The Bloodeater of Pararongo

The continent of Yddian is perhaps most famed for its vast array of natural wildlife, with several unique clades found no where else on Az. The jungle dominated country of Pararongo is particularly notorious for its concentration of dangerous fauna and flora, which makes living in the area an ill-advised endeavour. Amongst the denizens of Pararongo, one of the more derived species is the haunting "Bloodeaters", which slink through across the jungle floor. As the name implies, the bloodeater earns its moniker both for its appearance, which is very similar to the anteater, in addition to its predatory need to feed on other animals' blood.
 

Physiology

  The bloodeater is a large mammal, comparable to a wolf or leopard in length, with notably accented shoulders that confer a certain thuggish gait when it walks. Such large shoulders are a vital part of the bloodeater anatomy, since they allow for explosive displays of power when the situation calls for it, enabling running speeds of over forty kilometers per hour and similar vertical speeds when climbing. Strong arms and paws which hold daunting claws are equally important for finding purchase and pinning smaller prey in place.
  The bloodeater's long, feathery tail can grow to half its total body length, providing stability and balance when climbing. The tail has also been shown to be used in keeping the creatures clean, swatting away debris and filth in their dens, as well as playing a key role in conspecific communication. The tail is also acts as a strong rudder, allowing these animals to swim quite comfortably along river ways.
  The stark differentiator between the bloodeater and its insectivorous cousins is the head. While anteaters have their eyes placed on the sides of the head, the bloodeater's are located at the front looking forward, indicative of its more active predatory nature. Hence, the bloodeater has its relatives soundly beaten in the department of visual acuity, able to see in front of itself for over a hundred meters and discern small movements between the undergrowth. The most striking aspect of the bloodeater's head is its snout, a long utensil that is semi-prehensile at the base, before it terminates in a sharpened point of exo-skeletal bone. Such a feature has fooled many that have seen a bloodeater face-on that the animal was some type of bird at a glance.
 

Ecology

 

Hunting and Predation

  Which begs the question: how does the bloodeater hunt and feed? Of the few individuals studied, it appears that the bloodeater has two modes of hunting, one either for prey far larger or one for those smaller than itself. For large animals, such as a ghillie beast or elephant, a bloodeater will attempt to attach itself to the body of the target without being detected. Then, it will prime the area it wishes to feed from by secreting a chemical which dulls sensation, before jabbing open a small wound in the flesh that provides it access to a steady flow of blood. Afterwards, the bloodeater will cling to the host's body for up to an hour as it takes its fill, before disengaging and trekking back to its den.
  For smaller prey items, the bloodeater will often run down or ambush the hapless victim, before pinning it to the ground with its developed forelimbs. From here it may choose to rip the prey open with its claws and begin feeding from the viscera that spills forth, or it will inject its spear-like mouth into a vital artery (usually around the neck) and start drinking the ichor as it pumps along. Once the smaller animal has been drained of its blood, the bloodeater may also tear out certain bones that house large amounts of marrow, which it will then crack open and feast on greedily. Since hunting smaller animals is less dangerous than risking a fatal venture on one of the various mega fauna in Pararongo, this method is observed more often. The most common small animals that are predated include various endemic species of antelope, birds and apes of Pararongo, with reptiles and amphibians being avoided, most likely due to reduced heamoglobin levels.
  Bloodeaters are not immune to predation, indeed Pararongo is home to a collection of large hunting animals that pose a regular threat to them. The chief consumers of the bloodeater are leopards and the endemic specie of giant carnivorous tortoises often called Bramble Drakes. Packs of wild dogs and large birds of prey may also predate juvenile bloodeaters, but will generally steer clear of adults. Of course, crocodiles and other aquatic predators will eagerly eat bloodeaters who decide to swim past them.
  Human tribes within Pararongo have historically avoided contact with bloodeaters, with the belief that the animals are portents of misfortune (not unfounded, since bloodeaters are vectors for several human diseases). Bloodeaters are similarly apprehensive towards humanity, only ever attacking children or isolated individuals who have lost their way in the jungles. The Warlocks of Aarehk and some kingdoms outside Pararongo have on occasion engaged in the hunting of bloodeaters, the former for use in the creation of wands that can manipulate sanguine fluids, the latter for exhibition in menageries or trophy hunting.
 

Reproduction

  Bloodeaters are highly territorial and solitary, so mating is a rare event, marked by increased movement and aggression in males. When a male bloodeater encounters a female, he will attempt to display his health with shows of strength by grinding his claws against the bark of trees and rocks. Should another male appear during this process, the two competitors will begin squaring off, swatting their raised tails from side to side in a warning gesture. If neither male refuses to yield, the dispute will escalate to a grappling match, wherein the two begin trying to pin the other to the ground with their forelimbs. Once a victor is revealed, the loser is forced to leave the area, exhausted but alive (bloodeaters are yet to be seen using their sharp proboscises in combat against one another). Afterwards, the triumphant male is free to mate with the female and will stay with her for several days, before moving on to find another potential mate.
  Gestation in females lasts over two hundred days, after which they will bear a single pup that will stay with its mother for almost two years. For the first year, the young bloodeater will be ferried around on its mother's back or be kept safe within the den, feeding on milk for the first two months before being weaned onto fresh blood, which is provided by the mother who shares her kills. The second year of the pup's life is marked by it being taught to catch soft-bodied animals that it can penetrate with its snout. Once the young bloodeater is old enough, it will be forced to leave the mother's territory and venture out alone for new pastures. It is at this time they are at their most vulnerable, with no permanent home drastically increasing the risk of predation from Pararongo's larger hunters.
 

Lifespan and Diseases

  Bloodeaters are quite long lived compared to their insectivorous counterparts, averaging a lifespan of thirty years or so. This is linked to the greater parental care and longer developmental stage of the young bloodeater pups. The biggest ailment that seems to hound the species is a disposition towards developing cataracts that rapidly progress to a point that when the symptoms first appear, it may be only a matter of weeks before the eyes are completely clouded over, rendering the bloodeater blind. This is linked to a bacterial infection that targets proteins in the lens of the eyes, causing them to rapidly breakdown. This disease is so widespread it seems that at some point an adult is almost guaranteed to contract it past a certain age, being the indirect primary cause of death in mature bloodeaters. This susceptibility is thought to have arisen after the species experienced a severe genetic bottleneck.
  Other common diseases include ticks and parasitic worms, especially tapeworm derivatives that are ingested whilst feeding on blood. Anaemia is prevalent in populations that commonly feed in areas where these nematode worms are present. A rarer but much more serious health defect is soft tissue mineralization, where genes that regulate the ossification of the bloodeater's muzzle are inhibited, resulting in bony growths along and inside the body. Progression of this disorder will eventually lead to paralysis of the animal, with joints being fused together and unable to move, rendering it helpless.
 

Affinity for Magic

  Bloodeaters are yet to be observed using any advanced applications of magic, with the two studied individuals with the ability to manifest it mainly harnessing magic for instinctual enhancement of physical capabilities. Therefore the species has been assigned as a "Moderate Arcane Entities", placing them in the same category of average arcane aptitude as most other mammalian species.