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The-Episiarch — The Grave Tender

Published: 2011-08-13 08:48:31 +0000 UTC; Views: 2492; Favourites: 22; Downloads: 0
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Description The Grave Tender is the primary host of a deadly pathogen, with which it has a mutualistic relation. This pathogen resides as an innocuous microflora within the gut of the slow-moving Grave Tender. There, they exist as dormant spores. But once they are released into the environment via the Grave Tender's feces, they activate and become infective. Should the infective spores come into contact with an animal, they immediate begin extending tendrils which burrow into the body of their new victim, digesting any bodily tissue in their path. As the pathogen grows, it also secretes an anesthetizing neurotoxin which eventually puts the victim into a permanent coma.

The pathogen then sprout brightly-coloured fruiting bodies which erupt from the corpse. These fruiting bodies are avidly consume by the Grave Tender and form the basis of its very exclusive diet. Within the gut of the Grave Tender, the spores of the pathogen are liberated and develop into the next stage where it can once again begin the deadly cycle anew.

The Grave Tender roams over a large territory and defecates frequently, spreading deadly, infective spores all over its domain. By doing so, it is in fact planting the seeds which secure its food supply, as any animal which wanders into the Grave Tender's territory has a high chance of becoming infected (and killed) by the spores. As the Grave Tender lumbers across its domain, it harvests and consumes the fruit of its deadly crop. Thus it is easy to spot the territory of the Grave Tender, littered with numerous corpses, each spotting succulent brightly-coloured fruiting bodies.
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Comments: 4

ArgentDandelion [2012-03-15 16:37:52 +0000 UTC]

The Grave Tender does not seem to have eyes. How does it reach its "fruit" crop? Does it have a keen sense of smell? Can it echolocate?

What do the "fruits" taste like? Oranges? Strawberries? Pineapples? Some blend of fruits that would be difficult to describe?

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The-Episiarch In reply to ArgentDandelion [2012-03-16 06:14:34 +0000 UTC]

Well, I only showed the Grave Tender's mouthpart - the rest of its body is off-screen. The rest of detail I leave to the viewer's imagination - maybe it does have eyes but they are off-screen, maybe it is blind and locate its "crops" via scent. It's up to you, just like how the "fruits" might taste like.

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Whachamacallit1 [2012-01-08 23:24:39 +0000 UTC]

Wow, that's actually a really cool creature you made there. But I'm wondering if their specialized form of hunting limits their range.

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The-Episiarch In reply to Whachamacallit1 [2012-01-09 03:08:13 +0000 UTC]

Possibly, it's not even really a specialized form of hunting, more like a specialized form of farming - with a self-planting crop which grows on a living substrate (and subsequently killing them) and spread via the consumer's feces.

It's more of a macabre form of agriculture - inspired by leaf-cutter ants which grow specialized fungi for food. For other forms of unusual (to us) agriculture, see also [link]

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