Keet

"A keet at any time of year is dangerous, if you get too close to it. That's easy to do, because from the top they look like part of a tree. But when they're protecting nests, they won't wait until you're close. By the time you see the red of their bellies, it's usually too late. They'll go for your eyes, and their slime will probably blind you."

— Lysiddea, warning Gorles

A keet is a small animal, an amphibian less than the length of a human hand. To anyone who has heard of it, there is no more dangerous creature. Keets are named for the soft clicking sound they make, which is often the only warning they give before showing their colorful undersides. Physical contact with a keet requires immediate action. To avoid permanent tissue destruction, affected areas must be washed thoroughly and coated with a topical anti-toxin.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Keets are too dangerous to be exploited. While one keet may be killed from a distance, other keets in the vicinity are suddenly made alert to danger, and often react by leaping indiscriminately. As the joke goes, "The only useful part of a keet is its name," which has been given to keetrock, the volatile substance that is Aktergea's primary export, and keetwood, the trees from which it is extracted.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Keets are only known to exist on Aktergea, to the great relief of everyone except Aktergeans.

Average Length

15-20 cm

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Except for the belly, a keet is a near-exact match for the dark gray-brown, streaked pattern of keetwood bark. The belly scales are a bright violet-red, an aposomatic coloration warning of the corrosive slime they exude.

Geographic Distribution

• Aktergea