Aranmorta, The Creeping Death Dragon

"Always keep your eyes on the trees, you never know where an Aranmorta may be hiding." - Roctane Forester, seconds before being attacked by an Aranmorta

Written by: jester2b

Cover Art by: Rafael Sewa

Artwork by: Gabrial Andrade

You'll Never See It Coming

One must always be alert when traversing the jungles and caves of the world, for the deadliest beasts are those you can't see until it's too late. Carelessness is death, as many who have suffered an agonizing fate at the hands of the Aranmorta have learned. Known as the Creeping Death Dragon, the Aranmorta represents the danger that's lurking in every corner of Nostrina's wilds.

Morphology

Ebony Aranmorta lying in wait by Gabriel Andrade

The Aranmorta is a six-legged dragon, although its central legs were once its wings long ago. This dragon has traded the airborne lifestyle of their kin and opted to instead live as wall-crawling ambush predators. Its body is low to the ground, which helps it keep a low profile despite its large size. Their ability to climb walls with ease comes from their feet, which use cling pads and claws to stick to surfaces and remain in one spot for long periods. The pads on their feet also serve a secondary purpose, as they are sensitive to vibrations in the environment, alerting them to nearby prey or possible predators. Its deadliest weapon is its jaw, lined with teeth that help it hold onto prey, but the essential part is its two large fangs at the back of its jaw, which are used to deliver the paralyzing venom.
There are three variations of the Aranmorta: the Pale Aranmorta, the Arboreal Aranmorta, and the Ebony Aranmorta. The Pale Aranmorta is the smallest of three, living exclusively in dark caves and are rarely seen above ground. Since they live in complete darkness for most of their lives, the Pale Aranmorta is blind, relying on their other senses and vibration-sensitive feet to detect prey. As the name implies, the Pale Aranmorta has ghost-white skin caused by centuries of living underground. The Arboreal Aranmorta is the second-largest and hunts almost exclusively in dense forests. They are the most unique out of the three because of their color-changing scales, which can shift between green and brown colors, allowing them to blend into the trees while hunting. Lastly, the Ebony Aranmorta is the largest and most common Aranmorta species. Unlike their cousins, these Aranmortas are the most versatile of the three, able to hunt effectively in any environment. The Ebony Aranmorta is also more aggressive than its counterparts, engaging in fights head-on while others flee.

Habitat

This Lesser Dragon can be found in dense jungles and dark caves across Nostrina. Sightings of these creatures are most frequent in Stelwen and Drakkard, along with plenty of evidence of these creatures living in the untamed forest of Virginwood. Seeming to prefer warmer climates, Aranmorta encounters in northern regions are rare but not unheard of, as cave-dwelling Albino Aranmortas have been discovered lurking in caves of places as far north as Kronenstien.

Diet

These dragons are opportunistic predators that will prey upon anything they can catch. In Stelwen, Aranmortas are commonly seen feeding many species of giant spiders on the continents and have unfortunately become highly adept at hunting Roctane wandering in the dense forests. This dragon is extremely careful about only attacking what it can overpower quickly and effortlessly, purposefully avoiding anything that may pose too much of a challenge. The Ebony Aranmorta, the largest of the three species, have been found cannibalizing the smaller Arborral and Pale Aranmorta species. This behavior is believed to be unique to the Ebony Aranmorta, which is both the most aggressive and versatile of its kind.
The feeding method is quite odd compared to other dragons. Much like a spider, the Aranmorta injects digestive enzymes into its prey, which will liquefy their insides, turning it into a meaty paste. It will then suck up the melted remains until all that remains of the victim are dry skin and bone. How this Lesser Dragon developed such a horrific and agonizing way to feed on its prey is still unknown.

Hunting Behaviors

The Aranmorta is an ambush hunter sneaking around in the jungle's canopy or using the cold darkness of caverns to set up surprise attacks on prey. Once it finds an ideal position, the creature will wait there with its legs spread out and body low to the ground. An Aranmorta can stay like this for days, patiently waiting for the perfect prey to wander within their reach. When its target is in their sight, the Aranmorta will burst forward with blinding speed and clamp its jaws onto the unsuspecting victim. Once the victim is in their grasp, it'll begin injecting paralyzing venom that immobilizes the struggling prey, sealing their grim fate. With the prey secured, the Aranmorta will return to their lair to consume their meal in peace, with the worst still to come for the unfortunate victim.
The Aranmorta will inject digestive enzymes into the prey, which will slowly and painfully melt the insides of its victim until they are mush. Once this is done, the Aranmorta will suck the predigested meal, leaving only a husk of skin and bone. After feeding, the dragon will either take the remains and dispose of them somewhere far from their lair or place the body out in the open and pick off any scavengers that come to feed off of the husk.
Being an ambush predator, the Aranmorta will avoid direct confrontation at all costs. This creature's greatest strength is stealth, meaning it has a hard time in head-on fights; even against animals it usually considers prey. In most cases, if the Aranmorta loses the element of surprise, it'll immediately flee the area and set up a new ambush somewhere else. However, the Ebony Aranmorta is more likely to fight whatever may be threatening it, even if they are completely outmatched. They use their speed and agility to outmaneuver their opponent and land a paralyzing bite upon them. If they can paralyze their opponent, the Aranmorta may choose to carry them off and eat them or leave them there and flee the area.

Reproduction and Growth

Little is known about their reproductive cycle and growth with the secretive life these creatures live. The popular theory is that a male will leave its lair during mating season and wander in search of a female. After finding a female and mating, the male will return to its home while the female will stay and protect the clutch of eggs. The eggs will hatch after an undetermined amount of time, and the hatchlings will remain under the care of their mother until they are adults. Once fully grown, the mother will force her children to leave the lair and fend for themselves.

Classification: Lesser Dragon

Threat Assessment: The Aranmorta is a deadly ambush predator commonly found in Stelwen and Virginwood. Caution should be taken when entering their habitat, as these dragons are highly aggressive and will feed on humans. While this creature is highly dangerous to approach, they never leave their habitat and pose a threat to settlements. With such information, the Aranmorta has been designated as a low-threat dragon.

Lifespan

Unknown

Average Height

2.4m (8ft)

Average Length

6m (20ft)