Crimson Beetle

Ugh... bugs. Even if they look like pebbles and rocks, they creep me out.

The crimson beetle is the only naturally occurring organism known to inhabit the Great Expanse. As scholars documented the weather and explored the region, they noted the presence of a large number of brightly colored pebbles with slightly softer surfaces than the surrounding bedrock. Puzzled, scholars carried many with them during the expedition. On returning from their expedition and washing the rocks under water, they awoke as fully living beetles.
Further expeditions to the Expanse continued to find more of the crimson beetles and scholars theorized that they wake only during the rare rainstorm that crosses the region. Luckily, one such expedition experienced a rainstorm in the Expanse and confirmed that the beetles awaken for a period of a few days. Strangely, their behavior focused on gathering together dust and soil carried by the rainstorm, which appeared to inevitably blow outside of the Expanse from the wind. The curious behavior has never been adequately explained.
Additional research yielded no answers to the question of how the beetles sustain themselves during the potentially years-long droughts of the region. Scholars theorize they enter a period of suspension wherein their bodily processes stop and are only activated once again when immersed in water, during which time they gather the necessary nutrients they need from the liquid. However, this may not account for the energy used during the active period following the rainstorm and a secondary magical sustenance may be involved in their lifecycle.

Critters and Crafts

Freshly imported from the Kaokut Coalition, Crimson Critters supplies artisans with the beautiful and lustrous shells of crimson beetles, the rarest of breeds. Come and see our collection today!
Apparently, high fashion involves wearing the dessicated parts of bugs around your neck. This I do not understand.