The Prognugator of an Antinium Hive fills an important position below the Queen.
Meaning[edit | edit source]
It is currently only possible to speculate what Prognugator actually means. It is possible that the word is related to the (ultimately Greek) word prognosis meaning forecast with the modern use especially in the medical sense: if so, then the intended Prognugator role would be mostly directed to prognosticate (and sort out) disturbances in the Hive.
Otherwise it may also simply be a title without deeper meaning.
Creation[edit | edit source]
Creating a Prognugator is stressful for a Queen, and not done lightly.[1]
The making of a Prognugator is considered expensive to the point of being wasteful and requires the sacrifice of other Antinium lives for their formation.[2] Ten thousand Antinium are created, and all but one are subsumed during the creation process, leaving only the best of them.[3] This waste of lives is not metaphorical: The Prognugators must study how regular Antinium work and fight; The Free Queen has recently decided to advance her Prognugators by sacrificing the Workers and Soldiers that she is not allowed to have under the rules of her contract with Liscor, but which were produced before fighting the dungeon had become more efficient recently.[4]
The Grand Queen has prohibited wasteful Prognugator-creation; but the other Queens disobeyed those orders. The Grand Queen made about two dozen attempts and created the Klbkch-like Custudium which proved to be a failure.[2] Ksmvr was the most successful attempt of creating a Prognugator, but his training was either not complete or otherwise lacking. The Free Queen decided to let Ksmvr collect experiences among the civilized races instead, and exiled him under the pretense that he was a complete failure.
Appearance[edit | edit source]
Prognugators may have any working form available to their Queen.
Several Prognugators appear to be similar to normal Antinium Workers or Soldiers on first glance. The Worker model was used for Klbkch before his latest resurrection, and Ksmvr looked exactly like him. That was meant to distract from their superior role, and allow them to hide among simple workers.[5] However, Xrn is based on a different model as a Caster Antinium. The new Klbkch is similar to his previous model, resembling a Worker but with two arms instead of four, while Tersk and Dekass look like a Soldier Antinium with fingers and they are able to speak.[6]
Duties[edit | edit source]
Prognugators serve as secondary leaders in a hive below the Queen who usually directs all activities of her workers. There is also the position of the Revalantor, which is a rank above the Prognugator, but still answering to the Queen. However, these two roles are so far not clearly defined against each other.
The position of Prognugator was established because a single entity (the Queen) could not be trusted to make the best choice every time. So each Prognugator was able to assist their Queen by handling the lesser affairs of the Hive, and even caution her if they believed she was in error.[7]
From the storyline so far, it is possible to tell that the duties of a Prognugator are to relay the Queen's will to her workers and soldiers: lead the Antinium in battle, oversee the Hive while the Queen is busy, and kill Aberrations. Prognugators are also meant to oversee and learn by observation and study, for which they require mental stimulation.[1] Prognugators are allowed to act independently of their Queen, and are functionally Individuals. While they are imbued with strong loyalty towards their Queen, they are able to actually go against her will by subterfuge, usually because they believe this to beneficial for the survival of the Antinium race in general.
Known Prognugators[edit | edit source]
- Beklr, Sword Prognugator of the Grand Antinium Hive
- Dekass, of the Armored Antinium Hive
- Devrkr the Glowing, Unknown Hive (Deceased)[8]
- Kiskel, Sword Prognugator of the Grand Antinium Hive
- Klberein, Sword Prognugator of the Grand Antinium Hive
- Klbkch the Slayer, of the Free Antinium Hive (also acting as Revalantor)
- Krrechzzeim, Sword Prognugator of the Grand Antinium Hive
- Ksmvr, of the Free Antinium Hive (relieved of all duties)[9]
- Maev, of the Silent Antinium Hive
- Mellika, Unknown Hive (Deceased)
- Rehab, Unknown Hive (Deceased)
- Sehr, of the Armored Antinium Hive
- Tersk, of the Armored Antinium Hive
- Ulssb, of the Armored Antinium Hive
- Wrymvr the Deathless, of the Twisted Antinium Hive
- Xeu, of the Silent Antinium Hive
- Xrn the Small Queen, of the Grand Antinium Hive
- Zai, of the Silent Antinium Hive
During the Antinium side's preparations for the Goblin-Human Siege of Liscor, Prognugators from several hives were prepared to join the battle after the Humans breached the city walls. Aside from Pivr and Tersk, three more Armored Prognugators, two Silent Prognugators, four Flying Prognugators and four Slayer-Prognugators from the Grand Hive attended the pre-battle speech of Xrn.[10]
So far, no Prognugators of the Twisted Hive are known.
Yellow Splatters and Anand are Prognugators in training, as revealed by Klbkch.[4] Meanwhile, "Bird the Hunter" is widely but falsely believed to be a Prognugator after his dramatic posturing in Pallass.[11]
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- Back in Rhir, an Antinium Hive was able to field as many as thirty Prognugators[1], possibly with differing specializations or because the hives were so large.
- Only a Prognugator is usually considered worthy the effort and time of the Rite of Anastases.[5]
- The creation of Klbkch supposedly required a similar sacrifice of Antinium lives, but cost one million Antinium.[3]