Terminite

Granok-sized colonial insects of unknown origin, terminites can be found in most regions of Nexus in all varieties of climates. Like their distant cousins the buzzbings, they construct enormous hives from locally found materials, and gather resources to feed and protect their queens. Unlike the buzzbings, however, terminites do not produce commercially useful products like honey - and are seen primarily as a dangerous nuisance by Dominion and Exile settlers.

Physical Description
Terminites are large, multi-legged arthropods with only a few variations in body type. These variations show the primary task to which the individual is dedicated: warrior-types are larger and brawnier, workers are smaller and more uniform, while queens are much bigger than any others in the hive. Terminites also display a high rate of mutation thanks to frequent exposure to primal energy.

Terminite Colonies
Terminites live in colonies, occupying nests they dig deep into the ground. The upper levels of the nests generally take the form of dome-like organic structures on the surface, while much larger caverns and chambers can extend for miles beneath the surface. A nest is always home to one or more queens, depending on the overall population of that terminite colony.

Terminite Venom
Like buzzbings, terminites can sting. Their venom, however, is not quite as potent as their airborn cousins. Terminite attackers focus on overwhelming their foes with multiple stings at once, allowing the entire nest to get in on the kill. Terminites appear to compete for the chance to attack any threats to their homes, leading some scientists to hypothesize that individuals who kill for the queen receive additional food or mating considerations.

Terminite Queens
Like many colonial insectoids, terminites build their primitive colonies around a central queen. Terminite queens are invariably larger, stronger, and more long-lived than ordinary warriors or drones. Slaying a terminite queen before another queen is ready to take over can result in the slow starvation and death of a colony. Without a queen to protect, it may also cause the terminites of that doomed colony (to be) more passive towards invaders.

Terminite Eggs
Terminite queens reproduce by laying eggs. Scan data shows terminite eggs are particularly hardy and able to withstand harsh toxic environmental conditions, in part by absorbing those toxins into the inerior of the egg. This allows the unborn terminite inside to emerge fully adapted to surrounding conditions. This may explain, at least in part, the many varieties and subspecies of terminites present on Nexus.

Scanbot Analysis
Current scan data explains why the Draken, among others, go out of their way to slaughter terminites wherever they are found - their ability to absorb toxins and other environmental elements results in a unique flavor for each subspecies. Apparently.

Terminite Mutations
Scan data show clear signs of drastic and accelerated mutation in the terminite specimens found in Deradune's Exo-Lab 79. Calculations indicate this must be caused by active Eldan technology within the exo-lab, though whether the original function of this technology was causing mutations is unclear. It may be that these unusual new terminite forms are simply the result of centuries of exposure to the primal energy that powers the facility.

Scan the Eldan Information Construct which is located on the Southeast wall near the data cube inside Exo-Lab 79 in order to unlock this scientist mission.