Kreen

Kreen
Thri‐kreen (also known simply as the kreen) are the strangest of the intelligent races of Zerim. These insectoid beings possess a mindset very different from any humanoid being encountered. kreen are quick and agile and make fearsome fighters, feared throughout the world.

Personality
Since kreen do not require sleep, they have difficulty understanding this need in the humanoid races. They have difficulty understanding this state of “laziness” in others. Other behaviors of humanoids seem unnecessarily complex. A keen’s life is simple: hunt prey. kreen live for the hunt, and own only what they can carry.

Physical Description
Mature kreen stand about 7 feet tall, with a rough body length of 11 feet. Their four arms end in claws; their two legs are extremely powerful, capable of incredible leaps. However, kreen are unable to jump backwards. Their body is covered with a sandy – yellow chitin, a tough exoskeleton that grants the kreen protection from blows. Their head is topped with two antennae, and their two eyes are compound and multifaceted. The kreen mouth consists of small pincers. Male and female kreen are physically indistinguishable. kreen usually do not wear clothing, but wear some sort of harness to carry weapons and food. Many wear leg or armbands, or bracelets. Some attach rings on different places on their chitin, though this requires careful work by a skilled artisan.

Relations
The pack mentality dominates a kreen’s relation with others. Kreen hunt in packs, small groups that assemble together. Kreen will hunt prey in the same region for a while, but move on before their prey has been depleted. A kreen that joins a group of humanoids will often try to establish dominance in the group. This can be disconcerting to those unaware of the kreen’s behavior, since establishing dominance usually means making threatening gestures. Once the matter is settled, they will abide by the outcome. kreen view humanoids as sources of food, though they don’t usually hunt them, only in dire need. Many kreen have a particularly fond taste for elves; as such, meetings between these two races are often tense. However, once part of a clutch, kreen will never turn on their humanoid friends, even in the worst of situations.

Alignment
Most kreen are lawful, since the pack mentality is ingrained in their beings. Kreen that deviate from this mentality are rare.

Kreen Lands
The kreen of Zerim originate from the Empire of Tel Mherin to the west. They are easily the most powerful force on the continent, exerting their control over the swampfolk and the Half-Giants in Jutai.

Magic
Kreen have no natural disposition towards magic, and a wizard’s use of the environment as a source of power conflicts with a keen’s beliefs. As well, the keen’s lack of sleep and its instinctual need to hunt do not lend themselves well to magical study.

Religion
Kreen culture is steeped in tradition and ancestor worship. Most kreen do revere Nedite, the goddess of the desert.

Language
The kreen language is very different from those of the other intelligent races. They have no lips or tongues, and so cannot make the same sounds humanoids make. Kreen language is made up of clicks, pops, or grinding noises. In short, kreen can only speak Kreen.

Names
Kachka, Ka’Cha, Ka’Ka’Kyl, Klik‐Chaka’da, Sa’Relka, T’Chai

Adventurers
Kreen adventure for different reasons. Most enjoy challenges presented by new prey. Some seek out the challenge of leading new clutches, new companions and observing different “hunting” techniques.

Society
There are very few cities in Tel Mherin. Most kreen wander the desert hunting the wildlife. The kreen that live in the cities are often tradespeople, gladiators, or politicians etc., but the cities are often populated more with other races than with kreen.

Desert kreen hatch from eggs. All those who hatch at the same time form what is called a clutch. Kreen gather in packs that roam the wastes. Each pack consists of several clutches that roam over an area that the pack considers theirs to hunt on.

Clutches and packs are organized along strict order of dominance. The toughest member is leader; the second most powerful is second in command and so forth. A kreen can challenge a superior for dominance initiating a contest. The contestants fight until one surrenders or dies. Afterwards, the matter is considered settled and there are no lingering resentments between victor and loser. The pack‐mates take the view that the challenger was only acting to strengthen the pack.

Desert kreen are obsessed with hunting. They are carnivores, but seldom hunt intelligent life for food. When not hunting, they craft weapons, teach their young, and craft sculptures.

The pack mentality is so ingrained in the culture that kreen apply it to every situation. Kreen feel compelled to be part of a clutch and will accept members of other races as clutch‐mates.

Kreen Racial Traits
●     Ability Scores: Kreen receive +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, and -4 Charisma. Kreen are fast, but their alien mindset makes it difficult for them to relate to humanoids; furthermore, their “clutch–mind” instincts leave them with a poor sense of themselves as individuals.

●     Type: Kreen are monstrous humanoids.

●     Size: Kreen are medium creatures, and as such have no bonuses or penalties due to size.

●     Base Speed: (Quick) Kreen base land speed is 40 feet.

●     Languages: Kreen begin play speaking Kreen. Since kreen anatomy only allows them to speak kreen, they may only understand languages they have learned. Kreen with high Intelligence scores can choose any language, but may only understand, read, and write these languages.

●     Darkvision: Kreen can see in the dark up to 60 feet.

●     Desert Hunter: Kreen have a +4 racial bonus on Stealth checks in sandy or arid areas.

●     Leap: Kreen are natural jumpers, and are always considered to have a running start when making Acrobatics checks to jump.

●     Multiple Limbs: Kreen have four arms, 2 primary arms used for attacking, and 2 secondary arms that can be used to carry objects. They cannot wield weapons with their secondary arms, but they can retrieve small, stowed objects carried on their persons as a swift action.

●     Sleep Immunity. Kreen do not sleep, and are immune to magic sleep effects and gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws made against enchantment spells and effects.

●     Weapon Familiarity: To kreen, the double spear is treated as martial rather than an exotic weapon.