A slow, gruesome way to die. Vile, but a beneficial member of the Deor species: The Deor Kormarac.
Deor Kormaracs are a slightly uncommon Deor subspecies found in the Black Forest.
Despite being the size of infant fawns, Kormaracs are actually fully grown. Their parasitic role in the Deor Kingdom labels the grotesque creatures as hunter-gathers, sent off into the wilds to collect food. Kormaras hunt with ambush tactics, using their small size and wall clinging to lie in wait before jumping their prey. Their mantis-like legs are hollow, storing paralyzing venom to incapacitate their prey, potent enough to cripple even the largest of animals, including humans. Once their prey is immobilized, Kormaracs use their meter-long prehensile tongues to burrow into the meal's flesh; the appendage sports dozens of tiny barbs that cut through flesh and spew digestive fluids to liquify organic matter. Once the prey's meat has been melted enough, the Kormarc will begin drinking it, using the many barbs on the tongue like miniature straws. Often times, they'll stick the tongue down their victim's throat if they can, bypassing the tough skin and feeding directly from the inner meat of the prey.
Kormaracs function like ticks, able to drain and consume three times their body weight. Once their own hunger is satisfied, the Kormarac will continue sucking the liquified innards, storing it into the elastic sac on their backs. This sac can swell to considerable size, even to dangerous proportions that hinder its movement. Once full enough, the creature will retreat back to Deor territory, carrying a full sack of meaty mush to any pregnant Deor or recently-born fawns who can't feed themselves. They feed others similarly to birds, regurgitating it through their mouths.
The sac is capable of preserving the food for up to four days, until it's considered spoiled and the Kormarc must empty itself by vomiting it out. The more food stored, the more energy will be sapped from the animal, forcing it to sleep longer. Other Deor will commonly pick up Kormarcs and transport them around. They are most common around breeding nests, deliberately kept nearby to easily feed newborns right away.
Kormaracs never hunt alone. This is mostly for their own protection, as their small size can make them a target for predators. ESPECIALLY if they've already fed, and their sacs are swollen with meat pulp, which something like a wolf would be able to smell. Swollen Kormaracs would be a massive meal for anything killing it, so they never hunt alone, moving in terrifying swarms.
Posted Sep 16, 2024, 6:49 PM UTC