Giant ants, also called zuka ants in Kukalatu language of the Malatran Plateau, were a type of ant, but much bigger. There were several types, workers, warriors, soldiers, drones, and the queen.[3][7]
Abilities[]
Much like regular ants, giant ants communicated through the use of complex pheromones. These pheromones were also highly acidic and were known to be used offensively by giant ants.[3]
History[]
In the 883 DR, chaotic magic emanating from Hellgate Keep drove a colony of giant ants to burrow beneath the Grandfather Tree and the Halls of Mists.[8] By 1370 DR this colony was still known to be inhabiting the Hall of Mists, having created an extensive network of tunnels.[9]
Ecology[]
Giant ants lived together in hives consisting of hundreds of members, most of whom were of the worker variety.[3] Workers maintained the nest, while warriors fended off intruders.[7] Warriors also acted as explorers and guardians of workers and went traveling beyond the confines of their nests. By contrast, giant ant soldiers almost always remained within their nest, unless ordered by their queen.[3]
Their social organization was said to rival that of most humanoids.[3]
Habitats[]
A group of giant ants swarming a boot.
Giant ants were known to live in the Bandit Wastes of Lapaliiya in southwest Faerûn. They dug a warren of tunnels beneath the barrens.[10][11] In north Faerûn, they could be found in the heavy forests of Cormanthor.[12]
A colony of ants inhabited the Hall of Mists in High Forest. Due to long-term exposure to the magic within the hall their physiology was altered, granting them regenerative and phasing abilities comparable to a phase spider.[13]
Beyond Faerûn, giant ants could be found in parts of Kara-Tur.[14] In the Zakhara region's Crowded Sea, giant ants could be found on the island chain of Nada al-Hazan[15] and the archipelago of Jazayir al-Sartan.[16]
Beyond the Prime Material plane, giant ants could be found in the Elemental Plane of Earth[17] and in the Beastlands.[18]
Relationships[]
They often competed with ankhegs for territory. If they ever killed or drove away the adults of an ankheg nest, the broodlings left behind would be made to serve the giant ant colony.[19]
Though difficult to tame and separate from their hive, some people were known to use giant ant workers as pack animals and soldier ants as fearless combat mounts. Queen pheromone admixture, a potion developed by alchemists, would help ease the process of capturing and taming a giant ant by making the drinker smell like a queen.[20]
Appendix[]
| This article is incomplete. You can help the Forgotten Realms Wiki by providing more information. |
Notes[]
- ↑ The 2nd edition alignment given in the original source is "Nil", which should be read as Neutral according to this Sage Advice answer by Skip Williams in Dragon Magazine Issue #155: "The nil alignment rating is a holdover from an early draft of the Monstrous Compendium material. Originally, a rating of nil indicated that a creature was not intelligent enough to have an alignment at all. However, the nil rating was dropped during rewriting and should have been replaced with the neutral alignment."
Appearances[]
Adventures
Novels & Short Stories
Video Games
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
References[]
- ↑ Steve Null (July 1997). Sharp Teeth, Mostly Tasty (PDF). Living Jungle (RPGA), p. 5.
- ↑ Logan Bonner, Eytan Bernstein, & Chris Sims (September 2008). Adventurer's Vault: Arms and Equipment for All Character Classes. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 12. ISBN 978-07869-4978-6.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Rob Heinsoo, Stephen Schubert (May 19, 2009). Monster Manual 2 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 12–13. ISBN 0786995101.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet and Monte Cook (October 2000). Monster Manual 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 284. ISBN 0-7869-1552-1.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 David "Zeb" Cook, et al. (1989). Monstrous Compendium Volume Two. (TSR, Inc), p. 17. ISBN 0-8803-8753-X.
- ↑ Skip Williams (March 1990). “Sage Advice”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #155 (TSR, Inc.), p. 86.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 7. ISBN 0-935696-00-8.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd, Darrin Drader (July 2004). Serpent Kingdoms. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 96–97. ISBN 0-7869-3277-5.
- ↑ slade, et al. (April 1996). “The Wilderness”. In James Butler ed. The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier (TSR, Inc.), pp. 54–55. ISBN 0-7869-0391-0.
- ↑ Thomas Reid (October 2004). Shining South. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 126. ISBN 0-7869-3492-1.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Eric L. Boyd, Darrin Drader (July 2004). Serpent Kingdoms. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 99. ISBN 0-7869-3277-5.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (March 1993). “Campaign Guide to Myth Drannor”. In Newton H. Ewell ed. The Ruins of Myth Drannor (TSR, Inc.), p. 10. ISBN 1-5607-6569-0.
- ↑ Jennell Jaquays (1988). The Savage Frontier. (TSR, Inc), pp. 54, 63. ISBN 0-88038-593-6.
- ↑ Gary Gygax, David Cook, and François Marcela-Froideval (1985). Oriental Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 115. ISBN 0-8803-8099-3.
- ↑ David Cook (October 1992). “Nada al-Hazan”. In Bill Slavicsek ed. Golden Voyages (TSR, Inc.), p. 2. ISBN 978-1560763314.
- ↑ David Cook (October 1992). “Al-Sartan”. In Bill Slavicsek ed. Golden Voyages (TSR, Inc.), p. 2. ISBN 978-1560763314.
- ↑ Monte Cook and William W. Connors (December 7, 1998). The Inner Planes. Edited by Michele Carter and Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 34. ISBN 0-7869-0736-3.
- ↑ Dale Donovan (December 1995). “Liber Benevolentiae”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Conflict (TSR, Inc.), p. 8. ISBN 0-7869-0309-0.
- ↑ Rob Heinsoo, Stephen Schubert (May 19, 2009). Monster Manual 2 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 11. ISBN 0786995101.
- ↑ Eric Cagle, Jesse Decker, Jeff Quick, and James Wyatt (March 2003). Arms and Equipment Guide 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 90. ISBN 978-0-7869-2649-7.