- 🔀 Not to be confused with Haemovore
Haemophores are a fictional species created by Chaosium for the role-playing game Call of Cthulhu.
Description[]
They are small toad-like creatures with rotund bodies, webbed hands and feet, a W-shaped mouth concealing needle-like teeth, and several suckers that they use to cling to the bodies of other animals. Haemophores feed exclusively on blood, gorging themselves until they're so bloated that they cannot walk anymore. After that, they can go on for several months before they need to feed again. They are attracted to bright and shiny objects, and will carefully investigate potential prey before attacking.
Haemophores live in the Dreamlands, particularly Oriab Island, and are most commonly found in moist rocky environments such as caves, lakeside ruins, and seaside cliffs. Their life cycle starts with a tiny, two-tailed aquatic larva which burrows into the body of another animal and develops inside it, reaching a size of about 5 cm (2 inches) before it emerges from the host. When no food is available, Haemophores can aestivate inside a cocoon of slime for up to a century. (EXP: S. Petersen's Field Guide to Creatures of the Dreamlands)