Gavelwasp

The Scholar's Fairy

Written by Alchemical Tea
In Character Prose and Art by The Clockwork Human
Inspired by Scramax

The Gavelwasp by The Clockwork Human (Adam Martin)

"One of the most beautiful pieces of prose I have ever read was created by a Gavelwasp. You think I jest? For some reason, these little buggers have the uncanny ability to sometimes describe a radiant woman in intimate detail. I own a couple Gavelwasp hives, it irritates the scholars when I go to the library only for their Gavelwasp hives. However, through my experience, this is not an uncommon practice for the seekers of true prose."

~An excerpt from the personal journal of Aerendirk Lithiceline.

Basic Information

Biological Traits

Gavelwasps have very slender bodies with the anatomy similar to that of a human but with the inclusion of large wings that fold around them like a judge or magisters robes. While the head structure consists of two bright yellow organs which are commonly called eyes by the uninformed (See PERCEPTION & SENSORY) in addition to this the gavelwasp also sport two sets of short serrated mandible which it uses to kill prey and to chew plant matter.

Genetics and Reproduction

A gavelqueen (The term for a female gavelwasp) upon being impregnated by the gavelking (the term for a male gavelwasp) will gestate for exactly one week before giving birth to a cluster of young consisting of either twelve or six young. There have been no reports by scholars of a gavelqueen producing any amount young other than the previously mention twelve or six.
A gavelqueen will typically birth twelve clusters of young in her breeding life.

Growth Rate & Stages

From the point of birth, a gavelwasp mite will remain under the care of its mother and the other gavelqueens that tend to the hive for a period of a month before depending on the gender of the creature, either taking flight alongside the male hunters or joining with the females whereby it will be taught by the respective gender. This adolescent stage lasts for two additional months before the mite reaches sexual adulthood wherefore it will consider a full member of the hive.

Ecology and Habitats

The orderly gavelwasps in the wild have been observed chewing and molding grasses into a simple paper upon which they build into to symmetrical hexagonal hives. Amongst urban habitats, they have in lieu of grasses have taken to recycling paper products from books and the like and 'pasting' these stolen texts in their hives. More often than not the wording remains only mildly injured creating a niche demand for poetry composed on the outer structure of the hive. These poetry hives ranging anywhere between one silver to many gold in value depending on the quality of the poetry accidentally composed by the creature.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Gavelkings have been spotted hunting wood worms, louse and moths with a seeming preference towards moths. Some scholars suggest this preference is due to the entertainment provided by the difficulty of capturing flying prey while others dismiss this idea stating nutritional requirements as the reason for the preference.

Biological Cycle

Gavelqueens lose their ability to reproduce at 8 months of age while Gavelkings seem to slowly lose their ability to hear which often results in their death before the typical natural death of the species. This early death is often attributed to the ever-present and hungry house cat

Additional Information

Social Structure

When presenting food to the females of the species, it is reported that the gavelkings will bow in a manner similar to that of a knight bowing to his lord. This seemingly chivalrous act is often cited by mother's teaching their young sons the proper way to act towards a lady but the true meaning of which is often the topic of argument among the traditionally male scholarly profession.

Domestication

Only semi-domesticated at best, many institutions consider the damage caused by Gavelwasps to works of writing considerably minor in contrast to the damage dealt by louse and other paper damaging vermin.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

In certain grass lands, the peasantry has taken to harvesting the primitive paper created by the Gavelwasps and binding the product into simple yet functional book blanks to be sold to poor students creating a small but thriving cottage industry.

Facial characteristics

Gavelwasps of both genders sport a light tan head with large yellow 'eyes' that take up most of their skull.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

The Gavelwasp can be found in the nooks and crannies of judges chambers, council halls, libraries, and centers of higher learning. In the wild can are most typically found in grasslands where they create a simple paper of their own making.

Average Intelligence

Animal-like Intelligence

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Studies suggest that the Gavelwasps are completely blind, instead displaying an extremely heightened sense of hearing and smell. Which leads scholars to a hypothesis that what the common folk would call 'eyes' are in fact delicate and highly tuned scent organs.

Scientific Name

Fairy Scholatorus

Lifespan

2 years

Average Height

9 to 11 inches

Average Weight

2 1/3 - 3 ounces

Average Physique

The scholar's fairy gavelwasps are slender creatures that rely on surprise and quick action to bring down their prey.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The body of all gavelwasp is light tan in coloration with bright yellow "Eyes" the point of gender identification coming from the markings of upon the wings. While gavelking wings are a dark grey with specks of black and dark tan, the gavelqueen instead sports a yellow tint replacing the dark grey as found on the gavelking while retaining the black and dark tan specks