The Akhunagwa are one of the strangest and most unsettling creatures found in the waters of the Turrican Oceans, particularly concentrated around the Shakan region. Though small—barely the length of a human hand—these parasitic beings wield an outsized influence on the marine ecosystems they inhabit, and even the bravest divers give them a wide berth.

Their bodies are translucent, almost ghost-like, with an inner core of faintly glowing tissue that pulses in rhythmic intervals, leading many sailors to call them “heartbeat worms.” Long, ribbon-like appendages extend from their sides, ending in needle-sharp barbs capable of piercing through the scales or hides of larger marine creatures. Once attached, the Akhunagwa burrows its feeding tubes into the bloodstream of its host, siphoning nutrients and, more insidiously, releasing neurochemicals that manipulate the host’s behavior.

Victims of Akhunagwa infestation often begin to act unnaturally docile or erratic, depending on the parasite’s needs. Predatory fish may ignore prey, while gentler sea-creatures may suddenly wander into the territories of larger hunters, creating easy meals. In this way, the Akhunagwa indirectly controls the flow of life and death within its environment. Scholars in Andromania have even theorized that these parasites could alter migration routes of marine life if enough infestations occur at once.

Though primarily targeting ocean-dwellers, rare tales exist of the Akhunagwa attaching to unlucky swimmers, sailors, or even amphibious creatures that venture into the Shakan waters. In these cases, the parasite latches on at the base of the spine or near vital arteries, inducing fever, hallucinations, and lethargy as it siphons energy. Those few who have survived such ordeals describe hearing faint, echoing whispers in their minds, as if the creature were not only feeding but somehow communicating.

The biology of the Akhunagwa suggests they reproduce by laying spore-like eggs within their hosts. Once the host weakens or dies, the eggs rupture outward, releasing dozens of wriggling larvae that scatter into the currents, glowing faintly like drifting embers. Local fishermen of Shakan waters fear this spawning season most, for nets pulled up during this time can sometimes contain more Akhunagwa than fish.

The Temple of Anark has officially classified the Akhunagwa as a dangerous parasitic hazard, warning against unprotected dives in the Shakan region. Yet some daring alchemists and biologists secretly covet the creatures, fascinated by their ability to manipulate neurology. Rumors suggest that certain rogue factions are experimenting with Akhunagwa extracts in an attempt to control the minds of soldiers or beasts.

To the ordinary people of coastal Shakan, however, the Akhunagwa are a living curse of the ocean: small, silent, and merciless parasites whose glowing forms in the deep are the last thing many a creature sees before its will no longer belongs to itself.