Wormouth
Wormouths are fierce, small creatures that inhabit the Shadowlands. They get their name from worm and mouth, coming from their two most notable features — their worm-like shape and habits, and their means of attack by biting.
Wormouths seem to live in soft soil, so be on the lookout for them when outdoors on the plains or hills. They will follow and track down any prey seen walking nearby, their eyes constricted to pinpoints, before approaching and attacking. When they are small, the entire head looks no larger than a golf ball, making them look deceptively harmless. Their mode of attack is unique; Wormouths expand to almost four times their normal size, the eyes are opened and the Wormouth lunges at its intended victim with its very sharp teeth. Attacks are rapid and often fatal.
The Wormouth cannot be shot unless in the enlarged state. Thus it can only be attacked when it is attacking the player, as this exposes a large portion of its body and a single shot will easily stun it. As timing this shot can be difficult, a common method for beginners is to wait, facing the Wormouth as it approaches, firing rapidly as it nears until it is stunned. Practise will perfect this until it is possible to time a single shot to stun the Wormouth without wasting any ammo.
There are several theories on how the enlarging process works. The first one proposes that they roam underground with only the top of their heads showing. During this stage, blood is removed from the head leaving it in a shrunken state. When they attack, blood is pumped to the head, which makes it larger and results in the aforementioned response. The second theory proposes that when small, they do not actually move underground, rather their whole body is shrunk to a diminutive size. When attacking, the whole body enlarges by some unknown means (perhaps using the surrounding air to rapidly inflate the body) which creates the expansion effect.
The in-game help states:
|
Watch out for these green menaces. They're a lot bigger than they look! |
See Also
- List of Keen 4 Creatures
- List of Wormouth replacements - mod creatures