Erythium-Leech¶
Region: Ironridge (Mines) Type: Vermin / Parasite Danger Level: ⭐ (Annoyance / Swarm Risk)
Description¶
Fist-sized, slug-like creatures that glow with a faint red pulse. They feed on magical energy, specifically Erythium. Their bodies are translucent enough to see the stored energy swirling inside them — a dull red when lightly fed, bright crimson when gorged. They leave a thin residue of depleted mineral dust wherever they crawl.
Behavior¶
They attach themselves to raw Erythium veins — or to the enchanted gear of miners. They are not aggressive but will drain the magic out of enchanted items, rendering them useless. Erythium-Leeches cluster in groups of ten to thirty along active Erythium veins, feeding communally. They reproduce quickly — a well-fed leech splits into two within a week — and an untreated infestation can overrun a mine shaft in a month. They are drawn to the strongest magical signatures in their range, which means a miner carrying enchanted tools becomes a target the moment they enter an infested tunnel. The leeches detach once their host is drained and crawl back to the nearest vein. They avoid daylight and open air, staying deep underground where the Erythium concentrations are densest.
Abilities¶
- Mana-Drain: Drains charges from magic items or mana from mages on contact.
- Explosive Death: If struck with fire, the stored mana inside them detonates.
Weakness¶
- Salt: Salt-powder causes them to release their grip and recoil. Standard mining equipment in Ironridge.
- Cold-Iron: Scraping with cold-iron tools disrupts the magical bond between leech and host.
Lore Context¶
Miners in Ironridge consider leeches an occupational hazard on par with cave-ins and bad air. Every mining crew carries salt-powder and cold-iron scrapers to peel them off gear before they drain it completely. The Iron-Guilds pay standing bounties for cleared tunnels — a crew that can certify a shaft as leech-free earns a bonus on top of their extraction wages. The bounty system works well enough in the upper mines, but the deeper shafts are a different matter. Down near the richest Erythium veins, leech populations have exploded in recent years as the weakening Leylines cause Erythium deposits to emit erratic magical pulses that attract swarms from adjacent tunnels. Some Duralith miners have refused to work the deep shafts until conditions improve. The Guilds have responded by raising the bounties rather than addressing the cause.
Harvested Materials¶
- Erythium Dust: Useful for minor enchantments.
- Leech-Gland: Used in “Anti-Magic” poisons.