Race a Day: Leyous

Leyous

Lords of the Yurisai and noble warriors of Joresch.

RACIAL TRAITS

Average Height: 6’-7’8”

Average Weight: 250-500lb.

Ability Scores: +2 Strength, +2 Charisma

Size: Medium

Speed: 6 squares

Vision: Low-light

Languages: Common, Sylorel, Leyous Dialect

Skill Bonuses: +2 Diplomacy, +2 Intimidate

Alpha Inspiration: All yurisai within 10 squares of you gain a +1 racial bonus to checks and attack rolls.

Noble Bearing: You gain training in Diplomacy.

Powerful Presence: You gain training in Intimidation.

Born leaders, the noble leyous are defenders and protectors of the yurisai. They tend to be high ranking political leaders or kings and queen. Their power, elegance and control make them a force to be reckoned with.

Play a leyous if you want…

            ♦ to be a strong, charismatic defender.

            ♦ to be an inspiration to your group.

            ♦ to be a member of a race that favors the bard, budo, cleric, fighter, paladin, warlord, and wizard classes.

Leyous resemble humanoid lions and other large predatory cats. They are covered in fur and have tails. They are tall, usually around 6’7”, but tend to be relatively the same build as humans with somewhat broader shoulders. They have four fingers on their hands, three fingers and a thumb. Their heads are that of a large predatory cat, and both male and female have long, thick mains of hair on their head. Their fur runs from dark browns and tans, to dark grey and black. They have no stripes and are always one solid color on their back, but they may have white belly, though not always. Their eyes are clear and have very human colors and features.

            Leyous develop and age as humans do.

Playing a Leyous

Taking naturally to leading, the leyous have found homes in the highest parts of society. They are royalty, they are council members, they are law makers, they are knights and constabulary. Though they are not always something powerful or political, they tend to be in places where they are helpful and can make a difference. Their strength and charisma allow them to be excellent warriors and diplomats and has put them in places of power all over the world. The leader of Orlan, Baron Artesch is a leyous as is the empress of Thiassis, Lady Saiyanna.

            Leyous can be found practically anywhere, but, unlike their nomadic cousins, they are city folk. They enjoy the big cities where there are lots of people, opportunities, and society. They have their own city, Teloris, in Sundol. It was built by a great number of people, and is a sprawling metropolis with lovely gardens and the highest population of not only leyous, but also yurisai in the whole of Joresch. Here there is no slavery, there is no oppression and all are welcome. The leyous have very strong feelings on slavery as, during the Gerrax Conquest Wars, their people were forcibly and violently enslaved as warriors alongside several other races to fight against their own kind. They have since helped free slaves in Orlan, making it a free nation. They also helped lead a great migration of yurisai slaves from Askar, where the yurisai have no rights and are considered beasts of burden.

            Leyous love families, and rarely have fewer than six or seven siblings. They live in big homes with many generations of family together and few things make them as happy as their family. While they aspire to be leaders and help and protect people, their greatest desires tend to be simple; home and hearth, health and family. They yearn to settle down with a special mate and have a big family to share their love and life with. They are one of only a few species that are affected by the souralis, which translates to soul bond. When a leyous meets their mate, both sides know it instantly, and the passion that they find in each other is binding, permanent and, from all accounts, incredible.

            In the end, the leyous are, despite their great power, a very simple, happy race. Home and hearth are the important things in their lives, and though they wield great power, they don’t see themselves as being better than anyone else. In fact they are a warm and welcoming people who enjoy  making new friends. One of the interesting and most well liked aspects of the leyous are the fact that they are such simple and honest folk. Artesch will, after the end of a long day working with his council, go down to the local pub and meet with people, occasionally buying drinks with his own coin for the whole of the bar. The Lady Saiyanna teaches many students in her home, and also is a hostess and chef at a favored restaurant. Warm, friendly, affable, and loyal to those who earn their trust, the leyous are a great friend to have in or out of battle.

Leyous Characteristics: Brave, charming, confident, diplomatic, loyal, noble, open-minded, proud, wise

Male Names: Abasi, Funsani, Garai, Haji, Hamdi, Kafele, Kek, Khufu, Madu, Ryn, Sabola, Seb, Sefu, Zahur, Ziyad, Zuberi

Female Names: Akila, Anat, Bennu, Dendara, Isis, Jendayi, Lapis, Layla, Masika, Mosi, Nabiri, Sabah, Seletise, Umaya, Zaliki

Leyous Adventurers

Three sample leyous adventurers are described below.

            Ryn is a warlord who has served his people well for many years. During his life has traveled to every country on Joresch and made friends and allies in all those places. He’s currently enjoying retirement in Q’omar, aiding in training the guards and helping the man-at-arms with the day to day chores. However, a message has come from his home of Teloris; they are being threatened by dark forces. With the blessing of the man-at-arms and the leader of Q’omar, Ryn gathers a few friends and heads back into the world to defend his people.

            Dendara is a budo living a quiet, peaceful life in Thiassis. For many years she has trained and helped to train various budo and other warriors in the ways of the Harmonies and various martial arts. Recently, something odd has started to call to her. There is a feeling, a desire to leave, to go out in the world. After discussing her dreams and feelings with her master, she is both frightened and delighted to discover that she is being called to Judgment; that calling from Jorren in which all great warriors battle for the mantle of the Flame. Packing her things, she prepares for a great journey which could lead her to become the most powerful and knowledgeable warrior in the mortal world.

            Garai is a fighter who has been freeing enslaved yurisai in Askar for years. His most recent mission was ended with a surprise attack by a band of highly trained, heavily armed warriors he had never seen before. He was surprised to find that he woke up from the battle, and finds that he is now in a dungeon with a large group of other people. Each day guards come with a priest in black robes to take away a prisoner. Those who are taken never return. Growing weaker and knowing his chance will soon be gone, he works with some of the other prisoners and makes his move to escape. Leading a big group out, he finds that he has been held prisoner in a secret dungeon beneath the Academy of the Flame in Askar. They fight their way out and to a safe point to be teleported to Graywyn. There, he tells his tale to leaders of Graywyn and he helps them start preparing for an attack to free the others.