Scarab

Native to Alpha Prime, Scarabs are aggressive, crustacean-like creatures which spend the majority of their lives burrowed deep underground. It is down here that they survive off of a diet of nutrients which are filtered out of the dirt. However, despite this seemingly docile diet, Scarabs, also referred to as Terror Claws or Rage Claws, are one of the most aggressive species of life in New Eden – when they are seen above the surface, that is.

Humanity first learned of Scarabs during the initial days of colonizing Alpha Prime. During an early research expedition to study the geological makeup of the planet, the campsite was attacked by several massive creatures that stood six meters or more tall. These beasts ripped through the campsite, destroying every drill and decimating the research team that was ill-equipped to repel an attack of such a scope. In the weeks that followed the Scarab attacks continued against mining operations, seemingly at random. Accounts from survivors of their attacks noted how the creatures slammed their mammoth claws against the ground to generate a large shockwave of kinetic energy which toppled over anything – or anyone – in its path. They also reported of certain Scarabs, nicknamed Terror Claws, curling themselves into massive balls and rolling at or around their prey, using their size to their advantage. Others, Rage Claws, have been known to roll away from their attacker and launch projectiles at their prey from a distance.

In time the cause of the Scarab attacks became clear; it was the mining. Scarabs possess a hypersensitivity to geological activity, allowing them to feel each shift of the planet’s tectonic plates. It’s believed that the heavy vibrations from the drilling drove the Scarabs into a frenzy, amplifying their already aggressive tendencies and driving them to defend themselves. This also explains why Scarabs never attacked a residential settlement or, for that matter, why they were almost never seen above ground outside of an attack.

Despite their isolated acts of destruction, the decision was made to not send Scarabs to Earth with the rest of the creature specimens. How they found their way to Earth remains largely a mystery, though it is widely believed that a small number of newly-hatched Scarabs were living in the potting soil of one of the fauna samples, and burrowed into Earth’s nutrient-rich soil upon their arrival on Earth. It’s also believed that the nutrients found in Earth’s soil, as opposed to Alpha Prime’s, has played a role in the rapid growth of the Scarab population in New Eden.

With the increased utilization of mining and extraction tools to gather resources for the continued war against the Chosen, the Scarabs of Earth are in a constant frenzy and remain an ever-present threat. It’s highly advised, when using a Scan Hammer or calling down a Thumper, to remain on high alert for these dangerous beasts.