Cremling illustration from The Way of Kings
Cremlings are a group of tiny scavenger crustacean-like creatures found on Roshar. The term cremling is often used to degrade and insult.
They are common in nearly every freshwater habitat, where crem is found. Cremlings' appearance is not uniform. They are small and multilegged, bearing tiny claws and elongated bodies plated with carapace. Cremlings are scavengers that feed on plants[1] and the dead.[2]
There are colorful cremlings: those with translucent reddish color and those with shaded carapaces.[3] Like other crustaceans, they have purple blood.[4]
The tiny creatures, which are commonly found in crem, are also known as "storm’s leavings". They scatter at the first sign of danger, retreating to their cracks and burrows. They are commonly used synchronously with "coward" as a derogatory term. Rotting wood and stagnant pools of water are good for growing cremling larvae.