Micidian
Formerly known as, and in part based on, the Formian race from Dungeons & Dragons. Another source of inspiration is the Ant-Morph race in the game Corruption of Champions.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Micidians are a species of bipedal insectoid creatures that stand about 6 feet tall and weigh about 110 pounds. They have two arms and stand on four legs, and their faces feature large black eyes, antennae, and sharp mandibles. Their bodies are covered with a smooth, segmented chitin carapace that can be black, red, or brown. It is common for Micidians to carve their carapace with notations or depictions of their notable achievements.
Genetics and Reproduction
Micidians reproduce through a process known as "swarming," in which a group of males mate with a single female, the queen. After fertilization, the queen lays a clutch of eggs, typically numbering in the hundreds, which are carefully tended by the colony's workers. The eggs hatch after several months, and the young emerge as larvae, small and vulnerable.
Growth Rate & Stages
The larval stage of a Micidian's life lasts about five years, during which time it undergoes several molts, growing larger and stronger with each one. The workers of the colony are responsible for feeding and caring for the young, providing them with the nutrients they need to grow and develop. As they near the end of their larval stage, the young micidians begin to develop their characteristic carapace, which hardens and darkens over time.
Once the larval stage is complete, the micidian enters the pupal stage, which lasts about ten years. During this time, the Micidian undergoes a metamorphosis similar to that of a butterfly, transforming from a soft-bodied larva into a fully formed, bipedal insectoid creature. After emerging from the pupal stage, the Micidian is considered an adult and is assigned to a caste within the colony.
The average lifespan of a Micidian adult is around 60 years, although healthy and well cared for individuals can live twice as long. During this time, they work tirelessly to support the colony, gathering food and resources, defending the hive from intruders, and caring for their young. As they age, their physical abilities begin to decline, but they become more connected to the hive mind, providing guidance and wisdom to younger Micidians.
At the end of their lifespan, a Micidian will usually die of old age or disease. Micidian reproduction is a slow and deliberate process, with the colony carefully controlling the number of young produced to ensure that resources are not overtaxed. As a result, the Micidian population remains relatively stable, with little fluctuation from year to year if there has been no territorial expansion.
Ecology and Habitats
Micidians are naturally adapted to living underground, and their preferred environment is one of subterranean tunnels and caverns. They are highly skilled at tunneling through rock and soil, and their colonies are often vast and labyrinthine. Micidians have little need for light, as they rely on their antennae to navigate their underground homes.
Micidians interact with their environment in a variety of ways. They harvest resources from the soil and rocks, and dig tunnels and chambers. They also engage in agriculture, growing mushrooms and other subterranean crops to sustain their colonies. Micidians are also skilled hunters, often venturing to the surface to gather food from the plants and animals that live there.
Behaviour
Micidians have a strong sense of community, and their society is highly organized. They have a strong sense of duty and honor, and are not easily swayed from their beliefs. Micidians can be fiercely loyal to their own kind and to their queen. Micidian workers and warriors are numerous and serve their colonies, often at great personal risk.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Originating from the underworld and adapted to its darkness, Micidians have excellent vision in pitch-black conditions. However, their eyes have a slow rate of adjustment to changes in brightness. As a result, sudden increases in light intensity can cause temporary blindness.
Civilization and Culture
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Micidian society is a highly organized and hierarchical matriarchy. While the queen of each colony has theoretical independence and absolute rule, alliances and deference between different colonies are common, with less powerful colonies often submitting to more powerful matriarchs. A single colony may have hundreds of worker and warrior Micidians, while larger colonies may number in the tens of thousands, with complex tunnel systems of interwoven corridors covering hundreds of square miles on the surface alone.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Micidians have a strong instinct to expand and proliferate, which often leads to conflicts with neighboring civilizations. While they believe in their right to annex new territories, they have no tolerance for others moving into their own. The Micidians fiercely defend the land surrounding their colonies, as much of their food supply comes from surface farming and hunting. However, intruders often enter Micidian territory unknowingly, as their entrances are hidden and the land above their colonies appears uninhabited. Micidians prefer to harvest fruits and berries in a way that leaves the land undisturbed.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
The Micidians' expansionist tendencies have led to strained relations with many other races, especially the Dwarves and Culatans. Dwarves and Micidians often stumble upon each other as they expand their territories underground. On the other hand, the Culatan and Micidian hive minds give each race advance warning of the other's presence. Nevertheless, the Micidians continue to attempt to expand into Culatan territory and will claim it by right of conquest.
Lifespan
70 years
Average Height
65 to 80 inches
Average Weight
95 to 125 lbs
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