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
· 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