Thri - kreen The thri - kreen were an insectoid monstrous humanoid race that primarily lived in the Shaar . The thri - kreen were a race of nomads and hunters . They were also known as mantis warriors and sometimes called " tri - kreen " . Description . A thri - kreen resembled a giant praying mantis , bipedal and standing 4 . 5 – 7 feet ( 1 . 4 – 2 . 1 meters ) high and weighing 100 – 375 pounds ( 45 – 170 kilograms ) ; a full - grown adult averaged at 6 feet ( 1 . 8 meters ) and 200 pounds ( 90 kilograms ) . They had exoskeletons over their entire bodies . They had six limbs protruding from their thorax : two for walking and four for use as arms , ending in four - fingered claw - like hands capable of tool - and weapon - use . Their insectoid heads had two black , multi - faceted compound eyes ; two small antennae sprouting from the top ; and a complex jaw structure with large sharp mandibles . It was extremely difficult to distinguish the males and females . The carapace of a thri - kreen was typically a sandy yellow in hue , but could vary from a sandy brown to a pale green color , as best suited the environment . This enabled thri - kreen to blend in with the dry savannas and grasslands they dwelled in . Thri - kreen wore little to no clothing or armor . Instead , they wore only simple leather belts , harnesses , or slings to hold their food , equipment , and weaponry , and only as much as they needed . They did not make or wear any kind of adornments . Abilities . Thri - kreen had superior physical abilities compared to a human , with high strength and great agility . They were faster on their feet , and naturally and supremely good at jumping . They were quick enough to deflect or dodge an incoming projectile . Their carapace was naturally armored , being tough and resistant to impact , and its sandy color helped them hide in sandy or barren landscapes . Thri - kreen typically grew to be skilled in their senses , hiding , jumping , climbing , and balancing . A thri - kreen ' s four claws and a bite from its mandibles were dangerous natural weapons . They secreted a paralyzing poison from their mouths , sufficient for a single venomous bite per day . This could hamper a victim ' s agility , or cause paralysis for several minutes . Thri - kreen were naturally psionic beings , possessing psionic energy and knowing innately a number of powers . A thri - kreen could manifest the powers " chameleon " and " know direction and location " thrice each per day , and " greater concealing amorpha " and " metaphysical claw " once each per day . They could see in the dark through darkvision , and did not sleep at all , making them immune to " sleep " spells and the like . Combat . When hunting prey , thri - kreen used their natural and unnatural camouflage abilities to get close and observe . They always spared the time to prepare , using their psionic powers to boost their defensive and offensive capability . They then quickly closed the distance with their speed and jumping prowess , but if the fight went against them , they retreated just as quickly , using their camouflage to hide once more . In melee , the mantis warriors were whirlwinds of violence , preferring their four claws and venomous bites , but also wielding strange weapons . The thri - kreen primarily fought with two types of weapons unique to their kind : the gythka , a double - ended , crescent - headed polearm ; and the chatkcha , a crystalline throwing wedge . With four arms , a thri - kreen could wield two gythkas or throw up to four chatkchas at a time . As exotic as these weapons were , they came naturally to trained mantis warriors . Personality . Thri - kreen had no clear or definable personalities as humans would know them . No emotions could be discerned from their insectoid faces or their patterns of behavior , though rapid twitching of their antennae or mandibles indicated agitation . Acting spontaneously , they were unpredictable and always of chaotic alignment , showing no inclination toward good or evil . These traits made them utterly alien and inscrutable to other races , and folk unfamiliar with them regarded them as savage and brutal monsters . In fact , thri - kreen simply viewed themselves and other beings in terms of the relationship between predator and prey . They saw themselves as noble hunters , and were wholly focused on survival and the basic needs of existence , a life in which the weak died and the strong survived . They were not cruel or evil if they had no need to be , but nor did they go out of their way to aid others if they did not have to . By instinct , they saw humanoid beings as food first and as trading partners or allies second . Their alien thought patterns made it hard for them to understand the advanced concepts or sophisticated social rules of other races . They lacked ideas of devotion , honor , or loyalty , but they respected skill and strength and recognized the convenience of working with talented hunting companions . They maintained no traditions , and saw no benefit in the traditions of others . They valued little that humanoids made . Relations . Predictably , it was also very difficult for thri - kreen to deal with others , and they were hard to negotiate with . They neither avoided nor sought out other races , but merely existed alongside them , sharing territory without conflict . They appreciated folk who lived off the land , respectfully hunted prey , and cared for the environment . Farmers and city - dwellers were seen as " not - hunters " , not worthy of attention nor hostility . However , they would treat with others — the Krakk ' t tribe sent one of their number to the Hill of Memories each year to meet with human , centaur , and wemic representatives of the Shining Plains , where they discussed issues . However , those who overhunted , despoiled the land , or otherwise wasted natural resources , such as gnolls , orc s , and others , were seen as dangers to be driven off or destroyed . A thri - kreen pack would attack without pause or consideration for their own safety . They typically did not attack without provocation , however . Nevertheless , there would always be some vicious examples — as in any species — who would attack and kill strangers without pause or thought , purely for the sake of it . Either way , when they did attack , it was without mercy or guilt . Humanoid realms sometimes made alliances with thri - kreen neighbors that encouraged the mantis warriors to oppose folk from a rival realm or assist in some activity , if they could be persuaded . Some collectors valued thri - kreen harnesses and their exotic weapons . Some trophy - hunters even mounted whole thri - kreen exoskeletons for display , even having them magically animated like undead skeleton s . A thri - kreen ' s head could even be hollowed out and worn as a helmet or mask . Society . Thri - kreen mated in the spring . The females dug egg chambers and laid clutches of up to 120 eggs , before reburying and abandoning it . The eggs hatched in mid - summer ; the larvae looked like miniature adult thri - kreen . They survived on instinct alone , discovering hunting and tool - making skills and how to survive , but 90 % of larvae perished before reaching adulthood after only 5 or 6 summers Thri - kreen were short - lived ; if they survived their harsh lives , they could be considered middle - aged at 12 or 16 , old by 18 to 20 , and truly venerable at 25 . No thri - kreen lived past 35 by natural means . Thri - kreen were distinctly not social in nature . Each thri - kreen developed deep personal attachments to only a small handful of other thri - kreen , their clutch - mates . They would defend these companions at all costs , even at the cost of their own lives . All creatures outside this small band were viewed as strangers and enemies , though a wandering thri - kreen didn ' t advertise such beliefs for the sake of peace . They formed small and independent packs , almost always of their clutch - mates , but sometimes lone young thri - kreen or survivors of failed packs would join existing packs or find each other and establish new packs . Rarely , a few packs would ally to combine their strength when they faced a more dangerous threat . They had very nomadic lifestyles , with packs journeying great distances within their extensive territories over their relatively short lifespans . Permanent settlements of thri - kreen were completely unheard of . Thri - kreen packs spent their days foraging and hunting for the food and other supplies they need to survive . They could survive on relatively little food and water , and were carnivorous , pursuing a variety of creatures as prey . Thri - kreen tribes like the Krakk ' t typically hunted rabbit s , horse s ( which they considered a delicacy ) , and other herd beasts . They also especially enjoyed the taste of elves . Leftover meat they dried and saved to eat later , but when times were tough , they would eat carrion or even cannibalize each other , even their young . Sometimes — usually requested by a thri - kreen leader , but not always — a thri - kreen left their pack to explore lands outside their territory , on the basis that the information gained would be useful for the pack ' s survival . Such lone thri - kreen often fell in with others who wandered the land , simply in order to survive . In the process , they learned their ways and bonded with them , adopting them as new clutch - mates . Most became caravan guards across the plains , but rarely a wandering thri - kreen joined with an adventuring party . Culture . Thri - kreen were not religious and had no established faith , nor gods of their own . Instead , they preferred druidic traditions of nature worship and thri - kreen druid s served as spiritual leaders for their kind . Thri - kreen druids were usually attuned to nature deities like Malar and Silvanus , those with portfolios of hunting and natural resources . A few thri - kreen however , likely influenced by humanoid neighbors like the Shaaran s , saw the benefits in Akadi or Tempus , and became their cleric s . They placed little value in possessions . What few treasures or trinkets they had were kept for their usefulness or decorative purposes . Language . Thri - kreen had their own language — simply called Thri - Kreen — made up of whistles and clicks and snaps of their mandibles . Typical thri - kreen names were Chak - tha , Chit ' al , Drik - chkit , Gulnik , Kacht - ta , Kat ' chka , Kiktul , Klaktuk , Krik , Pak ' cha , Pik - ik - cha , Pok , Ptekwe , Tak - tha , Tal ' tich , Tilnak , and Tik - tik ; there were no gendered names and no surnames . Thri - kreen whose packs ranged close to humanoid civilizations often picked up a little of their languages too , usually Common , but Elven , Giant , Gnoll , Goblin , and Halfling were all possible . Those who dwelled in the Shaar typically also picked up Shaaran . Thri - kreen lands . Thri - kreen preferred climates that were dry and warm , but could manage in temperate conditions . They also favored arid and open landscapes that provided places where they could easily camouflage themselves , such as against dry grass , sand dunes , and rock . Thus they could be found in deserts , grasslands , plains , savannas , and scrublands , places many other folk would see as uninhabitable . When they did rest , they dug lairs that were little more than bare and lightless holes in the ground . Their best known territory was perhaps in the Eastern Shaar , where thri - kreen controlled the hills and lowlands a short distance north of the Toadsquat Mountains . They occasionally ventured further north , but to avoid confrontations with humans , they rarely went as far as the Council Hills . Their nomadic population was relatively small , divided into a number of packs that trekked the open grasslands and plains , hunting and following the migrating herds . Thri - kreen were especially well suited for the hot , dry environment of the Shaar , and here they flourished . They were known to be an untiring , well - disciplined , and fearless group , well - armed with gythkas and chatkchas and " potion s of cure light wounds " . Because of this , the thri - kreen were dominant in their territory , but they ignored other races within it and did not attack unless provoked or their resources were threatened . Otherwise , they remained reclusive and tried to avoid confrontation if they could . In return , however , most other races of the Shaar feared them and also steered clear of them . Centaur s and wemic s of the Shaar liked them not and stayed away , while the loxo , also seen as alien by their neighbors , better accepted the thri - kreen and trade with them from time to time . Some Shaaran human tribes got on well with both loxo and thri - kreen , others less so , according to how close their territories were , but the Shaarans only interacted as much as the thri - kreen permitted them . The small Krakk ' t tribe of thri - kreen dwelt in the Rushing Hills and ranged into the Shining Plains east of the Vilhon Reach . Thri - kreen were also sighted on the more barren parts of the plains north of the Lake of Steam , or in ruins found there . To the east , thri - kreen were very rarely sighted in the central steppe of the Hordelands , and in the Quoya and Raurin deserts . Thri - kreen also lived in the badlands and harsh deserts of the far northwest of Maztica . The Azuposi people told fanciful stories of these mantis warriors , claiming among other things that they mined precious gems and metals — and devoured these riches for food ! History . From 715 DR , the three cities of the Shining Plains — Assam , Lheshayl , and Ormath — spent the next three centuries in skirmishes and minor battles with the thri - kreen and centaur s of the plains , before they learned to live in peace .