Khepera

> More intriguing were the contents. Six marble pillars, all four feet tall and a foot in diameter, stood in a semi-circle before us. Behind the six were hundreds of destroyed pillars, the marble debris piled separately, making it easy to count them, if I had the time.
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> Four fist-sized scarabs with iridescent exoskeletons sat atop the intact pillars, one per pillar. Their black eyes glittered with heightened intelligence, and they watched with pointed antenna. They each had six black legs, thin and delicate.
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> A single head-sized scarab stood on top of the fifth pillar, its brilliant, shimmering shell open, its four insect wings flared.
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> “I will not allow you to leave alive,” the large scarab shouted. Its voice was regal and intimidating, despite its small stature. Its front legs were lined with barbs, each as sharp as a dagger, and were so numerous, it appeared as though its legs were sawblades.
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> The sixth pillar had no khepera. It was empty.
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> – Plague Arcanist
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## Khepera

**Description:** Khepera are fist-sized scarabs with iridescent exoskeletons, black eyes glittering with heightened intelligence, and pointed antenna. They each have six black legs, which are thin and delicate. The two front most legs develop barbs as they mature until they resemble saw-blades. Despite their size, their voices can be regal and intimidating.

**Trial of Worth:** In order to bond with a khepera, one must venture through an underground maze filled with dangerous puzzles. Due to the duality of the khepera, the puzzles include both physical and intellectual challenges.

**Tier:** 3

**Reproduction:** Fable—according to myth, 112 khepera were born from the first sands of the first desert when the first rays of light scorched the first dunes. Whenever a khepera dies, the sands of its body travel back to the desert, where the creature reforms anew as a “child.” Due to that reason, the number of khepera in the world are limited.

**Evocation:** Desert Light—khepera and their arcanists can evoke white-hot light, as though stolen from the intensity of a burning desert.

**Manipulation:** Time—khepera and their arcanists manipulate entropic rot on items and people. Entropy, based on time, can be used to damage, or heal, in limited amounts. Old items become new, and minor effects of aging are reversed.

**Augmentation:** Time—when khepera or their arcanists augment themselves, they cannot be teleported, moved through space, or be affected by time. When khepera or their arcanists augment others (and other objects) they restore anything broken.

**Imbuing:** Unlike other mystical creatures, khepera leave behind sand when they die. They create two piles of sands—one pink, and one tan. If consumed, the sands restore someone who has been injured. Consuming the tan sand restores someone physically, and consuming the pink sand restores someone’s soul. However, using the sand in this way prevents the khepera from reincarnating and kills it permanently.

**Aura:** Ancient Eyesight— when a khepera arcanist creates an aura, a fog wafts across the area. In that fog, memory scenes play out, tied to the location. For instance, if the ancient eyesight aura was used in a library, the fog would show scenes of past people who entered the library. Memories with great emotional ties (such as a murder or a birth) are shown vividly, while mundane memories (checking out a book) are faded.

**Innate Abilities:** Khepera and their arcanists can see in blindingly bright light and damage to their souls.

**True Form Type:** Virtue—khepera arcanists must embody the deep need for historical knowledge in order for their eldrin to transform. This includes a never-ending desire to know the truth of life that came before, and use it for the betterment of the future.

**True Form Appearance:** Once a khepera achieves its true form, the creature’s exoskeleton becomes pure gold, and glistens no matter the lighting. Its eyes become diamonds, and the khepera grows to the size of a large dog.

**True Form Power:** Once More—the khepera, and its arcanist, can go back in time up to twenty-four hours, but only twice ever. Each time the khepera and its arcanist travel back in time, a diamond eye of the creature shatters.

**In-World Lore:** While khepera used to number over one hundred, harvesting their healing sands has reduced their numbers to only six. They are extremely rare, and dwell beneath the desert city of New Norra. Because of the myths about them, and their rarity, very few people know of their extraordinary powers.

**Real-World Inspiration:** The khepera were based on the ancient Egyptian myths surrounding scarabs. In most Egyptian stories, the scarab is a symbol for birth, life, death, and resurrection. In those myths, the sun dies every night, and is reborn again in the morning, but only with the help of scarab magic. That myth influenced all the khepera’s powers in the Frith Chronicles.