Smoke Strider

"Pa always said to steer clear of the deepest part of the woods. Now I know why..."
—Anonymous hunter after their encounter with a Smoke Strider

Overview

The Smoke Strider, also called the Mist Stalker or the Fog Walker, is an immense, tripodal arthropod species that dwells in the deepest forests of Haven. Known for its ability to expel a disorienting smog to catch its prey, the Smoke Strider is among the most dangerous predators to encounter in the wild. Due to the danger these creatures pose, hunting parties are formed to bring them down should one stray too close to any populated area.

Characteristics

Appearance

The Smoke Strider is among the largest arthropods on Haven. Three towering legs support a bulbous central body the size of a peasant hut crowned with three snakelike eyestalks that constantly search for any potential prey. On the creature's underside is an enormous mouth filled with grasping tentacles poised to reach out and snatch up unfortunate creatures beneath it. The Smoke Strider's body is covered in a tough, chitinous exoskeleton that shields it from most attacks, though this does limit the creature's speed. This makes it easy for most creatures to flee from a Stalker should one approach.

Biology

The Smoke Stalker possesses a series of glands located close to its mouth that emit a thick, smoky gas to shroud the area around it in smog. In addition to being hard to see through, any creature that inhales this smog will become disoriented as their senses grow dull. This makes them easy targets for the Smoke Stalker's tentacles, with a single Stalker able to grab several beings at once. However, the Smoke Stalker has a hard time grabbing

The Smoke Stalker is a notorious carnivore, feeding on anything that it can catch. It typically feeds on deer and boar, though it will devour anything that falls under the effects of its smog. Once it catches a meal, the prey is reeled into its mouth by its tentacles. Once the prey is secured, the mouth seals shut as digestive juices are pumped into the chamber. The Smoke Stalker's acids are strong enough to melt even solid rock, with most forms of mundane armor providing little protection against it.

Smoke Stalkers communicate with each other via a series of pheromone signals. When a female is ready to make, it emits a certain pheromone that males can sense for miles. When a male does eventually come, it will inject a special tentacle into the female's underside and fertilize her eggs, leaving once the process is complete. The female will then find a secluded place to lay her eggs, which hatch after around seven months. Young Smoke Stalkers will stay close to their mother for the first ten or so years of their lives, learning how to hunt with their smog before eventually setting off on their own.

Behavior

Smoke Stalkers are solitary creatures, only converging which each other to mate. They're incredibly patient hunters, often lying in wait for hours or even days at a time for a meal to approach it. Countless creatures have met their end after foolishly wandering into a Stalker's territory only to fall under the effects of the smog and be snatched up. Smoke Stalkers tend to only move at night, allowing them to move to new feeding grounds under cover of darkness.

Smoke Stalkers dwell within the deepest, foggiest forests of Haven, their heavy footfalls echoing for miles around. The fog not only provides them with excellent camouflage, but it also masks their mind-numbing smog, making them even more dangerous. When wandering in these deep woods, one can never tell whether the fog around them is normal or the product of a hungry Stalker until it is too late. For this reason, most travelers avoid these areas like the plague, only trekking through them when absolutely necessary. It is not uncommon to find the remains of lost merchant caravans in a Stalker's territory, which has led to more than a few treasure hunters going missing trying to locate them.

Smoke Strider Hunting

Usually, Smoke Stalkers are content to stay in their forest homes and feed on the animals within. However, they sometimes stray too close to villages or towns along the forest's edge, becoming quite acquainted with the taste of Mythra, Gnarvesh and other beings. Entire communities have vanished overnight after falling under the effects of a Smoke Strider's smog, turning once-prosperous communities into ghost towns. To counter this threat, most settlements located near large forests have trained their own dedicated hunting parties for the purpose of killing Smoke Stalkers should one appear.

In order to bring Smoke Stalkers down, hunters use ballistae loaded huge barbed bolts attached to heavy chains. When enough bolts find their mark, they are reeled back in order to drag the Stalker to the ground and kill it easily. To counter the effects of the creature's smog, hunters will wear special masks filled with a special mixture of herbs that heighten the senses to the point where the smog's disorienting effects become an afterthought. However, these herbs are known for their addictive properties, and Stalker hunters are known to keep their masks on for days on end to make the effects last as long as possible.

Notable Individuals

TBA