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fandomhigh2018-01-24 01:50 am
arboreal_priestess) wrote in fandomhigh2018-01-24 01:50 am
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The Cryptozoologist's Field Guide, Wednesday, Per 1
Monday's battle with the lindworm was still on Verity's brain, which was why she'd chosen today's lesson.
"A great deal of cryptozoology is about conservatism," Verity explained once the class had all arrived. "This, unfortunately means trying to preserve the lives of a lot of cryptids that don't have the same reservations about you. For example, we have the lindworm, which we're pretty sure Mother Nature invented while hung over, projecting all of her hatred and aggression at the world into one eighteen-foot-long, armor-plated, cold-blooded, reptilian, obligate carnivore."
With a wave of her hand, a lindworm appeared, frozen in place. It looked like a skink, only its length was measured in yards instead of inches and a series of sharp spines that started right between the eyes and followed the spine all the way down to the tip of its tail. Its belly and tail were bright, electric blue because lindworm were the apex predator in their habitats.
"This is a male lindworm. Females are usually a few feet bigger and their hind legs are a little more formed, because they use them to dig out a den that the mated pair will hibernate in during the winter. That means that female lindworm may also use their hind legs to kick, which is one more thing to worry about, in case the claws, teeth, and size. Lindworm eat their prey whole, including bones, hide, offal, and hair, as well as clothing, camping gear, firearms, and mining equipment. They also have exceptionally good eyesight, an excellent sense of smell, and a nasty disposition: they're aggressive, territorial, and mean.. And, just because no suck-sundae is ever complete without the cherry, lindworm hunt very close to their pair-bonded mate. You may only see one lindworm, but if it starts to make noises of pain or distress, its mate will come quickly to investigate, giving you not one but two lindworm to fight."
Which very rarely turned out well for the person fighting the lindworm.
"Their habitats range all over the world, from the desert to the sub-arctic, though many regions haven't had a lindworm sighting in centuries. Any time a lindworm comes in contact with sapient species, there is almost immediately some kind of conflict, because more sapients take it poorly when their dogs, livestock, and small children start to go missing. This becomes more difficult when taking the lindworm's natural defenses and hardiness into account. Their armor is highly resistant to bullets and bladed weapons. Even prying some of the armor off, the lindworm's muscles and tissue are dense, requiring several bullet into vital points to take effect. The only guaranteed methods of death are decapitation or total destruction of the body, and there are reports of some lindworm surviving several days without a head, which is comforting to no one at all."
"A great deal of cryptozoology is about conservatism," Verity explained once the class had all arrived. "This, unfortunately means trying to preserve the lives of a lot of cryptids that don't have the same reservations about you. For example, we have the lindworm, which we're pretty sure Mother Nature invented while hung over, projecting all of her hatred and aggression at the world into one eighteen-foot-long, armor-plated, cold-blooded, reptilian, obligate carnivore."
With a wave of her hand, a lindworm appeared, frozen in place. It looked like a skink, only its length was measured in yards instead of inches and a series of sharp spines that started right between the eyes and followed the spine all the way down to the tip of its tail. Its belly and tail were bright, electric blue because lindworm were the apex predator in their habitats.
"This is a male lindworm. Females are usually a few feet bigger and their hind legs are a little more formed, because they use them to dig out a den that the mated pair will hibernate in during the winter. That means that female lindworm may also use their hind legs to kick, which is one more thing to worry about, in case the claws, teeth, and size. Lindworm eat their prey whole, including bones, hide, offal, and hair, as well as clothing, camping gear, firearms, and mining equipment. They also have exceptionally good eyesight, an excellent sense of smell, and a nasty disposition: they're aggressive, territorial, and mean.. And, just because no suck-sundae is ever complete without the cherry, lindworm hunt very close to their pair-bonded mate. You may only see one lindworm, but if it starts to make noises of pain or distress, its mate will come quickly to investigate, giving you not one but two lindworm to fight."
Which very rarely turned out well for the person fighting the lindworm.
"Their habitats range all over the world, from the desert to the sub-arctic, though many regions haven't had a lindworm sighting in centuries. Any time a lindworm comes in contact with sapient species, there is almost immediately some kind of conflict, because more sapients take it poorly when their dogs, livestock, and small children start to go missing. This becomes more difficult when taking the lindworm's natural defenses and hardiness into account. Their armor is highly resistant to bullets and bladed weapons. Even prying some of the armor off, the lindworm's muscles and tissue are dense, requiring several bullet into vital points to take effect. The only guaranteed methods of death are decapitation or total destruction of the body, and there are reports of some lindworm surviving several days without a head, which is comforting to no one at all."
Re: Question 2
She had a feeling Molly already knew that, having died twice now.
"Running is a decent option, but these suckers are fast. How do you make sure you get away?"
Re: Question 2