Peren

The Peren, a relatively recent addition to the races of Aurôrum, are first documented in historical records around 700 years ago. Initially referenced as a minor detail in a conflict between two human nations, they quickly gained notice. Emerging from the chaos of war, the Peren approached conflict with an unwavering determination, as if driven by a master’s whip. Details about their history become somewhat unclear for well over a century. When historical accounts pick up again, the Peren had solidified their presence, having already established themselves as a distinct nation.

The Truth of the Peren

What many fail to grasp about the Peren is a truth forgotten even to themselves. Their origin does not begin in the crucible of war, but in a desperate slave revolt. Previously concealed from the world, they broke free from their chains, and from that moment on, nothing could subdue their indomitable spirit.
Close to a millennium ago, the Mól, a powerful hobgoblin empire, were reputed as the foremost breeders in all of Erôth. Much like their creation of swift horses and loyal hounds, they also engineered the Peren as the ‘perfect slaves.’ Proficient in various tasks such as gladiatorial combat, domestic service, and even tutoring, the Peren were adept slaves, particularly those who could pass as human and seamlessly blend into the masses.
Breeding multifaceted slaves to serve the Mól allowed them to delegate tasks they preferred not to handle directly. It was not uncommon for peren to lead armies of peren soldiers or for a talented peren orchestra to perform for Mól citizens. Occasionally, peren would even be trained to serve as advisors to government leaders, actively contributing to the shaping of the empire. (Allow the foreshadowing to settle in)
However, the revelation of an endless supply of ideal slaves was a secret guarded closely by the Mól. The slaves preferred for the human market were those who could easily pass as one of them.
When the uprising occurred, the Peren, with remarkable discernment, identified their kin and liberated all they encountered. In exchange for their newfound freedom, they faced a choice: to wage war and seek vengeance or to stay and claim the land left for them. This strategic decision not only rapidly expanded their army but also provided an ongoing stream of spies and saboteurs in the early years of their war for freedom. Though history may have obscured the reasons behind the Peren’s origin, this enduring tradition is known as ‘In Cilmë,’ it persists to this day.
The initial years of the war favored the Peren. Mistaken for mere bandits, their assaults went unnoticed as those of usurpers and a foundling nation. This respite allowed them to quell internal conflicts among different factions and eventually establish a cohesive social structure. While the social contract continue to hold true in Peredhel today, the peren themselves are still comprised of a few subraces. Something even they did not discover until nearly 700 years later…

Peren Names

Peren sometimes take names appropriate to the culture in which they were raised. Most often they stay with traditional peren names. You decide what suits your character. Since the peren language, Peren, is inspired by the arabic language, names possess a melodic and rhythmic quality. They frequently feature a combination of consonants and vowels, with a notable emphasis on the sounds produced from the back of the throat.
Peren names can range from short and succinct to more elaborate and expressive, often carrying significant meanings related to nature, virtues, or historical and cultural references.
Male Pet Names: Idris, Jahangir, Kaden, Karim, Leon, Nasir, Rayyan, Tariq, Yazan, & Zephyranthes
Female Peren Names: Aisha, Hafeeza, Lana, Leila, Noura, Salma, Sana, Soraya, Yasmin, & Zainabiyah (common for a daughter expected to be the last born).

Peren

Type Humanoid (peren)

Ability Score Modifier two +1 bonuses to ability scores of their choice at creation to represent their varied nature. They may both be spent on the same attribute.

Size medium

Speed Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Language Likely the language of your childhood was Peren. Peren also acts as the ‘common’ tongue in Erôth.
Age. Peren mature at the same rate humans do and reach adulthood around the age of 20. They live much longer than humans, hitting middle age in their early sixties. Despite their ‘golden years’ beginning around a century and a quarter, its common to exceed 180 years.
Peren look identical to humans until the age of 25. Then they slowly start to show their true nature over the next decade or two.
Mól Ancestry. Peren are immune to magic sleep effects and gain a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells and effects.
Adaptability: Peren receive Skill Focus as a bonus feat at 1st level.
Keen Senses: Peren receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.
Low-Light Vision: Due to the Mól’s design, peren can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

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Passing for human

Under the age of 25, peren are indistinguishable from humans without the aid of magic. Even peren must pass a Perception check, DC 15, to discern the true nature of other young peren. After they turn 25, anyone may make this check, albeit peren now roll with +10. This DC reduces by 1 the they turn 30, and for each year after 30.

Alternatively, a Peren may select the following feat.

Late Bloomer

Your peren traits develop so slowly, you look human.

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Prerequisite(s)

Peren

Benefits

Your peren traits do not begin to show for an additional 15 years of age. They trigger at 40 and 45 respectively. The DC to notice you are not human increases to 25. In areas largely populated or settled by humans, most people tend to assume you are human unless given a reason to think otherwise.

Special

If you also have 5 Ranks in the Disguise skill or the Deceitful feat, you may increase this DC by +2.

Mette-Hina

The ‘mette-hina,’ a profound rite in peren culture, unfolds when the last-born child of a family reaches the age of 20. At this juncture, they undergo a significant transition, shedding their surname and severing all familial connections, including those with childhood friends and personal wealth. This isolation persists until they journey into the world to demonstrate their merit. It only ends when they achieve a level of prominence or reputation great enough to earn a new surname.
To the peren, mette-hina serves a profound purpose—to propel the peren forward, urging them to strive for what greatness lies just beyond their grasp. It is a cultural mechanism designed to foster personal growth, resilience, and the pursuit of excellence while combating complacency and perpetual generational wealth. Once they have achieved distinction and secured their own surname, the individual is free to rekindle old relationships and reintegrate into the embrace of familial ties – having proven their worth in the world.
Peren Adventurers
The majority of peren adventurers are mette-hina – individuals seeking to affirm their self-worth or, at the very least, secure the right to reconnect with their families. If you are making a peren character, consider their being a mette-hina themself.

Related Organizations

• Crestborne
• Gemsmith