The Corodan
I have a thing for bugs. Not just the microscopic kind I study at work, but insects and spiders too. Some of you might not know this, but I very nearly almost went into entomology in college rather than microbiology. Bugs are cool.
It was only natural that I featured them in my books, right?
So, along came the Corodan.
Okay, it wasn’t quite that simple. In the very early iterations of what became The Caein Legacy, the Corodan weren’t insects at all. They lived in the highlands, just as they do in the published version of the story, but they were bat-like, rather than insectile. They were always meant to be a little terrifying, and bats can be considered that for some people.
What prompted the shift from bat to insect? I…honestly don’t know, but it’s probably just the fact that I like bugs more.
What are the Corodan, you ask?
Here’s a description from Harbinger, book 3 in the series, which will release on May 28. (More about the book here: Harbinger.)
“The Corodan were as large as horses but looked much like praying mantis. They bore thick carapaces that served as natural armor, and their forelimbs were covered in a razor-sharp, serrated edge. I’d witnessed Corodan slice through the best steel armor Novania could produce as though it were constructed of paper. They were fierce fighters, though I’d learned—much by accident—their natural weaponry could not pierce dragon scale.”
– Andrew Caein in Harbinger
The basis of the Corodan is really a mashup of praying mantis and army ant, and as the passage says, some of their number are naturally equipped for combat. But not every Corodan is a warrior.
You’ll get to see more of their home (hive or lair, as Andrew terms it), in Harbinger. There, you’ll encounter some of the smaller members of the species. Some are tasked with building their underground home, some with the care of newborns, and others are designated specifically as mates for the Hive-queen.
Yes, the Corodan are a matriarchal species and they share a hive-mind. The Hive-queen has ultimate control—even from afar—but she delegates work to some of the other large females often enough.
Corodan are capable of communication without the use of vocalization. A significant portion of this is due to the hive-mind, but they also use pheromones. The idea of pheromonal communication is only hinted at in the story, since our main character wouldn’t understand the concept; science isn’t particularly advanced in his world.
A few members of the hive can speak common, though only females possess the necessary biology to form vocalizations of any kind. This is also only hinted at in the story. Those who can speak are instrumental in forging alliances and negotiating treaties with the humans of the neighboring lands.
And what would happen if a rival Hive-queen arose? Let’s just say you’ll have to read Harbinger to learn more about that potential scenario.
Overall, I had a ton of fun working on the final version of the Corodan, and I’m ultimately glad I chose to make them insectoid rather than bat-like. I think the strangeness of a sentient insect species appeals to more readers—if not for the mystery they bring to the story, then for the creep-factor.
Harbinger is available for preorder and will release May 28, 2024.
