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Description
Though I have been travelling the world and studying its many animals and creatures for years, only recently have I had the chance to travel to the Underworld. This was not because I wasn't interested in delving down into the depths, oh no! It's because getting there is pretty tricky when you aren't a demon or a shade. There are only so many cave systems or tunnels that descend deep enough to connect to its labyrinthine networks. Not every cavern you find will lead to the Underworld, as many are just surface features. The other problem is that their locations aren't exactly advertised. With the surface world and Underworld not getting together that great (you know, with all the religious strife and what not), demons and shades are smart to hide the entrances and make sure people don't wander into their territory. Entrances that have been discovered near settlements and cities are usually occupied by military forces, who aren't really open to letting a dryad wander past their defenses. On the flip side of that, demons and dryads have not always seen eye to eye. Coming to the surface and burning our forests down during their ancient attempt of cleansing has still left a bad taste in my kind's mouth, even though that event occurred a couple centuries ago. Their battalions and rouges also finding that we are easily flammable is also a pretty sore spot, especially when they made a game out of it. Thankfully, those times have long passed, but still some hostility sits between our kinds. So I couldn't exactly waltz into some hidden entrance and expect them to welcome me with open arms. Rather, I had to pull some favors from my contacts to get a hold of a surface dwelling demon who was still in good terms with the Underworld. I got to talk to him, and he hooked me up with a group of his, who finally gave me access to the Underworld. They were happy to be my guide down below, and they also served as bodyguards when ever we ran into demons who had less open minds.

Besides that though, what got me interested in the Underworld was stories I had heard about their flora and fauna. Strange creatures and bizarre plants that grow down below. I had heard from a colleague that some of the critters that scurried through those tunnels resembled creatures from up above, and I just had to see it with my own eyes! At first I thought he was pulling my roots, as there was no way creatures separated by miles of earth and rock could look similar! Imagine my surprise when I first ran into a Clinger! I may not be a champion of insect identification, but I know a butterfly when I see one! It is true that they are much larger than butterflies we have up above, and their bodies have undergone changes, but there is just too many similarities for it to be coincidence! I am not the only one to enter this debate, as other natural historians have wondered about Clingers and butterflies as well. Are they truly butterflies, or creatures that have come to resemble them? I could put in some guesses, but there are dozens of papers that would cover this subject better than I.

Clingers are large insects that live down in the tunnel systems of the Underworld. A full grown adult will stand about four feet tall, but that is only if they are standing on their hind legs. Clingers alternate between a two legged and a six legged stance. They walk on two legs when on flat ground, as its helps them move a bit faster and spot predators more easily. They only crawl when on the walls or ceilings of caves and tunnels. Clingers get their names from the fact that most of their time is spent locked onto rocky walls, using their six legs to remain anchored. Though thin, they have strong muscles for holding on, which helps them from being dislodged by predators. Clingers climb these walls in search for small holes and burrows, some that are no thicker than your thumb. Many small critters and mushrooms hide themselves in these holes, so that predators cannot reach them. Though the arms of a Clinger are quite thin, they are not suited for reaching into these tiny hideaways. That is what their mouths are for. Just like the curled proboscis of a butterfly, Clingers have long proboscises that can unfurl and slither into these holes. A sharp tip at the end allows the puncturing of skin or rinds, and the Clinger can drain away fluids. In some cases, the Clinger can pull the prey out of the hole with their proboscis, but they mainly do that when they seek to leave the area quickly. No sense leaving your meal behind.

The large eyes of the Clinger allows them to spot these small holes, while their flexible antenna can drag themselves across surfaces to pick up a scent. You can usually see a Clinger slowly making their way across a wall, only stopping when finding a hole to probe.

Another feature that is sure to catch one's eye is their wings. While butterflies have large, beautiful wings, the Clinger does not possess such magnificence. Their wings have practically atrophied to the point where they are useless. No matter how many demons or shades I have asked, none have ever seen a Clinger fly with them. It is probably because flying within these tunnel systems is not practical for creatures their size. Best to just stick to walls and floors for now.

To those who live in the Underworld, Clingers have their uses. One of them is pest removal. Small rats, insects and other pests love to hide in tiny burrows, which are not easy to reach. Villages that suffer from a pest problem often will bring in Clingers from the wild and let them loose so they can eat these critters. Clingers are not dangerous to anyone, as long as they are not attacked and forced to defend themselves. They prefer to run when danger arises, scurrying away from threats. When the Clingers clean up the problem, the demons will either return them to the wild or just eat them. Yeah, not the kind of thank you one would expect. Clingers are eaten by the denizens down below, feeding primarily on the meat within their body segments. These sections do not boast a large amount of meat, so many chop it up and mix it into stews or mushroom bowls. Their long thin limbs hardly have anything within them that is worth a meal, but they make for a nice snack. Breaking the limbs by their joints and cooking them up in a certain seasoning makes for a crunchy snack stick to tide one over. My guides made sure that I tried all the local favorites, and this was one of the recipes I got to enjoy. They are definitely quite good, but not very filling, pretty much eaten to just get the taste. I do recommend chewing them thoroughly, as having shards of exoskeleton sliding down your throat is not very pleasant. They can be kind of messy to eat, since they crack apart with each bite and scatter pieces everywhere, but apparently that is what the wings are for. Makes for a very interesting napkin.

Chlora Myron
Dryad Natural Historian

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Slowly working on populating the Underworld with some critters. False Olms, Isodons, Tectons, Desmodals and now Clingers!

Description
Though I have been travelling the world and studying its many animals and creatures for years, only recently have I had the chance to travel to the Underworld. This was not because I wasn't interested in delving down into the depths, oh no! It's because getting there is pretty tricky when you aren't a demon or a shade. There are only so many cave systems or tunnels that descend deep enough to connect to its labyrinthine networks. Not every cavern you find will lead to the Underworld, as many are just surface features. The other problem is that their locations aren't exactly advertised. With the surface world and Underworld not getting together that great (you know, with all the religious strife and what not), demons and shades are smart to hide the entrances and make sure people don't wander into their territory. Entrances that have been discovered near settlements and cities are usually occupied by military forces, who aren't really open to letting a dryad wander past their defenses. On the flip side of that, demons and dryads have not always seen eye to eye. Coming to the surface and burning our forests down during their ancient attempt of cleansing has still left a bad taste in my kind's mouth, even though that event occurred a couple centuries ago. Their battalions and rouges also finding that we are easily flammable is also a pretty sore spot, especially when they made a game out of it. Thankfully, those times have long passed, but still some hostility sits between our kinds. So I couldn't exactly waltz into some hidden entrance and expect them to welcome me with open arms. Rather, I had to pull some favors from my contacts to get a hold of a surface dwelling demon who was still in good terms with the Underworld. I got to talk to him, and he hooked me up with a group of his, who finally gave me access to the Underworld. They were happy to be my guide down below, and they also served as bodyguards when ever we ran into demons who had less open minds.

Besides that though, what got me interested in the Underworld was stories I had heard about their flora and fauna. Strange creatures and bizarre plants that grow down below. I had heard from a colleague that some of the critters that scurried through those tunnels resembled creatures from up above, and I just had to see it with my own eyes! At first I thought he was pulling my roots, as there was no way creatures separated by miles of earth and rock could look similar! Imagine my surprise when I first ran into a Clinger! I may not be a champion of insect identification, but I know a butterfly when I see one! It is true that they are much larger than butterflies we have up above, and their bodies have undergone changes, but there is just too many similarities for it to be coincidence! I am not the only one to enter this debate, as other natural historians have wondered about Clingers and butterflies as well. Are they truly butterflies, or creatures that have come to resemble them? I could put in some guesses, but there are dozens of papers that would cover this subject better than I.

Clingers are large insects that live down in the tunnel systems of the Underworld. A full grown adult will stand about four feet tall, but that is only if they are standing on their hind legs. Clingers alternate between a two legged and a six legged stance. They walk on two legs when on flat ground, as its helps them move a bit faster and spot predators more easily. They only crawl when on the walls or ceilings of caves and tunnels. Clingers get their names from the fact that most of their time is spent locked onto rocky walls, using their six legs to remain anchored. Though thin, they have strong muscles for holding on, which helps them from being dislodged by predators. Clingers climb these walls in search for small holes and burrows, some that are no thicker than your thumb. Many small critters and mushrooms hide themselves in these holes, so that predators cannot reach them. Though the arms of a Clinger are quite thin, they are not suited for reaching into these tiny hideaways. That is what their mouths are for. Just like the curled proboscis of a butterfly, Clingers have long proboscises that can unfurl and slither into these holes. A sharp tip at the end allows the puncturing of skin or rinds, and the Clinger can drain away fluids. In some cases, the Clinger can pull the prey out of the hole with their proboscis, but they mainly do that when they seek to leave the area quickly. No sense leaving your meal behind.

The large eyes of the Clinger allows them to spot these small holes, while their flexible antenna can drag themselves across surfaces to pick up a scent. You can usually see a Clinger slowly making their way across a wall, only stopping when finding a hole to probe.

Another feature that is sure to catch one's eye is their wings. While butterflies have large, beautiful wings, the Clinger does not possess such magnificence. Their wings have practically atrophied to the point where they are useless. No matter how many demons or shades I have asked, none have ever seen a Clinger fly with them. It is probably because flying within these tunnel systems is not practical for creatures their size. Best to just stick to walls and floors for now.

To those who live in the Underworld, Clingers have their uses. One of them is pest removal. Small rats, insects and other pests love to hide in tiny burrows, which are not easy to reach. Villages that suffer from a pest problem often will bring in Clingers from the wild and let them loose so they can eat these critters. Clingers are not dangerous to anyone, as long as they are not attacked and forced to defend themselves. They prefer to run when danger arises, scurrying away from threats. When the Clingers clean up the problem, the demons will either return them to the wild or just eat them. Yeah, not the kind of thank you one would expect. Clingers are eaten by the denizens down below, feeding primarily on the meat within their body segments. These sections do not boast a large amount of meat, so many chop it up and mix it into stews or mushroom bowls. Their long thin limbs hardly have anything within them that is worth a meal, but they make for a nice snack. Breaking the limbs by their joints and cooking them up in a certain seasoning makes for a crunchy snack stick to tide one over. My guides made sure that I tried all the local favorites, and this was one of the recipes I got to enjoy. They are definitely quite good, but not very filling, pretty much eaten to just get the taste. I do recommend chewing them thoroughly, as having shards of exoskeleton sliding down your throat is not very pleasant. They can be kind of messy to eat, since they crack apart with each bite and scatter pieces everywhere, but apparently that is what the wings are for. Makes for a very interesting napkin.

Chlora Myron
Dryad Natural Historian

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Slowly working on populating the Underworld with some critters. False Olms, Isodons, Tectons, Desmodals and now Clingers!