Swarmers

Too often I hear the Swarmers belittled due to the "true monsters" of the Labyrinth. As if a swarm of hundreds of rodential-sized ants each capable of dragging a fully grown bull to the ground alone, isn't cause for worry.

— High Wizard of Camelot, Merlin

Basic Information

Anatomy

The swarmers are, in many ways, comparable to their non-mutated brethren. Taking the shape of large pitch-black ants that are now capable of growing to the size of large rats. Their exoskeletons have grown stronger, and their eyes have mutated to become more usable. Now capable of proper vision while in the dark. Aside from their increase in size, and more advanced vision however they are largely comparable to their original forms physically.

Biological Traits

Swarmers hold incredibly similar traits to their surface cousins. A few distinct differences being their sheer size, their evolved eyes, and their far denser carapace. Retaining the inhuman durability and abilities to function even when their heads and limbs are removed that their non-mutated brethren have. Their mandibles are sharp as blades, and they have evolved fully functional jaws for additional crushing power lined with a sharp, beak-like mouth.
A difference in mutation is the fact the creatures have split their legs. Instead of holding six, the creature's two front legs have split at the first joint. Causing them to fork and become two additional legs. These forked limbs have two separate ends, the first travels down normally, however, the branch-off of the limb turns into two large claspers. Effectively granting the Swarmers limited ability to grasp their prey with claws akin to crabs, but far sharper and larger.
Bright light can easily blind them, powerful vibrations can disturb their directional senses, and finally natural light is able to burn their carapaces. Killing them with enough direct contact.

Genetics and Reproduction

Identical to that of normal ants, the Swarmers hold a single queen while all of the drones are also female. Any female can theoretically become the new queen should the original fall, and males are rarely born. When they are, they are sent out to expand the colony by breeding with other females. A single Swarmer colony can expand for up to thousands of miles underneath the earth.

Growth Rate & Stages

The queen will give birth to hundreds of eggs a week. Each egg will take up to three days to hatch, before then requiring up to a week to pupate. After this, they will stay within their pupae for up to three more days, before hatching at an exhilarated rate into fully grown drones, or males depending on the needs of the colony itself. Males are born during periods of plentiful nutrition, whereas females are born during times of scarcity. After birth a Swarmer will triple in size within a week assuming they gain adequate nutrition, finishing their growth at the size of a large rat. The queen is similar in size, but her birthing chamber which produces all the eggs will be closer to the size of a large dog or small human in comparison.

Ecology and Habitats

Swarmers live strictly underground, almost never tunneling to the surface due to their light sensitivity. However, in times of scarce prey, they have been known to do so in order to hunter surface creatures. Their colony's mirror that of their non-mutated cousins, but are of course, far larger by comparison. Spreading across a few miles and up to thousands with a large enough colony.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Swarmer are omnivorous and canibalistic. Eating their own dead, but never targeting their living. They will however eat other colonies, as well as anything else alive that they can find. They are known to dump the leftovers and waste into a single chamber, nurturing their own fungus and mushrooms which they will also harvest for additional food.

Additional Information

Social Structure

A normal ant hivemind, with the Queen ruling the entire populace without question. Males are sent out with females on occasion to expand the colony during times of plenty. Otherwise only females are born and put to work.

Domestication

Ironically, there has been progress in the weaponization of the Swarmers. But, never domestication. However, in many wars throughout history it has been done to specifically cause a battle with the enemy army located above the edge of a Swarmer colony. The sounds of battle would then cause the creatures to come out, assuming a threat and attacking the enemy army from behind.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The carapace of a Swarmer is useless, as sunlight will turn it to dust. However, the eyes are used in many potions to enhance vision and the antennae can be used as an ingredient to brew potions to enhance hearing. Organs of males or the queen are far rarer and can be used for ingredients in rare telepathic potions or potions to greatly enhance physical strength and endurance.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Swarmers primarily live within the depths of the underground, specifically the Labyrinth due to their intense light sensitivity. Both from their heightened sense of vision in the darkness, and their corruption causing natural light to sear their carapaces.

Average Intelligence

Comparable to their normal-sized ant cousins, though the queen appears to mutate for higher learning, she is still not quite properly sapient.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Swarmers hold similar senses to their non-mutated cousins. Utilizing pheromones to communicate along with their antenna, however, their eyes have evolved into specialized compound organs. These grant the ants above-average vision in a wide radius, though only in greyscale, and only functioning in the darkness. Despite this it has augmented them significantly, making their hunts that much more terrifying.

Swarmer by Unknown

Lifespan

1 Year

Average Height

6"

Average Weight

2 lbs

Average Length

10"

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Pitch black.

Geographic Distribution

• The Labyrinth