Rīvi

Soldiers of the Swarm

Were mankind brighter, they'd simply force the panedur down into the depths of the earth to slaughter the aberati to extinction. It is that eternal pride of theirs that prevents them from relying on us "lesser folk".

— Galátiri Beléih, alchen historian

Rīvis are a small and agile species of lesser aberati dreaded for their ability to crawl out of nowhere and overwhelm their surprised prey. They are often encountered in dark and narrow caves and tight passages which they either use as tunnels for moving across the world and as breeding grounds for building armies to wage war on the free peoples of the world. Despite mankind’s best efforts to eradicate the species, the rīvis remain a regular threat and because of the speed of their reproduction cycle, they are likely the most common type of aberati in the world.

Frontier Fodder

From the minute that they've hatched, the rīvis begin a life in service of the greater aberati aspiration to purge the whole world of the geprati—the humans, alchen, and panedur that they view as outsiders and invaders. It is believed that these creatures lack intelligence for much of anything other than basic survival instics similar to insects or simple creatures, but they work with clear determination and purpose when waging war, leading to theories that the rīvis are directed by greater forms of aberati through methods of communication that remain a mystery, although some sort of psychic telepathic communication remains a popular theory among scholarly circles.

Reproduction

Females lay around 10 to 20 eggs in dark damp environments and then look over them for a few days until they’ve hatched. If they find an egg that’s discoloured or smaller than the others, the female will eat it to ensure the quality of the offspring. Rīvis lay eggs around four times a year, meaning that one female can produce around 40 to 80 spawnlings, although many of those die before reaching maturity.

Habitat

In order to hide from the rest of the world, the rīvis live in the depths of dank caves, the ruins of isolated towns and villages, and other, preferably damp and isolated, places where they can reproduce and acquire food. They avoid areas such as the Red Wastes and other extremely hot and arid environments, as those places lack the damp conditions that are essential for their habitation and reproduction.

Diet

According to many of the survivors that have faced these creatures out in the wild, the rīvis are particularly fond of devouring their freshly killed prey, often to a detriment in battle as their instincts and hunger take over and they ignore their enemy. It’s been reported that they also catch and eat fish, but only when they’re in hiding and can’t get anything else.
Despite their love for meat, these small and wicked fiends have a peculiar love for the taste and smell of honey. How exactly they harvest honey is unclear, but many of their lairs contain a small pool of it which they fill with raw flesh. The submerged meat is then presumably eaten after a few hours or perhaps days of soaking in the substance.

Aberati Rivi by Midjourney

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Aberati

Scientific Name

Aberati Rīvi

Lifespan

2 - 4 years

Average Height

c. 60 cm

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Male - Maroon underbelly and head, dark grey plates on their backs
Female - Golden underbelly and head, dark grey plates on their backs