Chiropox

"Not everything that flies fears the light. Some things simply wait for it to die." -Woodswatch Hunter’s Manual.
The Chiropox is a grotesque nocturnal predator that haunts the deep, undisturbed heart of The Grandgleam Forest. A hybrid terror born of forgotten Pre-Schism laboratories, this creature combines the worst traits of bat and ape, furred monstrosity, eerie intelligence, and a taste for blood. Winged, thumbed, tailed and cunning, the Chiropox roams the moonless canopy like a whisper with teeth, preying on the careless and the wounded. Rumors speak of their mimicry, their packs, and the chilling laughter that echoes through the woods at dusk, not laughter born of joy, but an imitation of it. Those who seek them rarely return whole, if at all.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Chiropox stand roughly 5 feet tall when upright, but rarely walk that way. Their elongated arms break off at the shoulder into separate limbs sheathed in pale tan jointed membranes like the wings of a bat, allowing for surprisingly deft, and quite deadly silent gliding between trees; Or short burst of 10-20 minutes of self-sustained flight. The creature is covered in patchy off-white and tan fur, often streaked with mud or blood to break up its outline. The head is chimpanzee-like but distorted, with a blunted snout, oversized pointed ears, and twin nostrils that flare at the base of their snout like a bloodhound’s. Their most horrifying feature are their eyes, blood-red to violet in hue, poorly adapted for daytime but well-suited for twilight hunting and heat-vision hunting at night. Their jaws are filled with carnassial teeth made for tearing meat, yet retain flat molars for crunching fruit or bone, a feat just-as easily obtained by it's prehensile tail nearly as long as the chiropox is standing up.

Genetics and Reproduction

Chiropox are viviparous, bearing one or two pups per litter after a 6-month gestation. They reproduce slowly, which keeps their population scarce, but this is offset by their ferocity and intellect. Mating is believed to occur during late autumn; birthing in spring. Packs form semi-stable units of 3-6 adults, typically related, that protect and raise their young communally until maturity at roughly 4 years of age. Genetically, the Chiropox is a baffling aberration. Dissections have revealed gene clusters from multiple mammalian orders, bat, ape, rodent, and even markers reminiscent of human DNA. Some suggest it was originally bred as a biological weapon or forest sentry, released or escaped during the chaos of The Fall.

Growth Rate & Stages

• Neonate (0-6 months): Blind, wingless, suckling and carried.

• Juvenile (6 months-4 years): Rapid development. Begins gliding by year two.

• Mature (4-20 years): Full hunting capability. Begins mating.

• Elder (20+): Rare. Often more reclusive or prone to territorial control.

Elders develop increased jaw thickness and darker skin around their eyes. They rarely leave known kill zones, preferring to stalk familiar groves or cliffside haunts.

Ecology and Habitats

Chiropox are found exclusively within the Grandgleam’s central forest basin, preferring high canopies and vertical cliff hollows. They roost during daylight in old ruins or treehollows and emerge with dusk to patrol their territory. Their preferred prey are small mammals, Whogi, unattended children, and wounded travelers. They favor forests with dense canopy and rocky outcroppings, often building hidden dens in places with a strong acoustic resonance. Some have been spotted watching torch-lit paths, retreating only when engaged.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Chiropox are opportunistic omnivores but favor blood and marrow. They drain sleeping prey through small incisions made near arteries, using a numbing agent from glands in their tongue to keep the target from waking. When desperate, they’ll eat anything: fruit, leaves, even bones they gnaw like dogs. They rarely scavenge, as they prefer living food. They drink from running water when possible but have been seen lapping blood from the ground like wolves.

Biological Cycle

Spring brings pups and hunting for fresh meat. In summer, they spread further as food becomes plentiful. Autumn is territorial, Chiropox will drive out rivals violently. In winter, they become sluggish, sticking to known hunting routes and lowering their range. During full moons, more sightings are reported, whether this is coincidence or behavioral is unknown. Myths suggest they “worship” the moon with ululating screeches, though scholars dismiss this as pattern-seeking paranoia.

Behaviour

Chiropox are ambush predators who use gliding to descend upon prey in silence. They test fences and stalk camps before striking. Intelligent and cruel, they do not kill immediately unless hungry. Some appear to “play” with their prey, circling, prodding, taunting, before delivering the final strike. In packs, they coordinate with soft hoots or knocks on hollow trees. They show signs of grief when young are killed and are known to retrieve fallen kin’s corpses, dragging them back to the den. Despite this intelligence, they show no signs of higher language or tool use, but this may only be because they have never needed them. The Grandgleam provides, and they take.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The Chiropox’s vision is poor in daylight but excels in dim light. It possesses exceptional thermal vision, capable of detecting living bodies in complete darkness. Their echolocation is less refined than true bats, used not for flight navigation, but for detecting movement and locating hollow spaces, such as caves, nests, or the bodies of the dying. Their hearing is unnervingly acute, able to pick up whispered speech at 20 paces. Perhaps more unsettling is their mimicry. Though not language-capable, they can reproduce sounds they've heard: baby cries, laughter, or even the speech-patterns of past prey. No one knows if this is learned behavior or instinctual hunting technique, but experienced hunters say, "If the forest speaks in a familiar voice, do not answer."

Scientific Name

Chiropagus noxferis.

Origin/Ancestry

Believed to be a chimera birthed from a pre-Schism laboratory hidden beneath the Grandgleam, the Chiropox bears the grafted hallmarks of both bat and primate ancestors. Its body reflects crude magicks of old, where ambition outpaced wisdom at every turn.

Conservation Status

Active Threat - Restricted Population: Though rare, Chiropox are a protected species only in name. Frontier settlers and Wardens issue bounties when sightings spike. Their numbers remain low due to slow breeding, but magickal durability and intelligence make them persistent. Many would prefer extinction, but local lore insists killing them invites retaliation.