King Scorpions
Another nightmare made flesh, the king scorpions of the shifting sands desert are ambush predators who will kill a man before they realize they are under attack. Called “sand-claws” and “stingers” by the local orcs, they generally prefer hotter, sandier areas over rocky outcroppings and muddy riverbeds.
Basic Information
Anatomy
They grow continuously throughout their lives, molting and shedding their hard, chitinous shells periodically. The largest have been found up to twelve feet long, with six long legs and two massive pincers capable of cutting a person clean in half. It is theorized that they could technically keep living and growing essentially forever, but it becomes progressively harder and harder to shed their shells as they get bigger. Eventually, they simply cannot shed anymore and are smothered inside their own armor. Their stingers contain a venom which causes severe internal hemorrhaging; one jab will drop a man in less than a minute. Their preferred hunting method is to bury themselves in the sand, then spring out and grab unsuspecting prey with their claws before finishing them with their tail stinger.
Additional Information
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Both the venom and exoskeleton are valuable to the right buyer: the shells can be used to make a durable, lightweight armor while the venom has medicinal applications and is a component in one recipe for alchemist’s fire. Legends tell of ancient desert people who tamed and rode them, but their culture and techniques are lost to time. Bugbear “Stingers” are an elite band of warriors who hunt and slay king scorpions to harvest the venom and chitin from their bodies for their weapons and armor. Stinger raid captains will undertake these hunts single handedly to demonstrate their prowess and earn status over others in the group.
Average Length
Up to 12 feet
Geographic Distribution
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