HGd10PHB - Echtinik

Echtinik
Echtinik are subterranean creatures bearing arachnid features. They are not exactly evil, but very alien in their thinking compared to most societies. Their thinking and goals often bring them into conflict with other kinds no matter the moral alignment.

Description
Echtinik come in two different sub-types: Echtinik and Tinikean. The Echtinik are humanoid in appearance with two arms and two legs attached to a torso in roughly human proportions. At some point in the distant past, they had two pairs of each, but over time, each pair of arms fused and each pair of legs fused so that they only had a pair of each. Their faces are wreathed by a halo of antennae that at first glance appear like hair, sideburns, and a full beard depending on the age of the Echtinik. Many of their features are closely reminiscent of spiders. They have no hair, thin carapaces, and five phalanges per limb.

Tinikean, on the other hand, are less humanoid and closer to spider in their form. They walk on four legs which protrude from the abdomen. Two pairs of arms are attached to the thorax. Their heads appear more ant-like than spider. Tinikean heroes/monarchs can walk on their hind legs and use their forelegs as hands if need be. This distinction for monarchs is more pronounced on Loar post-Sundering.

Echtinik royalty is able to resist aging indefinitely, but no Echtinik has ever lived past a thousand years. It is unknown why except that infighting, deceit, assassinations, and the like always catch up to them. The longer an Echtinik lives, the more enemies they collect and soon enough, the weight of that many enemies does them in.

Tinikeans have an average lifespan of fifty years, but their royalty can resist aging indefinitely.

Society
The Echtinik society is something akin to a caste system. The Echtinik are at the top with a monarchy, generally a queen, who rules the entire swarm. Below the monarch are the advisers, diplomats, and mages. Next are the warriors, then civilians. Civilian Echtinik are free to do whatever they wish outside of the higher caste professions. Echtinik are relatively slow breeders and are not large in numbers.

Below the Echtinik are the Tinikean workers. They include laborers, crafters, and kitatica weavers. Tinikeans are all considered of the same lowest caste within Echtinik society. In a normal swarm, Tinikeans outnumber Echtinik ten to one or more, but they are almost absolutely peaceful. There are instances when Tinikeans are found separately. For information, see here.

Though somewhat humanoid in form, the Echtinik (and Tinikeans) have no lips and speak the common tongues of their worlds with what sounds like a speech impediment to other kinds of creatures. Their own language is a complex series of clicks, whistles, and vibrations created by appendages.

Echtinik
Key Characteristic: Perception

Base Characteristics: +2 AGL; -3 BEA; -2 CON; +1 INT; +5 PRC; -1 PRS; -1 SPI; +3 STR

Skill Bonuses (BP):

+2 to any 4 of the following (goes into the Misc. Bonus box on the Skill line on the character sheet): Traits & Foibles:
 * Crossbows and Guns
 * Mysticism
 * Ranged Magical Attacks
 * Body (Spectrum)
 * Void (Spectrum)
 * Attack (Purpose)
 * Resistant to Earth(3)
 * Independently Wealthy (2)
 * Inner Compass (1)
 * Mazecrawler (3)


 * Miserly (+4)
 * Natural Web Production - see Webbing and Kitatica below.
 * Spiderclimb - This creature is able to climb all but a few surfaces as easily as if walking and even cling from the ceiling indefinitely.

Tinikean
Key Characteristic: Agility

Base Characteristics: +4 AGL; -1 INT; +3 PRC; +1 SPI; +1 STR; +1 WIS

Skill Bonuses (BP):

+2 to the following (goes into the Misc. Bonus box on the Skill line on the character sheet): Traits & Foibles:
 * Architecture
 * Crafting (any three)
 * Engineering
 * Mathematics
 * Mining
 * Mechanics
 * Resistant to Earth (3)
 * Inner Compas (1)
 * Mazecrawler (3)


 * Miserly (4)
 * Kitatica Production - see kitatica for more information.
 * Spiderclimb - This creature is able to climb all but a few surfaces as easily as if walking and even cling from the ceiling indefinitely.

Web and Kitatica
Continuing their biological similarities, both Echtinik and Tinikeans both produce a form of webbing.

Echtinik produce a thick webbing much like spiderwebs from spinnerets located inside their mouths. These spinnerets are capable of consuming the web as well as make it allowing the Echtinik to draw its prey all the way into its mouth even if its appendages are unavailable. This webbing will sublimate at around 95 metric degrees (Celsius), but it is not technically flammable. An Echtinik can produce up to CON*10 meters of webbing per day. For prey to break free from the webbing, a 1d10+STR check must be made against a DS equal to the Echtinik's 1d10+CON.

Tinikeans have spinnerets located at the end of their abdomens. Many produce a stronger, heat resistant form of the webbing akin to the Echtinik. About one in four produce a scintillating crystalline webbing called kitatica that is used in architecture, art, tools, and even weapons and armor.

Kitatica is an Anthrakeutic-based material that has one of the highest natural melting points known. Once formed, kitatica appears as crystal, almost diamond-esque. It is half the mass of steel while providing the same strength. The only draw-back is its tendency to dissolve in certain acids. Kitatica art and architecture, where it is available to other kinds, is considered some of the most beautiful in the world. It is highly sought after and on most worlds is extremely rare due to the restrictions of Echtinik society. On worlds where there are few to no Echtinik, kitatica is more available and thus cheaper to come by. Tinikeans can produce up to CON*5 meters of kitatica and CON*5 meters of webbing per day.

The tensile strength of webbing for both creatures is roughly 1.7 GPa (gigapascals) while the tensile strength of kitatica is 42 GPa.

As Heroes
Echtinik rarely venture from their swarms deep underground. So much so that they were virtually unknown on Loar until just a few hundred years before the Sundering. In the worlds they inhabit, they prefer to avoid confrontation as it takes too much work. However, the drive to accumulate wealth and power does force some from the higher castes out at the strong urging of their monarch.

Even more rare is the Echtinik that will answer the call to be a Hero. Such an individual is considered an aberration in Echtinik society as the concept of "Hero" is not within their vocabulary and alien to their thoughts. There have been perhaps only two Echtinik heroes on Loar pre-Sundering.

Tinikeans conversely, are not allowed to leave Echtinik society on pain of death. Their generally passive demeanor does not draw them to adventure or heroism anyway. After the Sundering, however, this changed drastically. Benevolent monarchs arose from among the Tinikeans in the absence of their Echtinik overlords. These monarchs are biologically distinct from the rest of the hive: bigger, stronger, magically powerful in some cases, and independent thinkers. These monarchs are the heroes of Tinikean society.

Navigation

 * Hero's Guild Players Handbook Home
 * Chapter 1 - Creature Kinds
 * Chapter 2 - Primary Characteristics
 * Chapter 3 - Skills
 * Chapter 4 - Traits and Foibles
 * Chapter 5 - Physical Combat Skills 
 * Chapter 6 - Mystical Skills
 * Chapter 7 - Equipment
 * Chapter 8 - Crafting
 * Chapter 9 - Knowledge Social and Movement Skills
 * Chapter 10 - Optional Classes
 * Chapter 11 - Rules of Engagement