Napeworm

Part of my 2026 World Building Project

Napeworms are small parasites, roughly the size of a human finger. They are masters of mimicry and are able to take on the appearance of their surroundings similar to the way cuttlefish or octopi do. When they encounter a humanoid, they attach themselves and take on the appearance of the being's skin. When the victim falls asleep, the napeworm then makes its way to the back of the neck and fuses itself with the spinal column, taking control of the victim.

This begins the second phase of the napeworm's lifecycle. An attached napeworm has access to some of the victim's memory but often lacks details. The victim also appears to lose any sense of humor or deep emotions.

At night the victim will spend their time building a napeworm nest in a secluded area. Napeworm nests are made of building materials and kind of look like part of the surrounding environment. However, on close inspection, it becomes obvious that the materials are being held together by a resin that the napeworm excretes.

Once the nest is complete the victim will enter into the nest and die as the napeworm consumes the internal organs. After a few weeks the body will burst open and produce hundreds of new Napeworms.

A napeworm nest emits a low, almost imperceptible hum. The mages of Wargysdinun believe this hum must be vital to the hatching process of Napeworms. When a nest has been found that hasn't hatched yet, dismantling the nest prevents the hatching.