¶ Myrmex Swarm
Difficulty: Hard
Duties: Expand the nest; destroy load-bearing rock; weaken and break the Barrier
Features: Development through feeding; underground tunnels; collective behavior
Myrmexes are an organized subterranean swarm of insectoid creatures summoned by the Goddess Terra. Their expansion undermines the island's soil, roots, and magical structures, while their ultimate goal is the complete collapse of the island's protective mechanism—the Barrier.
¶ Myrmex Swarm
Myrmexes advance toward the surface not in a single rush but through a network of tunnels: the swarm gnaws through soft layers of soil one layer at a time, cuts through root systems, splits rock, and breaks the magical veins permeating the island, all to envelop everything in its networks and create absolute chaos.
That is why their presence can be felt above ground even when no one has yet seen the creatures themselves: the earth begins to hollow out from within.
¶ How Underground Passages Affect the Surface
Underground, Myrmexes dig tunnels gradually. Where they pass too close to the surface, distinctive consequences appear:
- Localized collapses and sinkholes — the ground subsides, forming pits on paths, at the foot of cliffs, and near buildings;
- Broad slab subsidence — entire "chunks" of ground shift, creating uneven surfaces, tilts, and cracks;
Myrmexes do not negotiate or seek alliances—the swarm exists only to expand, destroy, and break through to the surface.
¶ Origin
The swarm begins with the Queen. She establishes the first nest and lays eggs from which larvae hatch.
They have no fixed form—their development depends on exactly what they are fed. Through nutrition, the colony shapes future individuals for its current needs: reconnaissance, assault, siege, or support.
¶ Feeding the Swarm
The swarm cannot live on bare stone. The Myrmex diet is as varied as underground circumstances allow. They "cook" with absolutely everything they encounter and can process.
Main food sources:
- Mycelia and underground mosses — gathered in deep, damp cavities and often cultivated directly on tunnel walls;
- Sap (resin) — extracted by the swarm from damaged roots and resin;
- Amber — mined as a mineral: ancient resin fossilized in the earth;
- Rootlets and root-system fibers — gathered as the swarm advances;
- Carrion and the remains of prey — anything that can be dragged into the burrows becomes raw material for a nutritious mass.
From what it gathers, the swarm prepares special stews. These determine which form the larvae will develop into.
¶ Swarm Development and Structure
Larval development is directly tied to diet: the swarm calibrates future individuals through nutrition. The Queen, however, remains the swarm's original and central figure and is not the result of such evolution.
Myrmacrid — a stealthy reconnaissance form that finds a path where the others would reach a dead end.
- Formed from: mushroom stew
- Specialization: reconnaissance; locating weak points; stealthy advancement; marking routes for the swarm.
Myrmedont — a fast-moving assault form intended for direct confrontation and clearing threats.
- Formed from: sap stew
- Specialization: assault force; eliminating threats; guarding passages; disrupting defenses along narrow approaches.
Myrmalisk — a heavy siege form that breaks what should not be breakable.
- Formed from: amber stew
- Specialization: destroying fortifications; driving tunnels; breaking through stone and load-bearing rock.
Myrmeling — a support form that keeps the swarm alive while the others break a path upward.
- Formed from: rootlet stew
- Specialization: supporting and healing other individuals; tending the brood; building resin fortifications.
Queen — the source of the swarm and its center of gravity. As long as she lives, the colony grows and adapts.
- Formed from: not formed from stew (the original individual)
- Specialization: reproduction; swarm control; choosing directions of expansion; keeping the colony in a single rhythm.
The Queen cannot be recreated in any way. If she dies, the entire swarm will be severely weakened.
¶ Development Information
Quick reference
Completing development requires consuming four servings of one dish, with a delay of 180 seconds between servings.
¶ General Attribute Changes
Mushroom stew 
- Damage taken increases;
- Stamina consumption decreases significantly;
- Damage dealt decreases slightly.
Sap stew 
- Damage taken gradually increases;
- Stamina consumption decreases;
- Damage dealt increases more noticeably than with the other options.
Amber stew 
- Damage taken gradually decreases;
- Stamina consumption decreases;
- Damage dealt rises steadily.
Rootlet stew 
- Attributes do not change.
¶ Behavioral Traits
Myrmexes are interested neither in politics nor in the division of the island's resources, which the island's factions find appealing. Their behavior is rooted in their natural and divine origin and is closer to a natural disaster: purposeful, but not diplomatic.
- Swarm activity is determined by the Queen's condition. While the Queen is alive and protected, the colony acts cohesively: new tunnels appear, the brood grows, and the needed castes take shape. Any threat to the Queen makes the swarm nervous and more aggressive.
- The development of forms depends on what the larvae are fed. Myrmexes are not born identical—the swarm always raises the individuals needed for the situation.
- The colony expands regardless of resistance. The swarm can easily bypass any obstacle with a network of passages or undermine the obstacle itself, turning the defense into a problem for those defending it.
- Every obstacle is treated as a target for destruction. Walls, supports, barricades, and natural partitions are not boundaries in the swarm's logic, but material that must be ground away to proceed.
- Activity on the surface accelerates the advance underground. The more noise, blood, and movement there is above, the easier it is for the swarm: vibrations and traces of life help it find the right directions, while the remains of prey and carrion become an additional resource.
Myrmexes do not interact with surface dwellers in a social sense: the swarm advances directly and destroys every obstacle in its path.
¶ Tips and Countermeasures
¶ Weaknesses of the Swarm
- Dependence on the Queen. Without her, the swarm loses its source of growth and control over the brood.
- Reliance on tunnels and stealth. In open terrain, Myrmexes are more often forced to act directly and lose the advantage of surprise.
- The cost of specialization. Some development paths provide notable bonuses but make individuals more vulnerable or more costly for the colony.
¶ What the Island's Residents Can Do
- Treat subsidence as a warning, not an inconvenience. A hole in the ground is not merely a road defect; it may indicate a void beneath your feet.
- Maintain communication between factions. Myrmexes are not a threat to just one village or one port: their expansion affects everyone.
¶ Conclusion
Myrmexes are not merely another threat from the depths. They are a swarm that grows because the island lives—from roots, resin, stone, and flesh. It does not bargain, retreat in fear, or seek compromise.
As long as the Queen lives underground and there is food for the brood, the Myrmexes will seek a path upward—and, with it, a way to weaken and bring down the Barrier.