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Description
The first time I heard of the Stalked Men was when I was being told a tale of horror in a darkened long house. Locals of a tropic land were telling me of the terrible things that haunt the jungles and forests, and they brought up the insidious Stalked Men. Beings of incredible height that hid within the shadows, popping out of nowhere to claim their victims. Their silhouettes in the night struck fear in the bravest of hearts, and their names were practically synonymous with "demon" and "boogieman." After hearing all about these terrifying things, I dove into the jungle to see if the legends were true. What creatures could these Stalked Men be? Were they truly what the others claimed? Was I on the hunt of an otherworldly monster, ready to claim my ignorant soul? The answer that I found was a lot less horrifying, but definitely quite interesting! Stalked Men are not the nightmarish boogiemen that some claim, but fascinating creatures that do seem to defy logic!

In truth, Stalked Men are not real men or humans, they are insects. Looking into some tomes and previous research told me plenty on that. These creatures are not demonic entities or beings of the haunted night. They are simply large bugs that have quite the interesting defense mechanism! They are found in the tropics, be it jungle or forest. Though they can be intimidating, they are actually herbivorous. No souls for these beasts, they prefer to dine on fungi and rotting leaves! In their small forms, they scurry about the rainforest floor in search of food and mates. During their foraging, they may suddenly find themselves accosted by a predator. In such a time, they will unveil their hidden power, and the legend of the Stalked Men will come to life! With a startling hiss, their limbs will grow before your very eyes, stretching their bodies upwards. Their eyes will shoot out the sides of their heads, and they will become something strange and alien. Within seconds, the little cowering bug transforms into a towering creature of bizarre proportions! Many predators would flee at such a sight!

While some would call it shape-shifting, the true mechanisms behind the Stalked Men's "growth" is not so magical but indeed fantastical! Though they appear short and squat, the limbs and body of the insect hide strange structures that are scrunched up tight in their exoskeleton. These stalks are capable of switching between a rigid state and a flexible one, which allows them to shrink and stretch in mere moments! When danger approaches, the bug will inhale large quantities of air, forcing it into these collapsed structures. With the new pressure, these appendages will stretch out and harden, creating the long limbs that make these creatures so famous. Long, flexible nerves and tendons within their bodies allow them to still control these appendages, which can make them walk and "attack" predators. I write the word "attack" like that because Stalked Men rely more on intimidation than actual bodily harm. One thing you may notice is that one pair of limbs does not stretch out like the others. That is because it is required for foraging and digging, which the other limbs are not so good at. It turns out that super stretchy muscles are not that strong, causing these elongated limbs to be quite weak. Though it can stand, walk and swing its arms, there is little strength behind these actions. Even when collapsed, the legs are not nearly as hardy as the foremost pincers, forcing the Stalked Men to rely on these limbs to do any hard work. When the Stalked Men "fight" or "attack," they are merely swiping at foes and releasing hisses of air to give the impression of a violent, alien beast. Predators that were expecting a small, easy meal will be terrified of this sudden change and flee, allowing the insect to revert back and go about its day.

Even if a predator sees through such a ruse, the Stalked Men have a few tricks up their sleeves. The elongated sections of their arms do not have any major pieces that would suffer from an attack. They are quick to heal, and any injury would do little to debilitate it. If a predator chooses to bite them, their teeth will pierce the limb and release the pressurized air. The sudden discharge of air will startle the attacker, giving the insect a chance to flee. The Stalked Men can also collapse their limbs just as fast as they can grow them. When an enemy moves in to attack their stretched form, the bug can suck its limbs back and confuse the predator. The tall creature it was about to bite suddenly disappeared! What an incredible defense mechanism!

During the less dangerous times of their lives, Stalked Men prefer to dig small burrows to hide and sleep in. When their limbs are collapsed, they can easily squeeze into tight spaces, which they quite like. These holes will also be used to store their eggs during breeding season. When such a time comes around, the males will climb onto trees and stretch their limbs out to the max. By waving their arms in a strange "dance," they hope to catch the attention of the females who are looking for a mate. Those with the longest eyes and limbs will win favor, and they will lay dozens of eggs within their burrow. It won't be long before the larvae come scuttling out, hopefully surviving long enough to become legends like their parents!

It should be obvious enough that Stalked Men have quite the reputation in the territories they live in. Their rapid size change and alien silhouette creates a haunting image to scared folk who stumble upon them. With this, they are seen as boogiemen and demons, beasts that pop out of nowhere to steal children and devour travelers. Tales speak of tribes of these creatures that remain in these tall forms, a clan of beings that hunt men and disguise themselves as trees. I don't believe such stories are true, but they are quite fun! To those outside of these lands, they see them more as an oddity than an abomination. A creature that puzzles the mind and intrigues the curious. I am sure, though, that if they encountered the Stalked Men in the jungle, they would change their minds quite quickly!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

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

The inspiration behind these guys should be a bit obvious, but still fun nonetheless. Adding more giant bugs to things! MORE! MORE!

Description
The first time I heard of the Stalked Men was when I was being told a tale of horror in a darkened long house. Locals of a tropic land were telling me of the terrible things that haunt the jungles and forests, and they brought up the insidious Stalked Men. Beings of incredible height that hid within the shadows, popping out of nowhere to claim their victims. Their silhouettes in the night struck fear in the bravest of hearts, and their names were practically synonymous with "demon" and "boogieman." After hearing all about these terrifying things, I dove into the jungle to see if the legends were true. What creatures could these Stalked Men be? Were they truly what the others claimed? Was I on the hunt of an otherworldly monster, ready to claim my ignorant soul? The answer that I found was a lot less horrifying, but definitely quite interesting! Stalked Men are not the nightmarish boogiemen that some claim, but fascinating creatures that do seem to defy logic!

In truth, Stalked Men are not real men or humans, they are insects. Looking into some tomes and previous research told me plenty on that. These creatures are not demonic entities or beings of the haunted night. They are simply large bugs that have quite the interesting defense mechanism! They are found in the tropics, be it jungle or forest. Though they can be intimidating, they are actually herbivorous. No souls for these beasts, they prefer to dine on fungi and rotting leaves! In their small forms, they scurry about the rainforest floor in search of food and mates. During their foraging, they may suddenly find themselves accosted by a predator. In such a time, they will unveil their hidden power, and the legend of the Stalked Men will come to life! With a startling hiss, their limbs will grow before your very eyes, stretching their bodies upwards. Their eyes will shoot out the sides of their heads, and they will become something strange and alien. Within seconds, the little cowering bug transforms into a towering creature of bizarre proportions! Many predators would flee at such a sight!

While some would call it shape-shifting, the true mechanisms behind the Stalked Men's "growth" is not so magical but indeed fantastical! Though they appear short and squat, the limbs and body of the insect hide strange structures that are scrunched up tight in their exoskeleton. These stalks are capable of switching between a rigid state and a flexible one, which allows them to shrink and stretch in mere moments! When danger approaches, the bug will inhale large quantities of air, forcing it into these collapsed structures. With the new pressure, these appendages will stretch out and harden, creating the long limbs that make these creatures so famous. Long, flexible nerves and tendons within their bodies allow them to still control these appendages, which can make them walk and "attack" predators. I write the word "attack" like that because Stalked Men rely more on intimidation than actual bodily harm. One thing you may notice is that one pair of limbs does not stretch out like the others. That is because it is required for foraging and digging, which the other limbs are not so good at. It turns out that super stretchy muscles are not that strong, causing these elongated limbs to be quite weak. Though it can stand, walk and swing its arms, there is little strength behind these actions. Even when collapsed, the legs are not nearly as hardy as the foremost pincers, forcing the Stalked Men to rely on these limbs to do any hard work. When the Stalked Men "fight" or "attack," they are merely swiping at foes and releasing hisses of air to give the impression of a violent, alien beast. Predators that were expecting a small, easy meal will be terrified of this sudden change and flee, allowing the insect to revert back and go about its day.

Even if a predator sees through such a ruse, the Stalked Men have a few tricks up their sleeves. The elongated sections of their arms do not have any major pieces that would suffer from an attack. They are quick to heal, and any injury would do little to debilitate it. If a predator chooses to bite them, their teeth will pierce the limb and release the pressurized air. The sudden discharge of air will startle the attacker, giving the insect a chance to flee. The Stalked Men can also collapse their limbs just as fast as they can grow them. When an enemy moves in to attack their stretched form, the bug can suck its limbs back and confuse the predator. The tall creature it was about to bite suddenly disappeared! What an incredible defense mechanism!

During the less dangerous times of their lives, Stalked Men prefer to dig small burrows to hide and sleep in. When their limbs are collapsed, they can easily squeeze into tight spaces, which they quite like. These holes will also be used to store their eggs during breeding season. When such a time comes around, the males will climb onto trees and stretch their limbs out to the max. By waving their arms in a strange "dance," they hope to catch the attention of the females who are looking for a mate. Those with the longest eyes and limbs will win favor, and they will lay dozens of eggs within their burrow. It won't be long before the larvae come scuttling out, hopefully surviving long enough to become legends like their parents!

It should be obvious enough that Stalked Men have quite the reputation in the territories they live in. Their rapid size change and alien silhouette creates a haunting image to scared folk who stumble upon them. With this, they are seen as boogiemen and demons, beasts that pop out of nowhere to steal children and devour travelers. Tales speak of tribes of these creatures that remain in these tall forms, a clan of beings that hunt men and disguise themselves as trees. I don't believe such stories are true, but they are quite fun! To those outside of these lands, they see them more as an oddity than an abomination. A creature that puzzles the mind and intrigues the curious. I am sure, though, that if they encountered the Stalked Men in the jungle, they would change their minds quite quickly!

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

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

The inspiration behind these guys should be a bit obvious, but still fun nonetheless. Adding more giant bugs to things! MORE! MORE!