a lifespan of about one year. It seems after this time they no longer create eggs and don't eat anymore and will starve to death.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Although there doesn't appear to be any real social structure, there does seem to be recognition. Creepers tend to have territories for their children. Although they will leave to find their own hunting area after they leave their first burrow, if Creepers from the same sac meet again, they do seem to greet each other and maybe even communicate in some way. If they aren't from the same sac, they are aggressive and protective of their territory and sometimes will fight to the death over the territory.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Their actual numbers are unknown. Some estimates have said there should be more than 10,000 alive throughout the forest at any one time.

Average Intelligence

They hunt with surprising intelligence and patience. Many researchers have concluded that they could be as intelligent as many of the other larger hunters in the forest.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Creepers seem to have the ability to sense motion or vibrations where they are hiding. They also seem to sense blood nearby.

The Hunt

This is the most important part of the Creepers life. Once they have eggs in their sacs, they must hunt to lay their eggs. There was some argument if what they do should be called hunting, that argument has ended though. These creatures hunt. They become even more skilled as they expand their territory and grow. Within half a year, most have created a territory of almost 1 square mile.

Territory

A creeper seems to be able to mark territory. It secretes a substance from the skin that is unique to each one, although it is believed that those of the same sac have a similar secretion. To find their territory they will leave their first burrow and catch a ride on a creature. They will attach themselves to a creature and ride it to an area that may be free territory or weak territory. Sometimes the creature they ride will also be their first prey, but not always. The Creepers will sometimes switch creatures to ride on to move to new areas quickly. Once they find an area, they will try to mark as much as they can in the few cycles they have before they need to lay their eggs. Once they get their first kill and lay their eggs, they will create a new burrow.

Choosing a Target

What makes the Creepers real hunters in their choice of targets. They don't always choose the weakest of a pack. In fact, they will sometimes ride on the weakest, but move to the leader of the pack to lay their eggs. They only eat once a month and they seem to be picky about their meal if they can be. As things get closer to them starving, they will get a little less picky about their prey. They also want a prey that may travel away from their territory before the eggs are hatched, which would avoid any challenge to their territory.

Desperate Death

Once a Creeper is starving and can't find a place to eat, they know they are going to die. So they do something very unique to the animal world. They can harden their bodies which will kill them, but will protect their eggs for another month. They usually choose a food source of other animals to do this. Infected fruits are not uncommon. Once the fruit is eaten, the stomach will weaken the hard shell and the eggs will disperse in the body of the creature. So even in death, these creatures will kill.

Lifespan

1 Year

Average Length

2-3 inches as adults

Blood Poison

Nothing hunts the Creepers. Not only would creatures have to contend with the possibility of eggs being hatched inside of them, they would also be poisoned.

Acidic Surprise

If a creature tries to eat the Creeper, it will burst an acid sac on the tongue of the creature...which usually will spit it out. The acid can do severe damage and is very painful. For humanoids, grabbing a Creeper in this stage could make them lose a couple of finger tips. The acid is strong enough to burn through skin and hide.

Slow Death

There are a few creatures that can withstand the acid, but for them they usually suffer a worse fate. The Creeper will dump their egg sac into the throat of the creature eating them. So as their acid filled bodies slide into a creatures stomach, their egg sac bursts in their throat. This liquid absorbs into the lining and gets into the nervous system of the creature. It usually creates severe pain in the target very quickly, but it will not die for several cycles. Some creatures have been known to live almost a week before finally dying.