Runeback beetles
Scripture but make it bugs!
The Runeback Beetle is one of the largest known “standard” insects in Atalav. It is a stocky, mountain-dwelling beetle reaching the size of a clenched fist. Its most striking feature is the pair of bovine-like horns that curve from its broad, armored head as well as from the top of its head. These horns are not just for show! They are used in combat between males and in defense against predators- allowing the beetle to wound, flip, or trap threats.
Just behind its head is a dense tuft of rust-colored setae- thick, fuzzy “fur” that insulates its neck joint and gives the appearance of a maned collar. The wing coverings (elytra) are plain in texture but may instead have intricate markings that echo cervidic runes. These markings are naturally evolved but culturally significant to the Faunidae of the Split Mountains. They are so significant that runes in the Split Mountains have begun to differ in appearance from Faunidae runes to moreso resemble these iconic insects. Female Runebacks will have more plain wing covers with simple to no patterns.
Runeback Beetles live in mountain forests- clinging to bark, mossy stone, and alpine shrubs. They are sap-feeders and decomposers, using their powerful mandibles to gouge through bark and fermenting wood. Though slow-moving, they are impressively strong and feared by birds and small mammals. Their thick exoskeleton and defensive moves make them nearly unkillable to most natural predators.
They often burrow into the soft rotten wood of fallen trees to nest and pupate, and their larvae are as thick as a faunid’s thumb. To find these larvae, who are also equipped with these horrible pincers, just search for a foul sap-scent that reeks of rot.
Solitary and deliberate, Runeback Beetles are territorial but not aggressive unless disturbed. Males may engage in spectacular slow-motion duels during mating season, locking horns and attempting to push each other off ridgelines or log bridges. Despite their foul scent, they are considered honorable creatures in local myth and rarely killed. Runeback Beetles can live for up to 12 years, and many minodae believe they carry the mountain’s memory in their markings.
Concept by Becomelost, Rendering and Info by Deertush.