Grapple Crawler

Grapple crawlers are a small genus of odd creatures that appear to be a mix of octopus and jellyfish that live soley in the many cave systems of the Greater and Lesser Spine Mountains.

Appearance

There are three significant parts of Grapple crawlers. Main part is a bulb-like body that can open up and reveal the second: a number of thin tentacles, armed with stinging cells. Third is four octopus-like tentacles used for locomotion and securing the creature tightly to the rock. They have no eyes, but are very sensitive to touch.
The body and larger tentacles are in shades of grey or brown to match the rockface, while the thin tentacles are transparent, though some species fluoresce to help attract prey. Most species grow no larger in diameter than the palm of ones hand, but a couple of species are capable of growing to a foot in diameter.

Ecology

Hunting

All species of Grapple crawler are 'ensnaring' predators. They wait on the ceiling near cave entrances or highly trafficked caverns and dangle their thin feeder tentacles and wait. Once something comes into contract with their feeder tentacles, like a jellyfish, their stinging cells fire, injected the victim with a quick acting poison before 'reeling' it into main body, which thing closes up around them. The crawler then retreats into a crevasse to digest it's meal.

Reproduction

Reproduction is done by mass spawning into the air with spore-like particles. Somehow they time it so that the air currents blow these spores deeper into the cave network, toward moisture regions. It is there their offspring hatch and feed on the cave algae through a temporary 'mouth' at the center of their bottom tentacles, until they are large and mature enough to develop their feeder tentacles.

Threats

While they are a signifcant threat to anything smaller than themselves, they are not deadly toward larger beings, though their sting usually only causes a painful rash and nausea. However, there are a few species that do feed upon them that are either immune to their sting or know what parts to eat to avoid them.
The Rock Tuk breed of the Daulka are of mixed minds of the creatures. On the one hand, the smaller ones are considered a benefit as they feed on the more annoying pests that can infest their dwellings. On the other, the larger specimens have been known to cause permanent bodily harm, such as blindness, if they do not watch where they are going.