Dhiri'kjor - Flesh crawlers

In the sun-scorched heart of the great sand sea, where the dunes rise like the tents of the Bar'kashyr and the earth bears the scars of a thousand suns, dwells a creature so astonishingly grotesque, its said that the gods themselves weep at its appearance: the Fleshcrawler. But behind its appearance, there lies beauty, a metamorphosis from almost grotesque ugliness to haunting spectral beauty that dances on the desert wind.

Appearance

The Dhirik'kjor, or fleshcrawler as it is known in the common language, is considered by many the ugliest creature to ever grace the lands of Aran'sha. No two of them look alike, but Its segmented body, almost a hands span long, is a grotesque patchwork of mismatched chitin plates, some cracked and peeling, others smooth and oily, colored in varying shades of rust-brown and bone-white. They overlap awkwardly, revealing glimpses of the raw flesh beneath. Small, beady eyes, milky and unfocused, are set on stalks, but these gleam with an emptiness that is void of conscience and instinct. From its underside, a swarm of fleshy, worm-like tendrils writhes and pulses, leaving a trail of shimmering slime, like the tracks of some monstrous desert snail. These are not really true legs as a caterpillar would have, but rather a cruel jest of nature, a collection of fleshy protrusions that propel the creature forward in a disturbing, lurching gait. Bristly, hair-like barbs, some broken and bent, others coated in the dust of a thousand sandstorms, adorn its body like the spines of a particularly ugly cactus. The desert wind seems to have sculpted it from broken things and whispers of nightmares, a mishmash of spare parts and malice crawling across the sands. One might wonder what terrible deed this creature has done that earned it such an appearance.
At the end of its lifecycle, it emerges from its chrysalis entirely changed. Gone is the previous appearance, for it emerges as a spectral Butterfly - a creature of breathtaking, ethereal beauty. Its body, once dull and earth-toned, now shimmers from within like liquid silver. The butterfly's body is slender and delicate, adorned with fine, shimmering scales that seem to glow faintly in the moons twilight. Spectral wings, gossamer thin and edged with starlight, beat with a slow, mesmerizing rhythm, creating a swirling dance of light and shadow.

Behaviour

The Flesh Crawler spends most of its days burrowed beneath the sand, emerging only under the cloak of night to feed on gnarled roots and the occasional unwary insect. Its mismatched legs, some grotesquely long, others stunted and gnarled, and its writhing, fleshy appendages propel it forward with a strange, uneven gait that is unsettling to watch, leaving a trail of disturbed sand and glistening slime. "The Spectral Butterfly, on the other hand, is a creature of light, born beneath the twin moons' gentle rays. It emerges as the sun dips below the horizon, its shimmering wings catching the last rays of light. While solitary at first, as more butterflies emerge, they begin to gather, drawn by a shared, unspoken longing that pulls them together across the sands. Soon, a swirling, mesmerizing swarm of Spectral Butterflies fills the twilight sky, a breathtaking dance of starlight in motion. They dance and drift on the desert winds as if guided by a celestial hand, only to fade away once the first gentle rays of dawn crest the horizon.

Habitat

Flesh Crawlers can be found seeking refuge beneath the towering dunes all over Aran'sha, burrowing under stones and into the cooler earth to escape the relentless sun. Often where one can be found, others are closeby if one looks for easy hiding places.
Meanwhile, the Spectral Butterfly dances across the dunes near many a dry desert river and oasis. In fact, the presence of a swarm is a sure sign of a source of water nearby.

Importance to the People

Amongst the kaharan people, the Flesh Crawler is a creature rarely spoken of, a blight upon the desert, its very image a whispered curse. Most just try to forget about its mishappen appearance and leave them be - even other animals seem to shy them as sustenance. The spectral butterfly, however, has inspired countless poems and ballads, enough to fill a wing of the great library. Many of these verses tell a tale of hope, a reminder that even from the most wretched of beginnings, beauty can be born anew. Witnessing the dance of spectral butterflies is said to be a great blessing upon one's house, a sign of good fortune and prosperity, perhaps even foretelling the arrival of a long-awaited rain. Indeed, legend has it that the first time a kaharan child gazes upon a swarm of these ethereal creatures, their fate becomes blessed with the magic of the desert, their destiny forever bound to the land in a tale of greatness.