Saturday, March 31, 2018

Kara-Tur - Some Thoughts - Part 2 - Race Ideas


Besides the races mentioned in the previous blog entry, here's a rough list of other potential Races.

BullyWugs: This race has organized themselves as the bankers of Kara-tur.  They are known for being very petty and often compensate for their own limitations with their wealth.

Dragonborn: Lung's affect both dragonborn and sorcerers:

Yu Lung (Carp Dragon)
This is your childhood/teenage years of being a Dragonborn. You figure out your adult state after exams.

Chiang Lung (River Dragon)
Key powers of the dragon: create rain, control weather, tsunami
associated element: acid (closest damaging effect to rain)
closest associate sorcerer: Storm Sorcerer (see key powers for why)

Li Lung (Earth Dragon)
Key powers of the dragon: Earthquake immunity, Earthquake, Roar
associated element: Thunder (basing it on the roar)
closest associate sorcerer: Storm Sorcerer (ua doc) if available, shadow sorcerer (li lung hide in shadows and rubble)

Lung Wang (Sea Dragon)
Key powers of the dragon: steam breath, scaley command
associated element: Fire (steam breath like a dragon turtle)
closest associate sorcerer: Sea Sorcerer (UA doc) if available, Storm Sorcerer if not

Pan Lung (Coiled Dragon)
Key powers of the dragon: constrict, scaley command, water-fire
associated element: radiant (closest power I can find to waterfire)
closest associate sorcerer: divine soul (guardian with a celestial mandate)

Shen Lung (Spirit Dragon)
Key powers of the dragon: scaley command, vermin barrier, waterfire
associated element: radiant (closest power I can find to waterfire)
closest associate sorcerer: divine soul (although I can justify wild mage. Shen lung are the bringer of fortune)

T'ien Lung (Celestial Dragon)
Key powers of the dragon: breath weapon (fire), control weather
associated element: Fire
closest associate sorcerer: Divine soul (they are the most divine dragon in the celestial bureaucracy)

Tun Mi Lung (Typhoon Dragon)
Key powers of the dragon: air and water immunity, the divine wind
associated element: Lightning (could probably justify acid again, but it's another aspect of thunderstorms and it's a fun switch)
closest associate sorcerer: Sea Sorcerer (UA doc) if available, Storm Sorcerer if not

Purple (deep) dragon (because of my Koryo changes)
Key powers of the dragon: cone of energy, the burst of power, and blade of energy.
associated element: Necrotic
closest associate sorcerer: shadow sorcerer


Elves:  The Maraloi, or Snow Elves, Live in the land of the Snow Demons.  While normally incredibly isolated from outsiders, the last sundering caused great damage to their homelands.  This has started a sort of Cold War between them and the Spirit folk, as both have their own opinions about "restoring the lands."

Gensai:  The Elementally atuned are not very common in Kara-tur, but there are a number of elemental locations in the horseclans areas which attact such beings as gatekeepers of oasises.

Goblins:  Lesser Bakemoto team out of the Oni Lands of Kozukura, and the Hordelands.  While many are endless hordes, many have ended up in Shou Long Seeking a better life.  Many follow the path now which seems to have a side effect of making them much bluer in tone.

Gnolls:  These are common in the Hordelands and the plain of horses.    From the Mountain of Iron to the Ken-YenShan, these monsters plague those that stray too far from the hubs of Kara-Tur.  Some have been drafted by the Tuigan as shock troops in the upcoming wars.

While originally forged by Demons and usually the acolytes of slaughter and senseless destruction,   many have been abandoning their baser attitudes.  Some claim it was adventurers who broke this link.  Others claim the Monkey King did it as a joke.  But at any rate, some gnolls have been adopting the Path as a means for a different life.  Old habits die hard and often a Gnoll will casually and politely suggest something horrific before immediately apologizing.  This path is dangerous as their brethren wish to bring them to "justice" for abandoning their nature, but it also lays the groundwork for the greatest of adventurers.

Gnomes: Gnomes are very rare, but not unheard of.  During the Sundering, A large Gnome colony located at the The Great Spire of the Ice Sea was destroyed and forced the survivors south.  They ended up in the northern locations of Shou Long where they created their own villages with their strange gods (Gond) and insular mentality.

Kobolds: They have done well in the merit-based society of Shou's lung and often rise to a position of some sort of bureaucrat.

Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of all type abound in Kara-tur and in particular Kozokura  The most common types are Inugami(dog), Kitsune (Fox), Bakeneko (Cat), and Tanuki (badger).  While there are many communities sprinkled across the world, they are a sort of a superstition and fear to the point where they often have to register themselves with the local magistrate to have protection against mobs.  In fact, many a Hengeyokai starts their adventuring career by being run out of town.

Hobgoblins: Once invading marauders, the hobgoblins now line the armies of both Shou and T'u Lung. In fact, the great warrior Wo Roku of Shou Lung is known for his great integrity and tendency to kill the corrupt and has gone into exile multiple times because of his honor (a cough, cough Worf, cough, cough)

Kenku: Their "murders" are best described as flocks of bandits. they descend on an area and tear from the land before going away. However, they are also known for being excellent teachers of the mystic arts.

Korobokuru:  They are most common in the Northern Parts of Kara-Tur, particularly the northern islands of Kozokura and Wa (concept was originally from Ainu mythology).  There is some debate whether they are an offshoot of Dwarves or Gnomes, but at any rate,  these small, but strong humanoids often adventure because they have been exiled from their clan and need to prove themselves to come back.  They were originally incredibly isolationist, but have forced to make regular contact since the increase of demonic activity since the resundaring.

edit: after rereading the original tale, I'm completely convinced they are forest gnomes, just reskinned.

Me-Zu Oni:  The original commanders of the oni, they have had a fall from grace during the great sundaring.  These horselike demons have had many of their gifts taken away and have been emmanciated.  They now are found in Kozukura trying to make a living, as well as in the hordelands as one of the many "allied monsters" under the Tuigan.

I'm mainly including them because the Scarred Lands Player's Guide includes a version of them known as the Ironbred  (or Sutak) that is already converted to 5e.

Minotaur: The ox head demons are one of the larger citizens of kara-tur. While crude, they are hard working and very stubborn. They are also very family orientated and will do anything for them (which usually includes their adventuring party).

edit: including link of stats
http://www.dmsguild.com/product/203993/The-Minotaurs-of-the-Stonelands

Orcs: Imagine an entire race of Zhu Bajie, that occupy the lowest ranks of Shou and T'u Lung society. Their massive criminal organization has ties everywhere in Kara-Tur.

Spirit Folk:  These Spirits made flesh often have a spiritual connection to untouched wilderness.  They are most common in the Jungles south of Malatra and north of Shou Lung for bamboo.  The Great mountains around Talbot is another area where Spirit folk dwell.

There is also the Guge of the hollow crown mountains. These mountain spirits folk are known for their decadance and evil. and fractured between the religions of Bhaal and Cyric.

Tabaxi: For some reason, they seem to excel at restaurant and hospitality business within Shou Lung (samurai pizza cats).

Tako:  While originally not wanting to do anything to do with surface dwellers, these strange sentient octopuses have become citizens to the local kingdoms.  They are particularly common in Kozukura where they are fisherman that live on the relatively shallow continental shelf and come up for market day.  They are renown troubleshooters as a species and often sent by their local magistrates to deal with strange situations.

Thri-kreen: This massive hives of the northern wastes are known for their silk, which is a side effect of their larval young. Despite their outsider status, they have this coming of age ceremony where they must return with a name of a great deed to earn their place within the society. They also have invaded shou lung in the past in a manner that would make the Bugrom from el hazard proud.

Tiefling: Wo Mai dalliances have been many and it has bred true throughout Kara-tur. Additionally many former humans were transformed during the sundering, especially in Kozakura.

War Born: As an attempt to reduce the numbers games, Wo Mai has forged a number of Terra Cotta soldiers with life. Many of these become dissatisfied with their profession and have deserted the dark armies to seek a life of their own.

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