Cremling

Cremling
by Ben McSweeney
Type	Animal
World of Origin	Roshar
Universe	Cosmere

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A cremling is a type of scavenger crustacean that can be found almost everywhere on Roshar. Rather than a single species, the term — derived from crem, a type of sediment — encompasses a wide variety of creatures. Cremlings that live in the ocean are sometimes called sealings.

Appearance and Anatomy

by Vaigerika

As there are many species of cremlings, their appearance is not uniform. They tend to be tiny, multilegged, and thin, with elongated bodies and purple blood. Most have claws and a carapace. One known variety is skrip, which has a flat tail, two large claws and long antennae.

Cremlings come in variety of colors. Ones living in the chasms of the Shattered Plains have a reddish hue with semi-transparent carapace, making their organs visible. In Kharbranth, there are cremlings shaded like the feelers of shalebark, while in the Purelake, they have a multitude of colors. Some species, including a variety called "sigs cremlings" by the listeners, are poisonous, and indicate so by having vividly red claws or bright coloring on their backs.

Cremlings can make sounds, including screeching and clicking. Songling - a small crustacean capable of far wider vocal range - might be a type of cremling.

Ecology

Cremlings grow from larvae, which mature in stagnant pools of water. Adults live in burrows often located in cracks in the rock. Some creatures that Rosharans call cremlings are actually larvae forms of larger animals, like chulls or maybe even Tai-na.

Cremlings have two primary food sources: scavenging and plant matter. Typically, they drink blood and eat the flesh of the deceased humans, Parshendi, and other creatures, such as chasmfiends. In the period immediately after highstorms, they expand their diet to plants, as those will often unfurl to drink in the nutrient-rich rainwater, allowing the cremlings to feed on the newly-exposed parts. In addition, some cremlings seem to have a symbiotic relationship with shalebark. They clean the shalebark by eating anything that has built up on it, and take on coloring that helps them blend with it, disguising them from predators.

Cremlings are in turn preyed upon by graspers, who will swiftly seize them and pull them into their lairs.

For an unknown reason, some cremlings molt occasionally, shedding their carapace. Some cremlings are capable of seeing Investiture.

Culture

Cremlings are generally reviled on Roshar, being treated as little more than annoying and disgusting pests. Calling someone a cremling is one of Roshar's most common insults, with meaning similar to "rat" or "snake". In idioms, cremlings are usually synonymous with cautious or cowardly behaviour.

Cremlings are edible for humans. While not considered high-quality, their overabundance makes them a reliable food source, and a good cook can turn them into a fine dish. They are usually boiled, and the water left afterwards can be drank, although the latter seems to be a habit limited to the Horneaters. They taste similarly to crabs.

Some people collect various species of cremlings, pinning them to boards like butterflies.

As with "chicken" and "spren", the term "cremling" is often misapplied by Rosharans to refer to creatures that aren't part of the same group, like some non-crustacean hordelings, insects and greatshell larvae.

Sleepless

For more information, see Sleepless.

Some cremlings are part of Sleepless swarms, and share a common hive mind. Such cremlings, called hordelings, are typically heavily-specialized, with some trained to act as ears or eyes, or to assume humanoid coloring so as to allow the Sleepless to pretend to be human. They can operate at a significant distance from the rest of their swarm, making them perfect spies. Through heavy breeding, over multiple generations, they can be evolved to do almost anything, including mimicking larkin abilities.

In the past, hordelings have directly participated in the Desolations, fighting on the side of the Knights Radiant. Dalinar witnesses a burnt pile of them in one of his dream-visions.

Notes

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