Monster: Tikra

Tikra
Armour Class: 5
Hit Dice: 1+4*
Move: 150' (50')
fly 120' (40')
Attacks: 2 slashes
Damage: 1-6/1-6
No. Appearing: 1-4 (2-12)
Save As: F3
Morale: 8
Treasure Type: G (U)
Alignment: Neutral
XP Value: 20

Insectile humanoids with an affinity for music, tikra resemble thin and graceful mantids, standing some seven feet tall on four slender legs tipped with two curving claws. A third pair of limbs serve as their arms; they normally keep the sharp, spined "sickle" of their forelimbs flexed back along their forearms, using three grasping fingers at the wrist joint as their hands. The abdomen of a tikra is narrow, relatively short compared to an actual mantid, and covered with tightly-folded wings as bright as any butterfly's. Their chitin is a bright deep gold, sometimes marked with rust, and their eyes are crimson.

Some tikra affect jewelry, gemstones mounted into their chitin, and humanoid accutrements such as belts, girdles, and shirts. These individuals are usually those tikra more accustomed to dealing with other sapient races.

Given the choice, a tikra would prefer to avoid physical combat. When forced to do so, tikra use their forelimbs to puncture and slash, inflicting 1-6 hit points of damage per successful strike; their hands, though capable of delicate manipulation, are unsuited for most weapons. A few tikra may tip their forearm spines with silver or similar such substances. Twice a day, a tikra may unleash a shrill, nerve-wracking shriek of discordant tones that is so violent it may actually cause injury -- any in a 5x20x30 cone in front of the tikra takes 2-12 hit points of damage. Alternately, the singer may choose to disorient, instead causing those caught in the "breath weapon" to lose their ability to act for two rounds. Either effect may be mitigated by a save vs. breath weapon.