Quote - Savannah

This page shows the narrations in savannah documentary levels.

Triage

Level begins:

• Escorted by a small entourage of loyal soldiers, this young queen has set out to establish a new colony on the edge of the savannah. These are Megaponera analis, the Matabele ants. They are large, fierce and specialized in raiding termite nests.

You dig to the surface:

• The Matabele may be predators, but they are very picky about their prey. The other creatures nearby are insignificant compared to the vast replenishable bounty locked within the local termite mounds. Raids are conducted at dusk and dawn, and the night is almost over. It is time.

You move camera over termite mounds for the first time:

• There are three Macrotermes bellicosus termite nests in the vicinity. The Matabele must choose a target quickly and move with purpose.

You spawn a Matabele ant medic for the first time:

• In most ant colonies, injured soldiers are left to die on the battlefield, but the Matabele do not forsake their sisters so easily. Ants wounded in battle and unable to walk release pheromones calling their comrades for help. If unburdened raiders are available, the casualties are carried home and nursed back to health.

The first noon begins:

• As the midday sun rises overhead, the termites retreat to the cool depths of their fortified mounds. Raiding at this time would be troublesome, and there would usually be little reason for the Mataele to leave their nest. However, West African rainbow lizards, Agama africana, have come to bask in the clearing. If too many are allowed to gather, the evening raids may be disrupted.

The first evening begins:

• As dusk begins to set in and the dusty eath cools, the termites march out of their mounds to collect dead wood and leaves. Time for the Matabele to replenis their larders.

The second night begins:

• As night draws in, nocturnal scrubland specialists emerge from their hiding places to hunt. For the colony, the benefits of facing down these beasts are far outweighted by the cost in soldier casualties. Fortunately, the nest entrance is too small for the largest and most dangerous arthropods to crawl through. The ants will be safe underground.

The second morning begins:

• The sky brightens and the nighttime scavengers begin to dissipate, leavin space for the Matabele columns.

The second noon begins:

• The temperature outside is rising and the termites retreat inside to escape desiccation.

The second evening begins:

• The termites will soon venture out once again to forage. For the hungry Matabele ants, now is the time to strike.

You dig into an African stink ant tunnel for the first time:

• The Matabele workers have unearthed part of an African stink ant tunnel. This one appears to be deserted, a remnant of a past colony.

You dig out an earwig for the first time:

• Excavations have uncovered a common earwig, Forficula auricularia, nesting in the soil. It will protect its young vigorously.

You encounter an earwig on the surface for the first time:

• A common earwig, Forficula auricularia, has locked jaws with a Matabele ant. This nighttime scavenger won't shy away from a scuffle, especially if there's a chance it'll end with a meal.

You encounter an alligator back scorpion for the first time:

• The matabele have crossed paths with an alligator back scorpion, Hottentotta hottentotta. Wandering out into the open tonight on the hunt for insects, this sturdy arachnid uses two muscle packed pedipalps for crushing its prey, and if they don’t do the job, it can strike from above, spearing victims with its tail mounted stinger, delivering a dose of paralysing venom.

You encounter a termite soldier for the first time:

• The termites, although much smaller than the ants, are far from easy game. They have their own soldier castes whose job is to make the raids as difficult as possible for the ants. With durable head armor and keen jaws, it is not uncommon for the defenders to maim and even kill raiding soldiers. As soon as the Matabele have enough food, they should leave without delay.

You eliminate 50% of termites from a single termite colony for the first time:

• The Matabele should be careful not to over-pillage any one mound. If the termites are too weakened, they will not recover their numbers in time for the next raid.

You eliminate a termite queen for the first time:

• The Matabele dug greedily into a termite nest, all the way to the queen’s chamber. This colossal egg dispensing grub represents a huge feast for the ants, but at the cost of losing a stable food supply. With her passing, there is no longer any reason to return to this mound.

You encounter a rainbow lizard for the first time:

• The rainbow lizards are immense, and more than capable of dealing with a few ants. The Matabele colony will need to make a significant show of force, and target the lizards one at a time, to stand any chance of driving them away.

You encounter an African tiger beetle for the first time:

• A tiger beetle, Dromicoides elegantia, has spotted the ants. This exuberant red hunter possesses all the usual traits: keen eyesight, long, powerful legs and efficient carving jaws.

You encounter a giant African mantis for the first time:

• A giant African mantis, Sphodromantis viridis, has come upon the ants. Growing up to 10cm long and wielding a huge pair of savage barbed forelegs, this beast of prey is well equipped for a fight.

The third night begins:

• It is quiet tonight. Usually the undergrowth would be bustling with nightitme predators, but few have surfaced. Something has them spooked.

The huge sun spider appears:

• Tremors can be felt from within the nest. There's a creature on the move, and it's getting closer.

The huge sun spider destroys your nest entrance:

• A fully grown sun spider, Zeria keyserlingi has found the nest! She's looking for a burrow to lay her eggs, and this is the perfect spot. Unable to fit through the entrance, she'll need to dig her way in. This could be disastrous for the colony.

The huge sun spider invades your nest:

• The sun spider bulldozed through the nest entrance and into the tunnels. She must be stopped!

You eliminate the huge sun spider:

• It is finished. The sun spider was finally bested by the ants, but not before decimating the nest. The cavern she left in her wake is now likely to attract even larger creatures, the colony has better be prepared.

The third morning begins:

• With the sun spider threat eliminated, the Matabele have an opportuniy to raid freely while the termites are active. The should make the most of it while they can.

The third noon begins:

• It's almost noon, and the termites got to ground. Further raids are unlikely to be fruitful... For now.

The third evening begins:

• The termites are ramping up their activities. The Matabele should seize this opportunity before the nocturnal predators are too numerous.

The fourth night begins:

• The gaping nest entrance is unlikely to go unoticed for long. The Matabele should stand guard. There will be invaders tonight.

You encounter the huge African giant centipede:

• An African giant centipede, Ethmostigmus trigonopodus, approaches the nest. Searching for a good ambush spot, it wasn't expecting to find an ant colony, but now irritated and hungry it confronts the soldiers. Despite its great size, rows of segmented armour plates allow it to remain agile, and its forward legs have been modified into fangs, with which it can puncture and inject venom into its victims.

You eliminate the huge African giant centipede:

• The giant centipede is dead. A lesser colony would have surely fallen to the monster. Although the Matabele queen has survived, the undergrowth remains perilous. The ants should clear the carcass and replenish quickly.

The fourth morning begins:

• Night is over, and the raiding window opens once again.

The fourth noon begins:

• Rainbow lizards are beginning to arrive. The Matabele would do well to keep them in check.

The fourth evening begins:

• The sun has almost set, the sand has cooled, and the termites resume their harvest.

The fifth night begins:

• Darkness looms, and the savannah arthropods emerge to hunt. There is but one the Matabele have yet to face. The greatest amongst their number. It comes... Tonight.

You encounter the emperor scorpion:

• It is here, Pandinus imperator, the emperor scorpion. Growing to 20 centimeters in length, this true titan of the undergrowth dwarfs almost anything that crosses its path. With bulging pedipalps equally effective for digging up insects and tearing them apart, this encounter could mean extinction for the colony.

You win:

• Even as wave after wave of soldiers were crushed, the Matabele would not relent. The fiercest raiders mounted the beast whilst maimed defenders sliced at its joints. Finally the emperor scorpion fell. Having bested the three titans, the message to the savannah arthropods is clear. Confronting the Matabele in their home will only end one way.

You lose to the huge sun spider:

• Only the most formidable ants survive here, and this colony’s ranks fell short. Unworthy of their nest, the sun spider took it from them.

You lose to the huge African giant centipede:

The Matabele fought vehemently to the last but it was not enough. The unclaimed termites will soon attract a new colony; perhaps they will fare better.

You lose to the huge emperor scorpion:

• The scorpion gave no quarter; it cleaved its way through the Matabele army until finally reaching the queen. She was mangled, dissolved and then consumed.

You lose to other enemies:

• Even with the escort sent to protect the founding queen, a privilege few new colonies inherit, the Matabele ants were not able to survive here. The unclaimed termites will soon attract a new colony; perhaps they will fare better.

Drive Them Back

Level begins:

• This Matabele queen has located the perfect spot to found a new colony. Surrounded in all directions by termite mounds, securing a steady supply of food should be no problem. Her raiders are spoiled for choice.

You have played for 2 minutes 30 seconds:

• Unfortunately, for this colony, prosperity is about to turn into peril. Not far from here, a vast army of Dorylus nigricans driver ants have established a temporary outpost. Like their new world counterparts, the Eciton army ants, they are nomadic, and will send out daily marauding columns in search of food. The local termite mounds will not go unnoticed for long.

Driver ants appear on the map for the first time:

• The first driver ant scouts can be seen encroaching on the termite mound to the north-west.

Night begins: (loop)

• Night falls, and the clearing between the termite mounds will soon be scuttling with nocturnal predators.

• The driver ants are returning home, their jaws filled with termites. They will be back soon for more. Unlike the Matabele, they have no motivation to show restraint in their termite raids. They will press their siege until the mound is spent and then move to the next.

• Darkness sets in and the undergrowt stirs. The creatures of the night awake.

• The twilight is fading, and under the shroud of night, large invertebrates creep out of their holes to prowl the clearing.

Day begins: (loop)

• The driver ants are back. Unchecked, they will eventually exhaust the Matabele’s food supply. If their incursion into this area becomes too costly however, they may not return.

• The driver ant menace has returned and the termite soldiers gather at their mound’s entrance to repel the invasion. A brave effort, but futile; their defences will not hold.

• Hungry for termites, once again the driver ant foraging frontier closes in on the nearest mound.

You dig out an African stink ants tunnel for the first time:

• The workers have excavated an African stink ant tunnel, and it appears to have been used recently. The tunnels serve as convenient highways for the stink ants, allowing them to reach the outskirts of their territory safely.

You encounter a driver ant for the first time:

• Although the driver ants are generally smaller than the matabele, their majors are formidable opponents on the battlefield. Their huge armoured heads power broad jaws more than powerful enough to crush even the largest Matabele soldiers.

You encounter an African stink ant on the surface for the first time:

• A matabele soldier has encounter an African stink ant, Paltothyreus tarsatus. Each considering the other a trespasser, they will fight, and being closely related, the soldiers are quite evenly matched. The stink ants earn their name from their powerful pheromones. Although they tend to hunt alone, when facing unbeatable odds they are able to summon reinforcements over long distances to turn the tide of battle in their favor.

You eliminate an African stink ant on the surface for the first time:

• Although not as dependent on the termites as the Matabele, the stink ants too conduct raids on the mounds and stand to lose out if the driver ants are allowed to dominate. They could prove to be an unlikely ally.

You encounter a wafer trapdoor spider for the first time:

• An unfortunate Matabele scout has been snatched by Acontius lamottei, a wafer trapdoor spider. It tops its burrow with a hinged opening that blends perfectly with the surrounding substrate. When feeling the vibration of a passing insect, it runs out, strikes, and drags the victim underground all in the blink of an eye.

You encounter a huntsman spider for the first time:

• A huntsman spider, Pseudomicrommata mary, has subdued a Matabele ant. She hunts without a web, relying on speed to chase down her victims. Once she is satisfied, she will retreat to a crevice in the rock, hidden away until hunger drives her out once more.

You eliminate a huntsman spider for the first time:

• The Matabele soldiers have brought down a huntsman spider. This one won’t be interrupting their raids any longer.

Driver ants eliminate the green termite queen:

• The driver ant invaders pressed into the heart of the north-western mound, finishing off the last of the defenders and slaughtering the termite queen and king. Single-minded in their pursuit of meat, the drivers set their sights to the south.

Driver ants eliminate the yellow termite queen:

• Two termite colonies have now been conquered and their mounds pillaged. The driver frontier will head north east, brazenly cutting across Matabele territory to reach their next foray.

Driver ants eliminate the blue termite queen:

• The third termite colony has fallen; only one remains. If the drivers cannot be repelled now, there is no hope left for the Matabele colony.

You eliminate a termite queen:

• A termite queen has been dispatched by a party of Matabele raiders.

You win:

• Their losses far outweighing the food they could carry home, the driver ants have finally been forced away. The Matabele have regained control over their territories, and have crucially protected their one remaining termite mound. If the driver ants should ever return, this colony will be prepared.

You lose to driver ants:

• Even if the scourge eventually passes, there will be nothing left to sustain the colony. If not in the jaws of a marauding driver, then certainly by starvation, the queen will meet her end.

You lose to other enemies:

• Despite their auspicious location, at the foot of four established termite mounds, the fledgling colony could not last. Surrendering to the scrubland critters, the Matabele relinquish their territory and the termites therein to more worthy successors.

Last Mound Standing

Level begins:

• This Macrotermes bellicosus termite king and queen are one of three reproductive pairs that founded colonies here. Vegetation is less abundant on the savannah than in the jungle, and with these three mounds being so close to one another, there isn't enough food to sustain them all. Eventually, two of them will be outcompeted.

You have played for 2 minutes:

• Termite raiding Matabele ants are active in this area and given the abundance of termites here, the Matabele are unlikely to exercise restraint when pillaging any one mound. The threat of annihilation, both from starvation and predation, will set these otherwise amicable termite colonies against each other.

You gather ligncellulose for the first time:

• Similar to leafcutter ants, Macrotermes are fungus farmers. Dead plant matter is first harvested and eaten by the workers. This initial digestion provides little in the way of nutrition, serving mainly to churn and mix the plant matter with fungal spores. The faecal substrate is then excreted and sculpted into an energy-rich fungus comb to be fed to the rest of the colony.

Morning begins: (loop)

• Dawn breaks, and a Matabele raid is imminent. They are heading straight for the [position] mound.

• Like clockwork, the Matabele have returned for their tribute. The raiding column is bound for the [position] termite colony.

• It's breakfast time for the Matabele.They have selected the [positon] mound for their morning raid.

Noon begins: (loop)

• As the midday sun rises overhead, the termites retreat to the cool depths of their fortified mounds. Out in the open, they won’t survive for long.

• The sand around the mound is heating under the midday sun. Termites wandering far from the safety of the nest will dry out quickly.

• The undergrowth is baking in the midday sun. Insects ill-equipped to withstand the high temperatures will fall victim to heat stroke.

Evening begins: (loop)

• Just as harvesting operations resume, the Matabele begin their approach. Tonight they raid the [position] mound.

• The day is drawing to an end, and under the crimson mantle of twilight, the Matabele march forward. They will strike at the [position] mound.

• The sun has set, and without fail, the Matabele launch their raid. They will arrive imminently at the [position] mound.

You encounter an enemy termite for the first time:

• Termites from rival colonies have met in battle. Soldiers will no doubt be attracted to the commotion.

You encounter an enemy termite: {random)

• A skirmish between termites has broken out over access to food.

• Precious food sources are contested; the termites will fight.

• The scarcity of dead vegetation has led to fighting between termites.

African stink ants dig into your nest for the first time:

• Matabele ants aren't the only swarm raiders to be worried about. African stink ants have established extensive tunnel networks in this area and recent excavations have revealed the termites.

African stink ants dig into in your nest: (random)

• African stink ants are invading! The termite soldiers will need to mobilise quickly before too many workers are lost.

• African stink ants have dug into the nest from below to pillage workers.

• A subterranean stink ant raiding party has entered the nest!

Matabele ants eliminates an enemy termite queen:

• The insatiable Matabele raiders pressed with fervour to the centre of the [position] mound, executing the queen and king in their chamber. Only two active mounds remain.

Termites are going to attack:

• With only two colonies remaining, the [position] termites mount a desperate and risky offensive against the central mound.

You defeat an enemy termite colony:

• The termite reproductives of the [position] mound have been slain. Only weakened by Matabele raids, it was an opportunistic assault by their treacherous neighbours that finally finished them off.

You win:

• With the northern and southern mounds emptied, the remaining termites inherit complete control of the local vegetation. Feeding unhindered, they will outgrow the threat from the raiders, and extend their mound into a towering savannah fortress... A monument worthy of a great termite empire.

You lose to Matabele ants:

• The Matabele soldiers cut their way deep into the heart of the colony. Unsated by the slain defenders, they set their sights on the termite queen. Helpless and bulging with nutritious eggs, she was too tempting for the raiders to resist.

You lose to African stink ants:

• Ransacking through the mound, the stink ants overwhelmed the defenders. Their haphazard raid pushed deep into the nest, landing their soldiers at the foot of the giant queen. Her final indignity, to be cut down from her distended abdomen, and watch helplessly as her assailants extract its contents.

You lose to other enemies:

• The subterranean creatures burrowing in the sand around the nest were too numerous. The termite king and queen have been slain in their chambers; their reign was short and uninspiring.

Challenge (Part 1)

Level begins:

• Not far from the nest, assassin bugs, Acanthapsis petax, are on the move. Their name is well earned and the Matabele would do well to steer clear. The nymphs are known for decorating their bodies with the corpses of their victims. This behavior intrigues the ants, particularly if the bodies are familiar. Overly curious scouts will often find themselves added to the pile.

You lose an ant to an assassin bug for the first time:

• A Matabele ant has fallen prey to an assassin bug. Using its rostrum like a hypodermic needle, it strikes forward perforating its victim and injecting paralysing saliva. The same aparatus is then used to suck out the liquified innards.

You lose an ant to an assassin bug:

• Another Matabele ant has been assassinated.

Challenge (Part 2)

Level begins:

• To make matter worse, a huge emperor scorpion is nesting nearby and this one is particularly adept at hunting termites. Its immense pedipalps are the perfect tools for bulldozing through reinforced termite mound walls.

The emperor scorpion invades your nest for the first time:

• The emperor scorpion has breached the nest walls! The soldiers will need to mount a formidable defense to stand any chance of seeing it off.

The emperor scorpion leaves: (loop)

• The scorpion has left but not before it ate heartily. It will return.

• The scorpion's hunger is sated for now, it will likely be back tomorrow.

• The brave termite guards saw off the scorpion, but they haven't seen the last of it. The colony must replenish quickly.

The emperor scorpion returns: (loop)

• The emperor scorpion is back. The queen must be protected!

• The emperor scorpion has returned to feed! It must be stopped.

• The emperor scorpion has breached the nest walls! It must be deterred before the damage is too extensive.

You eliminate the emperor scorpion:

• In an unprecedented show of resistance, the termite soldiers swarmed the emperor scorpion and gouged at its joints. Underestimating the termites’ tenacity, the scorpion overstayed its welcome. When it finally tried to leave, it was too late. Collapsing in the mound, it was torn apart by the very creatures it sought to prey upon.

Trivia

(none)