Kwama ( Morrowind ) The kwama are a group of insect - like creatures in the game . They are a hive organism with a strict hierarchy and are a crucial part of economics in the region of Morrowind . Impacts on economy . Kwama work in an underground colony similar to ant hives . These colonies are called egg mines , due to their size and structure : egg mines are consistently large enough to allow entrance of miners , and some egg mines are obviously man - made or man - maintained due to supports that have been erected . Egg mines are typically labyrinthine and can have several separate chambers depending on their size and importance . There are kwama egg mines scattered throughout Vvardenfell , including some that would appear to be populated by wild kwama or kwama that have reverted to such a state . In these " wild " mines , all kwama , including the normally docile workers , will attack anyone who enters , and occasionally the dead bodies of kwama miners will be found . These mines may be identified by a red haze that pervades through the mine , possibly a sign of the ashblight . Care should be taken by beginning players who enter these mines , as the kwama warriors may prove to be too much of a match for them . The ingredients collected from the kwama , including kwama eggs , kwama cuttle , scrib jelly and scrib jerky , are vital to the economy of Vvardenfell , making the egg mining industry extremely important . All great houses of Vvardenfell own several mines as a basic economic foothold , and many Vvardenfell citizens ' welfare revolves around the protection and care of kwama . This practice has gone on for long enough for a symbiotic relationship to form between the miners and the kwama . Kwama foragers and warriors , normally aggressive , will not attack miners , knowing through scent that the miners are not a threat . Killing a kwama queen will kill the entire mine and thus doing so jeopardizes the economy of Vvardenfell . This action is thus heavily looked - down upon but is nevertheless legal , some in - game missions include killing egg mines owned by rivals in business . Despite this , most inhabitants of Vvardenfell recognize the importance of every egg mine , and so several other missions , including one given by the Imperial Legion , involve saving the egg mines , usually in the form of curing the queen of the blight and in so doing rendering the mine usable . Due to the importance of egg mines , towns tend to spring up near them , much as they do in real - life mining towns . Gnisis is an example of one such town , as its entire economy and well - being depend on the mine in town . Hierarchy . The kwama family consists of scribs , kwama foragers , kwama workers , kwama warriors and kwama queens . The queens are at the top tier , as is expected , however they are bloated and unable to move , and so are tended by workers and defended by warriors . Foragers search for sources of food and possible locations of new mines , and scrib , as larva , grow into other types of kwama and can defend the mine in minuscule ways if absolutely necessary . Scrib . Scribs are the late larval stage of the kwama . They resemble large whitish bugs with eight jointed legs . Scribs are found throughout Vvardenfell , but unlike kwama foragers and most other creatures , they will not attack . They are quite possibly the weakest creatures in the game , with the exception of kwama queens who are unable to defend themselves at all , and so are useful for beginning players to use to improve their skills . Scrib jelly can be found on dead scribs and may be used in alchemy to create potions that cure blight diseases . Scrib jerky , which is made by drying a sliced scrib , restores fatigue , but players can only find it in containers and shops , not on scribs themselves . Both ingredients are a staple of Vvardenfell cuisine , making Kwama mines all the more valuable . Miners in egg mines discourage players from killing scribs , in part because of the resources that can be gained from them , but also due to the fact that they are larval and can become any other type of kwama . Kwama forager . Kwama foragers are the scouts of kwama egg mines . They can be found in many areas of Vvardenfell , including the Bitter Coast , the Grazelands , Ascadian Isles , the ashlands , and some parts of Azura ' s Coast and Sheogorad , as well as inside any egg mines players may come across . Their function is essentially to scout out locations for the hive ; finding possible locations for new mines , food , water , enemies , and so forth . They are aggressive and will attack players on sight , but are also very weak and simple to dispatch . Kwama foragers will attack in close combat , ramming against players . Kwama foragers are the lowest tier of the kwama hierarchy , not counting scribs as they are a larval form and still growing . They are brownish tan , cone shaped and wormlike , with a round mouth and several small teeth . Kwama foragers move with a distinctive squishing sound that alerts players to their presence . Kwama foragers , along with kwama warriors , are the only types of kwama that will attack players on sight rather than only in self - defense , however they will not attack egg miners due to their scent . Kwama worker . Kwama Workers are the workhorses of kwama egg mines . Their place in the kwama hierarchy is to serve the kwama queen , care for the eggs , and produce food for the mine , although what kwamas eat is uncertain . Kwama workers are generally docile and will not attack passerby , but if attacked they will defend themselves . Kwama workers are situated roughly in the lower middle tier of the kwama hierarchy , directly above kwama foragers and below kwama warriors , both of which are hostile to intruders . Kwama workers are brown , striped with darker and lighter areas of the same color , and quadrupedal . In game , players may choose to attack Kwama workers for training or sport . This is discouraged by NPCs such as Kwama miners , as kwama workers are one of the more important members of an egg mine . Despite this , killing workers or damaging eggmines in any other way has no effect on in - game economy . Kwama warrior . Kwama Warriors are the defenders of kwama egg mines . They defend the passageways of the mine and attack intruders on sight . They are aggressive and highly dangerous to low level players , however most low level characters will not be asked to go to dangerous mines . Kwama warriors will cast lightning based spells on intruders from afar or may rush in and attack in close combat . Their place in kwama hierarchy is the upper middle - directly above kwama workers and below kwama queens . Kwama warriors resemble a bipedal , slightly larger kwama worker , with what appears to be a kwama forager in its mouth , however the mouth is upside down compared to the worker . Kwama warriors are most often seen in or near the queen ' s lair , protecting her from intruders , so in larger egg mines warriors may not be seen near the entrance , making the mine deceptive at times . Kwama queen . Kwama queens are the " leaders " of kwama egg mines , found in the deepest chambers of egg mines . These areas are often referred to as " queen ' s lairs . " The queens are bloated and unable to move to defend or even feed themselves , and so are protected by kwama warriors , and tended to mainly by kwama workers . A kwama queen is the most important part of an egg mine , as she is the only egg layer . If a queen is killed , the mine is effectively killed as well . This can devastate the Vvardenfell economy as egg mines are a prime source of income , food , and employment . Though there are many egg mines , shipment of kwama eggs to certain regions can take longer because they are being shipped from a farther source instead of the region ' s primary source . Shortages of kwama eggs are also likely in the event of the death of a kwama queen . If the queen contracts the ashblight , it can cause the entire mine to be shut down temporarily due to the higher probability of attacking kwama , as the ashblight will alter their thoughts , perception and knowledge . Another problem is that eggs from a blighted mine are inedible . The effects of this can be reversed by curing the queen , though it will most likely be a while before the mine could get back up on its feet . Kwama queens are at the top of kwama hierarchy , above kwama warriors . Kwama queens are quadrupedal , brown and have what looks like a kwama forager in its mouth , similar to a kwama warrior . As stated before , they are extremely large and bloated , with an off - white eggsack on the rear . Kwama queens are the single easiest creature to kill in Vvardenfell as they are incapable of defending themselves , but are often protected by dangerous kwama warriors .