The Caliban Chronicles: Nonhuman-Friendly Ravenloft

[Manofevil]

Thanx for all the swell answers.

[Hell_Born]

Sorry for going silent, my computer's been acting up and I've been distracted. So, do I need to rework the Red Widow first, or should I put the Paka 1st draft out?

[Manofevil]

We'll look forward to both.

[Wolfglide of the Fraternity]

Sorry for going silent, my computer's been acting up and I've been distracted. So, do I need to rework the Red Widow first, or should I put the Paka 1st draft out?

The current Red Widow write-up stands on its own, so it makes sense to prioritize the Paka in the interest of getting more of the write-ups done.

There were certainly good questions asked about the Red Widows, but I would understand waiting to address them after some other things are out of the way.

[Hell_Born]

Okay, as a head's up, I've edited the Red Widow post and am working on the Paka. It's largely complete, but there's a thought I've had which has pulled me up. Based on the paka's innate ability to communicate with cats, it makes sense that they'd be big on keeping or even breeding particularly large and fearsome cats in their human disguises, right? Whilst a paka ranger might adventure with a lynx or a plains cat companion, even a paka wizard might keep the Ravenloft eqivalent of a Norwegian Forest Cat or a Maine Coon Cat for a familiar, don't you think?

If that makes sense... can anybody suggest any names for Ravenloft cat breeds that might be particularly known for their impressive stature?

[Wolfglide of the Fraternity]

I wonder how pakas interact with the supernatural midnight cats.

Taking inspiration from Wikipedia's list of cat breeds, I have a few suggestions:

Akiri Mau (based on the Egyptian Mau) - A short-haired breed originating from Har'Akir, with a spotted coat. Akiri Maus are descended from the early domestic cats kept and venerated by the ancient Akiri civilization.

Mortis Adjutant (inspired by the Birman) - A long-haired breed, with piercing green eyes and a largely dark gray coloration that lightens to white on the face and ears. According to legend, the first Mortis Adjutant was a solid gray cat owned by a priest of the Eternal Order. When he was killed in an attack on his temple by the walking dead, the cat nuzzled his body, and its face and ears became white. No priest in that temple who died and was attended to by the cat rose to join the undead, and the attack was more easily put to rest when the undead force ceased to swell with each fallen victim.

Ghastrian Rex (based on the various breeds of rex) - This short-hair breed has curly fur, and potentially curled whiskers as well. This breed is popular in Mordentish-speaking nations.

Garulf (based on the Lykoi, because of course Ravenloft needs the werewolf cat!) - This breed is partially hairless, leaving it with a sparse coat that makes it resemble a werewolf. This breed is rare and generally kept by enthusiasts and eccentrics, as most people find their lycanthropic appearance disturbing.
(The name garulf comes from a Frankish word I saw here.)

Manticore (based on the Sphynx) - This breed is entirely hairless. It originated from mutations found in Sithicus.

[Rock of the Fraternity]

Okay, as a head's up, I've edited the Red Widow post and am working on the Paka. It's largely complete, but there's a thought I've had which has pulled me up. Based on the paka's innate ability to communicate with cats, it makes sense that they'd be big on keeping or even breeding particularly large and fearsome cats in their human disguises, right? Whilst a paka ranger might adventure with a lynx or a plains cat companion, even a paka wizard might keep the Ravenloft eqivalent of a Norwegian Forest Cat or a Maine Coon Cat for a familiar, don't you think?

If that makes sense... can anybody suggest any names for Ravenloft cat breeds that might be particularly known for their impressive stature?

The G'Hennan colour cat isn't known for its stature, but it is rather impressive -- and its fur could be used as a powerful material component for Illusion spells.

Now Valachan is known for housing some pretty ferocious felines. Maybe the Valachani Panther Cat is known for being black, larger than a regular house cat, and closely resembling a black panther in outline though not in size.

Nova Vaasan plains cats are a known entity.

[Hell_Born]

Okay, so, with the September 30 deadline, I've realised I've got to kick it into high gear and really knuckle down on my races - I need to get this fluff done and rework the races, especially if I'm going to steal the Natural Inclinations/Strengths system from Chronicles of Aeres f or them. I hope to have the Paka soon, but inspiration was crying and sleep was rejecting me, so I just spent the last couple of hours knocking out the first draft of the Deathtouched racial writeup. Here it is, and I hope it's good; but now it's 20 to Midnight and I'm finally crashing, so I'm off to bed. Paka profile next.

Deathtouched:
One of the more familiar races in my travels has been the so-called "Planetouched"; humanoids touched in the womb by extraplanar energies or bearing the blood of extraplanar creatures. Though typically lacking a unifying culture, save in certain situations, this basic archetype repeats itself across the many realms, and even in these mist-shrouded lands, one can find those so marked - if only the tieflings and aasimar.

But there exists a similar category of beings; the "Deathtouched". The living expressions of the necromantic arts, the Deathtouched are beings whose heritage mingles undeath and life into something that blurs the borders in ways all too many regard as obscene. And no realm in my experience has been more fruitful in producing such beings than these misty realms in which I now wonder. The potential implications of this are staggering, and worth contemplation, but that is a topic for another tome; in this tome, I shall merely endeavor to discuss the Deathtouched as people.

As with the Calibans, the Deathtouched are more a collection of races than a singular race, if not quite to the same extent. There are five distinctive Deathtouched races, and potentially more that have yet to be discovered. These five are the Dhampir, Fetch, Ghedan, Ghul and Mortif.


Dhampir:
The association between vampires and desire is old and deep; in many ways, the root of a vampire’s unholy existence is desire - the desperate yearning to live, even beyond their deaths, that compels them to leave the sanctity of the grave and prey upon the living in order to sustain a mockery of existence.

Dhampirs, then, are in many ways amongst the most common demihumans native to the realms of dread. The unnatural existence of the vampire, its deep foundation in the element of desire and its perverse connections to the very fluid of life allows vampires to mingle their essence with the living with far greater ease than any other undead creature. Indeed, dhampirs are frequently born to living parents who have merely had contact with the bloodsucking undead; female vorlogs who yearn for male companionship invariably spawn dhampirs if they survive long enough, whilst a man who was saved from becoming a vampire’s spawn may find the taint in his blood expressed through his offspring. Dhampirs being created in their adulthood are the rarest of all, and typically the result of (usually botched) rituals attempted to save a victim from dying and being reborn as a vampire in turn.

Although there are stories of those who seek to hunt vampires finding themselves ironically "blessed" with vampire-like powers in their own right. Such cruelly humorous metamorphoses are quite common in these lands, so I am inclined to regard these stories as holding more than a grain of truth.

Despite their numbers, dhampirs do not have an easy life in the lands of mist. In the most benighted and superstitious hamlets, dhampirs are often mistaken for true vampires, and executed for the sins of their forebears. Even in more civilized lands, a dhampir makes folk nervous, for they are children of predators, and one cannot help but wonder if that will not come out in their blood. The fortunate ones inherit supernatural charms that they use to ease their way, but many dhampirs turn to a nomadic existence, roaming the lands in search of a place that will finally grant them peace. The stereotype of the dhampir who hunts the undead is a common fixture in stories and songs throughout the core, and it has its roots in reality.

A dhampir typically resembles a human with a cold, almost statuesque beauty, or else a strangely feral charm. Their coloration is typically exaggerated based on their heritage; marble white or ebony black skin is not unheard of. Their eyeteeth tend to be long and sharp, but not so much they cannot be hidden. Hair is typically deep black or pale white, but metallic silver or bloody red hair isn’t unheard of. Most dhampirs struggle with deep, passionate emotions - what they feel is often felt to a disproportionate intensity, and they struggle to control themselves in the face of these powerful desires, especially when they are enflamed with rage or desire. Despite stereotypes, an arrogant streak is not an inherent aspect of the dhampir lineage.

The unusual variety of vampires in these dark realms has led to a similar profusion of dhampir variants. Whilst the above describes the common dhampir well enough, there are also dhampirs of dwarven, elven, gnomish and halfling blood, and each of these bears traits reminiscent of their peoples’ distinctive vampire counterparts. Even the rare nosferatu and jiangshi strains have similarly unique dhampir offspring.

Of their fellow “deathtouched”, dhampirs get on best with fetches, who can understand the depths of their passions. In comparison, ghuls often loathe dhampirs, despite their shared predatory inclinations, since dhampirs have an aura of majesty and charm that ghuls distinctly tend to lack. Blood genasi and dhampirs tend to either loathe each other on sight, or else find each other strangely fascinating.


Fetch:
The half-ghost, or fetch, is typically thought of as a rarity, but in these realms, they are second in numbers only to the dhampirs - and a close second at that! One need only look at the profusion of ghosts and specters in these lands to see where they might originate!

A ghost is many things, but at its core, it is desire made manifest. It is the desperate urge to achieve something, a hunger so intense that it allows the spirit of the dead to defy the natural order of things and continue existing as a mockery of life. When this is taken into account, then perhaps it is not so surprising that ghosts who cling to the mortal coil out of some perverse sense of love or lust can take their blasphemous existence further still, and produce living children?

Some fetches are born to ghostly fathers, called back from the grave by their yearning for one last embrace with their still-living lover. Others are the children of undead mothers, whose sheer will to grant their babe the life that was stolen from them allows them to defy the laws of primal nature.

Much like planetouched and calibans, however, many fetches are born as a result of environmental contamination. A child conceived or, more rarely, born in a graveyard or a known haunted site has a chance to be born with one foot in the realms of both the living and the dead. Other fetches were born to mothers who were exposed to strong surges of necrotic energy whilst pregnant, but survived and gave birth to living children. And other fetches still simply were born as a result of mingling strong spiritually touched bloodlines; mediums and spirit-talkers are well known in the realms of mist, and when families with a propensity for such sensitivity interwed, their strengthened bloodline may produce unexpectedly potent ghost-speakers.

A fetch resembles a human with hair, skin, and eyes of a nearly transparent white, blue, or ash-gray color. Female fetches are often mistaken for banshee calibans, whom they most closely resemble. Regardless of sex, fetches often seem mournful, wracked by sorrows that they seemingly cannot explain to those who inquire, whilst others may be detached and apathetic, or perpetually distracted by things that others cannot perceive. Some have violently passionate natures, living lives caught in an eternal tempest of their emotions, but these are rare. They are usually slender, waifish creatures, and many suffer from strange, incurable illnesses that seem to be part of their very being - wracking coughs, sporadic bleeding from the mouth or eyes, or chronic fatigues that often leave them bedridden. But despite this physical frailty, the minds of fetches are invariably sharp and they have a strange, compelling presence to them.


Ghedan:
Regarded by many as the least of the deathtouched, the ghedan, or "half-zombie", or "half-revenant" is uncommon even in these lands. The product of dark necromantic experiments, flawed attempts at reviving the dead, or even the obscene fruits of necrophiliac couplings, ghedans exist in a strange state of half-life and half-death - not a true mindless zombie, but at the same time, less than a man.

Of all the deathtouched, their bloodline may be the most tainted, as they are highly associated with blasphemous acts of necrophilia - sometimes with revenants who still bore an all-too-human love in their hearts, more often with particularly depraved necromancers and twisted obsessives.

More than any other deathtouched, however, ghedans are likely to be created artificially. Magics intended to grant true life to the slain are never exactly easy, and in the misty realms, they are particularly prone to going awry. Whilst an imperfect resurrection may sometimes produce a fetch or motif (or, far more rarely, a dhampir or ghul), they largely result in ghedans, and in fact ghedans of this origin may outnumber the "trueborn".

Hollow black eyes are the most defining physical characteristic of ghedans; their hair ranges from dark to unearthly pale, and their skin often has a corpse-like pallour to it, sometimes even a sickly green tinge reminiscent of rot. Some are gaunt, others thick and muscular. But all ghedans are physically numbed to the world; they move slowly and ponderously, with even the most active and alert of their kind finding they live in a strange, hazy state of semi-consciousness. They are not stupid, but their attention is often unfocused and wavering, and they can become easily distracted, if only by their own trains of thought. But once they set their mind to something, they are unyielding in their pursuit of it. Ghedans feel little fear, and less pain; they shrug off wounds that would kill an ordinary man and continue on as if untouched. A ghedan never stops, never tires, never relents until it has what it wants.

For this reason, ghedans are popular minions in the darker circles of the Core. They make excellent guards, and intimidating enforcers; their ability to shrug off punishment and keep pursuing whatever they desire can be the stuff of urban legend. But their intelligence is often underestimated, and more canny ghedans readily exploit this to carve out a place for themselves in the world.


Ghul:
In many ways, the dhampir and the ghul could be seen as two sides of the same coin. Both are the fruit of a mingling of human blood and the ichors of an undead predator. But whereas dhampirs share something of the macabre allure associated with vampires, ghuls are regarded more as noisome, unclean, vermin.

Of all the half-undead, ghuls are the most likely to be born to undead mothers; male ghouls are typically far more concerned with their literal appetite than any other sort of hunger. Usually, this is a result of a pregnant woman being transformed into a ghoul, either by the dreaded ghoul fever or as a result of a dark curse brought on by cannibalism or similar acts of unholy gluttony. Ghuls that were "deliberately bred" are definitely in the minority, but not unheard of - they are often the progeny of female ghoul lords, whose heightened intelligence and greater control over their appetites makes them more likely to engage in such nightmarish acts of congress. Darkest still are those conceived as the result of unholy alliances between humans and ghouls - corrupt families, gravediggers and necromancers who, for whatever unholy purpose, have cause to make congress with the hungry dead and form soul-blasting unions of common purpose.

The vast majority of ghuls, however, are once-normal humans transformed - typically as a result of contracting ghoul fever or some other curse that began the change into a true ghoul, but which they managed to arrest before they could complete their descent into true undeath.

In many ways, ghuls are dark parodies of the dhampir. Invariably gaunt, if not emaciated, their rough, leathery skin clings tightly to their bones. Their mouths are full of jagged, yellow fangs and long, black tongues loll freely at the slightest excuse. They have black, green, pale purple, or chalk-white skins, and pupil-less yellow, red, or green eyes that glow faintly in low light, and their natural scent, unless carefully covered with soaps and perfumes, is a noxious reek of carrion or dried blood.

Ghuls hunger for decaying flesh and rotting meat, and much like their undead relatives are drawn to scavenge from graveyards and burial pits. They have no fear of death or injury, and indeed they regard life itself as a great joke. Their morbid humor often covers deep bitterness, and many ghuls privately loathe themselves as much as they resent humankind for the normal life they can never live.

Understandably, ghuls are almost always outcasts from society, interacting with it only as criminals or adventurers. Some become hunters of the undead, feasting on what they kill, but others still simply wish to lash out at a world that they view as mocking them.


Motif:
Common wisdom holds that dealing with dark magic can stain the soul, and both tieflings and calibans are cited as proof of this fact. But necromancy too can leave its taint behind on practitioners, and the mortif exist as proof of this fact.

Like the tieflings whom they most closely resemble, mortif are marked in the womb by the stain of necromantic energy. Often, they are children of necromancers, especially those whose lineage has seen many generations of dabblers in the dark arts, or were conceived in areas infused with necrotic energy, such as graveyards or haunted houses. Some were born to mothers who survived a brush with life-sapping attacks, or were sired by fathers who had been brought back to life. And others are simply distant descendants of the so-called “half-dead” - dhampirs, fetches, ghedan and ghuls.

Regardless of the source, all mortifs are marked by this fundamental connection to necrotic energy, although as the "lesser" deathtouched, mortif features are typically much more random, and modest compared to their "halfblood" relatives.. They tend to be pale and thin, with hair of black, dirty brown, or gray hues. They often bear subtle hints of their unearthly nature; a persistent scent of the grave, eyes that glow red, yellow or green in low light, skin that clings tightly to their bones, or black fingernails. Those directly descended from the “half-dead” may bear some traits in common with them, such as an elongated, blackened tongue for ghoul heritage, or pronounced eyeteeth marking distant vampire blood.

Their "watered down" blood also means mortif don't have as many iconic personality tendencies as their counterparts do. A mortif is often reclusive, perhaps even antisocial, and soft-spoken. They tend to have strong-willed and fearless, but usually are quite introverted. Their emotions tend to be either stunted and non-intrusive, or extremely lively and a major influence on their personalities and deeds. Many mortifs build up a reputation as quiet and unassuming amongst casual acquaintances, but as beings of deep passion and almost frightening intensity amongst those they trust enough to open up to.

Mortifs are prone to bouts of depression, brought on by a natural feeling of being alienated from the living around them, and can plunge into melancholic outbursts that last for days or even weeks. This is only exacerbated by a strong proclivity towards paranoia; many motif are inherently afraid of the living, consumed by the nagging dread of what might happen should their tainted ancestry be discovered.

The one trait universal of mortifs is that they have a very strong opinion on death, dying and the undead. Whether that opinion is positive or negative depends on the individual. Mortifs are as likely to be ruthless slayers or powerful necromancers as they are to be compassionate healers or driven slayers of the walking dead. Some have an affinity for the macabre, a propensity towards dark humor, or even an outright love of the morbid. They find kindred spirits amongst those who are similarly outcast for their connection to the darkness; calibans, their fellow deathtouched, dread genasi, and even some brauchnens and hagbreed.


Sociology:
Like their caliban counterparts, the deathtouched do not view themselves as a distinct race; many are, ironically, unaware of their not being some kind of unique aberration in the lands they call home. Discovering there are others like them out there is often nothing short of a revelation. Although this breeds a certain measure of fellow feeling towards each other, they are not connected enough to make any real steps to separate themselves from the societies of their parents.

Dhampirs are, of course, associated with those lands inhabited by vampires. Barovia is generally assumed by those aware of the dhampir existence to be swarming with them, but ironically this benighted realm has a startlingly small population of dhampirs, and that concentrated almost exclusively amongst the Gundarkite population. I personally encountered a small, all-dhampir village in the lands that had once been Gundarak, and even they were close to the borders of what was now Borca. Precisely why they are so rare in what would seem to be their natural homeland is a mystery, although I uncovered some evidence that may suggest a powerful vampire actively hunts them down and destroys them - or else that the native Barovians kill their deathtouched offspring at birth. Instead, dhampirs are found scattered throughout the major cities of the Core; those of jiangshi origin are said to proliferate in the distant realms of I'cath and Rokushima Taiyoo, and only recently begun manifesting in the Core as migrants emerge from those lands. If the Core has a "dhampir homeland", it is instead Darkon, where human and demihuman dhampirs proliferate.

Fetches are found primarily in those realms known for their hauntings. Specter-shrouded Mordent produces more than its share of these half-ghosts, whilst in Falkovnia, it is whispered that a widow who lays down on her husband’s grave at night may rise to find a child of equal parts flesh and ectoplasm kicking in her womb. In benighted Darkon and Hazlan, necromancers perform obscene experiments to cross the boundaries between life and death, which may give rise to fetches, amongst other creatures. The Mordentish fetch is definitely the most iconic of its kind, and tends to enjoy the best life; cursed with a natural sickliness and an affinity for magic, fethes usually don't enjoy long lives in Falkovnia.

Ghedans are largely concentrated in Darkon and Hazlan, the fruits of necromantic experimentation - though it is said that families who live near the Darkon borders have a peculiar tendency to produce ghedan offspring, as do Falkovnians who live close to the Darkon borders. Ironically, ghedans thrive in Falkovnia, unlike their fetch cousins; their brute strength and mindless indifference to pain and fear makes them useful enough that the Kingfuhrer and his butchers can look past their obvious inhumanity. A surprising number of ghedans are found in Lamordia as well, despite that realm's notorious refusal to accept the reality of magic.

Ghuls have no particular homeland, though it is rumored that the infamous cannibal clans of Invida are made of almost as many ghuls as they are calibans. Wherever ghouls emerge, ghuls follow. They do seem to be relatively plentiful in Falkovnia and Nova Vaasa, where their literal stomach for violence serves them well.

Mortifs are associated with Darkon and Hazlan, but can be found throughout the Core and beyond.

In fact, Darkon actually houses the closest thing yet seen to a fledgeling deathtouched community. In the area surrounding the cursed city of Il Aluk, the deathtouched population has been rising sharply. Not only are existing Darkonese deathtouched drawn to the area, but those women who live around what is now called Necropolis are birthing deathtouched babies in a steadily increasing number - most commonly mortif, followed by fetches and ghedans, with ghuls and dhampirs uncommon but still present. None of the adult deathtouched I interviewed could explain their fascination with the Necropolis, only that it "feels right". What will happen next is anyone's guess, but is certain to be fascinating: the deathtouched have revealed that they alone amongst the living are inherently immune to the legendary Shroud of Necropolis, the necrotic energy field that instantly slays and reanimates any who dares to try and set foot in Il Aluk!

Religion is a... touchy subject for the deathtouched. Most tend to be agnostic, atheistic, or outright maltheistic, which is an understandable reaction if the typical attitude one encounters from a preacher of any religion is "kill it with fire!" That is not to say there aren't some religions deathtouched, just that the religions of these lands are not especially welcoming to them. Frankly, most religious deathtouched have something of either a raging guilt complex, a masochistic streak, or both.

Dhampirs are likely to follow the path of Ezra, usually focusing on the Mordentish sect or the Nevuchar Springs sect - in either case, they are often self-flagellating (sometimes literally) fanatics, desperate to atone for their "tainted blood". Other dhampirs are some of the very few non-Barovians to worship the Morninglord, and these tend to be more stable than their Ezrite counterparts.

Fetches are likely to be spiritual, but not religious; their close ties to the world of ghosts and spirits naturally breeds an acceptance of them as fact, but no religion is quite compatible with their views. They often form their own beliefs and may even found fledgling cults.

Mortif are the most likely of the deathtouched to be religious, and are split roughly equally between those who embrace the more militant aspects of Ezra and the Morninglord's doctrines to hunt the undead and those who worship more "pro-death" doctrines, such as Erlin or the Eternal Order. Non-religious spiritualism is another major presence in their ranks. And, of course, there are plenty of mortif necromancers who trust in the power of arcane magic over the divine.

Ghuls and ghedans are the least religions deathtouched races; ghedans rarely care to consider the topic of spirituality, and ghuls often actively revel in spitting blasphemies and curses to shock and revile the people they resent.


Adventurers:
Deathtouched make natural adventurers, given their combination of power and a lackluster connection to mortal society. Indeed, many deathtouched were "born" as adventurers, especially in the case of ghuls or ghedans, who are likely to be once-humans who found themselves transformed due to mishaps in the course of their journeys.

Dhampirs are the most variable of deathtouched in their choice of classes, typically focusing on either strength or magic, or even combining the two; a dhampir is more likely to be an eldritch knight than a mere champion. Spellcasting dhampirs tend to favor the sorcerer, bard or wizard. Paladin dhampirs are surprisingly common, although their tendency towards self-loathing and focus on slaying evil means they usually swear the Oath of Vengeance above all others.

Fetches are almost invariably sorcerers or wizards; magic is their natural strength, and whilst a fetch warrior isn't impossible, it would definitely be an oddity. Fetch bards aren't unheard of, especially those of the College of Spirits. Fetch rogues are rare, but they make formidable arcane tricksters and assassins.

Ghedans, in contrast to fetches, are almost invariably fighters or barbarians. Ghuls favor the rogue and the ranger; they make fearsome assassins, but are surprisingly likely to become beastmasters, often training giant rats, vermin, or fearsome scavengers.

Mortif favor the wizard and sorcerer classes; their natural affinity for necromancy and shadow magics simply make these the most logical focuses for their talents. However, they are versatile, and so more than any other deathtouched are likely to surprise those who try to pigeonhole them.

[Hell_Born]

Alright, here's the Paka as promised, so it's time to move on to the next race... any requests? This is the list of what remains of the races...

Bakhna Rakhna
Braunchen
Carrionette
Ermordenung
Hagbreed
Hebi-no-Onna
Lebendtod
Quevari
Ratling
Ravenkin

Paka:
The cat is an animal which has held an uncertain and often contradictory place in humanoid cultures throughout the worlds, alternatively loved and loathed, seen as both ally and threat. It is perhaps fitting that in these dark and gloomy realms, there exists a race of catlike humanoids - not an uncommon creature, in this multiverse, I must admit - who exemplify that fundamentally feline fickleness.


Physiology:
Similarly to red widows, paka are a race of animalistic shapeshifters - a trait that has contributed to their obscurity, as those individuals aware of them have largely mistaken them for yet another strain of feline therianthrope, as several such werebeast lineages are already known to haunt these misty realms. But this is not true, and has led to a gruesome demise for many misinformed hunters over the years. No, paka are simply a race of beastfolk who have developed the innate ability to alter their appearances to resemble a single, specific, human form - essentially, who they would have been were they born human, and not a paka.

In their native form, a paka resembles a lithe, thinly-built humanoid cat. Unlike most of the catfolk races I have encountered, however, paka favor the "human" aspect over the feline in their anthropomorphism. The traditional catfolk appearance of a cat-headed, fur-covered, tail-waving humanoid is extremely rare, if not unheard of, amongst paka. Instead, they look more or less like humans with additional feline features, and those precise features vary wildly from individual to individual (though specific arrangements tend to run in families). All paka have retractile claws in lieu of nails, cat-like slit pupils, and needle-like fangs in lieu of teeth.

A paka may or may not have a cat's tail, which in turn might be either a fully grown appendage, or a mere nub, similar to a lynx or a dock-tailed housecat. Ears are always pointed, but depending on the individual this may result in either fully-formed cat-like ears atop the head, or merely elongated, leaf-shaped ears (similar to those of some elves) covered in fur. Some paka do possess fur in their true form, though usually not a full-body covering; "glove" and/or "boot" like patches covering the lower lengths of their limbs are most common. Pawpads on the feet are rare, and pawpads on the hands are rarer still, but not unheard of. A paka's facial features often have a sharp "feline" cast to them, and they may or may not have whiskers and/or a dark, slightly upturned nose.

Paka eye colors include the full spectrum of human and feline colors, with gold, yellow, orange, blue, green and copper as the most common. Female paka invariably have yellow or orange hair, whilst males can have these colors, light brown, or dark red. As they age, their hair visibly streaks with grey.

When a paka assumes his or her human form, the effect is largely one of subtracting feline features; fur and whiskers fall off, ears are replaced with human ears, pupils round out and irises change to something more human-colored, tails are retracted, teeth flatten and blunt, etc. A person who has clearly seen a paka in both forms will usually recognize them as the same person. One telltale trace that always remains is that the nails are unusually sharp and long; even in human form, a paka can extend their claws and use them for self defense.

Almost all paka appear as humans in their alternate form. In a tiny minority, however, a certain feline cast remains to the facial features - not the full "catfolk" appearance of their natural form, but enough to make them appear not pureblooded human. These paka usually pass themselves off as half-elves, something their natural speed and agility assists with.

A slain paka reverts to its true feline form, assuming it wasn't in that form to begin with when killed.

Diet-wise, paka are predominantly carnivorous, although their humanoid nature has given them a digestive tract slightly better-adapted for omnivorous fare. Paka need a highly meat-based diet to stay healthy; they can eat plant matter or grains with better success than a housecat could, but they can't live off of them. Dairy is a well-loved treat, but paka are, fortunately, spared the poor tolerance for it that plagues lesser felines. They are also more tolerant of foods that would normally kill a cat, such as garlic, grapes and chocolate; these foods won't usually kill a paka, but will leave them with severe stomach distress until they manage to purge their systems.

Paka are short-lived and fast-breeding; they reach maturity by thirteen, are middle-aged by their mid-twenties, and seldom live more than fifty to sixty years. A female paka can produce two litters of 1-6 kittens a year, with each litter gestating for about six months. The average litter size is three kittens; single-births are rare and regarded with superstitious dread.

Like the cats they resemble, paka are not a naturally monogamous race. A female paka mates with any attractive male she wishes, and the males cavort freely with any interested parties. In fact, a fairly common outcome is that all the females of a given pride - see below - will fall pregnant around the same interval and by the same male, although that male will usually only remain in the area for a small handful of "breeding seasons" before moving on. They may sometimes dally with particularly attractive humans, elves, and half-elves. Paka almost never marry amongst themselves, and even when they marry outside of their race, they usually don't stay together for particularly long - unfaithfulness usually becomes a dividing wedge in the relationship.

Paka can interbreed with humans and elves, but usually avoid doing so. In the case of a paka mother, the children are always paka. Children sired by a paka father tend to be paka if female and of the mother's race if male.

Similarly to how red widows have a supernatural ability to communicate with spiders, paka can also communicate with felines of any size or nature. They also possess a distinctly supernatural charisma when interacting with felines, although the precise level depends on the distinct species of the feline in question. Common house cats regard paka with an attitude that can only be described as reverential, an attitude that is largely passed on to the other "lesser" cats. Great cats, however, are far less beguiled, as are most magical felines... except for feline lycanthropes. The various werecat breeds all have an innately favorable reaction to paka, so unless there are very obvious flaws or the werecat has an unusually strong personality, paka often end up assuming a dominant role when interacting with werecats - which may be partially why they have been frequently mistaken for a werecat breed in their own right.

Because of this, paka almost invariably surround themselves with cats, if they can get away with it. Many paka are deeply involved in the various cat-breeding clubs and societies of the Core, and exotic lineages are quite prized amongst their ranks.


Psychology:
As is common with catfolk throughout the planes, paka have a mentality most readily defined as "feline". Despite their strong cultural dedication to secrecy, they are also naturally prone to craving attention; they relish in the adulation of others, and even people who don't know a paka's true species will usually regard them as proud, vainglorious, a show-off or similar. Natural predators, the paka love to hunt; much of their view of the world comes through viewing it through the lens of the hunt. This can actually be a subtle way to identity paka; they have a near-irresistible tendency to use hunting terminology and metaphors even in situations where those would be out of place.

Paka are also a race of born hedonists. They are passionate and reactive by nature, little troubled by guilt or concern for the opinions of others. A paka knows what they want and goes for it. Paka invariably develop a reputation as flirtatious, if not outright licentious, and many grow to take a deliberate delight in shocking others with scandalous behavior.

This passion takes a dark form in that it leaves the paka with a fixation upon revenge. The dark urgings of vengeance are almost impossible for paka to resist, and indeed most don't even bother to try. Revenge is the central topic of most paka writing and thinking, a rare exception to their usual indifference to abstractions and philosophies: in a race devoted to the here and now, revenge is the one sacred truth. It is more important and real than love or sorrow. Entire treatises have been written on vengeance, the righting of wrongs, and justice.

Perhaps this in flipside is why paka so highly admire and respect gratitude. After all, if paying back the wrongs done unto you is so important, then by logical conclusion, it is equally important to repay the rights done unto you. Not all paka live up to this high standard, of course, but gratitude is still an acknowledged and respected virtue amongst their kind, the light twin to the dark virtue of vengeance.


Sociology:
The epitome of what I call "The Parallel", the paka have their own entirely unique society that they belong to, but at the same time they have thoroughly infiltrated human societies across the core. The largest known concentration of paka seems to be found in Nova Vaasa, and this may well be their origin point in these misty realms. From there, they have spread to Hazlan, Tepest, Barovia, Richemuloise, Dementlieu, Falkovnia, and Invidia. Of these locales, Nova Vaasa, Richemuloiose and Dementlieu have the largest populations.

The fundamental unit of paka society is "The Pride"; an extended family and assimilated family friends with a matriarchal power structure, ruled over by the wisest, most cunning and socially adept female elder - known as "The Queen". This group works together for mutual benefit and protection, with the paka trying to put its collective wellbeing and benefit above all else... they don't always (or even usually) live up to this ideal, but humanity is in no position to throw stones based on this reality!

Paka prides are matriarchal in large part because only the females feel an inclination to remain together and to hold a common territory, even if the pride may pursue a nomadic existence within that territory. Male paka are far less connected to the pride's social structure; they typically pursue an existence as nomadic wanderers, existing largely on the margin of the pride; they involve themselves with a given pride only so long as they feel invested, and then leave, moving on to seek out another pride into which they will insert themselves.

The paka do not look down on males for this 'wanderlust'. It is simply seen as the way things are. In fact, it serves a vital role; the constant migrations of the males ensues a steady supply of fresh blood and prevents inbreeding from becoming a problem. It also allows male paka to serve as an informal social network that links the paka race as a whole. For this reason, male paka benefit from a form of sacred hospitality; unless they are directly involved in a feud between two prides, male paka can always trust that they will be welcomed by any pride they ask to join.

Werecats of the different strains often find themselves incorporated into the pride, but usually as a kind of second-class citizen. Infected werecats in particular tend to be perceived as mere 'dumb muscle' and employed as such, although natural werecats and those infected or maledictive werecats who have attained mastery over their bestial forms can work their way up the social hierarchy. Male paka in particular often travel as the leader of small bands of werecats, fully exploiting their supernatural feline charisma.

Whilst some paka prides exist as nomads, mostly in Nova Vaasa, and there are rumors of an entire town populated exclusively by paka that I couldn't substantiate, most paka prides integrate into human communities. Or perhaps a better word might be "infiltrate". Usually, members of a pride do not live together, instead communicating through the guise of social clubs, gangs, guilds, or other secret societies, or communing through letters and coded messages in newssheets. Different prides that share the same settlement in particular tend to either stay out of each other's way, or at worst come to blows in a struggle for territorial dominance.

Prides often support themselves through illicit means, especially in Nova Vaasa and Richemulot. Which actually stems in large part from a traditional enmity that paka feel for humans. In its simplest form, a core philosophy of the paka race is that humanity wronged them in the past, and they must seek revenge for this crime. Because of this, paka feel no hesitation in metaphorically or even literally preying on humanity.

Ironically, though, the paka are actually slowly abandoning this ideology of anti-human militancy.

The primary reason why has to do from a secret revealed to me by a male paka of my acquaintance who fancied himself an amateur historian; the paka's history prior to the emergence of Nova Vaasa in the 680s is a murky and ragged affair, and despite claims amongst some queens otherwise, the race no longer actually remembers what the "Great Wrong" was. And whilst the paka are inherently vengeful, they do not believe in wasting their time and energy over something that might never have actually happened.

A second major reason for this turn on their traditional beliefs is, with equal irony, the paka propensity to live amongst and alongside humans. Whilst almost all paka kittens are educated on their "true superiority" as they grow up, most paka young grow to maturity alongside humans, which often exposes them to the truth that humans are not, in fact, mindlessly cruel and dedicated to the destruction of the paka.

Lastly, the simple truth is that other races have proven more of a threat to paka in their largely imitative lifestyle, and so require more focus. In particular, the race was decimated when the Requiem swallowed Il Aluk, which had become a center of paka activity. Consequently, the undead have now begun to rival if not replace humanity as the "inherent enemy" of their people.

It bears emphasis that this is not a widespread belief, just yet. It is growing, but largely among the young - and also largely outside of Nova Vaasa, whose population is hardly the type to encourage the belief in humanity's merits. But every paka willing to turn their back on an empty, hollow grudge is one paka less interested in cutting humanity's collective throat, which is always a good thing.

Religion is... not a strong point amongst the paka. That said, they only acknowlege a single patron; a mischievous and hedonistic trickster-god called, simply, "The Cat Lord".

As an aside, I have encountered this title in many realms, and used in reference to many different figures. Various Cat Lords have been both male and female, and described as anything from unique extraplanar beings or demigods to primal spirits or even archfey. The one common thread is that the Cat Lord is seen as the protector and patron of all felines. In fact, this trait, combined with their shapeshifting, makes the paka rather reminiscent of a race called the tibbets, and I cannot help but wonder if they mightn't be connected in some way, similar to how red widows might be linked to aranea.

Very little is known about the Cat Lord, other than that "priests" of this deity are usually the Queens of paka prides. Most give their so-called patron little more than lip service, and whilst queens often tout themselves as his (or sometimes her, depending on the pride) chosen leaders, the paka are by no means a theocracy. In fact, most "priests" of the Cat Lord that I encountered seemed more like warlocks or sorcerers to me.

The possible connection between the paka's Cat Lord and the forgotten Vaasan gods Sehkmaa and Bubahkaa must remain a matter of speculation.


Adventurers:
Paka adventurers are not uncommon - in many ways, almost every male paka is an adventurer. What's uncommon is for them to adventure alongside non-paka. When this does happen, typically, the paka member of the group is either motivated by common purpose, finds one or more of the group either amusing or interesting (the two emotions often overlap, for paka), or else the paka is simply desperate for a group to belong to. A paka adventurer does not reveal their true race to their companions lightly, and often if they are aware of it, it has to do with how the paka member joined their party to begin with.

A typical paka adventurer is seeking either entertainment, adulation, or vengeance. They are most likely to be males, given that male paka are naturally inclined to wander, but female paka can also find these motivations compelling enough to leave - or else they simply have been exiled from their pride for whatever reason. They are generally characterized as flamboyant and attention seeking - if not from the rest of the party, then from those who hire the party, but most would rather be admired and adulated by all and sundry. Whilst their concern about the center of attention may cause them to be brushed off as foppish, vainglorious, egotistical, immature, foolish or any of a variety of negative comments on their intellects, let those who underestimate a paka's skill, cunning and intelligence beware!

The Rogue is the most common class for the paka, and they excel at it. Of its subclasses, the Swashbuckler, Mastermind, Inquisitive, Scout and Assassin are favored. Male paka are particularly likely to be Rangers, typically Beast Masters, Hunters or Monster Slayers, whilst females prefer magical routes to power and are usually Sorcerers, Bards or Warlocks. They rarely become Fighters, but their vengeful natures and savage temperaments make them natural Barbarians, and they also practice a number of Monk traditions, notably the Kensei and Way of Shadow.

One distinct oddity of the paka adventurer is that a paka with a familiar or an animal companion invariably takes some kind of feline creature for the role.

[Wolfglide of the Fraternity]

Looking good.

You’re right about the nearing deadline. I myself need to kick into gear and focus on my writing. I may not be able to keep being so thorough in my editorial checks. Of course, if my meticulousness happens to be annoying, that may not be a bad thing.

Spelling/Grammar Check for Deathtouched:

VIEW CONTENT:

And no realm in my experience has been more fruitful in producing such beings than these misty realms in which I now wonder.

"Wander," I presume.

There are five distinctive Deathtouched races, and potentially more that have yet to be discovered.

This isn't quite how "distinctive" is used. "Distinct" is the form for this.

Although there are stories of those who seek to hunt vampires finding themselves ironically "blessed" with vampire-like powers in their own right. Such cruelly humorous metamorphoses are quite common in these lands, so I am inclined to regard these stories as holding more than a grain of truth.

This first sentence isn't actually complete. If the period is changed to a comma and the two are fused together, they would make one full sentence. If you think that would be too long, you could instead remove the word "although" from the first sentence and leave them separate.

Despite their numbers, dhampirs do not have an easy life in the lands of mist.
...
The stereotype of the dhampir who hunts the undead is a common fixture in stories and songs throughout the core, and it has its roots in reality.

I think both the Core and the Lands of Mist should be capitalized, but it is really up to the preference of the point of view character.

Even the rare nosferatu and jiangshi strains have similarly unique dhampir offspring.

I know "jiangshi" is an actual transliteration of the mythological vampire, but "chiang-shi" is how it is spelled in Denizens of Dread. Are they using the original spelling in the new 5e materials?

A ghost is many things, but at its core, it is desire made manifest. It is the desperate urge to achieve something, a hunger so intense that it allows the spirit of the dead to defy the natural order of things and continue existing as a mockery of life.

This is interesting; I have never seen "spirits of the dead" changed to a singular. Since "the dead" is being used as a mass noun, "the spirit" of the dead sounds like a collective spirit belonging to all the dead. Using "a spirit" instead sounds more apt for making the original phrase singular.

When this is taken into account, then perhaps it is not so surprising that ghosts who cling to the mortal coil out of some perverse sense of love or lust can take their blasphemous existence further still, and produce living children?

This sentence is more of a statement, but using a question mark to convey a questioning tone is within the bounds of artistic license. If that is the intention, then no change is needed.

A child conceived or, more rarely, born in a graveyard or a known haunted site has a chance to be born with one foot in the realms of both the living and the dead.

I'm not sure if this is important enough to change, but technically this indicates having a single foot that occupies both realms, rather than one foot in each. Just putting "each" after the word foot might fix the technical point.

Whilst an imperfect resurrection may sometimes produce a fetch or motif (or, far more rarely, a dhampir or ghul), they largely result in ghedans, and in fact ghedans of this origin may outnumber the "trueborn".

Computer spell-check won't catch misspelling "mortif" as the actual word "motif."

In many ways, ghuls are dark parodies of the dhampir.

I would make “dhampir” plural to agree with the earlier plurals.

Their mouths are full of jagged, yellow fangs and long, black tongues loll freely at the slightest excuse.

I would put a comma between these two, to keep the conjoined sentences distinct.

They have black, green, pale purple, or chalk-white skins, and pupil-less yellow, red, or green eyes that glow faintly in low light, and their natural scent, unless carefully covered with soaps and perfumes, is a noxious reek of carrion or dried blood.

This one is running on a bit. You might want to break this into two sentences by removing the indicated “and.”

Motif:

This appears to be a recurring motif.

Regardless of the source, all mortifs are marked by this fundamental connection to necrotic energy, although as the "lesser" deathtouched, mortif features are typically much more random, and modest compared to their "halfblood" relatives..

Extra period at the end of this sentence.

They tend to have strong-willed and fearless, but usually are quite introverted.

I think this should be “be” instead of “have.” Alternatively, the two could be rammed together as “behave.”

Mortifs are prone to bouts of depression, brought on by a natural feeling of being alienated from the living around them, and can plunge into melancholic outbursts that last for days or even weeks.

I generally don’t think about melancholy as being something that “outbursts.” Perhaps “quagmire” instead? That is the best I can think of without changing more words.

This is only exacerbated by a strong proclivity towards paranoia; many motif are inherently afraid of the living, consumed by the nagging dread of what might happen should their tainted ancestry be discovered.

Once again, the word “motif” appears.

Barovia is generally assumed by those aware of the dhampir existence to be swarming with them, but ironically this benighted realm has a startlingly small population of dhampirs, and that concentrated almost exclusively amongst the Gundarkite population.

I would change that to “the existence of dhampirs”, and remove “and that.”

Instead, dhampirs are found scattered throughout the major cities of the Core; those of jiangshi origin are said to proliferate in the distant realms of I'cath and Rokushima Taiyoo, and only recently begun manifesting in the Core as migrants emerge from those lands.

A few things:
(1) I marked “jiangshi” just in case you act on my earlier note and want to apply it here.
(2) “I’Cath and Rokushima Táiyoo” (just a minor matter of capitalization and accents)
(3) Either insert “have” before “only” or change “begun” to “began.”

The Mordentish fetch is definitely the most iconic of its kind, and tends to enjoy the best life; cursed with a natural sickliness and an affinity for magic, fethes usually don't enjoy long lives in Falkovnia.

Missing a “c.”

Ironically, ghedans thrive in Falkovnia, unlike their fetch cousins; their brute strength and mindless indifference to pain and fear makes them useful enough that the Kingfuhrer and his butchers can look past their obvious inhumanity.

I’d write this as “make,” since there are two subjects in the sentence.

Ghuls have no particular homeland, though it is rumored that the infamous cannibal clans of Invida are made of almost as many ghuls as they are calibans.

There is an “i” missing in Invidia. I would also be inclined to remove “they are.”

In fact, Darkon actually houses the closest thing yet seen to a fledgeling deathtouched community.

The extra “e” happened again.

. . . that they alone amongst the living are inherently immune to the legendary Shroud of Necropolis, the necrotic energy field that instantly slays and reanimates any who dares to try and set foot in Il Aluk!

I would either change “any” to “anyone” (making it singular) or “dares” to “dare.” However, I must admit that certain finer points of the word “any” are not clear to me.

That is not to say there aren't some religions deathtouched, just that the religions of these lands are not especially welcoming to them.

Used “religions” in place of “religious.”

Fetches are likely to be spiritual, but not religious; their close ties to the world of ghosts and spirits naturally breeds an acceptance of them as fact, but no religion is quite compatible with their views.

I would either change “ties” to a singular word (like “bond”), or “breeds” to “breed.”

Mortif are the most likely of the deathtouched to be religious, and are split roughly equally between those who embrace the more militant aspects of Ezra and the Morninglord's doctrines to hunt the undead and those who worship more "pro-death" doctrines, such as Erlin or the Eternal Order.

I would put a comma between these two words.

[Galeros]

I would do Yuan ti as Broken ones created by Markov. My idea is that he did his usual thing makes manbeasts with men and snakes and then got bored with them and let them loose on Markovia where they escaped to the Core. Most slither about in the shadows of society, some hiring themselves out as thieves and assassins, other retreating to the wilderness to hide.

[Wolfglide of the Fraternity]

I would do Yuan ti as Broken ones created by Markov. My idea is that he did his usual thing makes manbeasts with men and snakes and then got bored with them and let them loose on Markovia where they escaped to the Core. Most slither about in the shadows of society, some hiring themselves out as thieves and assassins, other retreating to the wilderness to hide.

Did you mean to post that elsewhere? There was a Yuan-ti thread.

[Galeros]

I would do Yuan ti as Broken ones created by Markov. My idea is that he did his usual thing makes manbeasts with men and snakes and then got bored with them and let them loose on Markovia where they escaped to the Core. Most slither about in the shadows of society, some hiring themselves out as thieves and assassins, other retreating to the wilderness to hide.

Did you mean to post that elsewhere? There was a Yuan-ti thread.

I was just throwing an idea out there since the thread was about non-Humans in Ravenloft.

[Wolfglide of the Fraternity]

I like the paka write up. The pride society is very interesting, especially with the nomadic role of males.

Here is a question: are there paka in Sri Raji? How do they interact with rakshasas?

The possible connection between the paka's Cat Lord and the forgotten Vaasan gods Sehkmaa and Bubahkaa must remain a matter of speculation.

I’m curious, where do these two gods come from? I haven’t heard of them.

but female paka can also find these motivations compelling enough to leave - or else they simply have been exiled from their pride for whatever reason.

What gets a paka exiled?

And I couldn't stop myself. Here is another spelling/grammar check:

VIEW CONTENT:

Some paka do possess fur in their true form, though usually not a full-body covering; "glove" and/or "boot" like patches covering the lower lengths of their limbs are most common.

I would put a hyphen between these two, but it is probably debatable.

they relish in the adulation of others, and even people who don't know a paka's true species will usually regard them as proud, vainglorious, a show-off or similar.

I think they can either “relish the adulation” or “revel in the adulation”.

This can actually be a subtle way to identity paka;

Identify

Perhaps this in flipside is why paka so highly admire and respect gratitude.

I think you are creating a new turn of phrase by saying “in flipside.” Usually, I think phrases always refer to “the flipside,” especially “on the flipside.” If you don’t want to coin a new phrase, you could say, “On the flipside, perhaps this is why paka ...”

The epitome of what I call "The Parallel", the paka have their own entirely unique society that they belong to, but at the same time they have thoroughly infiltrated human societies across the core.

Capitalization needed.

From there, they have spread to Hazlan, Tepest, Barovia, Richemuloise, Dementlieu, Falkovnia, and Invidia. Of these locales, Nova Vaasa, Richemuloiose and Dementlieu have the largest populations.

Richemulot

Male paka in particular often travel as the leader of small bands of werecats, fully exploiting their supernatural feline charisma.

I think this should be plural.

Usually, members of a pride do not live together, instead communicating through the guise of social clubs, gangs, guilds, or other secret societies, or communing through letters and coded messages in newssheets.

I think this should be hyphenated: “news-sheets”.

The primary reason why has to do from a secret revealed to me by a male paka of my acquaintance who fancied himself an amateur historian;

Has to do “with” ...

That said, they only acknowlege a single patron; a mischievous and hedonistic trickster-god called, simply, "The Cat Lord".

There is a D missing: “acknowledge.”

In fact, this trait, combined with their shapeshifting, makes the paka rather reminiscent of a race called the tibbets,

I think it is “tibbit.”

My vote is for the Hebi-no-Onna next.

[Hell_Born]

Thank you for the editing runthroughs, WolfGlide! I'll get to work on those once I've got the racial writeups all finished.

I don't have the keys that let me do the proper accents for domains like Rokushima, especially since I'm writing these drafts on the fly in Notepad.

I forget about the "chian'shi" spelling in official Ravenloft canon. They do in fact spell it as the more well-recognized "jiangshi" in the 5e book, but then again, this is also the same book that reinvented Nosferatu from the "Dracula/Varney-esque daywalking vampire" to "Orlock-looking feral haemovoric ghouls that vomit blood", so do I really want to be associaetd with that book...

I like the paka write up. The pride society is very interesting, especially with the nomadic role of males.

Here is a question: are there paka in Sri Raji? How do they interact with rakshasas?

The possible connection between the paka's Cat Lord and the forgotten Vaasan gods Sehkmaa and Bubahkaa must remain a matter of speculation.

I’m curious, where do these two gods come from? I haven’t heard of them.

but female paka can also find these motivations compelling enough to leave - or else they simply have been exiled from their pride for whatever reason.

What gets a paka exiled?

My vote is for the Hebi-no-Onna next.

I actually based the paka writeup on the extended paka lore writeup from issue #19 of QtR, which greatly expands the fairly minimal lore presented in Ravenloft's monster manuals.

I don't believe paka canonically exist in Sri Raji.

I'd be very surprised if you had! Those two gods are mentioned extremely briefly in the history section of the Ravenloft Gazeteer V: Nova Vaasa entry.

Um... I actually can't name any reasons off the top of my head now, but I'm sure I drew that from something in the Paka article from QtR #19.

Alright, Hebi-no-Onna draft profile... next race?

Hebi-no-Onna
(...I got nothing for a prelude. Suggestions?)

Biology:
Hebi-no-onna are an all-female race who largely resemble beautiful human women, save for the fact that they have writhing venomous serpents in lieu of arms. This is actually not dissimilar to a particular form seen amongst the serpentfolk race known as yuan-ti in other lands, but I have been unable to prove any connection between the two races. The typical hebi-no-onna appears to be a native-born of Rokushima Taiyoo or I'Cath, although I have discovered reports suggesting that the race may also exist in Sri Raji and Kalakeri - what moniker it goes by in those lands, however, I do not know. Those few Hhebi-no-onna born in the lands of the Core, predominantly Darkon, Dementlieu and Mordent, appear more ethnically mixed, and it's possible that if the race proliferates in the Core for long enough, they may soon become ethnically indistinguishable from the Core's native humans.

The species of the serpent varies widely, but usually resembles a venomous snake native to her homeland. Most hebi-no-onna have viper arms, whilst the stories I found of Sri Rajian and Kalakeri snake women described them as having cobras for arms.

Aside from her serpentine arms, a snake woman's primary telltale features are her vertical slit pupils, which can expand to a more rounded, oval shape that allows her to pass as human with greater ease, and her long, sharp, slightly retractile canine teeth; these venom-conducting fangs have sometimes caused hebi-no-onna to be mistaken for a vampire. There are stories suggesting that snake women may have other reptilian mutations, such as scaly skin (or at least patches thereof), unusually colored hair or eyes, single-toed claw-like feet, and vestigial tails, but these stories have not been confirmed.

A snake woman possesses the innate ability to communicate with snakes. For protection, she wields venomous bites, both from her serpent-hands and from her own human mouth. The venom in her human mouth is a particularly powerful psychotropic toxin, which they refer to by the euphemism of "daigatu", literally "nightmare wine". The eyes of a snake woman are capable of exuding a hypnotic allure, which makes them preternaturally adept at coaxing others into listening to them.

In adition to these natural powers, snake women have a strong natural affinity for arcane magic, especially the arts of enchantment and illusion. Not every snake woman fully develops this potential, but they all have it.

To reproduce, hebi-no-onna must take humanoid consorts, and they are known to be crossfertile with humans, elves and half-elves - if a hebi-no-onna mates with an elf, the child will resemble a half-elf, but if the mother Hebi-no-Onna appears to be a half-elf herself, then her daughters by elven fathers will appear to be pureblooded elves. A fertilized hebi-no-onna will carry her child in her womb for nine months, but the race is ovoviviparous; they are egg-bearers who incubate their eggs inside of their bodies for the duration. The egg hatches shortly after being laid, resulting in either a Hebi-no-Onna daughter or a boy-child of the father's race.


Psychology:
Hebi-no-onna are a fascinating study in contradictions. They are at once coy seductresses and ruthless pragmatists; shameless hedonists and demure maidens; coldblooded manipulators and passionate romantics.

The key to understanding a snake woman is to realize that she is taught from the cradle that she must keep her true self hidden behind a protective mask, and that the persona she presents to the world around her is not and indeed should not be the same persona that she truly is. To further complicate this, hebi-no-onna are taught to value power in all its forms, and to ruthlessly acquire it, because only power can give them security.

Which is not an unreasonable attitude to take, given that the snake women occupy a position in Rokushima Taiyoo and I'Cath culture not dissimilar to that held by vampires in Barovia. A hebi-no-onna's life literally depends on her ability to go amongst humans without being discovered for her true self.

The "public face" of a hebi-no-onna typically attempts to be simultaneously appealing but also to keep others at arm's length (pun unintentional). A rare few flaunt power by claiming noble birth or the protections of arcane might, but even these often tend to put on a facade of being flirtatious and gregarious. A serpent woman rarely acts the part of the cold, aloof, imperial matriarch.

Vanity and avariciousness are common failings of the snake women, who often find they must turn to the dubious comforts of admiration and wealth to make up for a life distinctly lacking in true friendship and camaradrie. A snake woman's collection of fine artwork, beautiful jewelry and precious gems is a way for them to remind themselves that they are safe, secure, and to give them some comfort in a life where they are almost always terribly alone.

Whilst hedonism is a natural vice for them to fall into, it cannot be denied that a certain sensual appetite is a seemingly native part of who the hebi-no-Onna are. They revel in physical indulgence, living it up as extremely as they can. Strong liquors, potent mind-altering drugs and gluttonous revelry are cherished as the only pleasures they can indulge in freely.

Given the chance to trust, however, the snake women often display a surprisingly vulnerable side. Those I encountered often displayed a remarkably romantic attitude, and even the biased writings of their homelands gave hints that if given the chance, a hebi-no-onna can be a deeply loyal, loving and faithful companion.


Sociology:
Hebi-no-onna live thoroughly hidden in the human societies of their homelands, rarely gathering in anything larger than a small clan of immediate relations. Whilst snake woman mothers tutor their daughters rigorously to prepare them for the outside world, they are also firm in the belief that their children must move on as soon as they can, as safety can only come by staying scattered and hidden within the greater numbers of humanity.

Many hebi-no-onna form secretive cults centered around themselves, typically using a combination of blackmail, hedonism and arcane enthrallments to lure, compel and dominate prospective members. Such cults may be simple hedonistic societies, or they may function as guilds of thieves and assassins, or there may be elements of both combined. A cult's treatment is often unpredictable, with the hebi-no-onna at its center simultaneously needing them as the closest thing she has to friends and loved ones, and resenting them for the fact that they only are with her because she is blackmailing them or has dominated their minds. Thus she often frequently switches from doting on, indulging and cherishing her underlings to lashing out at them in bitterness and spite.

Courtship is a tricky affair for the snake women. Many hebi-no-nnna actually want to take a lifelong mate, and they often display a sincere interest in romances around them - either supporting them or vindictively destroying them, depending on the Snake Woman in question. But at the same time, their clearly inhuman nature once exposed, their evil reputation in their native lands, and the general xenophobia of these misty lands makes the odds of finding a spouse very low indeed.

Most hebi-no-onna come to treat marriage as a stepping stone to power, reproduction as grim necessity, and love as an impossible dream. There are countless stories of hebi-no-onna seducing powerful men to take them as wives, or at least concubines, and thus securing their path into positions of wealth and authority. However, these men rarely find themselves actually bedding the snake woman, instead being beguiled with magic or simply murdered to spare her from his attentions - which largely has to do with the fact that those men targeted in this way are typically old and/or quite repulsive in either looks, personality, or both.

One vanity ubiquitous to the hebi-no-onna is this: only the best will do to father their children. Potential sires are carefully gauged, based first on their physical appearance, and then on their intellect. Practitioners of arcane magic are particularly attractive, given the hebi-no-onna's own racial affinity for magic. Once is chosen, he must be brought to bed, typically through vigorous seduction by mundane means; snake women tend to consider it "unsporting" to use magic to lure a chosen mate into the bedroom, but may ignore this cultural hangup if they find themselves enamored enough. Once the deed is done, the father's fate depends on the whim of the now-expectant mother; hebi-no-onna prefer to simply wipe the father's memories of their tryst from his mind or leave him convinced they were merely a nightmare, but sometimes murder is the only solution.


Adventurers:
Hebi-no-onna adventurers are a rarity, but not unheard of; these are typically young snake women setting out into the world and looking to find a place to settle down, or else they are fleeing from a place where their identity has been discovered.

The iconic class of the hebi-no-onna is the Wizard - specifically, the Enchanter or Illusionist. Almost as iconic is the Bard, especially the College of Whispers. The third most likely class that a hebi-no-onna will take is either the Rogue (typically the Mastermind) or the Monk.