Bahara'hara'raha

9th day of the Merciful Moons
I have befriended a veteran of the Hardsands campaign. His name is Seeq Athturn. Delio insists that he's just an old salt and I shouldn't be talking to him. I sometimes wonder if she is right, his stories seem to fantastic to be true, though I enjoy listening to them anyway.

10th day of the Merciful Moons
Today, Seeq told me of the battle of the Thetharan Oasis. My favorite part would have had to been his telling of how he slayed a Chimera. The Beast had the head of a sepent, but it's body was great and shaggy like a giant hound. Delio was passing at the time, and she started lecturing the old man on how he shouldn't be telling me fanciful tales, and that everyone knew Chimerae didn't really exist. Seeq only threw back his head and laughed.

11th day of the Merciful Moons
Oran spotted something on patrol, though he was not able to see what it was, and it looked to far out to meet. Captain Harraq looked had a look through the gate lense, but only saw large dust clouds. Delio thinks a sandstrom may be coming in, and most of the other Knights agree with her. Seeq has taken a worried look about him, but when pressed he told me not to worry about it. I shall question him and the captain further tomorrow.

12th day of the Merciful Moons
The cloud has gotten closer, though it is still too far to make out. The Captain and Seeq are getting increasingly restless and busy. I have had little chance to talk to either of them. Delio, of course, tells me this will be good for me.

13th day of the Merciful Moons
I have been spending more time with Delio on the archery grounds. While we where out today I overheard Captain Harraq and Seeq talking. Seeq mentioned something of 'Western demons,' and wanted to warn the younger initiates, such as myself. The Captain forbade him from telling us anything, and is assured that only a storm is coming our way. He did permit Oran to ride out again however, hopefully he will return soon.

15th day of the Merciful Moons
It is just before dawn on the 15th day of Mercy, and the cloud is less than a day's ride away. Oran and His Sirrush have not returned, I fear the worst. Glints of sliver iridescence can be seen in the cloud. Seeq and the captain have been getting into passionate arguements about it's nature. Seeq appears to have the upper hand in these, and many of the supplies have been moved to the upper areas of the fort. This procedure is foreign to most of us, but Seeq believes it will help should the cloud be the Pirhana men of the west as he suspects.

15th day of the Merciful Moons, Second entry
Captain Harraq has permitted old Seeq to tell us of the 'Bahara'hara'raha,' a beast from Mirdroll. The word is used by the Ylfharn, and translates roughly as 'Great devourers.' On rare occasions they will swim across the Great sea and invade our desert home. While they are individiually weak, no force in the world could defeat such numbers. Seeq claims they have one weakness however: They cannot climb. The Captain has ordered all of us to move upstairs, and said that all access to that area will be completely blocked.

15th Day of the Merciful Moons, Third entry
Delio has convinced me and a few other Knights to stay downstairs. She says that enough supplies were left in the larder to sustain us through the upcoming sandstorm, and if we live we shall surely can medals for our bravery. After the stairs were cut we found that Seeq had been right, and the shifting, hypnotic skin and needle sharp teeth awaited us. I have decided to take one of the creatures pelts back to old Seeq, and another to my family.

Excerpted from the Journal of Serin Uluth, Knight in training. The Journal was buried with his shredded armor and weaponry, for none of his body remained.

Standing two meters at the shoulder, a Barhara'hara'raha looks like an insane cross between ape and piranha. Their arms ripple with muscle, and their inverted legs are almost feline. Their bodies are diamond shaped and angular. A dorsal ray fin extnds the length of their back, it's constant movement genrating the electric fields that Bahara'hara'raha communicate with. Their scales are iridescent, and they exhibit a chameleonic control over what appears on their hides. Some older members of the specie exhibet barbels, like those on a catfish.

Most notable of all things on the beasts are their teeth, wicked half inch needles that can rip through sheets of Steel in seconds. No foe has been able to withstand the might of a swarm head on, though when they're not stampeding, the Piranha men are easily caught and killed.

The Bahara'hara'raha originated in Mirdroll, though because they can swim and breath in both fresh and salt water they have made excursions into all areas of the world, and even the Ivory men in the south have learned to fear them.

The Ylfharn, through long exposure to them, have learned to exploit what is perhaps their only weakness. Bahara'hara'raha can not look up, and they can not grasp the concept of climbing. Young Ylfharn warriors often hang from branches during stampedes and attempt to grab and lift one off the ground. While removing any one of the swarm would normally incite their wrath immediately, (as they are all constantly aware of each other due the electric fields that surround them,) the warriors avoid this by never climbing down, or cutting off their fins which also reduces the victem to a catonic state. Most are killed anyway, as it is difficult to stand agains even one of the daemons, let alone lifting a frenzied, thrashing one.

Colonists from the Tale Empire often buy dead Bahara'hara'raha with the fins cut off from native Ylfharn, though the trade is frowned upon by the Nesa tribes. The eyes, which are popular with nobles when encased in glass, can fetch millions on the open market, and Cloaks made from their scales (known as 'Harloaks') are reknowned by adventurers for their resilient and beautiful qualities.