Shirin

Denizens of the plane of Torment, Shirin are insect like creatures who fled the encroaching Paradox to the material plane. Like everything from the plane of Torment, the Shirin have no governing deity, rather they seem to have arisen naturally through centuries of mutation and evolution.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Shirin are bipedal humanoid insects with antennae and a sturdy carapace. Some have more than four limbs and many of them have low level psionic powers they use to communicate with each other.

Genetics and Reproduction

Shiren like all insects lay eggs. Being originally from hive like colonies, many shirin are sexless drones and only a small percentage of them are capable of reproduction.

Growth Rate & Stages

Starting as larvae, Shirin then go through metamorphosis where they enter a chrysalis and emerge as a fully grown Shirin.

Civilization and Culture

History

Shirin were once a hive mind. Dwelling in the plane of Torment, nothing challenged them and they became the rulers of the entire Wuld in their native plain. This wasn't enough for the ever growing hive, and they began sending scouts into the great expanse that encircles the Wuld in the plane of Torment. These scouts never returned.
Eventually they discovered why. They had attracted the attention of the warrior species known as the Paradox which came and rained fire from on high onto their hive cities. The Shirin fought with all their might but soon realized their efforts were fruitless. The psionic queens who kept the hive in order were slain one by one, breaking the neurological link between many Shirin and for the first time in their history, they experienced free will.
Newly freed Shirin mages gathered as many independent queens together along with reproductively capable drones and opened portals to the prime material plane. That way while most of their species would become slaves to the Paradox, a few would survive to rebuild.
The Shirin found themselves in the post Cataclysm Wuld, shortly after the War of the Dragon. And survive they did, and better than many of the species native to the prime material. Though they were never able to establish their own society, Shirin integrated quite well into the Celestial Alliance and the Clockwork Empire.