MYRMEX
Classification: Dragon, bonding-type
Homeworld: Attarmyx
Size: Varies
Clutch Style: Oviparous
Diet: Omnivorous

GENERAL

The Myrmex are a race of insectoid-like dragons with wildly varying sexual dimorphism and a strong desire to remain in social groups. Myrmex have 8 limbs - 4 legs, 2 wings, and a set of arm-like appendages that take on different shapes depending on caste.

Myrmex sexes are caste-dependent, they don't have traditional male/female genders.

Myrmex are omnivorous and can, and will, eat anything.

Myrmex communicate telepathically and through chemical signals. They can't speak verbally but can produce various clicking and screeching noises.

BONDING

Multi-bonding is VERY common in Myrmex, especially among the drone and warrior castes. Queens will never multi-bond with other queens, but can form bonds with other lower-caste myrmex.

Drones and warriors cannot bond to one another or within the same caste.

Unlike many other species, the death of a bondmate doesn't mean the death or madness of the bond. Indeed, drones and warriors are shorter-lived and while their passing can be emotionally devastating (in the same way losing a family member is), it causes no deliberate mental harm on the bond.

Myrmex are so likely to multi-bond that losing a bondmate often means they still have others around. If a myrmex is completely bondless, it will search desperately for a new bond. If none can be found, they usually succumb to death.

CASTES

QUEEN

The largest, rarest caste, and the only one capable of traditional reproduction. Queens are egg-layers and spend the vast majority of their time eating and producing broods. They are the least altruistic caste, but still enjoy social grooming and do poorly if left alone for long periods of time. They are intelligent but often lackadaisical and hard to motivate.

Queen's hides are mostly soft to the touch, lacking the tough chitinous layer of the other castes. They have no horns and their wings are primarily vestigial. They can help regulate temperature, but are incapable of lifting the queen for flight.

Queens can bond to warriors and drones.

Size: 15'-20' at shoulder

WARRIOR

Warriors make up about 20% of the Myrmex species. They are highly specialized to defend their queens and bonds, covered in thick, chitinous armor that's nearly impossible to penetrate. Their secondary arms become scythe-like blades after metamorphosis, and they possess claws and horns of various sizes on their heads and legs. Their claws are long and viciously sharp.

They are fiercely protective of their social circle and will attack anything that appears to be a threat - regardless of size! Their ferocity is only tempered by their natural, inborn genetic altruism. Warriors will always strive to help their bonds, family, and friends to the best of their ability, and would rather accept death then lash out at them.

Warriors are the only caste capable of teleportation.

Size: 8'-10' at shoulder

DRONE

Over 70% of the myrmex population is made up of drones, the smallest, fastest, most industrious caste. Drones are highly social creatures, in such that they prefer multi-bond families and form a hivemind level of telempathy among one another. They may stray long distances from their bonds, but can always sense their emotional states.

Drones are sensitive to mood swings and desires, and always try their hardest to keep those around them content. Drones are happiest when they're busy and dislike remaining idle for long periods. Their pursuits may be physical, social, or intellectual, as long as they are doing something.

Size: 2' to 5' at shoulder

REPRODUCTION and DEVELOPMENT

Queens can gather genetic material from any species and use it to create broods. Myrmex dna overrides other-species in almost all cases, creating clutches of apparently pure Myrmex. Myrmex use this strategy to develop resistances and new abilities possessed by foreign species. Myrmex queens can also breed with other myrmex, but this is generally not preferred.

Queens produce exceptionally large clutches, sometimes numbering in the hundreds, but many of these eggs are duds or will be eaten during the incubation process.

Baby Myrmex are called grubblings and are born casteless. They are fat, squishy, creatures with a hide made of soft skin and delicate half-formed chitin. Their secondary arms and small and nearly vestigial, and grubblings have no wings to speak of. Grubblings establish their bonds immediately after hatching. If no suitable bondmate is found, they will bond to their queen mother.

Grubblings are good at one thing: Eating! Constantly hungry due to their rapid growth, grubblings spend most of their time searching for food, and dragging hapless bonds along with them. In a typical colony, adult drones would bring a nest of grubblings all the food they desire, but on the Refugium and elsewhere, it's a bondmate's job to do the gathering. Grubblings will eat anything put in front of them and often have to be taught that some things aren't food, such as the neighborhood cat or pet flitter. Particularly voracious grubblings have been known to cannibalize myrmex eggs and other, smaller grubblings.

When a grubbling has reached its maximum size it will create a cocoon of mucus-silk around itself, where it will begin the process of metamorphosis. This change can take several months to complete, but the myrmex will remain in constant telepathic communication with its bond. If a bond ventures outside the range of telepathy, a myrmex may hatch prematurely out of fright and desperation.

Once a myrmex hatches, its adult caste will be revealed. All young adults are nearly the same size and grow quite rapidly. Warriors and drones reach their full size in a matter of months, while queens can take years to become sexually mature.

NAMING CONVENTIONS

Without a verbal language of their own, Myrmex typically refer to each other by physical or chemical characteristics. When one bonds, it will often choose a name for itself based on something it feels or hears in its bondmates mind. This can lead to some very interesting names!

When surnames are required, Myrmex use the name of their queen mother. Eg. a full name would be Highclick of QueenHungry.

VARIETIES

Queens can produce all varieties in a single clutch and determine which egg will become which variety of myrmex depending on their needs and the environment. Variety effects color and ability, and, to some extent, personality.

Myrmex are born with their variety, but no abilities. Caste determines the power and number of abilities an individual develops. Abilities are gained innately during metamorphosis.

ARBOR

Arbor myrmex are various shades of green in color, sometimes with brown or grey markings. They have an affinity for plants, particularly trees, and their magic reflects this. Arbors are plentiful and tend to be a gregarious, trustworthy sort, but they are known for stubbornness.

SOIL

Soil myrmex are deep shades of brown and black, with occasional green or yellow markings. They are most at home underground and prefer damp, dark environments. Soils tend to be nurturing and kindly, but can often be overwhelming.

FUNGUS

Fungal myrmex come in shades of white, red, and orange, and often have spotted or vein-like markings. They are adaptable, pragmatic, and dependable. Fungal-types can be clingy with their bonds and despise being on their own. They're communicative and intuitive.

NECTAR

Nectar myrmex are yellow or pink, and various shades in between, with darker markings. They are industrious and hardworking, no matter the caste, and dedicate themselves fully to a single task before moving on. Nectars can also be somewhat shy and flighty when faced with new people and challenges.

DECAY

Decay myrmex come in shades of deep blue and may appear iridescent, with matte markings in black, deep red, or cream. They are unflappable and accept novel experiences in stride. No myrmex us anti-social, but decays tend to the quieter, more reserved side. Preferring to exist in the fringes of a group rather than at the center.

ABILITIES

TELEPORTATION: Unlike many other dragon species, myrmex warriors do not require a strong visualization of the place they'd like to teleport to. They require a fixed resource, such as a sapient bonding species, and use this need to guide themselves during teleportation. For this reason, myrmex warriors aren't very good at teleporting as a means of regular travel. If they don't need something, they can't 'port.

ARBOR

PLANT GROWTH: The ability encourages plants to flourish, increasing yields, health, and size of plants, while decreasing the amount of time it takes for a plant to ripen. This is also useful for the care of inedible plants, such as sustaining groves of trees. (D, W, Q)

TREE SPEAK: This ability allows the user to communicate with trees. They can obtain memories and use this network to keep a vigilant eye on wooded areas surrounding their hive. Through this, an individual can also assess the needs of plants nearby; if soil requires more nutrients, if the tree needs more or less water, etc. (W, Q)

ANIMATE & CONTROL PLANTS: This ability allows the user to control the movement of plants with their minds, which can be used to wrap vines or crash branches on an enemy. (W,Q)

SOIL

TERRAKINESIS: The ability to move or shift soil, rock, sand, and ores using only the mind. (D, W)

SUMMON QUAKE: The user is able to simulate an earthquake, causing fierce shaking and splitting of the ground. (W, Q)

SOIL SUSTENANCE: The user is able to derive nutrients directly from the soil, no need to eat! (D, W, Q)

FUNGUS

MYCILIA NETWORK: The user connects to any nearby group of fungi and is able to give and receive information through this. They become instantly aware of anything occurring on or around the cluster. (D, W, Q)

SPORE BREATH: The user coughs a cloud of fungal spores, which can be used to seed soil or as an attack against an enemy, infecting them with harmful fungi. (D, W, Q)

POISON SKIN: The user secretes a poisonous fluid from between their chitin plates. This substance causes hallucinations, nausea, and partial paralysis when ingested. (W, Q)

NECTAR

HONEY SKIN: The user secretes a thick, sugary fluid from between their chitin plates. This substance is rich in calories and vitamins and will give an immediate energy burst when ingested. (D, Q)

SUMMON POLLEN: The user summons a thick cloud of pollen. While this is often used by drones to help fertilize gardens, it can also serve as a means to blind or choke enemies. (D, W, Q)

FLOWER BLOOM: A latent ability that causes flowers to reach maturity rapidly and bloom wherever the myrmex steps. Even the tiniest seed underfoot will reach fruition. (Q)

DECAY

SUMMON WORMS: The user summons a swarm of detritivore worms which can consume any deceased organic matter in their path. (D, Q)

WITHERING TOUCH: The user can cause any organic thing they touch to rot. Powerful users (typically queens) can use this ability to kill quickly via necrosis of living tissues. (W, Q)

PUTREFY: One touch of this caustic ability causes any deceased organic material to immediately liquefy. (D, W)

HISTORY

With an entire caste capable of teleportation over long distances, the Myrmex became a space-faring species, and used this ability to find suitable bondmates and new genetic material to improve themselves. They developed a reputation for kidnapping (and erroneously, sometimes killing) other species, which quickly made them a target.

The species was systematically targeted and nearly wiped to extinction in a joint military effort. The myrmex homeplanet was destroyed.

A contingent of warriors teleported their queen to a nearby habitable zone. A terrifying action that could have cost them all their lives, as queens were not built to teleport. Warriors were sent in all directions to find a proper New Home, and in doing so, one bumped into a searcher from the Refugium.

The Refugium now hosts who is possibly the very last Myrmex queen.