The marid is an enormous animal that lives in the forests of the Near East, though few actually remain in the wild. Its fearsome natural weaponry consists of a long, flexible trunk, and two great tusks used to scythe through its enemies. Despite being a herbivore, the marid possesses burning eyes that reveal its violent temperament, and nothing can slow one of these massive beasts’ ground-shaking charges. Before their numbers were decimated by the growing plague of chigoes, battle-trained war marids were the centerpiece in the Aht Urhgan army. Now these ultimate shock troops are kept in reserve within the grounds of the Imperial Palace, rarely seen by those outside its walls.
http://www.playonline.com/ff11us/ahturh ... marid.html
These small parasitic insects are the cause of an endemic disease in the Near East known as Chigoe Fever. Chigoes, or sand fleas, remain concealed beneath the sand until some unfortunate animal wanders past. The chigoe leaps an incredible distance to attach itself to the victim’s body, and then burrows under the skin to feed. The welts raised by these insidious pests are so painful, even a large animal can suffer a slow, wasting death when infested by enough parasites. According to the latest research by the Alchemists’ Guild, a virulent illness that once swept through Bastok is thought to have been the result of an invisible toxin transmitted through these deadly parasites.
http://www.playonline.com/ff11us/ahturh ... higoe.html
posted for those that haven't been to the toa site in a bit...