Giant Mantis (Playable Race)

Now, by “Giant Mantis” we should probably clarify: by “giant” we mean “8-10 inches,” not “human-sized.” Those are mantids, not mantises. The giant mantis is just like its smaller Praying Mantis cousin, only slightly larger and comes in more colors. Sporting all seven colors in the rainbow, giant mantises are both beautiful to behold and dangerous in battle.
Many cultures among the Big People have theorized that the wider variety of colors is due to a latent magical connection in the giant mantis, and thus they are commonly kept as pets. The sprites know better: the mantis does have a natural connection with the magical realm beyond that of a normal creature, and thus they are rarely kept as pets. Sprites treat them as equals, and often work with the mantises that live near their colonies.
Armed with a thick carapace, two sturdy pinchers, and barbed arms for grasping and injuring its prey, the giant mantis is the first playable insect to date in Zurn (assuming the arachnotaur doesn’t count, which we’re willing to grant), but in a sourcebook like this it seems appropriate to include one. Females tend to be larger than the males, though the males tend to do more designing and planning.
Talking giant mantises have an aversion to the Arcane Lore, but may otherwise take spells normally.