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Writer's pictureUncharted North

91 Thri-Kreen

Introduction

James: Devil’s Horse Freeman: Mantis

Book: MM 288


D&D Lore

Appearance

· Resembles a giant, bi-pedal praying mantis

o 1.4-2.1m / 4.6-7’ tall

o 90 kg / 200#

· Exoskeletons that cover their bodies

o Varies from sandy brown, yellow to pale green

o Used as a camouflage to help them blend in to their environments

· 6 limbs coming from their thorax

o 2 for walking



o 4 for tool use ending in 4 fingered claws

· Insectoid heads with 2 small eyes, antennae, a complex jaw and sharp mandibles

o Secrete a paralyzing poison from their mouths but only enough for 1 venomous bite pre day

· Average life span of 29-35 years

· Wear little clothing or amor but have been seen with belts, bandoliers and harness or slings

o Used to hold food, gear and weapons as they need

o Completely utilitarian

· Their gear was prized by some collectors

· A head could be hollowed out and worn as a helmet or mask


History

· An ancient race predating humans and mindlayers by millions of years

· Thousands of years before recorded time

· Spread all over the crystal sphere and known as People of the Celestial Mantis

· Ancient poetry contained detailed creation notes referring to a race called the Juna

o A lost race of the wildspace known as the lost gods

· Strongly religious and worshiped the Mantis God of the Eternal Lotus


Abilities

· Higher strength and agility to a human

· Quick on their feet and good jumpers



· Typically heightened senses – hiding jumping, climbing, balancing

· Naturally psionic

o Have psionic energy and a number of innate powers

· Do not sleep at all and have great eyesight in the dark

· Meaning they tend to get close and observe when hunting

· They take time to prepare and user their psionic powers to boost their abilities

· Use their mandibles and claws in combat

o Sometimes seen using weapons

o Gythka – double-ended crescent headed pole arm

§ Very similar to the Gekken Pole arm used int eh Quing Dynasty

o Chatkcha [CAT-k-cha] – a three pointed triangle throwing weapon made from crystalline material

§ Basically a modernized ninja star or fidget spinner (not rooted in antiquity as far as I can tell)

Society



· No clear gender, personality or emotions

o Through rapid antennae twitching signalled annoyance

· No actually C alignment just not inclination or identified knowledge of good and evil making them inscrutable and lumped in as chaotic

· See themselves as noble hunters focused on existence

o Initially saw humanoids as food, then as trading partners then as allies

· Hard to negotiate with as the don’t seek out other races nor do they value anything that humans make

· Farmers & cities seen as “not-hunters” and therefore not worthy of their attention

· Those who despoiled land or wasted resources were seen as a threat and driven off

· When they do attack they kill without mercy or guilt

· No religion to speak of but druids would server as spiritual leaders

o Usually deities like Silvanus the Oak Father and Malar the Hunter Master

· Have their own language called Thri-Kreen made of whistles, snaps and clicks

· Are capable of speaking other languages and would typically pick it up if their pack lived closed to another civilization


Cultural Lore



Mantises

· AKA Devil’s Horses (Ozarks, 1900s)

· Mantis – prophet, eidos meaning type because the greeks thought it had the ability to point a lost traveller home

· In ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead the “bird-fly” is a minor god

· 2 separate mantis marital arts – Northern and Southern

· Two bulbous compound eyes, three small simple eyes, antennae, and extra flexible neck and a beak like snout with mandibles

· Two spiked rasping forelegs (raptorial legs) and four posterior legs for balance and climbing

· If not of the wingless type of mantis they have four wings

· Stereo vision giving them a depth perception akin to humans

· Ambush predators preferring arthropods – spiders, scorpions, caterpillars, centipedes, etc

· Main defence is camouflage and are great mimics

· Sexual cannibalism has been exhibited but is not as common as pop culture would have you believe, more common in species of spider

Crypto Zoology Time! Mantis Man

· 7’ tall bug like creature signed near Hackettstown New Jersey near the Musconetcong river

· Obviously insane because it was on the show Monsters & Mysteries in America


Pop Culture

· Karmen Rider TV Series – a Mantis-Man Villian

· Played by Seth Rogan in Kungfu Panda


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