Ixodad

Ixodads are terrifying creatures that dwell mostly in Korska.
They are rightfully feared and hated in Korska. A full grown Ixodad is an ambush predator and can drain a human of all their blood in as few as 5 minute, making them extremely dangerous. On top of that the ixodad's pincers are easily strong enough to break the bones of whatever limb they have snapped on to.
The humans inhabiting Korska have learned what to look for while in the deserts or steppes off the main trails but all it takes is one wrong step and it could be guaranteed death for you or any beast of burden with ill fortune. If the ixodad doesn't kill you more than likely the harsh climate and hot sun will take you long before you make it back to any civilization.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Ixodads are large tick like creatures. Their first form is relatively small compared to their later forms. They start out about the size of a mans thumb nail. They have 8 limbs, a sharp proboscis, and a hard exoskeleton that protects them from harm. 
Fully matured ixodads  are close to the size of smaller dogs and weigh nearly 30lbs. Their exoskeleton is now much harder and they have 2 large pincer mandibles that they use to capture their prey and restrain it from fleeing while its proboscis drains the prey.

Growth Rate & Stages

The ixodad has 3 life stages

• Its first life stage starts when the creature hatches out of its eggs. Small, already covered in an exoskeleton and hungry. At this stage the ixodad has 8 legs which it can use to stick to any host creature it can find. Its exoskeleton is quite strong for its size as well. The ixodad will stay in this life stage until it can find a large enough host with enough blood for it to fully engorge itself on. Ixodads need a large amount of blood so this is usually fatal for its host. Once fully engorged the ixodad will detach itself from the host and find another dark and concealed play amongst the foliage surrounding it where it will secrete a quick hardening fluid from its skin. This hardening fluid quickly forms a cocoon around the ixodad

• Its second life stage is much less unpleasant than its first. It simply resides within the cocoon, feeding off the blood it has stored away within its body. During this second life stage the ixodad's chitinous exoskeleton dissolves and the blood it has stored within it floods the cocoon. The ixodad is extremely vulnerable during this process and will dry out and die if its cocoon is broken or cracked open. The ixodad will remain within this cocoon growing massively in size over the course of about 6-8 months, depending on how much blood it has stored. The more blood, the larger the fully matured ixodad will be when it finally breaks out of its cocoon.

• Its third and final life stage is achieved when the ixodad has finished growing. With a newly formed and much stronger exoskeleton the ixodad will break and shatter its cocoon using its newly acquired and large pincers, usually about 12 inches in length. The size of a fully matured ixodad depends on how much blood it had stored within its cocoon but usually range from 25-35lbs in weight and about 12 inches across their body. When alive and standing they are about 36 inches from one leg to the other and about 18 inches at the tallest point (Some stories of ixodads weighing over 50lbs and 4 feet in width have been reported through out history). There are now more thermal pits spread across its body on a full grown ixodad and the pits are significantly more accurate than the ones they had in their first life stage. At this point ixodads are no longer parasites but full on ambush predators who lie in wait and hunt prey. 

Dietary Needs and Habits

Ixodads feed off only fresh blood in their first and second life stages. Once they have fully matured in their 3rd life stage they still drink the blood of their captured prey however once the prey is bled dry they will inject a caustic venom that slowly dissolves the internal organs of the victim. Once a day or two has passed the ixodad will drink the fluid and hide to digest its food before moving on to find a new prey. 
The main way ixodads hunt changing based off their life stage.

• Stage 1 - The ixodads are small creatures and sit among dense foliage, be it either rocks or plants. Once a creature walks by near it, the ixodad will launch itself and latch on to the host creature, find a crevice or dark spot of the body and pierce the host's flesh with its proboscis to feed on the blood of the hopefully unaware creature. It will do this until it is fully engorged and larger than the size of a softball. This happens over the course of a week and is extremely dangerous for the host creature as losing this much blood can easily be fatal if the host isn't large enough. 
• Stage 2 - During this stage it will feed off the blood it has accumulated while safe in its cocoon.
• Stage 3 - The fully matured ixodads are no longer parasites but full on ambush predators. The ixodad will burrow its body into the ground with only its 2 pincers above ground. It will then "prime" them, spreading them completely flat horizontally and snug to the ground. From there the ixodad waits patiently until its prey walks over the gap between the two large pincers at which point the muscles inside the ixodads mandible will violently snap shut and latch on to the prey. This is a death grip as even killing the ixodad will not release its pincers. Once the prey is captured the ixodad will launch its proboscis into the prey and begin draining the blood out. If the ixodad was unable to properly trap the intended prey, the ixodad will often full on attack the now greatly wounded prey. Usually by getting just close enough to snap its pincers on the prey, pulling harshly and then letting go. It will repeat this until the prey begins struggling less and less. Once the Ixodad is satisfied it is safe enough, it will latch on to one of the prey's limbs a final time before launching its proboscis and begin draining the blood. A full grown ixodad can drain a horse of all its blood in about 50 minutes and a human in about 5 minutes. Once the blood is fully drained the ixodad will then pump a caustic venom inside the deceased prey, this venom will liquify the insides of its prey over the course of 32-48 hours. During this time the ixodad will usually drag the corpse to a more concealed and defendable position where it will lie in wait, protecting its future meal. Once the insides have been liquified the ixodad sucks its prey completely dry, leaving only dry skin and bones left. Then the ixodad will then move on to a new location and hide for a few weeks before setting out once again to hunt.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Ixodads have no eyes and instead rely on a form of "thermal vision" they have from the many small pits that cover their body. They are also quite adept at feeling vibrations in the ground around them through their legs.

Geographic Distribution

• Korska