Flying Heads

AKA: Big Heads, Kunenhrayenhnenh, Dagwanoeient, Whirlwind

Tribal affiliation: Iroquois, Wyandot

Creatures of macabre legend, Flying Heads are microbial beings that bring disembodied heads to life, transforming the body part into a thing of nightmares. Moving as a swarm, flying through the air like a cloud of gnats, these minuscule creatures seek out hosts—where they feed, multiple, and die. According to Iroquois and Wyandot folklore, Flying Heads are spawned from brutal murders, mass graves, and cannibal nests; in reality, the microbes can take over any severed head, though they are attracted to gore and strong scents of death, explaining their associations with such gruesome scenes. No legends, however, account for the primordial, man-eating monsters' origin—though many believe they have existed since ancient times, able to thrive upon any head-bearing species.

When a Big Head swarm comes into contact with a disembodied head, the microbes fill it with their numerous bodies; as the creatures break down the carnage, they rapidly, repeatedly go through binary fission, further engorging the head. As they feed, chemicals are released within the skull’s open cavities; as these chemicals and populations increase, the head swells to an enormous size, further distorting its features. Once the brain has been devoured (after ~3 days), several strange changes take place, making the head seem to come to life. First, the eyes slowly begin to glow, the organs untouched by the microbes; soon after, they roil, burning with red, molten fury. Second, hair begins growing on the skull, sometimes only in patches; the new strands are stringy and oily. Parting, growing into two, long tendrils of hair, the oil and hair harden, forming several sharp claw-like curves. After that, fangs grow from its festering mouth and its skin hardens, making it impenetrable by weaponry. Lastly, the head begins to slightly levitate, slowly increasing to a foot off of the ground; its parted hair flaps like a wing and its jaw twitches, snapping eagerly.

During their stay, the maggot-like microbes do not break down the head any further, using it instead to consume other, fresher food and as a shelter to reproduce and reside within. Controlled by a flourishing hive mind, the decomposing skull attacks any it passes—diving towards and chasing after prey, ripping at skin with dead teeth and feeling no pain. If possible, the creature will try to remove the victim’s head by sheer force, violent gnashing, or with help from environmental factors; if successful, the colony splits in two, sweeping the area as a pair of Flying Heads, taking more heads into their group if possible. Flesh is crammed into the head’s cavities for later consumption, as well as thrown to the ground, to be eaten after the attack, or returned to later. The heads swoop so quickly, large groups are said to be able to generate small whirlwinds.

With short lives that last only a week, the microbes will feast on any attainable flesh if no head is possessed; during these times, the population is small, booming once a severed member is acquired. Heads, however, rapidly decompose under the entities’ care, lasting no more than three weeks. The unusable head is then stripped of flesh, organs, and abandoned.