Your HIVE finds a familiar leapspring on the side of the path, weak and starving. He is a local hiveless bug who sometimes trades with your hive. If you share some food with him he tells his tale.



Having spent the summer playing his music, as most leapsprings do, he did not notice his food stores were low approaching the cold season. He happened across a group of strongbacks carrying copious amounts of food.

The leapspring flagged them down and politely asked for a bite to keep him going. Instead of offering food, or even polity declining to share their haul, the strongbacks grew cruel and surrounded the leapspring. They mocked him for his laziness and attacked him, stealing what little food he had left. They told the leapspring that all food in this area belongs to their queen and he had better leave if he didn’t want to become food himself.

Do you attack the strongback and take back the stolen food and some extra for the leapsprings trouble? Do you attack the strongbacks and keep the food for yourself? Do you investigate this Queen of Bullies?

If you find the strongbacks they could lead you to their Queen. But no Queens you know of could order such cruelty as these strongbacks seem to possess. Is this Queen the usurper you’ve heard rumors about? Is there a True Queen left after the Queensfall?

Strongback Brute

Cruel and uncaring, these strongbacks care only for gathering resources for their new Queen.

Difficulty: [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]

Reaction table:

1-2: The strongback attacks, roll on the retaliation table.

3-4: The strongback is cautious. Observes you.

5-6: The strongback ignore you, focused on their work. Free attack without retaliation.

Retaliation table:

1 Strongback attacks back, attacking bug loses a limb.

2. Strongback throws a rock at the attacking bug, close or nearby range.

3. Strongback pins you. You cannot move or act next turn other than trying to escape. Escape on a roll of 5 or 6.

4. Strongback knocks you back to nearby range.

5. Strongback punches you in the thorax, winding you. Lose next turn.

6. Strongback is dazed, does nothing.

Interrogation or conversation leads to the Strongbacks telling you of their Hive. They may even lead you there, though you might not be too welcome if the information was coerced. Their Hive entrance is found underneath an old leafless tree and winds down a bit. Depending on you welcome you will be lead to the throne room. Along the way you notice the Hive consists of mostly Strongback and many larger than most.

At the back of the throne room sits a large strongback being attended to by smaller bugs, fussing here and there. There are no eggs in the room and the Queen does not smell right? Bugs with heightened senses may even say she is a false Queen.

The Queen will speak to or interrogate your Hive. If talks go well you may end up with some extra food for your journey. If they do not go well or if you confront her as a false Queen she will trigger the floor to give way!

As you and your fellow bugs drop to the cavity below the strongbacks above you scramble to form a dome over the opening. Something doesn’t smell right! You notice a rat in the corner, perched upon a nest of animal bones and bug chitin. It seems like you have a fight on your hands.

Rat

Usually content to feast off the refuse of a forgotten society, Rats find bugs a tasty treat.

Difficulty: [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ][ ]

Reaction table:

1-2: Whips its tail, nearby bugs lose their next action.

3-4: Loudly hisses, disorienting all bugs. -1 die to their next roll.

5-6: Rat is curious and only observes.

Retaliation table:

1. Rat turns and kicks attacking bug, sending them out of nearby range

2. Bites attacking bug. Lose one Body.

3. Whips its tail, nearby bugs lose their next action.

4. Loudly hisses, disorienting all bugs. -1 die to their next roll.

5. Bites attacking bug. Lose one Body.

6. Hip checks all nearby bugs, sending them out of nearby range.

7. Bites attacking bug. Lose one Body.

8. Kicks dirt and dust at nearby bugs, disorienting them. -1 die to their next roll.

9. Loudly hisses, disorienting all bugs. -1 die to their next roll.

10. Rat rolls over, crushing nearby bugs. They each lose a body part of their choice.

11. Swipes a claw at attacking bug. Lose one Body.

12. Rat pins down attacking bug. Roll 1d6. On a success the bug is freed. Otherwise lose a body part.

Rage threshold:

2: Whips its tail, nearby bugs lose their next action.

4: Lashes out, roll twice on the Retaliation table.

5. The Rat gets more aggressive. Switch to 2d6 for retaliation tables.

7. Rat snaps at a random nearby bug, it loses a body part.

10. The Rat is defeated.

After the rat is defeated the bugs of the enemy Hive are cowed and lets you out of the hole. You may confront the Queen one final time. Desperate to maintain her Queendom she will try to secure your discretion about what you have found here or even join her as her champions. She may even be convinced or bullied into sharing her last stores of Royal Jelly.