Editing Sama (section)

=Physiology=
A sama is a 2.5 to 3ft long insectoid with a [[centaur]]-like body structure; its thorax is held vertically at a near 90-degree angle from its abdomen, causing it to walk on four insectile claws whilst its uppermost limbs have developed into deft prehensile hands. The head of a sama is vaguely mantis-like, save for elaborate crests made of fluted chitinous spars and thin membranes. They sport thin chitinous exoskeletons, no tougher than human skin, and favor the use of chainmail shirts for defense. Sharp eyes and an intuitive grasp of mathematics makes them deadly accurate with light throwing or ranged weaons. They are renowned for their eidetic memories.

These insectoids start their lives as tiny herbivores feeding on foliage in the upper canopy. They live about as long as humans and mature at the same rate, spending 10 to 12 years as adolescents before they undergo their once-in-a-lifetime mating session, which is held in a specific region of the Vastwood. After coupling, females lay clutches of up to a dozen eggs in a bundle of silk and attach it high in the tree; the act of breeding causes the genitalia of the post-adolescent sama to basically break down into sterile cloaca, leaving them functionally neutered. These egg-bundles emit pheromones that cause the now-adult sama around them to enter berserk frenzies until the eggs hatch, which is nature's clumsy effort of helping the species survive. See, the local Vastwood [[troll]]s regard sama eggs as a delicacy, and in a battle of 9ft to 10ft troll and 2.5ft to 3ft sama... well, the little bug daddies to be need all the help they can get!

A sama that survives its breeding session will leave the Vastwood as soon as its eggs have hatched, never to interact with its progeny again. Now a full adult, it sets out to establish itself in life.