Mordere

Cover is of an infant Mordere drawing, captured by a traveler from the Iron Empire. A plant-like reptilian species that lives in the Xotli Marsh and is known as a deadly threat for anyone travelling through for their bacterial bites that one small Mordere can inflict on an unsuspecting travelers toe and subject them to a slow, painful death. They camouflage into the marsh when they close their eyes and their scales look like every other wet weed found in the marsh.

A collection of baby Mordere freshly hatched is put together to create an extravagant dish named Morderves. The creature turns red when cooked instead of its usual dark green coloration. It is said that the infant Mordere taste like sour venison with a tang of bitterness that acts as a great palette cleanser.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Looks like a cross between a seaweed and a snake. Like a long writhing piece of seaweed with a face and a massive jaw that is hidden when they close it and can become indistinguishable from their surroundings. Their saliva isn't fully poisonous, but is full of dangerous bacteria that causes a slow, painful death through illness.

Genetics and Reproduction

They tongue each other.

Growth Rate & Stages

Hatch from a large batch of large batch of tiny eggs. The first few spawned eat all the unspawned Mordere. Then, as they grow they eat rodents and eventually large animals that they kill with their bacterial bite. Can be as small as a clover or as big as a human depending on the spawn genes.

Ecology and Habitats

Lives in the marsh around where it is wet and large streams and puddles exist, stays away from salt water.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Live off all kinds of animals and meats, and are forced to eat insects when young.

Behaviour

Very protective of their land and their own young and will attack anything that comes close but are otherwise not an aggressive species. They do however have an insatiable appetite and will attack anything that it deems as food.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Primarily use smell and taste the air with their trident-shaped tongue covered in the same vegetative flesh. Weak vision and hearing but they can do both.