Ī mischievous leprechaun rides atop a rowdy giant leech. Īround the 14 th century DR, a healer in Skullport by the name of Leech employed tamed giant leeches to remove poisons from peoples' bodies. In 1357 DR and up to 1368 DR, giant leeches could occasionally be found in the sewers beneath Waterdeep. Those bitten by giant leeches had a moderate chance of contracting some form of disease, in particular red ache. They sucked the blood from creatures they attacked and were only rarely noticed. Resting their bodies upon underwater plants and objects, or hiding within the mud or slime typical of their habitats, and waited to strike upon any prey that came within 3 feet (0.91 meters) of them. These creatures took a stealthy and relaxed approach to hunting. Others were known to carry their eggs around in a membranous sac on their underside. Some species laid them in cocoons, which they would attach to something underwater or bury within ooze. Giant leeches were a hermaphroditic species, though they could not fertilize their own eggs. When inside their digestive tract, blood did not coagulate. Īdditionally, some varieties of giant leech had a substance within their saliva that would dissolve any pre-existing blood clots. Their saliva also contained antibiotics, which made infections from their bites a rare occurrence. These induced a state of increased blood flow in their prey, ensuring that blood continued to flow from their bite for a duration longer than that of a normal wound. The saliva of these creatures also contained an anti-coagulant and a substance known as a vasodilator that would enlarge blood vessels near wherever they bit. This effect of their saliva was felt by their prey immediately upon contact.
Their saliva had anesthetic properties, making it so that the creatures they attacked felt no pain and thus ensured they went unnoticed. Giant leeches had viscous saliva that was hard to remove without alcohol or a similar liquid.
Because of this, giant leeches generally avoided surfaces covered in the mineral. They were highly vulnerable to salt and the application of sufficient amounts could even kill them. The presence of ashes, fire, dehydrating substances, and especially salt would make them quickly release their grasp on a creature. When Feeding When attached to prey, giant leeches were unresponsive to most outside stimuli. They also were sensitive to traces of metal in their water, with copper being the most fatal. In Water Giant leeches were very sensitive to vibrations, easily becoming restless, and would attempt to locate the source of the disturbance. Their smell senses were sensitive to certain chemicals, even in small amounts. Scent Giant leeches had a keen sense of smell and could easily home in on or avoid certain creatures or substances, such as a bleeding animal. Because of this, giant leeches often reacted to changes in nearby light. These were a group of light receptive cells that could register changes in light intensity, though not actual images. Senses Sight Like many species of invertebrate, giant leeches had a set of ocelli in place of normal eyes. Even those who were rather larger were capable of this feat. Biology īeing an invertebrate species, giant leeches could squeeze their bodies through very small spaces. Whenever injured, they would attempt to flee the area. Giant leeches never attacked for the sake of self-defense, only to feed. When swimming however, giant leeches moved at a rapid pace and their bodies undulated vertically. They were even capable of climbing vertical and overhanging surfaces. On land these creatures moved very slowly in an inch-worm fashion, stretching forward and forward and attaching its anterior disk to the ground before doing the same with their posterior disk. They had a round, sucker-like orifice for a mouth that allowed them to attach themselves to their prey. Their bodies measured 2 to 5 feet (0.61 to 1.5 meters) in length and had two antennae that protruded from their mouths. These creatures had slimy, slug-like bodies that were either mottled brown or tan in hue, or occasionally gray.
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