Thri-Kreen

An instectoid race of bipedal arthropods, the hive-minded Thri-Kreen reside inside the smaller of Tellus' two moons, Luna. Their society is surprisingly peaceful and enlightened...as long as one is Thri-kreen. They can be very xenophobic, for good reason as it turns out, but it is still almost impossible for an outsider to get into the hive's territory. They will know, even if they do not resist. The hive's singular mind is ruled from the top by Queen Kha'chki, who doles out authority to her workers as necessary. Her workers then delegate drones and resources as necessary. They all communicate telepathically with each other, finding it difficult to produce the sounds necessary to speak Common or vocal languages, though they are indeed quite capable of it, if they practice.

Dangerously Xenophobic

The Thri-kreen of Luna have been assaulted their entire existence. Finding the place inhabited by the warlike and aggressive Orcs, the hive at the time had fervently wished to have crashed anywhere else. But. this moon it was, and that meant fighting. The Thri-kreen and Orcs have been at war now for over seven thousand years. The orcs, insisting they are trying to retake ancestral lands, are savage warriors. The Thri-kreen say they had no choice, and besides, they burrowed into the interior of the moon, inhabiting the dark and lifeless corridors and barracks that they came across. The orcs don't seem to care where on the moon they are. For their part, the Thri-kreen have told the orcs that if they stopped warring long enough, they could collect the raw materials needed to manufacture a vessel so they could leave forever. The orcs don't believe them, and raid their village nests howling with demonic bloodlust. The orcs have, in the past, pulled fast ones on the steadfast but gullible worker Thri-kreen. The entire kerfuffle has resulted in some seriously racist bugs.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Thri-kreen are multi-limbed bipedal creatures. They do not have a sense of self, or individual thought processes beyond the problem solving needed to complete their tasks. Also known as 'Mantis Warriors', these insectoids have six limbs connecting to their thorax; two as legs, another two as a set of 'main' arms, and finally two smaller arms that are used more in a support capacity. Antennae protrude from their triangular skulls, which are on the outside, seeing as how they all have chitinous exoskeletons.

Genetics and Reproduction

The queens of the village nests are the ultimate authority there, bowing only to the Queen of Queens. They are also the only fertile Thri-kreen, unless a male has been tagged as a potential mate. At such a time he taken and pampered; given only the best foods, and chitin massages with fine pungent oils. It is perhaps to garner some type of positive karma, because the queen that has chosen him Show Spoiler

is going to rip his limbs off, and plant the fertilized eggs in his still living abdomen. The hatchlings will devour him from inside the safety of his very own carapace.

He will nurture the developing children thusly, finally passing on when their meal is complete.

Growth Rate & Stages

They progress quickly to hungry hatchling, then lovable larva, followed by nymph and then voila...a worker!

Ecology and Habitats

They prefer a CO₂ rich environment, and create their nests in such a way as to maximize this, making it deadly for oxygen breathers. They have, however, evolved into a species that needs gravity to survive. They need to be subjected to the equivalent of .75 Gs or greater to survive.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The Thri-kreen are, in fact, omniverous. They lack many of the hang ups of the bipedal sapients of Tellus as to their food.

Biological Cycle

As they age, they do indeed learn and grow as individuals, which is not a valued trait amongst the hive minded Thri-kreen. Eventually, the elderly pass on to make way for the next generation.

Behaviour

Thri-kreen typically wear little to no clothing, opting instead for battle harnesses when soldiering, or bag harnesses and yokes while they are working.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Their society is a hive structure that has adapted as necessary to survive. They have changed from what they were when they crash landed on Luna; but they are stil Thri-kreen!

Domestication

You will be assimilated.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The queens ues the drones however they see fit. The drones are okay with this arrangement.

Facial characteristics

They have two multi faceted eyes that can see to the front, sides and back simultaneously; they have mandibles and grasping tendrils coming out of their mouths;

Geographic Origin and Distribution

They are completely alien to Tellus.

Average Intelligence

They are quite smart, but in a very different way than a human.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

They communicate telepathically they communicate telepathically, and garner a +2 bonus to perception due to their numbers and constant mental connection to their counterparts.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

With a precedent identifying nest and strain (family), usually of one syllable; and an antecedent following an apostrophe of possession, usually indicating clutch or queen. Example: Kat'chka .

Major Organizations

The hive. You will be assimilated.

Beauty Ideals

They wear very little in the way of clothing, preferring utilitarian harnesses and protective equipment.

Gender Ideals

The males only manifest as such when chosen by a queen. Until then, they are genderless drones.

Courtship Ideals

The queen points at a drone and says, "that one."

Relationship Ideals

She's only there for one thing, and she fucken knows it, man.

Average Technological Level

They are surprisingly advanced, and would be capable of building and using a vessel to take them away from the moon if they could ever stop fighting the orcs.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

They are inherently psionic, so communicate telepathically, but they can speak 'aloud' languages with practice.

Common Etiquette Rules

Don't let food go bad!

Common Dress Code

Harnesses and yokes and backpacks, oh my!

Common Taboos

Letting food go bad.

Historical Figures

All the queens are genetic reproductions of their mothers; clones, if you will. Each of them has been impoirtant for something or other. But only one 'male' Thri-kreen has ever made history; Kat'chka , the Philospher King.

Common Myths and Legends

The Great Flood is probably their biggest 'myth'. They are not much for such things, all being of the same mind as one another.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Only once, and the result has yet to be determined...

The mantis Queen by H Ogni

Scientific Name

Hymenoptera/arthropoda/vespidae/anthrikrine

Origin/Ancestry

Crash landed on the moon Luna, according to their histories (and their queen!)

Lifespan

29-35

Average Height

4.5' - 7'

Average Weight

100 to 375 lbs.

Average Physique

They will shed their carapace for a new one as they grow larger.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

They are a light brown, ranging to dusky yellow, or (rarely) light green.

Discovered by

Kat'chka