Thri-kreen
The Thri-kreen are a race of vaguely humanoid insects that roam the wide open plains between the Leper Mountains and the Great Swamp. They are in competition with the humans in Everreach.
Thri-kreen lead relatively simple lives, spending most of their time in the hunt or related activities. Thri-kreen have their racial memory to guide them through life, and this of course influences their society a great deal. Besides tikchak (hunt-mind), the Thri-kreen also have tokchak (clutch-mind), religion, and a set of myths and legends to guide them.
The clutch form of government is odd from a non-kreen perspective, a study in seeming contradictions. It is a democracy, because every clutchmate can voice an opinion, and they all matter; all Thri-kreen have rights and responsibilities. However, the dominance order means that some clutchmates are more equal than others, so the democracy is not complete. Clutch government is also a tyranny, because the word of the clutchleader is obeyed without question or fail. Yet, the leader does not issue orders without thought, and any clutchmate can become clutchleader if powerful enough.
The clutch also has elements of anarchy, for each member is free, and there are no real laws governing their actions. Still, the biological compulsions of tokchak dictate certain behaviors, such as the dominance order and mutual protection of clutchmates.
The best description of the clutch system of "government" might be "democratic tyranny" while everyone is essentially equal, the leader's orders are followed implicitly. This also reflects the individual's dichotomy; while many individual Thri-kreen are chaotic, they act in a lawful manner in regards to the clutch. Most Thri-kreen are chaotic, and few are lawful. The majority of Thri-kreen are neutral in reference to good and evil, though quite a few are good, and some are evil. Even the most chaotic and evil Thri-kreen is still lawful in regards to the clutch and good in regards to clutchmates.
Thri-kreen indulge in three types of challenge by combat. The first and most common is the challenge for a higher place in a clutch's dominance order; this is also used to determine pack leadership. The second is challenge combat between leaders or champions of Thri-kreen packs who are opposed for some reason. The third is cha11enge combat between a Thri-kreen pack and an army or other group of another race or collection of other races.
Dominance Challenge The first type of challenge is used within a clutch, including the clutch of clutchleaders that governs a pack, to determine dominance order of clutches within the pack. Dominance challenges take place rather often, and while a matter of interest to the thri-kreen of a clutch, are not unusual enough to warrant great attention from those not directly involved. To be official, a challenge must be issued formally, at least between thri-kreen; thri-kreen assume, usually correctly, that non-kreen do not know enough about tokchak to either issue a challenge correctly, or know what to do when issued one, so a dominance challenge between a thri-kreen and a non-kreen usually just moves into a combat with little speaking.
A thri-kreen, to formally begin the challenge with another thri-kreen, says something simple and to the point, like “I challenge you” or, if appropriate, “I challenge you for leadership of the clutch.” The challenged individual can voluntarily step down and allow the other to move up a step in the dominance hierarchy; this is usually done when a clutchleader is grievously wounded, or realizes he or she has grown too old to remain an effective leader. A thri-kreen who has accepted a non-kreen as a clutchmate, and knows he or she can overpower the non-kreen, might issue a formal challenge in hopes that the non-kreen will realize who will win, and a fight can be avoided.
If the challenged individual accepts, the two challengers move to a clear area and begin fighting. Generally, only natural weapons are used. Psionics and other weapons can be used if desired; sometimes a thri-kreen fights with a gythka (for example) to threaten other would-be challengers; a thri-kreen who can win a challenge with a ethka against claws is a formidable opponent indeed. Sometimes, both opponents will agree to use a certain type of contest, such as psionics, or gythka sparring, or leap-jousting, or even a chatkcha duel. Spell use is frowned upon in a challenge, but marginally acceptable if the spells are clerical in nature. Some challenges are conducted only until blood is drawn, while others are continued until one challenger surrenders or dies. However, since it never helps a clutch for a clutchmate to die in a dominance fight, if possible a priest stands by a challenge in case of accident.
Pack Challenge The second type of challenge is the challenge between packs. This type of challenge stems from a meeting between two packs and some sort of disagreement between them. Rather than starting a free-for-all battle (which sometimes happens as well), the packs might agree to a contest of champions, to settle a territorial or other dispute, such as which pack has the right to go after a particular herd of erdlands or some such. The pack being challenged also has the tight to decide what they get if they win. The challenge can take place only between thri-kreen pack, though non-kreen pack members can participate. In this type of challenge, the challenger makes a simple, formal declaration, such as “On behalf of the Chtik-tek, I challenge the K’ro-kek for the tight to travel through their lands unharmed.”
The thri-kreen receiving the challenge sets the terms, such as how many champions are to be involved, and whether the fight is to the death. Only natural weapons are allowed in this challenge, even if non-kreen participate. The use of magic and psionics is to be agreed upon before the combat starts, and both are usually forbidden. The winner of the challenge gets the agreed-upon reward.
The winners can also take possessions from the losers; this is limited to one item if the terms of the challenge allows the losers to live (and they do live), but can include all possessions if the terms were to the death. The one item chosen from a living loser cannot be a dasl chatkcha; this simply is not done, because it is too degrading to the loser. The loser’s pack takes anything left over, so long as the winners do not object (and since thri-kreen abhor waste, they either take the losers’ possessions or let the other pack have them). Even if the combat is to the death, the winners almost always allow the losers’ pack to keep any dasl chatkcha possessed by the dead combatants; this avoids feuds that can last years.
"War" Challenge The third type, challenge between Thri-kreen and non-kreen, is rare. For the most part, Thri-kreen will not accept a challenge from a human or other non-kreen "pack" (army or other group led by a human or other non-kreen). A Thri-kreen accepts such a challenge only if the other side offers a Thri-kreen as its champion. The combat is governed by strict rules: no weapons. Thri-kreen warriors do not challenge "meat" animals, nor will they accept such challenges from non-kreen who belong to a non-kreen pack. Such people are not believed to know how to fight correctly in a challenge.
Religion
Thri-kreen really have little use for religion; they have no gods or religious holidays of any kind. Thri-kreen do, however, show some reverence for nature and the elements. Note that the Great One, a legendary kreen from ages past, while a powerful and revered being, is not acknowledged as a deity of any kind, nor is the reverence offered the Great One particularly religious in nature.
Priests and Shamans
To help guide them in their reverence for nature and the elements, thri-kreen pack have shamans, who are elemental priests and members of particular thri-kreen packs, and druids, who most often guard fixed lands. Unlike some shamans of other races, thri-kreen shamans are under no illusions that the powers they revere are gods to be worshipped; in fact, the thri-kreen racial memory is quite specific in telling the thri-kreen that there are no gods.
The reverence shown for the elements is more or less religious in nature; while thri-kreen, even priests, do not actually worship a particular element or set of elements, they hold that element in high regard, and show respect for it. Thri-kreen do not pray to nature or the elements, though the druids and other priests must commune with the powers that be to gain spells. Thri-kreen druids and elemental priests are generally well-respected by other thri-kreen, who also usually respect priests and druids of other races.
