Insectoid

The Insectoids are a species of humanoid insects that emerged in Yorn, the Clay region. Their sudden arrival from seemingly nowhere was as mysterious as it was disruptive. Initially, Insectoids lived as pheromone-controlled drones within highly structured hives ruled by powerful queens. These hives operated with relentless efficiency, driven by a voracious need to expand and consume resources. Over time, however, a significant shift occurred within their species. Some Insectoids began to break free from the pheromone control of their queens, developing free will and individuality. Many now live scattered throughout Yorn and beyond, integrating into diverse societies or forming their own independent communities. Insectoids, across the board, are humanoid in nature. They have at minimum four limbs, but it is much more common for them to have six; however, this extra pair is typically vestigial in nature. Some have been known to have even more than this. Their appearances seem to vary on a vast scale due to how the numerous insect anatomies they stem from differ, though they are all still essentially of the same "species." Traits within the Insectoid community appear in various ways, such as an ant-like Insectoid being small but with musculature able to carry things much heavier than itself or a beetle-looking Insectoid having a sturdier exoskeleton and chitin production. Antenna, mandible-like appendages within their mouths, compound eyes, tails, wings, thorns, and several other classically insect-like features may present themselves within insectoid populations.

History

The Insectoids emerged and rapidly evolved millennia ago in the northern part of Yorn, the Clay Region. They quickly established vast, bustling hives, their ambition matched only by their voracious nature. Driven by an innate need to expand, these hives consumed resources relentlessly, often clashing with the tribes and villages in the region. Their aggressive territorial encroachment and insatiable hunger for growth made them feared and hated adversaries. However, a significant divergence occurred centuries ago in the southern reaches of Yorn. Insectoids in this area began to lose the pheromone-driven subservience to their hives that defined their northern cousins. Freed from the hive’s control, these Insectoids developed independent thought and free will, allowing them to break away from the rigid structure of hive society. These "freed" Insectoids began integrating into non-Insectoid communities, proving their adaptability and individuality. Over time, many were accepted into human settlements, even among the demon-like Defleo of Detoya. Their unique skills and resourcefulness often earned them places of value in these societies, helping to reshape perceptions of their species. Today, while northern Insectoids remain locked in their hive-driven ways, the freed southern Insectoids symbolize a different path—a blend of their biological heritage and the potential for coexistence. This duality continues to define the species, with northern hives seen as a reminder of their origins and the southern Insectoids as a testament to their capacity for evolution and integration.

Geography

Insectfolk originate from Yorn; most live in broods or communities throughout Grotague. However, other clutches have made their way abroad, mostly within the last century or two, living in small secluded pockets in Azmith, Suna, and Astana.

Relations & Society

In an intriguing fundamental staple of their kind, insectoids live lives that both highly pursue individual self-expression as well as value communal structures. Their breakage away from the rigid structures of Queen-controlled insectoid hives has instilled a sort of inherent zeal for making the most of their individuality. This has historically meant many insectoids branch out into any number of occupations and skills and can become fascinated with things they have yet to understand. As far as living amongst others, many insectoids tend to carry on a pseudo-communal mentality. Many value the resourcefulness of a trustworthy and reliable community, and this mentality seems to stem from much of their kind. Historically, the defleo of Detoya was the first community to accept them during the infancy of the freed members of their race, two wayward groups who understood the struggles of being spurned by the common folk. This connection still persists to this day, with both cultures commonly referring to each other with amicable terms.

Related Articles

Ambrosia: A Hive Perspective

Ancestry: Animal Folk
Lifespan: Varies (30-40 years)
Adulthood: Varies (15 years)
Average Height (m.): 1.2m to 1.9m
Average Weight (kg.): 27kg to 112kg
Type: Invertebrate
Blood: Varies
Contributors: Kashii, Taylorzilla, Yuii

Passive Ideas

Hive defender - This being has spiny spikes or a bumpy carapace on the back or other part of its body. It can be used in self-defense, much like standard leather armor. It does make it harder however to wear pieces of armor or clothing not specifically made for your body type, and if you're wearing manufactured armor, it gets in the way of your natural carapace doing it's job, and does not add to your defense.
Pollenator - You have a knack for working with flowering plants, which were a big food source for you and your hive back in the day. Alternativley, you may have a special organ that allows you to process nectar of flowering plants into a sweet and safe to eat honey. You likely can't make more than one jar's worth out of 10 fertile flowers, and the process likely takes a session to process in your organ, ready at the start of the following session.
Silk - This being can produce fine silk from their own body. While not strong enough to trap creatures or support a person's weight, it can be used to make clothing that can help regulate temperature or hold together a broken object like string or twine. A spool of up to 1 meter of string can be made in a day and only as long as you've eaten a hearty meal beforehand.