[ZodiacEclipse]

(The following excerpt and accompanying artwork comes from the notes of a local field scientist after one of his journeys.)

It has been said that mother nature is a harsh and unforgiving mistress. If that is true then evolution must be her calculated partner in evil. Only a man such as I who has seen the very face of the beast and lived to tell about it can truly understand, but dear readers indulge me if you will and I shall share my tale with you.


In the course of compiling a biography of creatures of myth and legend I came across a peculiar story concerning a true to life Lorelei. It was said that in certain wetland regions adventurers had reported seeing their comrades pulled underwater to their deaths by a beautiful naked woman.


I contacted an illustrator friend of mine and made haste to the last known report of such an attack hoping to gather enough material for a story. So much tragedy could have been avoided at this point had I only known better then to meddle, but I'm getting ahead of myself.


Upon arriving in the region we were fortunate enough to enlist in the aid of a half orc guide to lead us through the wetlands. The creature was brutishly strong and as sure footed as a goat. He knew a great deal more about the area then foreigners such as we could ever hope to and swore that if there was indeed anything out in the waters, he would find it.


It was overcast on the morning of our departure as if the very heavens foretold the horror that lay in wait and were weeping for our souls. We hiked for many hours through the muck and were nearly ready to turn back for the night when we saw her. As beautiful as the story had told, she was gliding through the water. Her head was tossed backwards as if she were laughing and though I could not see her face clearly I felt strangely drawn to her.


I had wadded in up to my waist before the guide ripped me back to shore yelling that we must run. Surprised by his sudden change of demeanor I turned to let my artist know that we were leaving. Sadly I was too late to save him. Having wandered closer for a better look he was suddenly pulled under by an unseen mass lurking beneath the water. I shouted for him, but his blood rising to the surface of the lake was my his response.


Our guide began making a hasty retreat and though I followed him I couldn't help, but look back and that was when I saw the beast's true form. It was not a woman at all, rather an enormous amphibian with sharp gore encrusted teeth. The woman was no more than a simple puppet, a trick to lure in prey large enough to sate the appetite of the gluttonous beast.


So shocked was I that I lost my footing in the mud and took a fall. The beast saw another opportunity and lunged, its spring propelled by its muscular hind legs. Fortunately for me the guide had heard me fall and jerked me to my feet. He stood with his sword drawn ready to face the beast, while I, being neither a half orc nor a warrior continued running long after the sounds of his screams had fallen silent.


Having lost both my illustrator and my guide I felt it was only right that I should convey what little I learned of this creature to the rest of the world. You may disbelieve me if you so wish, but that will not change the fact that two good men are dead and many others will follow them if my advice is ignored. I have included my own sketches of the beast so that others may learn to identify it.


I have elected to call the beast a corcifer as the women's body is carried like a corpse through the water. The corcifer is nearly as large as a man when the women's torso is counted and almost twice as wide. His lower jaw seems over-sized and somewhat frog-like, but is filled with razor sharp teeth. It is not uncommonly fast on the land due to it's bulk, but makes up for it with its quickness in the water.


After considering it further and consulting my drawings I have discovered that the area that would be a belly button on the woman is actually the monster's nose allowing it to remain underwater for as long as needed between feedings (as noted in the included illustrations).


The creatures do not appear to be social as no reports have ever been made of more than one being seen. I believe this may be due to the fact that if too many were grouped their ploy would not work nearly as well.


Adventurers, especially those who are traveling alone, should take special precautions to avoid any wetland areas as this is where the corcifer are most in their element. Furthermore if you see a woman who appears to either be drowning or swimming you should leave the area immediately. I know this may sound harsh, but you cannot be too careful and as I am yet unsure if the creature can manipulate the torso to produce speech, I can think of no other way to ensure survival should you happen upon one.


I have been asked, and not just once, how a man could know a corcifer from a mermaid. I'm told travelers generally believe mermaids to be good luck and would be glad to meet one should the opportunity arise. To this I can say only that one would have to be a fool to hear my tale and still risk approaching anything resembling this creature. Besides, everyone knows there is no such thing as mermaids.

(Attaching the picture with the 'manage attachments' isn't working and I didn't want to miss the deadline so I had to add the picture here. The image is hosted on my husband's webspace and not enabled for public viewing so this is the only place the photo has ever been published as per the rules.)