Ear seeker

Ear seekers were small parasitic insects found in Zakhara, the Land of Fate.

Description
Ear seekers were small insects measuring about in length.

History
Beyond Zakhara, these parasites could occasionally be found in the Rat Hills in the early 14 century DR.

Ecology
Adults were found near wood where they could eat dead cellulose. A warm place was needed to lay their eggs, and they preferred human or humanoid hosts. Ear seekers lay in wait within wood, typically a door, and darted out when a potential host pressed their ear up against the door to listen. The ear seeker laid its eggs within the host then crawled out to die. The eggs hatched within hours, burrowing deeper into the host where they could feed on blood or flesh.

The host remained unaware of the presence of the eggs until they hatched and an itching sensation was experienced. The burrowing larvae caused a small degree of pain when they moved deeper into the host's flesh. They would remain within the host, causing cumulative physical harm, until the host died, at which point they would discard the host. The cure disease spell killed the larvae but did not heal the damage caused by their burrowing.