Thri-Kreen
Thri-kreen have insectile features and two pairs of arms. Their bodies are encased in protective chitin. They can alter the coloration of this carapace to blend in with their natural surroundings. Although thri-kreen don’t sleep, they do require periods of inactivity to revitalize themselves. During these periods, they are fully aware of what’s happening around them. Thri-kreen speak by clacking their mandibles and waving their antennae, indicating to other thri-kreen what they are thinking and feeling. Other creatures find this method of communication difficult to interpret and impossible to duplicate. To interact with other folk, thri-kreen rely on a form of telepathy.
Thri-kreen resemble a giant praying mantis (some subspecies beetle variations), bipedal and standing 4.5–7 feet (1.4–2.1 meters) high and weighing 100–375 pounds (45–170 kilograms a full-grown adult averaged at 6 feet (1.8 meters) and 200 pounds (90 kilograms). They had exoskeletons over their entire bodies. They had six limbs protruding from their thorax: two for walking and four for use as arms, ending in four-fingered claw-like hands capable of tool- and weapon-use. Their insectoid heads had two black, multi-faceted compound eyes; two small antennae sprouting from the top; and a complex jaw structure with large sharp mandibles. It was extremely difficult to distinguish the males and females. The carapace of a thri-kreen was typically a sandy yellow in hue, but could vary from a sandy brown to a pale green color, as best suited the environment. This enabled thri-kreen to blend in with the dry savannas and grasslands they dwelled in.
Thri-kreen wore little to no clothing or armor. Instead, they wore only simple leather belts, harnesses, or slings to hold their food, equipment, and weaponry, and only as much as they needed. They did not make or wear any kind of adornments. Thri-kreen had superior physical abilities compared to a human, with high strength and great agility. They were faster on their feet, and naturally and supremely good at jumping. They were quick enough to deflect or dodge an incoming projectile. Their carapace was naturally armored, being tough and resistant to impact, and its sandy color helped them hide in sandy or barren landscapes. Thri-kreen typically grew to be skilled in their senses, hiding, jumping, climbing, and balancing. A thri-kreen's four claws and a bite from its mandibles were dangerous natural weapons. They secreted a paralyzing poison from their mouths, sufficient for a single venomous bite per day. This could hamper a victim's agility, or cause paralysis for several minutes.
Thri-kreen were naturally psionic beings, possessing psionic energy and knowing innately a number of powers. A thri-kreen could manifest the powers chameleon and know direction and location thrice each per day, and greater concealing amorpha and metaphysical claw once each per day. They could see in the dark through darkvision, and did not sleep at all, making them immune to sleep spells and the like.When hunting prey, thri-kreen used their natural and unnatural camouflage abilities to get close and observe. They always spared the time to prepare, using their psionic powers to boost their defensive and offensive capability. They then quickly closed the distance with their speed and jumping prowess, but if the fight went against them, they retreated just as quickly, using their camouflage to hide once more. In melee, the mantis warriors were whirlwinds of violence, preferring their four claws and venomous bites, but also wielding strange weapons. The thri-kreen primarily fought with two types of weapons unique to their kind: the gythka, a double-ended, crescent-headed polearm; and the chatkcha, a crystalline throwing wedge. With four arms, a thri-kreen could wield two gythkas or throw up to four chatkchas at a time. As exotic as these weapons were, they came naturally to trained mantis warriors.
They had very nomadic lifestyles, with packs journeying great distances within their extensive territories over their relatively short lifespans. Permanent settlements of thri-kreen were completely unheard of. Thri-kreen packs spent their days foraging and hunting for the food and other supplies they need to survive. They could survive on relatively little food and water, and were carnivorous, pursuing a variety of creatures as prey. Thri-kreen tribes hunted rabbits, horses (which they considered a delicacy), and other herd beasts. They also especially enjoyed the taste of elves. Leftover meat they dried and saved to eat later, but when times were tough, they would eat carrion or even cannibalize each other, even their young.
Sometimes—usually requested by a thri-kreen leader, but not always—a thri-kreen left their pack to explore lands outside their territory, on the basis that the information gained would be useful for the pack's survival. Such lone thri-kreen often fell in with others who wandered the land, simply in order to survive. In the process, they learned their ways and bonded with them, adopting them as new clutch-mates. Most became caravan guards across the plains, but rarely a wandering thri-kreen joined with an adventuring party.
Thri-kreen resemble a giant praying mantis (some subspecies beetle variations), bipedal and standing 4.5–7 feet (1.4–2.1 meters) high and weighing 100–375 pounds (45–170 kilograms a full-grown adult averaged at 6 feet (1.8 meters) and 200 pounds (90 kilograms). They had exoskeletons over their entire bodies. They had six limbs protruding from their thorax: two for walking and four for use as arms, ending in four-fingered claw-like hands capable of tool- and weapon-use. Their insectoid heads had two black, multi-faceted compound eyes; two small antennae sprouting from the top; and a complex jaw structure with large sharp mandibles. It was extremely difficult to distinguish the males and females. The carapace of a thri-kreen was typically a sandy yellow in hue, but could vary from a sandy brown to a pale green color, as best suited the environment. This enabled thri-kreen to blend in with the dry savannas and grasslands they dwelled in.
Thri-kreen wore little to no clothing or armor. Instead, they wore only simple leather belts, harnesses, or slings to hold their food, equipment, and weaponry, and only as much as they needed. They did not make or wear any kind of adornments. Thri-kreen had superior physical abilities compared to a human, with high strength and great agility. They were faster on their feet, and naturally and supremely good at jumping. They were quick enough to deflect or dodge an incoming projectile. Their carapace was naturally armored, being tough and resistant to impact, and its sandy color helped them hide in sandy or barren landscapes. Thri-kreen typically grew to be skilled in their senses, hiding, jumping, climbing, and balancing. A thri-kreen's four claws and a bite from its mandibles were dangerous natural weapons. They secreted a paralyzing poison from their mouths, sufficient for a single venomous bite per day. This could hamper a victim's agility, or cause paralysis for several minutes.
Thri-kreen were naturally psionic beings, possessing psionic energy and knowing innately a number of powers. A thri-kreen could manifest the powers chameleon and know direction and location thrice each per day, and greater concealing amorpha and metaphysical claw once each per day. They could see in the dark through darkvision, and did not sleep at all, making them immune to sleep spells and the like.When hunting prey, thri-kreen used their natural and unnatural camouflage abilities to get close and observe. They always spared the time to prepare, using their psionic powers to boost their defensive and offensive capability. They then quickly closed the distance with their speed and jumping prowess, but if the fight went against them, they retreated just as quickly, using their camouflage to hide once more. In melee, the mantis warriors were whirlwinds of violence, preferring their four claws and venomous bites, but also wielding strange weapons. The thri-kreen primarily fought with two types of weapons unique to their kind: the gythka, a double-ended, crescent-headed polearm; and the chatkcha, a crystalline throwing wedge. With four arms, a thri-kreen could wield two gythkas or throw up to four chatkchas at a time. As exotic as these weapons were, they came naturally to trained mantis warriors.
They had very nomadic lifestyles, with packs journeying great distances within their extensive territories over their relatively short lifespans. Permanent settlements of thri-kreen were completely unheard of. Thri-kreen packs spent their days foraging and hunting for the food and other supplies they need to survive. They could survive on relatively little food and water, and were carnivorous, pursuing a variety of creatures as prey. Thri-kreen tribes hunted rabbits, horses (which they considered a delicacy), and other herd beasts. They also especially enjoyed the taste of elves. Leftover meat they dried and saved to eat later, but when times were tough, they would eat carrion or even cannibalize each other, even their young.
Sometimes—usually requested by a thri-kreen leader, but not always—a thri-kreen left their pack to explore lands outside their territory, on the basis that the information gained would be useful for the pack's survival. Such lone thri-kreen often fell in with others who wandered the land, simply in order to survive. In the process, they learned their ways and bonded with them, adopting them as new clutch-mates. Most became caravan guards across the plains, but rarely a wandering thri-kreen joined with an adventuring party.
Basic Information
Genetics and Reproduction
Thri-kreen mated in the spring. The females dug egg chambers and laid clutches of up to 120 eggs, before reburying and abandoning it. The eggs hatched in mid-summer; the larvae looked like miniature adult thri-kreen. They survived on instinct alone, discovering hunting and tool-making skills and how to survive, but 90% of larvae perished before reaching adulthood after only 5 or 6 summers.
Growth Rate & Stages
Thri-kreen were short-lived; if they survived their harsh lives, they could be considered middle-aged at 12 or 16, old by 18 to 20, and truly venerable at 25. No thri-kreen lived past 35 by natural means.
Ecology and Habitats
Thri-kreen preferred climates that were dry and warm, but could manage in temperate conditions. They also favored arid and open landscapes that provided places where they could easily camouflage themselves, such as against dry grass, sand dunes, and rock. Thus they could be found in deserts, grasslands, plains, savannas, and scrublands, places many other folk would see as uninhabitable. When they did rest, they dug lairs that were little more than bare and lightless holes in the ground.
Dietary Needs and Habits
They could survive on relatively little food and water, and were carnivorous, pursuing a variety of creatures as prey. Thri-kreen tribes hunted rabbits, horses (which they considered a delicacy), and other herd beasts. They also especially enjoyed the taste of elves. Leftover meat they dried and saved to eat later, but when times were tough, they would eat carrion or even cannibalize each other, even their young.
Behaviour
Thri-kreen had no clear or definable personalities as humans would know them. No emotions could be discerned from their insectoid faces or their patterns of behavior, though rapid twitching of their antennae or mandibles indicated agitation. Acting spontaneously, they were unpredictable and always of chaotic alignment, showing no inclination toward good or evil. These traits made them utterly alien and inscrutable to other races, and folk unfamiliar with them regarded them as savage and brutal monsters.
Their alien thought patterns made it hard for them to understand the advanced concepts or sophisticated social rules of other races. They lacked ideas of devotion, honor, or loyalty, but they respected skill and strength and recognized the convenience of working with talented hunting companions. They maintained no traditions, and saw no benefit in the traditions of others. They valued little that humanoids made. In fact, thri-kreen simply viewed themselves and other beings in terms of the relationship between predator and prey. They saw themselves as noble hunters, and were wholly focused on survival and the basic needs of existence, a life in which the weak died and the strong survived. They were not cruel or evil if they had no need to be, but nor did they go out of their way to aid others if they did not have to. By instinct, they saw humanoid beings as food first and as trading partners or allies second.
Their alien thought patterns made it hard for them to understand the advanced concepts or sophisticated social rules of other races. They lacked ideas of devotion, honor, or loyalty, but they respected skill and strength and recognized the convenience of working with talented hunting companions. They maintained no traditions, and saw no benefit in the traditions of others. They valued little that humanoids made. In fact, thri-kreen simply viewed themselves and other beings in terms of the relationship between predator and prey. They saw themselves as noble hunters, and were wholly focused on survival and the basic needs of existence, a life in which the weak died and the strong survived. They were not cruel or evil if they had no need to be, but nor did they go out of their way to aid others if they did not have to. By instinct, they saw humanoid beings as food first and as trading partners or allies second.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Thri-kreen were distinctly not social in nature. Each thri-kreen developed deep personal attachments to only a small handful of other thri-kreen, their clutch-mates. They would defend these companions at all costs, even at the cost of their own lives. All creatures outside this small band were viewed as strangers and enemies, though a wandering thri-kreen didn't advertise such beliefs for the sake of peace. They formed small and independent packs, almost always of their clutch-mates, but sometimes lone young thri-kreen or survivors of failed packs would join existing packs or find each other and establish new packs. Rarely, a few packs would ally to combine their strength when they faced a more dangerous threat.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Some collectors valued thri-kreen harnesses and their exotic weapons. Some trophy-hunters even mounted whole thri-kreen exoskeletons for display, even having them magically animated like undead skeletons. A thri-kreen's head could even be hollowed out and worn as a helmet or mask.
Civilization and Culture
History
The Great Calamity / The Heliocide had a profound affect on all races inhabiting Astara, fundamentally changing the way many cultures survived. The majority populous of many races were wiped out entirely, and those that survived were left in utter desolation. The years following the Calamity consisted of mass migrations of displaced cultures, forced to move somewhere safe or intact to start anew. During this time, alliances were forged and broken, ancient treaties abandoned, and a lawless chaos ensued. Most were desperate, and resorted to whatever measures necessary to survive. This greatly impacted the behavior of not only individuals, but cultures as a whole, as seen with the re-emergence of unsavory practices like cults, slavery and cannibalism. As such many races had evolved throughout the calamity, some only vaguely resembling their former selves. See below for some important distinctions of this race:
The Thri-Kreen have always existed, however most of Astara did not know this until the Calamity. Due to the destruction, the calamity left World Scars in its wake, massive chasms and fissures from which the Thri-Kreen emerged from their hives deep underground.
To learn more, try Researching
The Thri-Kreen have always existed, however most of Astara did not know this until the Calamity. Due to the destruction, the calamity left World Scars in its wake, massive chasms and fissures from which the Thri-Kreen emerged from their hives deep underground.
To learn more, try Researching
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Predictably, it was also very difficult for thri-kreen to deal with others, and they were hard to negotiate with. They neither avoided nor sought out other races, but merely existed alongside them, sharing territory with or without conflict. They appreciated folk who lived off the land, respectfully hunted prey, and cared for the environment. Farmers and city-dwellers were seen as "not-hunters", not worthy of attention nor hostility. However, those who overhunted, despoiled the land, or otherwise wasted natural resources, such as goblins, orcs, and others, were seen as dangers to be driven off or destroyed. A thri-kreen pack would attack without pause or consideration for their own safety. They typically did not attack without provocation, however, there would always be some vicious examples—as in any species—who would attack and kill strangers without pause or thought, purely for the sake of it. Either way, when they did attack, it was without mercy or guilt.
Humanoid nations sometimes made alliances with thri-kreen neighbors that encouraged the mantis warriors to oppose folk from a rival nation or assist in some activity, if they could be persuaded. Some collectors valued thri-kreen harnesses and their exotic weapons. Some trophy-hunters even mounted whole thri-kreen exoskeletons for display, even having them magically animated like undead skeletons. A thri-kreen's head could even be hollowed out and worn as a helmet or mask.
Humanoid nations sometimes made alliances with thri-kreen neighbors that encouraged the mantis warriors to oppose folk from a rival nation or assist in some activity, if they could be persuaded. Some collectors valued thri-kreen harnesses and their exotic weapons. Some trophy-hunters even mounted whole thri-kreen exoskeletons for display, even having them magically animated like undead skeletons. A thri-kreen's head could even be hollowed out and worn as a helmet or mask.
Lifespan
25 - 35 years
Average Height
4'5" - 7'
Average Weight
100 - 375 lbs
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