[The balizloob is another Maya monster, but unlike the xtabay is very obscure in English. I could find references to it in the Spanish book Monstros Mexicanos (thanks to @abominationimperatrix for the translation!), and a French master’s thesis that refers to that book. Their physical description is basically nonexistent, but since they’re said to live in caves, be highly social and good parents, I knew I wanted to make them something like a flightless vampire bat. I had the darnedest time finding an image I liked (as opposed to something more like the Future Predator from Primeval), until I remembered that some people had interpreted the chubacabra with a similar design.]
Balizloob CR 4 LE Magical Beast This slim creature looks something like a
flightless bat with a long tail. It has dark fur on the upper side of its body,
and pale skin on the underside. Although its long arms bear sharp claws, more
fearsome are its scissor-like, forward facing teeth.
Balizloobs
are mammalian carnivores that live in caves, particularly in humid tropical
environments. They are ambush hunters with keen senses, using a combination of
echolocation, vibrations and scent to track down even hidden prey. Although a
balizloob would be dangerous enough on its own, they are cooperative pack
hunters, and their favorite prey is human beings.
A balizloob
is smarter than an animal—smart enough to know that frequent predation on
human settlements result in their colonies being hunted down and destroyed. So
they limit their attacks to travelers, drunkards, the homeless, and other
people on the outskirts of society who will attract little attention if they
disappear. Mothers sometimes use balizloobs as bogeys to encourage children to
close their windows, lock their doors and keep up minor repairs around the
household, as these monsters are adept at getting into buildings and hiding in
very tight spaces. The bite of a balizloob creates deep, bleeding wounds, and
the monsters use teamwork to surround and overwhelm their prey.
Despite
their savagery towards other species, balizloobs are social and nurturing among
themselves. The young are raised communally, with some members of the colony
staying behind to guard them while others go off to hunt, and both babies and
babysitters provisioned with meat and blood vomited up by the hunters. They are
sensitive to sunlight, so typically sleep deep in their caves by day and go
abroad to hunt by night. Balizloobs do not go out of their way to collect
treasure, but the bodies of anyone who stumbles into one of their caves are
left where they lie, and may have useful items remaining on them.
