Forest Spirit, Type II

An entry in A Bestiary of Strange Women

Field Notes

I have classified this being as a type of FOREST SPIRIT. It can be found in any forest throughout the world, though sightings are rare.

This is an intelligent creature able to interact in a limited fashion with humans, should one wish to take the risk.

• Great variety in facial structure, from appealing to grotesque. Older specimens such as this one tend to be more attractive to the human eye.
• Skintone tends to mimic the bark colors of local trees.

• Rigid, hard tissue grows in branch-like spines from the top of the head. As it ages, the tissue also begins to grow down the body.
• Eyelids are mushroom-like, while pupils are slitted.
• Nose is slit-like.
• Teeth are jagged, sharp, and will regrow if lost.
• Carnivorous. Very aggressive despite sometimes nymph-like features. Will bite without provocation!
• This variety of forest spirit lives in the mouths of caves. It has an indeterminate growth. Specimens up to 2.5m have been observed.

• The hands have six digits: five fingers and an opposable thumb. The digits are long, spiny, and often crooked and conjoined. Despite the fragile appearance, the hands are quite strong.
• Wrists and hands have a veiny appearance.

• The crown or crest is its most notable feature. As a juvenile, the crown is a series of stubs or small spines. As it ages, the spines grow longer, often branching off.
• With age, the crown also begins to grow downward along the face, throat, and body, resembling roots.

• It lives in the mouths of caves in forested regions.
• Its diet primarily consists of birds, insects, and rodents. However, larger specimens will pursue larger prey including deer and elk, wolves, foxes, and even humans.
• I observed no male specimens during my explorations. The residents of the village where I stayed have informed me that no one has ever seen a male specimen, nor been able to determine how this species reproduces.