An adult grassbiter is about two feet in length. The lizard is somewhat torpedo shaped, with a squat body and blunt tail. The jaw is nearly as tall as it is wide, housing a set of sharp, serrated teeth, large for a creature of this size. A thick lip-like structure surrounds the mouth. Its four legs are thick and strong. A grassbiter is covered with tiny scales which chance color to blend in with its surroundings, usually grasses. On the back of its neck is a dark patch of scales that is vaguely mouse-shaped.
Grassbiters are an unusual creature in their eating habits. A grassbiter will lie silently in the grass, occasionally crawling slowly, waiting for its prey. Prey varies, usually deer, oxen, or other grazing animals, but they have been known to attack even wolves and snakes. When an animal approaches a grassbiter, it remains hidden due to its camouflaged coloration. When the prey is in the grassbiter’s range, it will leap up, suction whatever part of the animal it gets its mouth around, and removes a large chunk of flesh with its powerful jaws. The grassbiter then releases and scurries away into the brush, leaving its prey stunned and injured. The wounds are very distinctive: perfectly cut ovals of missing flesh. Farmers know this mark well, and tread warily in their fields when livestock show such bite marks. The dark patch of scales on its neck is believed to attract predatory animals such as foxes and larger lizards, which perhaps provide more nutrients for the grassbiter.
Grassbiters live alone except when mating. Their normal habitat is tall grasses, though they are also known to live in more dense forests. Despite their seeming aggressive nature, they are easily frightened when caught by surprise and will run after their first bite attempt.
They’re everywhere! - While travelling through farmlands, the players are chased down by a farmer waving a hoe. The farmer explains that there has been a sudden surge in the grassbiter population, leaving crops impossible to harvest safely and livestock tainted, covered head to toe in fist-sized bites. The farmer begs the players to resolve the infestation. They could walk through the farmlands hunting down every last one, or perhaps investigate a deeper cause (is the infestation a symptom of a bigger problem?).