Topics: fantasy worldbuilding, characters, factions, relics, creatures, locations, canon.

Tags: swarm, ash, regional.

Appearance: hand-length black locusts with glassy wings, red ash in the joints, and transparent bellies full of stolen color. A swarm sounds like hail on shields and whispered names under a closed door.

Threat tier: common as a small drift, regional when ash winds carry a breeding cloud, and famine-level if a swarm crosses Sunfield granaries during succession confusion.

Habitat: they rise from the Ashen Marches, burned crop fields, shallow graves, demon-weather trenches, and watchtower yards where command residue has soaked into soil.

Behavior: they strip grain, leather, wax seals, painted family names, grave markers, and exposed skin. They become more aggressive near shouted orders and military drums, as if command itself feeds them.