Arduroceus
Arduroceus is a chemosynthetic species, living off Ardurine crystals in a synergistic fashion. Visually, an individual Arduroceus seems to resemble a very flat and thin metalic snake-like strip that can move decently fast across the crystaline surface. In a cluster, it becomes extremely difficult to identify individual Arduroceus', as they crawl over each other and blend together almost like the crystal has a wave-like surface.
It has a very low metabolism, giving it a life-span into the hundreds of thousands of years. While it's low metabolism makes it capable of surviving in the extreme cold temperatures of The Frozen North, it thrives in a much hotter environment. Ardurine also requires high temperatures to form or grow. The Arduroceus cover the stalagmites of Ardurine to form an insulative layer, trapping the heat inside, improving the conditions for the Ardurine to thrive. In turn, as the surface area of the stalagmite grows, more Arduroceus can find a place to thrive.
Effects
Arduroceus is a well-kept secret by the Kolnai, who has been harvesting these creatures for many years now. When touched by a biological creature, the Arduroceus will start to traverse the skin of this being and enter the first orifice it comes across. While very unpleasant, it doesn't cause harm on purpose. If this happens while the Arduroceus was previously on the Ardurine crystal, the creature takes 2d6 fire damage. If the creature is wounded (maybe because of the fire damage...), the Arduroceus will sacrifice itself to heal the wound as much as it can. This isn't just cauterizing the wound. It transforms itself into cells of the creature, closing the wound as much as possible. Arduroceus is the primary ingredient in "magical" healing potions. The amount of Arduroceus included determines the grade of potion it is. A not-well-known fact about healing potions, is that one could drink it before taking damage. The Arduroceus will stay in the system for up to a day, granting temporary hitpoints instead of healing existing wounds. The moment a wound is inflicted, it will heal the wound. A side-effect of the Arduroceus' tranformation process is that after several hours, it is known to cause mild diarrhea.Footnotes
Rediscovery
As The Frozen North is actively being explored, it is likely that the Arduroceus will be rediscovered in the near future.Etymology
I first just tried to come up with basic names. Because of the synergistic nature with Ardurine, I decided to keep Ardur as the basis for the name. So Arduralis or Ardurialis could be interesting. I then tried my luck finding inspiration in how scientists name species, which led to Arduridae as an option. I then wanted to take inspiration from their effect: healing. I looked up the name of the symbol of hospitals and found it was "Caduceus", so that would make it Arduroceus. Awesome!
Geographic Distribution