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| Physiology While mammalian in nature, banshees vary greatly from their folklore descriptions of a ghostly humanoid figure. They are bipedal but their body form is similar to a mole, with a narrow tapering head leading into a large body on top of stout strong legs. Their arms tend to be longer than one would expect and quite narrow, ending in humanoid hands. Their nails are thick and often dark, and are rounded from consistent care, and grow into claw-like protrusions similar to the toenails if left unattended. A remarkable feature of these creatures is a long mouth that nearly spans the entire length of the head. The face includes protruded nostrils in a variety of shapes and sizes, small glassy eyes that are easy to miss, and small folded ears. The creatures have flat masticatory teeth despite appearing to be carnivorous or omnivorous. The jaws of the banshee are oddly flexible, and they seem to lack a typical chin entirely to allow the lower jaw to fold into the neck and allow the mouth to open into a near straight line. They are known for their ability to mimic speech between species and for their tendency to wail in urgency to lure creatures to them. Their entire backsides are generally cloaked in a swath of hair that they painstakingly maintain to prevent tangling. The hair can extend to the arms or back of legs as well or end prematurely around the middle of the back. Their general build varies as all mammals do, and some are bulkier while others are narrow and almost serpentine. They sport a variety of markings in nearly every pattern and color, but a common one is deep red splotches especially around the head and hands. They are typically a darker color with two or three accent colors. It seems the colors are often used as part of their mimicry to emulate blood or algal bloom in the waters in which they live. Some are known to have markings which resemble fish. Social behavior While more social than many solitary species, banshee do not seek out companionship aside from reproduction most of the time. Its simply more efficient to live by oneself and only need to worry about meeting an individual’s needs. They are not hostile to one another and engage in long distance communication through loud vocalizations Each night their vocalizations can be heard up to 20 miles away as they inform others in the area of their wellness and any potential threats looming. If an individual does not participate, its often cause for concern and investigation by the nearest banshees. This is often how they find out members of their communities have passed on. They mourn their dead and occasionally congregate to honor those who pass on. Their funerals are rather to the point, and they simply secure the body to the bottom of marshes or fens and leave them to be integrated back into the soil. It is considered to be a terrible thing for a body to decompose on dry land and a sign of great disrespect. Their social customs are learned through observation and practice rather than being taught to one another verbally. They are known to ally themselves with kelpies or other aquatic sapient species. Diet Some individuals are strictly carnivorous and operate by luring creatures near with distress calls that mimic their own species or of a species prey animal and simply grab them and crush them between their large jaws. They have been known to also consume various plants and tubers from the areas they live in, as well as ambushing fish or alligators similar to a catfish by hiding in large aquatic dens. If you’re lucky and have food on you, they are rather curious of different locations cuisines and will often spare a life in exchange for your lunch. They have heightened sense of smell and taste, which is why food interests them so greatly. Some creatures who live nearby coexist with them in this way. Some have given up solitary life and luring prey to go make a living in other species cities and tend to be rather polite. Reproduction They have reproductive habits similar to other aquatic mammals, often giving birth to a single child at a time. The children often have even longer nostrils than adults which act as snorkels for them as they hide just below the water line. They typically cling to their parents backs in turns, using the long hair to keep warm and anchor themselves. Children stay with their parents until large enough to sufficiently fend for themselves and then leave to find their own area to grow into. Parents and children often have specific vocalizations for communication that are not used for the rest of the community, essentially to express affections. The parents do not stay in a coupling, and do not couple for longer than it takes a child to become independent and do not often recouple. Lifespan They typically live around 60-70 years, and most of the time are killed by prey fighting back and mortally wounding them. Those found in colder climates seem to grow smaller but live considerably longer. Preferred habitat Marshes, bogs, fens, bodies of water with heavy vegetation and river access are preferred. Some give up their wilderness homes in exchange for the luxuries in cities or become integrated into other species communities. |
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