Origin

The species heretofore identified as “Mantidae Pugna” is an extra-terrestrial race from a planet reportedly called Ent’Mok’To. As of this report, there has been no official contact with said planet to confirm the validity of this and forthcoming claims. This information comes from the sole representative of Ent’Mok’To, who prefers to be addressed as “Klax”.

He describes his home as a battle-scarred landscape of giant forests and mountains, whose inhabitants engage in an everlasting war. Combat prowess is valued above all with the young beginning training as early as they are able. The rate of fertility would overwhelm the planet’s resources if not for the average shortened lifespan of its people due to their combative society. The Mantidae recognize this as an inherent quality of life: the ever-continuous culling of the weak. Few see anything like senile age and those that do often have injuries or illnesses that prevented them from fighting further.

Klax details his defeat and capture by an enemy regiment. “To be defeated is to die”, he says, but his particular assailants were not aligned with any of the warring factions. He and his companions were taken and sold to space smugglers who dealt in slaves. The novelty of Mantidae slaves made them valuable products, despite their aggressive behavior. He claims to be the last of them to be sold, citing his unrelenting resistance to his circumstance. After his most recent subjugator was arrested, the officials didn’t know what to do with him. The ETSR extended an offer of invitation to house Klax at our facility and he has been with us ever since.

Anatomy

Klax has some similarities to human anatomy. He is bipedal, has a similar torso (discounting the additional two limbs), and has a nearly identical facial structure in the overlapping parts. There are quite a few unique features, which will be detailed as they come up in this report.

He has a human-like head in appearance from eyes, nose, mouth, ears, neck, and hair. From our understanding, they all function in similar ways to our own. The notable exceptions include his ears, which are able to detect sound above the normal human frequency; his voice, which is able to create such sounds among other non-replicable noises; his eyes, which are able to equip and unequip a cluster of pseudo-ommatidia to produce the effect of compound eyes; and his mouth, which contains a retracted set of mandibles underneath his tongue that he produces when eating or speaking. In addition, he also bears a pair of antennae which can detect subtle environmental changes. One of Klax’s antennae has been cut short and rendered ineffective, which he calls a battle scar.

A chitinous carapace begins at the base of his neck and extends out and down over the rest of his body. It creates a hard, protective outer shell, which upon cursory testing does seem impressively durable. The exterior is self-repairing, showing no signs of damage. It is also able to change its pigmentation to camouflage Klax to an extraordinary degree. Given a color swatch, Klax can accurately adjust his carapace’s coloration to blend in. The shell is fixed in place along the limbs but can be controlled from the neck down to the upper thigh. Rows of chitin retract into the sides to reveal a soft underbelly with a humanoid epidermis. Klax does not often unveil this, as it leaves him “exposed” and “vulnerable”. The carapace also forms a small, jutting “tail” at the base of his back that is reminiscent of an insect’s abdomen. Its function appears to be to assist with balance. 

He has two arms and two legs with human-esque shape but different composition. Aside from the carapace that covers them, the four limbs are longer than average human length. The length is less exaggerated in the arms but is especially noticeable in the legs. Along with their length, they also have an insectoid morphology. Both groups are multi-jointed, allowing for more flexibility and precise movement. The legs in particular also have prolonged femurs and even longer tibias, contributing the most to Klax’s height. Five-digit hands and feet rest at the end of these limbs. They are less sensitive to touch on account of the chitin that shields them but make for weapons in their own right in matters of confrontation.

The two additional limbs that rest between his arms and legs are a point of contention in naming convention. Klax insists on calling them arms but we initially called them legs due to their appearance. For this report, we will be referring to them as legs for ease. The two legs protruding from the sides of his midsection bear a striking resemblance to the raptorial legs of mantises. Unlike the other limbs, these legs don’t end in hands or feet. Instead, each one comes to an end with a ridged spike that has the capacity to hook into and tear through anything it lashes at. The femur before this also has numerous spines that bite at whatever is in their grasp. By Klax’s own admission, they serve as tools for hunting and occasionally for fighting as well. These legs ordinarily rest tucked in against his sides, but they have demonstrated a quickness and dexterity that make them deadly.

Appearance

As previously stated, Klax’s carapace is capable of changing coloration to suit his needs. Their default state is that of a brown hue that looks at home in earthy, dirt-laden environs. His skin, as much as it is visible, is a lighter shade of brown, almost russet, reddish in tone. This is more easily observable when he retracts the chitin shell covering his upper torso. A few scars run up and along his stomach and chest, as well as in some spots on his face and neck; all of them appear to be from laceration-type injuries.

His frame is slender, both in torso and in limbs, but it is no indicator of his strength. Human-like musculature is not plainly visible; however, the exterior shell is tough and undoubtedly requires a non-insignificant amount of strength to maneuver with. Measured while his legs are straightened, Klax is 6’7”. In practice, he stands 5’11” due to the bend of his legs when he stands or walks. This height is variable, as he can adjust the bend, and he has been observed making himself stand taller if he is not the tallest person in the room in his natural stance. 

Klax’s eyes are narrow and pointed and, when coupled with the line of his usually pursed lips, give off the impression of bubbling contempt. The irises are a bright yellow, a feature that becomes even more obvious when his pseudo-ommatidia are equipped as the entire space of his eyes take on the visage of yellow-tinted compound eyes. Brown antennae poke out from his forehead, right below his hairline. His hair has a darker, richer shade of brown than the rest of his person. It is cut short, though unevenly so, with sections that are shaggier than the rest. Klax has been witnessed trimming his own hair using the hooked ends of his upper legs. He hasn’t allowed anyone else to cut it, thus leaving him with a messy mop of short, uneven, dark brown hair.

Behavior

Much of Klax’s day-to-day behavior  is influenced by his war-torn upbringing. While he isn’t violent, he has a sharp competitive nature and is often concerned with how strong he is compared to those around him. We initially did not have a means of satisfying this curiosity – there were no plans to engage him in any kind of combat – but discovered that any kind of game that has a winner and loser sates his urge. Board games and card games do the trick, though his favorite is rock-paper-scissors. At times, he can be a sore loser or a boastful winner, but after a few losses or an even back and forth he shows respect to his competitor.

He does still, however, pride himself in his strength. These challenges can become a frequent occurrence if there is someone he is intent on beating. At any given time, he wants to be able to call himself the strongest in the room. This is also a factor in his diet. Klax prefers to eat meat, though he can eat vegetables, but is dissatisfied when it is simply served to him. In order to engage his hunting instincts, his food is kept in hard-to-reach places or hidden so that he has to find it.

Despite the deterring expression he frequently wears, he isn’t averse to conversation. He’s been rather vocal about his home and its culture, and while he predominantly speaks in a serious tone, he’s answered many of our questions. The one topic he withholds is his time spent as a slave. He doesn’t allow much of any questioning when it comes to that part of his past. However, Klax is not without levity. Sarcasm and wordplay don’t register with him, but he does enjoy anecdotal and slapstick humor. The tales he tells of his time on Ent’Mok’To are indicative of this. When asked if he would like to return to his home planet, he answers with a definitive “Yes!”. The ETSR facilities are lacking in means of placating his desire to fight, outside of our gym. He finds himself bored on most days when he’s unattended.