Race a Day: Talez

Talez

Stoic, wise dragons as solid and ancient as the mountains.

RACIAL TRAITS

Average Height: 6’4”- 10’

Average Weight: 600-2200lb.

Ability Scores: +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom

Size: Medium or Large

Speed: 6 squares

Vision: Normal

Languages: Common, Common Draconic, Talez Dialect

Skill Bonuses: +2 Dungeoneering, +2 History

Stone Flesh: You gain a +2 racial bonus to AC.

Solid as a Mountain: You have resistance to melee damage of 5 + ½ level. This increases to 10 + ½ level at level 11 and 15 + ½ level at level 21.

Living Earth: You are a living piece of the earth. You don’t need to eat, drink, breathe, or sleep. You never have to make Endurance checks to resist the effects of starvation, thirst, or suffocation.

Earth Meld: Rather than sleep, talez enter a meditative state known as trance. You need to spend 2 hours in this state to gain the same benefits other races gain from taking a 6 hour extended rest. While in a trance, you are fully aware of your surroundings and notice approaching enemies and other events as normal.

Acid Breath: You gain dragon breath as an encounter power.

Dragon Breath                                                                      Talez Racial Power

The ground sizzles as a bit of saliva drips from your jaw. It is far too late for your enemies who melt as you spray them with a blast of acid.

Encounter ♦ Acid

Minor Action                                                                         Close blast 3

Attack: Ability modifier +2 vs. Reflex

Hit: 1d6 + Ability modifier acid damage and 5 ongoing acid damage (save ends).

Increase to +4 bonus and 2d6 + Ability modifier damage at 11^th level, and to +6 bonus and 3d6 + Ability modifier damage at 21^st level.

Special: When you create your character, choose one of the ability scores as the score to use when making attack rolls with this power. That is also the ability modifier you will use for the damage. This choice remains throughout your character’s life and do not change the power’s other effects.

            They live deep within the earth, hidden away in ancient and massive cites built from living stone. They are found in ancient cities on the highest peaks in the most treacherous mountains. They are the talez, the earth dragons. They are powerful, long lived, and they consider themselves the guardians of Joresch.

Play a talez if you want…

¨      to be a wise and patient leader.

¨      to be a powerful and ancient dragon.

¨      to be a member of a race that favors the avenger, cleric, fighter, invoker, and shaman classes.

  

Physical Qualities

Talez resemble humanoid dragons. They are large creatures, generally much bigger than humans, standing anywhere from over six feet to nearly ten feet in height. They are made of solid living rock, making them exceedingly tough and dense, and they can weigh more than a ton at larger sizes. They have extremely craggy looking bodies, with lots of sharp spikes and spines all over their body. In many ways they resemble armadillos or turtles with a hard gray, if spikey shell on their back and softer, but still rather tough scaled flesh of a more earthy brown on their front. Talez do not have wings, but do have large, spiked tails they can use to their advantage in battle. Their eyes are always one solid color, and generally seem to be made of gems such as sapphires or rubies.

            Talez mature very quickly, reaching full size at around age 18. After this they age incredibly slowly, remaining vigorous well into old age and can live to be over 4000 years old.

Playing a Talez

Living for several millennia, the talez are the longest lived race on Joresch. They are not technically dragons in the strictest sense, and are actually living pieces of the earth, given life, form, and souls. Their great life spans have allowed them to create vast, beautiful cities, forging them from the living rock, and, in some cases shaping the rock as it was made toward their own designs. There are two main cities for the talez, both in the Grey that split the world. The first is called The Quarry, and it is where the talez believe they were born. It’s a vast system of underground caverns that have been dug out, carved and shaped over several thousand years. This massive underground city starts six miles into the Gray from the Karlosh Sea and stretches under the sea, stopping just shy of the Academy of the World in Graywyn. Here you can find incredible structures and temples, a city sparkling in a permanent night where no natural light exists. The second, Teyr’s Landing, is built high in the middle of the Grey and the western continent where none can actually travel without magical means. It rises into the sky and spans several miles all around with grand, ornate spires and towers. The talez believe that Teyr himself once lived here. They believe these legends because their kind is nearly old enough to remember.

            The talez believe that they were given their long lives for a purpose, and that purpose it to protect. They believe they are the guardians of Joresch, remembering ancient evils that become myth and legend in the comparatively short lives of the other races. They watch for history to repeat itself, for signs and shadows of the past, and send out messenger and warriors to help fight the coming darkness they perceive. They devote their lives to learning incredible abilities to help them fight and protect those in need, prevent injustice, and above all other things, maintain the balance and keep the world in order.

            The talez do not worship the Gods. They pay homage to them, knowing that they have a purpose, that they offer blessings and many follow the tenants laid down by several of the lighter deities, but in the end the talez believe in one thing above all others; the Great Wheel. The Great Wheel is the cycle of history that has no beginning and no end. It continues in it’s great arc bringing an age, watching it rise and fall, and then continuing to a new spoke bringing another age. History repeats itself forever until time ends, and the talez watch the Wheel with great interest, knowing that’s constant turn can bring clues as to what the future might hold and how they might act. They attach themselves to the Wheel through life quests. They believe that each of their kind has a destiny that spins along with the Wheel, and that they must find their destiny through hard work, dedication and perseverance. Few talez have realized what their life quest is, but none are ever ashamed or worried that they don’t find it, as the search and the drive is what is the important part of the quest.

            Talez are an extremely patient and tolerant race. They know that people are to be judged on their own merits and tend not to hold grudges, having seen that, over time, anyone can change. That being said, there is one thing that talez hate and fear and that is a chaos wizard. Talez see the world in waves and cycles, living long enough to see one cycle end and another being, or to see the wheel come back to the start and see things start all over again. The only thing that can stop the wheel, or break the wheel’s great cycle, or cause it to skip like a stone across the water is a chaos wizard. Such unpredictable behavior, such incredible deviation, such terrible power frightens and baffles them. They do not destroy chaos wizards, as that can break cycles as well and everything has it’s place, but if it is at all possible, a talez will spend it’s entire existence well away from chaos wizards, and very few ever actually meet one in person.

            Thoughtful and introspective, talez can seem cold or distant. It is not that they are distant, rather they are listeners. They enjoy watching the lives of others, seeing them live and laugh, sing and dance. Their joy comes from knowing that others are happy, from seeing the lives of other enriched and rewarded. Their happiness is in knowing that those who do not get such long lives enjoy what time they have. To be allied with a talez is to have a great measure of immortality and a staunch and loyal friend.

Talez Characteristics: Ancient, brave, determined, gentle, intuitive, kind, patient, perceptive, strident, wise

Male Names: Aggregate, Borax, Corundum, D’Ansite, Flint, Goethite, Jacobsite, Kyanite, Mica, Mendozite, Onyx, Samarskite, Slate, Titanium, Tychite

Female Names: Amber, Barylite, Brookite, Diamond, Emerald, Galena, Kaolin, Nephrite, Opal, Ruby, Sanidine, Sapphire, Topaz, Trona

Talez Adventurers

Three sample talez adventurers are described below.

            Kyanite is a careful fighter who has trained his entire life to become the perfect warrior. He senses darkness rising on the Wheel and wants to make certain he is up to any challenge that may present itself. He feels stifled however, as though he has met his limit and must find new ways to challenge himself. He knows that there are things out among the other races in the world that may challenge him, that may present him better ways to perfect his art and he knows that soon he must leave to find such challenges for himself. He has presented his fears to his elders and after careful consideration, he has been granted permission to find his way in the world and go on his life quest. With a purpose and world to explore, Kyanite sets out to find his place on the Wheel and to see what he may find in the world.

            Amber has access to great tomes and ancient texts and has become a powerful Avenger, aligning herself with Elysia. She sees dark shadows moving behind a great fire in her dreams, and she knows that Elyisia is whispering to her, calling her out to find these shadows and stop them from their dark purpose. Only a month after leaving her home and beginning her fight against the shadows, she comes across a village; decimated, razed and burning. Bodies litter the streets of every size and shape, and she turns her head from the dead too young to even speak, tears filling her ruby eyes. She fears that there is such darkness that can do this and as she begins a prayer for the dead she is shocked to find something; one person has survived. A lycan woman, bleeding badly and near death, feverish and hallucinating murmurs to herself as she desperately tries to crawl out of the city, clutching a strange patch of cloth in her hand. Amber knows what she must do and carefully scoops up the woman, heading to get help and to make certain that vengeance is brought to those who committed this atrocity.

            The great warlord Mica has led armies to victory over darkness time and again, but he senses something new is coming. He lives in the city of Quin’la and serves King Connel but lately something is bothering him. Connel has started making odd choices. Recently he has ordered troops to Orlan, claiming that his empire must expand. He has also enacted new laws that allow for and even support slavery. While he has no proof, Mica is certain that Connel is being controlled, or worse, that he is an imposter and the real king is dead. He has little choice but to continue in his duties and wait and watch, using his influence and wisdom to search for clues and to find the truth and restore Vormos to it’s true glory and to protect the world from a growing tyrant.

Race a Day: Mordelan

Mordelan

Ancient colored dragons born of the very magics of the world.

RACIAL TRAITS

Average Height: 5’-6’

Average Weight: 100-250lb.

Ability Scores: +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom or you may instead take a +4 Intelligence or Wisdom

Size: Medium

Speed: 6 squares

Vision: Low-light

Languages: Common, Common Draconic, Mordelan Dialect

Skill Bonuses: +2 Arcana, +2 Insight

Tied to the Magic: No matter what class you are, you may choose three spells with the arcane keyword and use them. If one of the powers you choose is an encounter power, or if you play an arcane class, you may choose one arcane encounter ability and use it at-will.

Blink: You can use blink as an encounter power.

Blink                                                                                       Mordelan Racial Power

With a slight “pop!” you vanish and reappear a short distance away.

Encounter ♦ Teleportation

Move Action                                                                          Personal

Effect: Teleport up to 5 squares. (see “Teleportation” page 286 of the Player’s Handbook I).

Though often credited with being the first true dragons, the Mordelan know that they were born the same time as all their brethren. They are bound to magic in the same way a fish is bound to water. Magic is a living part of who and what they are, and they wield the arcane in the same way many people breathe or walk. They are brilliant, wise, and always looking for more knowledge and more skill in their great ability.

Play a mordelan if you want…

¨      to wield powerful magics with skill and grace.

¨      to be a wise, intelligent, thoughtful character.

¨      to be a member of a race that favors the chaos wizard, cleric, invoker, wizard, and warlock classes.

Physical Qualities

Mordelan resemble humanoid dragons. Their scales are more snake-like than the thick hides of some of their brethren. They have no wings, and only some have tails. They are generally around normal human height. Mordelan are very rarely bulky, and tend to be lithe or athletic despite strength. They come in a wide variety of colors, but the most common are black, blue, green, red, and white. Their eyes are the most unusual part of their bodies as they appear to have no pupil. Instead their eyes are one solid color, generally but not always matching the color of their scales, and their eyes glow. This inner light is thought to be the pure arcane power that courses through them, and the glow can be seen very clearly at night. As with others of their kind they have no hair and instead have distinctive frills along their brow and jawline. They tend not to have the spikes and horns that the other clans possess, giving them a sleeker look.

            Mordelan live a much longer life than most humans. Though they physically mature very quickly, appearing adult at around age 10, they are not considered full adults until 30, when it is deemed their minds have grown enough to be called an adult. They age very slowly, and aren’t considered middle aged until nearly 200. Physically, they start to degrade after middle age, their bodies wearing, growing thin and slower to heal, with the aches and pains the aged speak of. Their minds, however, age much differently, seeming to come alive after that point. Their arcane power increases several fold and even nearing the end of life, at around 500 years or so, they are a force to be reckoned with, no matter how they may appear.

Playing a Mordeln

Mordelan society are words that generally make a mordelan chuckle. They have no official home or city that is strictly theirs. There are no mordelan settlements or villages. Mordelan live in big cities with great libraries and centers of culture. They enjoy great structures, social interaction, art, philosophy, structured society and good people. The largest concentration of mordelan is, of course, in the great halls of Q’omar, the school of magic. There they thrive. There are several generations of the same blood generally living together in the same places in Q’omar, all learning and growing together. There is no caste system, no real honor system among the mordelan. They crave and revere knowledge above all things, and strive to learn.

            Mordelan tend to be a bit self-centered. They are more concerned with their families, knowledge, and studies than they are with events in the world. They see the world in shades of gray, and tend not to jump to conclusions, or get themselves involved in anything they don’t feel very passionately about. To them, a war that may be coming isn’t as important as the effects of the war that may be felt years down the line, even after those who started the war are long gone. They watch the world carefully, but only make a move when they feel it prudent and just.

            Despite their detachment, mordelan are not unfriendly or aloof. On the contrary, they enjoy the company of others and talking with other people, learned or not. All things bring lessons, all things bring knowledge, and so they are warm and friendly to all they meet. They love few things more than a good drink, a warm fire, and friends to talk with on every subject imaginable. To be allied with a mordelan is to have a vast array of knowledge and power to aid you.

Mordelan Characteristcs: Calm, deliberative, friendly, introspective, magical, patient, perceptive, thoughtful, wise

Male Names: Alistair, Bulivar, Cedric, Cygnus, Darious, Erol, Geoffry, Herodian, Julius, Leonidus, Mordechai, Orpheus, Satryos

Female Names: Astera, Calypso, Danae, Eos, Eris, Iris, Kynna, Mykale, Nysa, Persephone, Sophia, Theano, Thoe, Zoe

Mordelan Adventurers

Three sample mordelan adventurers are described below.

            Satryos has studied ancient texts for many years. He seeks the powers of the Invoker, but wishes to make absolutely certain they are safe. He feels he has learned all he can in the halls of Q’omar, and has since set his sights on expanding his power and understanding what he has found through adventuring. He traveled to Port Xel in Tor, not only to explore and broaden his horizons, but also in the hopes of finding an adventuring group in need of his magical prowess and knowledge.

            Calypso can’t remember how long she’s been running. She apprenticed to a powerful sorcerer when she was very young. His wisdom and guidance helped her understand her own great power that was spiraling out of control. One day, however, her master came home badly wounded. He told her to quickly gather as many things as she could while he went to prepare a gate for her to go to Q’omar. While she was gathering the needed items for her journey there was a terrible explosion. Running to the aid of her master, she found a figure in dark robes holding her master’s lifeless body. Rage filled her and she charged in, spells springing forth and setting the intruder aflame. He screamed and a short battle ensued. With luck and surprise on her side, she drove the man away. Her master had left her a note, one that she needed to take to the Edis in Q’omar. Without the ability to create a gate herself, she had to travel the long way and set out. However, her master’s enemy followed her, sending dark creatures and undead to chase her. Still she runs, trying to get to Q’omar, but each day the darkness encroaches further and she must find a deeper well of power to move on toward her distant goal.

            Bulivar is a chaos wizard and that fact fills him with great pride. He is top of his class, clever, funny and filled with great power. His only concern is the shadow he sees spreading across the world. He and Banjo, his hand puppet deity, have been very concerned about a strange increase they’ve noticed in demonic summons and necromantic magic that is pervading the air at Q’omar and in other places. Together, they’ve come up with a plan. They’ve journeyed out into the world to find likeminded individuals to form a band of adventurers to find the cause of this dark magic and to combat whatever evil may be causing it. He has found several adventures to join him and now he leads the mighty Penguin Patrol, traveling the world in search of injustice to right and evil to vanquish!

Race a Day: Lanar

Lanar

Mystic shaman who possess the beauty and fury of the storm.

RACIAL TRAITS

Average Height: 5’6”-6’5”

Average Weight: 130-250lb.

Ability Scores: +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom

Size: Medium

Speed: 6 squares

Vision: Low-light

Languages: Common, Common Draconic, Lanar Dialect

Skill Bonuses: +2 Perception, +2 Religion

Channeling Conduit: You do not take damage from lightning based attacks and may, once per encounter, absorb the damage as hit points instead.

Animal Speak: You can communicate with natural animals that are intelligent enough to have speech. This does not mean the animal is predisposed to help you or even like you.

Breath of the Storm: You can use dragon breath as an encounter power.

Dragon Breath                                                                      Lanar Racial Power

Thunder rumbles in your throat as you exhale pure lightning.

Encounter ♦ Lightning

Minor Action                                                                         Close blast 3

Attack: Ability modifier +2 vs. Reflex

Hit: 1d6 + Ability modifier lightning damage and targets are stunned until the end of your next round (save ends).

Increase to +4 bonus and 2d6 + Ability modifier damage at 11^th level, and to +6 bonus and 3d6 + Ability modifier damage at 21^st level.

Special: When you create your character, choose one of the ability scores as the score to use when making attack rolls with this power. That is also the ability modifier you will use for the damage. This choice remains throughout your character’s life and do not change the power’s other effects.

Deeply devoted to nature, the Lanar are shaman who enjoy the wilds and forests of the world. They live in large communal cities in the wild places of the world, where the living world shapes itself to their gentle nurturing. You can tell you’re in a forest protected by Lanar when you find an abundance of rare animals. It is said they have even revived the lost Unicorns.

Play a lanar if you want…

            ♦ to have deep shamanistic ties to the natural world.

            ♦ to be master of the wild terrains of the world.

            ♦ to be a member of a race that favors the druid, ranger, and shaman classes.

Physical Qualities

Lanar resemble humanoid dragons about as tall as humans. They have large wings they can use to glide but cannot fly. They’re covered in shiny scales that glimmer and shine. Though not metallic, they seem that way, and lanar are varying shades of silver, white, blue and black, much like storm clouds and the sky before and after a storm. Some of them have bright flashes of scales light a lightning strike that run across their back or chest. Like many of their cousins, lanar have distinctive frills on their cheeks and horns on their faces or running down their backs. Lanar tend to have blue, hazel, or green eyes. A few have been known to have pure blue eyes with white pupils or pure white eyes with blue pupils.

            Lanar prefer natural clothing such as leather and fur. They adorn their clothing with intricate knot work and delicate runes that either tell story, ancestry, or are meant to protect and ward away evil. They dislike purchasing anything and enjoy making things themselves. They will also make jewelry out of things they find that catch their eye. Sticks, shiny stones, a bit of fallen bark, feathers and other objects are woven together into pendants and bracelets. It is rare to see any bone in lanar jewelry, as they find it distasteful and even vulgar.

            Lanar mature fairly quickly, becoming physically mature at age 10. They are considered adults by their own standards at age 16, generally after a tribal ritual. After that they age very slowly. They are considered middle aged around 200 and can live to be nearly 500 years old or better.

Playing a Lanar

Lanar revere nature and all things natural and wild. They see the world as a living creature, and all things and all life on Joresch as special and wonderful. They work with the natural world, taking from it what they need and giving back in equal measure. They strive to always maintain a balance in the world and to protect the natural world and keep it safe. They are not alone in their task, and work closely with other races, including the elves and the lycan, and often you can find all three races living together and working towards common goals.

            Lanar society tends to be matriarchal, as they see the mother as a sacred thing and revere the mother that is Joresch. No one is subjugated, and men have equal rights as women do, but women tend to hold the positions of power in any clans you may find. They are the elders who guide the young ones. They are the masters who apprentice new students. They are the high priestesses and perform the great rituals that play a part in lanar society. There are men who perform such duties as well in many clans, but overall they are happier having the women in these rolls, and take great comfort when women are in charge.

            Religion plays an important role in lanar society as well. Their legends tell of a time when the world itself was given life so that it could, in turn bring forth life. To this end, they worship Joresch herself, offering up prayer and thanks for creating life and for the bounty offered forth from the world. Their deity of choice, however, as equally revered as Joresch, is Selatise, the great Guardian of the natural world. There are monthly rituals to honor both Joresch and Selatise, but otherwise, daily prayers are personal and private, and there are weekly teachings on the natural world and the history of Selatise. They feel it important to honor those that provide for them and protect them, but they also feel that some people take it too far, and that perhaps the Gods also enjoy peace and quite like other people, and so try not to be a bother.

            Lanar are not aggressive by nature. They know that sometimes violence is necessary, but they do their best to preserve life as they see it as precious and important. That does not mean they don’t hold grudges. Slighting a lanar is a difficult thing, unless you destroy nature for no good reason. This is why the lanar have a grudge against the kaedia. They see the kaedia move into a place, claim it as their own, and then proceed to tear down the trees, tear up the ground, slaughter animals by the thousands and pour brick and mortar over the natural landscape to create their massive citadels and cities. No other race is as blatant or horrible about what they do as the kaedia and a lanar will use the full force of their power against one of the militant elves should they come across one.

            That being said, the lanar are one of the most light hearted races on the face of the world. They love to sing and laugh and they enjoy few things more than a good ale and a warm fire with good friends. They’re very easy going and it’s easy to be friends with a lanar. People find that, in fact, it’s actually more difficult to not like a lanar. They’re warm, fun, and a great ally to have in a scrape.

Lanar Characteristics: Devout, free-spirited, friendly, fun loving, light hearted, optimistic, perceptive, self-reliant, wild

Male Names: Axtol, Bexis, Corax, Drexel, Evrix, Frax, Ilix, Melixar, Neelix, Oxar, Relix, Serex, Tuvix

Female Names: Alixia, Bexella, Dax, Dexa, Exalla, Fexa, Jexa, Kyrxa, Millanix, Noraxa, Pixar, Salax, Siraxa, Tyrix

Lanar Adventurers

Three sample lanar adventurers are described below.

            Corax is a young druid, fresh in his power and thrilling to the wild speed and freedom he has gained with his new abilities. He rushes through the forest, changing into various wild animals to see what new things he can find. As he bounds through the forest, a strange scent catches his attention. Following the trail he comes across a group of undead slowly dragging a woman bound in a net out of the forest. Confused and enraged he leaped on the unholy creatures , tearing them to shreds. As he freed the woman and healed her wounds, he learned that she had no voice, but through careful interaction, Corax learned that the young woman needed to get the Academy of the World in Graywyn, a long journey indeed. Making a quick decision, he led the woman back to his village to have her wounds properly taken care of. He said his goodbyes, gathered supplies, and the next day set out into the world to find his destiny and learn more of the mysterious silent woman he’d saved.

            Alixia is a Cleric of Selatise. Her life has been happy and quiet and she has grown restless. She dearly loves her forest home among the trees, the elves, and the lycan, but she hasn’t seen anything beyond her forest home. She’s never even seen the edges of the forest she lives in. The outside world calls to her. Surely there are those out there who need her council, her wisdom, people who need help protecting other parts of the world. The need to leave grows steadily worse each day, and the outside world calls to her. Though she’s young and a bit frightened she finally makes up her mind to head out into the wide world to see what might be there, to find and help those in need, and maybe, just maybe, to have a bit of fun. If there’s time.

            Tyrix is scared, worn, and angry. She has been tracking a necromancer for several months now. The evil mage nearly destroyed her home and turned several of her friends and family into shambling zombies filled with a terrible plague. The only thing that’s saved and protected her are her shaman abilities and spirit allies. Recently the trail ran cold and she has spent three days trying to pick it up again, her rage building as her quarry eludes her. A lack of sleep, aching wounds and a spreading fever finally overtake her, and she collapses. She woke somewhere unfamiliar, in a warm bed, her wounds nearly healed and the fever passed. Cautiously making her way around she finds she is in the house and the care of a powerful chaos wizard who has been looking for the same man she has been. He suggest waffles and a team up. Now she must decide whether to trust this madman or to go her own way and hope to take down the necromancer on her own.  

Race a Day: Kasoev

Kasoev

Lethal warriors of born of metal and might.

RACIAL TRAITS

Average Height: 5’8”- 9’0”

Average Weight: 250-1000lb.

Ability Scores: +2 Strength, +2 Constitution

Size: Medium or Large

Speed: 6 squares

Vision: Normal

Languages: Common, Common Draconic, Kasoev Dialect

Skill Bonuses: +2 Endurance, +2 Intimidate

Scale of the Dragon: You gain a +3 to your AC.

Powerful Presence: Your Intimidate is based on Strength instead of Charisma.

Natural Weapons: You have claws on your hands that allow you to deal 1d6 damage to an opponent. You may use both hands on a single opponent in a single attack without suffering any penalties.

Battle Hardened: You gain a +3 to Fortitude.

Kasoev are, perhaps, the most powerful of the dragon races. Born of the metals their hides reflect, they have been forged into warriors over the centuries. They are now one of the highest ranking Dragon Prides of the six remaining clans. They tend to live in harsh areas – deserts, thick forests with dangerous predators, rocky barren terrains – believing that life is a test of their spirit and fortitude. The Kasoev are regarded by other races, even the dwarves, as incredible and fierce warriors to be respected if not feared.

Play a Kasoev if you want…

¨      to be big, powerful, strong and fast.

¨      to play a noble, powerful, skilled warrior.

¨      to be a member of a race that favors the barbarian, fighter, and warlord classes.

Physical Qualities

Kasoev resemble humanoid dragons. They have wings which they can use to glide, but not fly, and they have long, thick tails that help them balance and can be used to club an enemy. They vary in size greatly but on average they are around 6 ½ feet in height and quite heavy and dense due to musculature and their solid metal scales. They have sharp talons on their strong hands, capable of tearing flesh apart easily.

Kasoev hides are made of tough, brilliant scales. They are incredibly strong and seem to be made of a living metal. The scales themselves are brilliant metallic colors, generally gold, silver, or bronze, though various other hues are not uncommon. Their eyes tend to earth tones, but a large number also have startlingly blue eyes, much like a summer sky. Kasoev don’t have hair, but do have frills, horns, or large scales down their spine that range in colors and hues, but again, mostly earth tones or metallic tones. Both male and female kasoev enjoy tattoos that show plainly on them in stark, bright colors. They go to great lengths to have these tattoos applied magically, since their scales are shed regularly, and the process is not painless. The tattoos are places mostly on the arms, showing clan allegiance or ancestry, or on the face, showing rank and honor. Some kasoev think that tattoos are silly and not nearly painful enough and will actually permanently scar themselves by removing their scales and having a metal poured in to make an artful scar as well as serving as the armor lost from removing the scales. Some will go as far as to do this facially, but mostly arms and legs are maimed in this way. Those that scar themselves believe that the metal makes them physically stronger and more resilient. Kasoev attire is simple, but ornate. First and foremost it is durable and efficient, ready for battle or travel. After that, designs and talismans are added for effect, safety, and blessings.

            Kasoev are considered adults at age 20 by most of the clans. They age slowly after that and don’t reach middle age until around 75 or 80. They are still vital when they are old at 140, and often live to see 200 or better.

Playing a Kasoev

The kasoev know they are powerful. They pride themselves on being strong, but they have not lost touch with their spiritual side and recognize strength in all its forms, though physical is the most revered. They believe that Fate has a plan for everyone, and allow their children to find their own destinies, giving them all they can to prepare them without coddling. They have strong family ties and celebrate their ancestors, believing them to be with them even after death, and you will find a large family in every kasoev home, often with several generations living together happily.

            Stories and songs are an important part of kasoev culture. Though there are a number of scholars and a rich written history, oral traditions are favored in over written, and songs are among the most popular of the traditions. It is not uncommon to find an entire city gathered around a massive bonfire as the sun sets, watching several elders raise their voices in song of some glorious battle, or hard learned lesson, telling epic tales in grand, sweeping songs with their deep, booming voices.

            Kasoev are not overly religious, though they do believe in the Gods. Instead of worshiping a God, they choose to honor the Gods for the sacrifices and battles that they have waged to bring them the world in which they live. They don’t tend to ask for favors or guidance as they know that there are others who worship their deity and they would not want their God to have to choose; a battle should be won or lost on skill and prowess, not divine intervention. There are those that try to follow the examples set by various Gods, particularly Teyr, Elysia, Selatise, and Jorren. There are no heretics or blasphemers in kasoev society.

            As battle hungry as the kasoev are, they don’t tend to hold grudges. They see all of life as a great battle and surviving to old age the ultimate victory. If they are attacked they oddly understand that their enemies have a good reason for the battles, even if that reason is simply to prove they are stronger than the kasoev. That doesn’t mean they don’t take things personally. Personal grudges are something that kasoev take care of on their own. Should a family member be slighted, or their honor questioned, there will be recompense. There are a number of ways to right a slighted honor and they range from non-lethal to a death match in a fiery pit of spikes depending on how deep the insult strikes. So, far from being the warmongers they can come across as being, the kasoev are a very tolerant race. The only things a kasoev cannot stand is injustice and cruelty. They will fight evil where they find it, and the only race they see as being evil are the kaedia; there is a deep and bitter rivalry between the two races stemming from the Gerrax Conquest Wars. Should the two races ever meet, it is unwise to be near the ensuing battle.

            On the flip side, a kasoev will always honor and respect those that aid them in battle. Songs are sung of heroes that aid them in battle, as well as those who are kasoev heroes. They honor their friends as family and ancestors in some cases, and there are a number of races that are included in their legends and myths, as, again, they recognize and respect honor and strength in all forms. They are loyal to those who are kind and helpful to them, and will be loyal so long as the respect and honor is maintained. To betray a kasoev is to sign your own death warrant. Legend has it that a military organization once tried to murder one of their own, a formidable kasoev warrior. Their attempt failed, and that kasoev spent the rest of his life absolutely destroying the organization, slaughtering any of the soldiers he came across, and, eventually, obliterating their leader and dismantling the thing entirely. A betrayed kasoev is a dangerous thing indeed.

Kasoev Characteristics: Brave, hardened, loyal, organized, inquisitive, strong, proud, hard-working, honorable, stubborn, stern

Male Names: Ardeth, Borrous, Drakkath, Exavar, Fovath, Gyrren, Hommyth, Jorren, Kagen, Kord, Midrack, Onyx, Ranarous, Rune, Solivar, Stroud, Torryn

Female Names: Arraina, Baylan, Corris, Devyth, Elanna, Enry, Galataya, Gyllian, Havry, Kagen, Kitarra, Kyth, Mollin, Nyra, Ori, Sairie, Selatise, Tyriss

Kasoev Adventurers

Three sample kasoev adventurers are described below.

            Devyth is a kasoev warrior who has set out to find her fortune and honor in the world. She has little to her name save an ancestral sword passed down from generation to generation, and a set of plate mail she forged herself. She is an adrenaline junkie, and loves nothing more than close combat, pitting herself against a worthy foe to test her meddle and skill. She has traveled from her home to Silverthal in Berem, there to join the military. She hopes to find the challenges that will test her and hone her skills, as well as finding honor and glory by rising through the ranks, hopefully becoming a general one day. Rather than seeing death and battle as things to fear, Dev is happiest when she is fighting and looks forward to forming new friendships and kin in battle.

            Borrous is a kasoev budo who believes that enlightenment can come from battle. For him, fighting isn’t about violence or even defeating an opponent. Instead he sees it as a religious experience, as a way of finding out who you are and where you might be going. Fighting and training are his disciplines and his daily prayer. He has joined a hearty group of adventurers in the hopes of finding new challenges, training them, and finding the peace, balance and truth he believes lies in battle. While he retains a very calm demeanor he is, after all, a kasoev, and if you hurt his friends you will incur the wrath of a powerful and very skilled warrior.

            Solivar served his entire life in devoted duty to his clan. He rose through the ranks and was given the great honor of being man-at-arms for his entire clan. He was nearly destroyed along with most of the rest of his clan when the kaedia attacked his home. Badly scarred and homeless, he set off into the world trying to find his place. By accident he stumbled upon a group of adventurers who had accidently stumbled into kaedia land without knowing it. He leaped to their rescue and has been a loyal companion ever since, finding that his wisdom and experience is welcome and even treasured by the young group seeking their fortune.