What is Bug World? It is a setting where mammals are almost unheard of and insects rule the world. It is a place of cities built from hollow logs, Termite megolopoli, and dangerous monsters that stalk the lands. Industrious cities built on the ambitions of fly alchemists and merchants. Frontier towns and villages making a living off the land despite the dangerous neighbors. Lands scorched and mutated by an ancient cataclysm that warped reality in dangerous ways that linger to this day. Magic is a powerful force but fading away as Gunpowder and chemical weapons take center stage in the theater of war.
The land of Arath is a world of high adventure, danger, intrigue and ancient mystery.
Link to the Google Docs
https://docs.google.com/documen/d/1pAduIU7TDaKHvvaUfzRbgYj44TX_hApLeNeVu2d5bbM/edit?usp=sharing
Previous threads:
http://archive.4plebs.org/tg/search/subject/bug%20world/type/op/
>>46533833
bump? Oh man this is sad
Does Bugworld have an equivalent to demons/spirits/fey?
I have some ideas but don't know if they fit with the setting.
Or if the thread will even be up still by the time I'm able to post it
>>46536797
maybe like... really big bacteria? but possibly more osmosis jones style
>>46536797
I suggest the Fungus Among Us
[cordyceps intensifies]
>>46537629
That's already a well known enemy. Ancient bio weapon awakened by Cicada necromancers
Unhived is a blanket term used to describe an individual or group of normally hive living arthropods without a Hive to call home.
Reasons are many from survivors of war or plague, deserters, exiles or criminals. Many Hives will take in members of the Unhived if their reasonings and intents are peaceful though many Have species are prejudiced against them.
Unhived, if they have valuable skills, can find new homes commonly in mercenary groups, guilds or as citizens in Fly cities where all who can work are invited.
Welcome back BugWorld, glad we're not dead yet!
To try and jumpstart some kind of discussion, I'd like to point out that the Cicada race has almost no culture or fluff whatsoever. We have more fluff for non playable races, so let's try to show the Cicadas some love.
I know nothing about Cicadas. Do they have a hierarchy in real life? Or do they live free and separate? What would the be like in Arath? Would they swarm yearly, or try to keep that down, like the spider and mantis predatory instincts?
Also Trilo and a few other anons an I ran a play test in the world of Arath using our shitty "bugworld system". I'll talk more on that when I get back from work if anyone is interested
>>46536797
We dont really have a fey/otherworld of sorts, because Arath's gods are not among the mortals. The gods might not even truly be there, despite what the bugs believe
>>46536797
>>46541451
Post the ideas though! They might fit, and new ideas are always good
>>46541363
>if anyone is interested
I'm completly new to this thread and would love hear more
>>46541650
If the thread is still up I'll go into more detail later tonight. I'll summarize real quick though
System is dice pool based, with d10s. We ran a small dungeon crawl, myself as a moth Lunarian priest, along with a hornet barbarian with bagpipes and a greatsword, and a crazy scorpion who saw the first scorpion king as a god.
We killed some slaver ants, freed some slaves, and fought back a cordycep zombie beetle. Overall went very wellthe way we handled magic was broken though, so we need to fix that
>>46541363
My english is not perfect, prepare to bleed from your eyes
I looked at some website, and I found some interesting informations:
First, they live the majority of their live in larva form (pic) and live underground.
They have big and strong claw to dig.
When they are mature, they go out and sing.
They produce sound at 150 Decibel, and this scare birds.
Now, in Arath, I imagine them like this:
> Larva are used like soldier and worker, due to their big claws
> They dig big underground
> Adult Cicadas live outside
> They take the new Adult
> New adult are formed to the Magic of the Sound
> Sound magic consist at distabilizing/charming opponents, and can buff allies
Maybe i got carried a little too far with the Larva
>>46541933
>Sound magic
Now that's something interesting.
Could it be that Cicada Necromancy is actually a branch/offshoot from that? Singing loud enough and in a certain vibration to wake the dead, literally?
I'm imagining a dead bug, its shell patched together and repaired, surrounded by a cabal of Adult Cicada Necromancers. Then they hum. Slowly at first, then rising into a resounding crescendo that might sound a bit like dubstep with all the resonance making things wub wub wub - and the dead bug slowly rising to its reanimated feet, the chanting dying down. Now, this is before the Cordyceps, a more traditional Cicadan Necromancy. After Cordyceps there might be those who raise the dead using sound, then plant a bud of Cordyceps on the undead body.
>>46541933
Those are some pretty good ideas.
I dont get what you mean by "They take the New Adult"
The larva bits are great though. We haven't talked much about The larva state of the bugs, other than butterflies hating it and hiding their children from others
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
>>46542409
I mean that when the larva moult to the adult form, the other larva take her outside, to give her to the adult cicadas.
Made an idea for Cicadas village, and the interactions between Larva / Adults
> paint skills
>>46542620
This is pretty cool sounding. Given how long they stay in larva state, the Cicadas having their own little villages makes more sense.
They seem like they'd be a very isolated species compared to the others.
>>46543142
If we're sticking with the biology though this creates a bit of an issue. For potentially years at a time there wouldn't be any adult cicadas at all - in many species metamorphosis of a given generation occurs all at once, resulting in a ton of adult cicadas that only live for a few weeks. So if the larva are 'peasants', 90% of the time there wouldn't be anyone to lord over them
>>46543314
We can mess with biology a bit then.
It could be cycle based, where the mature ruling class lives untill the majority of the larva have matured, then they die, allowing the cycle to repeat
>>46543314
We can hand wave that and say that the adults can survive longer
>>46543376
I definitely like the idea of it being a cycle. Mass metamorphosis suddenly placing a huge group of workers in leadership positions - who do they look to for advice? The empty carapaces of those they replaced, perhaps...
>>46543539
>All know when the annual Cicada cycle will complete, and make sure to avoid the areas near their small villages
>Hundreds of newly mature Cicadas take to the surface to survey their surrondings
>"Who will lead? What will we do?"
>Questions abound, until one begins to sing
>The others all join in, a strange, hypnotic song, heard from miles alway in all directions
>Why they song is unknown. Instinct? Fear? Respect for the fallen elders at their feet? None seem to have an answer
>The song complete, the Cicadas descend into a brief period of anarchy, fighting for control of the village
>The period of upheaval always ends with the first larva attempting to leave their underground homes
>A leader will emerge and inform the Larva of their place and duties
>Many moons later, the cycle repeatsalso maybe necromancy
>>46542541
What
>>46536069
What even is this supposed to be? It's cool, but I cant tell whag it is
>>46544803
One of the leeches. They're the settings healer race. Masters at curing disease and healing injury. They breed giant toads, axolotls, and horseshoe crabs for their blood and other resources. They have chaotic numbers of eyes and no arms, relying on muscular tentacles instead
>>46545067
Oh, that's what they ended up looking like? I knew about the change from them having arms, but never could get an image in my head of how they would look. Pretty awesome!
So we need to discuss transportation and such.
We have centipede caravan beasts, weta mounts, snail camels, manowar dirigibles, scorpidfly pegasi.
how about spiders making hot air balloons, gondolas spanning the chasms in fly-built metropolis, sea turtle ferry's run by crabs and coastal leeches, river craw and swamp leeches with ferry barges on the backs of giant softshell turtles, moths and butterflies with injured wings working with ants to develop gliders to realize their dreams of flight
Woah there, lots of great stuff going on! I'll try and add to the doc where appropriate too
>>46546397
I was going to bring up the subject as i'm wondering just how Wetas would be as the horse analogy. (also just how a Weta mount looks for the purpose of illustration) Would they leap in a short, bounding gait or a really quick crawl? Are they directly like their real world equivalent or some kind of horse-like 6 leg configuration?
Also things like saddles and tack would be way different and affix to different parts. Currently I think having a reign over the mandibles on either side might work but there could be a bunch of other things.
>>46536797
We don't exactly, but I wanted to expand on that, seeing as they were used to create the Iron Shells of legend.
>>46540711
Nice fluff
>>46541933
I like it. Eye bleeding was minimal.
>>46546629
Weta should be big bounding 6legged horses.
>>46546397
Hot air balloons are super fun. I'm seeing super over the top ones, crewed by spider air sailors, or Aethos. Maybe they could have cannons and such for defense
>>46546859
Just remember the Airships are mutant Man'O'War created by the Trilobites.
>>46546894
We need more stuff on that concept.
Long ago the Trilobites corrupted and mutated the Man'o'wars to make them like air ships right? So how many would actually be around today? Unless they were kept alive by the Trilobite magics
I think they would be super rare, with very few armies having access to one.
>>46547037
They escaped back into the wild. Their descendants are the wild ones.
>>46546629
What about flightless, docile weevils as the commoners mount?
>>46547207
Ah ok ok. So would all the balloons/airships just be Man'o'Wars? Because that would be neato
The weevils idea is a good one. That or small domesticated slugs
>>46533833
Hey, OP, your link to the google doc is broken.
>>46547272
No. I created the Manowar to be dirigibles. They live as normal ocean floating siphonophore then once they grow older they begin to float. They then become wild atmospheric beasts or captured for blimps.
Spiders have mundane hot air balloons made of their silk.
Even came up with a Fly Bandit Lord using a Manowar Dirigible with cannons and hwacha launchers as an encounter.
I want to come up with more leftover creations of the Trilobites
>>46547404
Ahhhhh ok ok. Those are some really good ideas though. Do you have more on our air pirate Fly?
More Trilobite tech would be fun. Maybe some sort of seed/mixture that causes fauna to grow to immense size?
>>46547317
I'll post a working link when I get home if there isnt one yet
>>46547776
Ok thanks
>>46546397
I suggested dragonflies as single-rider flying mounts a while back but it never got any traction.
>>46547884
its in there you know
"Dragonflies - Dragonflies are the much bigger and more expensive mount-bug alternative to the Weta. Dragonfly breeders and Weta ranchers frequently argue about the qualities of each species as a mount and are always eager to tout their personal opinions of the other.The are capable of incredible speeds of flight and aerial acrobatics and, normally rather wild and stubborn, they can be tamed with enough patience and skill. This is a very dangerous activity as dragonflies are naturally carnivorous and can easily mutilate a trainer even before reaching adulthood. It is easy to recognize Dragonfly trainers by their missing digits. Tamed dragonflies are used as mounts by the more daring bugs, and some kingdoms have a host of these flying knights, who perform military and civilian duty as warriors and couriers/rescue troops, the same riders performing aerial shows during times of peace, pulling complicated flight maneuvers and weaving through each other in the air. Dragonflies are bred for their shining, iridescent colors for-show breeds and size/speed for working breeds with the knight houses priding themselves on having dragonflies with coloring matching their heraldry
.Mounted dragonfly knights act as flying assault cavalry on the battlefield, doing flybys with spears, bombs, and in some cases, special long gonnes with a massive bayonet to act as a combination spear-rifle, able to fire a shot to soften a target before going in for the stab, and then flying away to reload or attack from another angle. Their mounts can also pick up enemy bugs with their legs or tails and drop them from the air on top of their allies"
>>46547946
Hey, you put it in!
Thanks man.
>>46547946
Scorpidflies would be a smaller and more tame alternative to the dangerous dragonflies. Their ability to hover and carry heavy loads mean they would become common sights in vertically aligned cities as workhorses and personal mounts
>>46548037
Scorpidflies are so fucking cool. I remember in one thread someone brought up the idea that they were originally the product of an insane, Frankenstein-esque fly, but they got out and started breeding
>>46548435
I keep bringing up scorpidflies but they don't seem to take or we get ideas like...that...
I'm unsure about this whole Blasted Zone thing. It might be way too on the nose with STALKER unless marked differences were put in
>>46548627
Was trying to go more for a Mournland from Eberron kind of feel but STALKER is in my blood and it leaked through
>>46548607
If you don't like the crazy mutation idea they could just be kept as normal. They are a good idea to include.
How would you say Bugfolk first went about taming/domesticating them?
>>46547797
Sorry this took so long, hope you're still here
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pAduIU7TDaKHvvaUfzRbgYj44TX_hApLeNeVu2d5bbM/edit
>>46548627
I like the Blasted Zone, but it needs some work to not be straight up STALKER. It's a great way to show the horrors of what the ancient wars brought.
>>46548721
>Some scorpionflies started eating refuse from Bug settlements
>Bugs noticed that some were calm enough to approach
>Bugs feed them
>Gain trust
>Start taming and breeding them
>>46550323
Thanks a lot, MapAnon. Been meaning to look it over since I only get to really dig into these threads during the weekends.
>>46550430
No problem! Glad people are still interested in BugWorld.
While talking about Cicadas and their prolonged larva state, it made me realize that we have very little on how bugfolk treat and raise their young.
In real life the larva/child state of bugs vary drastically across species.
How would the children of a Hive society, all birthed from the queen, be raised?
How would the beetle young be raised?
Would a Mantis child be allowed to embrace it's predatory nature as a child before entering into The Learning?
What do you all think?
Moths are best bug. Dirty flies go home
>>46551000
I imagine hive bugs will initially be reared by a specialized teacher and classroom or maybe the queen herself. It takes a village to raise a child after all.
Beetles usually start out as big larva so maybe their parents would raise them on stories of what they'll be like when they grow up? Beetles also seem to have a big ancestor reverence thing and scrimshaw shells passed down from generation to generation so maybe parents will use their parents' shells to tell their larval children bedtime stories and useful proverbs.
Mantis children probably wouldn't be allowed to embrace their predatory nature though. The Learning is something you have to instill in a child from day one - you can't let a kid run wild for the first portion of their lives and then suddenly tell them everything they were doing was wrong. That would mess them up. I imagine mantises would have an incredibly strict upbringing based around self control that may be so strict it actually breaks a few of them and they end up embracing their predatory side anyway.
>>46551702
All bugs are welcome here.
Here, have an unfinished dragonfly knight ant on parade.
>>46553842
Pretty sweet my bugger
>>46543314
And here we have the reason for why Cicadas invented Necromancy. At first it was devised to ask departed Adults on matters of the living. Then it went to reanimating the dead shells to provide a temporary leadership for the Juveniles until one of them prove to be leader-worthy.
Then somebug discovered Cordyceps in a Trilobite ruin...
>>46552575
Pfft, Mantis parents would probably be like the stereotypical Asian parent.
>"What's that, a B on your meditation grade?"
>"B-but, I got A in every other-"
>"NOT GOOD ENOUGH"
In spider villages, there is a special place for eggs: it's a big den, composed of straw and wood. Some females wolf spiders live there, and take care of the eggs of other spiders. Wolf spiders are know for their tough maternal spirit, and they accept the role of Nanny wholeheartedly.
Once the eggs hatch, the spiderlings are given back to their parents, or stay in the den until they become adult.
>>46553842
That looks awesome my bugger
>>46560560
I like this, it's kinda cute. How would the nanny spiders be chosen?
>>46556659
>Dad how do we even have a meditation grade?!
I looked up some Mantis stuff. Turns out they have no larva stage, and instead have a "nymph stage" after leaving the egg.
After mating the female will lay a sac, containing upwards of 100 eggs, most of which do not live past a few hours in nymph stage.
This nymph stage just look likes a small, not green Mantis. The nymphs mature by molting a total of 10 times on average, to gain it's wings and become an adult.
I think, that for reasons of handwave, Arthros should only lay small clutches of eggs at a time, rather than hundreds
>>46563700
Probably for the best, to prevent overpopulation
>>46560560
Within many of the nest dens there is a passage to a pool where tadpoles are raised. These tadpoles are partially tended to by the growing spiderlings, the young spiders selecting their personal frog companion when the tadpoles develop legs and emerge from the pool.
Spider communities raise different toads or frogs, some of them raised the small Peeper frogs that rarely grow larger than a Fly while others raise the toads that become the mounts of the tarantula dragoons, the growing amphibians zealously guarding their charges. This allows many dragoons to grow up with their future mounts and develop a very close bond between mount and rider
I just really love the ideas of spiders having a connection to frogs and toads that's somewhat similar to humans and dogs
>>46552575
I'm thinking that the Mantis don't develop their Hunger until they near adulthood. Would be easier than tending to a bunch of cannibalistic murderhobo children
>>46565299
Perhaps a characteristic that develops in puberty? Mantis teens would have the worst time, let me tell you.
>I like girl
>She scares me but she's pretty
>I go for the kiss, she's into it
>So into it she rips off one of my mandibles
>What did I do wrong?
>>46565424
Ouch.
>Dad, I accidentally got my girlfriend pregnant
>She wants to devour my head
>>46565219
Fey?
>>46570658
Now I'm imagining mobile plants with magic abilities being the settings fae in terms of mysterious, mischievous, sometimes malevolent creatures living the darkest woods or playing harmless or cruel pranks on the arthropods
>>46574356
This could work! Plants being mutated and coming alive would be super cool, and a good way to have more enemies
>>46574913
Not so much mutated but naturally occurring and with the capability of manipulating magic like the bugs
Though maybe they do have their origins in an Ammonite experiment looking to weaponize Flora species similar to how the Trilobite weaponized Fauna
>>46574913
They could be another remnant of the wars left over and adapted to the environment like the weird hot air balloon jellyfish creatures. (also regular hot air balloon spider crews trying to push them away from areas of civilization with long poles is neat)
Ammonite stuff was more super technology than biology so it'd fit more for it to be of Trilobite origin, maybe not even something direct but instead a sort of run-off creation.
>>46575033
I wouldn't imagine them having magic when its based off faith though.
Also reminder to suggest things in the doc itself as it means I can read through generalized ideas at any point in time without a thread dying
>>46576165
It might not be magic but instead just crazy biological stuff caused by the Trilobites, and just appear to be magic to the Bugfolk.
>>46533833
>mammals are almost unheard of
>almost
So you're saying that if a human showed up, it might be some kind of towering eldritch abomination to the bugs?
That would be incredibly cool.
>>46578517
We've already excluded humans entirely from this setting
>>46578613
Do they simply not exist, or did they die out?
>>46578642
Never existed
>>46578642
They never existed.
>>46578642
That isn't to say that you couldn't include them in your own games but for the purpose of world building they never existed
>>46578789
Got it.
Bimp
>>46576165
>Ammonite stuff was more super technology than biology
I'm seeing ancient Ammonite weapons like lightning guns or thermal swords capable of slicing through a beetles carapace like paper would be very appropriate for weapons for high level adventurers
>>46581242
unburied Ammonite wardrones reactivating and resuming their war against the "organic enemy"
>>46581242
>>46583534
There are rumors of a warlord that emerged among the Wasp Hordes that was banished after shaming his Empress. He was believed to be dead but he has returned at the head of an army of insects and bugs of various races flocking to his banner.
Once believed to be a minor threat that the Paper Empresses were keeping contained he has since been observed decimating a platoon of Wasp soldiers at the command of a strange vehicle. Made of discolored metal it sails through the air as quick as the fastest dragonfly but larger than the biggest Man'O'War dirigibles. A massive circle of glass surrounding the craft glowed and crackled with power as it chased down the fleeing wasps. Flies and wasps aimed devices with thick crystal at one end, beams of searing light leaping out to scorch the wings from the unfortunate wasp soldiers.
Now reports come of his army and deadly flying machine turning towards the Paper Empresses grand palace with the intent to do what no Bee army had ever accomplished in history. With his unearthed Ammonite war machine the Banished Warlord seeks to burn the grand palace to the ground.
The Paper Empresses send out word, pleading for the aid of any that would stand in the way of this invader.
>>46583981
Maybe unearthing that war machine let some of the Iron Shells lose and they are on a rampage.
>>46583981
yis yis
I also imagined the trilobite stuff having monstrous versions of weird miyazaki designs.
That and I wonder what ammonite wardrones would look like. War of the World things?
>>46586508
Maybe lots of tentacles? But made of technology stuff
>>46586508
Something like this
>>46587402
Yes. Imagine this, except instead of high tech machinery powered by science, it's high tech machinery powered by spirits unwillingly ripped out of their realm and shoved into metal bawkses.
>>46588685
so sort of a bug mechanicus?
>>46590587
Is that those 40k techpriest things? Because if so then yes, that sounds coolWeird Elder Scrolls anon is finally getting some of his weird
>>46590587
>>46588685
Does this lead us in the direction of Souls, Ghosts, and Hauntings being possible? Because I realize that this is an area we haven't mentioned before
>>46542074
>>46543539
>>46543741
Amusingly, when I first suggested the cicadas be necromancers way back in the first thread, it was to make use of the discarded husks from molting that they leave behind for a free zombie army - then again, at the time they were some sort of catastrophe, rather than an actual race
>>46591792
Yeah I think I was the first to mention them as a cyclical disaster that when enough of their breeding cycles linked up the collective droning of their screaming drives all who hear it temporarily insane as long as they hear it.
>>46590587
Yep. Except more like the Dark Mechanicus in the fact that they focre spirits into their shit.
>>46592512
Spirits or elementals?
I figured we'd want to stay away from spirits and such since we've already established there are no true gods and that necromancy can not bring back the deads mind
>>46592602
I think it would be more along the lines of forcing "other living things", including other ammonites, into the machines
>>46592602
I'm thinking a more imbued consciousness, Automancy being the magic/belief system where mechanics and machinery has a life of its own (be it jamming the rudiments of a conscious thing in there or just the machinery itself being a living thing)
A bit of a combination between the Dark Mechanicus, the Ray Harryhausen Talos and Bubo and the weird machines in Arcarnums Vendrigroth Ruins
>>46592602
Or better yet, its never explained and completely beyond the knowledge of bugs, the information lost to time
>>46592920
I like leaving it unexplained and lost. It makes the ancient races seem all the more powerful and awe-inspiring
I just remembered that I was going to give a brief summary of the test dungeon Trilobite ran for myself and a few other anons, so I'll go ahead and do that.
The system we ran is a dice pool system that we attempted to make on our own. The base stats determined the size of the pool when making a check, with various skill levels also changing the number. Rolling a 6 or higher counted as a success, with 10's being a success and being re-rolled. The number of successes needed was determined by the GM for skill checks, while combat had both combatants rolling against each other. Ties went to the attacker. I will not discuss how magic worked, other than that it was way over powered with how we wanted to have it work.
We created a basic class tree that allowed different abilities to be gained as we leveled up, but we never leveled up.
The party consisted of three bugfolk. A hornet berserker with a great-sword and bagpipes, a crazy scorpion knight who saw Pandinus as a god, and myself as a Lunarian moth priest. Trilobite ran us through a dungeon and had us beat up some slaver ants and a cordyceped beetle.
Overall it went very well, and we also got some good ideas for fluff regarding Hornets.
>Hornets first went to war with the bees over wanting more freedom from their rule
>After the war, a small civil war broke out among the Hornet race over what kind of freedom they were fighting for in the first place
>The Hornet race has since then constantly been going to war with itself over various, often trivial, matters.
Thoughts and Questions?
Bugfolk party bump
Are there any other main races that are still lacking in a culture? Or are we onto more history and trilobite/ammonite war stuff?
>>46596711
moths and bookscorpions need concrete culture written for them in the same way as the other races rather than a list of features as they currently are in the doc.
>>46597005
Bookscorps are a non playable race right? What kinda stuff should we have for them?
>>46597934
I guess how despite their diminutive size they have found staunch allies in those bugs wishing to learn and record history. Something about their archives and maybe how, despite being so small, they might be considered 'untouchable' as in off limits when it comes to warfare given their benign nature, that and only the worst will kill them.
>>46597934
>>46597005
While it has been long debated whether it was the Wasp or Mantis that invented and perfected the creation of paper but it is quite well known that it was the Book Scorpions that invented written language.
Before paper became widespread the Book Scorpions, once called Demi-Scorpions for their superficial resemblance to the larger deadlier scorpions, they recorded their writings on clay tablets. Some of which, ancient as they may be, are still legible as they hang in Librarians and Colleges.
Their keen minds and skill at writing and record-keeping make them valuable as assistants, archivists, teachers, mages, alchemists and even philosophers in the rare individual. Where ever there is a need for keeping records, whether its a grand court of a kingdom, in the secretive meeting halls of the Roach crime families, or a humble Mantis library-monastery you can be sure to find at least one Book Scorpion diligently filling out page after page of information and records.
Book Scorpions are born and raised with their parents, taught to read, write, and the simplest of cantrips and spells to help offset their diminutive size and mediocre strength. Nearly every Book Scorpion, upon coming of age, sets out to travel the world for several years. It is rather rare for a Book Scorpion to remain in the same town or city they were born. These travels are almost always paid for with their services, hitching rides with merchant caravans or armies as logistic keepers.
Rarely there are Book Scorpions that feel the pull of adventure that calls to so many other races. These few will search out the most prestigious (and shockingly dwindling amount) of mage academies, honing their spells until they feel prepared enough to join either an adventurering party or a mercenary army. Their small size belying the arcane might they are unable to unleash or the enchantments they can place on their allies weapons and armor.
>>46598658
This is amazing and adorable. BookScorps are too be protected at all costs, and I would be honored to have one travel with me in the lands of Arath.
Great fluff anon
>>46599502
Thanks. I always forget to put up my name
>>46599502
Book Scorpions are so friggin cute
>>46600689
Bees are cuter
Goddamn these threads always start to have too much cute.
So, where would stuff like Venus Flytraps fit into all this?
>>46602536
Probably as the wild bioweapons that went feral after the Trilobites died out mentioned earlier in the thread
>>46602687
I'd personally like it if not every biological threat was tied to the trilobites. They're a common source, but not the only one. I think it keeps them mysterious to keep their creations rare.
I think flytraps could just be a dangerous, uncommon but relatively widespread plants, with a maw large enough to swallow a beetle and his weta mount whole. Running into one unawares spells death. No one is really responsible for them, they're like any other flora in that regard.
>>46602800
like man-eating flora found deep in amazon
>>46602800
Carnivorous plants could just be another part of the ecosystem like the monsters and behemoths. Deadly but natural.
A while back there was mention of druids living in and protecting the wild places. Should they be able to command them with their own form of magic?
>>46602536
I'm sick of hearing about Venus Flytraps being the only carnivorous plant tal!ed about in these threads, so I'm just going to put this here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_carnivorous_plants
>inb4 tl;dr
>inb4 autism
>>46604087
https://vimeo.com/112014963 Check this out for inspiration of carnivorous plants. And yeah I share your feelings about how Fly-Traps are so over represented.
My favorite are Sundews. I had one for a while back when I was a teenager and before the cat decided they hated it
Parent bugs have to warn their grubs and nymphs never to approach the sweet-smelling nectar of the Red-Stem Sundew. Yet this nectar was sticky as tar but the real danger is the lightning speed at which the "branch" lashes out to snatch up the unfortunate bug. Suffocating the victim the plant moves the corpse to the center of its mass where they will be digested by the digestive juices within that same sticky sap.
Bump for the night
>>46533833
Taste the rainbow...
>>46536797
The dreaded, shapeshifting amoeba.
Literally The Thing from Who Goes There. Not the one from Carpenter's take on it. Less body horror.
Good Morning BugWorld
>>46604087
This list is super cool, I had no idea this many carnivorous plants even existed. Bugfolk eating plants make a great large scale enemy, or a trap of some sort
>>46606984
This is also a good idea. We could possibly scale up a lot of other minuscule things to further populate the world
>>46607620
I thought about something.
How about symbiotic organisms? Depending on the type, they'd give a arthropod benefits and drawbacks.
>>46606984
Maybe it invades a bugs exoskeleton proceeding to eat it from the inside out until its walking around using the hollow exoskeleton as a suit of armor and disguise.
Perhaps the settings changelings?
>>46598658
I like how you made them have a wanderlust since the IRL ones are such surprising global travellers
>>46608719
That's pretty cool. There could be free roaming, predatory varieties, and the more intelligent changeling variety.
>>46608719
>More intelligent than the Cordyceps, but not able to spread as quickly, the Change has been known to overtake Bugfolk who wander too far
>The Change is smart, able to mimic the speech and mannerisms of the slain Bug
>It will attempt to re-enter into society, so that when the current host dies for good, it can move on
>The process of the Change taking over is a slow one, and many an untrained eye will fail to see the problem until it is too late
>For the lucky few to catch the Change early on, cures do exist
>These cures are as expensive as they are rare
>In some cases, if the Change is too far along, it is considered more merciful to end the host's life before they crack and warp under the Change's influence
>>46609426
Leeches find the Change absolutely -delicious-
>>46609446
Hence why the Leeches are the first and last line of defence against this abomination.
>>46609446
>>46609654
Maybe something in their anticoagulant saliva breaks down the amoeba like a venom.
Leeches are a mostly peaceful race, rarely having to defend their settlements because of their importance as a neutral area of healing. When they are driven to defend themselves and their swamp homes they quickly make their enemies regret their foolhardy actions.
Few besides perhaps the Craw know their swamps as well as the Leeches and they use their knowledge to wage devastating guerrilla campaigns.
From hit and run attacks with barbed javelins coated with their anticoagulant saliva, to booby traps, to coaxing the wild beasts of the swamp to attack.
There are tribes of primitive leeches in the darkest areas of the Rot Swamp that reject their "weaker" cousins way of healing and peace. Calling themselves Wasters these Leeches embrace their carnivorous ways, draining prey of nearly every drop of fluid which leaves them bloated and sluggish for several days as they digest. Tales speak of them forming alliances with the vicious Mosquito Amazon's to raid settlements dragging livestock and villagers into the swamp. It's believed that these cruel raiders worship a long lived Behemoth Salamander they call Ba'Gaw
>>46610104
We get it. You want to fuck leeches.
Just stop, they shouldn't even be in this setting
>>46610363
Well, that's just like your opinion man
>>46610363
leeches have been around since the first thread, they've clearly stuck around for a reason
>>46610725
Only because they've not been in the spotlight. Face it, they're a background species at best.
>>46610750
We have more stuff for leeches than we do Spiders.
Which is another race I've been meaning to give attention to
>>46610818
Spiders are underrepresented, leeches are overrepresented. Not even in the good ways, too. They have tentacles instead of arms which is reflected... not at all. A new antagonist creature is created, and leeches are the only ones that can kill them easily. Their cool abilities increase in number, but they have no substance beyond 'they can do this'. Step in the right direction: the creation of an alternate faction, but with little information on their 'main' culture, it's essentially moot. Leeches in general are sloppy work that has not advanced in quality since the first 3 threads- a shallow pool of factoids without a clear culture and no substance. This is a very fixable problem, and they're not the only species that suffers from it, but it's not gonna be solved by adding more 'cool facts', deepen what's there first.
And any work gone into the species that lack in both quantity and quality would be so very appreciated. I want to put in more work myself, but the doc's link in the OP is broken.
>>46611015
Add a T to the "documen" in the link
>>46611089
>https://docs.google.com/documen/d/1pAduIU7TDaKHvvaUfzRbgYj44TX_hApLeNeVu2d5bbM/edit?usp=sharing
God damn I feel retarded. Thanks.
>>46611015
So the leeches are the Mary Sue race of the setting.
I vote wiping them from the setting. Its just the Leechfucker/Anon pushing them all the time.
Or someone overhauls them completely
>>46611015
I feel the crux of this may be the fact that leechfolk were a outsider project species bought in and had their square corners cut off to fit in the round hole that is the setting. Personally i'm hesitant to include more about them when actual concrete stuff about spiders, regular moths, pseudoscorpions and ants is lacking.its all well and good that a bunch of stuff was written about the leech guys in some other unrelated threads as an original species but the ones here are not those
>>46611114
No problem. I agree with what you're saying about the leeches though, the have a lot of cool facts, but not a lot of culture and history like the other races. I think they should stay in, with future GMs being able to decide if they want them to be playable, like the BookScorps.
But they still need a culture and attention as much as the other established races.
First and foremost this is a setting, GMs can determine what is and isn't playable if they use the setting
>>46611229
>and ants
okay, let's get into that...
Idea, while the colony is ruled by a Queen(s)some species of ants will have multiple queens in a single colony, perhaps there are some ant cultures where this is common as wellthe actual work force is organized into work guilds, such as farmer guilds, construction guilds, forager guilds, etc... the guilds have chapter houses in all the colonies but each chapter is loyal to their respective queen(s) before they are loyal to their Guilds, these guilds stress its members to become specialists in their guild's field and being a member of multiple guilds is considered taboo.
that's all I got...
>>46611229
Beyond being healers and amphibian herders I've tried to make them more unique to this setting but yeah I can see why folks want to get rid of them.
If folks decide to keep them around I or someone else (who isn't admittedly biased) should come up with culture and lore for them.
I'll start from the top, since what's there is essentially an introduction.
>For millenia, civilized bugs feared spiders and with good reason; spiders hunted the wilds where the roads would fade with disuse, and knew no culture, living in solitary. They were hostile to all creatures, cannibalistic in nature, and worked on instinct alone. Big or small, even a naked spider, without the primitive tools they used to hunt, was deadly and best faced in company. All civilizations conducted great efforts to drive them farther away from their cities and towns, but two centuries ago, a small group of mantis scholars decided on a different direction, trying to apply their beliefs to these feral creatures. Even among other scholars they faced stark skepticism, mantiskind some of the most often affected by spider attacks and encounters,
>With much effort, they managed to capture some of them, and discovered joyfully that they were in fact capable of conscious thought and of learning, and within a few generations, this method managed to incorporate a wealth of spiders to many civilizations. The reception varied, and prejudice is common, but incidents are far and between, and spiders are well on their way to a complete integration. This is not to say that they have found their place in society easily. While spiders are relatively common military members, many are hard to discipline and seldom reach positions of authority (and never in more prejudiced settlements). More peaceful spiders find a lot of work as tailors, but with no shortage of supply, only the most remarkable craftmanship is rewarded, most spider tailors are small time and live in relative poverty. Spider trackers are prized, but are usually taken to the most dangerous reaches of Arath, and while the pay is good, the risky endeavors end with their lives eventually. Towns and smaller settlements often employ them as hunters, where they enjoy the full benefits of the community.
(cont)
So RIP leeches?
>>46612247
>Spiders have no real culture of their own and are accessory to other species, their entire identity a recent development. Their reception has been varied with mantis society being the most tolerant, moth and butterfly society the most prejudiced, and fly society being a special case where spiders enjoy citizenship and find the industrious cities to have great opportunities for work, while being even more marginalized than in butterfly and moth society. They suffer no hunger, but are usually forbidden from going outside, and their dwellings must be specially marked, and often live in unofficial ghettos.
>Even today, feral spiders exist, and every year many spiders abandon civilization to live in the wilds like the olden days, disenchanted with their marginalized living, at least as many as feral spiders are converted to civilization every day. The efforts of the specialized schools of the Learning have been doubled, but their work appears to be endless, and with donations and funding decreasing as more question the need for even more spiders to be integrated, this effort may eventually cease completely.
>>46612254
>So RIP leeches?
???
>>46612254
no, not RIP leeches, just a hold on superfluous wank about them
>>46612261
>>46612247
Good lore but where does Brieta the Wise fit in? She's the patron saint of spider kind, a Portia jumping spider that united the various spider races with a message of peace and understanding until she was assassinated by the venomancers
>>46612254
Not any of the anons that are pro or anti-leech, but I see no problem with them.
At first I found them strange for a setting with arthropods due to the fact that they are from the same family as worms, but then again I don't see why not to include them.
>>46612407
>Portia
Wasn't she a goliath tarantula spider?
>>46612407
I thought it was the Brown recluses?
>>46612254
I don't like how they are right now, but if it were up to me, I'd give them another chance, this time with a more comprehensive and thoughtful writeup, from the ground up like every other race (and at least try to avoid the Hirudo this time).
>>46612407
Well, that was mostly just a (longwinded) introduction. The exemplars usually come in later. I think she fits as a sabotaged attempt at a true, organized spider civilization.
>>46612407
>>46612440
>>46612469
This is hidden genius. Most of Portia's legend is word of mouth, and the true species of Portia has been a matter of debate for a long time.
>>46612581
Her name is Brieta, not Portia. That's a neat idea though. Have her lost to time due to the Spiders not having a true society
>>46598658
Can I make the minor suggestion that Book Scorpions are really quite forgetful, which is part of the reason their culture puts such a high emphasis on writing shit down
>>46613282
That's a great idea! Further makes them even more rare as adventurers, given how they might forget where they were going
>>46612261
>flies and spiders getting along because everyone hates them
I like it
Is the relationship between aphids and ants more like having slaves, or a human/dog partnership?
also, learn more about aphids! youtube.com/watch?v=hNzeshvjZdw
>>46616490
More like human/cattle. Aphids in this are pretty large and a common food source
So do we do a hard reboot on the leeches lore to make them unique from the dead hirudo race?
Like wipe away everything and start from scratch?
Didn't know they were so disliked
>>46617248
I say for now we focus on the other races and get them as finished as we can, then move back an re-evaluate the leeches
I like the concept, even if it is not strictly a bug, but we should finish the "bugfolk" for now
>>46612247
>>46612261
Great spider fluff anon
>>46617248
I'm gonna say no to a hard reboot, but it'd be more interesting to detach them from hirudo completely. In the meantime maintain them as they are with further thoughts on how they can be made a unique thing of their own while the actual bugs are fleshed out
>>46612247
>>46612261
very nice, i'm gonna have to wiggle the existing fluff around a bit to suit
>>46616490
I'd add leafhoppers as the local cows.
>"It's still coming!" the ant atop the watch tower screamed. The soldiers below on the wall could see it themselves - the gargantuan creature still came, no matter how many ballistae they fired at it. Huge and lumbering, the odd, hairy beast towered above the city's tallest spires. It wasn't quite close enough to attack yet, but every earth-shattering step of the beast brought it closer.
>"Where are the damned flies?!" the commander bellowed, "They were supposed to be here ten minutes ago!". The old ant stood at his post on the wall, barely containing his composure in front of his men. For Marax, this would be the greatest test of his life. He'd always heard the stories - the mythical "anteaters" that were said to destroy entire kingdoms in a night and leave nothing but debris and dust in their wake, but he never believed they were true. He looked down from his perch on the wall. These ants were tough, but dammit this was too much. The ballistae were running out of bolts and they seemed to only get caught in the beast's shaggy hide. To his right, a single beetle manned one of the larger ballistae himself, a testament to his kind's strength and courage in the face of death.
>A sound from below caught Marax's attention then - the clanging of iron on stone. Whirling around, he thanked the queen under his breath - the flies had come. About ten of them hoisted the great iron cauldron up the stone steps, clanging and jostling with every step. He prayed to every god he knew of that this plan of theirs would work.
>cont'd
>>46618098
also Weevils are the commoners mount or similar to donkeys I think
>>46618294
>Huffing and cursing under their breath, the flies placed the cauldron down as gently they could. It had a massive iron lid held fast with levers, and looked to fidget about on its own. With a curt salute, the fly in front, ostensibly their leader, looked up to Marax. "Your bomb is here, commander!".
>"Parlak!", Marax roared, "Get off the ballista and help us move this over to the launcher." The huge beetle nodded, grunting as he pulled the release on his ballista for one last shot. The bolt soared through the sky before ramming into the hair of the anteater, barely, if at all, penetrating. Cursing, Parlak charged over to the cauldron and grabbed one half of it themselves as Marax and another ten of his ants grabbed the other half, and began hauling the makeshift bomb over to the trebuchet.
>The trebuchet was old, even for Marax. He'd seen it used once in his military career, as a new recruit. It held off the wasp hordes well enough, but was phased out and left in storage when the ballistae were invented. Thank the queen they kept it. The thing's oaken beams looked old and craked down their length, but Marax hoped beyond hope the thing had enough strength in it for one more shot. Grunting with effort, Marax, Parlak and the rest of the group set the cauldron down in the trebuchet's firing cradle and began to turn the crank, readying the makeshift bomb for deployment. The rumbling beneath their feet steadily grew in strength with each passing moment.
>"You're sure this thing will do what you said?" Marax asked, turning his head towards the cadre of flies that followed him. "Oh, absolutely," the head alchemist said, giddy with anticipation. "Once the serum makes contact with the open air it will combust. The explosion should be more than enough to kill this anteater."
>cont'd
>>46618543
>"For all of our sakes," Marax answered, I hope you're right. Parlak pushed the trebuchet into position while Marax and his ants turned the crank. The anteater was visible from the lower wall now, its raggedy hide covered in ballista bolts and pockmarked with burns. Even now, dragonfly-mounted knights continued to circle overhead, throwing down small glass bottles of the same concoction that filled the massive iron cauldron in the trebuchet. The fires leaped to life with a blue 'puff!', but never managed to sustain themselves on the beast's fur for long. As it loomed closer, Marax saw remnants of weapons lodged into the anteater's fur from all kinds of weapons, ancient and modern. Old wasp empire boltshafts and beetle greatarrows mingled with his own ballista bolts in the creature's hair, each equally useless.
>The trebuchet ground to a halt as Parlak placed it against the rim of the wall. "In position sir!" he roared against the din of the anteater's footsteps. Marax looked to his crewmen, one on the release lever for the trebuchet, looking for the order to fire.
>Sighing, Marax pointed a hand at the anteater and screamed at the top of his lungs. "FIRE!"
>The lever was released as the great arm of the trebuchet whirled around, hoisting the cauldron with it before launching it in a beautiful arc. At that last moment, the oak holding the trebuchet together snapped, and Marax and his men had to leap away to avoid being crushed by the remnants of it. Marax barely had enough time to get up before his ears were nearly split by the thundering of the cauldron exploding, his eyes nearly blinded by the great ball of blue fire that erupted from the anteater's body. Marax swore he could almost hear the fly alchemists giggling with glee at the sight of it.
>Within a moment, the explosion had came and went, and when the smoke cleared, Marax saw the anteater, miraculously still alive, but incredibly wounded.
>Cont'd
>>46618723
>A whole swath of the flesh from the anteater's face was blown away, a great eyeball hung limply from its socket beneath bare skull and bits of sinew. Roaring in agony, the anteater stumbled and fell, shaking the earth as it landed unceremoniously to the ground. The anteater, the great scourge of the land for the last century, lay dead beyond the walls of the great city.
>The entire wall of the city erupted in cheers and shouts of joy. Everyone on guard threw their helmets into the air and roared in glee at the sight of it. "I'll never mock a fly again," Marax whispered.
>For now, they were safe. Marax ordered the ballistae be aimed down at the corpse of the anteater and fired upon, for good measure. Bolt after bolt pocked the now-exposed flesh of the beast's skull, penetrating with relative ease.
>For now, they were safe.
>>46618496
Weevils are a type of beetle though
>>46617717
I agree. Leeches are a good concept as a race. They just need to be toned down a bit.
>>46618294
>>46618543
>>46618723
I can imagine the flies giggling and rubbing their hands together.
>>46619045
not every beetle has to be intelligent. Ladybugs are called Spotted Aphid-Killers and are apex predators
>>46619117
Oh yeah, they definitely loved every minute of watching the bomb go off. Considering it was a cauldron so big it needed at least ten people to lift it, that's a LOT of explosive.
>>46619178
And then they washed their faces.
>>46612633
When I originally wrote Brieta i thought her being a Portia fimbriata because they hunt in really cool ways and are the smartest spiders, and I thought I was being clever with her name slightly resembling the species name
>>46612261
>It has become fashionable among spiders to wear hats, most often made of their own silk, with water being held within
>>46621300
>>46621326
>>46621300
Remember we dont work in a small enough scale for that to work. Put some water in a hat, and the water will unceremoniously drench you head to toe.
>>46621300
I'm all for spiders getting crazy with their homemade hats but like >>46621491 water would be a bad idea
>>46621491
Right right, forgot, i'm a little drunk. Thought cute hat spiders were cute. They should still make hats though
>>46621599
But of course. In many places they practically have a monopoly on the cute hat market.
Cicadas could be a society of philosophers who spend their 7ish years in isolation contemplating large ideas, and all come together to tell everyone what they learned in their meditation.
>>46622820
Well they are majorly behind the whole cordyceps thing...
And those who are not spend a lot of time telling everyone that they are not like the rest.
>>46624310
We'll save that for the inevitable time when we make a futuristic setting for Arath.
>>46627560
Nanobugs, son
Creatures commonly raised and farmed:
>Aphids: meat, honeydew
>Planthoppers: meat, ornamental horn
>Weevils: common cheap mount
>Frogs/Toads: Raised as pets, livestock, war mounts, guardians
>Domed Sea Spider (horseshoe crab): Meat, blood, chitin
>Gnats: Pets, show breeding, bloodhounds
>Axolotl: Food
>Domesticated Gecko: pets, guardians, hunting companions
>Tortoise: Meat, hide, shell, bone
>Softshell turtle: meat, bone, hide, ferry transportation
>Man'o'war: Transportation, toxins
Anything else I'm missing?
>>46629315
Leafhoppers. But those are mostly by Cicadas.
>>46629315
Ticks and mites as pets also
>>46629315
Just had an idea for another livestock option.
Commonly referred to as shield bugs or occasionally stink bugs, these large bugs are quite docile. Relying on a noxious secretion to deter predators this earns them their name.
Flies frequently harvest this secretion for use in stink bombs and other alchemical mixtures. The gas they develop from it is a potent nonlethal alternative to chemical attacks. It is becoming quite popular among frontier bugs that must defend against roaming monsters.
Recently it has been discovered that a genius among flies has been experimenting with stink bugs. Using half gleaned practices from ancient crumbling trilobite tablets and cruel vivisections they have managed to create breeds of shield bug that produce a variety of hard to come by chemicals. This proving to be a boon for illegal alchemists, already several of these mutilated but still living stink bugs have been found in the dens of alchemists and drug-mixers tied to the Roach Crime families. The same Families that funded the creation of the original "Chem Bugs"
>>46630844
Oh right. I saw someone mention predatory ambush ticks and that is terrifying.
Drop-Ticks falling from above, grappling until they can shove their proboscis into their prey and paralizing them. They thenfeed for several days ggrowing to bloated proportions and leaving behind just an empty exoskeleton. Necromancers will occasionally raise several of the larger than normal ticks as guardians and a convenient source of Husks.
>>46631037
Jesus chrust how horrifying
Blasted Zones, a STALKER/Mournland rip off
>Keep it
>Trash it
>Update to be more lore friendly
>>46632856
>Trash it
And zeppelin Man'O'Wars too, while you're at it. Innapropriate for the setting, it's not biopunk (or whatever), and it's not post-apocalyptic either.
>>46632856
Update it. Good way to show the destruction of the ancient wars, other than having just ruins and what not.
>>46632856
The Zone could be better off as a haunted battleground or lingering magical disaster. A place where sane bugs avoid and only the foolishly brave go.
>>46632939
Man'o'war zeppelins are here to stay. They're the remnant of a "biopunk" faction that shaped a lot of the world
>>46630940
This is a good idea.
We could throw stick bugs in as wild bugs too while we're at it, given they're an odd species and hard to place. They could be like wild horses, or bug cats
>>46632939
I like what this anon >>46633582 said, mainly him saying "zone" instead of "zones". I think it should be just one area, very dangerous and almost entirely unexplored
>>46633642
Meant for >>46632856
>>46632939
Man'O'Wars have been around for a while now. They are a pretty unique idea IMO.
In fly cities their daycare is their garbage disposal. The feral maggot children ravenously devouring all the rotten food that gets thrown down to them
Which cultures need work next?
>>46636418
I'd say Hornets would need some extra stuff.
Especially how they became so good at making papers.
>>46636730
What this guy said, along with a history of their wars, both against the bees and amongst themselves.
One of the biggest days of celebration for the faithful of Lord Oznus is the Day of Flight during the summer solstice.
Bugs from all around flock to the largest of Lord Oznus' temples, a grand structure built in the boughs of a Greattree leaning precariously out of the face of a massive cliff. There a week-long celebration starts, culminating at the end of the week with the true Day of Flight.
The week preceding is full of feasts and contests. These include many things such as a balloon contest where spider craftguilds compare their flamboyant or complex hot air balloons to be judged. A homemade parachute contest to see who can stay in the air the longest and land safely, watchers ready to swoop in and rescue those who's chutes fail. There are many contests of grace and speed for the bugs able to naturally fly.
One of the biggest most competitive events in the glider contest where bugs and insects race their homemade gliders through the tree boughs and through and obstacle course set along the top of the cliff. There is a long running grudge between a paper wasp guild and a family of orbweaver spiders though several years in a row the winner has been a lone Unhived Ant female who crafts her glider from the feathers of Basilisks.
>cont
>>46640015
The Day of Flights origins come from one of Oznus' fables where a Roc, one of the great predatory behemoths of the sky, descended to the great temple. Instead of attacking it instead watched the terrified bugs as they hid before it but with gentle beats of its great wings it set the chimes of the temple into a glorious melody. Beckoning the bug with a shriek it flapped its great wings hard and launched the attending bugs, even those that could not fly, into the air. Remarkably no one was harmed or even fell, great updrafts caused by the Rocs wings keeping the faithful of Oznus suspended in the air and granting the gift of flight to those normally bound to the earth.
It is debated by book scorpion scholars how factual this event is but afterwards the Roc became a holy symbol of Lord Oznus or even viewed as his personification in this world.
That's some good looking fluff. I like it. Something light-hearted and fun. We need more holidays.
>>46635260
Disgusting but very likely
>>46635260
Actually a good way to utilize garbage that cannot be recycled for one reason or another.
>>46640015
>>46640029
This is cute. Holidays are always fun. I think we should have a !not Christmas/Thanksgiving for the Golden Mound worshipers. Due to their friendly and welcoming religion, a day of giving and camaraderie between Bugfolk.
>>46646328
A Winter feast to help the populace get through it perhaps?
>>46641164
How about something for beetles?
>>46533833
Question.
In this world, are social species as adamant to deliver everything they have for the sake of the Greater Good? Would that put their production numbers at obscene amounts while flying through workers like fabricants from Cloud Atlas?
>>46649035
Beetles could hold an olympics or sorts, competing to be the strongest
>>46649225
Or trying to emulate the Dung Beetles and roll the heaviest thing ever.
Of course it doesn't need to be dung.
>>46649518
>My son, now is the time for your coming of age ceremony
>Produce the boulder!
>You must roll the boulder my son, to prove your strength to society
>>46650921
And then the youngster rolled the boulder.
AND IT WAS AWESOME.
>>46651044
ROLL THAT ROCK BUGGY
>>46586508
My big inspiration for the ammonite warship was honestly the John Carter of Mars and the DC ripoff Rann which is a big Barsoom rip off
Potential adventure idea.
An ancient, nearly intact trilobite genetics lab has been discovered in deep ocean caves by either octopi or polychaete worms. They've begun experimenting on themselves adapting for an amphibious existence so they can raid the surface world.
Perhaps they release a n Anomalacaris Behemoth on accident, unable to control it as it ravaged the coasts, capable of flying as fast as it swims
>>46653071
Make it crabs or shrimp instead of a new race
>>46653771
>>46653071
It could be that some mutated Octopuses or deepsea worms are found in these labs by some Crabs/Shrimp/Lobsters and are let out. No one would know what the creatures were.
It's a fun idea though, we need to explore and flesh out the ocean more.
Who, or what, are these things that keep destroying seaside villages?
Prophets from the Deep Gods?
A sign of the end times?
A lost species?
Only time, and some adventurers, will tell!
>>46653071
>Anomalacaris
Remembering suddenly that one episode of Kamen Rider W.
Man it was fun.
Also liking it.
An excavation into the discovery of ancient ruins high in the mountain ranges beyond where the plants grow and the snow is thick has unleashed an ancient threat to Arath.
Once an Ammonite outpost the archaeology team accidentally reactivated a machine that the ancients had been working on. The antique mind reactivated the few remaining automatons that still functioned and drove off the archaeology team from the mountain. A team of adventurers hired by the Butterfly noblewoman who had funded the excavation, despite the cost of their services, never returned from the mountain peaks.
That was months and several mercenary squads sent to their seeming doom ago but now activity has been spotted on the once calm mountain. Groups of automatons, hodge-podge and ramshackle yet still dangerous and potent, march steadily down the mountains to the farms and villages near the base of the ridges. They raid and steal metal and building resources, killing only if they are hindered, before they return silently back up the mountain. Each raid brings more of the automatons and each raid they are more sophisticated yet still made of patchwork parts.
It is up to the heroes of the land to face this new threat and uncover the secret of the Antique Mind and it's mechanized army before their iron and bronze grip becomes a stranglehold on the land.
>>46640029
If the Roc, which I'm guessing is a type of Eagle or other predatory raptor bird, I propose the Lunarian Moths include a Behemoth Owl in their mythology.
Not as an opposing force but more of a benevolent guardian. This is a Behemoth that hunts deadly monsters and even other Behemoths under the light of the moon. Owl Behemoths would be seen as protectors against the evils and dangers of the dark since they hunt and consume the creatures of the night that would feed on Bugkind like the terrible Night Demons (Bats).
The Rocs of Lord Oznus could be viewed the same way but as protectors in the day. Maybe tie them together somehow.
Just rambling to see if people like it.
>>46657692
This is a pretty good idea, fitting to have the duality of the day and night.
I don't think the other religions should have "walking deities" though, that would remove some of the merit behind the Roc and the Owl
>>46659419
Not walking dieties, just viewed as avatars or just symbols of their beliefs. It's unknown if the Day of Flights fable is actually true or not
Flies are cute
>>46665747
Adult botflies are deceptively cute and adorable
>>46666183
Exactly
>>46666878
Kinda fucked up what they do to you despite being cute little bugs
>>46667157
Funny part about their maggots burrowing into people, they get injured only if they try to remove them and get bad infections. The botfly larva doesn't want its host to get sick or die so its rather sterile and once it matures and leaves it only leaves behind a scar.
Despite knowing this, I still wouldn't be able handle having one in me
>>46667293
That's even worse. Parasites of any kind freak me the fuck out
>>46667312
D-dont look up chiggers
Also be glad we wiped out the screwworm
>>46667431
Yo fuuuck chiggers. I got some at a summer camp when I was a kid. Didn't help the the counselors had shitty senses of humor and terrified me about what would happen to me.
Who invented summer camp? They should be shot
>>46667293
Maggots as a whole are still used in medicine. They eat dead tissue, leave the healthy stuff alone, and secrete antiseptic compounds. I think they are used to treat burn victims nowadays.
>>46604087
Could this be a monster in this setting? Had this pic for awhile and never really had a use for it
>>46667727
Parents.
Parents invented summer camp.
When summer comes, the no-goddamn-rest of the entire schoolyear suddenly takes a turn for the worse. Where once you had to deal with the tantrums and messes in the morning, get them ready for school, and deal with homework at night, there was at least a little bit of time where you were at work, and/or where they had to go to bed early because there's class tomorrow.
All of a sudden, you're stuck with them, and they've got more energy to burn than ever. When's the last time you had a fucking break?
SUMMER CAMP. THAT'S WHEN.
>>46667981
That looks awesome. Carnivorous plants should definitely be in the setting.
I like the idea of making them more big and over the top, like the picture you posted
>>46667993
Cicada parenting at its finest.
>Oh jeez the next generation's starting to come out, wat do?
>Fuck it, put them all in summer camp! Like hell I'm going to deal with that noise!
>>46668082
>Oh fuck now we're dead. Should've taught the children how to live instead of sending them to summer camp
>>46668082
>>46670125
Parents of the year. Every year.
>>46670570
Yup. It says so on their coffee mugs.
>>46671481
And then everyone wonders why there is a lot of cicadas that go with the cordyceps thing.
