The Necropede
Art by Kim Holm
https://denungeherrholm.smugmug.com/
used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Many a hapless adventurer has met their fate at the mandibles of the creatures known as Necropedes. Found in dungeons, and lightless tombs, and even more commonly in the deep lands beneath the stone, they are uniquely suited to hunting in the dark.
A dangerous predator, originally native to the Shadowfell. It adapted to lightlessness by becoming completely blind, while its antennae became ever more sensitive. It became almost shadow itself, like a photonegative image, and attuned to the toxic and necrotic landscape until its very venom became the essence of death.
This terrifying monstrosity hunts by motion, smell and sound, and moves in uncanny bursts of speed as it springs from hiding to attack its prey. It has unbelievably fast reactions, especially to movement near by, and strikes reflexively at any prey that might flee.
Its prey are often abandoned by any companions, as they appear to be dead, but are usually instead paralyzed and brought back alive to the monster's larder to feed its young.
