Whopper

Cave sickles are a ubiquitous part of adventuring in Elenia. They seem to be waiting underneath every rock and around every corner. Occasionally, adventurers report coming across especially large specimens. For a long time, these big, aggressive cave sickles were thought to be a whole different species.

It is now speculated, however, that there are different types of cave sickles that serve their hives in different ways. Ordinary cave sickles are the most commonly seen, and are thought to be the scouts and workers. Deeper within their hives, larger varieties can be found. These are the warriors, tasked with protecting their hives from intrusion by humans and other threats. They are usually only encountered near a hive entrance.

Cave sickle warriors look quite different from their smaller counterparts, with a pair of grasping claws like those of a crab, and a much wider, rounder body. The warrior sickles use a special pheromone to signal scouts to rally to them. This means that an unwary adventurer may see their one-on-one battle become decidedly uneven as cave sickles swarm to defend the hive.

However, cave sickle warriors typically seem to only be interested in protecting their homes, and do not pursue intruders too far from the hives they live to protect. Novice adventurers are advised to flee if they find themselves set upon by cave sickle warriors, as they will usually give up the chase before too long.

Rarely, cases of massive packs of warriors roaming deep underground have been recorded. It’s thought that these packs of warriors may gather when a hive needs heavy lifters to clear out sections of earth to expand their home. Luckily, this is a rare occurrence as a massive group of cave sickle warriors would be problematic for any adventuring party.

Much like ants, cave sickle hives sometimes clash with each other over food and resources. In these cases, cave sickle warriors have been seen clashing in furious and astonishing battle. The display usually leaves any onlookers grateful that they are not involved.