Glitterpaw

Glitterpaws, also called carbúnculo in the halfling's native tongue, are rare fey desert-dwelling fey cats with gemstones for eyes--usually garnets or rubies. They are only found in East Bharazad, and there typically only in the sands of the Great Arena.
A glitterpaw is similar in size to an ocelot or serval, and easily mistaken for one were it not for the gleam of red light and the red gemstones where their eyes ought to be. When travelling the desert, glitterpaws are said to take the form of a red firefly (or a swarm of them). At night, a glitterpaw rests in a large clamshell hard as diamonds, which shuts fast and locks from dusk until first light.

Hidden Treasure

The glitterpaw is a rare and oft-rumoured creature, and consequently the stories surrounding this desert-dwelling fey are varied, conflicting and often strangely particular. A few common legends are below:

When you sight a glitterpaw, offer it a weapon as trade. The glitterpaw will lead you to buried treasure, but you must dig with a new shovel.

If you spot a red firefly, follow its light to a hole already dug--but you must bring with you a widowed woman, else the hole will release a noxious, lethal poison.

When you see a glitterpaw, dig into the earth at the place you first sighted it, but with every eight inches dug, you must cast a black cat into the hole, or the treasure below will turn to dust.

Connections to Leothropes

Bharazad locals believe that glitterpaws prefer to reveal themselves to leothropes (wereleopards, werelions or similar) and some rumours go so far as to claim glitterpaws can cause leothropy. Whether true or otherwise, the fear is deep-seated in Bharazad society and few who do witness a glitterpaw are willing to admit it.