Gore-stained followers of the Mantis Goddess

Cult of the Scarlet Mantis (#11/31, #284/365)

Vurgothrax the Mantid Goddess has a small but devoted following within the city, particularly in the poorer quarters of Thagwar. Every morning, her red-robed INSECTOID MONKS gather offerings from the true believers and take them to the temple - little more than a semi-ruined tenement whose internal structure has been radically reorganized - and place them upon the altar, and quickly too, to avoid ritual decapitation by the Mantid Priestess Thesprotia Gigas (sharp-eyed, patient). Thesprotia maintains a network of fear across Thagwar; those who displease her know they can be abducted at any moment by her scarlet monks, her lurking Mantis Demons, her imperturbable Mantis People, and carted off to the crimson altar to have whatever they use as a head(s) ceremonially removed.

Invariably, such elimination services are also offered for monetary exchanges, which usually leads to the enforced disappearance of somebody or something important. The resultant outcry then creates an investigation by the Thagwar Watch, typically meandering through a maze of dead-ends and counter-accusations, before finally expiring in a "Inconclusive Judgement" report, which is then filed away in the depths of T.U.P. headquarters. Now, though, the Mantis Cultists have gone too far and kidnapped Ishtra's Consul, Naj-Narlene of Nystos, possibly on the orders of the Poison Trio. The Watch are under real pressure to obtain a positive result this time and even the First Overlord is beginning to consider the dilemma of whether it is really necessary to keep this bloodthirsty sect active within the Primal City.

INSECTOID MONK, SKILL 7 STAMINA 8, Staff or Club, Light Armour. 

Followers of the various insect gods - Hmurresh, Ymphos, Hammurabi and Vurgothrax, to name but a few - whose religious fervour and piety earns them the deity's blessing, will find themselves gradually mutating into a sort of insect-humanoid hybrid - the INSECTOID MONK. These shuffling, chittering horrors are known from such places on Titan as the Black Abbey of Lupravia and Shakuru, City of Beggars, and take the form of a heavily robed and shrouded figure with the head of a Giant Insect. To determine the type of head, roll on the following table:

1. Cockroach, +1 Attack, Small Bite

2. Mantis, +1 Attack, Large Claw

3. Beetle, +1 Attack, Small Bite, Medium Armour

4. Maggot, +1 Attack, Large Bite

5. Weevil, +1 Attack, Small Claw, Heavy Armour

6. Moth, +1 Attack, Small Bite, can Fly

Insectoid Monks spend their days in prayer and contemplation to their chosen god, as well as indulging in corrupt rituals, experiments and practices designed to further the cause of insects everywhere, whether that be creating weird mutants like the Moth-Men (see Return to the Pit, p.134), or contaminating local farms, orchards and apiaries. They are suspicious of outsiders and will defend themselves with clubs and staves if attacked. Leading a cell of Insectoid Monks will be an INSECTOID ABBOT (SKILL 8 STAMINA 16, 2 Attacks); roll on the table above to determine the type, however note that the the process of mutation has been accelerated, and the Abbot will now resemble a very large-sized Giant Insect of its type, lurking in a slimey pit in the centre of its lair.

Insectoid Monks welcome similar creatures into their cloisters, including Droug, Weevil Men and Mantis Men, but they are sworn enemies of both the Spider King Arhallogen and Xoromik the Ant Goddess, and will attack followers of those demigods on sight.