Scarab

Scarab

Found in	D'ni Ages

The scarab beetle is a small, golden-colored insect. According to a D'ni Proverb which appeared briefly on D'niGuild.com, the bodily fluids of the scarab are the basis for making the Ink necessary to write an Age. Catherine notes in her journal that Gehn specifically wrote the elements necessary for creating Books and Ink into the Age of Riven, if not every Age he ever wrote. The scarab beetle, as well as the trees on Jungle Island, were two of the elements we know were added for this purpose. Because of their importance to the creation of ink, it is highly likely that these beetles existed in numerous other Ages, including Garternay, birthplace of the Art, but we have no actual records of their existence outside of Riven yet. Further references to the scarab and its importance to the Art can be found in the game of Ahyoheek, where it is one of the three symbols used in the D'ni version of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Another would be the Age of Gahreesen, where the Maintainers kept approximately 16 beetles which detected ink from unauthorized books.