Boneworm

Boneworms were a species of nematode native to Necropolis in the Core region. They were a common lifeform there; in fact, the creatures were among the few remaining indiginous species to survive on that world.

Boneworms were vermiform creatures that ranged from a few centimeters to over a meter in length. Their bodies ended in powerful, lamprey-like jaws that could clean away flesh and break bone. Hard spurs in their mouths aided them in breaking into coffins and bones and burrowing through rocky soil. They were typically off-white in color, and they secreted a mucus-like substance to aid them in tunneling.

Boneworms lived underground and ate the bone marrow of the recent dead. They were blind and anosmatic, so to detect animal death they relied on ground vibrations from living creatures. When such movements stopped for an extended period, the boneworms tunneled to the surface and feasted. Should the potential meal show signs of life, the boneworm burrowed back underground. They were known to begin feeding on unconscious targets, however.

The denizens of Necropolis disliked the boneworms and tried to exterminate them. The worms migrated to live under the world's expansive cemetaries, where Necropolis tradition allowed them to eat in peace.