Devourers

Basic Information

Anatomy

Due to their shape-changing nature, very few people have seen devourers in their native form. They prefer to take human or humanoid shapes in order to better blend with human society. Many of them have grown accustomed to wearing these shapes and will maintain them even when found in Between. Most choose male shapes and use male pronouns.

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Devourers in their native forms have long, muscular, eel-like bodies with two strong legs positioned toward the front. These front legs are structured more like the front legs of a big cat for climbing and for gripping or holding prey toward their massive jaws. They can move at ground speeds of up to 15 mph and climb at approximately 50 ft per minute. Additionally, they are powerful swimmers, using only their bodies and tails for propulsion. Devourers are usually around 6 feet long and weigh between 150 and 200 pounds. They observe the conservation of mass when shape-shifting.

Devourers' heads are rounded with short, wide jaws filled with multiple rows of teeth. The first row are needle-like and deliver a powerful neuro-toxin through poison glands found between the first and second rows. These toxic fangs are fragile in nature and tend to break off. They can also be retracted, allowing the second row of teeth to take the primary brunt of biting during combat. The second row of teeth are shark-like, backward-pointing, and triangular, designed for biting and ripping flesh. When the needle teeth are retracted, the poison will still flow from the devourers' glands and into the victim's wounds. Toxin administered this way is less potent.

Genetics and Reproduction

It is unknown if devourers reproduce. They appear to be genderless among themselves and no population information is available.

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Devourers reproduce through a process of internal budding. A new devourer buds inside its parent's body near the upper digestive tract and grows directly from the parent's digestive organs, absorbing nutrients from its parent. After a period in which the devourer grows to a quarter of its adult body weight, it bites its way out of its parent, usually through the stomach lining and then crawling up the esophagus to be vomited onto the ground. Few devourers survive the budding of an offspring.

Ecology and Habitats

Native to Between.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Obligate carnivores, prefer the flesh of sentient species.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Devourers hunt in packs of between two and five, usually lead by a single larger individual.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Devourers are known to have extremely acute senses of smell/taste processed through gaping their mouths open and testing the air with their tri-lobed tongues, a mannerism they show regardless of shape. In human form, their vision is approximately the same as an average human, as is their hearing.

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In their natural form, devourers hear through tympanic membranes affixed just inside holes in the sides of their heads, usually measuring about 1-1.5 inches wide. These holes can be pinched closed to protect the membranes, which are fragile and can be easily pierced during conflicts, causing immense pain and deafness.

Their natural eyes are large and almond-shaped with three sets of eyelids: an inner layer which is usually kept up over the surface of the lens, a second set which acts as a lubricating layer, and a third set which acts as light regulation and protection. Their daylight vision is about the same as humans' while their dust and night vision is substantially worse.

Civilization and Culture

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Devourers eat most other species. They favor sapient species in this regard, especially children.

Lifespan

unknown due to the nature of time in Between

Average Weight

150-200 lbs

Average Length

5'10"-6'3"

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

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Dark brown or black, usually without patterning. Some show almost tabby-like stripes or mottling.