Monster Mash: N is for Nuruvilu

Travelers see what appears to be a glowing sword with a gem encrusted hilt in the deep end of the river. A youth swims out to pull the sword up but his hands pass right through it. His companions shout out to him, but it is too late. The powerful muscular form of the nuruvila is wrapping around his body and he hears a chuckle before his shoulder is punctured by a mouth full of fangs. The nuruvila drags his prey to a nearby den but never takes its eyes off of the slain youth's companions.

They will never take a river crossing for granted again.

River Predators. The nuruvila is a creation of some mad wizard or cruel god, resembling a fox that has been given a serpentine form and the fangs to match, but with a twist that sets it apart from creatures like the owl bear; the nuruvila can create illusions to lure its prey or frighten off threats from its hunting ground.

They generally seek out river crossings that are isolated but necessary for a community to cross and will remain there until their prey stops using the crossing or they're scared off.

Bully Illusionists. Nuruvila are not terribly smart but the make up for that with cruelty and a bit of imagination. These creatures are ambush predators that usually attract prey with illusionary traps such as food for lesser prey but they prefer to hunt and consume sentient creatures. Often they rely on greed to get the better of their prey but they are known to also appeal to their sense of duty. Too often does a hero leap into a pool of water saving a struggling child, only to struggle for their own life.

And the nuruvila relishes the suffering they cause. They are known to taunt survivors and many travelers are haunted by the laughter of these beasts.

Cowardly Beasts. Usually, when a nuruvila takes up residence they can be exterminated by brute force or, more commonly, the local shaman will instead rely on threatening the creature rather than engaging it directly. Nuruvila are notoriously cowardly. This can be used to the advantage of unscrupulous villages-- a shaman could recommend that the nuruvila terrorizes the waterway of a rival village or make a deal for the nuruvila to serve as a guardian of some important crossing.

The nuruvila is usually willing to go along with such an arrangement as long as it is well-fed and kept in check by the shaman's threats.