Minute Terrors Not every desert horror comes rushing at you with fangs bared Some are so tiny they can gnaw a man near to death before he knows he’s been invaded Bone Fleas These little bastards lay their eggs in putrid water or in the dander of common food animals Larvae dig into the teeth or any exposed bone; should any get eggs in their mouths for even two hours, an odyssey of pain begins Teeth crumble just hours after infection, releasing many more eggs into the mouth Left unchecked, bone flea larvae dig deeper into the jaw and the skull The excruciating pain is unbearable, and victims resort to anything to stop it Common field cures include yanking out teeth and even hacking off the mandible, though the latter usually proves fatal Many a toothless caravan worker testifies to the horror of bone fleas, so their existence is widely known and guarded against Newcomers think associates insane as they scrub out their mouths with sand, but soon follow suit as a precaution Survivors go toothless or bear replacement teeth of bone, rock, or metal jammed awkwardly into their gums Magical cures can halt the pain, stop the larvae, and even regenerate the lost bone Cold Ones can be similarly afflicted, and a pachyaur’s ivory tusks are treasured targets of bone fleas, despite not being bone Krikis are immune, being boneless Alchemists and assassins value bone flea eggs greatly; tales of bone fleas sprinkled into a target’s food are the stuff of nightmares Sand Ticks An annoyance to living creatures, sand ticks hunt for moisture, pure and simple, but they carry debilitating sickness They seek any water containers and, with enough time, burrow through leather water skins, wooden barrels, or even glass or ceramic jars to get at any water within They burrow using a proboscis that produces a mild acid, allowing the tick to dig through an inch of most nonmetallic materials in just a few hours; caravan children often have the task of brushing sand ticks off water stores all night long The amount taken by any one sand tick is miniscule—less than a mouthful—but the toxin they leave behind contaminates the entire container Any person or animal directly drained by a sand tick most likely develops the sickness; someone who drinks tick-fouled water (whether they’re aware of it or not) is far less likely to become sick, but it can happen Con110 taminated water is marked and generally not used, or given to animals before anyone else Sand tick sickness only kills one in five victims The first symptoms appear within a day: a continuous shaking that gets progressively worse After three days, the victim cannot walk or hold objects for a further three to ten days In addition to this incapacitation, a victim’s eyes and then fingernails or claws slowly turn black, the latter eventually falling off At the end of that time, a victim either recovers or succumbs Survivors never regain their full sight: everything seems a bit fuzzier, night vision is all but lost, and their eyes retain a gray pallor “Tick-blind” wanderers are common, at the mercy of companions to supplement their diminished sight Umber Aphids Named for their ruddy brown coloration, these tiny bugs infest decaying plant life but can also be the bane of insects—including krikis The aphids multiply rapidly and exude a chitin-dissolving mucous that allows them to burrow deeper into their victim Umber aphids are not particularly deadly, and can eventually be washed away by scrubbing with water or abrasive sand Lasting effects, however, can be devastating, since chitin does not naturally regenerate Left untreated for several days, an umber aphid infestation can leave a large insect creature pocked full of holes, its entire exoskeleton loosened Field repairs include straps and twine, literally binding the insect’s larger pieces in place; more permanent repairs include glues, clamps, and rivets Depending on the extent of the damage, an affected creature’s natural armor protection can be compromised Krikis military discipline calls for umber aphid inspections whenever an army is in the field They bury garbage quickly to limit the bugs’ breeding grounds A krikis warrior found to be infested suffers ridicule at the very least, and can lose its rank or position in a legion Those who retain their positions no longer serve on the front lines and fall into menial tasks, the reduction in prestige stemming from an associated guilt of failing to effectively serve the hive Caravans Enormous trains of beasts and wagons ply the Khitan trade routes among the populated regions, as they have done for centuries The parties and cargoes involved have changed subtly in the face of the world’s cataclysmic decline Still, the caravans themselves plod across the wastelands in a wellhoned manner, cutting deep ruts along traditional paths Coming across or running afoul of a mighty caravan is not at all uncommon, for they are the desert’s wandering cities