Last on our list of Demonworld’s playable races are the Entomids.
Entomids are strange beings. To the northern races, they are positively alien. Male Entomids stand on four legs and resemble an evolved version of an ant. Their torso and head are upright with two arms, like the humanoid races have. The rest of their bodies are giant versions of an ant’s abdomen and thorax. Male Entomids average seven feet in height, and their speed is unmatched, and their strength is superior to any but an Orc. Owing to their size and the odd shape of their bodies, Entomids cannot ride horses or other mounts, but they have no need to. A sprinting male can run at speeds of 25 miles per hour or more, and they have the stamina to match.
Female Entomids are a physically significantly different from males. They have two legs instead of four, but they also have a set of four wings that grow from between their shoulder blades that allows them limited flight. They can fly at about the same speed a human runs and can sustain this flight for up to half and hour at a time. While not as strong or tall as males, female Entomids are incredibly versatile and make excellent scouts and archers.
Mentally, Entomids are vastly different from the humanoid races. There is no concept of dissent or radical thought amongst them. Though they are not hive minded by any means, every individual works towards the betterment of the entire colony, and does so without any thought of personal gain or egotism. Their entire existence is to protect the colony, serve the queen, and do any duty she requires. However, this does not mean that an Entomid’s life is not fulfilling. When they are very young, Entomids are evaluated and tested in order to discover their natural gifts and tendencies. Once they are identified, the hatchling is trained to focus on and enhance these abilities in order to heighten their talents to near perfection. When they reach adulthood, each Entomid is assigned a job or task that suits his or her skills, creating a society where every individual is both highly skilled and intensely fulfilled in his or her duty and daily life.
Entomid society is a tightly woven and complicated thing. While they do communicate verbally when precise detail or direction is required, the majority of their communication is done through pheromones. They can read these chemical signals just as easily and naturally and we read eyes and body language.
The queen is grossly involved with the colony’s workings and commands every individual personally whenever possible. Her memory is as old as the Enomid race itself. Through some unknown working of ancient magic, each new queen is born at the precise moment of the former queen’s death, and with all of the collected memories and knowledge of every one of her predecessors. Her extensive collection of knowledge allows her to remember every individual, their personal history, and current assignment. So far as anyone has been able to discern, she does not forget anything.
Before the demons returned to Tinére, the Entomids were entirely unknown to the northern races. They lived under the towering trees of the Nishru jungle located on the southern continent of Sebranis. Once Xeribulos rose and the demonic energy in the world spiked, the Entomids had their own problems. Their jungle city of Ashrin was losing more and more ground to the invaders every year. They were hard pressed to keep their borders safe, let alone push back. Hope for their home and future generations was waning. However, in a stroke of luck, a group of Entomids witnessed the return of the Dark Elves. Watching from the banks of Demon’s Sea, they watched as the Dark Elf ships loaded with magicians and Demonguard, fought and defeated an enormous aquatic demon. This show of power and witnessing a new magic that could deal such wounds to a demon of incredible size renewed their hope. After hearing the report of the Dark Elf ship and its route north, Queen H’Aluran ordered the city to be tightly secured, the hatcheries to be emptied, and the entire Entomid race to travel north along the edges of the desert and across the land bridge to Tinére. When they were first met by the northern races, they were initially thought to be new demons. But that matter was quickly resolved and their alliance with the north has brought renewed strength to the combined armies, as well as a new specialist. Entomids excel in melee combat owing to their height and long reach, but they are especially talented in the use of spears, lances, and polearms. Their techniques were never seen in the north and the humanoid races were sufficiently impressed. So much so, that their techniques were soon sought after and it was requested that they teach the fighting style to others, giving birth to the Lancer specialty.