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Primal Legion — Description

The bubbling pools of Eitr came to be in this land when the dragons were put to the sword. From their great carcasses it flowed, til they became scars and weeping wounds upon the earth. Though in time past it was once plentiful and ruled supreme, now its greatest concentrations come from death. How fitting, as so much in this world is pulled from ancient carcasses and fallen gods. And just like the Ichor and Humors that arise from the corpses of old deities, Eitr and its dead beasts are now giving birth to new life. If these creations are welcome in this world, well, that is another question entirely...
One of the horrors born from Eitr mutation is the Primal Legion. A monstrosity not contained to just a handful of beasts, but many. Hordes of them exist, as they were once termites before their infection. The primordial fluid has altered them, growing them to incredible size and power. Though a single one may pale in comparison to other primal beasts, their strength comes from their sheer numbers. Unlike the other abominations, the Legion is not scattered to the wind, wandering solo in their hunt for food and terror. Instead, they have formed a colony. One colony. All Primal Legion beasts have come together to create a massive nest in the earth, carving miles of tunnels that spread out and spiral down. An entire kingdom worth of land has been marked the territory of the Legion, and those who walk upon the surface tread lightly. There is no telling who shall detect the steps, and what they will interpret this trespassing as. If they believe the intruder is a threat, then the earth will split open and vomit forth hell.
Attacks by the Legion are fast, chaotic and messy, as they swarm foes and use powerful claws and mandibles to shred them. Their exoskeleton is thick and scaled, their weapons razor sharp. Like a sea of ravenous shrews, they tear enemies to pieces and carry the scraps back into the colony. Some is eaten while other parts are given to supposed fungal gardens, which many whisper about what could be found within them. Trying to breach these tunnels to raid these farms, however, is suicidal. Just ask the poor miners whose efforts accidentally broke into a random Legion tunnel. Workers would enter this space, believing they stumbled upon an empty mine, only to be swarmed by termites who interpreted this as an invasion. Very little remains of those who befell this terrible fate, and often the mines are abandoned unless someone can trigger a collapse to seal off the Legion tunnel.
Of those who survive these encounters, they speak only of the workers. So far, very little has been seen of other castes, and many are thankful for that. Even the common worker is a nightmare to deal with. Outside their regular weaponry, they can spew fragments of Black Bile crystals that are coated in Eitr. The tainted shards pierce flesh and refuse to exit, requiring careful cutting to properly remove. But the Eitr makes these barbs far worse, as it burns with a mind consuming pain. The blazing agony caused by these crystals weakens the brain and makes the victim think of little else except that searing pain. They may try to distract themselves or focus on the fight, but that agony seizes their attention and refuses to leave their thoughts. Soon they will be itching and tearing at the wound, desperate to be free of it, but that only makes it worse, digging it in deeper. Survivors state that the shards shrug off basic healing and soothing Phlegm, requiring twice the amount of calming fluid to dull its bite. The shards must be doused and removed, lest the pain drive folks mad. Horror stories tell of those so desperate to free themselves of the blazing shards that they gnaw off their own afflicted limbs like rabid beasts.
Though the Primal Legion is a terror and threat to any who enter its colony or dig too far down, some have noticed a potential positive. The Legion despises intruders and perceived threats, defending their nests at all costs. This is not unlike another underground menace...While the Legion hates man, it despises the Arimakki even more, as they are competition. Battles have been witnessed where tunnels from the opposing sides meet up, and the crazed insects go to war. These fights are brutal and messy, eventually resulting in one side sealing their tunnel and abandoning the area. The victor gains the territory, but not without a bloody cost. It would seem the two sides are evenly matched, as the Legion's thick armor and sharp claws allow them to shred the soft squishy flesh of the Arimakki. However, the boiling fluids of their Feverish Sweat and wide array of specimens allows them to cook the termites within their own shells and conceive new strategies to gain the upper hand. The fights are a fifty-fifty chance, but in the end, the territory gained and lost is in constant fluctuation. Neither side will see total victory, but those who despise the feverish parasites may appreciate having a Legion tunnel in their region as a final defense.
While the Primal Legion is a monstrosity like any of the other primal beasts, some point to their growing presence and massive colony as proof that another hand is at work here. Though the other mutations are by no means failing, it cannot be denied that the Legion is thriving far better than any "random" mutation could. How is it that this specific type of monstrosity is faring so well? Even when facing off against hunters and Arimakki? Surely their population must be hit hard from these battles, and yet they continue on. It is obvious who is blamed in these rumors, the Academy of Veritas Mundus. Seekers of knowledge and answers, no matter the cost. The Church has warned many of their methods, many of their madness, but does it mean it is actually true?
One story claims it to be so. It was said that one person did succeed in surviving a breach into the colony, and was able to navigate its tunnels for some time. In their time down below, they swear they mapped a major area of the colony to be right below Academy grounds. The very heart of this great nest, centered where these researchers do their work. Could it really be a coincidence? After all, there is an arm of the Academy that studies dragons and Eitr. The Antiquaries are members who delve deep in the past, and seek answers about the age that came before. Could it not be that they are the source of these primal beasts? Did their studies and collection of Eitr present a tempting opportunity? It is hard to say, especially since so much hinges on rumor. But then again, if the Legion is on Academy grounds, it would explain how the Academy has evaded Arimakki infestation for so long....