The ankheg is a large, magical beast that can most often be found in plains and savannas. These burrowing creatures are insect-like, with six legs and a head similar to a mantis. They can dig through soil, sand, and gravel, but not stone. Adults can grow to the size of a horse, and females are larger than males.
Ankhegs are ambush predators, lurking a few feet underground and preying mostly on herd animals. Their mandibles secrete acid to aid digestion, and they can spray a jet of it when they feel threatened. In the wild they’ll prey upon buffalo, deer, or anything else it can catch, but they often gravitate towards farm lands on the outskirts of civilization. Plowed fields make burrowing easier and fenced in livestock provides easy meals. Their arrival in an area is sure to require attention, as a hungry ankheg will eat a farmer as readily as the livestock. There is a silver lining, however. Their burrowing aerates the soil and their excrement is a potent fertilizer.
Ankhegs will build underground nests in the fall to lay eggs and then hibernate through the winter if the climate is cold enough. Like praying mantises, male ankhegs don’t survive the mating process. Eggs are laid in the male’s remains, and newly hatched larva sustain themselves on the corpse until spring weather permits the mother to hunt again.
Ankheg hunting
Ankhegs have other purported values. Eggs and larvae can supposedly be raised and trained as mounts. They’re more intelligent than simple insects, though not by much. They’re dangerous to train, and typically only races that have a low regard for safety or self preservation will use them. It is rumored that there are elite troops from Turtsaz that ride them but that is completely unconfirmed. Their chitinous exoskeletons can, in theory, be used to make armor and shields that are strong, lightweight, and acid resistant but armorers able or willing to work with such material would be few and far between.
Fun Side Notes:
The Ankheg was created by artist Erol Otus in the 1970’s, when D&D was just starting to gain some popularity. Otus did a lot of really cool work for the early franchise and he’s worth an image search to see some of his fantasy art. Notably, he did all the Cthulhu illustrations for the 1st editions D&D rulebook, Deities and Demigods. (Talking to you especially, Arlen!) Here’s his original rendering of the creature.
Lastly, these may or may not be in the game room. Just sayin…!
Eat you, I mean, see you soon!