Fire Flies
Some people might call them cute, but unlike fireflies that just glow and look pretty, Fire Flies can give you nasty burns if you mess around with them, so look but don't touch.
Fire Flies vary in size according to their type, from the size of ladybirds to that of small scarab beetles, and have evolved a unique defence to spiders and other predators-they spit fire from small holes in their sides. They are a deep violet in colour, and glow at night with a soft purple light as they feed on nectar from certain flowers. Should they get caught in a web, or jumped on by a praying mantis or some other predator, they send out a two second burst of flame that is caused when chemicals in their blood react with oxygen in the air, which they can repeat up to five times in twenty-four hours.
This short burst is hot enough to burn through any spider web and injure or kill any nearby insect, and is enough to hurt even a bird or a human. Whilst one of these insects cannot case much harm, they tend to fly in groups, and if one is killed or swatted at, the others will attack. If their nests are damaged, then, much like Crystal Hornets the whole hive, thousands strong, will swarm out and try and kill whoever did it, and in those numbers they can, acting together, even burn a human to death with mutiple bursts of hot flame, hot enough to ignite linen and sear flesh.
If twenty or more can be caught and crushed, and then are prepared by a skilled wizard before they decompose, they can be used in a short term potion that can be used to change someone's voice, that is useful for disguising oneself or impersonating another person.
'FIRE!!'
Summer may be winding down (in most places), but the fires of imagination still burn bright.
Thousands upon thousands of years ago, role-playing was invented by our ancestors. Long before the first wheel rolled down a hill, and long before the first loaf of bread was sliced, early humans sat around their caves regaling each other with tales of gods, creatures, heroes and villains, and entertaining themselves with impersonations, play-acting, and role-reversals. All this was made possible by the roaring FIRES inside their caves, which warmed their bodies, roasted their meats, and shone light on their faces.
This month we celebrate FIRE and Role-Playing!
'The Quest revolves around the element of FIRE. Water, Air, and Earth need not apply.
Items, Locations, NPCs, or Plots. All are welcome as long as FIRE is involved! Don your asbestos suits and enter with us, into the all-consuming inferno that is this month's Quest!'
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? Responses (7)
Neat.
I would have started with much more basic lead in, that explains you are not talking about the bioluminscent firefly (even though the reader already makes that assumption due to the context of the website).
I like them, they add a nice flavor to a world. I can picture a pc running from a mini-swarm, flailing away, trying to put out little fires on his clothing, or clutching burned spots on his arms while fleeing and grimacing. They can lead to laughs, or they can lead to death. I like.
I would imagine crushed fire-flies could also be used for fire-themed potions and their ilk
Hey Checka,
A great idea submitted without an overkill of detail. I think I will us them.
Thanks,
NCN
What a decent little bugger, exactly right for those high-fantasy jungles. Avoid them or kill them fast, or you might end up roasted.
+1 for Muro's image of a running PC on fire... classic. :)
Quite a solid sub.
Typo alert: 2nd paragraph, end of 3rd line- 'cause' much harm.
Simple. Straightforward. Useful :)