The Ganglegreen
With a darkened maw and sharpened claws The Ganglegreen hunches and crawls With an eyeless head that lacks a stare Yet beyond its teeth, a rotten glare.The Ganglegreen is a prominent figure told throughout Elafi folklore. It is a creature rumoured to skulk through the woods at night, and is often described as an exceptionally gangly creature, with limbs stretched to nearly thrice the length of a normal man, and a wiry body stretched to twice that. It is said to carry a large, gaping mouth upon its head, yet have no eyes until it opens its mouth; wherein smaller, countless eyes can be found peering from the back of its throat. The Ganglegreen is part cryptid, part folklore, said to be sighted nearby old and crumbled buildings, it is often blamed for pollution and decay. If it wasn't obvious already; the Ganglegreen earns its name from the long, winding limbs and body. The 'green' refers to its skin, which is described as a deep, lush green colour.
Historical Basis
Ganglegreen sightings have long been a part of Elafi culture. They are blamed for many ills or misfortune; should your crops rot, then it must be the Ganglegreen's nefarious thought! Should your family grow ill, then the Ganglegreen was near. Ganglegreen is often seen as one creature, though some often like to say that there are multiple Ganglegreens found throughout the world. Such an idea is often seen as outrageous or silly, for one Ganglegreen alone is rumored to be otherworldly. Sightings of a Ganglegreen is attributed to the various things found within Fianni homes; rot and plagues are a common accepted part of life to them, after all.
Further more, the long limbs and reaching claws are likened to many needle-like branches found reaching and rustling throughout the massive forests of their home, while the multiple eyes that peer out from a Ganglegreen sighting can easily be surmised to multiple peering gazes from the wildlife found lurking within nearby brush. The green skin may also simulate the lush nature of the Fianni homeland.
...Of course, there are many otherworldly things in the world of Veska, so surely, there must be more to the Ganglegreen than others would think, yes? Its claws are said to rot those it touches, while its mouth is said to hide the countless eyes that stare inside it. Though this grisly detail is generally kept from the ears of children, each eye carried within its mouth is said to be plucked from the head of its victims. Its tiny long, sharp claws are not only good at rotting away, but perfectly wiry enough to skewer and tear fresh eyes from their sockets.
Spread
The Ganglegreen is a very common myth found within Fianni culture. It is known among most Elves, but is almost always known by the Elafi. The myth has grown to such popularity that it can be found widespread across the world at this point.
Variations & Mutation
The Tall Man: The Tall Man or Tall Fellow, refers to a very similar figure found in the human mythos; it tells of a very impossibly wiry, thin and tall figure found lurking the streets of human cities at night. Also called 'The Collector', the Tall Man is a strange and enigmatic figure that perhaps may be worthy of an article in its own right. While the long, tall features and sharpened claws are shared with the Ganglegreen, the Tall Man is different in the sense that he keeps his body hidden by a long, thick jacket that shrouds his towering form.
Beneath the jacket, the Tallman is said to carry the dozens of eyes he's plucked out from his victims. This tale is typically told to children by parents whom live in nearby cities, as it serves as a deterrent to trusting strangers in the streets at night.
Cultural Reception
The Ganglegreen is often seen as nothing more than myth, albeit with a faint hint of believable superstition. With the Fae so prominent in Fianni culture, it isn't exactly unbelievable for the Ganglegreen to be a hostile member of their species.
Related Species
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