Thri-kreen
D&D Thri-kreen Race
The Thri-kreen are an ancient and proud insectoid race that live in the exotic, Egyptian-inspired land of دارجلا (Al-Jarad). In this remarkable realm, they share the world with other intelligent insects and arachnids such as the Spiderfolk, Vespoids, and giant beetles. Al-Jarad is a place where everything appears larger and stranger: the insects, the plants, even the gods. Temples rise from swamps and deserts,
and mysterious pyramids pierce the misty mountains.
Thri-kreen Types
Within Thri-kreen civilization, there are two clearly distinct subspecies:
Grasshopper Thri-kreen: These Thri-kreen resemble large, bipedal grasshoppers. They are known for their speed, agility, and impressive leaps. They often serve as hunters, scouts, and warriors within their society.
Ant Thri-kreen: These variants are more like large, upright-walking ants. They are physically sturdier than their grasshopper relatives and are renowned for their construction skills, strategic thinking, and natural talent for cooperation. They often form the backbone of Thri-kreen cities, forts, and temples.
The two types live in harmony, each contributing their unique talents to the well-being of the entire society.
Lifestyle and Culture
Thri-kreen are naturally nomadic, but in Al-Jarad, they have evolved into a settled civilization. They live in gigantic termite-like structures built using resin, sand, and magic. Many of their buildings are geometric, symmetrical, and adorned with hieroglyphs honoring their gods.
Religion plays a central role in their lives. Like other races in Al-Jarad, the Thri-kreen worship the ancient Egyptian inspired gods such as Bralm, KilMoth, Beegawueen, Obox-ob and many more insect gods They believe their souls are weighed by the righteous will be reborn as sacred beetle-like beings in the afterlife.
Political Power
Political Power
Within the sacred hierarchy of Al-Jarad, the Thri-kreen share power with several other insectoid peoples. They are represented by two of the ruling Pharaohs:
- The Grasshopper Pharaoh: ruler of the grasshopper-like Thri-kreen.
- The Ant Pharaoh: ruler and spiritual representative of the ant-like Thri-kreen.
- The Spider Pharaoh: leader of the Spiderfolk.
- The Bee Pharaoh: leader of the Vespoids, a bee-like people.
- The Beetle Pharaoh: leader of the Beetlefolk.
- The Dragonfly Pharaoh: leader of the Dragonflyfolk.
- The Moth Pharaoh: leader of the Mothfolk.
- The Abu Daqiq Pharaoh: leader of the Abu Daqiq.
Together, these Pharaohs form the Sacred Realm of Al-Jarad, a divine and pantheistic society governed through ancient rituals, sacred prophecies, and visions believed to be granted by the gods.
Each Pharaoh represents not only their people, but also a sacred aspect of the greater insectoid order. Their authority is therefore both political and religious, and their decisions are believed to shape the balance between the mortal world and the divine realm.
When a Pharaoh dies or is formally replaced, an ancient succession ritual is performed. In this ceremony, the former Pharaoh is symbolically or, in some traditions, literally consumed by their people. This practice is said to date back to the earliest days of the insectoid civilizations.
The ritual serves a sacred purpose: by consuming the old Pharaoh, the people inherit their predecessor’s power, memories, wisdom, and divine knowledge. In this way, no Pharaoh truly disappears. Their essence is passed into the next generation, ensuring that the knowledge of the past remains alive within the people.
For the followers of Al-Jarad, the Pharaoh does not die the Pharaoh becomes part of the people.
A World of Giant Insects
The land of Al-Jarad is infused with magic, allowing ordinary insects to grow into enormous, sometimes sentient and intelligent creatures. Many Thri-kreen use these giant insects as mounts or beasts of burden from flying beetles and wasp-like gliders to armored centipedes. Not all insects are enormous, however; smaller species like mosquitoes and crane flies are still present.
Stats
Thri-kreen have insectile features and two pairs of arms. Their bodies are encased in protective chitin. They can alter the coloration of this carapace to blend in with their natural surroundings. Although thri-kreen don’t sleep, they do require periods of inactivity to revitalize themselves. During these periods, they are fully aware of what’s happening around them.
Thri-kreen can speak normally like other creatures, but their own language is spoken only through clacking their mandibles and waving their antennae. This allows them to communicate their thoughts and feelings with other thri-kreen. Other creatures find this form of communication difficult to interpret and impossible to duplicate. To interact with other folk, thri-kreen can simply speak their language normally, like any other creature.
Thri-kreen features
- Ability Score Increase. Increase one ability score by 2, and increase a different one by 1, or increase three different scores by 1.
- Age. Thri-kreen can live up to 120 years old.
- Creature Type. You are a Monstrosity.
- Size. You are Medium or Small. You choose the size when you select this race.
- Speed. Your walking speed is 30 feet.
- Chameleon Carapace. While you aren’t wearing armor, your carapace gives you a base Armor Class of 13 + your Dexterity modifier. As an action, you can change the color of your carapace to match the color and texture of your surroundings, giving you advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in those surroundings.
- Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of yourself as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.
- Secondary Arms. You have two slightly smaller secondary arms below your primary pair of arms. The secondary arms can manipulate an object, open or close a door or container, pick up or set down a Tiny object, or wield a weapon that has the light property.
- Sleepless. You do not require sleep and can choose to remain conscious during a long rest, though you must still refrain from strenuous activity to gain the benefit of the rest.
- Thri-kreen Telepathy. Without the assistance of magic, you can’t speak the non-thri-kreen languages you know. Instead you use telepathy to convey your thoughts. You have the magical ability to transmit your thoughts mentally to willing creatures within 120 feet of yourself. A contacted creature doesn’t need to share a language with you to understand your thoughts, but it must be able to understand at least one language. Your telepathic link to a creature is broken if you and the creature move more than 120 feet apart, if either of you is incapacitated, or if either of you mentally breaks the contact (no action required).
- Languages: Your character can speak, read, and write. Common, Ant and the language of your country Al and one other language of your choice.