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Intestinal Mimic — Description

When in the frozen north, a common piece of advice is to not be so trusting of your eyes. Call upon your other senses and don't be quick to accept what you see. Due to the ice, temperature and composition of the landscape, mirages are possible. Objects on the horizon may become distorted, getting a proper read on distance can be difficult and then there can be things that simply aren't there. Some can be a trick of the light, others an insidious illusion of Tear glaciers and other warped phenomenon. Traveling within the icy graveyards that are steeped in woe and despair can subject one to this miserable aura. Combined with the frigid temperatures and rough journey, folk may become susceptible to these personal hallucinations; fears and doubts given form. Visions of things moving in the ice, darting shadows, images of death and disaster. For those having a terrible time with the cold, the growing hypothermia builds onto this by fogging the mental state, making victims grow confused and disoriented. Thus it is important to not always trust what you see, and to take precautions to protect yourself from such trickery. Because even outside of these mental terrors, there are simpler threats that prey upon assumption and foolishness. Dangers hidden in the snow, buried in the ice, or just laying in plain sight. It may be hard to believe that a threat sitting out in the open could catch folks off guard, but the intestinal mimic proves that this problem is all too real.
If one were to behold an intestinal mimic for the first time, they would think that there has been a terrible mistake with the specimen. What lays before them is no living beast, just a mutilated, rotting carcass. It looks to be the old degraded remains of a leviathan, its body misshapen, its flesh a messy shroud of decay. Broken bones jut from soft gray meat, gaping holes vent the gagging stench of Rot. Tangles of intestines spill from ancient wounds, evidence of scavenging and decay. This specimen belongs at the bottom of the abyss, a blessing from the Mother to Her children. At times, this is true, for it can be found dwelling on the ocean floor, but its reputation is forged purely from the times it is found washed up onto the shore. One of the many carcasses of the sea that wind up on the coast, another blessing for the inhabitants of this icy region. For such blubbery, rotting thing is a wondrous feast for many, free food in a land where such a thing is rare. However, one should be wary of such luck, and not let their eyes deceive them. There is a meal to be had here, but if one rushes in blindly, they will be the one on the dinner plate.
Despite its appearances, the intestinal mimic is very much alive. This "corpse" is not the result of death and decay, rather it is their natural state. In truth, the intestinal mimic is a colony of worms, their squirming mass and secretions forming this corpse-like nest. The colony develops from a fused mass of eggs, which hatches and grows into this false shape. Soft flesh and muscle form, while juts of bone rip through erratically. The worms develop within this sheathe, filling its insides. The end result is something that looks like a carcass, yet can feebly move and swim in the ocean. It typically serves as a scavenger, slowly shuffling across the bottom to feed on carcasses. The worms reach out and ensnare their meals in vile tangles, burrowing and constricting as they secrete dissolving acid. The feast nourishes them, but also adds chunks to its disguise. Intestinal mimics grow to impressive sizes, truly taking on the look of a dead leviathan. However, they do not reach such mass by simple scavenging, as they are eager to feed on anything they can grab.
The rotting stench and look of death is not just thematic with their diet, it is a disguise they use to lure in prey. Other scavengers see and smell this thing and believe they have stumbled upon a free meal. Yet, approaching will result in a swarm of bloated worms lurching from the torn orifices, swallowing victims in their mass. The acid is released, and their prey is quickly dissolved in their embrace. The intestinal mimic is a predator of other scavengers, be it in the ocean or stranded upon the shore. This species will intentionally land itself on the coast, swimming just enough so the waves deposit them on the ice. There they lay like a carcass, venting that powerful odor to lure in scavengers. Animals desperate for food may not think twice about such an offering, and wind up marching right into its gullet. Intestinal mimics devour any that are duped by its disguise, eventually retreating back into the ocean once their cover is blown or no more food is approaching. They cycle between haunting the coast and dwelling in the ocean to allow prey to forget them. Staying in the same place too long rouses suspicion, and there are some creatures who have learned how to feed on this mimic while avoiding its acidic embrace. It may act like an easy meal as a front, but if it isn't careful itself, it may actually wind up as one.
This is where the advice to not trust your eyes comes in, as well as the tip to be wary about approaching beached carcasses. Leviathans and other beasts of the sea get washed up on the shores, and many creatures are interested in such a bounty. For humans, these corpses can be beneficial, even though we do not look to feast on rotted meat. It gives free access to bone, blubber, ambergris and fluids. They may be a bit degraded, but something is better than nothing. For those with sled hyaenas or other animal companions, the decayed meat can serve as a meal for them, allowing one to save rations and supplies for a different time. There is value in these beached bodies, but they must be approached with caution. Other beasts may be feeding on them, and they will grow aggressive if they feel their food supply is being threatened. And, of course, the "corpse" may not actually be a dead thing, instead an intestinal mimic laying in wait. One needs to check thoroughly, or face a terrible demise.
To determine if a carcass is an intestinal mimic or not, one must immediately ignore the idea commonly given by outsiders. "Stab it and see if it moves," is advice granted by those who never encountered an intestinal mimic. It runs with the simple idea that if it is a living thing pretending to be dead, then it will involuntarily respond to pain, thus damaging it will bait out a response. However, the intestinal mimic is a colony of worms, an entire mass that makes a singular body. Cuts and stabs are hardly a threat to it, so the carcass won't move in the slightest. You would have to light the thing on fire or blast it with explosives in order to do enough damage that it would recoil and try to flee. At that point, though, you are ruining the materials you would want from the carcass, thus rendering it all useless. There are better tells out there, like looking for the presence of smaller scavengers or looking for signs of acidic damage on its surroundings. If you wish to do the "poke test," aim for the "intestines" or a part that looks like the bloated worms. Use splashes of Humor, like Yellow Bile or electrified Blood to garner a reaction from the individual worm. The use of a decoy can also work, something with the smell of food and fluid that can be tossed at the carcass to trigger an attack. On the subject of smell, using scents derived from the predators of intestinal mimics can cause the whole beast to flee back into the sea in fear.
Obviously, it is easier to detect if a corpse is an intestinal mimic than it is figuring out if the body is indeed just a dead body. The advice is to perform the tips suggested above, and if it passes these, then approach can cautiously be made. Still perform the inspection and work with a friend, wear protective layers and always be on the look out for an attack. In the frozen north, nothing is 100% safe, and it is imperative that one remains constantly vigilant.