Oxeomorph

## General

Oxeomorphs are divergent predators with a hive hierarchy.

## Info

"Surprisingly enough, for lands as bare as the wastelands beyond Hallownest, there are actually plenty of unique lifeforms out there that we had no idea existed. Such as the Oxeomorphs - a highly divergent species with different types that live in unison in a hive-like system."

"The most likely Oxeomorphs to encounter out in the wastelands are the Oxeomorph Sentry (1), Oxeomorph Scout and the Oxeomorph Walker (2)."

"I'll be clear, there are many, many Oxeomorph Sentries roaming around. They might be some of the least powerful Oxeomorphs out there, but their numbers are overwhelming. And despite being the least powerful, they definitely aren't unprotected in the slightest. All Oxeomorphs have a chemical in their blood that causes a chemical reaction when it comes in contact with air and blah, blah, blah, they essentially have acid for blood. And the sentries have evolved to be able to spit their own blood out as a ranged attack that can actually do quite significant damage. Also their blood smells like hell because of those chemicals.."

"Oxeomorph Walkers are probably the least aggressive Oxeomorphs of all, while also being the biggest. These titans roam across the wildlands on their six lands, using their sticky glowing tendrils to lure prey, catch it and transport it back to the 'hive' for the rest of the Oxeomorphs to feast on. Food is scarce in the wastelands, and having such creatures is what allows the Oxeomorphs to survive, don't underestimate them because they don't attack you on sight, without them there'd probably be far, far less Oxeomorphs out there..."

"Oxeomorph Scouts aren't just a menace, they are a flying menace. Scouts have developed wings and excellent vision to search for prey from above. They are one of the smaller and lighter Oxeomorphs, though, so they shouldn't be much of an issue. Although, despite their small size, they can carry surprisingly heavy things and they usually fly around in flocks of at least a few dozens specimen so good luck with those."

"Oxeomorph Whiptails are a very... peculiar type. They are small, stealthy animals with their tails being almost twice the length of their bodies and ending with a blade-like structure. They mainly carry different things around the ‘hive’ with their strong tails if its needed and don’t server much of a threat. In fact, due to how long their tails are, it’s actually quite easy to get rid of them by just… cutting their tails off. Watch out for the acid blood though!"

"Oxeomorph Crushers (4) aren't the most dangerous Oxeomorphs. In fact, while they have huge, strong, durable mandibles that can carve into the hard rock of the caves where the Oxeomorphs reside, durable chitinous armour, strong front arms and a thagomizer at the ends of their tails, you'll probably never see them unless you somehow end up in the lair of the Oxeomorphs. Oxeomorph Crushers are pretty much just… workers. They spend most of their lives in the ‘hive’, carving out new tunnels and protecting it from outsiders. You better not mess with them, their jaws can most likely snap you in half."

"Oxeomorph Reapers (3) are the most deadly type of Oxeomorphs. Intelligent, agile, strong… they are the most powerful Oxeomorphs without a doubt, elite soldiers of the species. They have four forward-facing eyes for better vision, highly-developed arms with opposing ‘thumbs’ to grab objects, strong legs that allow them to run at surprising speeds for their size… they even have gills! Or, at least, I think those are gills... if they are, then supposedly they can even breathe underwater which is just crazy..."

"There needs to be one Oxeomorph to control the thousands of oxeomorphs in the ‘hive’. That Oxeomorph is the Oxeomorph Empress (5). It looks like a giant amalgamation of all other Oxeomorph types and most of the time stays hidden in the depths of the ‘hive’. The empress has unusual telepathic powers and her mind is connected to all other Oxeomorphs in the ‘hive’. It can remotely command her subordinates to do whatever it desires. Despite it being called an empress, it doesn’t seem actually have a defined gender."

"Whenever one empress dies, the dominant Oxeomorph Reaper in the ‘hive’ begins the metamorphosis to become the new empress, the process can take a long time and while the new Oxeomorph empress is being born, the majority of the ‘hive’ goes into hibernation and reawakens as soon as the transformation of the reaper is completed, which usually takes from two to six months."

"Oxeomorph Rammers are the Empress’ own bodyguards. Their remarkable size, thick chitinous armour covering their entire bodies and their fierce forever lasting loyalty to the empress make them a dangerous foe to cross the wrong way. They are ready to give their lives to protect the head of the ‘hive’ and they are the last line of defence it has. Oxeomorph rammers never leave the ‘hive' and protect the Empress for as long as they live."

"Oxeomorph Birthgivers are probably the single most important type of Oxeomorphs. As you can guess by their names, they give birth to every Oxeomorph in the ‘hive’. Birthgivers are very immobile and spend most of their lives in the special tunnels dug by the crushers which I call ‘birthchambers’. The Birthgivers sit in the ‘birthchambers’, being fed and cared for by the other bugs in the ‘hive’. Throughout their lives, the Birthgivers lay eggs in their own bodies and when the time is right, the newborn Oxeomorphs burst out of their mother’s body and eat her corpse. Gross, but that’s the way it is, I guess…"

"There are still many mysteries surrounding the oxeomorphs like, are there any other types of Oxeomorphs? I wish I could keep doing my research but I’m afraid it’s not quite safe... perhaps I could wait for the ‘hive’ to go into hibernation and look around the caverns undisturbed by the vicious predators lurking around..."

*-Vecto, in his journal.*

## Abilities

Shooting their acidic blood, communing telepathically with their Empress.