Rhat

Scuttling around the sodden ground in Razhea Capita's Underworld are rhats. Devilish beings of pure hatred and feral ferocity, rhats might seem rather intimidating, but are nothing more than a nuisance. These giant insects aren't particularly dangerous, boasting nothing more than stubby feet to poke prey to death.

Rhats are considered pets in some regions due to how physically harmless they are. They are considerably intelligent, learning basic tricks and following simple commands.

While they may not pose a direct threat, their ability to chew through inorganic substances such as concrete and even metal, makes them a particularly difficult nuisance to get rid of.

Taxonomy

There are nine identified subspecies of rhats, all native to Razhea Capita's Underworld.

Ribbon Rhat

Ribbon rhats have small spines along the elytra.

Saknis Rhat

Inhabiting the tunnels underneath Saknis, the Rooted City.

Rufous Rhat

Rhats with a deep red hue, round underneath Ossaco City.

Pastel Rhat

An all-black subspecies found around Pastel Canyon and Pastel City.

Six-Spot Rhat

Six-spot rhats have six red spots on the elytra.

Eight-Spot Rhat

Eight-spot rhats have eight white spots on the elytra.

Potoson's Rhat

A small subspecies with small spines on its legs.

Gallium Rhat

Feeds on the gallium leak under the House of the Mastermind. Some question its validity as a subspecies.

Basic Rhat

The most common subspecies.

Anatomy

Eggy Placeholder by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

Rhats are large beetle, typically with a dark colouration. They are bulky, with a fat round body and a large head.

These insects measure a foot long on average, with the smallest subspecies half this length, and the largest subspecies more than three times it.

Rhats have short, stubby legs that they use to scuttle along all surfaces, even walls and ceilings. The bottom of the feet have special footpads to cling to any type of surface, even smooth and slippery.

Closely related to weevils, rhats have a long rostrum with chewing mouthparts. The mouth is lined with miniscule fibres laced with a venom so mild it can't be felt by anything larger than the rhat itself.

Diet

Sunsplicer by Mochi

Greenhouse

The Greenhouse is the Underworld's largest producer of sunsplicer, a plant smoked when dried. It is forever plagued by a rhat infestation, who feast upon these flowers.

There is not a lot of enriching food in the Underworld, and every day is a fight to eat just enough to survive.

As a result, rhats are opportunistic scavengers, feeding on anything to supplement them with the tiniest amount of nutrients. Oftentimes they are nibbling on rotting corpses, wildflowers growing in cracks in the ground or algae on stillwater ponds, or absatruss vines that eat away at the planet's crippling infrastructure.

In desperate circumstances, a female rhat will feast on her own eggs. They lay hundreds of eggs every other day, containing a substantial amount of nutrients.

We have to do something about this rhat infestation soon. They're starting to eat away at the vines, and they're the only thing holding up our house after they melted away the metal beams.

— Concerned Underworld inhabitant

Reproduction & Growth

Waxmite by Mochi

Rhats are abundant, and their population only continues to grow. They nest in dark areas, secreting massive piles of sludge that harden into eggs once a group of males have fertilised them. These eggs take just five days to catch into larva. These larva are harmless, though they mimic waxmites, a terrifying predatory animal, in order to scare off potential predators.

The eggs are an unmistakeable dark blue with a white ring. The eggs and larva are such a nuisance that egg-crushers is an entire profession in the Underworld, their only responsibility to remove rhat eggs and dispose of them.

Rhat larva pupate after a week, burying into the ground. They can dig into material as tough as concrete, and it is not uncommon to find rhats pupating inside walls and floors of houses. Pupation lasts about three weeks.

The adult beetle will emerge, living for one to two more years.

Habitat

Rhats tolerate dilapidated, polluted environments. They are comfortable in dry, muggy, even marine environments. Their ability to climb any surface means nowhere is safe from rhats, not even the safety of one's home. They can burrow through tough materials and chew through all manner of substances.

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Pastel Canyon Infestation

For the past ten years, Pastel Canyon and the city atop it have suffered a catastrophic infestation of rhats. Pastel rhats, the largest subspecies, measure three feet in length and can dig through steel. These creatures have continued to breed at an exponential rate in this canyon, and have been eating away at the city's foundations, the only thing holding it up.

In the last five years, several breakdowns of important infrastructural beams have caused significant damage around the city. It has cost billions to fix, money that the city does not have.

Scientific Name

Curculiratus innocuus

Lifespan

1 - 2 years

Average Length

15 - 90 cm (depending on subspecies)

Geographic Distribution

• Razhea Capita
• Razhea Capita's Underworld

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