Khenra

Nearly every khenra is born a fraternal or identical twin, and a pair of khenra twins forms an extremely close emotional bond. The death of one twin in training or the trials causes a tremendous shock to the survivor, who typically grows more aggressive and foolhardy in battle. The rare khenra who are born without twins are believed to have killed their siblings in the womb, and are thus viewed as natural-born initiates, sure to achieve a glorified death. The khenra aggression is even more pronounced in khenra who have already lost their twin, and who sometimes lose any sense of self-preservation as a result. Occasionally, a set of identical twins are born with an unusually close bond, known as dvati. All dvati are born identical twins, with the pair sharing a single soul between them. Dvati lore holds that their souls are so powerful that a single, mortal vessel is too weak to contain them. Thus, their minds occupy two bodies. Much of their culture centers on the close link between a twin pair. The familial bond experienced in the Family Temple is a part of nearly every khenra's experience as one of a pair of twins. Training includes a mix of competition and cooperation within and outside of the twin pair. Twins debate philosophy with each other with an eye toward not only uncovering higher truths but also questioning and exploring their own beliefs, attitudes, and preconceptions. Twins also duel each other to press their talents and hone their abilities. Many khenra share a deep love of combat, especially hand-to-hand fighting, and they devote themselves to their training with particular intensity. In addition, khenra have a great fondness for wrestling (or tussling, as they often call it) in general, and they keep careful track of the matches they win and lose against other initiates. Their natural aggression makes them ideal shock troops, scouts, and skirmishers. Khenra are particularly drawn to hand-to-hand combat styles. But the other styles each have their own appeal, and khenra initiates might find themselves specializing in any of the three. Khenra who focus on hand-to-hand combat often wield the khopesh—a large sickle-bladed sword—as their weapon of choice (treat as a longsword). Khenra wield these blades with devastating accuracy and power, landing one crushing blow after another in a hail of furious attacks. They favor lightweight armor that doesn’t impede their movement, often comparing fighting in organized ranks to wearing a leash that limits their ability to charge, lunge, and roll away from danger. Khenra who focus on long-range combat prefer hurled weapons—spears and javelins—over bows and slings, and they are known and feared for their deadly accuracy. They carry small cases of javelins into combat, and feel ashamed if they reach the end of a battle with any weapons left unthrown. A khenra might ride on a chariot as a spear thrower, sometimes augmenting attacks with minor spells of fire magic. Many khenra mages specialize in fire spells, creating blades or hails of flame to sear and scorch their foes. Their strategy emphasizes overwhelming initial assaults. Others prefer magic that augments their natural speed and strength, bolsters their endurance, or drains strength from their enemies. They work to hone their spells alongside their bodies, incorporating elements of hand-to-hand combat into their spellcasting.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The khenra of Amonkhet are tall and lean, with graceful bodies and heads that strongly resemble jackals. Their snouts are long and sharp, and their angular ears rise straight above their heads. Their bodies are covered in dark, sleek hair that ranges from the brown of the desert sands to ebony black. Despite their sharp teeth, they consider biting to be an uncouth and unworthy combat tactic. A dvati has a slight build, snow-white skin, black hair, and solid blue eyes that lack irises or pupils. Dvati noses are little more than small slits that barely protrude from their faces. They have three fingers and opposable thumbs. Most humanoids find a dvati's appearance—particularly their unwavering eyes— slightly unnerving. Dvati are acutely aware of this, and many of them wear hooded cloaks around strangers.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Khenra are too few in number to claim their own sprawling kingdoms and empires. Instead, they build small settlements in out-of-the-way areas where few trouble them. When left to their own devices, khenra create small, orderly communities divided into four groups called rings. Each ring is ruled by a council of four, who in turn report to a smaller council of four. Usually these councils consist of two sets of twins, however twinless khenra are occasionally voted to council, and dvati twin pairs who get voted to council are treated as one person rather than two. When faced with an important decision, the ruling councils call a gathering of the entire community. Khenra use a democratic system of elections. Here, too, dvati are treated as one individual, and unlike other twin pairs, dvati pairs only get one vote.

Genetic Descendants