The Saethraxi are a species of twisted Shroudspawn, infamous for their horrifying appearance and their insatiable hunger, with some Church Scholars claiming that they don't hunger for flesh or blood, but for memories and knowledge. Their form is a grotesque blend of tendrils, sinewy limbs, and draped, dry flesh that resembles tree barks. Each Saethrix stands taller than a human, with elongated arms and legs that give them an unnatural gait. From their eyeless faces and wide, gaping maws emerge countless prehensile tongues, each lined with tiny barbs and capable of extending far beyond what their size would suggest.
A Saethrix’s entire body is covered in a slick, oily substance that drips constantly from its limbs, giving it an appearance of being partially decayed or drowned. The tongues, their most terrifying feature, are used to ensnare prey, claimed to be able to extract both memories and vital energy from their victims. These creatures move silently through the Shroud, using their long limbs to navigate ruins and collapsed structures with ease.
Despite their monstrous appearance, the Saethraxi are not mindless brutes. They possess a cunning intelligence, often using their environment to their advantage. They are known to create intricate lairs, using the remains of their victims as bait or creating elaborate traps to lure more prey into their grasp.
The Saethraxi are ambush predators, relying on stealth and cunning to capture their prey. They are drawn to areas of ancient knowledge, often making their lairs in forgotten buildings, ruined temples, or places where magic once thrived. These creatures have an eerie patience, waiting for days, even weeks, before striking at the perfect moment, having no restriction in hunting other voidspawn.
Once a victim is caught, the Saethrix uses its barbed tongues to latch onto their flesh, draining their blood, nutrientes and on some acounts even memories. The process is agonizingly slow to the victim, leaving them in a state of confusion and delirium before death finally takes them. The Saethraxi its said to not merely feed on the flesh they've consumed, but on the essence of their victims, storing memories and knowledge that they instinctively hoard. It is said that the longer a Saethrix lives, the more intelligent and cunning it becomes, as it accumulates knowledge from the countless minds it has devoured.
While Saethraxi are territorial, they are known to be nomadic, wandering from their lairs if drawn to a source of particularly potent knowledge or power. They are most active in the deepest reaches of the Shroud, but they have been sighted closer to the fringes, particularly when ancient ruins or powerful relics are uncovered.
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