Sunday 13 October 2013

Demon Stinger

Image Bernard DUPONT
This fish has stolen my heart! Probably eaten it, too.

The skies above the Indo-Pacific Ocean are ablaze with the colours of fire as the sun issues a final, desperate show of strength before it sinks into the horizon.

As the flames are subdued by the encroaching night, unblinking eyes awaken on the sea floor.


Video: john ruggles

From sandy reefs and lagoons, gaudy beasts emerge from the silt. Crawling on two pairs of crone's fingers, they seek out fresh meat.

Image: prilfish
Some call them the Demon Stingers, Devil Stingers or Spiny Devilfish. Others the Sea Goblins or Goblinfish. Still others refer to them simply as Ghouls.

To science, they are known as Inimicus, enemy.


Video: J Kl

There can be no better name for such a creature. Its cold, bulbous eyes protrude appallingly from its skull while its long, upturned snout ends in a wide, arrogant scowl.

The filthy, scaleless skin is covered in warts and the detritus of the sea in which it passes the day half-buried in undisturbed slumber, or patiently awaiting a victim to ambush. Along the back of its 25 cm (10 in) body a row of spines stand erect like the masts of a shipwreck. It's with these they deliver their painful, venomous sting to the unwary.

Image Bernard DUPONT
One must be thankful that the fiends seem curiously unwilling to make use of their lethal endowment. Approach a Ghoul and it will soon make its presence indubitable; their large pectoral and tail fins are charged with astounding colour and patterns of great delicacy which serve as warning to the incautious.


Take heed of their warning and be vigilant as you explore the soft sands and warm seas of paradise...

Image: Hogweard
For here there be wyverns.

9 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

quite spectacular in their ghoulishness. :)

Lear's Fool said...

I wants!

They're like... pudgy sea robins!

Joseph JG said...

@TexWusGirl: Yes, there's a certain extravagance about them!

@Lear's Fool: Pudgier, angrier and more venomous. They turned to the dark side!

Lear's Fool said...

Ha! Like . . Sea Vulturepedes!

Next time I play a D&Dish game I'm showing these guys to the GM to justify having a magic creepy landfish as a familiar/pet.

Lear's Fool said...

I was inspired by a friend! He now has a theme song!

Spider fish, spider fishes
Does what ever a spider fish wishes.
Crawls around, looking fat
And those feets. . what's with that?
Beware, here comes the spider fish!

Is he fast, no he's not.
But he's sometimes hard to spot.
Will he get you? Yes he will!
If you'd promise to just stand still.
Don't nap, for then comes the spider fish.

Eleanor Eltoft said...

They seem like a cross between a lobster & a fish!

Joseph JG said...

@Lear's Fool: Hahah! We all need a Sea Vulturepede to follow us around!
And well done on that poem/song! Catchy AND educational.

@Eleanor Eltoft: Yes! They look tough as nails! Claws.

Shawn said...

Okay Nature, that's enough creepy weirdo animals for now, we're good.

Nature: Wait wait wait! I got one more!

No! I said no more!

Nature: But it's a swimming scab! With bulbous eyes and weird spider legs!

WHAT? Just... WHY!?

Nature: Because! ^_^ Oh! And it's really venomous. Yay!

I said no! No more! ESPECIALLY not the venomous sea scab spider thing!

Nature: Heh. Too late. I made them in like six different vomit like colors! I'm so proud of myself!

Damn, Nature. You need help.

Joseph JG said...

Hahah! You got to love it! It's like a fun uncle who sometimes goes mad when he has too much alcohol and then slumps in the corner and vomits all over himself. There are times when love is best expressed with a prod from a long stick rather than a hug.