Phervian control tick

These spider-like arthropods are tools used by the Phervians to control unruly slaves, prisoners, and beasts. Psychically linked to their controller, the ticks are used as a short-term solution, though the over-exposure of the Gith has led to some resistance to the ticks, a resistance shared by other naturally psychic races.

Biology and habitat

Dark purple in color, these parasidic arachnids have long slender bodies, with four sets of legs under the body, positioned to allow leaping while hooks on the ends allow it to cling onto surfaces, and even widen soft gaps. The back set of legs is a little wider apart to help with swimming. Sharp pincers at the front of the head help with burrowing, and it has been found to have a large brain-to-body ratio, it has been found to be psychic, feeding off of emotional energy.
They enjoy warm, humid areas, and are often as a result nested around shallow pools, river banks, and swamps when found in the wild, though this is rare and a discovered nest is normally quickly killed. The Phervians however keep nests in a large glass cage with swamp-like conditions, often with small ecosystems, with most noble households owning at least one nest.

Behavour

A hive mind, each nest of ticks serves a single queen, and in fact, passes nutrients through this hive mind. The queen stays within the underground nest, laying eggs, while ticks travel out in search of food, once a host is found the tick bounds towards them, before burrowing into the skin and climbing to the brain. It then goes and attaches itself to the amygdala, where it feeds off of the emotional responses of a creature. When the tick dies it then passes into the bloodstream and is excreted out of the body.

Effects on the host

With their emotions being fed upon, hosts are often more docile, calm, and emotionless. often referred to as husks, hosts are highly susceptible to manipulation and control. Several hosts die while infected, forgetting to take care of basic needs. This results in the tick burrowing out to find a new host.
This also results in a burst of uncontrolled emotion after the tick dies, this is made worse by the host's life is often in tatters. These combined factors often result in the host dying shortly after the tick due to various unrelated issues. Hosts that have survived the flood of emotion are left traumatized, recounting how they remember everything, including the emotions they should have been feeling. Psychics who aren't able to resist the tick often come out mad, incapable of looking after themselves.

Phervian use

The Phervians used the ticks as a control, making lesser slaves and prisoners more docile and easier to control. They speed up the process of infection by inserting the tick into the victim's mouth, allowing it to burrow up straight into the brain. This was never used on honored, or high-ranking slaves as the effects often led to more aggression after the tick died.

Lifespan

10 years

Average Height

around 3"