| Class: | Beast, colonial insects |
| Hab: | Their own structures - gardens above ground and below |
| Fre: | Rare |
| Num: | Colonies; uncountable thousands |
| Lair: | 100% in lair + patrols in region |
| Size: | By caste; workers 1', soldiers 5', amber-sprayers 3' (queen 25') |
| Move: | Quick scramble; cling to walls and ceilings as readily as ground |
| Def: | Synthetic amber armour; thin on workers (except head), strong on soldiers |
| Att: | Bite; workers moderate, soldiers powerful with synthetic amber sword-fangs, lances |
| Int: | None, but colony acts with great wisdom; good instincts |
| Spec: | Amber-sprayers defend by spraying epoxy-like liquid amber |
| Posns: | Amber (low-grade), gardens, food |
Amber-sprayers are specialized workers who can also help defend the colony, by spraying fresh epoxy-like amber to gum up the intruders. Some colonies have surprising defense mechanisms such as "sticky traps" of special amber that does not harden; they will line tunnels approaching their fungus gardens with sticky amber.
For notes on amber ants' garden caverns, SEE Gardener Termites. Amber ants will, of course, use their amber extensively through their subterranean gardens. However, unlike the dark gardens of the termites, the amber ants, utilizing the photo-optic properties of their amber, create well-lit greenhouses caverns. Here, in the perfectible, easily regulated environment of their sunlit caves, the ants cultivate weird plants, species they have selectively bred for so many aeons that they bear little resemblance to any free-living plant. Other caverns may be like bell jars in which the ants have preserved prehistoric plants. These well-lit plant gardens are supplemented by dark fungal gardens.
These ants defoliate trees and then coat them in ant-amber. As the layers grow up, the tree inside rots away; it was just being used as a scaffold. In its place there stands a great cast, like a stature of the tree made of amber. The inside is hollow. The ants use this hollow like a greenhouse, growing vast quantities of wee plants. They either eat the plants, or take them down below to fertilize fungus gardens in cavers.
Some tree glazers do one tree, then anther, then start glazing concentric circles, until they have converted an entire copse in to an "amber-wood forest." Others select only "wolf-trees," those forest giants that rise high above the rest. These just stay with their one tree, pruning away any nearby growth that might shade it.
The trees' roots are likewise made into amber; the photo-optic properties of the amber let these veins of amber supply sunlight to deep greenhouse caves.
These ant build shafts of solid amber, pillars which rise high into the sunlight above and down into caverns deep below. These amber shafts are natural photo-optic cables, guiding light down into the caves. The above ground pillars are very useful in desert environments, where dunes might cover lesser structures.
The ant has made himself illustrious
Through constant industry industrious,
So what?
Would you be calm and placid
If you were full of formic acid?
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