Ice Worm
Size/Category: Giant Animal (Insect)
Stats:
Mind: Untrained 20
Body: Expert 11
Magic: Untrained 20
Number of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: Bite
Special Attacks: Swallow whole
Special Defenses: Nil
Special Abilities: Burrow through ice, snow, and frozen earth
Magic Resistence: Nil
Stats:
Mind: Untrained 20
Body: Expert 11
Magic: Untrained 20
Number of Attacks: 1
Damage/Attack: Bite
Special Attacks: Swallow whole
Special Defenses: Nil
Special Abilities: Burrow through ice, snow, and frozen earth
Magic Resistence: Nil
Climate/Terrain: Any arctic
Frequency: Rare
Organization: Solitary
Activity Cycle: Any
Intelligence: Animal
Language: None
Alignment: Neutral
Description:
Ice Worms are gigantic wormlike creatures with leathery skin that ranges in color from dirty white to muddy brown. They have a maw that opens wider than the circumference to their body, ringed with three beaklike hard claws that can snap shut with enough force to bite a stone giant in half. They can swallow a man-sized animal whole, and the throat is lined in backward-facing spikes that shred anything going down it, and make it impossible to climb back out. Ice Worms get as large as 100 ft. long.
Frequency: Rare
Organization: Solitary
Activity Cycle: Any
Intelligence: Animal
Language: None
Alignment: Neutral
Description:
Ice Worms are gigantic wormlike creatures with leathery skin that ranges in color from dirty white to muddy brown. They have a maw that opens wider than the circumference to their body, ringed with three beaklike hard claws that can snap shut with enough force to bite a stone giant in half. They can swallow a man-sized animal whole, and the throat is lined in backward-facing spikes that shred anything going down it, and make it impossible to climb back out. Ice Worms get as large as 100 ft. long.
Combat:
The most frequent encounter with an Ice Worm is to literally stumble on them. They like to burrow beneath snow and ice, laying in wait for anything that happens by, then lunging up out of their cover to swallow the unfortunate victim whole - or in bites, if need be. They will also burrow down into subterranean caverns and cave systems.
The most frequent encounter with an Ice Worm is to literally stumble on them. They like to burrow beneath snow and ice, laying in wait for anything that happens by, then lunging up out of their cover to swallow the unfortunate victim whole - or in bites, if need be. They will also burrow down into subterranean caverns and cave systems.
Habitat/Society:
Ice worms can live in any arctic environment if there is enough food, and they are capable of going dormant and surviving for up to five years without eating anything. They are hermaphroditic so do not require mates, and if encountering another Worm, will fight violently until one or the other is dead, then eat the fallen. If there is enough food in an area, a Worm will reproduce, with the litter of 6-10 young Worms eating their way out of the parent after a 3-month gestation period. Obviously, the parent doesn't survive this. For the first few days of life, the worms will tolerate each other as they spread out to develop their own territories. After that they will fight any of their siblings encountered.
Ice worms can live in any arctic environment if there is enough food, and they are capable of going dormant and surviving for up to five years without eating anything. They are hermaphroditic so do not require mates, and if encountering another Worm, will fight violently until one or the other is dead, then eat the fallen. If there is enough food in an area, a Worm will reproduce, with the litter of 6-10 young Worms eating their way out of the parent after a 3-month gestation period. Obviously, the parent doesn't survive this. For the first few days of life, the worms will tolerate each other as they spread out to develop their own territories. After that they will fight any of their siblings encountered.
Ecology:
Ice Worms tend to control their own population - they don't reproduce unless there is an overabundance of food, and if the food gets short, they go looking for it fight with any other Worms they encounter. They will eat anything that is alive, no matter what it is. Or try to, at any rate.
Ice Worms tend to control their own population - they don't reproduce unless there is an overabundance of food, and if the food gets short, they go looking for it fight with any other Worms they encounter. They will eat anything that is alive, no matter what it is. Or try to, at any rate.
