Tinīdau
A tinīdau resembles something like a wild weasel with sickles for feet. They are very fast, able to outrun dust storms. They are so fast, in fact, they can become a dust storm until themselves, able to fly close to the ground, dust swirling around them like a dust devil.
They mainly live in the Great Desert. However, they seek out intelligent beings to cause harm to. They are the source of many stories among the Kaushan for pain and destruction. Often the fury of the storm is attributed to tinīdau.
Tinīdau relish causing pain. Their primary means of attack, the sickles on their feet, cause thin, deep cuts. But the pain and bleeding they cause can be delayed for a period of up to a week. The tinīdau will track their victim, following them, and waiting for the most opportune moment to inflict all the pain and damage of their attack at once. Since they thrive on pain, they try to wait for the moment of greatest emotional impact, causing the victim to be shredded from their numerous cuts in front of loved ones or large audiences. In these moments, it is said that a hideous, ethereal laughter can be heard, even if the tinīdau itself cannot be seen.
The tinīdau were created in the Third Age by a geneticist with a sadistic streak. They were released into the wild near the end of the age. Somehow, they had a tie to magic, unknown to their creator. This tie allowed a handful to survive through the return of magic. Those who survived live still, striving simply to cause vicious chaos.
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