Kruthik Hive Lord

D&D 2024 monster: Kruthik Hive Lord. Source: Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse. challenge rating 5, creature type Monstrosity, Large size, sp... A hive lord rules each kruthik hive. When the hive lord dies, the surviving members of the hive abandon their lair and search for a new one. When a suitable location is found, the largest kruthik in the hive undergoes a metamorphosis, forming a cocoon around itself and emerging several weeks later as a hive lord-a bigger and smarter kruthik with the ability to spray digestive acid from its maw. The hive lord claims the largest chamber of the lair and keeps several adult kruthiks nearby as bodyguards. Kruthiks Imagine a hive of ants the size of horses, but the ants are wearing armor. Other creatures that abide in hives serve a purpose in the natural world. Bees pollinate flowers. Termites make earth out of wood. Kruthiks, by contrast, slay societies. Kruthiks are chitin-covered reptiles that hunt in packs and nest in sprawling subterranean warrens. They are attracted to sources of heat, such as dwarven forges and pools of molten lava, and carve out lairs as close to such locations as possible. As they burrow through the earth, they leave behind tunnels-evidence that is often the first clue to the nearby presence of a kruthik hive. Kruthiks also make use of preexisting underground chambers, incorporating them into their lairs when they can. Kruthiks communicate with one another through a series of hisses and chittering noises. These sounds can often be heard in advance of a kruthik attack. Whenever their lair is invaded, kruthik guards send out an alarm by rapidly tapping the stone floor with their sharp legs. In addition to having an acute sense of smell, kruthiks can see in the dark and can detect vibrations in the earth around them. They take the scent of their own dead as a warning and avoid areas where many other kruthiks have died. Slaying a sufficient number of kruthiks in one area might cause the re...