Firespine Centipede
Generations of wandering the Red Wastes have taught the people of Zer Zerude many hard lessons, among them the danger of traversing the dunes bare of foot. Any who do not heed the words of their forebares will learn the sting of the Firespine, a venemous Centipede that burrows in shallow sand.
Along the back of its exoskeleton, like the razor sharp needle-teeth of a deep-sea fish, grow even sharper spines. These spears of fiery venom are all but invisible beneath the deep, hot sands of the Red Wastes. They are not patient creatures and their venom does its deadly work with a malevolent speed. Paralysis, seething pain, delirium, hallucinations, and death have all been attributed to the venom of the Firespine. The searing venom can paralyze a small creature within a handful of seconds, while Neonatans have been documented to have reached full paralysis in as little as one minute. That is enough for the Firespine as the shock of the sting, the delirium, and the pain will work in tandum to slow their prey so they do not get too far.
This is only the beginning of the nightmare as Firespine are sensitive creatures. Using their long double-paired antennae, they can sense vibrations in the sand up to half a league away. For the most part, they use these antennae in two nefarious functions: to seek for and embed themeselves in common herd paths near desert oases and to sense the signals of their swarm. Rarely will the firespine be found out in the open dunes as they will rarely find enough food on which to subsist. But near the spring waters of the oasis, much game is to be found and, more often than not, their prey are creatures of habit.
Once a habitual game-path has been discovered, the Firespine will utilize their pincer-like mandibles to signal their brethren with a series of clicks and gnashing of teeth. They will create a sea-bed of invisible daggers beneath the sand and patiently await their next victim. Once a creature has succumbed to the paralysis, the Firespin will again signal the brood of the feast. As a brood, they will overtake their prey until it has been covered as they slowly devour it piece by piece. It is the law of nature that the pain of death is felt. Swift is not nature's way when it comes to the inevitable doom of living things and yet Firespine kill with a malevolence that imagines nature a wholly resentful, murderous force. Not only is the sting of the creatures painful, but the pain endures beyond paralysis. Sensations are not just felt, but amplified two-fold. Those who have survived an attack by Firespine and lived to tell, live a haunted life, the memory of gnashing mandibles like a thousand hot brands never truly depart from the fore-front of one's mind.
Despite the pain, the paralysis is potent and the prey of the Firespine endure that pain in torturous silence, their inner voice wailing unuttered screams of sheer torment.
Basic Information
Anatomy
A species of
Behaviour
Entrap their prey in beds of the Firespine swarm, paralyzing them and feeding on them as a brood.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Firespine hunt and communicate in swarms.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
The venom of the Firespine may be extracted for a powerful numbing agent and to cause paralysis or death.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
The interior plains of Zer Zerude.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Sensitive Antennae are capable of picking up vibrations up to half a league away.
Average Length
12-18 inches
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Red carapace allow them to blend in with the sand.
Geographic Distribution
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