Mantling
The largest and most deadly of the Enthos, the Mantlings combine the viciousness of a mantis with the grace of a grasshopper. They craft large underground villages where they train to be powerful warriors.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Mantlings have large forearm claws that they can quickly lunge at foes with, and retain a semblance of the wings that mantis youth are born with, allowing them to glide downwards.
Genetics and Reproduction
Mantlings lay large egg sacks on walls and ceilings that each hold multitudes of young. During the hatching processes, these young enter a frenzy state and eat their way out of the sacks, consuming each other in the process. This means that only the strongest of mantlings emerge from the sacks, usually only two or three per sack successfully hatch unharmed. Those that manage to hatch wounded are given a year to see how they develop; should those wounds prove too detrimental to its growth, it is slain and eaten.
Growth Rate & Stages
Mantling are born without limbs; only having small tendrils that can grip carved surfaces and have wings and a stinger for limited mobility and protection. As they age, these tendrils grow into their limbs and their wings shrink before they reach adulthood at 10 years of age.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Mantlings are both carnivorous and cannibalistic, as a common punishment for those who fail the tribe is to be eaten by other tribe members. They also enjoy adding pollen to their meals as a form of spice.
Biological Cycle
Due to most villages existing far beneath the earth, mantling life is unaffected by seasonal change, but many mantlings who travel to the surface often suffer ill effects during the winter, as their bodies are not well adapted to the cold.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Mantling tribes are ruled over by the three strongest females of the tribe, known as the battle tribunal.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Nearly all mantlings dwell in The Underrealm, near pockets of geothermal vents, but some tribes dwell in the deep forests of Ardlam.
Average Intelligence
Mantlings care only for physical strength, and only think for the purposes of tactics in battle.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Mantlings have darkvision and the ability to see in low-light conditions, but some mantling tribes dwell so deep under the earth that the range of their darkvision greatly increases at the cost of their ability to see in daylight.
Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms
Mantlings breed large both giant mantis and giant locust for use as mounts, battle companions, and food.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
In Enthos, Mantlings refer to their own species based on gender, with females being refered to as ᵑǂ̤oǀʰuᵑǀ̤ᶢǀ̤oᶢǀ̤u; roughly translating into warrior daughter, while males are referred to as ᵑǀuǀu, which directly translates to male.
Beauty Ideals
Mantlings love showing off the scars they receive in battle, viewing them as a mark of pride. They will often intricately color or tattoo this markings to better accentuate them and to remember the battle of which they were earned.
Gender Ideals
Due to their slightly larger forms, female mantlings are the rulers of mantling society, and have the permission to eat mates who disappoint them.
Courtship Ideals
Mantlings invoke duels with each other for the right to mate, generally brought on by the female. The loser of the duel must submit to the others advances, and a given female can have any number of mates at a time. If one instigates a duel and then loses, it is within the winners rights to take existing mates or other items from them.
Relationship Ideals
Mantlings are harsh and brutal creatures, caring little for things other than the advancement of tribes battle strength. Mantling warriors often bond with each other in the thick of battle, and a mantling who loses to another (especially an non-mantling) often gains an obsession with reclaiming victory over that foe.
Average Technological Level
Mantlings view those who rely on technology as soft and weak, preferring to rend foes with their claws or with primitive weapons carved from stone and bone. Thusly, they have made little in the way of technological advancements save for those pertaining to war.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
Mantlings loathe academic pursuits, and thus a vast majority speak only Enthos. The few mantlings that speak extra languages can be found speaking Common, Hive-Dance, Terran, and Undercommon.
Common Etiquette Rules
Mantlings often greet each other by clasping forearms and attempting an arm wrestle of sorts, to constantly test their strength against each other and see measure each others improvements.
Common Dress Code
Mantlings bodies are ill suited towards clothing, and they care little for the comfort of other creatures, and thus mantlings often wear little-to-no clothing. They often done armor made of bones or exoskeleton to wear in battle
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
Mantlings place enpathis on trials and dues, and mantis youth must partake in many such trials to prove their worth to the tribe. Mantlings often travel outside of tribal territory in order to test their strength against other creatures and races in The Underrealm. A mantling who loses a duel to a non-mantling may not return until they reclaim their victory, and thus will often accompany the offender on their travels until they can receive a victorious rematch.
Common Taboos
A mantis youth who continuously fails its trials will often be eaten or cast out of the village after being ritually mutilated, as well as any mantling who shows cowardice in battle. Mantlings distrust arcane magic, and view it as for only those who can not master themselves.
Common Myths and Legends
Most mantlings worship their patron demigods, a trio of mantlings known as the Sisters of War; Mea, Nit, and Ios. Mea holds sway over the birth and training of warriors, Nit brings glory to warriors in the heat of battle and is the leader of the trio, and Ios holds the souls of the races honored dead.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Mantlings view themselves as physically superior to other races, and think most races are weaklings who rely far too much on magic or technology. Being fiercely territorial, mantlings don’t get along with any of the other Enthos race, but they have a special animosity to the Weaverlings, due to their territory bordering each other and the weaverlings penchant to arcane magic. Mantlings have great respect for the subterranean Ursan, the Urtos, who have great strength and ferocity. Mantlings who venture up to the surface world often fall in with Orc raiders, as they both respect martial power.
Racial Table - Mantling: Hit Dice: D8; Class Skills: Acrobatics, Climb, Fly, Perception, Survival; Skill Ranks Per Level: 2 + Intelligence modifier; Weapon Proficiency: Martial, plus natural attacks; Armor Proficiency: Light
| Level | BAB | Fort | Reflex | Will | Abilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +0 | +2 | +0 | +0 | Claws, Cornered Fury, Vermin Empathy, Vestigial Wings |
| 2nd | +1 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Lunge |
| 3rd | +2 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Challenger, Claw Increase |
| 4th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Mobility, +1 Strength, +1 Dexterity |
| 5th | +3 | +4 | +1 | +1 | Claw Increase, Mental Fortitude |
Random Starting Ages
| Adulthood | Intuitve1 | Self-Taught2 | Trained3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | +1d4 years (11 - 14) | +1d6 years (11 - 16) | +1d8 years (11 - 18) |
Random Height and Weight
| Gender | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 4 ft. | +2d8 in. (4 ft. 2 in. - 5 ft. 4 in.) | 90 lbs. | +(2d8 lbs.) (92 - 122 lbs.) |
| Female | 4 ft. 2 in. | +2d8 in. (4 ft. 4 in. - 5 ft. 6 in.) | 100 lbs. | +(2d8 lbs.) (102 - 132 lbs.) |
Mantling Aging Table
| Middle Age (-1 to Str, Dex, and Con, +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha) | Old (-2 to Str, Dex, and Con, +2 to Int, Wis, and Cha) | Venerable (-3 to Str, Dex, and Con, +3 to Int, Wis, and Cha) | Maximum Age (GM secretly decides maximum age) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 years | 30 years | 40 years | 40 + 1d10 years (41 - 50 years) |
Random Mantling Homelands
| % Rolled | Homeland | Trait Gained |
|---|---|---|
| 01-60 | Subterranean | Surface Stranger |
| 61-75 | Forest | Undergrowth Specialist |
| 76-84 | Mountain | Indelible Ire |
| 85-93 | Desert | Mantis Bleeding |
| 94-00 | Unusual Homeland | (Roll on Unusual Homeland table) |
Random Mantling Families
| % Rolled | Parental Status |
|---|---|
| 01-40 | Both of your parents are dead |
| 41-80 | Only Mother is alive |
| 81-95 | Both of your parents are alive |
| 96-00 | Only Father is alive |
| % Rolled | # of Siblings |
|---|---|
| 01-40 | 1d6-1 Siblings |
| 41-60 | 1d4-1 Siblings |
| 61-80 | 1d3-1 Siblings |
| 81-93 | 1d2-1 Siblings |
| 94-00 | No siblings |
by @miz0mei on twitter
Lifespan
41 - 50 years; although few mantlings make it to 30 before dying in battle.
Average Height
4 ft. 2 in. - 5 ft. 6 in.
Average Weight
94 - 132 lbs.
Average Physique
Mantlings are swift and strong, able to race across battlefields and cleave foes with their deadly claws.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Most mantlings are green in coloration, but grey, brown and even blue colorations exist.
Geographic Distribution
Mantling
Type
Vermin (Enthos)
Ability Score Modifier
+2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence. Mantlings are proud warriors, but take little stock in the pursuit of knowledge.
Size
medium
Speed
Mantlings have a base speed of 30 feet and a climb speed of 10 feet.
Language
A mantiling begins play speaking Enthos. A mantling with a high intelligence score can pick from the following languages: Common, Hive-dance, Terran or Undercommon.
- Materil: Mantlings can be tied to either the Earth or Hate Materil, allowing them to become Earthbreakers or Hatecrafters.
- Darkvision: Mantlings can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.
- Low-light Vision: Mantlings can see twice as far as humans in low-light conditions.
- Claws: A mantling has two claw attacks that deal 1d4 points of damage. These claws are primary natural attacks. The damage of these claws increases to 1d6 at 3rd racial level and 1d8 at 5th racial level.
- Cornered Fury: A mantling that is at less than half hit points and has no conscious allies within 30 feet of it gains a +2 racial bonus on melee attack and damage rolls.
- Vermin Empathy: All enthos can utilize the Handle Animal skill on vermin creatures, despite them being mindless. An enthos spellcaster can cast spells that normally only affect animals on a vermin creature, and enthos druids can utilize wild empathy on vermin as if they were normal animals. An enthos gains a +4 racial bonus to handling vermin of a similar nature to them.
- Vestigial Wings: Mantlings are born with wings but lose them as they age, retaining only a smaller set of vestigial wings. These wings grant a +2 racial bonus on Fly checks and reduce any falling damage the mantling takes by 1d6.
- Lunge: At 2nd racial level, a mantling gains Lunge as a bonus feat, even if it doesn't meet the prerequisites.
- Challenger (Ex): Starting at 3rd racial level, if a mantling has an ability that designates a single foe, such as a cavaliers challenge class feature or a paladin's smite evil class feature, a mantling can use that ability an additional time each day. If an enemy uses such an ability on the mantling, the mantling gains a +2 racial bonus to its Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution score for as long as the effect lasts.
- Mobility: At 4th racial level, a mantling gains Mobility as a bonus feat, even if it doesn’t meet the prerequisites.
- Mental Fortitude (Ex): At 5th racial level, a mantling becomes immune to all harmful magical mind effects.
Alternate Racial Traits
- Climbing Claws: Some mantlings specialize in utilizing their claws as picks to climb with. They gain a +8 racial bonus to Climb checks, don’t risk falling when taking damage while climbing, and can climb at their full speed without taking a penalty to their AC. This trait replaces the Vestigial Wings trait.
- Undersight: Some mantlings have eyes that have adjusted to living in only darkness. These mantlings lack low-light vision and have darkvision of 120 feet, but have the light blindness trait. This trait alters the mantlings senses
- Wings: Some mantlings retain their childhood wings at the expense of their agility. They gain a fly speed of 30 feet with poor maneuverability (a -4 on Fly checks). This trait replaces the Cornered Fury and Vestigial Wings traits.
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