Hover worms
Hover worms, sometimes spelled hoverworms, were a venomous species of Deepwoods predator. They, like logworms, could float and were highly dangerous. Hover-worm venom was used for various purposes by the inhabitants of the Edgeworld.
Characteristics
The defining characteristic of hover worms was that they could float. They floated via a row of tiny, hissing, air-expelling ducts along their soft underbellies and constantly gulped in air. Hover worms’ bodies were long, lumpy, luminous, and slime-green. Along them were bulging yellow spots that oozed a clear liquid. Hover worms’ eyes were huge and cold. Hover worms' had rubbery lips and floppy feelers. Their mouths contained writhing tentacles with dripping suckers at the end to administer venom rather than a tongue and teeth. Hover worms stank of rancid grease. After their bodies had been punctured or if they had died they would pop almost like a balloon.
Hunting
Hover worms hunted alone rather than in groups. A hunting hover worm would come up slowly on prey, and then attack with no warning. It would lunge quickly with its mouth open and venomous tentacles stretched out. It could quickly shift and attack from another direction in response to the movements of the prey. If an attack was successful, it would end with some tentacles making contact with the exposed flesh of the prey, so hover-worm venom would enter their body and cause their prey to quickly float off into Open Sky unless administered with hover tincture.
Role in the Edge Chronicles
In the Twig Trilogy
In Beyond the Deepwoods, Twig fought and killed a hover worm in defense of himself and Gristle Tatum, who had been poisoned by it. Later on, he saw a hover worm be consumed by flame in a forest fire.
In the Rook Trilogy
In The Last of the Sky Pirates, Rook briefly saw a hover worm drinking from a pool during his voyage to write An Eyewitness Account of the Mythical Great Convocation of Banderbears.
In Weird New Worlds
In Weird New Worlds, Vitus was poisoned by a hover worm. He nearly died, but Hedgethorn Lammergyre acted quickly and saved him with hover tincture just in time.