Myrmex Explorers

From somewhere on Tumblr.

The Myrmex are tremendous ants, the size of men, with androgynous human faces. They speak in a sing-sing voice with a flat affect, and speak all the languages of men (Myrmex seen in France speak French, those found in Mongolia speak Mongolian, and so on). If asked how or why they know these languages they will seem irritated, as it is simply their language that they are speaking. How is it that you speak the language of the Myrmex? They will ask.

They have emerged from the earth in search of resources, as a great subterranean disaster has devastated their source of food. They are an omnivorous species, but preferentially mostly carnivores. They had kept humans like cattle, a much differently developed kind of human at least, very similar to how some ants keep aphids as livestock. Surface humans are like wild horses to the Myrmex, or feral cattle to be precise.

From here.

Myrmex explorers will never reveal their true feelings towards humans, as they have dealt with humans of a sort for many thousands of years already. They know humans are clever and suspicious creatures, and must be manipulated with guile and subtlety. The Myrmex are not represented in any human folklore, as the event which has brought these few to the surface has never occurred before (or at least for many eons).

The Myrmex ones might encounter are brave explorers, fearless travelers to a new world on a desperate quest to survive great disaster. They are seeking out a densely populated area, so that they might feed their starving citizens and royalty, and acquire new breeding stock. An army of Myrmex lie hidden in wait near the mouth of a gaping tunnel deep into the earth, but only an isolated few scouts have been sent forth to explore, while the rest of the starving horde defend this one entrance to the kingdom. The advance scouts will notify this army when the time is right for them to emerge en masse.

The Myrmex communicate on a deeper and more complex level than human language can ever hope to achieve through the use of  pheromones, which they secrete from glands all over their bodies. These pheromones are detectable by the human nose as unusual odors, but their meaning will only be understood through careful observation.

The Myrmex guide and influence each other with these scents, transmitting a complex melange of attitudes and ideas through odor alone. Situational moods and expectations, even complex biases and stances on moral issues can be delivered this way.

They have a communal yet individualistic personality. The first lone Myrmex might seem dull and simple, or even stupid. It could be easily ambushed or tricked, and easily duped or misled. The next might be the same, or be a bit sharper, and any next even more so. They adapt to their environment as a group, by sending information through the air. Eventually they all behave in the way which is most effective.

A Myrmex might say it simply seeks human to trade with, and behave as if it is simply normal in this area to make commerce with enormous ants. It might say it simply seeks to study humans from afar, and requires protection and scouts to assist it. It might even claim it wishes to begin diplomatic relations with the humans, and so must be brought to the largest city possible.

A stupider Myrmex might simply behave as if it were a harmless oddity. One that is very well travelled, and having learned from the scents of many others, might claim to be a human who has been changed by terrible magic and must be brought to a nearby city to seek restoration. The first lone Myrmex might greet any Adventurers it sees enthusiastically, so it might manipulate them. It might have knowledge of some nearby underground realm filled with glittering baubles, it might carry lumps of silver in a satchel on it’s back, it might ask for their help. It might offer to use its great strength to carry a heavy load for the Adventurers, in exchange for their help and guidance.

If it identifies them as helpful it will mark them with a scent, and this scent will call forth an additional Myrmex (with a 1 in 6 chance of success, increasing by 1 each day). This additional Myrmex will arrive in a day or so, typically seen standing in camp once morning arrives. Each Myrmex will emit the same scent, but not all will be successful at calling forth a companion. Eventually there might be a small crowd of Myrmex following along with the adventurers, or perhaps hanging back in hiding.

It will have a very similar personality to the other Myrmex, almost like a twin. The personality they all develop will be whichever one appeals to the humans they are interacting with most. If this is mirthful, or morose, or mysterious all depends upon the reactions of the humans. The reasons for additional Myrmex appearing will reflect this as well.

Another refugee has found us!  Praise fortune!

A fellow scholar has joined us friends.

Lo, you are a great friend to us and so fortune smiles upon you by bringing up another fellow traveler!

Hello! New friend here!

One Myrmex might be encountered along the road and left to be as it goes along its way. Then another might be encountered, and it will be communicative in a way that directly appeals to the adventurers. The first one might be met again later, and now have the appealing personality of the first.

If the first Myrmex is killed a different scent will be released, and several more will be called. They might ambush the adventurers and try to subdue them, leaving only a survivor or two to threaten, torment, and extract information from. They might be understanding, or simply ignore that one of their own was killed. Their ultimate goal supersedes any individual quibbles or issues with what occurs before them.

Once they are brought relatively close to a densely populated area they will work in unison to emit a great summoning stench, and convoke the waiting horde. When this horde arrives there will be a most hideous bloodbath, with a great many humans devoured and many others dragged away screaming to the underground world of the Myrmex. Most all structures will be torn apart and destroyed, and the Myrmex will leave no witnesses as best they can. After this they will vanish forever, or at least a few millennia until some great disaster brings them forth again.

From somewhere here.

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• Their front two legs have tiny claws, which give them very rudimentary “hands”, and their teeth are surprisingly very sharp. In addition to this they are very, very strong. In combat they prefer to subdue an opponent using Wrestle, and then gnaw them to death.

• Myrmex attempting to bribe or hire human guides might carry a pouch with small treasures, perhaps silver ore or gemstones. Some might try to hunt them using this method, and the Myrmex might provide victims so that these Myrmex hunters could lead them as a whole back to civilization.

• If their antenna are lopped off they become incredibly disoriented (as if affected by Confusion). Clever use of the eviscerated remains of another can have a similar effect.

• Myrmex can always “follow the trail” of another Myrmex, and might also be confused by false trails created with bits of another.

• All Myrmex in the same general area (less than an entire hex, but within more or less visual distance of each other) are essentially “psychic” and of one mind, due to the information shared via pheromones.

• A Myrmex that attacks will emit a certain scent, and a friendly one will emit a different scent than that. Careful scrutiny of the miasma surrounding a myrmex might reveal their hidden intentions, or provide some kind of warning or clue.

• It would take a remarkable amount of stench to cover up any scents emitted by a Myrmex, but it is possible. Great heaps of flowers, or noxious fires of waste, or great vats of boiling manure are all possibilities.

• Once the Myrmex are brought to densely populated area they will spend most of the day in a stupor emitting the Beacon Scent. They are sluggish and almost defenseless while they do this, but if attacked will “awaken” and defend themselves viciously. They will have many novel excuses for this behavior if interrogated.

• For each Myrmex that emits the Beacon Scent there is a 1 in 10 chance the Horde will detect it, reducing by one each day. They will wait until there is a 0 in 10 chance before trying again, as it is quite taxing for them to create this odor. The horde will arrive in as many days as it took the Myrmex to travel there once it encountered the Adventurers (minus detours), + 1d10 days.

• In case of hopeless siege defense, there are hundreds (if not thousands) of them. They arrive in a wave of 1d4d20, then 2d100 each hour after that. The total population that will invade is 1d10d100+1d100, if you want to be exact.

• If one watches for the odd smells it is actually quite difficult for a Myrmex to hide, or ambush.

• Due to the strength of personality that all Adventurers possess, their arrival could cause a group of Myrmex to radically change in personality.

• Scents will “stick” to adventurers for 1d3 day, unless they make a very concerted effort to remove them. If they do this the next Myrmex to encounter them will perhaps try a new personality, or be somewhat “flat” until it figures them out.

• Once the army is summoned they are a screaming, cackling horse of vicious monsters, and the pretense of personality is abandoned.

• If invading a particularly large city, they might gather in a group of 100 or so before becoming hostile.

• Much of their scent marking is left in the ground, so barriers of chalk and other sorts of markings might be able to confuse them.

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Myrmex

Armor 15, 3 Hit Dice, Movement 150’ Ground, 1 Attack.

May bite for 1d6, or Wrestle. +2 to Wrestling (in addition to Hit Die Bonus, so +5 total). If Wrestling is successful the victim will be Immobilized, then will receive an automatic Bite on the next turn and each turn after.

Morale 9.

Roll Morale at first injury and at half health.
Depending on the emergent personality of the Myrmex it may do a variety of things on a failed Morale roll, such as beg for mercy, fight to the death, flee in terror, take a live hostage, or even commit suicide by throwing itself off a cliff. A Scent is automatically released in this situation.

Scents: A Myrmex will release a noticeable and distinct odor in a variety of situations. A scent will call forth 1 Myrmex, 1d6+1 Myrmex, or be the Beacon Scent which calls forth them all. All odors except the Beacon Scent call up nearby scouts, who arrive in 1d4 days. Use the following table to determine the components of this odor. A lone Myrmex might do the Beacon Scent alone, but it would much prefer to have assistance.

Myrmex Miasma Roll 1d8 for each column.
1.	Ethanol	Vanilla	Blood
2.	Chlorine	Brown sugar	Sawdust
3.	Sulfur	Maple syrup	Soap
4.	Gasoline	Honey	Vinegar
5.	Ozone	Chocolate	Garlic
6.	Ammonia	Almonds	Fresh Rain
7.	Freon	Cloves	Sweat
8.	Methane	Cinnamon	Foul Breath

Examples

Hostility: Ethanol, Cloves, & Vinegar. Smelt when a Myrmex lies in ambush, or is about to attack despite friendly appearances.

Friendliness: Ammonia, Brown Sugar, & Fresh Rain. Smelt when Myrmex mean no harm to the Adventurers, or are genuinely trying to be helpful. Calls up another Myrmex in 1d4 days.

The Beacon Scent:  Chlorine, Brown Sugar, & Soap. The scent that lingers over the area the Myrmex intend to call their army to.

Fear:  Sulfur, Cinnamon, & Soap. The scent of a Myrmex that realizes the adventurers are a true threat.
Battle: Gasoline, Maple Syrup, & Sawdust: the smell of the approaching Myrmex army.

Alarm: Chlorine, Almonds, & Blood. If a Myrmex is captured and wishes to bring in reinforcements. These will arrive in 1d4 days, and attempt to ambush.

Treasure

Nothing, or some rough minerals or gems and raw silver worth 1d6 x 100SP. Possibly other items, scavenged from other humans.

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Possible Encounters

• The Adventurers arrive in a town where they find a most bizarre sight: a trio of tremendous ants with the faces of men, who hold court in the village square telling bawdy jokes dispensing odd witticisms. There is a strange smell in the air.

• The Adventurers encounter a lone Myrmex several days after they depart from a moderately sized township. It tries to persuade them to lead it to this place.

• The Adventurers have been experimenting with Alchemy, and now there is rumor of tremendous ants seen in the countryside after a great cloud of stinking gas was created.

• Deep within some tunnels or pits the Adventurers encounter a lone Myrmex, who promises them a much greater treasure should they choose to help it.

• The Adventurers arrive in the city only to be surprised to find that it is being devoured by man-sized ants. Most unfortunate!

• There are rumors of tremendous ants seen far off in the countryside. If one were killed and brought back there is a handsome reward. What if it were brought back alive?

• A wounded Myrmex, telling a false tale of woe and misery of it and its’ human friends who were killed by bandits who have fled.

• Wandering in a strange land, the Adventurers encounter this most unusual creature. They kill it, but then see another a few days later.

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Note

These might be a lot more fun for your players if you let them act on information they have that their characters "wouldn't know" about ants and ant behavior.