Current working notion:
In the Ural mountains in Russia there are creatures that take the corpses of those who are forgotten: people who die without others knowing, graves that are quickly neglected and those buried in areas that fall into disuse. Over the course of many days these creatures make small lacerations in the corpse’s skin with their sharp claws, threading it with carefully knotted pine needles and eventually depositing their young into the corpse. The body serves as both insulation against the weather and as a vessel for their juvenile stage as they puppet the body marionette-like to traverse the mountains and search for prey before their legs would otherwise be developed to carry them such distances.
These creatures are difficult to find due to their large habitat range. Containing known packs is prioritized over seeking out new ones, as there is no reliable way to estimate how many small splintered populations there may be. As such the other priority in containment is trying to prevent the creation of new populations.
Due to the length of time the treatment to turn a corpse into a juvenile’s puppet frame takes, minimizing the number of unattended corpses is one of the easiest ways to ensure they don’t spread. As such a “know your neighbor” campaign is being popularized, where people are encouraged to check up on other nearby residents rather than merely looking after and tending to their own loved ones. Couples who pass away in the mountains risk being left undiscovered and taken as a pair, so the implementation of a ‘buddy system’ not reliant on familial or romantic bonds is suggested.
One form this has taken is grudge pairs, two individuals with animosity towards one another keeping an eye on each other. Visiting the graves of those they hated could be cathartic, as most kinds of frequent activity including desecration are enough to keep away such creatures from graves. However, just as often tending any enemy’s grave springs from a sense of dread. Capture and consumption by these creatures is a slow and painful process, as they hunt in packs and kill much in the same way that they prepare bodies: with many little cuts. A death by their hands would only be made worse if it occurred at the hands of the body you hated most.
Feedback is greatly appreciated, and I thank you greatly your time!
