| Class: | Symbiont Beasts, Real and Fictional |
| Hab: | Mouth of larger animal |
| Fre: | Common - surprisingly so |
| Num: | Solitary |
| Lair: | 100% |
| Size: | By host |
| Move: | By host OR crawl, slither, skitter or hop in search on new host |
| Def: | Inaccessible; most thin skinned, some + slime, thorns, or armour |
| Att: | None, or thorns or bite or sting, possibly venom |
| Int: | None to beast |
| Spec: | Rarely |
| Posns: | None |
Real-world tongue supplanters are aquatic worms that live the Amazon. There, they eat the tongues of fish, and then root themselves in place of the missing tongues, taking over its functions and feeding off of particles of whatever the fish eats.
Imaginary Tongue-supplanters are far more diverse in ancestry, appearance, and effect, and are not all aquatic. The most basic simply replace the host-creature's tongue; these can be considered a "decorative special effect," basically a tongue with eyes and a mouth of its own, which requires a negligible increase in food. However, many varieties of tongue-supplanters have evolved more complex symbiotic relationships with their hosts. After all, a healthy host means a longer life for the tongue-supplanter, and hosts for its offspring; such symbiotic tongue supplanters often lay eggs or give birth to larvae that are transferred to their host's mates, offspring, and other members of the host's community.
The most basic special quality a tongue-supplanter can offer its host is more efficient chewing as the supplanter helps maneuver food within the host's mouth. Many can detect poison. Some have specialized eating habits, which can allow the host to eat unusual foods, such as by chomping (allowing, for example, the eating of hard nuts or shelled creatures) or nectar or blood siphoning. Grappling tongue supplanters will grab hold of anything their host bites; unless whatever is grabbed is strong enough to break away, the host gets an automatic, maximum-effect bite thereafter; this is very useful for carnivores which need to subdue their prey, but is also useful to herbivores, as it extends their reach significantly. There are a few which also lend other qualities to their hosts, such as improved regeneration ability.
Aggressive tongue-supplanters actually reach out and grab food, whether it is a prey animal for a carnivore or a plant part for an herbivore.
Tongue-supplanters vary in appearance. Most seem evolved from serpents, leeches, worms, barnacles or long-trunked sea anemones, but stranger ones may be less identifiable. Serpentine supplanters have biting jaws and may be venomous. Leeches may have surprisingly strong suckers, drain blood, and simultaneously inject anticoagulants and paralytic saliva (from which they give their host immunity.) Worms may have complex mouthparts with multiple, hinged jaws or beaks, or their bodies may act as tentacles, perhaps covered with little thorn-like projections, ridges or suckers for improved gripping.
Upon growing a baby under or behind it to maturity, some supplanters inspire their hosts to subdue other creatures (including Folk) of suitable size. The subdued victim is then given a big French kiss - and its tongue ripped out and supplanted. Healing is usually quite rapid.
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