Bookworm
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To submit a new insect Sithspawn that can drain the life of victims and empower others.
- Image Credit:
- Canon: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Links:
- Name: Irahi Dritis - High Sith for Anima Parasite
- Designation: Non-sentient
- Origins:
- Average Lifespan: 1.5 Galactic Standard Years
- Estimated Population: Scattered
- Description: A small insectile Sithspawn, the Irahi Dritis parasite are at first unassuming spider-like creatures that reside in the jungles of Valrar created by the Lady of Secrets, her apprentice, and her followers in the Order of Arcane Syn. The black chitin covered insect, however, is a dangerous new hunter-parasite as it seeks out Force Sensitive beings and creatures to drain them of blood and Anima, and in turn produce an empowering ichor that it can inject into others.
- Breathes: Type I
- Average Height of Adults: 10 centimeters
- Average Length of Adults: N/A
- Skin color: The chitin that covers the majority of their bodies is varies between shades of dark gray to black, but the small ichor glands that grow on its legs are transparent and revealing the golden colored ichor the creatures produce.
- Hair color: No hair
- Distinctions:
- The most distinctive physical trait of the creature are the spindly legs that act as both pincers and spines that it can use to pierce and drain a victim of blood and Anima or inject the ichor produced in its glands into its master to strengthen them. Other distinctive traits are the glowing antenna on its head that allow it to hone its Force Sense to hunt down Force Sensitive beings and creatures in their environment and the ichor glands on its legs that contain the amber-colored liquid they produce.
- Races: No other races
- Force Sensitivity: All
- Designed to consume blood and the Force from victims, the creatures are able to do both through the pincers and needle-like legs that can pierce through a victim's skin. Once attached, the creatures are difficult to remove as their legs produce an adhesive that will only break apart when the creature is sated or if a mild electrical current passes through it. As the creature feeds, part of the consumed blood and anima is moved into the glands on its legs where it generates an empowering ichor that replicates many of the effects of Yaladai Spice, including its addictive properties, and induce a rapid production of adrenals and regeneration of cells to heal minor wounds.
- To fully control the creatures, if not a Sith or Dark side beastmaster, a female of the species is required to be implanted in a being or creature. The female, almost like a tick, also consumes the blood of their host and releases small amounts of ichor, but in turn it produces a pheromone that allows the host to control several of the male's of the species. To keep control of the female, the host also needs the males to inject some of the blood and anima they've gathered to keep the female content into their own bodies, with the female possible filtering out bloodborne diseases.
- Drawing upon the pelko bug DNA included in their creation, and augmented through sorcery and alchemy, the insects are able to sense the general location of Force Sensitives within a thirty-kilometer radius. As they move closer to their prey or vice versa, their ability to pinpoint the location of the Force Sensitive sharpens until they know their exact location once they are within a kilometer. Once they are this close, they can sense the Force Sensitive being or creatures strength in the Force and determine if they are suitable prey to be attacked alone or if they need additional members of their species.
- The chitin of the insect is incredibly resistant to energy weapons and lightsabers due to the orbalisk DNA incorporated into their creation, making them nigh impossible to kill with such weapons.
- The creatures have a particular weakness to electricity, likely due to the orbalisk DNA used in their creation, as it can quickly kill them and pry them loose from a victim in case of the male or host in the case of the female.
- The ichor produced by the creatures, while it has many beneficial effects, is highly addictive and withdrawal symptoms can rapidly cause a user to lose their sanity in pursuit of more of the ichor, cause hallucinations, and cause a deterioration of the user's cellular structure. The amount produced by an embedded female can put off symptoms, but it is not enough as a full dose from a male member of the species can inject.
- Force Sensitives that have training in concealing their presences, such as those that Force Stealth, can escape detection from the senses of Irahi Dritis. In addition, they cannot sense anything hidden within an ysalamiri void bubble or a void stone field. Additionally, if the insect deems the potential prey too strong, it will avoid attacking it until more of its kind are nearby and they can swarm it.
- While the chitin that covers their bodies is highly resistant to energy weapons and lightsabers, kinetic weapons such as slugthrowers or vibro weapons can pierce through it easily enough and harm or kill the insect.
- Diet: Hemovore, Force Energy - Anima
- Communication: The communicate with others of their species by rubbing their legs together, creating distinctive sounds for such things as hunting and mating calls. Like all Sithspawn, they can understand commands given through the Sith language or passed to them through the dark side by a Sith beastmaster. For those implanted with a female of the species, they can control the males through gestures and the pheromones produced by the female.
- Technology level: No technology level
- Religion/Beliefs: No religion or belief system
- General behavior:
- When left to their own devices, females will seek out protected locations where they can form a hive with a selected male. Once they have laid the eggs and several newer males have hatched, they will immediately seek out prey to feed upon and bring back sustenance to the female. As the hive grows, another female can be born and start the process over again as it seeks a new location for a new hive, however sometimes females will battle to control the males of a hive until one of them gains a majority of control and kill the other if the location has a significant amount of prey or is regarded as highly protected.
- When a female is bonded with a host, whether it be a being or creature, the males will use the host as a way to pass the gathered blood and anima to the female and will follows the host's commands. The female, once it consumes enough blood and anima, will release several eggs that rapidly hatch into a new female and several males so it can spread the species into the environment.
As the galaxy moved into a new era, and the return of an apprentice prompted the Lady of Secrets to resume her training, the creatures that would become known as the Irahi Dritis was initially designed to see how her apprentice might create something. Darth Arcanix summoned
Alina Tremiru
to her facilities on Valrar, having seen the younger Sith had gained the proclivity for Sith alchemy, to test her abilities to mold a creature through alchemy and sorcery for the jungles of Valrar. Alina, once arrived, was provided with whatever specimens she might desire and the Sangnir decided that her test would reflect her own nature as a predator of blood and Anima, the life-giving aspect of the Force.A needlebug was chosen as the base specimen and altered through alchemy, becoming a small hunter of blood and anima. However, Arcanix urged her apprentice to think bigger, to enhance the creation further. She suggested using pelko bugs to give the creature a Force Sense for hunting Force Sensitives, targets richer in Anima, and combining the creature with spine spiders so their poison glands could be altered to produce something. The ideas continued to churn, Master urging her apprentice onwards, as the poison glands of the spine spider were incorporated and the legs of the creature became needles themselves, able to draw blood and inject whatever might be produced in the glands into a subject or the harvested blood for Sangnir consumption.
The Master suggested the ichor in the glands become something that could strengthen a host or subject, and Alina drew upon some of her experiences hunting in the lower cities of places like Nar Shaddaa to have the creatures use their harvested blood and anima to create an ichor that could replicate the effects of Yaladai Spice and boost adrenaline production and healing. As a final part of the creation test, Arcanix provided an orbalisk specimen for Alina to incorporate some way into the new insect. The chitin of the Irahi Dritis took on aspects of an orbalisk's shell, and its legs could produce the adhesive the parasite used to fix itself to a host.
Once complete, the creature and some clones of it were released into the wilds for observation and propagation.
