Anthill Inside by

# Anthill Inside

##### One Hundred and One Ants

##### V1.0.0 By /u/3athompson

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## Table of Contents

Anthill Inside Intro.................................................2
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About Myrmics........................................................2
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Usage Guide............................................................4
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**Adventure Overview**.............................................5
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Dungeon Properties...............................................5
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**Adventure Start**......................................................7
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1. Guard Post..........................................................7
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2. Living Quarters..................................................7
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3. Hatchery...............................................................7
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4. Myrmivern Larva Den.......................................8
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5. Prisoner Room...................................................8
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6. Shrine...................................................................9
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7. Husk Chambers...............................................10
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8. Eating area........................................................10
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9. Myrmivern Lair.................................................11
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10. Treasure Room.................................................11
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11. Food Storage.....................................................11
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12. Living Quarters.................................................11
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13. Guard Post........................................................12
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14. Life Mushroom Farm......................................12
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15. Odd Fungus Garden........................................12
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16. Armory................................................................13
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17. Queen’s Bunker.................................................13
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**Appendix A: Creatures**........................................14

## Credits

*Ants. Ants.*, by /u/3athompson................................1
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*Parasited Ant*, by Sébastien Bègue........................3
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/x8GZ4
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*Myrmic Medallion*, by /u/3athompson................13

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## Anthill Inside Intro
This module was inspired by multiple sources and ideas, but none more strongly than the Formics from Ender's Game. The hostile alien intelligence that killed millions of humans at a rapid pace and "necessitated" a total solution was later understood, but understood too late. That difficulty in understanding sets the conflict of the module in motion, but unlike Ender's Game, the resolution of the conflict may not end in the same wholesale slaughter.

On the biological side, this module was inspired by the various species of ants. I took the formic acid and general warm climate favoritism from fire ants. I took the farming patterns from leafcutter ants and changed them a bit. Instead of pheromones, I used psionics, which always strikes me as something you'd find among desert dwellers. I took the fungal parasitism from the cordyceps fungus and changed it into something the Myrmics could control, instead. And finally, I took the eusocial organization of most ant species and applied it to the goals and thought patterns of humans. Eusociality is a surprisingly common social organization that has evolved multiple times independently; ants, bees, termites, and even naked mole rats are all eusocial.

On the fantasy and D&D side, this module was inspired by the other races created by demon lords or heavily aligned with them, like Baphomet's minotaurs, Demogorgon's ixitxachitls, and Yeenoghu's gnolls. I liked the fungal powers of Zuggtmoy and thought she should reasonably be able to create her own susbservient race. She would create a race that would be entirely dependent on her fungus, and no species is more aligned with fungus than ants. I believe that the Myrmics would eventually break out of her direct control, and instead act with a certain amount of independence. This amount of independence is ultimately up to the story, though.

And finally, this module is inspired by Terry Pratchett's Discworld, who I lovingly stole the name of the module from. There's nothing that embodies Discworld more than understanding monsters and their humanity.

## About Myrmics

### Desert-dwellers
Myrmics are a race of humanoid ant-folk that live beneath the desert sands at the border of the underdark. Some say they were created by the Demon Queen of Fungi as an attempt to copy from the successes of the Beast of Butchery. Others say that they were created by an unknown ant deity that has since long-faded from memory. However their origin, they bear more resemblance to awakened ants or mind-flayers than other beastfolk.

Myrmics are typically dark red in color, and range in size from 3 feet tall for workers to just under 7 feet tall for the queen. Their desert lifestyle has given them resistance to heat and the ability to spit highly flammable acid from their mouth at high speeds. They also manifest telepathy, as psionic traits are common among desert folk. Myrmics communicate almost entirely telepathically amongst themselves.

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### Absolute Queendom
Myrmics start and end with their queen. A Myrmic queen is the only member of her colony that has free will, apart from her royal daughters. All other Myrmics unquestionably obey her orders. In effect, the other Myrmics in a tribe are extensions of the queen in the vein of a walking, potentially talking limb. Myrmic queens are the absolute rulers of their colony, and carry out all reproductive, religious, and administrative roles in the colony. Queens are the only Myrmics able to learn other languages and speak with non-Myrmics. Older queens are able to maintain multiple telepathic links at once and can fly.

Myrmic princesses are independent from the queen but are too young to have mated with any male workers yet. They are quite like their mothers, except they have not learned how to maintain multiple telepathic links or how to fly, but they are able to eat a larger variety of food. After a certain age, Myrmic princesses will leave the colony and seek to establish colonies of their own, sometimes even with a few warriors given to her by her mother. The princesses may even take to a life of adventure briefly, before eventually settling down and borrowing a few male workers from a nearby queen.

Myrmic warriors are the elite of the colony. This all-female group are physically larger than all but the queen, ranging from 5 to 6 feet, and are intelligent and able to delegate orders from the queen, form independent thought, and issue orders to worker Myrmics. They are still absolutely subservient to their queen, however, and will not hesitate to adjust their plans based on their queen's orders.

<div style="color:#888888; font-family:MrJeeves;"> A Myrmic husk tends </div>
<div style="color:#888888; font-family:MrJeeves;"> the Life Mushroom </div>
<div style="color:#888888; font-family:MrJeeves;"> fields. </div>

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Myrmic workers are the grunts of the colony. They are roughly 4 feet tall, and are incapable of independent thought. Workers do the colony's menial tasks such as child-rearing and farming. They are slightly more intelligent than a zombie. They are able to burrow through sand, and combine the acid from their mouth with chewed-up plant material to form a milky white substance that reinforces the burrows.

### Fungal Life and Rebirth
Unusually for races associated with demon lords, the Myrmics are strict vegetarians that only eat fungus that translates to "Life mushroom" in common. The fungus they eat is harvested from the corpses of dead creatures, however. The fungus needs warm, dark places to grow, and a source of moisture from the corpse. Myrmics are not averse to slaughtering other humanoids and using their corpses as food for their fungus.

The second fungus key to the Myrmics is the fungus that creates husks, or the “Rebirth mushroom”. When Myrmic workers die, the queen seeds their corpse with the rebirth mushroom and uses necroamntic magic to revive the workers into husks. These husks are made to do the waste-management jobs and other such tasks that is too low for even the menial worker, or to serve as explosive fodder during combat.

Myrmic queens and princesses have a religion that worships the demon queen of fungi by the name "Eternal Queen Mother". A special fungal drink is prepared for rites that grants those chosen by the Eternal Queen Mother her powers. If someone who doesn't have the blessing of the eternal queen mother drinks the fungal brew, they are slowly turned to fungal slaves from the inside out.

### Desert Skirmishers
Myrmics have a poor reputation among desert dwellers for being territorial and murderous. This is partially due to many Myrmics not understanding the sanctity of humanoid lives, since killing any Myrmic save a queen or princess is a fairly minor insult, on par with a slap in the face.

Wherever Myrmics encounter Thri-kreen, the two usually war, due to competing for live prey in a fairly scarce environment. Myrmics also war with drow for reasons more to do with the demon lords they are aligned with than competition for resources.

Myrmics rarely venture outside hot and dry environments since the fungus they eat does not grow well outside of it.

### Myrmic Names
Great care is taken when naming the royal daughters. A princess or queen has a single name that is countless syllables along and nearly unpronounceable for any non-Myrmic. A shortened version of the name is used when interacting with non-Myrmics.

Myrmic soldiers are referred to by a single-syllable prefix followed by the shortened version of their queen's name. Yod'-'Solenopia could be an example. Workers, drones, and husks are unnamed.

**Shortened Queen Names:** Solenopia, Monomoria, Baria, Geria, Bondorita

**Soldier Prefixes:** Tham, Hex, Yod, Vul, Ord

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## Usage Guide
### As a Classical Monstrous Race
Myrmics are quite easy to use as a stock antagonist. They worship Zuggtmoy, the demon queen of fungi, openly. They kill people and use their bodies to feed their funguses. In this mode, they would be threats to towns on the outskirts of deserts and might be responsible for dissapearances of desert wanderers or caravans. The Myrmics would be hostile and distrustful of other humanoids, and the formic queen might not even speak common. They obtain their scimitars from raids on humanoids. The destruction of a Myrmic nest or the slaying of the Myrmic queen would end the Myrmic threat on the villages. The raids would be composed of mostly soldiers and a few workers, with the majority of workers, all husks, and the queen remaining in the nest at all times.

An easy neutral party that antagonizes the Myrmics can be the Thri-Kreen, who would be frequent targets of the Myrmics themselves.
Thri-kreen have the advantage of superior psionic spellcasting over Myrmic soldiers which allows them to escape capture, but it is difficult for Thri-kreen to take out an entire Myrmic colony. Thri-kreen might be willing to aid in the attack on Myrmic colonies.

### As a Monstrous Race With Humanity
Myrmics can also be portrayed as a bit more sympathetic and nuanced than the average "kill 20 orcs" style of gameplay would allow, while still retaining their incompatibility with humanoids.

Myrmics only place value of the sanctity of life on the queen and princesses. All soldiers and workers are resources that the queen manages, and their lives are only as valuable as the amount of resources needed to birth them, raise them, and sustain them. The number one goal of a Myrmic tribe is to keep the queen alive; all other goals are secondary. If almost the entire colony dies but the Myrmic queen escapes, that is considered a preferable alternative to the colony's attackers dying but the queen dying in the struggle. This incompatibility can be shown by Myrmics killing random humanoids without mercy, since such a killing among Myrmics is considered a particularly stern posturing and not murder.

Myrmics have a positive view of necromancy, since the lives of their soldiers and workers are not sanctified. This incompatibility can be shown by Myrmics being friendly with necromancers and not understanding the taboo around necromancy.

Myrmics live in a desert environment with few animals, and their fungus that they eat requires animal flesh to grow on. Killing humanoids can be necessary for their survival. Zuggtmoy granted the Myrmics this life-fungus so that her followers would kill as many humanoids as possible. This is a demonic ploy on Zuggtmoy's end, but it is not the fault of the Myrmics that they must kill in order to eat.

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Myrmic princesses and queens are smarter than the average human. They are experts at tactics and management of resources, since they singlehandedly run their colonies from a logistical standpoint. They recognize that certain things such as gold, magic items, and books, are valuable to humanoid races, so they will also find it valuable. They can learn to read fairly easily, and if they gain access to books, they might even speak multiple languages. They can easily learn humanoid customs and emotions, but will just not "understand" them similar to how lizardfolk do not understand emotion. A Myrmic who is naive about human society can come across as cold-hearted and overly utilitarian to humanoids, and Myrmics with more experience with humans might pretend to be more empathetic and emotional around humanoids to put them at ease.

Some D&D groups that wish to delve into such subject matters might wonder how Myrmics deal with love and reproduction. Since a Myrmic Queen only mates with Myrmic drones, which are like deformed Myrmic workers and are otherwise useless, Myrmics do not have love, except familial love between the mother and daughter or perhaps even the platonic love of friendship. Myrmics do not experience attraction and tend to get confused at humanoid mating customs like flirting. Seducing a Myrmic is nigh impossible.

### Myrmics Integrated Into Society
Myrmics can be integrated into society if that is desired.

Myrmics generally need someplace hot, dry, and dark to live, with plenty of meat available for scavenging or trade. Any place that fulfills this criteria can have a Queen or two. Desert undercities, massive underground forges, or even under the City of Brass can have Myrmic colonies.

In these societies, they would trade primarily for meat or bodies, and would provide hard or menial labor from their workers, husks, and soldiers in return. Myrmic queens do not wish to join societies that do not place them above the common folk, since they consider it a high insult to be equal to "workers". They are fine being slave masters, clerics, wizards, merchants, or magistrates.

Myrmic princesses on their colony-establishing journey might choose to delay their eventual queendom and take up adventuring or other miscellaneous jobs, or they could choose to reject their lot in life and forgo the worship of Zuggtmoy and the enshacklement to a colony that their mothers had. This would still be fairly rare, though.

Zuggtmoy would be dissatisfied with her daughters integrating into society instead of killing everything, so she has to be pretty powerless on the behavior of the Myrmics. There could still be the occasional Myrmic queen who is given greater gifts by Zuggtmoy in trade for living the Old Ways of gratuitous murder and fungification in secret or not-so secret. A Myrmic BBEG could be run at higher levels, since she would have additional boons from Zuggtmoy, increased resources, and perhaps willing and unwilling minions who are not solely Myrmics. Myrmic queens not specifically allied with this BBEG would vary between indifference and hostility to one who might ruin their standing in society.

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## Adventure Overview
The party has been hired to investigate the disappearance of a caravan traveling from Fenton to Bendalup. Fenton is far in the Deep Desert, and is a slightly underground town that sits on a mine for the incredibly rare IOUN stones. The missing caravan is a bad sign for the traders that aim to sell the IOUN stones, and a more long-term bad sign for Fenton, which is entirely reliant on food imports to survive. The Marvelous and Rhialto company has offered a reward of 2500 gp for the rescue of the caravan’s travelers, a reward of 5000 gp for the rescue of the caravan’s IOUN stones, and a reward of 10,000 gp for both the rescue of the caravan’s travelers and the IOUN stones.

The party has set off from Bendalup, a town that borders the Deep Desert and is connected to the coastline via the Cracked River, a dried-up river that offers a predictable and fast caravan path. Bendalup has enough sparse grasses to feed the town’s chief agricultural production, Deep Sheep. Deep sheep have yellow wool and are larger than normal sheep.

The party has already ventured into the desert and has fought a few of the Myrmics with soldiers before finally finding the Myrmics’ lair.

## Dungeon Properties
### Lighting and Feel
A luminescent fungus suffuses all underground areas with dim purple light. The cave’s areas are dry and warm, except for the rooms with a water source or a farm, which are slightly damper but not much more damp. A creature with innate telepathy has the vague feeling that there are many eyes and ears and voices in the caves.

### Collapsing Walls and Ceilings
The cave’s walls are made of hardened sand covered in a special hardened fluid that Myrmics can generate. The hardened fluid acts like a simple plastic, and feels smooth to the touch. Including a wall or ceiling in an area-of-effect spell that deals fire damage or targeting a wall or ceiling with fire damage, such as burning hands or fire bolt, has a 25 percent chance of triggering a roof collapse. Each creature under the collapsing ceiling must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 11 (2d10) bludgeoning damage and becoming buried in the fallen sand on a failed save, or take half as much damage and be shunted to a space outside the collapsed area on a successful one.

A creature buried in the sand is blinded and restrained, and it has total cover. The creature gains 1 level of exhaustion for every 5 minutes it spends buried. It can try to dig itself free as an action, breaking the surface and ending the blinded and restrained conditions on itself with a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check. A creature that fails this check three times can’t attempt to dig itself out again.

A creature that is not restrained or incapacitated can spend 1 minute freeing a buried creature. Once free, that creature is no longer blinded or restrained by the fallen sand.

### False Walls
The dungeon has several false walls that are six inches thick rather than a few feet thick. They are made to look completely identical to the surrounding walls, but they can be detected by rigorously prodding the walls and listening for hollow sounds. A typical false wall is 5 feet by 5 feet by 6 inches, though there are two 10 feet by 10 feet by 6 inch walls. The walls have a damage threshold of 10 and have 100 HP, but fire damage, such as from a torch or fire bolt, melts a 1-foot-diameter hole and reveals the prisoner room. Myrmic acid will also melt the wall in 1 minute.

### Basic Myrmic Tactics
The following strategies represent the instinctual tactics of Myrmics when they are not directly commanded by their queen. When an eyestalk is within 30 feet of a Myrmic, the queen can assume direct control and command them with the prowess of a tactician befitting her caliber.

* Husks will generally mill about and only attack if commanded to. If all sources of command die, they will continue their last command. They are used as expendable melee fodder.
* Workers will prefer to hang back and shoot acid. They can be in melee range, but do not seek it. They possess slightly more capability to make decisions but are still mostly animalistic and make decisions to spare their own lives.
* Soldiers will seek melee range and will focus on staying near eyestalks and attacking priority targets. They are the most intelligent, and can form new strategies on the fly. They are still entirely subservient to the queen.

### The Myrmic Queen
The Myrmics are a hive mind controlled by the Myrmic Queen. She is the sole Myrmic to have free will, and she is intelligent and highly capable at forming new battle strategies as the situation calls for. She has designed her lair as an extension of her own body, so she is intimately familiar about the dungeon's layout and location of inhabitants.

There are three main types of Myrmic queens.
* Most Myrmic queens are devotees of the eternal queen mother. They are clerics of Zuggtmoy, and they are interested in upholding traditions. They correspond with each other using magic like sending or by sending their soldiers on pilgrimages. These queens use the Myrmic Queen Devotee statblock.
* Other Myrmic queens are far more adept at combat than normal queens, but choose to neglect their spell practice. These Myrmic queens have a zeal in combat similar to paladins.
* Rarely, a Myrmic queen will reject the eternal queen mother, but still chooses to form colonies. These queens are nearly always gifted with greater psionic powers than a standard queen, but are not granted divine powers by zuggtmoy. They are often found far from lands where Myrmic queens usually live. These queens use the Myrmic Queen Apostate statblock.

The queen’s name should be something antlike and latin. Baria or Monomoria is recommended.

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### The Queen's Tactics
In order to carry out her plans, she can telepathically connect to the eyestalk plants scattered around her lair. She knows the location of all eyestalks. A creature can use their action to telepathically hijack an eyestalk (spellcasting ability check contest if the queen is controlling it, with disadvantage if the creature doesn’t have innate telepathy). DC 13 nature check to determine this. Worker or soldier Myrmics will report intruders telepathically to the nearest eyestalk, or will run to a nearest eyestalk to do so.Without an eyestalk being controlled by the queen within 30 feet, the Myrmics are much less smart. The queen cannot observe an area that does not have an eyestalk.

#### Priorities and Bargains of the Queen
The queen has certain objectives and things that she cares about more than others.

1. The queen’s life and safety. If the party is able to credibly threaten her life, she will bargain anything for her safety, and she will use any tactic possible to defend her own life, no matter how distasteful.
1. The life of 2 soldiers and 6 workers. She’s uncomfortably defenseless if the rest of her soldiers and workers are dead, so she will do whatever possible, apart from sacrificing her own life, to keep them alive.
1. Her eggs, pupae, and larva. She cares for these, since they represent her future potential, as well as even perhaps her future princess daughters.
1. Her food supply.
1. The life of 3 soldiers and 12 workers. 
1. The treasure she has taken from the caravan.
1. The life of 4 soldiers and 20 workers. 
1. The humanoid prisoners she has and the desire to punish intruders into her domain, as well as her unwillingness to bargain for the IOUN stones.
1. The life of 6 soldiers and 30 workers.
2. Her unwillingness to bargain for the humanoid prisoners.
1. The lives of the remaining soldiers.
1. The lives of the remaining workers.
1. The lives of husks.

There are a total of 10 soldiers, 60 workers, and 30 husks. She is therefore willing to sacrifice all of her husks, 30 workers, and 4 soldiers before she will even begin to discuss negotiations, and requires 2 more soldiers or 10 more workers to be slain before she would capitulate to releasing the hostages without receiving something in return.

If the queen decides to allow bargaining for the humanoid prisoners, she would be willing to trade all the humanoid prisoners for an equal weight in beasts or beast corpses. The party could hunt down desert wildlife of the DM’s choice, or could arrange for the purchase of 1000 gp worth of deep sheep.

If the queen decides to allow bargaining for the IOUN stones, she would be willing to part with the IOUN stones for 5000 gp worth of deep sheep, a massive desert animal such as a roc or a purple worm, or a separate goal as decided by the DM.

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### Traps
The Myrmic queen is quite resourceful with traps. She can execute the following traps if she has direct control over her Myrmics:
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***Collapse tunnel.*** Requires at least 1 Myrmic soldier or worker. It takes 2 minutes (20 actions) for 1 Myrmic to collapse a narrow (10 foot square) portion of a tunnel. Multiple Myrmics can speed the process up. This is a slow process and can’t be used to trap someone, but it creates an effectively impassable roadblock.
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***Rig tunnel to collapse.*** Requires at least 2 Myrmic soldiers or workers. It takes 1 hour for 2 Myrmics to safely prepare a narrow (10 foot square) portion of a tunnel to collapse on command. Multiple Myrmics can speed the process up. Once the trap is set up, the portion of the tunnel needs to be targeted with fire damage or Myrmic fire and the 10-foot-square will collapse (see above for ceiling collapse). A weak section of ceiling can be noticed with a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check.
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***Sticky Fluid.** Requires at least 1 Myrmic soldier or worker, and 1 pound of life mushroom per 10 foot square puddle. It takes 4 minutes for 1 Myrmic to chew and spit out a 10-foot square puddle of sticky fluid that is 1 inch deep.
Each foot that a creature moves through the puddle costs 4 feet of movement, and any creature that moves into the area for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be restrained by the sticky fluid.
A creature can use an action on its turn to try to break free of the sticky fluid, ending the effect and moving into the nearest safe unoccupied space with a successful DC 15 Strength check. A creature that takes fire or acid damage while stuck in the fluid catches on fire and takes 1d4 fire damage at the start of each of its turns. Each time the creature is subjected to this fire damage, the DC of the strength check required to escape the fluid is reduced by 5. If an effect that deals acid or fire damage targets any 5-foot cube of the puddle, the fluid catches fire and burns away in 3 rounds, dealing 1d4 fire damage to each creature that starts its turn in the space that isn’t already restrained by the fluid. Each round the fluid is on fire, the DC of the strength saving throw is reduced by 5.
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***Myrmivern Wingshards.*** Requires at least 1 Myrmic soldier or worker and the queen’s attention to lull the Myrmivern to sleep. A Myrmic can harvest enough wingshards for a 5-foot-square of caltrops in 1 minute. It then takes another 1 minute to break the wingshards into caltrop-sized spikes.

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### Adventure Start
<div style='margin-top:30px;'></div>

> After traveling through the flat desert with relatively few dunes, you find two hills of sand shaped like volcanoes, about 30 feet high and 100 feet wide. The hills are about 600 feet apart. No antfolk are visible, but there are unmistakable antfolk trails leading to the top of each of these hills.

A manual investigation reveals that the sand in the area has a peculiarly sticky quality that keeps it together, but it feels smooth to the touch. There is one hole to the northeast and one hole to the southwest. The northeast hole leads to (1) and the southwest hole leads to (13).

There is a third, hidden hole that leads to (15) about 100 feet southwest of the northeast hole. It can only be detected by a laborious search of the ground around the hills, or by someone walking directly from one hill to the other. The sand on top of the entrance will bend in a strange way, as if there is something hollow. The false floor can be revealed by brushing the sand away. It is identical to a false wall, except that 1000 pounds of weight or 300 pounds of jumping weight will also break the false floor.

## Locations in the Dungeon
The following locations are identified on the map.

### 1. Guard Post
<div style='margin-top:30px;'></div>

> There are a small number of antfolk in here. These antfolk are milling about, but something about them seems off. They appear to have mushroom stalks growing from their head, and they carry themselves like zombies. These mushroomed antfolk are next to two of the caravan carts, which appear to be stripped of goods. A patch of mushrooms that almost look like eyeballs sway uneasily at the back of the room.

The entrance to the colony is guarded by 3 **workers**, 3 **soldiers**, and 4 **husks**. 1 **eyestalk** is towards the back of the room.

One of the caravan carts has a broken wheel. The wheel can be repaired by spending 10 minutes, casting the mending cantrip, and succeeding on a DC 10 Strength (Carpenter's tools) check.

The Myrmics will have spotted the party before they arrive, and will have retreated to make an ambush. They leave out a few husks that have been commanded to be idle. If the party attacks, the queen will call the ambush. If the party tries to talk, the Myrmic queen will parlay with the players invasively with telepathy, but will be unwilling to agree to the players' demands.

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### 2. Living Quarters
<div style='margin-top:30px;'></div>

> In this cavernous space, there are many halfling-size nests made with torn-apart desert flora, as well as a few human-sized nests. An underground well covered in scum makes a small pond in the southwestern corner of the room.

There are 12 **workers** and 2 **soldiers** asleep here, unless the queen has alerted them. There are 2 **eyestalks** in here.

***Well.*** The surface of the well is opaque due to fungal pond scum, but the water is potable. Someone standing who chooses to dive in the water or clear away the pond scum can see an underwater tunnel 10 feet in diameter at the center of the well, which starts 20 feet below the water. The swimming path from the surface of the well to the surface of the queen’s lair exit is 90 feet in total, and is 120 feet from the edge of the well to the edge of the queen’s lair exit.

A creature with no swim speed and a -1 constitution modifier or less may not be able to swim through the watery passage before running out of breath without overexerting themselves. If the DM does not wish to track turns of swimming individually, they can make the creature make a DC 10 Constitution check after completing the swim and gain one level of exhaustion on a failure. Alternately, a limit of 3+constitution mod dashes underwater before making the constitution checks could be implemented if individual turns are tracked.

### 3. Hatchery
<div style='margin-top:30px;'></div>

> The tunnel widens to a chamber. In the center of a chamber is a pit filled with egg-shaped sacs, wriggling larvae, and immobile cocoons.

There are 7 **workers** tending the eggs, and 5 **eyestalks** keeping a careful eye on the eggs and throne. The Myrmics will take actions to defend the eggs. They prefer to call assistance if party members get trapped by the stickiness.

***Trap.*** There is a thin silk line stretching across each entrance to the room that requires a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check to spot. When the silk line is triggered, the ceiling weakens and dumps a bunch of sticky fluid in a 10 foot cube centered around the creature that triggered it. All creatures in the cube must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be restrained by the sticky fluid, with disadvantage for the creature that triggered the effect. The fluid then forms a 10 foot square puddle 1 inch deep. See “Traps” for the properties of the fluid trap.

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***Young.*** The pit is difficult terrain. Myrmic larvae are carnivorous. Any creature that starts its turn in the egg pit takes 1d4 piercing damage from Myrmic larvae biting its feet, unless the entire pit has been destroyed.

### 4. Myrmivern Larva Den
<div style='margin-top:30px;'></div>

> This room is fairly big but devoid of life. More undead antfolk tend to a refuse heap. The sand in the center of the room slopes conically downwards. There’s a caravan guard helmet at the center of the room, which is partly buried in the sand.

There are 4 **Myrmic husks** tending a waste heap watched over by 1 **eyestalk**.

***Myrmivern Larva.*** A **Myrmivern larva** has buried itself below the center of the depression, and will detect any creature walking close to the helm.

The mrmivern larva uses its action each round to cause a sand vortex, then it will either choose to shoot sand at a target inside its range, hide, or bite at a target that was dragged near it. If it is grappling a target, it will choose to hide and then continually bite the creature.

The Myrmivern larva's sandy trap extends across the entire northern section of the room and will entrap anyone traveling between this room and (3), unless the northwestern wall is hugged. If someone attempts to travel along this path, there is a nearly invisible silk tripwire that requires a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check to detect. If the tripwire is not detected, the wall will collapse inwards with sand, knocking the creature that steps on it 10 feet into the pit and knocked prone. The space is then difficult terrain.

***False Wall.*** A DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check notices that the pathway off to the prisoner room has mostly-erased footprints of both humans and Myrmics that disappear inside a wall. The wall is a false wall that separates the prisoner room from the larva den.

### 5. Prisoner Room
<div style='margin-top:30px;'></div>

> Ten people are clustered in this cave. These are clearly the missing people from the caravan. The room stinks of humanoid filth. The people seem to have been allowed to keep their rations, water containers, bedrolls, and some personal trinkets. All weapons have been stripped from them, though. There is part of an eyestalk that’s been torn off the wall. The eye-shaped fruiting body has been destroyed.

The people here are thankful for the party for finding them and presumably rescuing them. All use the *commoner* statblock. Roll on the table or select a prisoner when necessary.

| d10  | Name | Description |
|:---:|:-----:|:-----------:|
|  1  | Zakk Ryne | Male Human. He was learning to be a caravan driver, but wasn’t given any combat experience yet. He’s been trying to keep everybody hopeful instead of insane. |
|  2  | Stearol Tinsen | Male Gnome. Brother of Laureth. Mine workers who were planning on taking a year-long trip far away from the deep desert. Stearol has been entertaining everyone with lute playing. He’s the most likely to talk to the party about aimless topics. |
|  3  | Masen Dry | Male Human. A caravan operator. He’s been fairly hopeless after his caravan partner, Smyth Wett, was taken by the Myrmics and hasn’t returned. |
|  4  | Johl Hamton | Male Human. The accountant in charge of the Ioun stones. Was originally most worried that he’d be chewed out by his superiors for the lost shipment, but was told that he would probably die instead by Masen. This somehow made him more relaxed.
|  5  | Arlo Emusson | Male Dwarf. Had earned enough money to quit working in the IOUN mines and wanted to spend the next couple of years running a food stall in Capitolberra. He managed to hide his meal ticket from the Myrmics: An **IOUN stone of mastery**. He will not tell anyone he has this IOUN stone. |
|  6  | Felix Curry | Male Human. A caravan operator. Has heard many stories of Myrmics but has never fought them before. He’s been the most knowledgeable about the desert and the predicament, but still doesn’t know everything.
|  7  | Penny Price | Female Halfling. A travelling merchant who was traveling with the caravan. She’s been somewhat annoyed that part of her wares were commandeered by the group, but has been placated by a verbal agreement to share profits upon being rescued. |
|  8  | Celestia Hall | Female Human. Born in Fenton, wanted to get out and make a name for herself and/or learn magic somewhere moderately reputable. Got unlucky and didn’t learn enough magic fast enough. She knows *prestidigitation*. |
|  9  | Laureth Tinsen | Female Gnome. Sister of Stearol. Mine workers who were planning on taking a year-long trip far away from the deep desert. Laureth has been keeping strict inventory of the food and making sure everyone is getting equitable amounts and not stealing any. |
|  10  |  Scarlett Wood | Adult entertainer. Not her real name. She’s been fairly quiet since the Myrmic assault on the caravan.

\pagebreakNum

The prisoners know the following information:

* The caravan was ambushed during the night, seven days ago. Half of the caravan guards were slain in the ambush. The other half were brought to the ant cave and were slain immediately upon entering the cave. (8 total).
* The prisoners were thrown into this cave after being stripped of any weapons. The food and water from the caravan was given to them soon afterwards, along with Stearol’s lute and the other miscellaneous personal affects.
* Three days later, Smyth Wett was dragged out and wasn’t seen again.
* Six days later, Jenks Mithtal, a male human, was dragged out. He had gotten sick a day after arriving, and was isolated from the rest of the group.
* The Myrmics have otherwise not bothered the group. There seems to have been no retribution after Arlo destroyed the eyestalk.

The prisoners will be happy to leave with their lives, but will be distraught if they can’t get their treasure back. At least one cart and 60 total pounds of the remaining goods need to be salvaged for a safe trip. This may be difficult if the Myrmic queen is still antagonizing the party.

### 6. Shrine
If the queen is a Devotee or Warrior Queen, read the following text:

> This room has a statue of a slender ant-like creature, but it seems to be composed entirely of fungi. Shelf mushrooms are used as adornments or parts of a dress, enoki mushrooms are entwined together to form limbs, and red and white mushrooms dot this sculpture’s head like hair. The statue appears to be stepping on a husk skull with a mushroom growing out of its head.

If the queen is an Apostate, read the following text instead:
> This room has a statue of a large antfolk, similar to the size of the soldiers. This antfolk has wings, though, and is larger around the midsection. It is made of the same sort of material as the walls are made out of. The statue’s head glows purple. The antfolk is posed in a way that makes it seem like it’s meditating.

Then read the following text in all cases:

> There are also three tables and a rug in front of the statue. The leftmost table has various dried funguses in bowls. The rightmost table has a strange purple crystal. The centermost table has a human corpse that’s been drained of blood and has had parts of his body removed methodically. There’s a scroll in front of the corpse.

There is 1 **eyestalk** in here.

***Devotee/Warrior Queen Statue.*** If the queen is a Devotee or Warrior Queen, the following applies to the statue:

Someone who succeeds on a DC 13 Intelligence (Religion) check notices the similarity of a “mushroomy figure stepping on a skull with a mushroom growing out of it” with the symbolism used for Zuggtmoy, the Demon Queen of Fungi. This is usually depicted as a vaguely human-shaped woman stepping on a human skull.
* If the statue is targeted by fire damage, it explodes into brown mold, which covers a 15 foot square centered on the statue. The statue does not reform.
* If the statue is targeted by radiant damage (spells and features which only target creatures may target this statue for the purposes of dealing radiant damage. Sacred flame, guiding bolt, and divine smite all work), the statue turns to harmless dust, and the creature that targeted it with radiant damage gains inspiration.
* If the statue is targeted by any other damage type or is knocked over, the outer surface of the statue grows yellow mold, which instantly activates.

See DMG page 105 for mold statistics.

The molds can be identified with a DC 10 Intelligence (Nature) check, which also reveals the vulnerabilities of the mold.

***Apostate Statue.*** If the queen is an apostate, the following applies to the statue:
The statue can be broken apart, revealing a psi-crystal that is sentient (Intelligence 18, Wisdom 12, Charisma 14) (RotF) inside. The psi-crystal stores the peaceful, curious, and meditative half of the queen’s psyche. The queen is attuned to the psi-crystal. The psi-crystal considers herself part of the queen, and chooses the same name as her. The psi-crystal is talkative if anyone investigates the statue, but cannot be made to provide information that the queen would not choose to provide herself, such as secrets.

***Center Table.*** There’s holes in the hands, legs, torso, eye sockets, ears, and skull of the corpse. The corpse’s mouth lolls open.

The scroll has a message in both abyssal then undercommon, seemingly translated from the former to the latter.

> Mother desires a grandchild to play with.
> ___
> Send a grandchild to me soon, one who is not your son or daughter, but a moppet and a puppet.
> ___
> Make them have legs that shamble, let them have a lavender touch.
> ___
> Let them look with my eyes, let them hear with my ears.
> ___
> Fill their bellies with your food and finally their heads with my eternal love.

\pagebreakNum

If the queen is an apostate, the line “fill their heads with my eternal love” is scratched out, and “use crystal instead” in undercommon is written.

The solution to the puzzle is to place the proper fungi in the proper orifice. If someone has seen the fungus in action before, no check is needed to identify a fungus in one of the bowls (Exploring rooms (7), (8), and (15) are sufficient). Otherwise, Intelligence (Nature) checks of the following DCs are sufficient to identify each bowl. The fungus then needs to be placed in the corpse in the location indicated in the table (Nature checks do not reveal the proper location).

***Left Table.*** The table has six bowls with the following fungi.

When a creature places rebirth mushroom in the head after all other fungi have been placed in the proper place, the creature is “blessed” with the Fungal Charm below. Otherwise, the reanimation fails. If any fungus was improperly placed when the rebirth mushroom is added, the corpse emits a 10-foot-radius cloud of infestation spores centered on itself (See room 15).
In all cases, the corpse is rapidly eaten away by the fungi, which then eat away at themselves, until nothing is left of the corpse. If the corpse was successfully fungified, the corpse is taken back to the abyss to become a chamberlain of Zuggtmoy.

***Fungal Charm.*** This supernatural charm allows you to cast the ray of sickness spell (4th-level version, +7 to hit, DC 15) as an action, no components required. While a creature has the charm, they smell moldy. Once used four times, the charm goes away.

***Right Table.***
There is a psi-crystal on the table.

If the psi-crystal was instead placed in the head of the corpse after all other fungi have been placed in the proper place, the corpse animates into a zombie. The zombie has an Intelligence score of 14, a Wisdom score of 14, and a Charisma score of 10. It is friendly to the person that placed the psi-crystal in its head. It can speak the languages it knew in life (common), and has 60 foot telepathy.

\columnbreak

### 7. Husk Storage
<div style='margin-top:30px;'></div>

> This seems to be an antfolk graveyard of sorts. Dead antfolk are scattered throughout the room. Mushrooms grow from their empty husks like grass.

There are 12 **husks** that are inanimate when the player arrives, along with 1 **eyestalk**. The queen can use the eyestalk to raise 6 husks per round. Disturbing any husk will cause the rest to attack, as well.

### 8. Eating area 
<div style='margin-top:30px;'></div>

> A mat of woven desert grass lays on the ground, on which piles of freshly harvested fungus lie. Antfolk are eating the fungus. There’s also a well covered in pond scum.

There are 9 **workers** and 2 **eyestalks** here.

***Life Mushroom.*** The mushroom food, called “life fungus” by the Myrmics, looks like pancakes. It’s bland but provides some sustenance to humanoids who eat it. Someone who eats it has the feeling of being full without actually being well-fed. A humanoid other than the Myrmics who solely eats “life fungus” can sustain themselves for a number of days equal to 6 + twice their Constitution modifier (minimum 1). At the end of each day beyond that limit, a character automatically suffers one level of exhaustion. The life fungus here is not dried and will spoil within a few days if not consumed.

A normal day of eating resets the count of days without food to zero.

***Well.*** The surface of the well is opaque due to fungal pond scum, but the water is potable. Someone standing who chooses to dive in the water or clear away the pond scum can see an underwater tunnel 10 feet in diameter at the center of the well, which starts 20 feet below the water. The swimming path from the surface of the well to the surface of the queen’s lair exit is 80 feet in total, and is 110 feet from the edge of the well to the edge of the queen’s lair exit.

\pagebreakNum

### 9. Myrmivern Lair
<div style='margin-top:30px;'></div>

> The floor of this room is dotted with bloodstains and a few bone piles with heavily chewed bones. On the ground near the entrance, there’s a thin square of a mystery material that’s transparent like glass.

A DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check reveals the material to be a natural thing, probably produced by shedding. If the check succeeds by 10 or more, the material is revealed to make a good material to make quick caltrops out of.

The **Myrmivern** guards the treasure room, and is towards the back of the room and not visible from the entry to the room. The Myrmivern is hostile to all creatures except the queen, who has psionically trained her. A creature that sings a lullaby or a similar song to the dragon telepathically will cause it to lower its guard. The queen will not divulge this information unless she needs to in order to spare the life of her Myrmivern.

***False Wall.*** A DC 20 Wisdom (Survival) check notices that the pathway off to the treasure room has mostly-erased footprints of Myrmics that disappear inside a wall. There are many Myrmivern tracks which obscure this. The wall is a false wall that separates the treasure room from the Myrmivern lair.

### 10. Treasure Room
<div style='margin-top:30px;'></div>

> There is one cart in here, and it seems to be in good condition. A single chest is inside the cart. This must be where the IOUN stones are.

1 *eyestalk* is in here.

***IOUN Stone Lockbox.*** The chest is locked with a key that was in the possession of Johl, but the Myrmic queen has taken it. The lock can be opened with a DC 20 Dexterity check with thieves’ tools. On a failure of 5 or more, the lock turns scalding, dealing 2d6 fire damage to the character making the attempt, and fusing the lock closed. The chest can then only be opened with an hour of work. The chest weighs 70 pounds including the contents inside.

Inside the chest, there are a total of 2 very rare **IOUN stones** (DM’s choice, default is ‘of Absorption’) and 40 rare **IOUN stones** (DM’s choice). They weigh 10 pounds by themselves. The total sale value is 30,000 gp. Rare IOUN stones are worth 500 gp, very rare IOUN stones are worth 5000 gp.

\columnbreak

#### Development
If the party rescues the prisoners successfully and takes the chest with them, they will be rewarded with a third of the IOUN stones (1 very rare plus 10 rare or 20 rare), or the cash equivalent of the stones for a total compensation of 10,000 gp. The remaining prisoners split the second third equally, and the Marvelous and Rhialto Mining company takes the final third.

If the party attempts to steal the stones and it is found out (such as by disgruntled prisoners spreading rumors and truths), they will not be welcome in Bendalup and wherever else their reputation travels to.

The prisoners, led by Johl, do not want to steal the share of M&R Mining Co. because they will become outlaws. If the party successfully convinces the prisoners to join them in taking the share of M&R, this may also cause complications.

### 11. Food Storage
<div style='margin-top:30px;'></div>

> There are many sacks woven out of desert plants. They are piled like some sort of storage.

The bags are all filled with dried life fungus. See (8) for the properties of life fungus. This keeps like normal rations. There are 3000 pounds of dried fungus total, enough to feed a single Myrmic for 3000 days, or enough to feed 100 Myrmics for 30 days.

1 **eyestalk** is in here.

### 12. Living Quarters
<div style='margin-top:30px;'></div>

> In this cavernous space, there are many halfling-size nests made with torn-apart desert flora, as well as a few human-sized nests.

There are 8 **workers** and 1 **soldier** asleep here. 2 **eyestalks** watch over this room. The queen can use the eyestalks to wake the workers.

\pagebreakNum

### 13. Guard Post
<div style='margin-top:30px;'></div>

There are 3 **workers**, 3 **soldiers**, and 3 **husks** here. An **eyestalk** watches over.

### 14. Life Mushroom Farm
<div style='margin-top:30px;'></div>

> A large subterranean farm, smelling of a forest after rain, stretches back a hundred feet in this cavernous but low-ceilinged space.

There are 10 **workers** and 4 **husks** here. 6 **eyestalks** are spread throughout the room. The workers in here do not attack unless attacked back or unless the queen commands them to when reinforcements arrive.

***Life Fungus.*** The farms grow Life fungus, a shelf mushroom that grows vertically upwards and resembles greenish pancakes when unripe, which applies to all the life fungus in this room. Someone who attempts to eat it must make a DC 10 constitution save, taking 5 (2d4) poison damage and becoming poisoned for 1 minute on a failure.

Someone that succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check notices a random humanoid or camel body part, cut to the size of an orange. A half of a foot or hoof or a piece of arm could be noticed. Someone who is aware of the body part and succeeds on a DC 10 Intelligence (Nature) check surmises that the fungi are grown on mammal flesh and blood.

\columnbreak

### 15. Odd Fungus Garden
<div style='margin-top:30px;'></div>

> A moderately-sized subterranean farm fills this cavern with many exits. There are many interesting types of mushrooms in here.

There are 2 **eyestalks** on the walls and floor that are noticeable without a nature check.

The northern patch of fungus is known as “Rebirth Mushroom” by the Myrmics, and “Infestation Spores” by others. A DC 12 nature check identifies the fungus.

If the fungal patch is stepped in or disturbed, spores that burst out in a cloud that fills a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on the disturbance, and the cloud lingers for 1 minute. Any non-Myrmic flesh-and-blood creature in the cloud when it appears, or that enters it later, must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a successful save, the creature can’t be infected by these spores for 24 hours. On a failed save, the creature is infected with a disease called the spores of Zuggtmoy and also gains a random form of indefinite madness (see MToF page 157) that lasts until the creature is cured of the disease or dies. While infected in this way, the creature can’t be reinfected, and it must repeat the saving throw at the end of every 24 hours, ending the infection on a success. On a failure, the infected creature’s body is slowly taken over by fungal growth, and after three such failed saves, the creature dies and is reanimated as a spore servant if it’s a type of creature that can be (see MM page 230).

The eastern patch of fungus in the middle is violet fungus. 4 **violet fungus** will attack if disturbed or if the shriekers are disturbed. A DC 10 nature check identifies the fungus.

The southern patch of fungus is shrieker fungus. 8 **shriekers** on the periphery will start shrieking if a non-Myrmic gets within 30 feet of it. A DC 10 nature check identifies the fungus.

The western patch of fungus is actually a **shambling mound**. If alerted by the shriekers, it will leap out to attack if a creature is within 20 feet of it, otherwise it will wait and attempt to attack with surprise after the shriekers stop. A DC 15 nature check identifies the fungus from a sufficient distance. A failure means that the character that made the nature check moves close enough to the shambling mound so it can attempt to attack the character with surprise (Passive perception 12 or higher prevents surprise)

***False Walls and Ceiling.*** There is an exit to the dungeon in the east of the room that leads to a false floor/ceiling. See area (0).

There is a 10-foot-wide hidden passage between this room and the queen’s bunker (17), at the narrowest point. There is one false wall on either side. The ceiling in this tunnel is also rigged to collapse 100% of the time with a single instance of fire damage or Myrmic acid.

\pagebreakNum

### 16. Armory
<div style='margin-top:30px;'></div>

> There’s several workstations here. Scimitars are in the process of being repaired. There doesn’t appear to be anywhere to do hotworking, though.

There are 4 **workers* repairing tools here, as well as 1 **eyestalk* that watches over. The workers in here do not attack unless attacked back or unless the queen commands them to when reinforcements arrive.

***Burning Sand Trap.*** A 5-foot-radius circle of sand near the entrance is superheated by a previously obtained **brazier of summoning fire elementals** and a bound **fire elemental** that’s been buried beneath the sand (Treat it as being petrified). The area of the sand is difficult terrain. When a creature enters the circle’s area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it sinks slightly in the searing sands, and it must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. It takes 2d10 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The brazier deactivates daily at dusk, and can be unearthed after 8 hours of allowing the sand to cool down.

<div style="color:#888888; font-family:MrJeeves;"> A crumbling sand medallion found on a Myrmic queen,  assumed to be a holy symbol of the Eternal Queen Mother. </div>

\columnbreak

### 17. Queen’s Bunker
<div style='margin-top:30px;'></div>

> This chamber seems to be the most homely and lavish so far, like someone’s aunt lives here. There’s a bookcase, a desk, a chest, and a throne. Oh, and also many ants. One of them has translucent wings and appears to carry herself with poise.

The **Myrmic queen** is here, along with 2 **eyestalks**, 3 **workers**, 3 **husks**, and a **soldier**. The workers are equipped with 4 darts each (20 foot range, +4 to hit, 1d4+2 piercing damage). The soldier is equipped with 5 javelins (30 foot range, +4 to hit, 1d6+2 piercing damage) and a net (15 foot range with disadvantage, +5 to hit). These special weapons are thrown at any underwater targets.

The queen’s behavior is determined by what the party has done previously to get here. She should be fairly stressed if the party has gotten this far and is still hostile to her. If the queen dies, all other Myrmics fall unconscious and die 1d4 minutes later.

The queen’s escape route is through the false walls to (15) then through the emergency exit. This takes her 3 minutes to do, so she cannot escape this way during combat. See room 15 for the description of the false walls.

***Bookcase.*** The queen has a bookcase. It can have wizard spellbooks. Most of the books are written in undercommon or abyssal, and could include information about far off places, fiction, planar bestiaries, or similar.

***Desk.*** The key to the IOUN stone lockbox is on the desk, as well as various writings in undercommon and abyssal, seemingly correspondences with unknown people, speaking about the expansion of the Tlincalli empire and the threat it will pose.

***Treasure Chest.*** The queen’s treasure chest is unlocked and includes various magic items that she acquired before she settled down. The DM can choose what items are in the chest, but generally 1 major uncommon item per party member is recommended.
If you roll on the DMG magic item treasure tables, 5 rolls on table A, 2 rolls on table B, and a number of rolls on table F equal to the number of players in the party is recommended.

The queen might also have some gp, valuable art objects, or other forms of currency from her former travels.

\pagebreakNum

# Appendix A: Creatures
___
> ## Myrmic Worker
>*Small humanoid (Myrmic), lawful evil*
> ___
> - **Armor Class** 13 (Natural Armor)
> - **Hit Points** 7 (2d6)
> - **Speed** 25 ft, burrow 10 ft.
>___
>|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|
>|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
>|9 (-1)|15 (+2)|10 (+0)|7 (-2)|15 (+2)|7 (-2)|
>___
> - **Skills** Stealth +4, Survival +4
> - **Damage Resistances** Fire
> - **Senses** Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 12
> - **Languages** Telepathy 30 ft.
> - **Challenge** 1/4 (50 XP)
> ___
>
> ***Hive Mind.*** The Myrmic is immune to the charmed and frightened conditions while within 30 feet of at least one other Myrmic.
>
> ### Actions
> ***Scimitar.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +4 to hit, Reach 5 ft., one target. *Hit:* 5 (1d6+2) slashing damage
>
> ***Spit Fire.*** The Myrmic targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or take 5 (2d4) fire damage.

A Myrmic colony is primarily staffed by the worker Myrmics. The workers carry out most of the tasks that keep the colony running, such as farming, tending to Myrmic young, and colony-building and colony-maintenance. More advanced colonies could have the Myrmic workers performing metalworking, combat, and trapmaking on par with goblinoids.

Despite the seeming industriousness of a Myrmic worker, they are better thought of as appendages of a whole that is the entire Myrmic colony. A worker is roughly as intelligent and capable of thought as a Duodrone, except that a Myrmic worker possesses a bit more instinctual thought and problem-solving. When temporarily isolated from the commands of a Myrmic Queen, a worker will attempt to repeat the orders it was given, unless it feels like its life is in danger. Myrmics in this position will typically attempt to flee back to their colony. If the Myrmic cannot return to its colony, it will perish after a few days of isolation from other Myrmics. All attempts by others to capture and interrogate a lone Myrmic worker have resulted in the prisoner quickly becoming catatonic and no useful knowledge gleaned.

\columnbreak
___
> ## Myrmic Soldier
>*Medium humanoid (Myrmic), lawful evil*
> ___
> - **Armor Class** 16 (Natural Armor, Shield)
> - **Hit Points** 33 (6d8+6)
> - **Speed** 25 ft
>___
>|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|
>|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
>|14 (+2)|16 (+3)|12 (+1)|10 (+0)|15 (+2)|7 (-2)|
>___
> - **Skills** Stealth +4
> - **Damage Resistances** Fire
> - **Senses** Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 12
> - **Languages** Telepathy 30 ft.
> - **Challenge** 1 (200 XP)
> ___
>
> ***Hive Mind.*** The Myrmic is immune to the charmed and frightened conditions while within 30 feet of at least one other Myrmic.
>
> ### Actions
> ***Multiattack.*** The Myrmic makes two scimitar attacks.
>
> ***Scimitar.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +5 to hit, Reach 5 ft., one target. *Hit:* 6 (1d6+3) slashing damage
>
> ***Spit Fire.*** The Myrmic targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw or take 7 (3d4) fire damage.

A colony of Myrmics usually has a tenth of its number as soldier Myrmics. These soldiers are a full head taller than their peers, and are primary called upon to defend the colony, lead scouting parties, and occasionally serve as emissaries or messengers. If they die when leading a scouting party, the remaining Myrmics quickly rout and often end up dead.

A colony will have more Myrmic soldiers than usual if a queen plans to wage war, since they are her sergeants. The warriors form squads of 4 workers then receive her orders and execute them nearly as effectively as if she was controlling the squads herself. A warrior will readily accept the remnants of a squad with a defeated warrior.

Though fearsome, the warriors are entirely subordinate to the queen. They can survive indefinitely when away from their queen, but either single-mindedly carry out her assigned task or constantly attempt to return to the colony. Their instincts are that of a human, but they lack all but the basest emotions. If their queen dies, they instinctually seek out another queen to receive orders from. They also accept their queen's orders to join another queen, which usually happens when the queen gifts her daughter two warriors to accompany her on her travels.

\pagebreakNum
___
> ## Myrmic Husk
>*Small undead (Myrmic), unaligned*
> ___
> - **Armor Class** 10 (Natural Armor)
> - **Hit Points** 5 (2d6-2)
> - **Speed** 25 ft
>___
>|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|
>|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
>|9 (-1)|8 (-1)|9 (-1)|3 (-4)|8 (-1)|3 (-4)|
>___
> - **Damage Resistances** Fire
> - **Damage Immunities** Poison
> - **Condition Immunities** Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned
> - **Senses** Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 9
> - **Languages** Can receive telepathic messages but can't send telepathic messages
> - **Challenge** 1/8 (25 XP)
> ___
>
> ***Spore Kissed.*** If the husk is reduced to 0 hp, each creature within 10 feet of it takes 2 (1d4) poison damage.
>
> ### Actions
> ***Slam.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +1 to hit, Reach 5 ft., one target. *Hit:* 1 (1d4-1) bludgeoning damage plus 2 (1d4) poison damage

Zuggtmoy shared her foul fungal magic that turns intelligent humans into subservient, shambling zombies with the Myrmics. The Myrmics quickly put it to use reanimating their own.

The early Myrmic queens found reanimating other queens fruitless and distasteful, since they could only be turned into zombie versions of their former selves and lost all intelligence and magic. Their telepathy was also vastly reduced to only be able to receive, not send, telepathic communications. Worst of all, the queen's colony would die, minus the warriors and husks. Turning a queen into a fungal zombie is reserved as one of the worst punishments a queen can receive.

The warriors could be made into husks, but they lost their combat prowess and typically fell apart due to their taller frame. Plus, warriors would rarely die of natural causes. Combat deaths or deaths during messenger trips were the most common.

The queens quickly found that their workers made the ideal vessels for fungal reanimation. Not only were the workers already little more than extensions of the Myrmic queen's body, their small frame and plentifulness in the colony made them the ideal vessels. Unburdened by the moral dilemma of sanctity of life, the Myrmic queens recycle as many of their dead workers that they can manage.

Husks are as intelligent as Monodrones, being only able to receive a single command at a time, which they continue to do until some outside force intervenes, usually, or they are given a different command.

\columnbreak
___
> ## Eyestalk
>*Small plant, unaligned*
> ___
> - **Armor Class** 5
> - **Hit Points** 7 (1d6)
> - **Speed** 0 ft
>___
>|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|
>|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
>|1 (-5)|1 (-5)|10 (+0)|1 (-5)|3 (-4)|1 (-5)|
>___
> - **Condition Immunities** Charmed, Deafened, Frightened
> - **Senses** Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 6
> - **Languages** Telepathy 600 ft.
> - **Challenge** 0 (0 XP)
> ___
>
> ***Telepathic Hub.*** When the eyestalk receives a telepathic message, it can telepathically share that message with one creature within 600 feet of it or up to seven other creatures within 30 feet of it that it can see.
>
> ***Eye Link.*** A creature can use its action while telepathically connected to the eyestalk to perceive through its senses for 1 minute or until the creature's concentration ends (as if it was concentrating on a spell). While perceiving through the eyestalk’s senses, the creature benefits from the eyestalk's special senses, and it is blinded and deafened to its own surroundings.
>
> ### Reactions
>
> ***Distant Orders.*** When a creature telepathically connected to the eyestalk uses an action to command Myrmics, the eyestalk can deliver the command as if it had made the command.
>
> ***Distant Spell.*** When a creature telepathically connected to the eyestalk casts a spell with a range of touch, the eyestalk can deliver the spell as if it had cast the spell. If the spell requires an attack roll, the creature that cast the spell uses its attack modifier for the roll.

Eyestalk fungi are another one of Zuggtmoy's gifts to her ant-daughters. The naturally telepathic plants seem to be specially created to serve as the nervous system to a Myrmic colony, with the queen as the brain.

The fungi allow the queen to observe distant portions of her colony and command the Myrmics near the eyestalk. Queens grow eyestalks in carefully planned locations then memorize an individual eyestalk's telepathic signature and location. The queen is then able to concentrate and reach out to the eyestalk telepathically if she is within 600 feet of it. The power of telepathic control of eyestalks is not a right solely reserved to the queens, however. Any creature with telepathy can learn to use an eyestalk in the same way and perhaps even hijack one a queen is currently using.

\pagebreakNum
___
> ## Myrmivern Larva
>*Medium dragon, unaligned*
> ___
> - **Armor Class** 16 (Natural Armor)
> - **Hit Points** 93 (11d8+44)
> - **Speed** 5 ft, burrow 5 ft.
>___
>|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|
>|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
>|19 (+4)|7 (-2)|18 (+4)|1 (-5)|15 (+2)|1 (-5)|
>___
> - **Senses** Tremorsense 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), Passive Perception 12
> - **Languages** ---
> - **Challenge** 4 (1100 XP)
> ___
>
> ### Actions
> ***Multiattack.*** The Myrmivern can use Sand Vortex and either Bite, Sand Shot, or Bury.
>
> ***Sand Vortex.*** The Myrmivern agitates sand near it. All sand within 30 feet of the Myrmivern becomes difficult terrain until the start of the Myrmivern's next turn, and any creature that starts its turn there must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be pulled 10 feet toward the Myrmivern.
>
> ***Bite.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +6 to hit, Reach 5 ft., one target. *Hit:* 22 (4d8+4) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it is grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the Myrmivern can't bite another target.
>
> ***Sand Shot.*** The Myrmivern shoots sand at a creature within 30 feet of it. The creature must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or be pulled 15 feet toward the Myrmivern.
>
> ***Bury.*** The Myrmivern buries itself and any creature it is grappling in sand, gaining three-quarters cover against attacks and other effects above the sand. Until it emerges, it can only bite a creature it is grappling or use its sand vortex action. It can emerge from the sand as a bonus action on its turn.

The larval stage of Myrmiverns was a feared trap for Myrmics of olden times. Larval Myrmiverns are highly carnivorous and not very discerning. They'll eat the entirety of anything that falls in their sand trap, apart from any inorganic material.

The queens have long-since been able to use Myrmiverns for their own uses. A few workers are dangled as bait to lure a buried Myrmivern larva out from under the sand, then ropes and nets woven from desert plants are used to snare the larval Myrmivern and prevent it from burying itself again. The Myrmivern larvae are used as organic garbage disposals for queens who are resourceful enough to catch these beasts. Some queens even keep Myrmivern eggs.

The Myrmivern larva will eventually cocoon itself if well-fed. The cocoons are typically buried under several feet of sand, so they're rarely discovered.

\columnbreak
___
> ## Myrmivern
>*Large dragon, unaligned*
> ___
> - **Armor Class** 17 (Natural Armor)
> - **Hit Points** 110 (13d10+39)
> - **Speed** 30 ft., burrow 10 ft., fly 120 ft.
>___
>|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|
>|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
>|19 (+4)|15 (+2)|17 (+3)|7 (-2)|15 (+2)|7 (-2)|
>___
> - **Skills** Perception +5
> - **Senses** Blindsight 60 ft., Passive Perception 15
> - **Languages** ---
> - **Challenge** 6 (2300 XP)
> ___
>
> ***Flyby.*** The Myrmivern doesn’t provoke an opportunity attack when it flies out of an enemy’s reach.
>
> ### Actions
> ***Multiattack.*** The Myrmivern makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.
>
> ***Bite.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +7 to hit, Reach 10 ft., one target. *Hit:* 13 (2d8+4) piercing damage plus 2 (1d4) poison damage.
>
> ***Claws.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +7 to hit, Reach 5 ft., one target. *Hit:* 11 (2d6+4) slashing damage.
>
> ***Dragonbreath (Recharge 5-6).*** The Myrmivern fills a 20-foot-radius sphere with swarming, biting dragonflies within 60 feet of it. (the dragonflies spread around corners). The dragonflies' area is lightly obscured and is difficult terrain.
>
> When the area appears, each creature in it must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 22 (4d10) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature must also make this saving throw when it enters the dragonflies' area for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there.
>
> The insects last for 1 minute or until the Myrmivern uses this action again.

Myrmiverns are known as fearsome desert hunters. They resemble a dragonfly if it had the size and general attitude of a wyvern. Not only are Myrmiverns exceedingly fast and agile flyers, they can burrow under sand to prepare an ambush. . They can even breathe out swarms of carnivorous dragonflies that can reduce a cow to a pile of bones in under a minute. Myrmiverns tend to use this dragonfly breath when fighting creatures they view as a threat or as an option of last resort, since they prefer to kill their prey with their teeth and claws and not waste any meat on their carnivorous dragonflies.

A creature that captures a pupal Myrmivern can telepathically train it as a pet, though the exact process is only known to a few Myrmic queens.

\pagebreakNum
___
___
> ## Myrmic Queen Devotee
>*Medium humanoid (Myrmic), lawful evil*
> ___
> - **Armor Class** 16 (Hide armor, shield)
> - **Hit Points** 90 (12d8+36)
> - **Speed** 30 ft, fly 30 ft.
>___
>|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|
>|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
>|14 (+2)|15 (+2)|16 (+3)|19 (+4)|18 (+4)|16 (+3)|
>___
> - **Saving Throws** Int +7
> - **Skills** Intimidation +7, Persuasion +7
> - **Damage Resistances** Fire
> - **Senses** Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 14
> - **Languages** Abyssal, Common, Undercommon, Telepathy 30 ft.
> - **Challenge** 6 (2300 XP)
> ___
>
> ***Hive Mind.*** The Myrmic queen is immune to the charmed and frightened conditions while within 30 feet of at least one other Myrmic.
>
> ***Telepathic Hub.*** The Myrmic queen can use her telepathy to initiate and maintain telepathic conversations with up to three creatures at a time. The Myrmic queen can let those creatures telepathically hear each other while connected in this way.
>
> ***Spellcasting.*** The Myrmic queen is a 9th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following cleric spells prepared:
> - Cantrips (at will): *guidance, light, thaumaturgy*
> - 1st level (4 slots): *command, cure wounds, inflict wounds*
> - 2nd level (3 slots): *lesser restoration, spiritual weapon* (scimitar)
> - 3rd level (3 slots): *animate dead* (can target Myrmic corpses to create husks), *dispel magic, mass healing word*
> - 4th level (3 slots): *banishment, divination*
> - 5th level (1 slot): *contagion*
>
> ### Actions
>
> ***Scimitar.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +5 to hit, Reach 5 ft., one target. *Hit:* 5 (1d6+2) slashing damage
>
> ***Spit Fire.*** The Myrmic queen targets one creature she can see within 30 feet of her. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 10 (4d4) fire damage.
>
> ***Attack Order.*** The Myrmic queen targets up to three friendly Myrmics within 60 feet of her. Each target can make one attack as a reaction and gains advantage on the attack roll.
>
> ***Focus Fire.*** The Myrmic queen targets one creature she can see. Up to five friendly Myrmics within 30 feet of the target can use their reaction to spit acidic fire at the target. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d4 fire damage for every Myrmic that used its reaction, or half as much damage on a success. 
>
> ***Reposition.*** The Myrmic queen targets up to six friendy Myrmics within 60 feet of her. Each target can move up to its speed as a reaction. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
>
> ### Reactions
>
> ***Protective Servant.*** When the Myrmic queen is hit by an attack, one friendly Myrmic within 5 feet of the Myrmic queen must use its reaction to be hit by the attack instead.

A majority of Myrmic queens are devoted to the Eternal Queen Mother, or Zuggtmoy. This devotion is sincere and their connection is divine, unlike the frequently transactional nature of most demon worshippers. Each queen devoted to Zuggtmoy has undergone rites when they were fledgeling princesses, and have accomplished great deeds in the name of Zuggtmoy. Whether these deeds were truly great can be up to one's interpretation.

Whenever Myrmics form societies larger than a single colony, the queens band together to form a theocratic regime that is fairly martial and expansionist. The higher-ranking, older, and more experienced queens form the head of this matriarchy. Less experienced queens are called to serve by lending their colonies' soldiers and workers to citybuilding or warfare. The daily life for the queens in this society consists of subtly scheming to show more devotion to the Eternal Queen Mother than the other

Queens can get ahead by volunteering as colonels and generals in any war effort. The end goal of any society of Myrmic queens is to gain more territory to let their daughters form colonies of their own. While less common than war against other races, sometimes groups of Myrmic queens will war with other groups. This results in bloodbaths on the order of tens of thousands of dead Myrmics and dozens of dead Myrmic queens.

Myrmic Queen Devotees primarily rely on tactically commanding their Myrmics in battle, and only use weapons or their natural acid if they are out of other options. When queens fight each other, they typically try to bait their rival into a disadvantageous position so that they can banish them then quickly dominate the other queen's units. A cornered queen will often make a last-ditch effort to pray to Zuggtmoy and cast *contagion* in her honor.

\pagebreakNum
___
___
> ## Myrmic Queen Apostate
>*Medium humanoid (Myrmic), any non-lawful alignment*
> ___
> - **Armor Class** 16 (Hide armor, shield)
> - **Hit Points** 90 (12d8+36)
> - **Speed** 30 ft, fly 30 ft.
>___
>|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|
>|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
>|14 (+2)|15 (+2)|16 (+3)|19 (+4)|14 (+2)|16 (+3)|
>___
> - **Saving Throws** Int +7
> - **Skills** Arcana +7, Survival +5
> - **Damage Resistances** Fire, Psychic
> - **Senses** Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 12
> - **Languages** Abyssal, Common, Undercommon, Telepathy 120 ft.
> - **Challenge** 6 (2300 XP)
> ___
>
> ***Hive Mind.*** The Myrmic queen is immune to the charmed and frightened conditions while within 30 feet of at least one other Myrmic.
>
> ***Telepathic Hub.*** The Myrmic queen can use her telepathy to initiate and maintain telepathic conversations with up to three creatures at a time. The Myrmic queen can let those creatures telepathically hear each other while connected in this way.
>
> ***Spellcasting.*** The Myrmic queen’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). She can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
> - At will: *detect thoughts, levitate, mirror image*
> - 3/day each: *animate dead* (can target Myrmic corpses to create husks), *charm person* (as a 3rd-level spell), *invisibility, phantasmal killer*
> - 1/day each: *greater invisibility, haste, weird*
>
> ### Actions
>
> ***Scimitar.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +5 to hit, Reach 5 ft., one target. *Hit:* 5 (1d6+2) slashing damage
>
> ***Spit Fire.*** The Myrmic queen targets one creature she can see within 30 feet of her. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 10 (4d4) fire damage.
>
> ***Attack Order.*** The Myrmic queen targets up to three friendly Myrmics within 60 feet of her. Each target can make one attack as a reaction and gains advantage on the attack roll.
>
> ***Focus Fire.*** The Myrmic queen targets one creature she can see. Up to five friendly Myrmics within 30 feet of the target can use their reaction to spit acidic fire at the target. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d4 fire damage for every Myrmic that used its reaction, or half as much damage on a success. 
>
> ***Reposition.*** The Myrmic queen targets up to six friendly Myrmics within 60 feet of her. Each target can move up to its speed as a reaction. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
>
> ### Reactions
>
> ***Protective Servant.*** When the Myrmic queen is hit by an attack, one friendly Myrmic within 5 feet of the Myrmic queen must use its reaction to be hit by the attack instead.

Occasionally, Myrmic princesses are born different; their psionic powers extend far beyond telepathy. If this aberration is detected early, the princess is typically slaughtered. Occasionally, the psionic aberration is not detected or a queen takes pity on her daughter. In either case, the princess is banished from Myrmic societies and territories. If she survives her treks through the desert, she might form colonies similar to her sisters, but might also eschew colonies entirely.

Myrmic queens born with superior psionic powers are considered dangerous to Myrmic societies due to the random at times powers they develop. There's a horror stories passed around Myrmic communities of a psionic princess whose uncontrolled mind powers resulted in the death of five queens by accident. Other stories include a psionic queen rejecting the worship of the Eternal Queen Mother entirely and rallying several other queens around destroying places of worship of the Eternal Queen Mother. It was later known that these other queens were mind-controlled by the apostate. Such heinous acts by these psionically gifted Myrmics has caused them to all be branded as apostates. This isn't too far from the truth, since Apostates tend to be unable to receive the rites and gifts of the Eternal Queen Mother, and they have been known to ask heretical questions.

Queen Apostates are very rare among Myrmics, but they represent a significant portion of Myrmic colonies encountered by other humanoids. They have typically wandered far from their homeland and often end up disrupting the local area by hunting and raiding wild animals, livestock, and even people.

If a Queen Apostate manages to understand the intricacies of humanoid society, they will often find the society useful as a steady source of resources, either through demands of tribute or offers of trade. If a good enough rapport is established, a Queen Apostate is not above using humanoids as tools to defend herself against the aggressions of other queens who consider her an abomination. Though a Queen Apostate is typically not willing to venture, a Princess Apostate might even attempt to navigate humanoid society for a while to further understand the greater world she was thrust into.

In combat, Queen Apostates favor similar tactics to their devoted sisters, but their magic is more destructive. Their mental powers combine with the illusionary nature of the desert and the terrors the queen has experienced in order to form terrifying mental attacks. Their other psionic powers are typically used for defense or escape.

\pagebreakNum
___
___
> ## Myrmic Warrior Queen
>*Medium humanoid (Myrmic), lawful evil*
> ___
> - **Armor Class** 17 (half plate)
> - **Hit Points** 136 (16d8+64)
> - **Speed** 30 ft, fly 30 ft.
>___
>|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|
>|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
>|16 (+3)|19 (+4)|19 (+4)|19 (+4)|14 (+2)|16 (+3)|
>___
> - **Saving Throws** Int +7
> - **Skills** Acrobatics +7, Athletics +7
> - **Damage Resistances** Fire
> - **Senses** Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 12
> - **Languages** Abyssal, Common, Undercommon, Telepathy 30 ft.
> - **Challenge** 6 (2300 XP)
> ___
>
> ***Flyby.*** The Myrmic queen doesn’t provoke an opportunity attack when she flies out of an enemy’s reach.
>
> ***Hive Mind.*** The Myrmic queen is immune to the charmed and frightened conditions while within 30 feet of at least one other Myrmic.
>
> ***Legendary Resistance (1/Day).*** If the Myrmic Queen fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
>
> ***Telepathic Hub.*** The Myrmic queen can use her telepathy to initiate and maintain telepathic conversations with up to three creatures at a time. The Myrmic queen can let those creatures telepathically hear each other while connected in this way.
>
> ***Spellcasting.*** The Myrmic queen is a 9th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). She has the following paladin spells prepared:
> - 1st level (4 slots): *command, cure wounds, shield of faith*
> - 2nd level (3 slots): *branding smite, lesser restoration*
> - 3rd level (2 slots): *animate dead* (can target Myrmic corpses to create husks), *dispel magic*
>
> ### Actions
>
> ***Multiattack.*** The Myrmic queen makes four attacks with her scimitars. Alternatively, she makes two attacks with her scimitars and uses Spit Fire, Attack Order, Focus Fire, or Reposition.
>
> ***Scimitar.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +7 to hit, Reach 5 ft., one target. *Hit:* 7 (1d6+4) slashing damage
>
> **Blade Whirlwind (Recharge 4-6).*** The Myrmic queen moves up to her speed in a straight line and targets each creature within 5 feet of her during her movement. Each target must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.
>
> ***Spit Fire.*** The Myrmic queen targets one creature she can see within 30 feet of her. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 10 (4d4) fire damage.
>
> ***Attack Order.*** The Myrmic queen targets up to three friendly Myrmics within 60 feet of her. Each target can make one attack as a reaction and gains advantage on the attack roll.
>
> ***Focus Fire.*** The Myrmic queen targets one creature she can see. Up to five friendly Myrmics within 30 feet of the target can use their reaction to spit acidic fire at the target. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d4 fire damage for every Myrmic that used its reaction, or half as much damage on a success. 
>
> ***Reposition.*** The Myrmic queen targets up to six friendly Myrmics within 60 feet of her. Each target can move up to its speed as a reaction. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
>
> ### Reactions
>
> ***Protective Servant.*** When the Myrmic queen is hit by an attack, one friendly Myrmic within 5 feet of the Myrmic queen must use its reaction to be hit by the attack instead.

Myrmic warrior queens are somewhat of a rarity among the queens, since queens instinctually dislike being in close quarters with enemies. Some queens who are typically among the largest of their race at nearly 8 feet tall find they have a knack for the martial prowess that their Soldiers are born with.

Fledgeling warrior princesses eschew the traditional rites of the Eternal Queen Mother and instead train under experienced warrior queens during wars. The princesses learn a code of conduct that places them in a unique position in Myrmic society as wandering knights that solve disputes between two queens that aren't important enough to be resolved by the head matriarchs. They are taught to remain impartial, honorable, and protective of the spirit of Myrmic society, not necessarily the letter.

Myrmic warrior queens do form colonies as well. They tend to produce more Myrmic soldier daughters naturally, even in peacetimes. These soldiers are gifted to other queens semi-frequently. In return, other Myrmic queens will guard the colonies of the warrior queens when they are called away to perform their duty. Because of this, Myrmic warrior queen colonies are most commonly found near other Myrmic colonies and are only found on the periphery of Myrmic territory during expansion into new territory.

In combat, Myrmic warrior queens throw themselves directly into the fray in a whirl of scimitar blades. They are capable of attacking with four scimitars at a time with deadly speed. Myrmic warrior queens are not foolhardy, however. Discretion is the better part of valor, and a warrior queen will still run from a fight they believe they've lost.