The Twin canals mirror each other so closely that astronomers of Earth have mistaken the doubling for an optical illusion. Where Thoth curves, Nepenthes follows. And midway between them, their little sibling: The Thin Desert, where verdure cannot reach. A pseudo-canal of dunes, hills, ruined palaces. Testament to the fleeting touch of life, determined by its absence. While the Canal water levels are lower for each generation, the desert grows fatter.
Unlike the Great Vacuum, there is life of sorts in the Thin Desert -- like the lurking Antlion. I reduced it to stats as "any suitably large insect" in the small dungeon in Remnants of the Restless Republic. That is probably more than enough, but here's a developed version:
The Thin Desert Antlion
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| Body by Ross, head by Doré. |
Bestiaries tell us that the antlion "has the fore parts of a lion and the hind parts of an ant". That is certainly true for the Red Planet variety. The lion head craves flesh and the ant body diverse herbs. Thus, what it devours cannot sustain it. The antlion is perpetually famished.
No. Appearing: 1 HD: 5 AC: As chain mail Morale: 9
Attacks: 1 Bite (1d10) then Drag below: Drags prey into the sand. Save or suffocate (1d6) every turn.
Move: As large cat, half while burrowing. Saves As: Fighter
Special: Surprises 4-in-6 from below. Alignment: Chaotic?
Treasure (in pit): 50% 3d100 gp, 25% 1d4 pieces of jewellery (2d100 each).
Suggested spoors: Waves in sand, coughed up carcass balls, a lions roaring in the distance.
The antlion’s lake: The antlion habitually loosens the earth around its pit, forming a quicksand lake that serves as a two-for-one trap and larder.
What is the antlion doing? (1d8)
1 Laying in wait in shallow pool of quicksand
2 Frantically eating a goat or lizard, purring and clicking
3 Roaring in raging hunger, greedily rubbing front legs
4 Impatiently drooling while struggling traveller is slowly drawn to bottom of quicksand lake
5 Sunbathing, too stuffed to move. Still very hungry.
6 Vomits undigested carcass ball. Whimpering.
7 Chased by goatherders with nets, torches and invectives
8 Cleaning its newly hatched (and inconsolably hungry) cubs
What are people (mostly goatherders) saying about antlions? (1d6)
1 Clever goatherders regularly stuff sacrificial goats full with nutritious salts and herbs, thus keeping local antlions alive but full, content and harmless.
2 More parsimonious goatherders throw poisoned meat into the antlion’s lake.
3 The pit in the centre of the sand lake is generally filled with bones. And sometimes the belongings of careless travellers.
4 Antlions can’t burrow through wet sand.
5 Somewhere in the depths there is an antlion queen, with the head of an ant and the body of a gargantuan lioness.
6 Naturalists suspect it is a moralist set piece from one of the Devout eras, intended to remind the populace of something.
