Deserts are certainly inhospitable places, what with the intense heat, lack of water and endless plains of parched earth. For many folk, there is nothing to be gained by entering such a place, nothing but a miserable time. However, there are people who do live in such a land, as life is indeed possible in these harsh ecosystems. Flora and fauna do call this place home, and simply for that reason you know why I dive right into these scorching sands. There are many fascinating species to find here, but I know full well to be careful and cautious. I get guides and carry plenty of supplies, as drying into tinder out there isn't exactly a way I want to go. And I be sure to get experienced guides who can help me locate creatures who may not be so easily spotted. This is not only so I can find the species I wish to study, but so that I can also stay a safe ways away. Harsh lands make for harsh residents, and the Olgoi-Khorkhoi is a great example of this.
In a land of scorched sands, you wouldn't really expect something wet and squishy like a worm to live out here. I mean, could you imagine? Yet, the Olgoi-Khorkhoi is a worm that does call the desert home. It survives the extreme heat and dryness by spending most of its life buried in the sand, rarely ever exposing itself to the sun. Their skin is also thicker and more akin to tough leather than a delicate mucus membrane. This helps keep the moisture trapped inside and prevent the hot sand from drying them out. With a serpentine body built for burrowing, this species is rarely seen. However, if you are near one, or even step on a buried one, you most certainly will know about it! The question is: will you survive to tell the tale?
Though they spend their lives hidden in the sand and aren't exactly massive creatures, one may wonder what dangerous secrets they keep? Seeing a hide covered in metallic spines may make some jump to the idea that they use these to constrict and shred prey. This is incorrect. And honestly? Their actual use is far worse. One of the weapons the Olgoi-Khorkhoi possesses is actually the ability to produce potent electricity within its flesh. It is like an electric eel, but it appears they can create even deadlier currents. The juice they can crank out is enough to knock out larger beasts like camels, and can certainly drop a human. What helps them unleash this voltage is those metallic spikes on their body, as it appears that they are reinforced with copper. In fact, their whole body seems to be laden with large amounts of copper, at levels that would be poisonous to others. This looks to be how they are easily able to produce and release these powerful bursts of electricity. This is how they hunt their prey, as they wait below the sands for something meaty to walk by. When food gets close enough, they unleash a shocking aura that can kill smaller creatures and topple over larger ones. Even if it isn't lethal, it can be enough to debilitate prey long enough for the Olgoi to emerge and deal the killing blow.
Their ability to fry animals with their body isn't the only trick they have. When it comes time to feed, the Olgoi-Khorkhoi will come up from the sand and reveal itself. At first sight, some may think their head and maw is a ring of spines, but that structure will pull itself open to reveal a long blood-red proboscis that sports some nasty fangs! This is what the worm uses to feed, as it only unsheathes this organ when it is time to eat. Four long hollow fangs are on the end, and they bite down into immobilized prey. A potent digestive fluid is pumped through these teeth, and used to melt their food from the inside. You see, they don't exactly have jaws for chewing, and desert animals aren't really known for being soft and squishy. So these worms produce a potent acid that can break down flesh rather quickly, and reduce a corpse to a drinkable slurry. Their teeth will bite and inject this fluid throughout the body, until parts become soft and melted. Then the proboscis burrows into the mess and slurps it up. This method is how they dispatch prey, typically targeting organs or the head to melt down first. After they are slain and injected, the worm will make an attempt to drag the corpse down into the sand to keep others from stealing its food.
However, the Olgoi-Khorkhoi is not a large creature, nor is it that strong. It cannot pull an adult camel into the earth, and using its body to cover it with sand takes way too much time. So if the Olgoi cannot hide its meal, it will resort to good ol aggression. I mean, even without the food, these worms are rather territorial and quick to anger. The world is harsh and food is scarce, so they are ready to fight off predators and thieves who would try to steal their meal or make them one. If you ever find a dead camel in the desert, with no vultures or scavengers around, do not approach. This is probably because an Olgoi-Khorkhoi has killed it and is now viciously defending its dinner. Any animals that dare get close will get fried or worse. When these worms are exposed and feeding, they may resort to more than just electricity to fight back. Encounters show that they will spew streams of their acid at foes during this state, and the injuries that result can be disfiguring or fatal. One favorite horror story of this region is of a man who had his eyes melted by a horrid encounter with an Olgoi-Khorkhoi. Now blind and in the middle of the desert, the long miserable tale spoke of his doomed attempt to find help or safety. I don't know if it counts as "horror" or is more of "talking about a slow and painful death with incredibly unnecessary detail."
Due to their viciousness, eagerness to feed and deadly weapons, the Olgoi-Khorkhoi is regarded as a grave threat to any who walk the sands. Failure to spot the subtle signs of a hiding Olgoi can result in your body getting paralyzed by a shock and then slowly being digested from the inside by a foul acid. Thus, locals are well trained in identifying the signs of a worm or the conditions where one is likely to dwell. Some travelers carry long sticks or bits of stone to test areas where an Olgoi may be, disturbing the spots while standing at a safe distance. Thankfully, these worms are ambush hunters and care only about creatures who get too close. As long as you steer far away from their kills, an Olgoi-Khorkhoi will have no reason to harm you. But even then, there are many who perish in the desert due to an accidental run-in with these worms. And when night falls, they become a bit more mobile and seek out prey. Set up your tent too close to their territory, and they may ensure you never wake again.
With this and the horrid corpses they can leave behind, outsiders to this region have dubbed this species the Death Worm. Which is....a bit over dramatic, don't you think? Yeah, it is a bit scary trying to travel the sands and avoid an unseen danger, but c'mon Death Worm? We really need to cool it with these insanely over-the-top names. The native tongue straight up calls them "large intestine worm" which is far more descriptive, though a bit misleading if you are thinking of parasites. So forgive me if I have a hard time calling them DEATH WORM when they look like a spiny sausage with an attitude.
Also I am positive the hyperbolic name of Death Worm is why so many people have tried to keep these things as pets or as living trophies to show off to your guests. Oh, what a terrifying addition to a macabre collection! Wait til my dinner guests witness such a vile and impressive specimen! Women, hang tight to your men, lest you faint from the shock! Honestly, I don't know what is more humorous about this stupid idea, the fact that many "owners" wind up getting literally burned by these worms, or the fact that these worms spend 99% of their time burrowed in the ground and thus your scary display is an empty box of unmoving sand.
Chlora Myron
Dryad Natural Historian
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"Olgoi-Khorkhoi"
