From the Edania Organization Archives:
Name: Shadow Mantis Queen
Status: Genetically Engineered Insectoid—Corrupted
Affiliation: Doren Corp.
Primary Dark Segol: Energy Drain
Secondary Dark Segol: Horde Control
Dr. Barbaas’s greatest achievement, this bear-sized insect is a genetically enhanced mantis that has been infused with the mad scientist’s own Dark-Segol. The Shadow Mantis Queen is highly intelligent, and has gained human speech. It is heavily protected from attacks due to its heavily plated exoskeleton, which is blood-red in color. Its powerful legs allow it to move quickly despite its considerable bulk, and it is able to squeeze into tight spaces.
With the perfect mix of stealth, size and strength, this beast is the perfect hunter. Its powerful pincers are strong enough to fracture bone; its razor-sharp teeth drip with toxic saliva; and its long, strawlike tongue can pierce the body and drain its victim of their life-energy in a matter of minutes. The Shadow Mantis Queen also has wings that are so strong that they can cause small gusts of wind as it takes off.
Its greatest weapon, however, is its ability to produce offspring. These nymphs are much smaller than their mother: each about the size of a rat. However, these nymphs are under their mother’s complete control. They communicate via pheromones, and are connected to their queen via a Dark-Segol link. These mantis nymphs can quickly overwhelm prey twenty times their size by attacking them as a unit. Unlike the queen, the nymphs choose to keep their prey alive at their nest for extensive periods. They tend to keep one victim at their nest during times that fresher prey is scarce.
Matthew Porter 