Homebrew Formica 2.0 Species Details

“The Formica are probably some of the most empathetic creatures we share this world with. Why is it, then, that they seem so alien to us?"

— Urdani Stonebreaker, Kingdoms Below the Mountain

 The Formica are an ant-like race that are able to communicate ideas and emotions through limited telepathy. Their culture and method of communication mean that, while they are extremely keen to the feelings of others, they live a life apart from most other groups of people.

Lithe and Insectile

Formica resemble large insects that stand upright on their hindmost legs. Their body structure is like that of an ant or bee, with a long waist and a triangular head. A pair of serrated mandibles cover their mouths, and their heads are crowed with a pair of elbowed antennae that are nearly as long as they are tall.

Formica eyes are large and multi-faceted. Their bodies are covered in a  shiny carapace that can be a wide range of browns and grays. Individuals tend to be a solid color, but there are instances of different segments of the body having slightly different hues. 

Close-Knit Colonies

Formica live a life separated from the other races of the world. They stick to their own kind, forming close-knit, cut off colonies structured around a ruling queen. These colonies consist of a series of underground tunnels which form a complex network. The Formica will only expand their tunnels when it is necessary to acquire more resources or space to support their numbers, but they do so with little regard for the territory of their neighbors. This has led to other subterranean cultures, such as dwarvan kingdoms, viewing them as pests.

The Formica also possess a unique means of communication which serves to both unify them as a people while alienating them from other races. They possess latent psychic abilities which allow them to project their thoughts using their antennae like the antennae of a radio. For most species, these psychic signals are too weak to detect from a distance, but two Formica are able to communicate remotely from up to 100 feet away. To "speak" to a member of another species, a Formica must directly place their antenna on the receiver's person in order to directly transmit the signal. Formica have their own "language" but it is hard to translate or even parse for other species due to the fact that it is comprised more of shared emotions and imagery than actual written words. Due to this, a Formica attempting to communicate with any non-Formica person will simply transmit words in common, or whatever other language they are familiar with.

Formican Outsiders

A Formica without a colony is a rare sight, but not unheard of. Lone wanderers are sometimes the result of a colony which has been destroyed. The trauma of such an event tends to make these individuals more aggressive and temperamental than others of its kind. In other cases, Formica travelling alone or in small groups may be fulfilling a mission for their colony abroad, such as retrieving a material or pursuing diplomacy. When such operations are conducted outside of a colony, the Formica undertaking them are weened off of the colony's shared thought systems beforehand so being without them won't be such a shock.

The Queen Ascendant

“There's a sort of cruel irony in the fact that their queens develop wings. In some sense, it's a sign of power, of divinity in a mortal form. But the life of a queen is that of a bird in a gilded cage; she could fly if only she could leave the colony, but the price for her intense devotion is that she will never see the sky past childhood."

— Shadow in Starlight, The Organic Machine

 

Many assume, due to both their physical and social resemblance to ants and other colonizing insects, that Formica queens operate as a broodmother for the colony. However, a more apt descriptor for her would be a radio tower or focal point for her people. Rather than producing offspring (which she is actually unable to do, as the intense transformations she undergoes upon taking the crown render her infertile), she boosts the psychic abilities of the colony, allowing individuals to communicate en masse and at much greater distances. This creates a sort of shared thinking space that allows the Formica to work together efficiently and with little conflict. It is not a true hivemind in that individuals maintain their own thoughts and it is possible to "tune out" the minds of the rest of the hive to an extent, but the effect does create a constant underlying of emotion and shared sense of will that keeps the colony together.

A queen's lifespan is significantly longer than an average Formica, with the average being around 250 years. When a queen begins to die, it is felt throughout the shared neural network of the colony, and a new queen emerges from the ranks to gradually take over the responsibilities of her predecessor. The criteria by which a queen is selected is still a topic of study, as the young female who ends up receiving the mantle is random and not always by her own choice.  Either way, the Formica who begins to develop into a queen, at this point called a princess, goes through several physical changes. In addition to her own psychic powers being bolstered so that she may act as the colony's amplifier, she grows to about ten times the size of a normal Formica, with a noticeably longer neck and legs. She also gains additional sets of antennae as well as a pair of membranous wings.

Death of a Monarch

Generally speaking, the process of one queen succeeding the next is gradual enough that it does not cause any upset in the colony. However, in the rare case where a queen is suddenly removed, usually by being killed in an unnatural way, and she does not have a well-enough developed successor, it can mean disaster for the colony. Without a uniting force, communication systems within the colony fall apart, and they are susceptible to both external attacks and infighting. What's more, Formica who are left alone or in small numbers tend to develop depression or other psychosis as a result of being suddenly cut of from the constant flow of thought and emotion they are used to. 

Formica Names

Due to their lack of a proper spoken language, Formica are not given names at birth in the same capacity as other races. However, most adults tend to choose something for non-Formica acquaintances to call them by. These nicknames tend to be chosen from elements of their surroundings, and due to the subterranean nature of most Formica, this means that names relating to types of stone and gem are very common.

Formica Names: Basalt, Ruby, Gneiss, Chalk, Cobalt, Lode, Slate, Pyrite, Chalcedony

Formica 2.0 Traits

Formica are steadfast, sturdy workers that use their latent psychic powers to communicate their thoughts and emotions.

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength score increases by 1, and your Wisdom score increases by 2.

Age

Formica reach maturity at age 15, and their average lifespan is 50 years.

Alignment

Formica tend to stick to their own, and value protection of their communities above all else. As such, they tend to be neutrally aligned, at least in relation to the other races.

Size

Formica have a lithe build, but their average height is around the same as a human. Your size is medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a climbing speed of 30 feet.

Hive Mind

Among members of their own kind and outside of the influence of a hive, messages can be relayed psychically up to 100 feet, but they must physically touch members of other races with their antennae to speak to them. Additionally, they can choose to give both themselves and a creature they touch resistance against being charmed for as long as they are in physical contact.

Hexapodal

You have four arms with which to manipulate objects. Though this does not afford you any additional attacks or actions during combat, you will be able to maintain a grapple or hold onto something while still keeping two hands free.

Languages

You can understand common. Languages you know can be used to transmit messages to creatures you are in contact with.

Sublimation

You can convey and receive simple emotions and impulses through touch. At 3rd level, you can cast Calm Emotions once per day, so long as you are in physical contact with your target(s). Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell.