Debris that waits
The Bone-Latch Hound hides in Outer Rim scrap piles, abandoned machinery, collapsed structures, and waste corridors. Some appear at Tier 1 overflow yards and demolition edges. Folded inward, it resembles worn metal fragments arranged around curved, rib-like pieces. Its surface may look organic or metallic; either way it belongs convincingly to the surrounding junk.
It does not track or chase. Proximity makes the ribs snap outward into a rigid latch, pinning whatever entered its reach. A victim held in runoff can be killed by rising water or exposure without the creature needing to move again. After feeding, it folds back into plausible debris.
Reading the scrap
Experienced salvagers distrust unusual symmetry: repeating curves, an oddly tidy cluster, or a pocket that seems arranged for a foot. They test ahead with a long tool or a thrown object, keep space between people, and avoid jumping into clutter.
If someone is caught, thrashing increases the difficulty. Rescue depends on reducing pressure and working the latch deliberately while rain and time continue to matter. The belief that an offering of metal prevents a bite is unproven.
Entire stretches of otherwise useful scrap can become avoided ground. Once the Hound has retracted, a survivor may have little convincing evidence of what held them.
