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Description
Whenever there are tales of adventuring and exploring, such epic quests tend to go to one of three places: a desert, an ocean or a jungle. You will never hear of the long brutal journey it took for some treasure hunter to survive in the grasslands, or how they barely survived their time in coniferous forest. Though they are indeed dangerous places, I find it curious that the jungle (or rainforest) shares the same space as deserts and ocean travel. Deserts are hot, inhospitable places that only the most adept and cunning creatures can survive in, and the sea is practically a liquid version of that. For travelers, both of those places offer little shelter, almost no drinkable water and can stretch on for hundreds of miles. Jungles, however, are places teeming with life. An endless supply of animals and plants, and water practically drips from ever surface! You would think explorers would find such a place paradise in comparison! But, no, jungles are seen as dangerous lands because they are pretty much the inverse of the harsh deserts and open oceans. While the two are difficult because of the sheer, brutal emptiness, jungles are harsh because they are practically saturated with life. You couldn't find a single inch of such a place that doesn't contain some kind of creature or plant, and many of them have grown to survive in such a chaotic place. With such a large food web and such intricate systems between the vegetation, prey, predators, disease and parasite, a rainforest is almost like a complex machine. Mess with something so jam packed and tightly wound, and you may lose a couple fingers! While deserts have you squaring off against the unrelenting sun and dwindling resources, the jungle makes you struggle with predators, parasites and nasty diseases. And don't think us dryads are immune to such things! In such a hot, wet place, we have to be careful not to contract a fungal infection or a nasty case of leaf rot. Those who don't succumb to disease must be wary of the beasts that hunt below, on top and above the earth. With many layers making up the rainforest, there are plenty of places for hungry creatures to hide and attack from. Of all the wicked creatures, many know of the Eyahs that hang above in the vines and branches. These voracious omnivores seem to be the kings of the jungle, but that is not truly the case. You don't see who truly rules the roost, because....well, because you often can't see them!

The creature I am referring to is the Sarcorasil, a species of large, fly-like insects that dwell in the deep jungles. The only place you will ever find them is in rainforests and other dense, damp places. Searching for them on the ground is impossible, as they live primarily up in the canopy and above. Very rarely do they come anywhere near the floor of the jungle, only to nab prey if it happens to fall during a hunt. The rest of their lives are spent up above, zipping through the dense trees and branches in the search of prey. With so much of their time dedicated to flying and hunting, Sarcorasil are actually ill suited for any kind of ground based travel! All their limbs are adapted for perching, hanging and snaring prey, making it impossible for them to even walk! If a perching Sarcorasil wants to move a little further down a branch, it has to use its wings to fly itself over there, as its legs can't even allow it to scooch over! To make up for this, the Sarcorasil is an extremely agile and talented flier. They are capable of flying at breakneck speeds, maneuver with incredible grace and even hover in place when scanning an area. The reason this top predator is hardly referenced or seen is because they fly so fast through the canopy that they are practically blurs to the basic eye! It is incredible that they are able to maneuver through such a dense place with such speed! The last time I even tried to jog through the jungle I wound up slipping on a wet log and getting a mouthful of dirt.

The reason this species is so fast and graceful in the sky is because it is required for hunting their prey. Sarcorasil are large creatures, meaning that they would be easy to spot from a distance and smaller prey could escape into dense foliage or tree hollows. To avoid this, the Sarcorasil doesn't even give its prey the chance to spot them, as they zoom in at blinding speeds and pluck them off the branch before they can even understand that a predator is in the area. They will fly high up in the sky to search the tree tops below, staying out of the sight and smell range of other species. Their large eyes allow them to pick out small details, letting them zero in on exposed prey. They have a preference for primates, often targeting monkeys that are foraging for fruit. When prey is spotted, they plummet back to earth and dive into the canopy. There they will zip through the branches, homing in on the location of their targeted prey. Within seconds, the Sarcorasil will be upon its target, but it won't stop for such a thing. Rather, these creatures fly through prey, using their nasty talons to snare them without slowing for a moment. You would swear that a monkey just blinked out of existence when you watch a Sarcorasil hunt! They zoom in, grab the prey and keep going. When their food is secured in their powerful talons and they are far away from the crime scene, they will perch themselves on a sturdy branch and feed. Its claws and strong limbs will crush prey, and their sharpened proboscis will inject a digestive enzyme. The soup that is made out of their flesh and organs is slurped up, and then the sac of bones is dropped down below for the scavengers to enjoy. You can imagine the stories that were told when explorers had withered remains fall from the heavens!

With such a technique, Sarcorasil are unmatched predators in their element. So much so, that they are one of the few creatures capable of preying on Eyahs! True, they often target the young, old or sick, but that is still a feat! They use the same method of attack, but there are some tweaks to it in order for it to work on such large prey. They will ambush an Eyah, sometimes while they are swinging through the canopy, and grab them in their talons. Zipping away from the angered group, it will carry its struggling captor to a nice sturdy tree far away. With a decent distance between it and the Eyahs, the Sarcorasil will finish off its prey. It does this by flying at high speeds and then slamming the held Eyah into the trunk of a tree. Its limbs are designed to absorb such an impact, but fleshy bodies are not. Such a violent crash will shatter bone and pulverize internal organs. Hardly anything survives such a brutal attack. After crushing its prey, the Sarcorasil gets the added benefit of its meal already pre-liquefied! This is helpful, as it wants the enzymes to digest the body quickly so it can dine and dash. The vengeful Eyahs are often not far behind, and the Sarcorasil doesn't want to be around for that! To better help it escape from such a situation, the Sarcorasil will use its hooked limbs to dangle from a tree branch as it eats. If a predator or attacker shows up mid-meal, it can release its grip and instantly take off in a flash! Quite the crafty creatures!

When it comes to reproduction, the Sarcorasil are quite the violent lovers. Breeding season brings no fancy dances or courting rituals. Instead, male Sarcorasil will ambush females as if they were prey, trying to nab them mid-flight. They do not use their talons to crush or skewer, but they seek to capture the female so that is can breed with her. The whole ritual pretty much is: catch, mate and leave. The female will later develop eggs and lay them onto the underside of some branch in the canopy. The young are left to fend for themselves after that. Due to the nature of their reproduction, females are smaller and faster than males, helping them outmaneuver their rather forward "partner." This ensures that only the fastest and smartest of males can catch them, with all the others being left in the dust. Quite the interesting system, but I think I am happy with our current setup!

Due to their top spot on the food chain, the Sarcorasil hold a special place to those who call the jungle home. Many tribes and cultures see them as the peak of hunting prowess and speed. Totems and symbols depicting them signify the honor of an extraordinary hunter, with only the best of the tribe holding such a marker. Some believe them to be messengers and workers of the Gods, zipping across the world to spread their word and eliminating those who dare blaspheme. The Gralatars see them more as reaping angels, watchful eyes of the jungle gods. While they have a respect for them, they are also wary of these powerful predators. A Gralatar that climbs too high during foraging can become prey for such a beast, so they make sure to either keep many lookouts close by, or minimize their time exposed to the open air. To them, the tops of the trees is the closest one can get to the heavens above, and the Sarcorasil watch such a boundary like a hawk. Those who gawk at the throne of the gods for too long may catch the eye of their relentless angels.

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

-------------------------------------------------

How many giant bugs can I cram into this fantasy world? As many as I can!

Description
Whenever there are tales of adventuring and exploring, such epic quests tend to go to one of three places: a desert, an ocean or a jungle. You will never hear of the long brutal journey it took for some treasure hunter to survive in the grasslands, or how they barely survived their time in coniferous forest. Though they are indeed dangerous places, I find it curious that the jungle (or rainforest) shares the same space as deserts and ocean travel. Deserts are hot, inhospitable places that only the most adept and cunning creatures can survive in, and the sea is practically a liquid version of that. For travelers, both of those places offer little shelter, almost no drinkable water and can stretch on for hundreds of miles. Jungles, however, are places teeming with life. An endless supply of animals and plants, and water practically drips from ever surface! You would think explorers would find such a place paradise in comparison! But, no, jungles are seen as dangerous lands because they are pretty much the inverse of the harsh deserts and open oceans. While the two are difficult because of the sheer, brutal emptiness, jungles are harsh because they are practically saturated with life. You couldn't find a single inch of such a place that doesn't contain some kind of creature or plant, and many of them have grown to survive in such a chaotic place. With such a large food web and such intricate systems between the vegetation, prey, predators, disease and parasite, a rainforest is almost like a complex machine. Mess with something so jam packed and tightly wound, and you may lose a couple fingers! While deserts have you squaring off against the unrelenting sun and dwindling resources, the jungle makes you struggle with predators, parasites and nasty diseases. And don't think us dryads are immune to such things! In such a hot, wet place, we have to be careful not to contract a fungal infection or a nasty case of leaf rot. Those who don't succumb to disease must be wary of the beasts that hunt below, on top and above the earth. With many layers making up the rainforest, there are plenty of places for hungry creatures to hide and attack from. Of all the wicked creatures, many know of the Eyahs that hang above in the vines and branches. These voracious omnivores seem to be the kings of the jungle, but that is not truly the case. You don't see who truly rules the roost, because....well, because you often can't see them!

The creature I am referring to is the Sarcorasil, a species of large, fly-like insects that dwell in the deep jungles. The only place you will ever find them is in rainforests and other dense, damp places. Searching for them on the ground is impossible, as they live primarily up in the canopy and above. Very rarely do they come anywhere near the floor of the jungle, only to nab prey if it happens to fall during a hunt. The rest of their lives are spent up above, zipping through the dense trees and branches in the search of prey. With so much of their time dedicated to flying and hunting, Sarcorasil are actually ill suited for any kind of ground based travel! All their limbs are adapted for perching, hanging and snaring prey, making it impossible for them to even walk! If a perching Sarcorasil wants to move a little further down a branch, it has to use its wings to fly itself over there, as its legs can't even allow it to scooch over! To make up for this, the Sarcorasil is an extremely agile and talented flier. They are capable of flying at breakneck speeds, maneuver with incredible grace and even hover in place when scanning an area. The reason this top predator is hardly referenced or seen is because they fly so fast through the canopy that they are practically blurs to the basic eye! It is incredible that they are able to maneuver through such a dense place with such speed! The last time I even tried to jog through the jungle I wound up slipping on a wet log and getting a mouthful of dirt.

The reason this species is so fast and graceful in the sky is because it is required for hunting their prey. Sarcorasil are large creatures, meaning that they would be easy to spot from a distance and smaller prey could escape into dense foliage or tree hollows. To avoid this, the Sarcorasil doesn't even give its prey the chance to spot them, as they zoom in at blinding speeds and pluck them off the branch before they can even understand that a predator is in the area. They will fly high up in the sky to search the tree tops below, staying out of the sight and smell range of other species. Their large eyes allow them to pick out small details, letting them zero in on exposed prey. They have a preference for primates, often targeting monkeys that are foraging for fruit. When prey is spotted, they plummet back to earth and dive into the canopy. There they will zip through the branches, homing in on the location of their targeted prey. Within seconds, the Sarcorasil will be upon its target, but it won't stop for such a thing. Rather, these creatures fly through prey, using their nasty talons to snare them without slowing for a moment. You would swear that a monkey just blinked out of existence when you watch a Sarcorasil hunt! They zoom in, grab the prey and keep going. When their food is secured in their powerful talons and they are far away from the crime scene, they will perch themselves on a sturdy branch and feed. Its claws and strong limbs will crush prey, and their sharpened proboscis will inject a digestive enzyme. The soup that is made out of their flesh and organs is slurped up, and then the sac of bones is dropped down below for the scavengers to enjoy. You can imagine the stories that were told when explorers had withered remains fall from the heavens!

With such a technique, Sarcorasil are unmatched predators in their element. So much so, that they are one of the few creatures capable of preying on Eyahs! True, they often target the young, old or sick, but that is still a feat! They use the same method of attack, but there are some tweaks to it in order for it to work on such large prey. They will ambush an Eyah, sometimes while they are swinging through the canopy, and grab them in their talons. Zipping away from the angered group, it will carry its struggling captor to a nice sturdy tree far away. With a decent distance between it and the Eyahs, the Sarcorasil will finish off its prey. It does this by flying at high speeds and then slamming the held Eyah into the trunk of a tree. Its limbs are designed to absorb such an impact, but fleshy bodies are not. Such a violent crash will shatter bone and pulverize internal organs. Hardly anything survives such a brutal attack. After crushing its prey, the Sarcorasil gets the added benefit of its meal already pre-liquefied! This is helpful, as it wants the enzymes to digest the body quickly so it can dine and dash. The vengeful Eyahs are often not far behind, and the Sarcorasil doesn't want to be around for that! To better help it escape from such a situation, the Sarcorasil will use its hooked limbs to dangle from a tree branch as it eats. If a predator or attacker shows up mid-meal, it can release its grip and instantly take off in a flash! Quite the crafty creatures!

When it comes to reproduction, the Sarcorasil are quite the violent lovers. Breeding season brings no fancy dances or courting rituals. Instead, male Sarcorasil will ambush females as if they were prey, trying to nab them mid-flight. They do not use their talons to crush or skewer, but they seek to capture the female so that is can breed with her. The whole ritual pretty much is: catch, mate and leave. The female will later develop eggs and lay them onto the underside of some branch in the canopy. The young are left to fend for themselves after that. Due to the nature of their reproduction, females are smaller and faster than males, helping them outmaneuver their rather forward "partner." This ensures that only the fastest and smartest of males can catch them, with all the others being left in the dust. Quite the interesting system, but I think I am happy with our current setup!

Due to their top spot on the food chain, the Sarcorasil hold a special place to those who call the jungle home. Many tribes and cultures see them as the peak of hunting prowess and speed. Totems and symbols depicting them signify the honor of an extraordinary hunter, with only the best of the tribe holding such a marker. Some believe them to be messengers and workers of the Gods, zipping across the world to spread their word and eliminating those who dare blaspheme. The Gralatars see them more as reaping angels, watchful eyes of the jungle gods. While they have a respect for them, they are also wary of these powerful predators. A Gralatar that climbs too high during foraging can become prey for such a beast, so they make sure to either keep many lookouts close by, or minimize their time exposed to the open air. To them, the tops of the trees is the closest one can get to the heavens above, and the Sarcorasil watch such a boundary like a hawk. Those who gawk at the throne of the gods for too long may catch the eye of their relentless angels.

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

-------------------------------------------------

How many giant bugs can I cram into this fantasy world? As many as I can!