Marsh Vampire
This vile creature is thought to live in the marsh outside Red Oak Bluffs, emerging from the wetlands on dark nights to prey on campers, townspeople, even pets and livestock. Said to resemble a wingless bat, the marsh vampire uses its long splayed fingers to spread out its weight over the treacherous muck, borne over the patches of grass and floating mats while its prey flounders in the sucking mud. This cryptid does not attack victims directly, but has minions to send forth and collect blood for it while it stalks. Descendants of the marsh's mosquitoes have formed a symbiotic relationship with this vampire. Swarms of insects are sent out to drain blood from prey and lay clusters of eggs in its fetid fur, before being consumed by the bat-like creature.
Legends say that you may smell the stink of bog mud before you can see the marsh vampire. Some tales tell of campers found drained and shriveled with only a mud track pointed toward the wetlands as a clue. Superstitious locals refuse to pass by the marsh if sunset approaches, fearing they will be tracked back to their homes by this sanguinivorous cryotid.
Basic Information
Biological Traits
Adapted to a life in the wetlands, this creature has fingers more than a meter long, partially-webbed toes, long snout with an excellent sense of smell, and thick fur for camouflage and housing its symbiotes. It has an aversion to light, and is thought to spend the day hiding under floating masses of weeds or deep in the mud.
Additional Information
Facial characteristics
Accounts of the marsh vampire always note its elongated snout. It has reduced and flattened teeth meant to crush its blood-laden mosquitoes.
Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms
A species of mosquito uses this monster as a shelter for its eggs. The mosquito has evolved to be wingless, now resembling keds more than their more well-known cousins. Eggs are laid in masses, glued to the fur of the vampire. As larvae, they are detritivores that feed on anything that has the touch of decay. When pupating the mosquitoes latch onto the ends of the fur, and can emerge early from signals given by the marsh vampire that indicate it needs to repopulate its collectors. Females emerge gravid, and take a blood meal to activate its clutch of eggs. Interestingly, the male mosquitoes have evolved to also take blood meals, and sometimes emerge as alates. Through unknown methods, the mosquitoes are directed to new targets, and they converge on the same prey as a swarm. When they return to the vampire, they lay their eggs and then migrate to the mouth where they are devoured.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Brown to gray fur, tinted green from algae growing it.
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