Synapse worm
Synapse worms are a species of large omnivorous worms found on various worlds outside the Pact Worlds system that hunt by inducing synaptic shocks in prey.1
Appearance
The typical synapse worm is 3 to 4 feet long and can stand over 2 feet tall on its back half. Its appendages are weak and useless in combat, but allow it to move through soil. The natural colour of a synapse worm is bright blue with a cyan belly, but its skin is permeable and naturally absorbs pigments from the environment, allowing the worm to blend in. Its maw is filled with sharp teeth, and its head is lined with a membrane coated in an acidic, paralytic enzyme that can be released through its mouth, coating nearby surfaces in a white (or rarely dark orange) viscous web.1
Ecology
Synapse worms are ambush predators that hunt by burrowing into the soil and everting its webbing on prey. This webbing can induce a synaptic shock, allowing the synapse worm to either swallow whole or graze on the prey depending on its size without resistance. If a big prey item is too big to swallow but too weakened to escape, the synapse worm buries it to eat later.1
Synapse worms are diffused throughout a wide range of planets; their original homeworld is unknown. They have not been seen within the Pact Worlds, except as the pets of eccentric collectors.1
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 . “Alien Archives” in The Reach of Empire, 60. Paizo Inc., 2018