Thri-Kreen
Thri-kreen are the strangest of the intelligent races of the Tablelands. These insectoid beings possess a mindset very different from any humanoid. They roam the wastes in packs, hunting for food day and night, since they require no sleep. Thri-kreen are quick and agile and are feared throughout the wastes. There are actually several sub-species of kreen. Only two of these – the Jeral and the To’ksa – inhabit the Tablelands. The other subspecies dwell far to the west.
Personality: Since thri-kreen do not require sleep, they have difficulty understanding this need in the humanoid races, seeing it as “laziness” in others. Other behaviours of humanoids seem unnecessarily complex. A kreen’s life is simple: hunt prey. Kreen live for the hunt and own only what they can carry.
Physical: Mature kreen stand about 7 feet tall, with a body length of 11 feet, and weigh between 450 and 470 pounds. Their four arms end in claws; their two legs are extremely powerful, capable of incredible leaps (although kreen cannot jump backwards). Their body is covered with a tough chitin exoskeleton that grants protection from blows. Their head is topped with two antennae, and their two eyes are compound and multifaceted. The kreen mouth consists of small pincers. Male and female thri-kreen are physically indistinguishable. Kreen usually do not wear clothing beyond a harness for weapons orfood. Many wear leg or armbands or bracelets, or attach rings to different places on their chitin. While both Jeral and To’ksa thri-kreen have chitin of a sandy yellow colour, their exoskeletons differ. With the Jeral, the chitin is the outermost layer of their body and can be polished to a glossy sheen. To’ksa have a leathery sheath over the exoskeleton and the joints between the chitin plates; this creates a rather dull finish. Neither is noticeably more efficient at retaining moisture than the other, but Jeral tend to favour decorative chitin-working while the To’ksa prefer body painting.
Relations: The pack mentality dominates a kreen’s relations with others. Kreen hunt in packs and will hunt prey in the same region for a while, but move on before their prey has been depleted. A kreen that joins a group of humanoids will often try to establish dominance in the group. This can be disconcerting to those unaware of the kreen’s behaviour, since establishing dominance usually means making threatening gestures. Once the matter is settled, however, they will abide by the outcome.
Thri-kreen view humanoids as sources of food, though they only hunt them in dire need. Many kreen have a particularly fond taste for elves; as such, meetings between these two races are often tense. However, once part of a clutch, thri-kreen will never turn on their humanoid friends, even in the worst of situations.
Lands: No thri-kreen settlements exist in the Tyr region; kreen encountered there are either small packs or adventuring with humanoids. Hunting packs seldom leave their own territory and most recognise some area around each human settlement as the territory of the mammal “pack” that lives there. While thri-kreen hunters respect such territorial divisions, raiders do not; such is the nature of the raider. To the north and west of the Tablelands, far beyond the Ringing Mountains, lies the Kreen Empire. This region is home to other subspecies of kreen. Known as tohr-kreen, these so-called “civilised” kreen rarely visit the Tablelands and few thri-kreen know much about them. See Campaign Options for more details.
Language: Thri-kreen language is very different from that of the other intelligent races. They have no lips or tongues, and so cannot make the same sounds humanoids make. Kreen language is made up of clicks, pops, or grinding noises.
Thri-kreen Society: Thri-kreen hatch from eggs. All those who hatch at the same time form what is called a clutch. Each pack consists of several clutches that roam over an area that the pack considers theirs to hunt on.
There are no permanent thri-kreen communities. Clutches and packs are organised along a strict order of dominance. The toughest member is leader; the second most powerful is second in command and so forth. A thri-kreen can challenge a superior for dominance, initiating a contest. The contestants fight until one surrenders or dies. There is nothing personal in such a conflict. It is merely the way of the kreen.
Thri-kreen are obsessed with hunting. They are carnivores, but seldom hunt intelligent life for food. They do have a taste for elf, which gives them a bad reputation amongst elven tribes. When not hunting, they craft weapons, teach their young, and craft sculptures.
The pack mentality is so ingrained that kreen apply it to every situation. They feel compelled to be part of a clutch and will accept members of other races as clutch-mates. Once a kreen has accepted others as members of its clutch, it will defend them to the death.
Role-playing Suggestions: Rely on your natural attacks and kreen weapons. Everything you kill is a potential meal, even enemies felled in battle. You have a need for obedience to a leader. If you seem to be the most capable, then assume leadership. If someone challenges you, test whether they are stronger than you. It is not a question of vanity; you would not fight to the death, but to ascertain who is worthy to lead. You do not understand the concept of sleep. It disturbs you that your companions lie unconscious for a third of their lifetimes. You may well harangue them to stop lying about on the ground all the time. You own only what you can carry, caring little for items that other races consider as treasure. This philosophy sometimes leads you into conflict with those who think they can own buildings, land, and even whole herds of livestock!
The following game statistics apply to the thri-kreen
Thri-Kreen Traits
+4 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, -2 charisma: Thri-Kreen are agile and wise, but think differently to most humanoids.
Insect Mind: Thri-Kreen are insectile subtype.
Medium: Thri-Kreen are Medium creatures and have no bonuses of penalties due to their size.
Fast Speed: Thri-Kreen have a base speed of 40 feet.
Antennae: Thri-Kreen have Tremorsense 30 feet.
Natural Armour: Thri-Kreen gain +5 natural Armour bonus. Thri-kreen cannot wear armour.
Claws and Bite: Thri-Kreen have 4 Primary Claw attacks 1d4 and 1 secondary Bite attack 1d4.
Bulky: Thri-Kreen cannot float.
Reduced Water: Thri-Kreen require only one gallon of water per week when active.
Vulnerable to Humidity: Thri-kreen in humid areas risk suffering lung infections and chitin rot. Consult your DM for more detail on this.
Leaping: From 3rd level, a thri-kreen gains Jumper as a bonus Feat.
Poison (Ex): From 5th level, thri-kreen develop Bite—injury; save Fort DC 15; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect Paralysis; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC includes a +2 racial bonus
Chatkcha Expert: At 5th level, thri-kreen become proficient with the chatkcha, if not already.
Dodge Missiles: From 7th level, Thri-kreen gain the Deflect Arrows feat as a bonus feat and counts as having improved unarmed strike for all other feats and abilities.
Languages: Thri-Kreen speak Thri-Kreen. An Thri-Kreen with a high Intelligence score can choose from the following as bonus languages: Trade Tongue, Aquan, Auran, Ignan, or Terran.