Deer Wasp
Deer wasps are a giant wasp native to Das. They are a species of emerald cockroach wasp that has adapted to life on the Das islands. They are much, much bigger than their cockroach-hunting cousins and hunt Das’ megafauna, most commonly deer, in order to lay their eggs. And, though hunting Sentient races are not their preference, if no other animals are available they have been known to lay their eggs inside people.
They are about three times the size of a fully grown dassen man and have a venom-filled stinger that they use to paralyse their prey before carrying it off to a secluded burrow in order to reproduce. They will lay a single egg, which is about the size of a balled fist, inside their prey using an ovipositor that doubles as a stinger. Unlike many other parasitoid wasps they do not lay externally, and instead puncture the skin to deposit their eggs.
The venom of a deer wasp does not kill its victim; instead, they lay in a conscious, paralysed state as they are slowly eaten alive by the larva. Sentients who have survived a deer wasp’s sting have said that they are still able to feel pain, but cannot physically respond to it.
The venom of the deer wasp leaves their victim’s system extremely slowly; if allowed to leave the system naturally it will take up to five years before a person has their full function back. Instead it is preferred to slowly remove the venom via multiple blood transfusions until it becomes diluted enough for the victim to begin recovery. This can take anywhere from a month to a year. Because of the lengthy treatment, most victims are taking to Kamaki town to recover.