Kaicharek
(extraplanar)
Kaichareks, nicknamed parasites of Achaekek, are blood-drinking predators living in the Blood Vale, divine realm of Achaekek in the Boneyard.1
Appearance
A kaicharek looks like a grotesque, crimson worm measuring five feet long and weighing 270 pounds. From the side of its circular, fang-filled mouth protrude a pair of segmented, sharp tentacles capable of overextending to attack from long range.1
Ecology
Kaichareks are ambush predators. Against prey not bigger than themselves, they attempt to grapple with their mouth and tentacles, then, once they get a hold, they devour the prey in a way that is as messy as possible. Against large prey, they magically hide and attach themselves to the prey as a parasite, then drink blood until the prey is exsanguinated or discovers the kaicharek, usually by way of the excess blood spilled on the ground that the kaicharek's magical stealth cannot hide. If these methods fail, the kaicharek immediately flees underground, waiting until the prey is weakened to take revenge.1
Kaichareks live to hunt, digesting only a small part of their food and storing the rest for lean times. Due to this seeming lack of reliance on food, some scholars speculate that kaichareks derive sustenance from another source. Kaichareks can spend hours to grow a lost tentacle.1
Kaichareks reproduce via parthenogenesis by laying eggs in pools of blood. In times of plenty, a single kaicharek can produce dozens of offspring per month.1
Habitat
Kaichareks can be found everywhere in the Blood Vale, preferably areas with soft soil and hiding places where they can ambush prey. They sometimes leave the Blood Vale, but rarely last long, as vanth and esobok psychopomps kill them on sight. Sometimes, they make their way to the Material Plane, through thinned planar barriers or when summoned.1
Society
Kaichareks seemingly communicate via gestures and traced messages written in blood. Solitary creatures, they regard others as prey, only working together in lean times, and only until food becomes more plentiful or their hunger urges them to turn against one another.1
Since they inhabit Achaekek's realm, some of his followers summon kaichareks in a fruitless attempt to earn his favour. On the other hand, the Red Mantis organization disdains kaichareks as worse than animals. Kaichareks indiscriminately parasitise stronger creatures instead of respecting leaders and rulers, and have no strategy or resourcefulness, despite their intelligence.1
The exact relationship between Achaekek and kaichareks is unknown; it is unlikely that he is their creator, as creating new races is uncharacteristic of him. According to a theory, he discovered kaichareks somewhere on the Material Plane, took a liking to them and transported them to the Blood Vale. For their part, kaichareks view Achaekek as a fearsome, awesome apex predator that sees them as morsels. Some kaichareks feed upon Achaekek directly: most are destroyed for their hubris, but some gain divine power.1