The Kath'Rakh

Should you ever find yourself at the business end of a Kath’Rakhi spear, don't bother running.

They'll be faster than you.
They'll be stronger than you.
And they won't even be the one that gets you.
It'll be the rest of their warband that you didn't realize was surrounding you until they've buried their arrows in you.

Kath'Rakh Traits

Ability Score Increase:

Rah’Hazari (Prideland) Kath’Rakh: Your Strength increases by 2, your Dexterity increases by 1
Az’Harah (Mountain) Kath’Rakh: Your Wisdom increases by 2, your Strength increases by 1
Age: Kath’Rakh mature at approximately the same rate as the average human, but due to their different metabolism and the dangerous beasts of which they hunt, they tend to live slightly shorter lives. Kath’Rakh usually live to be around 80 years old.
Alignment: Kath’Rakh value both personal freedom and the longevity of their pride. They are usually proud and they value honesty and straight-forwardness, as such, they tend towards more lawful alignments. Kath’Rakh have no concept of good or evil, apart from that which is good or harmful for their people and their children, and that of which their faith in the astrology of the stars teaches them, and because of this they are often of the neutral temperament.
Speed: Your base walking speed is 35 feet.
Languages: You can speak, read, and write the Kath’Rakhi language, as well as the Vulpin “Ede”. All Kath’Rakh easily understand the Vulpin, because their alphabet and many of their words are borrowed from the Kath’Rakhi language. Vulpin tend to struggle with understanding Kath’Rakhi in return, however. Most Kath’Rakh do not understand common, but after their recent joining with the Ibirian Empire, almost all Kath’Rakh warbands of the Rah’Hazari variety tend to have a translator who knows common. (Both Ede and the Kath’Rakhi language uses the Yoruban translator: https://www.webtran.eu/yoruba_english_translator/ )
Vision: You have a cat’s keen senses especially in the dark. You can see in dim light within 120 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern colour in darkness only shades of gray, and you are permanently colourblind, seeing all colours in a shade of brownish green.
Favored Time of Day: Kath’Rakh of the prideland variety tend to prefer to hunt at night, and rest when the sun is at its harshest in the daytime. While the mountain Kath’Rakh Az’Harah usually hunt at dawn and dusk, although still preferring to rest at daytime. Kath’Rakh are not nocturnal, rather taking several naps during their resting period, which sometimes included night-time.
Favored Climate: Prideland Kath’Rakh prefer warm and dry climes, while the Az’Harah is more used to colder and harsher terrain.
Favored Terrain: Deserts, Mountains, Highland, Plains

Bonus Proficiencies (pick 2)

Brawn: You have proficiency in the Aethletics skill.
Strong Physique: You have proficiency in the Endurance skill.
Menacing Presence: You have proficiency in the Intimidation skill.
One With Nature: You have proficiency in the Nature skill.
Keen Senses: You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Kath’Rakh Weapon Training⁠:

Prideland Kath’Rakh, when they turn old enough to hold a weapon, are put together with other cubs of the same age in warbands. These warbands train together, going through vigorous exercises to train their mind and body both. You have proficiency with the pike, javelin, spear and short bow.
Mountain Kath’Rakh are far more peaceful and detached from the other races on the continent, generally having adopted a non-violence philosophy. These Kath’Rakh do still go through training in the eventually that they have to defend their homelands however. You have proficiency with the javelin, spear, short bow and long bow.

Rah’Hazari (Prideland) Kath’Rakh

Desert Born:

Naturally adapted to hot climates, you have resistance to fire damage. You also do not experience drawbacks while in desert terrain.

Sharpened Claws:

Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Extraordinary Senses:

+2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. Kath’Rakh have very good hearing and a very good sense of smell, making them notice little changes in the environment other races might overlook.

Az’Harah (Mountain) Kath’Rakh

Mountain Born:

Due to the harsh living conditions of the rocky mountains of which you dwell, you gain resistance to cold damage, and you do not suffer drawbacks while in mountain terrain.

Sharpened Claws:

Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Extraordinary Senses:

+2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. Kath’Rakh have very good hearing and a very good sense of smell, making them notice little changes in the environment other races might overlook.

Appearance

The Kath’Rakh are large, bipedal feline creatures with digitigrade legs and fur that protects them from both cold and heat. They are noticeably taller than the average human, being around 2 meters on average, with no differences between the genders. Their proportions are also much broader and more heavily muscled than a typical human, and they tend to be far stronger and faster than most other races on Gaea, their bodies highly specialized in hunting down large and dangerous prey. All Kath’Rakh have long, strong tails of which they use to balance while running. Some have tufted tails and ears, others do not.
Males of the Kath’Rakhi species often sport long, luscious manes, while the females have shorter fur on their entire bodies. These manes are common in both sub-races, but especially so in individuals of the Az’Harah.
Size and build: Despite their larger-than-average build, your size is Medium.
Fur colours: Kath’Rakhi fur colour usually comes in lighter shades of white, cream, brown and grey, sometimes with darker patterns resembling those of a tiger, leopard or hyena. The Prideland Kath’Rakh tend to have less patterns and more warm-coloured hues on their fur, while the Mountain Kath’Rakh tend to be whiter and more grey, often with striking patterns in a deep black that make them blend in well with their snowy and rocky homes.
Eye color: Kath’Rakhi eyes most often come in vibrant colours of yellow, green, blue, red or orange, and all have slit pupils. Many Kath’Rakh have heterochromia.
Ears: The ears of the Kath’Rakh are situated closer to the top of their head than most other races, and they resemble a cat, tiger or lion in appearance and are always turned upwards. Some Kath’Rakh have long ear tufts at the end of their ears, which is most often seen in the Mountain Kath’Rakh.
Extra: All Kath’Rakh have sharp canines, and some grow so long that they protrude out of their mouths like sabres. Their fangs and claws grow their entire lives, and as such the Kath’Rakh have to spend time filing them down.
Clothes and adornments: Kath’Rakh wear practical armour of leather and hide from the beasts which they hunt. They have no particular tradition of metalworking, and as such their weapons too are oftentimes made of bone. In recent years however, trade with other races has become more common, and as such the Kath’Rakh now have a wider variety of materials at their disposal.
Decorations include the occasional gemstones, necklaces of bone and teeth, and feathers of large birds. Kath’Rakh males who are blessed with long, beautiful manes spend a lot of time grooming them, attaching pearls made from bone, wood or gemstones, and often braiding the longest tufts of fur. Many Kath’Rakh, especially the Rah’Hazari, wear warpaint made from the blood of prey mixed with natural dyes. These designs are often attributed to which warband you belong to, and create a sense of comradery between bandmates.

Diet

Kath’Rakh are almost solely carnivorous. Prefering red and white meat, and fish, over vegetables and herbs. Berries, bark and root is often a part of their diet, but most prefer to eat meat, either raw or prepared. Most Kath’Rakh do not bother with any particular seasonings, and as such some races find their meals to be bland and uninspired, although the meat they grill is juicy and fresh enough to be a delicacy in and of itself.

History

Exactly when the Kath’Rakh appeared on Gaea is unknown, but they have lived in the desert area called “The Samnites”, or simply the Samnite Desert of Ibira for as long as most other races can remember. Having lived in tribal communities in the same locations for thousands of years have made them very familiar with the area, and they have a rich culture and a fascinating history, although one that is ripe with conflict and war. Before around the middle of the First Age, the Kath’Rakhi were highly nomadic by nature. In 1A 1000 however, smaller family groups had banded together to create larger clans, and it was then that the race started developing communities, later larger settlements, and towns, around the Samnite desert. Most of these settlements consisted of tents and huts made from bone and hide however, and as such not many ruins of older Kath’Rakh villages exist.
Not only have the Kath’Rakhi people fought between themselves, but they have a long history of war with the other races of Ibira who tried settling in the territories of the Kath’Rakh. Time and time again the strong-willed Kath’Rakhi people have driven invaders out of their ancestral homeland, and to this day the Samnite desert is largely under Kath’Rakhi control.
During the end of the First Age, the Kath’Rakh had enslaved the ancestors of the Vulpin. It was not until around 250 years later that the Vulpin broke free from Kath’Rakhi control in a bloody rebellion, and due to this history the two races still have a hostile relationship to one-another. Not many years after the Kath’Rakh lost their Vulpin slaves, the race split into two opposing sub-groups, based on differing interpretations of a prophecy of the stars, tied in with their shared religion of Astrology. The smallest group, who called themselves the “Az’Harah”, broke from the larger Rah’Hazari group, and started a spiritual exodus to the mountains of The Great Divide, of which they still dwell. The two subspecies are hostile towards each other, and the Kath’Rakh of the Rah’Hazari seeks to drive out the Az’Harah completely, although this has largely been unsuccessful to this day.
In 3A 87, the Pridelanders sub-group of the Kath’Rakh joined the Ibirian Empire in an alliance. The Rah’Hazari would keep control of their homeland, and the humans of the empire would resume trade, as well as cooperation with the Rah’Hazari in their conflict with the Az’Harah, while the Rah’Hazari is expected to fight in the imperial army should the need arise.

Personality and Reputation

Kath’Rakh are a proud race, preferring the company of their own kind. Many are highly individualistic, while still maintaining strong familiar and social bonds with one another. They mate for life and are fiercely loyal to both their friends and allies, especially those of their warband. Their individualistic natures show through their cynical view on weakness. They believe that each man is his responsible for his own actions, and that people that burden others should be put down rather than suffer to live in such a condition.
Despite the Pridelanders recent joining with the Ibirian Empire, there are many who are very wary of the Kath’Rakh, and there are many Kath’Rakh who dislike the other races. The reason behind this mutual dislike is unclear, but most agree that it might stem partially from a bloody history of war and conflict over territory.

Society

Kath’Rakhi Pridelanders all live together in one “pride” so to speak. Right before their enslavement of the vulpine people, all the Kath’Rakh of the Samnite Desert joined together to form one massive governmental entity simply known as “the Pride”. Before this, the different clans of the Kath’Rakh had been fighting for millenia, but as the humans of Ibira pushed ever southwards into the territories of the Kath’Rakh, the race recognized that to survive and remain the masters of their ancestral homeland, they had to unite. When the Kath’Rakh united, they did so under one strong leader, called “The Lion” or sometimes “Pridefather”. This leader was originally a strong and wise male Kath’Rakh and has been ever since. “The Lion” of Kath’Rakh society has been of the same ancestry since the original Lion, and there are only those who have familiar ties to this original hero of the Kath’Rakh, who are allowed to become the next Lion. The process of picking a Lion, a Pridefather, is a complicated one. When the previous Lion is growing weak due to age, a council of “Fate Watchers”, priests who have been chosen due to their close connection to the stars in the fate of Astrology, pick the next Lion from the cubs of the current one. Their decision is final, and it does happen that these fate watchers pick a male that is still a cub. This does not matter to the Kath’Rakh however. When the new Lion has been picked, all his male family members are killed, a fate most accept without reservation, and then a new bloodline is started from the new Lion.
The Mountain Kath’Rakh do not follow the same kind of governmental system as the Pridelanders, rather being divided into several villagers, each with their own religious leader as chief of the village.

Religion

Kath’Rakh of both varieties are a highly spiritual people. Kath’Rakh theology is concerned with the stars and how astrology can tell the past and the future. They believe that constellations and the alignment of the planets is crucial to life on the material plane, and they all follow the guidance of the Fate Watchers, who are said to be able to foretell the future.
Kath’Rakh have many rituals and customs that are foreign to many of the other races, and most practice their faith in astrology every day, before meals, before battle and before rest.

LOYAL PRIDEMATES

Though other races often regard the Kath'Rakh as barbarians and even beasts due to their feline traits, these noble warriors have an ancient culture forged from hundreds of years of warfare in the Samnite desert, and the Kath'Rakhi warbands are at the centre of this tradition. The warbands, where young cubs are brought up togheter to learn to fight and love their bandmates above all else, is the epitome of Kath'Rakh loyalty and honor. Although all Kath'Rakh are generally loyal towards their clan (or their village, in the case of the Az'Harah), the bonds forged during the hunt or the heat of battle are stronger than anything else, and most Kath'Rakh would not hesitate to die for their dear companions.
The Kath'Rakh of the mountains, not having kept the tradition of the warbands, are instead fiercely loyal to the leader of the village and the village at large. This spiritual guide is the voice of the village as well as the Az'Harah's gateway to the heavens, and despite their love of peace and harmony, all Kath'Rakh of the mountains would kill without mercy, or sacrifice themselves without regrets, should anything threaten their leader or the place they call home.

A SPIRITUAL PEOPLE

The Kath'Rakhi people, though many view them as relentless and savage warriors, are actually deeply in-tune with the spiritual world. They follow Astrology and the will of the stars, and this has made them wise and careful. All Kath'Rakh, be it living in the mountain or in the desert, follow strict traditions of how to read the stars and follow the will of the cosmos, and prophecies play a large part of their culture.

HUNTERS OF THE DESERT

Despite the two subraces of Kath'Rakh's different territories today, all Kath'Rakh have biologically evolved to hunt in large packs in the unforgiving deserts and on the vast plainlands of southern Antreia. Due to this they have great endurance and a strength that can rival most other humanoid races. In addition to this they have extremely keen hearing and sense of smell, and despite their colourblindness, their eyes are especially good at tracking prey from a distance. If one wishes to hunt game, especially large, dangerous creatures, the Kath'Rakhi are the best companions.

Classes

Magic: Although they are highly spiritual, magic is not very wide-spread among the Kath’Rakh.
Mix: Traditional Kath’Rakh are very rarely bards or paladins, but a variety of monk is sometimes seen.
Non-Magic: Rangers are exceptionally common among the Kath’Rakh, many also make great barbarians and fighters. Rogues are also fairly common.

Kath’Rakh Names

Kath’Rakh of either subrace and of both genders tend to use one single name, a given name that they receive at birth, as well as either the name of their warband for Pridelanders, or the name of the village they are from if they are a Mountain Kath’Rakh. Interestingly, Kath’Rakh names are not gendered in any way, their names being universal either you are female or male.
Kath’Rakh names: Kilo, Krumdiar, Digon, Hesdera, Seeskea, Rasfa, Weota, Hakeel, Nadal, Mievga, Gurral
Warband names: Emberhide, Thornstrike, Cleareye, Glassclaw, Firefur, Ashwanderer, Sandspear
Az’Harah village names: Faba, Yenga, Baleya, Wukane, Sangua, Sarria, Kayanda, Niori