[✓] [Creature] Dunesand Antlions

[Sorcerio 4606]

 

Dunesand Antlions

Native to many lands in both Aos and Eos, this creature makes it home deep within the dry dunes of desert continents, gobbling up weary and unsuspecting desert travellers who do not mind where they step. These creatures will burrow deep below the sand, using their deadly and crafty acid to carve out long labyrinths beneath the dunes, having sinkholes holes from which it may pull its prey down from above the dunes with both terrifying speed and accuracy. 

 

Behavior

These creatures are rather aggressive in general, though particularly when they are provoked. They are carnivorous, often devouring animals and descendants alike who travel above or below its caverns, though strangely these beasts tend to have a strange attraction to Bulbous Desert Garlic whenever they can reach it. It also often enjoys basking in the sun and will retreat back to its caves beneath the dunes during the nighttime when it becomes cold. 

 

Antlions are asexual, tending to lay up to five eggs in a single lifetime, though it’s not unheard of for particularly large antlions to lay around ten or even fifteen eggs throughout their life. The creature will defend its eggs up to the point of death, fighting furiously to ensure their safety from poachers or other individuals who enter their labyrinth. Despite the steadfast protection of their young, once the eggs hatch, the antlion parent will quickly consume them, often leaving only one or two of the young to escape and reproduce on their own at around the age of ten years at the earliest.

 

Physiology 

Dunesand Antlions appear as large hexapods which can grow to a terrifying size, the smallest of which are around the size of a pony at least, though elephant-sized antlions have also been recorded, tending to take shades of beige, dark brown, pale or dark brown, or even orange in some circumstances. These antlions are also equipped with large and powerful mandibles which span about a third of the creatures total size, capable of crushing a fully-armored individual with relative ease, as well as the capability to spew a special acid from its mouth which can quickly melt away sand and thin layers of metal, before coming to solidify much like a powerful glue.  This acid is often what it uses to carve out its elaborate dens. 

 

The shell of these antlions may be as durable as steel, yet still rather lightweight, making it a prized possession amidst monster hunting guilds as it may be used to forge armor which may be both taught and allow significantly easier movement. These creatures tend to reach sexual maturity around ten years of age, typically ceasing to grow around that age. Despite their quick growth, antlions can live incredibly long lifespans, the oldest recorded having lived around one-hundred and seventy years, the number of years determined by the dark stripes upon the antlion’s legs, each ring symbolizing half a decade. They prefer warmer environments underneath the sand and in desert dunes, granting them a distinct weakness to cold, water, and frost. 

 

Redlines:

- These creatures are playable by ET for event purposes. They may be played by regular players for DIY event purposes only and cannot be used as some sort of tamed combat pet for any player-character. 

- Only an ET endorsed event may be used to acquire the steel-plate exoskeleton or other valuable items from the antlion.

- Dunesand Antlions cannot be tamed by players. Feeding them Bulbous Desert Garlic may distract them from consuming descendants, but only for a brief amount of time before it resumes its pursuit.

- Antlions cannot swim and will oftentimes drown in water. This weakness can be exploited to fill their labyrinths with water in order to draw them out of their home.

- Terrifyingly fast, though certainly not lightning speed. When submerged in desert-like terrain, they would definitely be able to catch up to a running descendant. 

 

 

Spoiler

Credit to @Zacho for their Desert Garlic Lore. Mmmm garlic.

 

 

[Archipelego 2096]

i love it when u write lore, kissy kissy

+1

[Sorcerio 4606]

Just now, Archipelego said:

i love it when u write lore, kissy kissy

 

 

😳

[Sapientae 4]

Amazing as always Sorc. Can’t wait to tumble with one! +1

[Xx_BloodStalk_xX 2173]

haha nice

[Gamma 591]

Thanks pund

[SimplySeo 5568]

whats it taste like.

[Sorcerio 4606]

5 minutes ago, DixieDemolisher said:

whats it taste like.

Lobster. 

[Zacho 1774]

4 hours ago, Sorcerio said:

Feeding them Bulbous Desert Garlic may distract them from consuming descendants, but only for a brief amount of time before it resumes its pursuit.

THE BIG GARLIC RISES

[ronin_champloo 5951]

O_O

[_Sug 2574]

Not sure how you pump out quality lore like this, be it creativity or crack. Stellar job as usual +1

[Sorcerio 4606]

1 hour ago, _Sug said:

Not sure how you pump out quality lore like this, be it creativity or crack. Stellar job as usual +1

Thats something I need to figure out fast...

[squakhawk 8452]

This Lore has been accepted. Moved to Implemented Lore, it will be sorted to it's appropriate category soon. Please note that if this is playable lore, such as a magic or CA, you will need to write a guide for this piece. You will be contacted regarding the guide (or implementation if it isn’t needed) shortly.