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River Shrew — Description

With their voracious appetite, frenzied pace and venomous fangs, shrews are a well known threat in these lands. Their lives run faster then other creatures, they move with frantic speed and and are always on the hunt. Their incredible metabolism gives them this energeiai, but the cost is a perpetual need for food. This is what makes them so dangerous and widely known, for they are beasts that are always hungry and always looking for new prey. The Legion Shrew is the species most folk think of when the subject of shrews are brought up, but there are others out there. The River Shrew is one such example, an equally ravenous beast that sits on the opposite side of the spectrum from the Legion Shrew.
Compared to its Legion cousin, the River Shrew is a loner. They do not hunt in packs, remaining solitary for most of their lives. They are also bigger than the Legion Shrew, the extra size and muscle replacing the need for numbers. Their range is not endless, for they mainly keep themselves to rivers, lakes and other fluid bodies. This preference can be seen in their bodies, for they have webbed feet and a paddle-like tail, both used to make them excellent swimmers. Their fur is oily and dense, perfect for keeping them warm and dry when submerged. Look to their faces and see a long, flexible nose, which acts as a snorkel during their dives. The River Shrew is an amphibious creature, stalking the shores and lurking in the fluids. Their larger size and lack of numbers may make them seem like an easier beast to avoid, but locals to its regions can attest that nothing is ever easy when it comes to dealing with one of these shrews.
One of the main issues with the River Shrew is its open hunting strategy. While some predators only hunt through ambush, or others specialize in the chase, the River Shrew will use any tactic that earns it a meal. They will leap into the fluid to catch fish, dive deep to scrounge up bottom dwelling invertebrates, and lurk in the shallows waiting for thirsty prey. With their long nose, they can submerge most of their body and lie in ambush. When something wanders too close to its spot, it will burst forth with razor claws and venomous fangs. Even if one escapes the initial attack, the River Shrew does not give up. It will chase down the fleeing morsel, and their sleek frame makes them quite speedy. Be it in or out of fluid, the River Shrew is fast and those who rely solely upon running for their escape plan will inevitably be caught. Claws hook flesh and fangs sink in deep, injecting a paralytic venom to freeze the muscles. The shrew may devour its meal right then and there, but if it has been recently satiated, it will choose to save this victim for later. Paralyzed prey is hauled off to its shore side burrow, a lair with a submerged entrance where it stores its food. This cache is saved for emergencies, when the shrew has failed too many hunts and is threatened with starvation. Victims may be spared from an instant grisly death if stored away, but this fate may be crueler when forced to wait and see if rescue or the shrew reaches you first.
Like many other shews, this species is feared and hated by the people who live around them. Their constant hunger means they are attacking nearly everything they come across, and man is not exempt from this. They will devour fish and game, frustrating hunters and anglers, or go after livestock, which infuriates farmers. Their presence in an area instantly makes it dangerous for anyone nearby, as they know it would happily make a meal of them. Those who come to the shores to fish or gather fluid may be ambushed, even those in boats are not safe. And all it takes is for a single bite to bring a person down, and then their fate is left in the claws of the shrew. Thankfully, the venom is not permanent, there are antidotes that can cure the paralysis. If someone has been stored within the shrew's lair, there is a chance to save them. Unfortunately, this relies heavily on someone noticing your absence and coming to the conclusion that a River Shrew got you. From there they need to find the lair and break into it, all before the shrew decides to feed on its cache or before the shrew feeds on them.
Needless to say, River Shrews are quickly dealt with when they appear around settlements and heavily used fluid bodies. Folks know it is only a matter of time before the beast claims a life, thus better to snuff it out before it happens. In the good ol days, River Shrews were properly dealt with and repelled to the farther reaches of the wilds. Hunters and guards were prompt to put any of these invaders down, but things have changed with the war. With less able bodied warriors around to keep these shrews away, they have slowly started to seep back into civilized lands. And in a time of chaos, anyone who has vanished outside the walls of town have their fate blamed upon the war or opportunistic bandits. Few may think of the shrew, which means few go out to look for its victims. There is no telling how many folk have been written off as dead while laying helpless in a soggy burrow, waiting for their executioner to come home.
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Oh god I really got to get a move on with posting these things. My backlog is almost reaching triple digits! C'mon man get writing!