Ciaróg Bolcán (Volcano Beetle)

Volcano Beetle by ChaosTearKitsune

Basic Information

Anatomy

Ciaróg Bolcán are gargantuan, semi-elemental beetles. They glow with an intense internal heat, held in by their glassy, black exoskeleton. Their thorax is the seat of an array of branching horns that form a powerful deterrent to most predators while also serving as something of a natural saddle. Each of their six feet end in wide, fan-like toes that allow them to wade across the surface of magma lakes without sinking in too deeply between steps. Though they lack the functional wings of most beetle species, they still bear unfolding elytra on their backs which reveal feathery vestigial wings that they will often flare up when seeking to scare off aggressors or attract a mate.

Between the larger plates of the Ciaróg Bolcán's exoskeleton, there are hair-like growths that protrude out and grow longer over time. Despite giving the beetles and almost fluffy appearance, these 'hairs' are misleading, as in reality they are razor-sharp needles of obsidian-glass that are extruded through minuscule holes in the beetle's body under their armor. These needles break off incredibly easily, but they are also incredibly hot and pierce flesh with minimal effort, making them an effective protection against most would-be aggressors.

Biological Traits

There is seemingly little to no outward difference between male and female Ciaróg Bolcá, but nearly every population of the beetles seems to naturally gravitate towards having a Tarbh, or Bull, which is a member with particularly large horns, thick armor, and threatening needles. This individual is given the lion's share of the available food and is called into action with a very specific set of clicks - unique to each Tarbh - when danger appears that can't be handled by other members of the possi.

Genetics and Reproduction

Ciaróg Bolcán reproduce sexually, with male and female beetles joining together to fertilize eggs, which are then laid in shallow pools of magma. The heat of the stone keeps the eggs both warm and safe from the majority of predators, and when the eggs hatch it begins to melt the shell to a softened state that allows the hatched beetled larvae to devour it as their first meal.

Ciaróg Bolcán larvae swim through the magma, occasionally surfacing in order to allow some of it to harden around them, steadily forming a thick, cracked shell of stone that is prevented from remelting by instinctual magic. When this shell becomes this enough, a larva will finally allow the cracks to seal, locking them inside a stone pupa to change into a young adult form.

Growth Rate & Stages

Ciaróg Bolcán grow incredibly slowly for insects, to the point of often taking as long as two years to develop into an adult from the moment they hatch. They emerge from their eggs as little more than ravenous mouths and six finned legs attached to a bulbous, flailing body, and over the course of first year or more will more than triple in size and develop a stony shell as they eat anything and everything they can find. Eventually, as mentioned above, they will seal themselves within a pupa of hardened rock and develop into a small adult. From there, the beetle's growth will continue for the remainder of its life, slowing down very gradually as time goes on.

Ecology and Habitats

Ciaróg Bolcán can be found only within and around the mountains of Mordrekain, where they inhabit volcanic caverns and lava tubes, often carving out small tunnels between and around them. A significant number can also be found throughout the Réimsí Leáite, or Molten Fields, where they are believed to be at least one of the factors behind the landscape's constantly shifting magma pools.

Since being domesticated, a large population of beetles also live in the artificial magma lakes of various Underkingdom Holds, and a lesser number within the massive forges of particularly successful metallurgic companies.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Ciaróg Bolcá are omnivores, scavengers specifically, eating everything from the glowing lichen that grows on the walls of many Underkingdom caverns to the corpses of their own kind. With the exception of their larvae, they seem to require very little in the way of food despite their hulking size. They are highly magical creatures, appearing to be fire elementals at least in part, which allows them to subsist largely on the ambient magical energies of the world and the heat of the lava around them for extended periods of time. When they do eat, one of the most common sources of food for them are the charred remains of creatures unlucky enough to stumble into their homes. Whether the unfortunate critter was simply broiled alive or reduced to cinders seems to make little difference to the beetles, as they'll rapidly lap up every scrap of ex-biological matter they can find.

In times of scarcity, Ciaróg Bolcá have been known to recognize the needs of others of their kind and will actually refrain from eating when others might need the external sustenance more than they do. How they can tell exactly how well fed their kin are is unknown, but it appears to be instinctual knowledge rather than any sort of inter-beetle communication.

Biological Cycle

Being a subterranean species, Ciaróg Bolcán are largely unconcerned with surface-world weather patterns. The populations living within the Molten Fields still have to contend with this weather, but they've not suffered it long enough to adapt to it in any significant way. The beetles do seem to become rather riled during volcanic activity, becoming more aggressive or sexually active when the ground shakes and the magma of their molten homes begins to bubble and rise.

Additional Information

Domestication

Domesticated Ciaróg Bolcán were originally bred by stealing unhatched eggs and transplanting them to artificial magma lakes or similarly warm environments where they could be watched over and interacted with from the moment of hatching onwards. The beetles seem to lack the capacity for any significant amount of attachment to their caretakers in general, but over multiple generations of selective breeding, they are incredibly docile and some do exhibit almost affectionate behavior.

Physically, domesticated beetles are far more diverse than their wild brethren, as breeders will often interfere with the cooling processes of their outer shells, leading to a much wider array of resulting stone types and finishes. Some are even raised in large smelteries, swimming in molten metal as opposed to stone. This leads to a few potential health risks if keepers don't manually provide breaks in the metal to ease the beetles' movement, but if properly cared for they make for particularly striking individuals.

Ranched Ciaróg Bolcán have generally been either bred or groomed in such a way as to minimize the size of their horns, turning the crest on their thorax into a more comfortable saddle-style arrangement and bringing the large, central horn down and out of the way of the driver's view. Most importantly, their antennae have grown to curve around towards the saddle area, making them more convenient for drivers to grasp in order to give the beetles direction. While this does not make them entirely helpless without a driver, these domesticated beetles have a harder time using their antennae as they were intended, making them seem a bit more clumsy and prone to getting lost when they can't use their eyes to navigate.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Given their size, strength, and durability, Ciaróg Bolcán are commonly used by inhabitants of the Underkingdom as mounts and beasts of burden. Not only are they capable of carrying significant weights and multiple passengers, but their ability to cross lava fields without significantly submerging into them makes them an unparalleled means of transport in more molten sections of Mordrekain's various tunnels and caverns. Provided one is able to stand the intense heat, of course.

Facial characteristics

Ciaróg Bolcán's heads are quite small, relative to the rest of their bodies. It's little more than a ball of stony chitin with two eyes, two antennae, and an unfolding collection of mouth parts set into it. A very few members of the species will have small horns growing from their heads as well, but these are typically aesthetic in nature, as attempting to use them offensively would prove more lethal to the beetle than to its target.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Ciaróg Bolcá can be found nearly anywhere that magma, lava, or both can be found. This tends to be on, around, or even within active volcanoes, as well as magma-filled caverns that can be found throughout the continent of Mordrekain.

Average Intelligence

Ciaróg Bolcá are about as bright as most insects, which is to say not particularly. They operate largely on instinct and survival stimuli, and due to their large size and rock-like hide, they do not often have much that triggers the latter other than hunger.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

A Ciaróg Bolcán's eyes are significantly smaller than those of most other subterranean beasties, owing to the fact that their natural habitat is filled with ample light from all of the molten stone. While their eyesight is not particularly good, it's more than capable of picking up motion or variances in light levels, allowing them to spot potential threats or food sources.

In addition to their eyes, the beetles have a pair of incredibly long antennae which they use to navigate in regions where the light dims too much to be useful, as well as to sift through magma pools for anything edible that might have been dense enough to sink beneath the surface.

Lifespan

30 - 40 years

Average Height

3 - 3.5m

Average Length

4 - 5m

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Ciaróg Bolcán are almost universally a glossy brown-black color, with patches and spots of crystalline spines scattered across their armored bodies. A few rare individuals have armor that doesn't set quite right, leaving them with textures ranging from basalt and granite to pumice.