Assoti

The **Assoti** *(Scolipendra Rovenllus)* are a race of sentient insects which inhabit the northwestern reaches of Rovenell. They are the dominant species of the Ashaqi Junquan

## Appearance

The Assoti are insectoids that possess a complex, hard exoskeleton that can range in color depending on gender. Black/Grey and Orange being only seen in males, while Green/White has only been seen in females They possess formidable mandibles and mouthpieces near the bottom of their elongated, triangular heads. They have two large eyes which aid them in traversing the dimly lit catacombs that made up their hive, and alongside their large eyes, they also have two large antennae that act as a form of long-distance communication between Assoti. They possess a pair of large, primary arms and a second pair of arms that is located near the center of their torso. They range drastically in height, some measuring a mature height of 6 feet, to some measuring a towering 9 feet. Assoti age much faster than humans and have shorter lives. Male Assoti are always smaller than the females.

### Assoti Nymphs

Upon hatching, Assoti have an underdeveloped exoskeleton and lack the protection of their adult counterparts. They are small and squishy. very cute and must protect

### Assoti Queens

the mature queen has a greatly distended abdomen and may produce 40,000 eggs a day. The abdomen increases the queen's body length to several times more than before mating and reduces her ability to move freely; attendant workers provide assistance. Unlike the hard exoskeleton of adult Assoti that completely cover their bodies, the Queens engorged abdomen is soft and squishy, but very vulnerable to attack

Their mandibles are also larger than other Assoti. Since Assoti are compatible with most creatures and require them for the process otherwise, it would be reasonable (and evolutionarily smart genetics-wise), for a Queen to have "suitors" of other species, if not multiple, along with a male King. Queens tower over other assoti at around 12-14 feet tall and live around 300 years.

## Physical Ability

### Swimming

Assoti are notoriously horrible swimmers, basically unable to move themselves in rushing water.

### Running

Assoti nymphs can move incredibly fast, as they have a small and light body. Adults can only move as fast as the average human due to their heavy exoskeleton weighing them down. Even walking is a struggle for the average queen, as they are weighed town by their immense body and taken care of by their suitors. But a thorough diet and workout routine can make a Queen nearly as capable as an adult.

### Strength

Due to Assoti having skinny limbs, they lack the inate strength for hand to hand combat. They often overcome opponents due to the size of Assoti being one of the largest species on Iaddithis

## Diseases

### The Flowering

The spores from spore blossoms can take over an Assoti and compell them to cultivate an enviroment where spore blossoms thrive. A network of roots takes control of the muscles and chemicals flood their brain making sure they dont think anything is different. Rarely, once the parasite has had enough time to grow. Spore blossoms erupt from the body of the Assoti and start producing spores of their own.

During the Tian Dynasty, the disease spread to nearly every single Assoti, and now 99% of the species is infected. Spore Blossoms are not an integral part of Assoti design and iconography. if you ask an Assoti about how this changed seemingly overnight, you will only get confused stares as a response.

The spores do not affect mammals.

## Culture

### Queens

The most powerful individual within any given Assoti settlement, a provider of life, and a destroyer of those would seek to disrupt the order of the colony. Viewed by her children as a benevolent matriarch rather than a mother, the Assoti queen is the only fertile member of the colony, and thus the sole reproducer should the colony's population meet a devastating blow, whether through plague, famine, or war. When not divining or performing governmental tasks, an Assoti queen can often be found in her private chamber, where she lies with male consorts, lays eggs and cares for her larvae. Suitors are chosen carefully, as they are constantly within extremely close proximity to the queen, who is far from vulnerable in her own right but nonetheless often prefers to avoid conflicts with would-be assassins or burglars.

### Weaponry

#### Koruma

A single bladed glaive with handles that allow for easier control with an Assoti's many arms. At the bottom of the weapon is a blade or hook used to catch smaller opponents. They are appropriately sized for an Assoti warrior, leaving them unwieldy and inefficent for a standard humanoid to use.

## Reproduction

Assoti queens lay eggs that hatched into the majority of Assoti. Whenever a Queen died her corpse released pheromones' that trigger the transformation of another female Assoti into the next Queen.

The queen only lays 10–20 eggs in the very early stages of the colony, but lays as many as 1,000 a day when the colony is several years old.

Assoti queens can procreate with the majority of sentient-multicelled-non-plant organisms however, the children will always be an insectoid. This allows for many different exotic Assoti. These are generally referred as "Variants"

### Saturnii Variant

A more humanoid shaped bipedal species born with the innate ability to produce silk. Due to the advantage of having a monopoly on silk nearly all of them are born into wealth, they pride themselves on fancy architecture and are never seen without their fancy things.