Editing Prognugator

The '''Prognugator''' of an [[Antinium]] Hive fills an important position below the Queen.

== Meaning ==
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.

Note: In 1.24 - 1.26 it was spelled "[https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/propugnator propugnator]", meaning defender or champion. It is possible that "Prognugator" is a propagated misspelling.

== Creation ==
Creating a Prognugator is stressful for a Queen, and not done lightly.<ref name="4.13L" />

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.<ref name="IQaD">[https://wanderinginn.com/2020/02/04/interlude-queens-and-dragons/ Interlude - Queens and Dragons]</ref> Ten thousand Antinium are created, and all but one are subsumed during the creation process, leaving only the best of them.<ref name=":0">[https://wanderinginn.com/2021/10/24/8-48-h/ Chapter 8.48 H]</ref> 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.<ref name="6.62L" />

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.<ref name="IQaD" /> [[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 ==
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.<ref name="1.45" /> 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.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2020/01/01/6-68/ Chapter 6.68]</ref>

== Duties ==
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.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2017/04/22/2-15/ Chapter 2.16]</ref>

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 [[Aberration]]s. Prognugators are also meant to oversee and learn by observation and study, for which they require mental stimulation.<ref name="4.13L">[https://wanderinginn.com/2018/02/17/4-13-l/ Chapter 4.13 L]</ref> 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 ==
* Beklr, Sword Prognugator of the [[Grand Queen|Grand Antinium Hive]]
* [[Dekass]], of the [[Armored Queen|Armored Antinium Hive]]
* [[Devrkr]] the Glowing, Unknown Hive (''Deceased'')<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2020/02/01/7-04/ Chapter 7.04]</ref>
* Kiskel, Sword Prognugator of the [[Grand Queen|Grand Antinium Hive]]
* Klberein, Sword Prognugator of the [[Grand Queen|Grand Antinium Hive]]
* [[Klbkch]] the Slayer, of the [[Free Antinium|Free Antinium Hive]] (''also acting as [[Revalantor]]'')
*Krrechzzeim, Sword Prognugator of the [[Grand Queen|Grand Antinium Hive]]
* [[Ksmvr]], of the Free Antinium Hive (''relieved of all duties'')<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2017/06/04/2-00-h/ Chapter 2.32 H]</ref>
*[[Maev]], of the [[Silent Queen|Silent Antinium Hive]]
* [[Mellika]], Unknown Hive (''Deceased'')
* [[Rehab]], Unknown Hive (''Deceased'')
* Sehr, of the [[Armored Queen|Armored Antinium Hive]]
* [[Tersk]], of the [[Armored Queen|Armored Antinium Hive]]
* Ulssb, of the [[Armored Queen|Armored Antinium Hive]]
* [[Wrymvr]] the Deathless, of the [[Twisted Queen|Twisted Antinium Hive]]
* [[Xeu]], of the [[Silent Queen|Silent Antinium Hive]]
* [[Xrn]] the Small Queen, of the [[Grand Queen|Grand Antinium Hive]]
* [[Zai]], of the [[Silent Queen|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 Antinium|Armored Prognugators]], two [[Silent Antinium|Silent Prognugators]], four [[Flying Antinium|Flying Prognugators]] and four Slayer-Prognugators from the Grand Hive attended the pre-battle speech of Xrn.<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2019/02/16/5-60/ Chapter 5.60]</ref>

So far, no Prognugators of the [[Twisted Queen|Twisted Hive]] are known.

[[Yellow Splatters]] and [[Anand]] are Prognugators in training, as revealed by Klbkch.<ref name="6.62L">[https://wanderinginn.com/2019/12/07/6-62-l/ Chapter 6.62 L]</ref> Meanwhile, "[[Bird]] the Hunter" is widely but falsely believed to be a Prognugator after his dramatic posturing in [[Pallass]].<ref>[https://wanderinginn.com/2020/02/01/7-04/ Chapter 7.04]</ref>

== Trivia ==
* Back in [[Rhir]], an Antinium Hive was able to field as many as thirty Prognugators<ref name="4.13L" />, 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]].<ref name="1.45">[https://wanderinginn.com/2017/03/04/1-45/ Chapter 1.45]</ref>
*The creation of [[Klbkch]] supposedly required a similar sacrifice of Antinium lives, but cost one million Antinium.<ref name=":0" />

== References ==
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[[Category:Antinium]]
[[Category:Prognugator]]