Chitarri

The Chitarri are an insectoid species, and one of the major races of the galaxy, with their tremendous breeding rate making them among the most populous of galactic species.

Castes
The Chitarri are split into several castes, which are based on their life cycle. Females of each caste always lay eggs which will hatch into the caste below them. Each caste is inferior to the caste above it, being smaller, less intelligent, and more short lived. Furthermore, higher castes possess greater mastery over the pheromones their species wields for the purposes of communication and control, whilst lower castes are more susceptible to their effects.

Hive Queen
The great hive queens are the pinnacle of the Chitarri castes, with each of them being responsible for spawning a Chitarri clan. Hive queens are massive insectoid creatures, possessed of bloated, wormlike bodies that end in an egg laying tube, topped off with their head and six arms which serve little purpose, reaching a length of some fifty feet, with their corpulent bulk holding their head some twenty feet off the ground. Hive queens live for thousands upon thousands of years, usually laying a clutch of eggs once every century or so, which will hatch into broodlords and broodmothers. They are also gifted with potent pheromones, which they can transmit to any of their nearby descendants, which will then be reflexively transmitted by them to any other Chitarri in range, forming a chain that links down that particular hive queen's bloodline. These pheromones can influence lesser Chitarri to the hive queen's will, with the lower ranking, weaker willed chitarri being far more susceptible to their pheromone based commands.

Broodlord
Broodlords are male offspring of hive queens, six limbed, insectoid creatures which stand about seven to eight feet in height. They are bipedal, standing tall and proud, with two pairs of arms tipped in clawed fingers, and feet which possess two large toes. Broodlords are, like their mothers, capable of emitting pheromones, which lesser Chitarri automatically transmit as a reflex. Additionally, the pheromone control of hive queens is not as effective against them, with broodlords being capable of actually resisting their hive queen's commands, which few would actually choose to do. This is a result of their higher levels of mental ability, being gifted with high intelligence compared to most humanoids, as well as a lifespan stretching far into the centuries which allows them the chance to increase their cognitive fortitude. The broodlords are also responsible for fertilizing the eggs laid by broodmothers.

Broodmother
Broodmothers are the female offspring of hive queens, essentially smaller versions of their creators, usually being about thirty feet long and ten feet tall. They are capable of emitting the same variant of psychic pherenomes as the hive queens, with the only caveat being that they can only influence their personal descendants, and not those of their broodmother sisters. Furthermore, they are unable to influence their siblings, the broodlords and broodmothers, with this ability. Broodmothers are also exceptionally long lived, even more so than broodlords, typically living anywhere from five hundred to years. This long lifespan allows them to hone their considerable natural intellect. Lastly, broodmothers carry the important role of laying eggs which contain hatchmothers and warriors, the core middle class of Chitarri society.

Warrior
The male offspring of a Broodmother, a Chitarri warrior stands at around six feet tall, though some larger specimens have been known to reach heights of up to six and a half feet. Warriors occupy a middling ranking within the Chitarri castes, being responsible for defending hives and serving the upper castes. A warrior enjoys a lifespan of a several decades, with most expiring of old age at around fifty years.

Hatchmother
Hatchmothers are female Chitarri born from a broodmother, and typically measure some fifteen to twenty feet in length, and anywhere from five to seven feet in height. Hatchmothers typically can