Aratha

An aratha or killer beetle was a rare type of psionic giant beetle.
==Description==
An aratha was a giant beetle, 12 feet (3.6 meters) long, with six legs, and four 8-foot-long (2.5 meters) spiked tentacles that could extend their reach out to 20 feet (6 meters). It had eyes on both its back and belly in addition to two eye-clusters in the front. Its massive curved purple-to-brown-colored carapace was rock-hard, and immune to even the hottest fire.
==Behavior==
While appearing as an unthinking monstrous beetle, it was highly intelligent, with a sharp mind and powerful psychic abilities it would use to dominate its prey.
They were called "killer beetles" by many because of their very aggressive nature, and would tirelessly hunt down their prey by scent and thought both. Highly prizing brain moles as food, they were also fond of feeding on owlbears and halflings, but if none of these were available, then any meat would do in a pinch. While they hunted their prey ruthlessly, they were actually quite polite and sociable with creatures they weren't attempting to eat, and were particularly kind to small animals.
Although seen as solitary creatures, the aratha were fiercely devoted to their mates and young, mating only once in their life, although the female died soon after giving birth and the young would feed on its body. When the aratha felt itself slowing down with old age, it would seek out a mighty creature so as to die in combat.
==Ecology==
===Death===
After an aratha died, its carapace would quickly soften, though there were not many creatures except scavengers that would eat the meat of a dead aratha as the meat, no matter how fresh, had a strong vinegar-like taste to it. Its claws however would stay strong and made quite sharp arrow or spear points.
===Habitats===
The aratha lived in the Cormanthor forest, from the Midwood into the Starwood. and around the ruins of Myth Drannor. They were known for serving clerics of Lathander in the Dawnspire, a temple located in the ruins of Myth Drannor.
Given their threat, they had been hunted to near extinction.
==Appendix==
===See Also===
* Control aratha - The spell used by clerics of Lathander to control these creatures
===References===
Category:Creatures found in deserts
Category:Creatures found in forests
Category:Creatures found in hills
Category:Creatures found in freshwater marshes
Category:Creatures found in mountains
Category:Creatures found in plains