Val’Kaz really turned up the sinister game with this move. He wanted to hit Stonewood where it hurts, their pride. Orcamedes was ordered to construct a vile insect that would burrow into the roots of the Stonewood Trees and poison them to wither them away. This would let Val’Kaz watch the morale of the populate decay like the trees they hold so dear. They were named The Gnawing Ones. Modeled after a termite for its wood destroying properties but magically combined with varies other insect species to make them more vicious and venomous.
The Gnawing Ones cannot feed on full grown Stonewood trees that are supernaturally hardened but can feed on the younger Stonewood that has not been time displaced yet. Once they have grown to a suitable size they they hollow out huge caverns beneath the trees and lay their eggs which quickly mature into larvae. Because the The Gnawing Ones feed on fear they have a special way they kill their prey. They will paralyze their prey and then while staring in the eyes of their prey they will kill them savoring every drop of fear. The Gnawing Ones fear the Banners of the Fist. They will not advance past them or at you if you brandish a Bloody Fist Banner. This is a weakness that was specially enacted by Orcamedies so that his creation could be controlled.