ChCh-T

(The ChCh-T race was originally created for the Accolade game called Deadlock and appears here without their permission. Here is my version of the ChCh-T for personal use in the Star Frontiers game)

Average Size: 1.3 metres tall

Average Mass: 45 kg

Average Lifespan: 6-9 years (soldiers), 30 years (drones), 60 years (queens)

Reproduction: Hymenopteran

Body Temperature: 23 C

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE AND STRUCTURE

ChCh-T (pronounced as "Chi-Chit") are an insectoid race that resembles a hybrid of ant and scorpion. ChCh-T stand upright on two tri-clawed legs and they have a prehensile tail that ends in a scorpion-shaped sting. The tail is as long as they are tall. Instead of hands, ChCh-T have two clawed arms. Thus, most ChCh-T have an extreme handicap when using/manipulating the items of other races.

All ChCh-T hatch with instinctive knowledge for a specific profession. ChCh-T are classified into three different castes: soldiers, drones, and queens.

As ChCh-T have a relatively short life span, putting any young ChCh-T to work is very important. Usually there is little trouble for young ChCh-T to find a place for itself; once it comprehends its instinct the hatchlet has five intense weeks of training. Its expertise matures and the hatchlet begins its life work. All work is for the hive and divine glory of the Mother Queen.

SENSES

ChCh-T have multi-faceted eyes like most insects. Their field of view is almost 270 degrees and thus ChCh-T can only be surprised by directly approaching them from behind. ChCh-T have color vision and are also capable of seeing more of the longer wavelengths (that is, into the infrared ranges).

ChCh-T have a poor sense of smell but their hearing is similar to that of a Dralasite, that is, they are keen to vibrations.

SPEECH

ChCh-T speak through clicking their palates in their small mouths and by striking their mandibles in quick Morse-code like sequences.

SOCIETY AND CUSTOMS

The ChCh-T evolved on a semi-arid planet. Possibly this race never would have developed space travel, but an alien race (see the Cyth) were so fascinated with the ChCh-T Queens that they introduced them to FTL technology. Within a few years, crude ChCh-T starships were leaving their solar system. Many accidents happened on the first ChCh-T space flights. Eventually the ChCh-T caught on and became the space faring race they now are. However, ChCh-T still lack some technical ability and are somewhat slow at researching new technologoies.

Ancient ChCh-T civilization follows the development of the ChCh-T soldier. It is theorized that the Queen first developed a dim sentience when she organized soldiers to defend her hive. These soldiers eventually inherited a level of self-determination themselves. Soldiers began to toss stones at each other in battle, with the weapon came a diversification of labor. Drones were devoted to breaking apart stones and producing food, while the soldiers did all the fighting.

Clearly, ancient Queens exerted a sort of natural psionic control over the soldiers and drones. This control grew difficult for the Queen to maintain as the ChCh-T soldiers became more intelligent with each hatching. There is some archeological evidence pointing to mass murders committed by a Queen to maintain her dominance. Apparently, if a group gained too much independence from her, they would all be executed. This, of course, weakened a Queen's power, and frequently these foolish Queens were conquered by rival hordes. These rival hives had more intelligent ChCh-T that were often lead by a Hive Imperius.

Eventually the ChCh-T exoskeleton became thick enough to shield out virtually all Queen psionic control Today the ChCh-T do not have any psionic powers.

Reproduction is handled by the Mother Queen and her Lesser Queens, so the ChCh-T have no gender. These Queens hatch several hundred ChCh-T at a time. Thus ChCh-T grow very quickly, often overpopulating planets.

Day to day government affairs are handled by the Hive Imperius, who oversees the progress of the drones. Several hatchlets are always born that have potential to become the Hive Imperius. Each of these hatchlets, or administrators, are evaluated for the task. The most intelligent hatchlet is given the title Hive Imperius. All the other administrators immediately become the Hive Imperius's advisors.

Picture of a ChCh-T - © by Accolade/Cyberlore

Other ChCh-T are also born with special abilities. ChCh-T Scouts are keenly adept at stealing resources. They steal in packs that carry off large amounts of anything quickly. They do this by placing a bundle of resources on their backs and wrapping their strong stinger tails over the bundle. They then scurry to their hives where the resources are immediately put to use in the frantic ChCh-T economy.

ChCh-T society is very fast paced. They waste little time on words, devoting most of their time to work. Production is so rapid that ChCh-T manufacture military units faster than other races. Their frenetic culture has also entered their unit designs in combat. All ChCh-T units move quicker than most other races.

However, even the busy ChCh-T must eventually slow down and relax. They have great passion for a dangerous sport called stingboxing. Matches are set up between five warriors that have their stinger tails dipped in a numbing poison. Each warrior fights for itself, but with five in the ring eventually two must gang up on one. Culture Centers are always packed when a stingboxing tournament begins.

ATTITUDES

When ChCh-T workers reach the age of six, they are evaluated for participation in the Dance of Devouring. If any ChCh-T are found weakened mentally or physically, they are asked to dance. Invitation is a huge honor, as it is a celebration of these ChCh-Ts' lives. The infirm ChCh-T are brough before the Queen and begin to dance around her as quickly as they can. Soon the ChCh-T tire and the Queen eats them whole. These complex proteins give the Queen the needed nutrients for more hatchlets and several hundred ChCh-T are often born after a Dance of Devouring.

Because every ChCh-T will partake in the Dance of Devouring, thus they do not believe in death. ChCh-T feel their essence - knowledge and personality - is passed on to the next group of hatchlets. Although ChCh-T have no recollection of past lives, their quick training lays much credence to this belief.

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Players can only be drone ChCh-Ts. Drone ChCh-Ts have the following abilities:

Ability Modifier Table

Mental Resistance

The exoskeletons of the ChCh-T make them highly impervious to mental probes or psionic like powers. When attacked in such a manner, they have a base 10% chance to ignore it. This chance can be imcreased by spending experience points to raise the Mental Resistance score.

Stingers - Attack

The ChCh-T stinngs are non-poisonous but inflict a quite nasty wound to enemies. ChCh-T thus have an extra attack that inflicts 2d10 damage.

Stingers - Carrying Objects

ChCh-T can also carry objects that are up to three times their weight. They use their tails to tie any objects down.

SPECIAL DISADVANTAGES

Drone ChCh-Ts have the following disadvantage:

Using Objects

ChCh-Ts cannot use all frontier weapons and devices unless they have been extensively modified for use by ChCh-T claws. Even sitting down is a problem considering their tails are in the way.