Spoken of in whispers, even among the other insect tribes, the Lingala are a mystery to nearly everyone in Onnen. They have no known homeland within the continent, though it is postulated that they originated from Copts Marsh, and no known location where they may congregate in large numbers.
So what follows is what has been gathered over the many generations about the mysterious Lingala, or mosquitos in the common language of Canelux and Parvpora.
First we’ll speak of their looks. Lingala can range in sizes from five feet tall to nearly seven, this seems to depend on the age of the individual and the amount it has fed during its life. Of all the Insect tribes the Lingala can most easily pass themselves off as humans, as long as they wear gangy enough clothing to hide their wings. They tend to be lanky in their build, though they are stronger than they appear, so don’t be fooled. Red eyes are common, and they can just as well in the dark as they do in the light, though white eyes are a known eye colour as well. Their wings are the same as their smaller brethren, fast in flight and they make a distinct buzzing while in flight, as most insects that can fly do.
Most unique and disturbing of their traits are their proboscis, the part of their bodies they use to drain and drink blood. However, unlike their tiny cousins, the Lingala can have their proboscis in either their mouths, like a normal mosquito, or, in the palms of their hands, sometimes both. Easy to hide, especially if they are in the hands, it makes it easier for them to get closer to their prey. They tend to feed at least once a week, but can go two months without blood if they have to.
Which leads us onto the next section; their culture.
The Lingala are predators of the highest order, and are never to be taken lightly. Though they tend to work in groups of two to three, some are known to work alone and some in larger groups. They are stealthy and prefer to sneak up on their prey in silence when they can and drag them away to be fed on. That itself is a horrible experience, such insight gained from the scant few survivors. They tell of the Lingala plunging their proboscis into their victim’s flesh, while the victim is awake, and sucking the blood out, leaving a two inch wide hole. A lone Lingala can drain a full grown human in a matter of only a few minutes, while two or three feeding at once, which they are known to do, can drain a human in just a few seconds. With the quick onset of blood loss symptoms it’s nearly impossible for most other races to fight back against them once they have started to drink their blood.
It truly seems like their only driving goals are to drink blood and mate and propagate as much as possible. They aren’t known to assault their victims beyond draining their blood, and they rarely allow anyone to get away from them, moving from that location quickly if they think they have been discovered. They are not allies of any nation or peoples within Onnen, not even the rest of the insects want them around and guard against them diligently.
One, of two, truly grotesque rumours that I have come across is that they do taste a difference in blood, not just between species but individuals. The rumours also state that, should they come across someone with blood that is particularly unique and tasty they will drag that person away to some hidden location. There, they will restrain that being and use them as a blood bag for as long as possible, keeping the captive alive by force feeding if needed. It is hard to imagine being captive like that, being fed on probably daily a little at a time, like a snack, but never enough to kill you. No one has truly confirmed this rumour, however, some say that evidence of these ‘feeding dens’ have been found dotted around Onnen, although they were always abandoned.
The second rumour is that they are not only immune to being fed on by a vampire, but are strangely attracted to wanting to feed off the vampire in turn! Why this is is nearly impossible to guess at, but if that is true, then it might make life harder for any vampires living in Canelux and Parvpora that are unaware of this new threat.