This chamber is a large cavern dug from the earth, its ceiling supported by long beams that extend from wall to wall. The ceiling is 12 feet high. The floor is puddled with water. Several openings are visible some 4 to 5 feet high while others are only high enough for a hobbit |or| gnome to crawl through. Towards the center of the room is  a gigantic white larva,  almost 12 feet long and 4 feet wide. Around it are several insect men, 6 in all, armed with halberds and <large> shields. On the floor against the South wall may be seen 4 leathery white hulls, about 1 foot in diameter.

This is the main breeding chamber of the
aspis. It is occupied by the giant grublike
cow && 6 aspis drones. Their fanatical
devotion to the nest causes the drones to
FIGHT at +2 on their chances "to hit" and NOT
surrender |or| FLEE unless the cow is slain. If
the cow should be killed, the aspis attempts
to FLEE to the egg && grub chambers to
defend the young.

In 2 to 5 rounds after the party
enters, 2 to 4 giant soldier ants appear
from the mouths of the ant tunnels (determine
which tunnel randomly) to assist the
aspis. They will retreat before a stoutly
wielded open flame. Every round for 5
rounds after the ants first appear, 2 more
worker ants enter the chamber, until a total
of 10 have arrived. The entrances may be
temporarily blocked with any suitable
material (bundles of sacks, a full backpack,
a body, etc.). Each blockage requires 2
rounds for the ants to remove.

Along the south wall are 4 egg cases.
These have been collected after the larvae
have hatched, then cleaned and sewn back
together to form sacks. 3 of these cases
contain 100 pp each while the 4th contains
a +1 cloak ov protection, a potion ov
healing, and a scroll ov protection from petrifaction
(10' radius) (bone scroll case).

Giant cow: AC 7; MV 3"; HD <10>; hp 60/70;
#AT 1; 1; D 3-18 <optional: +5>
THACO 10
XP 2190/2330

6 Aspis drones: AC 2; MV 15"; HD 6; hp 40
each; #AT 2; D 1-4/1-4 or 1-10/1-10 with
halberd
THACO 13
XP 540 each, 3240 total

10 Giant warrior ants: AC 3; MV 18"; HD 3;
hp 18, 11, 13, 13, 15, 15, 15, 13, 11, 18;
#AT "1"; D 2-8 + additional poison sting attack (3-12/1-4)
THACO 16
XP 94, 73, 79, 79, 85, 85, 85, 79, 73, 94
XP 826 total

>>7.