Flyers…
The Air Tick
The bag of this buyoant parasite contains 5 marbles: 1 green one and 4 black ones.
Bloodsucker: Once the air tick succeeds at a skill challenge to bite into the back of the neck of an unsuspecting victim, it begins to drain the victim’s blood. Each day, three marbles are drawn from the tick’s bag and for each black marble drawn, one marble from the victim’s bag is replaced by a black marble.
Bloodballoon: The body of an air tick rapidly blows up to immense proportions, once it has bitten down. Blood and gasses make the tick raise into the air, taking its victim with it, dangling down from the ballon connected to the back of its neck. The victim thus becomes largely incapable of miving or fighting back. If the air tick is wounded and at least one black marble is drawn from its bag, the swollen parasite pops and its victim tumbles from the sky along with the torn tick fragments. Depending on the height of the fall and the nature of the ground below, this may result in wounds and/or peril to the victim’s life.
…and pilots
The Tick Crown
This circlet is studded with stings and mandibles. It bites into a wearer’s scalp as soon as it is donned, causing a minor wound. If the victim of an air tick wears the tick crown, it is still subject to the tick’s bloodsucking, but they can also control the tick’s flight. This allows them to fly around, land and take off as they wish.