Xixchil

the Xixchil or 'mantismen' are a race of insectoid humanoids that live exclusively in bamboo forests competing with one another for dominance. the xixchil have mantis heads, a thick exoskeleton, 4 arms, and an extra section in each leg. of the four arms the top two are stronger and thicker but only have 2 large claws that they can use to grasp an item, they cannot do anything intricate with these arms. the two below are smaller but have 3 claws that can make intricate movements to allow for crafting or careful movement

Culture

the xixchil are warlike when it comes to their own kind but for outsiders they are curious and welcoming often forming crowds around the outsiders to find out why they're here, what they brought with them, and what they think of their hive. when captured the xixchil rarely resist and normally make for willing slaves normally only rebelling when underfed

inside of the bamboo forests there are many many hives that the xixchil call home these hives war with other hives every hive that is cleared is joined into the dominion of the hive that conquered. larger hive dominions mostly war with other hives of similar size allowing for small hives to surprise attack or grow to be equal with them over time. a new hive is normally formed by a rival hive stealing eggs from a rival hive then leaving the eggs in the bamboo forest. when they hatch or wake they will form a new hive and keep to themselves until they are large enough to join in the various wars

the xixchil breed via egg pools in each of the separate canals that xixhil families call home, xixchil females place all eggs they lay into these pools and their selected mate will fertilize the pool eventually the eggs will hatch into xixchil young who remain comatose in the pool feeding on its waters. for xixchil that hatch or wake up outside the hive the young will instinctively hunt for bamboo to form a new hive and eat until adulthood

in combat xixchil limbs are viable in claw-to-claw combat but most use weapons. the amount of attacks that they have in battle is dependent on the weapon combinations they use. xixhil are able to use two handed weapons as well as a large shield and even wield a backup dagger in the remaining limb but they can only have 1 attack per round, they can duo-wield two heavy crossbows and reload them without trouble allowing for 2 attacks per round, 2 swords 1 shield and a javelin would allow for 3 attacks per round, and finally a xixchil can abandon defense and wield four swords for 4 attacks per round

xixchil are separated into the commoners and the nobles the noble xixchil are those that were born with greater intellect then a human. nobles are born rather frequently and because of which the average int of xixchil is anywhere from human intellect to genius intellect. the only reason the xixchil are still so barbaric compared with other races is their excessive love of warring with one another

xixchil have 3 jobs warrior, farmer, strategist the warrior is all xixchil when they leave the spawning pool, they also act as the weapon makers of society. the farmers are the warriors that found a mate these two will return to the hive and dig out their little section to live in and build a spawning pool for them to lay eggs in farmers also make food by growing fungus, ground-based plants, or easy to manage creatures that can grow in a small amount of space like clams. the strategists are the nobles they live in the biggest section of the hive near-endlessly talking strategy the nobles also have an enormous spawning pool and the instant that any of them feel a build up of eggs/seed they dump it into the pool without even pausing the conversation,

xixchil can tell if they are nobles rather easily by talking with the xixchil around them, should a xixchil ever want to confirm if they are a noble they need only walk into the noble section and attempt to join the endless conversation, if they can hold their own or even go beyond it they are a noble. if not then they will promptly be ignored and the xixchil will leave in shame. many onlookers for xixchil society believe that the reason that xixchil have survived so long is because of the endless dedication of the nobles. if their whole race were of human level intellect xixchil would have gone extinct ages ago

xixchil are deathly afraid of the realm of famine and will never willingly travel there, if forced to travel there the xixchil in question will do everyting in its power to kill itself before melkor can get ahold of it