Brainmite
Brainmites are a species of parasitic termite native to Norrab. They are a staple in most witch's collections, a necessary ingredient for many powerful brain-altering potions. These terrifying termites enter any orifice of your body and makes its way to the brain. If it cannot find an orifice, it makes one itself, using giant pinchers to tear through flesh and bone. A queen born in a hive will flee almost immediately, in search of a brain to build her new hive.
Brainmites chew on the brain, scrambling one's thoughts and feelings. Infected lose their inhibitions and control of their body, slowly losing sanity before growing violent beyond control. While they can be flushed out of the body, cerebral construction is still an experimental surgery and leads to more fatalities than survivals.
It is fairly easy to identify someone with brainmites. Even in early stages, watch out for brown termites flying in close proximity. An infected is unusually hot to the touch, sweaty and clammy. It is only in later stages when a person starts presenting themselves differently, acting more violent and erratic than usual. At this point it becomes difficult, almost impossible to cure brainmite disease. Much of the brain has been consumed and replaced by the Queen's conscience.
Taxonomy
Brainmites are in the order Blattodea, most famously containing cockroaches and termites. Brainmites are of the genus Cerebretermes.
Anatomy
Brainmites are a dark brown in colour, the Queen and her guards boasting red highlights. Only workers can fly, as well as the Queen before she settles in a brain to form her colony.
The Queen is the largest type of brainmite, measuring in at at ten inches in diameter at her full size. A worker or a guard grows to just a centimetre in length.
The Queen is instantly recognisable thanks to her gigantic abdomen.
She has the largest pinchers, necessary to dig into a person's skull and enter the brain.
Workers are the only ones who have wings their entire lifespan. They regularly leave the brain to gather food for their Queen and the colony.
Guards cannot fly, protecting the brain from inside the skull cavity. Some of them will lodge themselves between the brain and the bone, digging into both using their spear-like appendages.
Larva are a capsuled liquid slowly forming body parts. They lack legs or wings, and move by rolling their segments along the ground.
Diet
I have never seen a creature feed on something so horrific. Crawling INTO the brain and eating it from the inside out?!
Brainmites feed on cerebral matter and magical energy, which can only be acquired from a sophontic species. Norrabians and adamnans are the two most common species of choice on their native planet.
The Queen is the only member of a colony that eats food. She slowly eats through the brain and replaces it with her conscience, to stop the body from instantly breaking down. Using energy from the brain matter she produces eggs at a rapid pace.
Cerebral energy is a type of magical resource that manifests inside the brain. Many inanimals and magically-enhanced animals (brainmites being the latter) feed on cerebral matter, but few actually have contact with the brain in order to feed on it.
Reproduction & Growth
My cousin caught brainmites. I saw them fly out of his nose, eyes, and ears. I ran out of the house and vomited on the side of the road.
Queen brainmites require cerebral matter and energy to reproduce. These components are necessary in the production of eggs, and without it, the species cannot continue.
The Queen, once she has located a brain, will begin establishing her colony by boring into the centre of the brain. There, she replaces neurological functions with her own, creating warped memories, involuntary actions, and causing uncontrollable urges in the host.
Upon hatching larva immediately begin to consume brain matter. Due to such high amounts of energy gained from a tiny amount of cerebral matter, it takes only an hour for larva to shed their skin and become either a worker or a guard.
Habitat
Brainmites are native to Aridara, a small continent. These insects prefer hot, dry climates, so the Sian Lowlands and the Looming Desert are two perfect biomes for them to thrive in.
Their tiny size makes brainmites hard to spot. Unless you equip yourself with appropriate deterrents, it is almost impossible to go your entire life without being infected with brainmites.
Despite typically targeting sophonts, brainmites have been known to infect other intelligent animals. Norrabian wolf-dogs, black-spotted desert gorillas, and god snakes, among a handful of other species. Brainmites have also become invasive on a number of other planets, causing devastating effects on many other civilisations across the Greater Oasis.
A Queen brainmite without a colony can only survive a few days. She will run out of energy from flying after two days unless she can find a brain to siphon the energy from.
Usage
Brainmites are a staple in witchcraft. They carry an unmatched cerebral essence which cannot be obtained by any other natural means. Many skilled witches breed brainmites using artificial brains, or those harvested from morgues. A freshly deceased brain is still viable, as it can be given life through spells and incantations.
De-Ageing Potions
De-ageing potions using brainmites are very unstable. People only use these potions because they are much easier to come by than any other de-ageing spell or potion.Brain Empowering
It is believed that chewing on brainmite larva unlocks new parts of the brain previously unexplored. This cannot be confirmed, but it's a common practice on Norrab.Unlocking Cerexebrum
Cerexebrum is a state of mind, unleashed upon consuming a Queen brainmite. This state of mind allows you to transcend beyond sophontic emotion.Manipulation
Eating brainmites temporarily grants you the ability to manipulate someone's conscience, altering their cognitive biases and forcing them to bend to your will.Tea Infusion
Infusing brainmites into a tea gives its user prolonged cerebral abilities. Drink enough of this tea, and enhanced powers become permanent.Nullifying Mental Conditions
Consuming Queen brainmites in any form has the remarkable ability to rid oneself of debilitating mental conditions. What qualifies as debilitating is situational.5 months (queen)
10 inches (queen)
With all the love in my heart, I say this: Mochi, what the ***? <3 I love how awful and gross these are. Actual nightmare creatures. But you write them so well!
Ferality spreads in the Owlworks!
Seek a new dawn, in Malkora!
Craft a bright new world, in Ayun Sovos!
HEHEHEH thank you so much! I need to write more horrifying things <3