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Description
Entry for 's contest! You had to design a species that fit inside of this abstract shape, and if you win it actually gets placed in the game so I'm super excited. There are a couple of really great entries though, so much so that as much as I love my sharp baby I'd be disappointed if they didn't make it.

Info
Vertems name is a combination of the latin words for death and worm I'm so original are a serpent like fresh water creature that live in moderate to hot climates. They're extremely hardy creatures, known to be found living in almost any body of fresh water no matter the pollution level. Growing to fit whatever body of water they're contained in, the size of the species is highly variable from small Vertems in tiny ponds to colossal ones in lakes. They're highly territorial among their own species, and will aggressively fight off any other Vertem within their area. Young Vertem (only a couple inches long) have been known to attach themselves unknowingly to creatures passing through the water, feeding off them until deposited into a new body of water. Young must achieve this quickly, as once young reach a certain length the adults will eat them immediately.
Despite their hardiness, this aggressive nature with themselves doesn't make them the most common species, and the mass majority of fresh water is free of them.
Their bodies are made up of a stretchy skin-like material, that often is described as intestinal like. Their jaws, much like snakes, are detachable and thus can open to an extraordinary size (seen in sketch A). With their stretchy skin and large mouths, Vertem can shallow and digest animals twice their size, and for that matter will eat anything they can get their mouths around. Each has a unique number and placement to their teeth, and no two sets of teeth are alike. They float very lifelessly in the water when not pursuing another animal, and are often described as looking dead. If something pikes its interest, however, it's body curls and wreaths to life and fixes its glowing eyes on it's prey or foe. Once it is interested in you and makes eye contact, very rarely will it ever abandon it's chase until you are much out of eyesight.
Often the source of scary stories told to small children, they are for sure an intimidating sight to see floating through murky water. However, their skin is rather easy to pierce and if you can avoid their jaws (which isn't always easy due to their high flexibility), one is fairly easy to take down. In addition, unless it is hungry a Vertem will ignore any species other than it's own unless bothered.

Description
Entry for 's contest! You had to design a species that fit inside of this abstract shape, and if you win it actually gets placed in the game so I'm super excited. There are a couple of really great entries though, so much so that as much as I love my sharp baby I'd be disappointed if they didn't make it.

Info
Vertems name is a combination of the latin words for death and worm I'm so original are a serpent like fresh water creature that live in moderate to hot climates. They're extremely hardy creatures, known to be found living in almost any body of fresh water no matter the pollution level. Growing to fit whatever body of water they're contained in, the size of the species is highly variable from small Vertems in tiny ponds to colossal ones in lakes. They're highly territorial among their own species, and will aggressively fight off any other Vertem within their area. Young Vertem (only a couple inches long) have been known to attach themselves unknowingly to creatures passing through the water, feeding off them until deposited into a new body of water. Young must achieve this quickly, as once young reach a certain length the adults will eat them immediately.
Despite their hardiness, this aggressive nature with themselves doesn't make them the most common species, and the mass majority of fresh water is free of them.
Their bodies are made up of a stretchy skin-like material, that often is described as intestinal like. Their jaws, much like snakes, are detachable and thus can open to an extraordinary size (seen in sketch A). With their stretchy skin and large mouths, Vertem can shallow and digest animals twice their size, and for that matter will eat anything they can get their mouths around. Each has a unique number and placement to their teeth, and no two sets of teeth are alike. They float very lifelessly in the water when not pursuing another animal, and are often described as looking dead. If something pikes its interest, however, it's body curls and wreaths to life and fixes its glowing eyes on it's prey or foe. Once it is interested in you and makes eye contact, very rarely will it ever abandon it's chase until you are much out of eyesight.
Often the source of scary stories told to small children, they are for sure an intimidating sight to see floating through murky water. However, their skin is rather easy to pierce and if you can avoid their jaws (which isn't always easy due to their high flexibility), one is fairly easy to take down. In addition, unless it is hungry a Vertem will ignore any species other than it's own unless bothered.