Female Hatchling
Name: unnamed
Species: Western Oriental Scorpion
Birthday: Thursday, December 12, 2019
Owner: Kestrad
Element: Neutral 
The skins of these small arachnids are soft to the touch, and their tails have stingers that are too weak to pierce skin. Despite this, the hatchlings practice stinging whenever they can, usually by attacking fleshy fruits like pomegranates or oranges. The venom causes the skin of the fruit to begin to liquefy, making it easy for the hatchlings to consume the sugary insides. Hatchlings will have a taste for meat in the form of insects and small animals like mice if given the opportunity, but they can survive well on fruits alone. They spend much of their time near their magi, usually riding on their magi's shoulder or in their pocket. In the wild, they will be carried by their mother until their skin and stingers develop and harden enough for them to leave and fend for themselves.
Oriental scorpions are found in dry, desert areas, especially the vast deserts of Etain and the warm regions of Voltar, where they make their homes in desert sands. During the day they stay belowground, digging tunnels and subsisting on the scarce moisture that can be found there. However, at night they emerge to bathe in the moonlight under a clear sky. While the purpose of this behavior is unclear, the moonlight will reveal curling patterns on their bodies. Unwary travelers often disturb their tunnels. Luckily, the venom of these creatures is harmless to humans, and the effect is actually welcome. While the sting burns, it will enhance the eyesight of whoever suffers it, and the effects vary depending on night or day. In the bright light of the sun, while the scorpion's bodies are plainer, the sting will sharpen vision, so that even the most nearsighted magi can read without spectacles. If stung while the moonlight reveals the scorpion's bright swirls, the venom's effect will result in enhanced night vision. This makes oriental scorpions valuable to magi who wish to travel at night. Of course, this also makes these creatures valued to footpads and thieves, and the venom of a scorpion that was exposed to moonlight goes for a lot of money on the black market.
Sprite art: Lazuli (hatchling) | Description: Raneth