Thri-Kreen: The Mantis-Men

Hot air breached the Soggy Sage as Marlowe pressed through the door. He furrowed his brow. The tavern’s name was, he surmised, ironic. Even inside, he could feel the air greedily drinking his sweat through his robe. The wooden walls and counter fared no better from the look of things; they were nearly petrified. The whole place looked like it would crumble in a strong wind.

One patron sat alone at the counter, hunched next to a stack of empty mugs. A fine subject, probably.

“Yes, I think you’ll do,” Marlowe said.

“‘Scuse me?”

“I’m sorry. Where are my manners?” He held out his hand and said, “My name is Marlowe.”

“Horace…” The man paused. “Waddya lookin’ for?”

“Just information.” Marlowe eyed his extended hand and gave Horace a crooked smile.

Horace glanced at his surroundings. “What’s worth knowing?”

The wizard pulled back. “As I understand, a clutch of Thri-Kreen took hold in a valley nearby. Do they ever give you trouble?”

“You don’t got no pointed ears do ya? They can smell an elf a quarter mile away. Always gets ’em riled.”

Marlowe brushed his hair to show the round tops of his ears. He was as human as they came.

“No? Then you oughtta be fine, long as you don’t go off alone. And keep yer distance.”

“I don’t plan on it.”

“Eh?”

“Either part. I’m traveling alone and I very much intend to approach them.”

“Listen… Uh— Don’t take this the wrong way. You trying to off yerself?” Horace braced himself to stand. “‘Cuz I don’t care to talk to dead men… Curses and everything, ya know?”

“Sit. I’ll pay for your drink.”

The local considered the offer. His posture softened, but he kept one hand on the back of his chair.

“Calm yourself. If I was looking to end it, I’d find a more pleasant way to do it. This is purely for research.”

Horace blinked. “You from a university or something?”

“The Arcanum in Qilfir, yes.”

“Last of the university folk to come try talking to them got himself torn to pieces. I s’pose he tasted good. The damn mantises were chitterin’ for days.”

“He was—” Marlowe’s eyes briefly darted away from his informant. “He was less prepared going into this… The Mendicant should be enough to let me speak to them.”

“The what?”

Marlowe waved his hand. “If my theory is right, there’s nothing for me to worry about. And if I’m wrong,” he shrugged, “I’ve gone toe-to-toe with far more threatening creatures than the Thri-Kreen.”

“You and I talk in diff’rent tongues, boss.” Horace sipped his drink. It seemed sweeter, knowing he wasn’t the one buying. “In fact, I’d go as far to say you talk like one of them. You make about as much sense as a bug to me.”

Marlowe chuckled. “I’d say it’s mutual, but I don’t mean to offend.”

“So… about that tab?”

Marlowe winked and pulled a small pouch from his waist, tossing it onto the table. It landed with a satisfying jingle as coins splattered across the stone. “This should cover it, I think,” he said. “I’ve got everything I came for.”

A word:

This is my first time posting in this style, so I want to explain my goal with this blog. D&D and other roleplaying games are an important part of my life; they mark the conflation between most of my hobbies — worldbuilding, writing characters, sharing fiction with friends, making maps, and painting miniatures. I see this blog as a chance to realize the interconnectedness of things I enjoy. It’s a passion project. It’s a way to write on a whim without obligation, just to see where words take me. Thanks for taking the time to check it out.

Thri-Kreen

This model is part of the WizKids official D&D line. I painted it myself over about 3-4 hours. I learned a great deal that I’ll be sure to apply to its partner piece, but overall I think it turned out fairly well.

Thri-Kreen are among my favorite monsters from Dungeons and Dragons. They have some of the quirks of humanized animals that I attribute to old school D&D, yet they’re also uniquely alien. Thri-Kreen are chaotic nomads who respect those who are free, those who hunt, and those who give to the world all that they take.

In my campaigns, I hold to the idea that a Thri-Kreen’s unique biology defines its linguistic ability — that Thri-Kreen struggle with common humanoid languages, and that other humanoids cannot mimic the clicks and chatter of the Thri-Kreen’s own tongue. Rare individuals with telepathic abilities may rise up within a tribe to serve as translators to outsiders, but they will only seek to communicate in dire circumstances.

This is a story told around the monster, but I hope in this case that that’s excusable. I’m working my way towards writing more challenging stories with action and displays of unique abilities, but this week I wanted to explore dialogue between some of the people who live in a fantastic world of monsters and magic. Perhaps next week, we’ll take a dive towards more mind-bending scenarios with another favorite monster of mine.