Insectoids
Last updated
Last updated
Insectoids are humanoid insects.
The races of insectoids are:
Bloodline: Insectoid
Antoids are humanoid fire ants, ranging from 10 to 20 cm (4” to 8”) in height and weighing less than 1 kg (2 lbs). They have segmented, chitinous exoskeletons in shades of red, orange, or deep brown, with large, black multifaceted eyes and segmented antennae that enhance communication and spatial awareness. Their powerful mandibles deliver crushing bites, and despite their small size, they can lift up to 50 times their own weight.
Antoids operate through a shared hive mind, allowing for near-instantaneous coordination in battle, labor, and social structures. Their society is rigidly hierarchical, with castes that include workers, soldiers, and elite guardians, all ruled by a single queen. Loyalty to the colony is absolute, and individual desires are almost always subordinated to the collective will. Their vast underground settlements are reinforced with a mixture of earth and resin-like secretions, creating durable structures.
Industrious and disciplined, antoids thrive in structured environments. While not inherently aggressive, they respond with overwhelming force to perceived threats. Colonies frequently expand through tunneling or military campaigns.
Though their population is small, antoids are highly resilient and can be found throughout Praetoria. However, their lifespans are fairly short, with most not living past 30 years.
Bloodline: Arachne
Arachnes are humanoid spiders, standing 2.1 to 2.8 meters (7’ to 9’2”) and weighing 150 to 250 kg (330 to 550 lbs). They can live for several centuries. Their upper bodies are humanoid, but their mouths have insectile mandibles. Their lower halves consist of a rounded abdomen and eight segmented legs, granting them speed and agility. Their exoskeletons can be gray, purple, brown, or black—often mottled, patterned, or covered in coarse hairs—with lighter-shaded upper-body skin. Most have eight black eyes, though some have six, four, or two. Some possess venomous fangs, while others produce silk from spinnerets in their abdomens.
Arachnes are fearsome predators, known for territorial aggression and strategic cunning. Silk-producing arachnes weave web networks that serve as traps and barriers, allowing them to ambush prey and deter intruders. They hoard victims, incapacitated by poison or webbing but often still alive, within their lairs for later consumption.
Their brutal, hierarchical splinters are ruled by the most cunning and powerful. They often enslave weaker species, such as venari and scavo, for labor and sport.
Bloodline: Insectoid
Beeteloids are humanoid beetles, standing 0.8 to 1.0 meters (2’7” to 3’3”) tall and weighing 16 to 24 kg (35 to 53 lbs). They can live up to 50 years. Their thick, chitinous exoskeletons range in color from black to deep brown, sometimes with an iridescent or metallic sheen, and provide natural armor. They have large multifaceted eyes and segmented antennae that enhance sensory perception. Their powerful limbs end in sharp, clawed digits.
Beeteloids are highly durable and physically formidable, capable of withstanding extreme force. They can lift up to 20 times their own weight, making them excellent warriors and laborers. While generally slow-moving, some possess translucent, veined wings—hidden beneath protective elytra—capable of short bursts of flight.
Their societies follow monarchal or council-based leadership, with the largest and most resilient beeteloids rising to power. They value endurance, perseverance, stability, and tradition.
Bloodline: Insectoid
Mantisoids are humanoid mantises, standing 0.7 to 1.0 meters (2’4” to 3’3”) tall and weighing 12 to 22 kg (26 to 49 lbs). They can live for up to 40 years. Their elongated, segmented bodies are covered in a smooth chitinous exoskeleton, typically in shades of green, brown, or blue. Their triangular heads have large, multifaceted eyes that provide exceptional vision, and their flexible necks allow for nearly 360-degree rotation. Their raptorial forelimbs are lined with rows of razor-sharp spines, which they sharpen by rubbing together.
Mantisoids are ambush predators, using stealth, speed, and precision to overwhelm prey. Their exoskeletons provide limited protection, but their primary defense is agility, with rapid bursts of movement to evade attacks. Many have heightened reflexes, allowing them to track and react to threats faster than most humanoids. Their thin, translucent wings grant limited gliding capabilities.
Mantisoids are solitary by nature, preferring to hunt and live alone. Temporary cooperation occurs rarely—usually for mutual survival or shared hunts—and they form no lasting social bonds. Leadership and hierarchy are virtually nonexistent, as individuals rely solely on their own instincts and abilities. They are opportunistic and pragmatic, favoring quick, decisive action over prolonged conflicts.
Most dwell in the five realms of the , its tunnels and caverns the perfect hunting grounds. However, some venture to the surface in search of prey, particularly in the Bog of Wails, with its thick fog and tangled swamps providing ideal terrain for arachne webs and ambushes.
Beeteloids are primarily found in the and the rainforests of the , though their population is small compared to other races.
Mantisoids primarily inhabit the rainforests of the .