Antzac

A large insectoid race originating from Neinbien, the **Antzac** live in large underground hives, sealing them off from the surface, and farming fungus and sap off the roots of Neinbien’s plant stalks. Antzac society is based around these hives, utilizing a tribal structure with Antzac queens serving as monarchs. Despite their reclusion, Antzacs are highly aggressive and fashion plant grown weaponry to defend their hives if needed. Their thick exoskeletons and enhanced sense due to their antennae aid them in this combat. Recently, heavy fighting on Neinbien unearthed the entrances of the hives, allowing Antzacs to journey aboveground for the first time in centuries, angry at the disturbers of their home.

## Biology and appearance

The Antzac take on the appearance of larger bipedal insects, with segmented limbs, large abdomens, mandibles, and occasionally wings. Antzacs, despite their appearance, are primarily herbivores, eating sap, fungus, and root from large plants, and developing their own sweet honey.

Antzac have two head antennae, used as sensors when in dark environments and to communicate with fellow Antzac. Antzacs have a large set of front mandibles; male Antzac have one larger set of pincers, designed for cutting, while female Antzac have one larger set, with a smaller in-between, designed for breaking down food. Antzacs have four eyes, one larger set for common use, and one smaller set for use when underground.

Antzac bodies are covered in segmented exoskeleton plates, made from chitin. Body plates are thicker and often overlap. The edges of the plates are covered in small, nearly discrete barbs, to prevent grabbing of extended plates.

There are large biological differences between male and female Antzac: Antzacs are a matriarchal specie, with only 1-in-25 being a male. Male Antzac serve a disposable purpose, only living around the Antzac matriarch. Most male Antzac are completely unable to consume food and die from starvation, instead using their mandibles to break down food for the matriarch.

Female Antzac are born into one of two sects. The more common sect is born without the capacity to lay eggs, have a set of wings, and a full abdomen. The rarer sect is born with the capacity to lay eggs, lack wings, and have a unique abdomen. Their abdomen is enlarged and is nearly see through; these Antzac have the ability to collect and ferment honey within their abdomen, with the honey building up over time from their diet and is collected at regular intervals.

## Society and culture

Antzacs organize into large hives, led by a matriarch. The matriarch is designated by massive inflation in size and the capacity to lay constant eggs. The matriarch originates from the honey sect of females; a few of the sect are born with capacity of being a matriarch, designated by enlarged abdomens and back plates. The matriarch, when actively laying eggs, her abdomen honey sack instead shelters eggs. Overtime as the matriarch ages, their abdomen and lower body grow, increasing their capacity of laying eggs. Antzac culture revolves around their matriarch, focusing on preserving their hive.

Males serve as direct attendants to the matriarch and her guard, breaking down food and ensuring the matriarch remains fertile. Males are rare and die early. Even rarer are those males with the capacity to consume food; those males are automatically granted a position within the matriarch guard. The rest of the females of the hive are separated into jobs, designated by their born sect. The non-fertile females with wings gain the roles as protectors and diggers. They primarily ensure the hive is kept safe and continually expands. The fertile females gain roles as farmers and feeders. They maintain the hives' agricultural centers, hatch and raise Antzac pupa, and empty their own honey sacks when full.

Females born with matriarchal traits in a hive with an active matriarch become the matriarch's guard. The guard is trained in combat and serve to protect the immobile matriarch with their lives. Once every few decades, or when a matriarch passes away, one of the guards is designated a new matriarch, either replacing the former matriarch or journeying away from the hive to form a new hive in a new location. Those that leave the hive are accompanied by small processions of Antzacs from all sects, to ensure their safety and success in building a hive.

Antzac hives are almost entirely underground, with mud dried structures built around the outside entrance used by gatherer Antzac. Hives are large, complex webs of passages and chambers, constantly expanding with the Antzac population. The largest chambers are the agricultural rooms, where farmer Antzac grow fungi and other adopted plants, and the matriarch's room, where the matriarch lives and lays eggs. When establishing new hives, Antzacs tend to choose secluded areas near elevated geography, to allow for easier future expansion. During times of conflict, these new hives become more cluttered and random, with matriarchs having to choose suboptimal locations.

While Antzacs rarely use any forms of modern technology, they show a prime prehension for adoption of technologies. Hives that have encountered ballistics before gain the ability to grow similarly designed weaponry, constructed entirely from underground resources. Hives, when encountering manmade locations, often completely absorb them, with Antzacs creating their own forms of the technology within. Despite this, most Antzac show no interest in sharing technology among separate hives, rather just on continuing their own hive.

## History

The Antzac were unknown until discovery by Tridorian colonists on pilgrimages from their homeworld. This initial encounter proved deadly and the Antzac were promptly regarded as a risk. The Antzac remained mostly uncontacted until the Secession War, during which intense fighting on the surface of Neinbein unearthed several large hive complexes. The Antzac reacted with extreme force, with multiple hives engaging Planetary Union ground forces and one hive even commandeering an SIAP bot production facility. Much of their activity reduced after fighting receded, though some hive networks expanded into the earthworks left from the fighting.