Necrites

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Necrites

The beetle soldier runs as fast as his little legs can carry him. He has to get to the village before it's too late. He hears the trampling of thousands of feet behind him, but he can't look back. He has to make it. Suddenly, he trips and falls flat on the ground. He doesn't have the strength to go on. He looks up at his village on the horizon. His vision fades as thousands of white bodies run past him. The last thing he sees is his home being torn apart by the white flood.

Tiny and Ravenous

Most would describe a necrite as a tiny ball of fury. Necrites resemble humanoid termites that average only slightly over 3 feet tall, their relatively large head making up about a third of their height. These proportions would look silly on most creatures, but the enormous mandibles of necrites make them more terrifying than comical. Necrites use these mighty pincers as weapons and as tools for burrowing through solid rock and dirt.
Their exoskeleton's coloration is usually a milky white or light brown, though their head ranges from darker shades of brown to reddish hues. The tiny and frail frame of necrites is deceiving: they are ravenous and brutal, often wielding weapons as large as themselves with tremendous speed. An opponent that underestimates a necrite will quickly be crushed between their mandibles.

Brutal Order

Necrites are incredibly selfish and egocentric creatures. Their goal in life is to achieve a position where they hold power over others. However, this does not mean that necrites are uncultured savages. On the contrary, most necrites favor order over chaos to maximize their personal gain. Through brutal laws and rigid caste structures, each individual necrite wants to further their power, even if it's at the expense of their own kin. As a result, only their closest relatives and allies can avoid their bloodlust.

The White Flood

The nature of necrites makes it almost inevitable that they form massive empires. These kingdoms are ruled by the strongest or most cunning of their kind. However, these tyrants are possibly the most paranoid, for every one of their subjects wants to usurp them. Thus, the tyrants of necritian empires rule either with brutal force, cunning manipulation, or fear.
Even though necritian tyrants rarely treat their subjects well, they manage to unite whole nations under their cause by appealing to their most basic desire: superiority. The hostility necrites show their own kin is nothing to what they do to other races. The White Flood is a terrifying sight to behold, as thousands upon thousands of white bodies crash into towns and cities, tearing everything and everyone they touch to shreds. It is on this united bloodlust that necritian empires are built upon.

Necrite Traits

You are one of many and as such share a number of traits with your countless siblings.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2 and your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Age. Necrites are many in numbers and age just as fast. They reach adulthood when their 12 years old, but only a few of them are getting over the age of 60.
Alignment. Most Necrites live their lives in eternal servitude of their countless empires. They live by a strict set of laws, but always try to rise up the ranks by any means necessary. They are very hostile creatures. Your alignment tends to be lawful and evil.
Size. Necrites are small but strong, standing around 3 to 4 feet in height. Your size is Small.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 35 feet.
Natural Diggers. You gain a burrowing speed of 20 feet. You can breathe normally while burrowed and conscious.
Bite. Your jaws are a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Bloodlust. On your turn, when you make an unarmed strike with your Bite attack or reduce a creature to 0 hit points with an attack, you can use your bonus action to move up half your speed and make a melee weapon or Bite attack.
Iron Stomach. You are immune to poisons or diseases that would affect you through ingestion. You can also sustain yourself by consuming wood or plant fiber. Each pound of wood you consume counts as one ration.
Languages. You speak Common, Insect-Common, and Necritian. Their language consists of aggressive sounding clicks and hisses.