Palmstrider
Saethera canopy omnivore
The Palmstrider is a long-limbed arboreal omnivore native to Saethera's humid canopy regions. Its narrow frame and long limbs let it move silently through dense branches, and its porous, segmented hide mimics bark and lichen almost exactly. It stays nearly motionless for long periods and moves slowly and deliberately, feeding on canopy growths and small fauna in the upper foliage.
Its porous body lets roots and small plants grow directly on its surface. The relationship is symbiotic: the creature's metabolism feeds the vegetation, and the vegetation returns trace nutrients to its tissues. The growth adds to its camouflage until it cannot be told apart from the surrounding canopy.
Palmstriders sometimes latch onto a person for an extended period, staying completely still and causing no physical harm. The experience is deeply unsettling. If the animal is attacked or injured while attached, it crushes its host instantly, releases the body, and retreats into the foliage. The guidance for anyone it latches onto is simple: do not touch it, do not panic, and wait for it to leave on its own.
