[heading]Chikit-chak[/heading]
[quote]"When Prukahn Lightouch came running back to base camp with tales of tall insects that shot at him with crude weapons... well, naturally no one believed him. I doubted him up until I had that arrow in my arm, it was around that time that I realized maybe he was being honest this time." -Neristranna Armorsmith, Expedition Leader [/quote]

Insectoid civilization, if you can call it that, is nothing short of an oddity to most races. Elves and Humans consider them to be barbaric and uncivilized, whilst Dwarves find themselves nothing more than indifferent towards the creatures. Halflings enjoy following them about on their hunts when permitted, intent on beguiling them with tales of their adventures no matter how embellished they are. Scholars from these races sometimes find themselves living among the Insectoid clutches who allow them this kindness, few and far between as they are. Select few Insectoids choose to venture to "civilization", taken in by the tales they hear of grand cities bustling with thousands of people each day. One such creature is Chikit-chak, a female hunter and gatherer with a knack for combat. She's spilled Orcish blood by the barrel full, as the two wandering races sometimes find themselves at odds for land and game, which will inevitably lead to warfare, neither side retreating or giving in until their last lay dead upon the ground.

[collapse=Backstory]
Leaving her clutch behind, she traveled to the nearest Human city, escorting a scholar back to his home as part of an agreement between himself and the creatures he studied. When prompted to return to her home, she simply refused in crude, basic Common wording she declared this was her home now. While he was initially skeptical of this, he decided to permit her to live in his garden if she so chose, buying her rough supplies with which to build a small tent as was customary among her people. For the next several years she integrated herself slowly but surely into this new world, learning to speak with some semblance of fluency. She hunted to sustain herself and the scholar who so kindly housed her, giving him the lion's share of money she earned and kept only enough to purchase new weapons. She had become enamored with the prospect of human Knights, watching them march through town every so often with awe in her eyes, their flashy weapons and thick metallic armor giving off an heir of nobility even to the lowest ranking member of the Knighthood. Her species had no need for such armors, as their skin was naturally thick and hard; the other races had found the toughest Insectoids couldn't be penetrated by sword alone, their edges bouncing off the carapaces with ease. While she was in no way as tough as they of legend, her natural armor was more than enough to cancel out the need for any armors, and her natural agility would only be weighed down by such things. While discussing this with her host, her suggested she have leather armor made from the animal skins from her hunting. Finding this agreeable, she sought out a leatherworker willing to make such armors for her which proved to be a more difficult task than she bargained for, but two months later she had gleefully received a full set of human standard leather armor, worn by the likes of the rangers upon the walls. While not knightly enough, they were certainly a start. With this she began to attempt to make a name for herself as more than just "The Insect", taking odd jobs from the community board, going on sanctioned Hunts set out by the King's Court targeting troublesome monsters which she found to be far more exhilarating than hunting game. Attaining recognition in her new "hometown" as the humans called it was easy enough, but her knightly aspirations demanded more. Leaving her only true Human friend behind, she set out on a quest across the Human nation in an attempt to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a Knight, just like the ones she idolized so.
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[collapse=Body details]
As with any other member of her species, she's covered by a thick carapace that leaves very little in the way of vulnerability to physical blows. Magic is the preferred method of dealing with an unruly and violent Insectoid, as very few have any resistance to such attacks. Her eyes are a light green and without pupils. At first glance you might think her race does not have breasts, but a quick inspection of the thorax (and a willing participant) would reveal that a pair of retractable coverings protect them, only moving during mating rituals much like the plating that protects their crotch. Her antenna protrude from her head like many smaller insects found in the wild, used for sensing the environment or, in the case of Psionics among her race, amplifying the power of such skills. She does not possess such skills however. Her species has evolved to possess hair, which ultimately have become almost psuedo-antenna like in their functions. Her mandibles can secrete a poison, should she so choose; although it's in limited supply, usually only possible once per day.

(Note: Generally I wanted to design a thri-kreen but I thought this route would keep her more open and adaptable to other people's worlds.)
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