Khepri Scarab

This is a sacred beast in northern Alkelbulan, heavily associated with Lithmor and her aspect Rithaldis. Much like their ancestors, these beetles collect dung and roll them into balls to eat. However, this particular species collects radioactive dung of larger species in the Shamsi Desert. They consume the dung itself as food but they also consume the radiant energy within. Once they have consumed enough radiance, Khepri Scarab can summon a miniature sun from Rithaldis' Plane, rolling them around like one of their dung balls! After rolling the sun into a barren region of the desert, they will burrow inside and slowly absorb their consderable energy--the larger the sun the longer it takes. Some of the largest suns burn for more than a century, their summoner growing significantly larger by the time they peter out! Khepri repeat this process throughout their lives and are the main source for the miniature suns interspersed throughout the Shamsi Desert. Younger specimens prefer to do so underground, illuminating Shamsi's sand even at night! Growing larger with each star they consume, Khepri can extend their natural lifespan. The largest of these are revered by the peoples of Shamsi, crafting new solar oases in desolate regions of the desert. These fresh new oases bustle with new plantlife and animals capable of thriving on the direct radiant energy! Scavenger Prey Nocturnal Solitary

Kaithur

Rithaldis' Charge Thanks to Rithaldis's Charge, Khepri are able to consume or absorb radiant energy from their environment, using the stored energy to empower their muscles, release it as an Aura or to replenish their magic energy. Radiant energy includes sunlight, solar plasma and ionizing radiation. This particular species has a rare variation which allows them to grow larger by consuming radiant energy, much like a Jormungandr absorbs electricity to grow. However, they need to absorb immense amount of this energy to do so and do not shrink when the energy is expended, using it to enhance their growth. Rithaldis' Pocket By using Rithaldis's Pocket, Khepri scarabs are able to create small portals into Rithaldis' Plane big enough to reach inside and can extract one of miniature suns which exist within. It takes a considerable amount of energy to accomplish this, the size of the sun determined by how much energy the scarab expends. This is why they spend so much of their time collecting energy with their Charge manifestation. Khepri can move around these small stars with their legs, rolling them into position. Once burrowed inside, the sun will sustain itself until all of the energy has been consumed!

Anatomy

Original Ancestor	Lifespan
Scarabaeus sacer Sacred Scarab Beetle	100-300

Size
While young Khepri Scarab are small and inconspicuous, like any other kind of dung beetle, they have the potential to grow monstrously large! No one knows the limit, gargantuan specimens rumored to hide beneath the vacuous sands of Shamsi. At the very least, Ilnid himself procures large enough Khepri to pull his and his children's chariots through the streets of Masr and Haramal.
Coloration
Naturally, Khepri Scarab are all black but in their magic form, their carapace becomes almost entirely white!

Habitat

Desert Wetland Coastal Shrubland These beetles prefer the radiant environment of the Shamsi Desert, Birit Narim and Kemet. They might even be found in Kna'an. Smaller Khepri prefer the salt marshes, arid shrublands and verdant coasts of Libu while large specimens supposedly prefer the rolling ergs of Aznag.

Diet

Scavenger Corprophage As a species of dung beetle, Khepri Scarab collect feces for food. They fly around during the day, following any scent of fresh animal waste, and roll feces into balls. Larger specimens prefer to burrow through the sand instead. They then push their balls into an underground burrow and will consume these over the course of several days.

Life Cycle

Oviparous Polygynous Precocial These are a polygamous species, males competing with each other over the right to mate. The female will select one male but a male may attempt to mate with several females. Eggs gestate for one month, females collecting only the most radioactive dung and shaping it into a ball before rolling it into a large burrow. She will then reshape it to resemble a pear, hollow on the inside, before laying a single large egg inside. Finally, she seals the chamber before departing to repeat this process for the next egg. A single female usually only lays about six or so eggs in her entire life. After hatching, the larva consumes the dung-nest and uses the radiant energy to summon their first tiny sun, quickly climbing inside. They become fully mature by 6 months!

Mythology These scarabs are considered a symbol of the Masriyyin goddess Khepri who represents Rithaldis in the Netjer Pesedjet, having a particular emphasis on dawn. They beleive Khepri rolls the sun across the sky every day in the same way a scarab rolls their dung across the sand. The Masriyyin also beleive these creatures are all male, injecting their sperm into a dung ball for reproduction. In hieroglyphic script, khepri scarab represent xpr or hpr which mean to come into being, to become or to transform. As Khepri renews the sun every day before rolling it across the sky, the scarab too represented transformation, renewal and resurrection. These beetles take the waste of larger creatures, consuming and transforming it into a new, life giving form while they themselves transform and grow. For this reason, scarab are frequently featured in funerary rituals and iconography, significant to Masriyyin funerary cults.