I don't mind animal totems at all, I think it's God's way of covering all the bases and reaching more people.
To me it looks like they are battling a physical hydra, that's probably not literally that large , but is a BIG problem... Assuming one of the hydra forms that gets under the skin and spreads like a black spotted? biofilm? maybe?
http://dev.biologists.org/content/131/1/191
Maybe my mind is working overtime, but see these spreading of black spots on this "stone hydra"? Whatever they are, they are originating from the hydra or it's tentacles.
Main body:
Center balled up tubule filament:
Tentacle:
Another tentacle with black spread from it and another with beaded hex formations:
I should have been a monk : )
LoL This monk has boots, just in case he has to get "knee deep" in it.
