Heat Drinker

From Reach

Morphology

Heat Drinkers vaguely resemble earth plants, but have no photosynthetic organs. Instead, they send roots 20 to 30 meters deep into warm dirt and bedrock, exploiting the heat differential between the frigid polar surface and underground heat pockets to produce energy. On the surface, heat drinkers appear as a cluster of white globules, about 10 cm across, similar to a pile of snowballs. These globules are rich in nutrients, and feed many polar herbivores.

Life Cycle

When a heat drinker globule attaches itself to a source of warmth, it grows rapidly, doubling it's size within a week. During this phase, the globule acts as a kind of thermal parasite, drawing heat off of it's host while it reaches maturity. When it's heat source runs out, or it reaches maturity at a diameter of about 20cm, the globule falls off. Using stored energy, it begins to put down a root, seeking pockets of heat underground. From there, the globule on the surface begins to replicate, creating new globules which repeat the process.

Hazards

Heat Drinkers are fairly unpleasant little creatures. The reproductive globules can adhere to the underside of vehicles and interfere with carbon engines, reducing efficiency, and, in extreme cases, lead to engine failure. If they attach to a living organism, they can rapidly accelerate the onset of frostbite and hypothermia. They can adhere to All Weather Gear, and compromise it's insulation. Their light weight allows them to leach heat for several hours before being noticed in some cases, long enough to threaten the life of careless Frontiersmen. Removing drinkers from living tissues by force is not advisable, they adhere quite strongly, and can take a large chunk of flesh with them. Instead, savvy Frontiersmen will chill a sharp knife to the outside ambient temperature, and carefully slide it between the parasite and host, fooling the heat drinker globule into releasing its grip.