[HoneyBadger]

Since I started this thread, I figured I ought to post an idea to it. My idea is for a Late Era Lovecraftian nation based on the Great Race of Yith.
Yithians are an insectoid race, in my version flesh-eating scarab beetles (aka The Mummy)-who have been possessed by time-traveling spirits. They have access to time related national spells (able to speed themselves up, slow enemies down, age enemies/reverse their own age) and "body-hop" a spell which causes the caster to leave their body on physical contact and enter an enemy's body, if their victim fails to save. When they body-hop, they leave behind a mindless, soul-less husk. If the husk-body is destroyed, so is the Yithian spirit, and the unit they formerly possessed reverts to it's original owner, gaining the "mindless" and "feebleminded" afflictions for the rest of the battle. If the body they currently possess is destroyed, they simply return to their original body. After the battle, the host's original spirit finds it's way back to it's body.
The Yithian's main units are weak, consisting of mindless swarms of flesh-eating scarabs, but the best combat units, although very expensive, would be extremely strong with superior protection and special abilities, like a warrior leader with 4 arms (Coleopterous Captain), each of which can wield a weapon, trampling war-beetle which spits a stream of poisonous fire (stole it from Starship Troopers), and well-armored Yithian Flyers who can produce stink-bombs. Instead of priests, they have Yithian Savants (a race of insectoid-philosophers whom the Yithian spirits possessed milennia ago)with 1 astral magic and 2 priest levels, and Yithian Caretakers-actual Yithians, immobile and somewhat resembling an elephant's foot, they are capitol-only. They have 3 astral and the best research of any recruitable leader. The Caretakers serve as magicians and have 3 astral and enhanced research.
Troops: Scarab Swarm (mindless, susceptible to fire, resistant (50%) to cold, poisonous), Death Scarabs (mindless, undead, susceptible to fire, resistant (50%) to cold, drain life) Yithian Carapace (mindless, susceptible to fire, resistant (50%) to cold, poison bite, 4 claw attacks, good protection, good defense, good strength.

National summons are creatures the Yithians have brought from the past or the future and include a wrinkled brown ogre with a gigantic head called the Great-Headed who has good fighting ability and can cause insanity as a gaze attack. Great-Headed costs earth and astral gems and can be fully equipped, except for it's head.
The Deep Plastid, a formless blind alien creature who destroys armor on contact, drains life, and has very high hitpoints, fire resistance, cold resistance, lightning resistance, and protection, but very low defense, and although it has physical attacks on the battlefield (1 pseudopod per round), is immobile. It would also require a ton of astral gems. It could be equipped with 1 misc item but has no magic and relatively low MR.
The Coneod Construct is an undead Yithian summoned from the depths of time. It has a skill level of 1 in each magic field except blood (Yithians have no blood-magic, since killing and sacrificing perfectly good bodies goes against their physiology), but is immobile, with no physical attack, and a vulnerable body.
Star-Lotus, a mindless, immobile plant-creature with 3 tentacle attacks per round and a poisonous bite. The tentacles do fire damage and also render victims immobile unless they save. The Star-Lotus does lots of area heat damage, also. Costs fire and nature gems.
A more powerful version of the spell summons 5 Star-Lotus at a time.
The Lotus Master, an etherial flying Yithian with fire and astral magic, but no physical attack, who, upon being wounded, transforms into a Star-Lotus. The Lotus Master, once transformed, is immobile and ground-based. Star-Lotus and the Lotus-Master are vulnerable to frost. Costs fire, nature, and astral gems.
A more powerful version of the spell summons 3 Lotus Masters at a time.

Thanks.