(image linked from original Contest Post )
This is my entry in the first week of Steem Monster's Individual Card Fantasy Story Contest. This week covers the story for the fire beetle. I hope you enjoy reading and thanks for any feedback.
The Fire Beetle
The Fire Beetle is a large, chitinous, insect commonly found in the dry, windslept plains of the Fire Realm (edit later for actual name). They can measure up to 3 feet long and weigh nearly 50 pounds. Fire Beetles live in large colonies that burrow underground creating a large network.The beetles will feed on nearly everything living or dead, leaving a barren landscape behind as their colonies grow. Their exoskeleton is very tough providing excellent defense, and their large pinchers can do moderate damage to other creatures as well. They have luminous glands on their backs that can create a blaze when provoked. These glands are also prized by Kobold Miners who will use the glands to fuel torches underground. Because of their inherant fire abilities they have innate defense to heat.
One of the richest mines in the Fire Realm (edit later) has long been contested by one of the largest colonies of fire beetles and the Kobold miners. The two groups compete for food in the arid wasteland and access to the rich mineral deposits within the caves. The fire beetles will often feed on the weaker Kobold miners who collapse under the harsh conditions. The caves are guarded incessantly by the fire beetles to protect their queen and the breeding lair. Any Kobold wandering too closely becomes food for the growing colony.
Occasionally the Kobolds will mount an attack on the fire beetle colony to reach into the richer mineral veins. They are rarely successful, as the beetles provide a sturdy defense when commanded by their queen. When the fire beetles are near their queen, they can be commanded like drones to complete her tasks. Under her command the fire beetles will sacrifice themselves and feel no pain guarding their young and the lair.
Something about the rich minerals in the earth seem to enhance the strength of the fire beetles. When near the rich veins the fire beetle's glands glow with an enhanced vibrance. They are able to concentrate the heat into a beam and project it towards their enemies. This may be why the queen guards the depths of the mines so relentlessly. She seems to gain some form of telepathic power over her colony when near the mineral rich veins. These powers also grant the fire beetles an immunity to pain, enhanced speed, and an increased aggression level.
There is a large bounty on the Queen's destruction. The Gold Dragon desires access, but the small and twisting caves make it very difficult to extract the ore where only smaller creatures like the Kobolds and fire beetles can reach into the depths. Sometimes adventurers will test their luck at the rich bounty only to become food for the fire beetle colony. As they venture deeper into the mines, the walls begin to close in on you making battle difficult. The shrieking and stench of the beetles can be disheartening, as they put off a strong sulfur odor. The few adventurers that have escaped describe the tale as "descending into the depths of hell".
