Mirameda
The Mirameda in Underground Arboria
Beneath the surface of Arboria, beyond the Fringe, lies a race that was once only known in Dwarven chronicles; a group of intelligent insects in contact with only the farthest reaches of Dwarven society. Although their history is unknown to even the few dwarves that border them, some things are consistent about their description.
Mirameda Appearance
The Mirameda come in a variety of shapes and sizes, although there are several things they all have in common. They all have six segmented limbs, four arms and two legs. Their mouths are enclosed in adapted mandibles, although beneath these are the existence of small mouthparts capable of rudimentary speech. Oddly enough, they seem to lack any form of actual spoken language.
History of the Mirameda
A group of insects from "The Hive" existed beneath the Sturrbith mountains with a Hive Mother. The diaspora of Dwarven clans eventually cut this group off from the others and they quickly discovered that the devour and destroy mentality of "The Hive" could only have inspired genocidal repercussions against them. A singular mindset was a liability for the race, since weak minds can corrupt the whole just as easily as strong minds can lead them. With the absence of a Hive Mother, the Mirameda have become completely separate from the rest of the Hive.
This non-aggressive hive relies on the industry of dwarves to provide them with food, much like ants use aphids as livestock. In return, the Mirameda have learned Dwarven mining techniques and developed a caste structure similar on its surface to the job assignments of dwarves. The Mirameda deal openly with Fringe dwarves in trade, but they keep the breeding of enslaved Dwarven stock as a tightly-held secret.
One adaptation accompanying the lack of a Hive Mother is the decentralization of breeding practices. Most Mirameda are fertile and capable of pairing, so in response Mirameda progeny are born poorly formed creatures of pure potential who, rather than being bred for tasks like their kin, are adapted for tasks once they reach an appropriate age. The actual process is a developed form of surgery which, in the removal of certain appendages, shapes the final mature creature to fit its task.
Sightings of monstrous insects have caused enmity toward this newly discovered race to increase suddenly, a fact that the Mirameda have not taken to kindly.
