Athiks believe themselves to be the chosen people of their deity Klik’chak. They are very ant-like in nature and maintain a powerful devotion to their hive, which drives an athik’s every action. Athik society frowns upon displays of emotion and independent thought but rewards hard work and personal accomplishment. They are almost invariably hardworking beings who keep to themselves. Athiks hold the safety and preservation of their hive as the highest virtues, which should be upheld even to the detriment or death of the individual. Cooperation is fundamental to their nature, and all have strong empathy and helpful attitudes towards one another, strengthened by the hive mind they all share.
In Aldhaven, the athik have built a small hive colony a quarter mile southwest of the city and have reached a level where they have begun to have an impact on the city. The athiks have recently started trading with passing merchants and sent scouts into Aldhaven and the surrounding areas. Currently, they have no formal relationship with the city, and the city leaders have chosen to ignore the athiks unless they become a problem. There are several athik hives in the seemingly endless desert wastes south of Aldhaven, though athiks very seldomly travel far from home.
From a distance, athiks look much like young humans or halflings, but they have very distinct insectile features reminiscent of ants, including large, multifaceted eyes, two small antennae, and small mandibles on the sides of their mouths. They are covered with a shiny black carapace marked with a few small spots in varying shades of gray and dark blue. Adults never vary more than an inch or two from three feet, eight inches tall, and all appear virtually identical, even to the trained eye.
Athik Subraces
The following options are subraces of Athik.
- Dromite — Individualistic athik who are cut off from the hives but gain increased psionic might.