A N K H E G

KNAVE PROMPT: “Brain flayer-like creature, acid blood, tactic: burrow” 

TWO CENTURIES AGO, a brain-flayer named Nemorphox was cast out from his mind-hive. Knowing his physical form would not last long, he searched for a way to preserve his consciousness. Stumbling into a hive of Ankhegs, he was intrigued by their life cycle, hive structure, and the similarities it shared with the Brain-Flayers. This would be his new mind-hive.

After much experimentation, Nemorphox was able to adjust the life-cycle of the Ankheg, and integrate his mind into the then-queen, and in so doing preserve his mind in the cascading generations of the Ankheg hive long after his body had died.  And so the Mind-kheg hive was born.

When the dwarves broached these deep tunnels, Nemorphox-hive saw an opportunity, taking the Dwarven leader to integrate into the hive, to take humanoid form once again, and perhaps even to walk the surface world.