Miran's Magnificient Monster Manual

[Togetak]

Magimals Catalogue

IV. Stinnox

The Stinnox is, perhaps, one of the most widely known Magimals in Esshar- and, perhaps, the world at large. This reputation is, unfortunately, one of infamy and legend more than understanding- and, frankly, it is difficult to disagree with the reputation of such dangerous creatures. 

Man-sized insectoids with deep ties to earth magic, and an incredibly hostile demeanour, the Stinnox is more than formidable on its own. The main reasons it is discussed in such hushed tones, however, involve the two more hidden dangers- their magically potent venom, and their vast numbers. 

These two dangers, however, are also what has damned the species in Esshar into near extinction.

Once native to the southern deserts of Esshar, skittering across the cave systems honeycombing that particularly inhospitable piece of land, gathering prey from the surface and communally feeding- in recent decades their numbers have plummeted to such dire straits that I have chosen not to reveal where I observed the specimens that allowed me to write this section, such is the danger that they may disappear completely.

For a brief geopolitical tangent, during the years of 1660-1663 AC there was a massive shortage of metallic ore within the city of Osorona. During this period, intrepid merchants and companies- starved of all traditional options- were forced to extend their reach further and further into the wilderness to find new ore veins and keep the supply chain going.

 While in some ways this was a boon for the naturalist arts- uncovering previously unknown species, and excavating new homes for those otherwise confined to dwindled habitats- the Stinnox of Esshar were an unfortunate casualty.

 Their alchemical value, on top of the vast amounts of ore within their desert tunnels, meant that a significant number of Magi were sent deep into their territory, hitting them with a twofold attack. At one end, their kind was slaughtered en mass for both alchemical use, and to simply access the resources of their home. On the other, more permanent intrusions into their territory began as their excavated homes became dedicated mining operations, pushing them deeper and deeper into the earth.

  While truly no one hand carries their blood more than another, I would be remiss to speak of their current state without mentioning the ‘Venator’ guild, a band of exotic hunters active during the mid 1660s who were, perhaps, responsible for the single largest act of Stinnox slaughter in recorded history.

  On a mining expedition, the guild managed to break their way directly into an entire nesting chamber of the creatures, exposing not only an entire nest to the man-made mining expedition and driving further conflict, but also directly killing a number of creatures. Worse still, the information I have gathered indicates that their actions directly led to the death of one of the few remaining Queen Stinnox of the desert.

 

Queen Stinnox  

At a glance, the Queen Stinnox simply appears to be a larger, more imposing, and lightly golden hued iteration of the standard Stinnox. While this is an oversimplification of the matter, it is close enough to the truth.

 

Unlike the Grubworm- a species I generally consider to be the antithesis of the Stinnox in most ways- a Stinnox Queen is the most powerful member of the nest, and their final line of defence. An undeniable master of the earthen element, likely in excess of many magi who self profess to be the same, her golden hue is actually a very rudimentary form of metal magic- perhaps the only example of such I have seen in nature. Her exterior carapace is an interlocking mesh of the Stinnox’s natural chitin and numerous heavy earth metals, held rigid and in place by the natural magical talents of the Queen, rather than by any biological mechanism.  

 

Surprisingly, this system also acts as a ‘grip’ perfectly tailored for the libs of Stinnox young, allowing the live-born infants to be ferried around by the most powerful individual in the nest- which is, presumably, the safest place for such fragile youth to be.

 

Dwelling deep into the nest, within the brooding chambers, the Queen is undeniably the warlord of the nest. She directs her underlings, defending their most vulnerable positions, and is given the reverence such a persona demands.

 

Perhaps most fascinating- and, rather fitting given the ‘warlord’ descriptor- is the Stinnox Queen’s involvement in the lifecycle of the Stinnox as a species.

 

While most would assume the Queen to be the breeder of the nest, responsible for the production of eggs, this is actually relegated solely to the lesser Stinnox, who beget themselves in the cycle of reproduction that is entirely a parthenogenetic affair. 

 

While the Queen does not personally mate with each and every individual amongst the lessers of her hive (at least, not through any mechanism I have yet uncovered) they cannot reproduce without her presence- perhaps due to a pheremonal system of fertility, instinctual understanding a Queenless nest is without structure or overriding will, or indeed perhaps there is simply some magical element to their birthing process that cannot begin without the involvement of the Queen. 

 

Whatever the manner in which she regulates the nest’s population, she is without a doubt the core of it. 

The keen minded readers amongst you may already be asking ‘Then what begets the Queen, if her lessers only beget one another?’ and I am afraid this is a question I do not yet fully understand the answer to.   

The Queen, like her lessers, does appear to possess the anatomy required for reproduction, but I have yet to see any such event occur. I theorize that, due to the incredibly low number of Stinnox within the Nest I managed to observe, the Queen has no incentive to birth others of her kind. 

  

Such powerful and demanding creatures likely could not exist in the same nest, so I would imagine as the population of one nest grows too large, or the Queen in control grows too old, she will birth a line of successors- young that will either claim the nest from their mother, or enact a shameful exodus to establish her own nest with whatever following she can assemble.

 

Whether the Queen I observed, far from her species’ ancestral home, was the result of one such exodus- or, far more grimly, simply reigns over the shattered remains of her nest, driven out into the few bastions left for her kind- I cannot truly know.   

Still, I can only deeply hope that such a magnificent creature is given time and space to truly return to their splendure- not so their kind can become a scourge amongst the civilized portions of the world, those that would do them harm for the machinations of coin and crown, but perhaps so we may learn from our mistakes and truly create a harmonious appreciation of these wonderful beasts.