Veharan Swarmer
Basic Information
Anatomy
The Veharan Swarmers are insect-like creatures with a unique and predatory design. Each individual measures between 3 to 5 centimeters in length, with a sleek, segmented body encased in a hardened, reddish-black exoskeleton that provides both flexibility and protection. The exoskeleton, reinforced yet lightweight, serves as a shield against minor impacts and environmental hazards. The Swarmer's head is equipped with powerful slicing mandibles, shaped to grip and tear into flesh, optimized for rapid and efficient feeding. Their six legs end in hooked claws, allowing them to cling tightly to both prey and terrain. Each leg is jointed for quick, agile movements across rugged surfaces, providing the swarmer with the ability to crawl, climb, and maintain its position during high-speed pursuits. Additionally, they possess a specialized, retractable ovipositor at the base of their abdomen, which they use to implant eggs within live hosts, a vital part of their reproductive cycle.
Their wings, thin but reinforced by tough, flexible membranes, allow for rapid, controlled flight. These wings can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h in smaller groups, and they produce a signature humming sound when beating together in swarms. The wings are also flexible, enabling swift, precise directional shifts, which are essential for maintaining cohesion in coordinated swarm movements. This anatomy makes each Swarmer individually effective, but their true strength lies in the collective coordination of the swarm.
Their wings, thin but reinforced by tough, flexible membranes, allow for rapid, controlled flight. These wings can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h in smaller groups, and they produce a signature humming sound when beating together in swarms. The wings are also flexible, enabling swift, precise directional shifts, which are essential for maintaining cohesion in coordinated swarm movements. This anatomy makes each Swarmer individually effective, but their true strength lies in the collective coordination of the swarm.
Genetics and Reproduction
Veharan Swarmers reproduce through an egg-laying process that relies on living hosts. Using their retractable ovipositor, they implant their eggs directly into the flesh of prey. The eggs respond to the size and vitality of the host, with gestation periods that vary based on the health and size of the host body. In strong, larger hosts, the eggs mature more quickly, whereas in smaller or weaker hosts, the development is slower. Although they prefer live hosts, they can also lay eggs in decomposing flesh if necessary, though this greatly slows down the gestation process. In these cases, the eggs can even pass through the digestive tracts of scavengers who consume the flesh, eventually being deposited in new environments where the hatchlings have the potential to find new hosts. This adaptive reproductive strategy allows them to ensure the survival of their offspring even in areas where fresh prey may be scarce.
Growth Rate & Stages
From egg to maturity, the growth of a Veharan Swarmer is rapid, particularly when gestating within a healthy live host. Upon hatching, the young swarmers are small and undeveloped but capable of movement and basic hunting within hours. They grow quickly, going through multiple growth phases in just days. Their mandibles and wings, underdeveloped at first, rapidly strengthen and become fully functional, allowing the juveniles to integrate seamlessly into the swarm. Within weeks, they reach adult size and are ready to reproduce, fueling the swarm's exponential growth. In conditions where they hatch from carrion, the growth rate is slower, though they still develop into mature swarmers within weeks. The adaptability of their growth process ensures that the swarm can replenish its numbers and adapt quickly to changing environments.
Ecology and Habitats
Veharan Swarmers inhabit the sheer walls of deep ravines, where their reddish-black coloration blends perfectly with the stone surfaces. They occupy cracks, crevices, and sheltered gaps in the rock, using these spaces as resting and nesting sites. From these high perches, they can observe the ravine floor for signs of prey, giving them a strategic advantage. The swarmers are particularly sensitive to temperature, seeking sunlight to warm themselves and retreating to shaded crevices during the hottest parts of the day. Their chosen habitat provides both protection from larger predators and a vantage point to detect prey. During the wet season, when the environment becomes less hospitable, they enter a state of dormancy, clinging to the crevices of the ravine and conserving energy until drier conditions return. This habitat preference aligns with their need for a warm, dry climate, though they can survive short wet periods by retreating to protective spaces.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Veharan Swarmers are voracious carnivores, feeding primarily on fresh meat but capable of consuming decomposing flesh when necessary. Small swarms generally target birds, small reptiles, and other insects, while larger swarms—driven by their increased numbers and hunger—seek out larger animals or groups of prey. The swarmers’ hunting strategy is ruthless; they swarm over their target, using their slicing mandibles to quickly tear through flesh. While they prefer live prey, they can sustain themselves on carrion if necessary. Their appetite grows in proportion to the swarm's size, with larger swarms displaying aggressive hunting behavior to meet the needs of the collective.
Biological Cycle
The Veharan Swarmers’ biological cycle follows seasonal patterns, with increased activity during dry periods and a hibernation-like dormancy during the wet season. During dry seasons, they are active hunters, forming swarms to search for fresh prey and lay eggs. As the wet season approaches, they reduce their activity and retreat into the ravine walls, waiting for drier weather to return. The behavior of the swarm shifts based on colony size: smaller colonies, known as "laying swarms," prioritize reproduction, while larger colonies, or "killing swarms," shift focus to hunting and consuming larger prey. This dual-cycle adaptation allows the swarm to expand rapidly during favorable conditions while conserving resources when prey is scarce.
Behaviour
Veharan Swarmers exhibit a complex hive-mind behavior that is directly influenced by the size of the colony. Smaller groups, comprising fewer than 10,000 individuals, act as "laying swarms" with the primary goal of reproduction. These laying swarms prioritize laying eggs in prey, ensuring a steady increase in their numbers. Once the colony surpasses 10,000, it transitions into a "killing swarm," prioritizing predation over reproduction. Communication within the swarm relies on pheromones, which they use to signal different behaviors, such as feeding, aggression, and defensive maneuvers. They also have the ability to break into smaller scouting groups, which help conserve energy and keep the main swarm less detectable. When required, they can reassemble to launch coordinated attacks from multiple angles, using pheromones to split and re-merge groups. In cases of physical injury, individual swarmers release a unique pheromone signaling their own elimination; this cannibalism pheromone causes nearby swarm members to devour the injured, preserving the swarm’s overall strength. This ruthless self-regulation can be exploited by those able to synthesize or imitate the cannibalism pheromone, potentially causing the swarm to turn on itself.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Veharan Swarmers have highly developed sensory systems that enable them to thrive in hostile and competitive environments. Their compound eyes, with hundreds of tiny lenses, offer a broad and detailed field of vision, allowing them to detect the faintest movements across great distances. In addition to visual acuity, their elongated, highly sensitive antennae—nearly as long as their bodies—are tuned to pick up subtle changes in air vibrations, which helps them detect nearby movement or disturbances. These antennae are also equipped with chemical receptors that allow them to sense pheromones, crucial for coordinating swarm behavior and locating prey or their own offspring.
The chemical receptors are finely attuned to the scent of decomposing flesh and other organic markers, enabling them to identify prey even when hidden or partially covered. This sensitivity extends to their own kind; the Swarmer can identify its eggs and communicate with hatchlings through subtle chemical signals, allowing the young to integrate into the swarm immediately upon hatching.
The chemical receptors are finely attuned to the scent of decomposing flesh and other organic markers, enabling them to identify prey even when hidden or partially covered. This sensitivity extends to their own kind; the Swarmer can identify its eggs and communicate with hatchlings through subtle chemical signals, allowing the young to integrate into the swarm immediately upon hatching.
Lifespan
4-8 months
Average Height
1-2 cm
Average Weight
3-4 grams
Average Length
3-5 cm
Geographic Distribution
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