Crimson Thornmaw

Native to Serpent Skull Island and the nearby island chain, the Crimson Thornmaw is a disturbing fusion of flora and fauna. Upon approach, one might mistake it for an oversized flowering jungle plant sporting several layers of overlapping, deep red petals. These petals can vary wildly in shape and hue, often based on age and diet. But there end the similarity, for after detecting potential prey the petals begin to peel back, revealing a fanged maw of thorn-like teeth. The Thornmaw's gullet is extremely acidic, reducing its meals into an easily digestible soup in mere minutes. Yet prey in these savage lands is rarely that easily subdued. Supporting the flowering head is a squat, bestial torso with two muscular legs capable of intense bursts of speed. Wicked toe claws easily dig into prey or allow for purchase on rough terrain. Lastly, the torso ends in a slender, whip-like tail. Branching from this lengthy appendage are multiple root-like structures that vary in length.

While at rest, the Thornmaw burrows its tail deep into the soil, drawing upon the nutrient-rich soil until another meal comes along. Were that not enough, each root ends in a microscopic barb full of toxins reportedly so painful when touched it felt as if the victim had been injected with Aqshian lava. In the jungles on Serpent's Skull Island, these creatures can be found growing in solitude or, in more deadly cases, in groves of many. Thornmaws will congregate and grow in mass around aesthetically appealing regions. A pack of hungry Thornmaws can chase down and swarm the larger beasts of the island with ease. The remains of giant beasts that served as their last meal can be found under a grove of these vicious flowers.

Seemingly blind, the Thornmaws communicate while on the hunt using a series of sickening shrieks and tracking prey using its sensitive tail to detect vibrations. Upon death, a Thornmaw's body bursts into a sinking cloud of spores that will be the next generation of creatures. Having offspring before death would mean less for the living Thornmaw. Infant Thornmaws stay rooted in place, pricking passing creature's get, dining on blood droplets until it is large enough to begin hunting.