Vinumia
From Mizahar Lore
| "It felt like a petching horror novel. One minute just wading through the water, friend hacking away at vines. Kept telling him to stop I did, and what happens? He gets hauled into the water like a flailing fish. Was funny the first time, then we realized we were in deep shyke." - Hathor Jengins, Zeltivan Traveler |
| Landspawn | |
| Frequency | Uncommon |
|---|---|
| Threat level | Low to High |
| Major features | Body made of vines and plant life, very large. |
| Abilities | Dispersion |
| Most common in | Swamps, bogs. |
Vinumia (pl. Vinumae) is a landspawn composed entirely of vines and flora found in select few swamps of Mizahar. They are a solitary creature with a normally docile nature unless readily provoked and are territorial to the point that if any harm comes to its habitat it will charge. If they are forced into combat, they are vicious, and will not stop their pursuit of an intruder until it’s dead. They can disperse their bodies in the water and reform, and even on land they are very hard to kill.
The Vinumae are strange creatures with limited intelligence that generally revolve around an animalistic need for survival and an innate desire to protect. They are capable of producing seeds and giving birth to more Vinumae by placing the beating seeds they produce (almost like a heart) in the essence infused mud and waters of the swamp.
Contents |
History
Before the Valterrian event, the natural djed that formed and swirled about the lands caused many new and unexpected creatures to either evolve or emerge. The Vinumae were born of the excess of life enhanced by the coming of the Valterrian, that accumulated in the embankments of its swamp habitat, mixing unknown magical properties into the silt that the aquatic plants depend on for nutrients. Seeds that had been planted deep in the bottom of the soil for centuries were forced to the surface, pulsing with life, and the vines and plants around it were attracted and bonded to it. So it came to be that the Vinumae were formed of these various flora, becoming a plant being with a desire to protect their home. A variety of the creatures can occur, and some are far more territorial than others.
Biology
The body of a Vinumia is, as should be suggested, almost entirely made of vines. Often flowers or mushrooms will bloom on the body and skin, that can be anything from purely magical, invisible substances to hardened silt and even patches of bedrock from the bottom of its habitation. It incorporates many hard minerals into its physiology, for added protection as well as camouflage, and they can often be mistaken for lily beds when floating dormant in the surface of the water. It has no visible mouth, but uses powerful roots which can be found in every ending vine to suck in the nutrients from its food.
Their size while not dispersed is usually around 6ft and counting, with the tallest specimen being around 8ft in height. Their weight ranges around 500-600lbs.
They are primarily any shade of green, with the elder Vinumia sporting a brownish color due to their gradual inability to store water. Their heads are small compared to the size of their body and sport no visible features save for the eyes (which are merely slits that glow with a luminescence in shades of green), and most have a thick, powerful tail that can also be used as a weapon in times of need. They have four limbs and move about like lumbering humanoid reptiles, with hands that are not so much hands but a congregation of vines that can whip out, grasp, or crush prey in a viselike grip.
Vinumae feed on anything that can be found in swamps, ranging from grass and other aquatic plants, to fishes and reptiles, to humans and other sentient species. It does not hunt, rather it simply employs ambush tactics, lying in wait for its prey to come along and uses specially developed set of vines in it's body to suck the nutrients out. Strangely enough, it does not feed on the animals that reside within its body due to the symbiotic benefits it has: the creatures keep the vines healthy by eating dead parts and propagating its seeds to other places as well as forming almost a parasitic bond with the Vinumia, bestowing upon it the sense of sight, and the Vinumia in turn give the creatures protection and nutrience.
It is an asexual creature that reproduces via seeds, which is ejected through the vines themselves, and are dug into the soil to prevent predators from taking advantage. The seeds are extremely voracious mineral feeders, and has an unknown type of magical projection which attracts plant life to it. Most if not all of the seeds, however, become meals for very determined and hungry animals, thus their population is relatively kept to a minimum. A Vinumia is considered to be sexually mature by the time it has taken a shape which can take anywhere around 10-20 years.Their lifespan at this point, if kept healthy, can reach up to 50 years, at which point their vines begin to fade in color to signify their old age. Once their vines are unable to supply sustenance, the seedheart gradually shrinks, until it withers, at which point the Vinumia succumbs to death.
In regards to its ability to disperse in water, the vines of the Vinumia are loosened while submerged and it takes on a far more natural state. The seedheart is covered loosely by the plant life of the creature as it maneuvers through the water. Reforming on land may take upwards to ten minutes, and often the overall appearance of the Vinumia shifts and becomes distorted than it was previously before it had entered the water (although it still retains the overall distinctive shape of a lumbering lizard-like creature).
The Seedheart
Is the essence of the Vinumia itself. It's what gives the monster life and draws the much needed plant life and minerals to form it's body and force it to become compact, hard and durable. The Seedheart is akin to the brain of the Vinumia, and the true being behind the facade of the creature. It usually measures around 6" in height and can be thick and hearty, providing sustenance for many a beast in search of a meal. Also to take note, the Seedheart is the part of Vinumia that oozes magical properties, radiating a healthy amount of djed. Over time, the seed withers, in which case the djed lessens more in the Seedheart and transfers to the environment around it. Some magecrafters seek the seedheart for personal use, as well.
Engaging & Combat
If one were to engage with a Vinumia they would quickly realize that the creature is quite difficult to neutralize. Their bodies regenerate relatively quickly in human terms and their strikes are to kill. The Vinumia are not above tearing a person from the inside out. However, they are very slow creatures, and often take sluggish steps on land. Their Seedhearts are hidden behind the strong vines that make up their stomachs. Tear this out and rip it apart, and the Vinumia is officially determined dead. However, acquiring it is a different matter.
Drying out is a constant threat for these creatures as well. Luring them from their swamps and attacking them on dry land will result in their inability to regenerate and imminent death as well. Rainy days, on the other hand, are a different matter altogether. It wouldn't be wise to engage a creature during such weather conditions, as they would be able to tread the land without fear of dehydration.