Kwama

As can be attested by Grundvik Cold-Fist's account of fighting a kwama hive in his book, "Kyne's Challenge", the kwama, though seemingly tame when an outsider hears of their burrows as "mines" and of Dunmeri wardens and egg-harvesters as "miners", are ferocious and surprisingly adept at fighting back, with even the seemingly harmless scrib able of felling a weathered adventurer. Essayist Idreth Dralvu volunteered to spend two years slowly introducing herself to a wild colony, using methods well-known to kwama miners, to monitor a kwama hive without outside interference or domestication, and has brought back these observations.

Much like the land of Morrowind the kwama are native to, and the Dunmer who tame them, these wonderfully strange insects are not all savage instinct and hostility to all that is foreign to them. Their hardened and close-knit hive-structure protects a meticulous, hardworking and nurturing "family", which even extends to non-kwama individuals in some situations. Many would dismiss the stories of a hive ceasing hostilities out of gratefulness for curing a queen of its ill or of a small pack of scribs protecting exhausted adventurers from would-be predators as fanciful tales fit for one of the Brave Little Scrib's bedtime stories, such is the vicious reputation of the kwama. But while the aggressiveness of a kwama warrior cannot be discarded, neither can the indications that a kwama is capable of a more benevolent temperament.

Thus, adventurers, be on your guard when meeting one of the many forms of kwama, and remember their reputation, but also mind your threats and your weapon; you might find a temporary companion rather than a foe intent on slaying you.

^{It is the opinion of Essayist Idreth Dralvu that kwama may often confuse a humanoid, particularly one wearing dreugh or chitin armors, or even fabrics of colors similar enough, with a kwama warrior. As well, use or possession of certain alchemical ingredients and potions seem to have similar smells to a kwama's own colony, and some kwama colonies have learned that travelers might give them food if approached non-threateningly. It makes their behavior of seeking humanoids for company no less endearing, but more understandable.}

Cooking & Alchemy

The different forms of the kwama each produce different foodstuffs and alchemical ingredients. The scrib's flesh can be crushed into a sour, nutritious, gritty scrib gelatin, eaten raw by Morrowind natives, or cooked into chunks with a meatloaf-like texture and a brinier taste. Scrib flesh can also be cut into strips and sun-dried into jerky with a lemony seafood taste, popular with adventurers as it goes stale but never spoils. Pupal scribs are edible whole, tasting mildly of lemony coconut when raw, and can be roasted or fried and make crunchy, airy sweet snacks that take on the flavor of any seasoning they're prepared with.

Kwama workers and warriors can also have their meat dried into kwama jerky, but it gains a metallic, savoury aftertaste that scrib jerky lacks.

The eggs laid by kwama queens are another rich, nutritious staple of Morrowind, with a sharp and sour flavor, and a gummy texture when cooked. Their high nutritional value and ability to keep fresh for very long, combined with their easy availability, makes it an ideal foodstuff export, popular all over Tamriel. They are often seasoned with moon sugar or trama root powder, to sweeten or embitter them to mask their sour taste. Popular ways to prepare kwama eggs include boiling, roasting and adding them to soups.

Raw scrib jelly also has modest magical properties, and can be used to contribute to potions.

Kwama Queen

Kwama Worker

Kwama Warrior

Kwama Forager

The kwama forager is

Kwama Scrib

Scribs handreared from eggs are easily domesticated, immensely loyal, and can be housebroken and taught very basic commands. Most domestic scribs do not develop the paralyzing poison their colony-reared counterparts almost always have.

Esphor Scrib

The scrib of the esphor kwama, sporting their distinctive brown-black hue and bioluminescent blue markings. Compared to the traditional scrib, esphor scribs are notoriously adventurous, investigating nearly anything they can get their legs or mandibles on. They seem unusually aggressive toward items with a green glow.

 

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