Strigamorphs were rare monsters native to southern Malakath. Very few knew of their existence and most who did knew very little, with only rare sightings of the beasts burrowing into corpses out in the wild, many of which were set aflame or staked after.

It was only the Strigamorph's undead hosts who had opportunity to study the beasts in depth. The parasites natural carries of vampirism that could enter the body of a host via a host's bite, transmitting the parasite's spawn into the victim's bloodstream or—if fully grown—could burrow into a corpse which had perished within the hour. In either case the Strigamorph made roost in the victim's chest and consumed the heart, usurping it's place by linking it's hollow tendrils to the victim's veins and controlling blood flow.

From there it spreads to the brainstem, hijacking the host's nervous system and releasing a powerful mutagen into the bloodstream, transforming the pseudo-reanimated body into a suitable host.

Post-infection, most hosts awoke with no recollection of the process, remembering only up to the point of their deaths. A few were known to awaken with no memory whatsoever. Typically a newly turned Strigamorph or "Fledgling" was utterly feral and driven to feed on the first living thing in sight, even other vampires. In most cases, draining a humanoid or large animal was enough to restore intelligence in the Strigamorph, although animal's blood was not potent enough in life force nor magic to satiate them for more than a few hours.

While Strigamorphs parasites were incapable of intelligent speech, they sometimes communicated with their host via emotional telepathy. Fledgling hosts often confused these telepathic feelings for their own, which the parasite sometimes used to influence their host, while an experienced Strigamorph Host could learn to separate the two emotions and even communicate with their parasite to a degree. In some cases, it was possible for Host and Parasite to form a bond, establishing harmonious control.

A Strigamorph Host appeared like they did in life, with a few mutagenic exceptions courtesy of their parasite. Pale skin was common, though a well fed Strigamorph may retain some color. Elongated fangs were universal though sometimes retractable, usually the canines. Bioluminescent eyes were also common, some brighter than others. Even those few without could be identified by their reflective quality in low light, akin to wolves and nocturnal beasts.

Hosts retained their youth up to the point of resurrection, often unscarred and unblemished due to their enhanced healing, save those left by silver, or in some cases iron. Whether for their ethereal beauty or corpse-like uncanny, they were otherwordly and out of place among the living.

MAGICAL DRAIN:

Revenants seem to temporarily drain their victim's arcane abilities after feeding, and so the parasite is believed to feed on magical energies or perhaps even the life force of other creatures, filtering it from the blood of their host's prey, and using the byproduct to give power the host power.

While these effects can prove devastating if a Revenant is allowed to feed on a mage during battle, the effects will only last minutes at a time, though it may turn the tide of magically focused combat. A mage should be careful that they never lose an entire mouthful to a Revenant, lest the drain take hold.

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• Crypticism on the River Sayve - first mentioned

Images:

• https://graeyerb.artstation.com/projects/LerPrP
• https://janaheidersdorf.com/yamg/new-gallery-3-kdptw

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