Asanbosam

Asanbosams are monstrous, hairy humanoids with cold iron fangs and muscular limbs that end in powerful, hooked claws. They hang in treetops from their hooked feet, waiting patiently for a creature to pass by below. Asanbosams grab their prey from above, latching onto their unfortunate victims' necks to drain their blood. They react to perceived intrusions with belligerence, stalking visitors from high branches. Locals tell horror stories of these "bloodsucking tree-folk," and experienced explorers keep a close watch on the treetops in asanbosam territory. Visitors to the Expanse often compare asanbosams to vampires, but these horrors aren't undead and bear no relation.

An asanbosam's diet calls for a large amount of iron (typically in the form of blood) to maintain the integrity of its oversized cold iron teeth. When not hunting or mating, an asanbosam spends its waking hours chewing on certain types of rocks to sharpen its teeth.

Some folk tales claim that asanbosams are as old as time and the original source of cold iron, and that veins of the metal found in the ground are truly the graveyards of ancient asanbosams. Brave (or foolish) poachers often infiltrate asanbosam territory to hunt these monsters in the hope of collecting sacks of their valuable teeth.