Thri-Kreen
Thri-kreen are insect like creatures native to Orpheus. Thri-kreen have two pairs of arms and 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.