Deepworm

> "*Natanis Navale, floating fortress "The maiden's gate" was attacked by an unknown creature. While unable to sink the floating structure, it captured and presumably ate thirty four sailors before being repelled by a combination of heavy javelin launchers and lighting a portion of the fortress on fire. We urge high command to abandon this fortress to safer waters. There is no reason for us to guard this place, something else will already keep our enemies out"* (Tallet Sailor's journal)
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The **Deepworm** or **Vermis Abyssi** as it was named by the **Tallet** naval forces that first encountered the species, is a rare species of deep oceanic life. Rumored to be an escaped **biomorph** bred and grown in ocean based **bio temples** which fell into disrepair leading to a breach and the creature escaping into the wild. The Deepworm are a species of large carnivorous creatures that live in deep underwater caves and canyons, occasionally surfacing to feed on upper oceanic life or traveling shipping vessels when food cannot be found in sufficient portions below, or when their competition forces them from their hunting grounds.

## Morphology

> *"This ain't a natural creature, not by a long shot. Something wanted them to be this way, why else would they be like that?"* (Mortal nation fisherman)
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The Deepworm is a mutated strain of giant octopus, being composed of mostly soft muscle tissue and cartilage. The deepworm has 8 large grasping tentacle arms that grow back if damaged, the arms seem to be able to detatch on their own and move independently for hours, indicating that they double as a distraction should the creature be attacked by a larger predator.

Deepworms tend to weigh around 2000-20,000 lbs, and their mouths form a "vaccum" effect underwater, being able to pump large amounts of water through their mouths and out a "spigot" this serves as both a mechanism for the creature to move swiftly through the water, and to suck in large amounts of fish or other prey into its mouth.

### **Life cycle**

Deepworm life cycle is mostly incomplete, as observations at that depth are nearly impossible. However, deep sea fishing vessels occasionally dredge up organic fleshy "sacs" tangled in their nets of massive size that contain what has been confirmed tiny juvenile deepworms only a few inches across. It is theorized these sacs float near the surface to filter feed the plankton at higher depths, to which they burst and the juvenile deepworms must swim downward to the trenches, most of them getting eaten by larger fish as they swim down.

## Behavior

> *"Deepworm sighted, this appears to be the same creature that harassed our ship before, being too small to properly sink us, it has started attempting to gnaw through the hull. We repelled it with gaffs, then it attacked our rudder where we could not reach. It's learning"* (Tallet Sailor's journal)
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Deepworms are highly aggressive when hungry. They are attracted to lights and movement, indicating living at extreme depths where bio luminescent life is common. They are highly intelligent for animals, being able to "herd" their prey if unable to catch them easily and the ability to quickly learn patters. This is evidenced by an incident in which a deepworm attacked a **Hearth of Sails** vessel, after being repelled by **krak weapon** fire on one side, the deepworm feinted an attack, causing them to fire a broadside, then coming back in while they were reloading, having figured out their reload cycle.

## Notable encounters

### **Research vessel wreckage recovery**

A **Technocracy** deep ocean research ship went missing several years after its maiden voyage to study the weather patterns of the **world ocean**. After a particularly horrible storm, the wreckage of the vessel washed up in on the coast of the norther Circle territory. Upon attempting to enter the vessel, Circle research crews were attacked and devoured by a starving deepworm trapped inside the semi flooded cargo level, unable to get back to the ocean. The creature was killed by draining the vessel of water, causing it to get weak with exposure, then bombarding it with balista fire as it attempted to crawl back into the sea.

**Biomancers** from **Kushan** demanded to be present for the autopsy, which was granted under the condition the Kushani royals could share information regarding the origins of the deepworm species. After some correspondence, they were allowed entry and observation.

### **The Broodmother**

> *"Nothing can survive its hunger, this mouth in the deep. It consumes all, it is all"*
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The report of the "broodmother" is a report by several Hearth of Sails vessels regarding a truly massive specimen of deepworm. Incidents are yet to be confirmed by solid evidence, as sightings put the size of said creature at double the size of a blue whale, making it easily the largest deepworm on record, potentially the largest living animal on Soi.

Incidents reported often involve an entire ship being sucked down into the ocean by a sudden violent maelstrom, accompanied by a foul smell and the closing of a massive toothy maw over the area, the splash effect of which can capsize shipping vessels.

It is unknown how long deepworms live, as their life cycle has not been observed birth to death.