WORLD BOOK WORLD BOOK WORLD BOOK 0112 0112
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Minute Terrors
Not every desert horror comes rushing at you with
fangs bared. Some are so tiny they can gnaw a man near
to death before he knows he’s been invaded.
Bone Fleas
These little bastards lay their eggs in putrid water or
in the dander of common food animals. Larvae dig into
the teeth or any exposed bone; should any get eggs in
their mouths for even two hours, an odyssey of pain begins. Teeth crumble just hours after infection, releasing
many more eggs into the mouth. Left unchecked, bone
flea larvae dig deeper into the jaw and the skull. The
excruciating pain is unbearable, and victims resort to
anything to stop it. Common field cures include yanking
out teeth and even hacking off the mandible, though
the latter usually proves fatal.
Many a toothless caravan worker testifies to the horror of
bone fleas, so their existence is widely known and guarded against. Newcomers think associates insane as they
scrub out their mouths with sand, but soon follow suit as
a precaution. Survivors go toothless or bear replacement
teeth of bone, rock, or metal jammed awkwardly into
their gums. Magical cures can halt the pain, stop the larvae, and even regenerate the lost bone. Cold Ones can be
similarly afflicted, and a pachyaur’s ivory tusks are treasured targets of bone fleas, despite not being bone. Krikis
are immune, being boneless. Alchemists and assassins
value bone flea eggs greatly; tales of bone fleas sprinkled
into a target’s food are the stuff of nightmares.
Sand Ticks
An annoyance to living creatures, sand ticks hunt for
moisture, pure and simple, but they carry debilitating sickness. They seek any water containers and, with
enough time, burrow through leather water skins, wooden barrels, or even glass or ceramic jars to get at any water within. They burrow using a proboscis that produces
a mild acid, allowing the tick to dig through an inch of
most nonmetallic materials in just a few hours; caravan
children often have the task of brushing sand ticks off
water stores all night long. The amount taken by any one
sand tick is miniscule—less than a mouthful—but the toxin they leave behind contaminates the entire container.
Any person or animal directly drained by a sand tick
most likely develops the sickness; someone who drinks
tick-fouled water (whether they’re aware of it or not) is
far less likely to become sick, but it can happen. Con110
taminated water is marked and generally not used, or
given to animals before anyone else.
Sand tick sickness only kills one in five victims. The
first symptoms appear within a day: a continuous shaking that gets progressively worse. After three days, the
victim cannot walk or hold objects for a further three
to ten days. In addition to this incapacitation, a victim’s
eyes and then fingernails or claws slowly turn black, the
latter eventually falling off. At the end of that time, a
victim either recovers or succumbs. Survivors never
regain their full sight: everything seems a bit fuzzier,
night vision is all but lost, and their eyes retain a gray
pallor. “Tick-blind” wanderers are common, at the mercy of companions to supplement their diminished sight.
Umber Aphids
Named for their ruddy brown coloration, these tiny bugs
infest decaying plant life but can also be the bane of insects—including krikis. The aphids multiply rapidly and exude a chitin-dissolving mucous that allows them to burrow
deeper into their victim. Umber aphids are not particularly
deadly, and can eventually be washed away by scrubbing
with water or abrasive sand. Lasting effects, however, can
be devastating, since chitin does not naturally regenerate.
Left untreated for several days, an umber aphid infestation
can leave a large insect creature pocked full of holes, its entire exoskeleton loosened. Field repairs include straps and
twine, literally binding the insect’s larger pieces in place;
more permanent repairs include glues, clamps, and rivets.
Depending on the extent of the damage, an affected creature’s natural armor protection can be compromised.
Krikis military discipline calls for umber aphid inspections whenever an army is in the field. They bury garbage
quickly to limit the bugs’ breeding grounds. A krikis warrior
found to be infested suffers ridicule at the very least, and
can lose its rank or position in a legion. Those who retain
their positions no longer serve on the front lines and fall
into menial tasks, the reduction in prestige stemming from
an associated guilt of failing to effectively serve the hive.
Caravans
Enormous trains of beasts and wagons ply the Khitan trade
routes among the populated regions, as they have done for
centuries. The parties and cargoes involved have changed
subtly in the face of the world’s cataclysmic decline. Still, the
caravans themselves plod across the wastelands in a wellhoned manner, cutting deep ruts along traditional paths.
Coming across or running afoul of a mighty caravan is not
at all uncommon, for they are the desert’s wandering cities.
