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Description
The Zantids or Red Martians, are more properly known by the name they give themselves: Thri-Kreen. These imposing insectoid hunters are the third most populous sentient species on Arcane Mars. Standing about seven feet tall at adulthood, these lanky, four-armed warriors are a truly fearsome sight. Their clawed arms and clacking mandibles are capable of rending a Khedeph apart with surprising ease, and their bite is poisonous, causing temporary paralysis in some cases. They are even more deadly for their mastery of all manner of brutal weapons. Zantids can and often do carry a wide selection of armaments in their many hands, often combining spears, swords, knives, throwing blades and jagged pole-arms. The Zantids’ glittering, lidless eyes are constantly flickering about, sizing up all surrounding individuals and environs for potential prey or threats. Their eyes are incapable of closing, and would never need to, for Zantids do not sleep as most humanoids would recognize it. Only small parts of their brain take turns “sleeping” at any given time, allowing them to be conscious and active for every minute of the day, remaining watchful and alert at all times. In addition, they are capable of altering the coloration of their red-hued chitin to blend with their surroundings. This combination of alertness and camouflage serves them well in their role as hunters, a lifestyle at which they excell. Every single Zantid considers itself a hunter, first and foremost, from young nymphs to revered elders. “A Zantid too old to hunt is a Zantid too old to live,” as the saying goes. Every part of a Zantid’s life is devoted to hunting. Even in their pursuit of other goals, such as crafting weapons or choosing a mate, they always approach whatever they do as a hunter approaches his prey. Where a Khedeph or Nelophi craftsman would say he “completed” a project, a Zantid would say that he had “captured” it.

The black and gold Martians consider the Zantids to be savage, primitive beings; sentient, but far from civilized. The Zantids do little to discourage this opinion, preferring to live the simple lives of hunters in wild regions few others would ever settle in. Those few Martians who would dare to venture through the vast deserts, isolated canyons and blasted wastelands that pepper the surface of Mars risk encountering Zantid scouts, hunting parties, or even entire tribal villages. Some lucky travelers may find the Zantids willing to trade. Others find that the more isolated, unfriendly tribes do not welcome strangers, seeing them as nothing more than a threat or competition for game. Those encountering these tribes consider themselves lucky if they escape Zantid territory with their lives. Still others are even less welcoming, considering anything not of the Zantid race to be prey. Such violent behavior has become quite rare in recent years however, as the Zantids have seen more and more acceptance in the cities of the Khedephi and Nelophi. Zantid traders are more welcome, and some rare individuals even live among the other races here and there. Similarly, there are more Zantid tribes now willing to deal with outsiders, and fewer still who will actively engage in aggression against the other Martian races—at least not without provocation. Still, stories persist of remote Zantid tribes who continue to regard all outsiders as food, and there are more than a few pieces of evidence to support such claims. It is clear that the Zantid’s relations with the other races of Mars still have a long way to go before they could be described as truly “peaceful.”

A note on the Zantid’s origins: The Thri-Kreen originated as part of the Dungeons and Dragons game. My interpretation of them for the Arcane Mars setting includes slightly different physical and cultural traits, most notably an increase in height and a distinct red coloration. My illustration of the Zantid Marauder is heavily influenced by Wayne Reynolds’s Thri-Kreen illustrations in the Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 edition Expanded Psionics Handbook.

Description
The Zantids or Red Martians, are more properly known by the name they give themselves: Thri-Kreen. These imposing insectoid hunters are the third most populous sentient species on Arcane Mars. Standing about seven feet tall at adulthood, these lanky, four-armed warriors are a truly fearsome sight. Their clawed arms and clacking mandibles are capable of rending a Khedeph apart with surprising ease, and their bite is poisonous, causing temporary paralysis in some cases. They are even more deadly for their mastery of all manner of brutal weapons. Zantids can and often do carry a wide selection of armaments in their many hands, often combining spears, swords, knives, throwing blades and jagged pole-arms. The Zantids’ glittering, lidless eyes are constantly flickering about, sizing up all surrounding individuals and environs for potential prey or threats. Their eyes are incapable of closing, and would never need to, for Zantids do not sleep as most humanoids would recognize it. Only small parts of their brain take turns “sleeping” at any given time, allowing them to be conscious and active for every minute of the day, remaining watchful and alert at all times. In addition, they are capable of altering the coloration of their red-hued chitin to blend with their surroundings. This combination of alertness and camouflage serves them well in their role as hunters, a lifestyle at which they excell. Every single Zantid considers itself a hunter, first and foremost, from young nymphs to revered elders. “A Zantid too old to hunt is a Zantid too old to live,” as the saying goes. Every part of a Zantid’s life is devoted to hunting. Even in their pursuit of other goals, such as crafting weapons or choosing a mate, they always approach whatever they do as a hunter approaches his prey. Where a Khedeph or Nelophi craftsman would say he “completed” a project, a Zantid would say that he had “captured” it.

The black and gold Martians consider the Zantids to be savage, primitive beings; sentient, but far from civilized. The Zantids do little to discourage this opinion, preferring to live the simple lives of hunters in wild regions few others would ever settle in. Those few Martians who would dare to venture through the vast deserts, isolated canyons and blasted wastelands that pepper the surface of Mars risk encountering Zantid scouts, hunting parties, or even entire tribal villages. Some lucky travelers may find the Zantids willing to trade. Others find that the more isolated, unfriendly tribes do not welcome strangers, seeing them as nothing more than a threat or competition for game. Those encountering these tribes consider themselves lucky if they escape Zantid territory with their lives. Still others are even less welcoming, considering anything not of the Zantid race to be prey. Such violent behavior has become quite rare in recent years however, as the Zantids have seen more and more acceptance in the cities of the Khedephi and Nelophi. Zantid traders are more welcome, and some rare individuals even live among the other races here and there. Similarly, there are more Zantid tribes now willing to deal with outsiders, and fewer still who will actively engage in aggression against the other Martian races—at least not without provocation. Still, stories persist of remote Zantid tribes who continue to regard all outsiders as food, and there are more than a few pieces of evidence to support such claims. It is clear that the Zantid’s relations with the other races of Mars still have a long way to go before they could be described as truly “peaceful.”

A note on the Zantid’s origins: The Thri-Kreen originated as part of the Dungeons and Dragons game. My interpretation of them for the Arcane Mars setting includes slightly different physical and cultural traits, most notably an increase in height and a distinct red coloration. My illustration of the Zantid Marauder is heavily influenced by Wayne Reynolds’s Thri-Kreen illustrations in the Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 edition Expanded Psionics Handbook.