Malask

"Furred beings of but a single emotion..."

In the subterranean forests of the "Wet Dark" (Underdark), live the relatively peaceful (if not fully docile) gargantuan known as the "malask." The malask appear to be somewhat like eight foot tall sloths, fully covered in a thick, coarse fur. However instead of a sloth-like head, instead their faces appear more like great wooden masks. These faces are hardened into one shape, and display a singular extreme emotion (anger, sadness, joy). Though these appear to be something like tribal masks, they are in fact the malask's actual face and head. Corresponding to the emotion permanently on display, the malasks (typically) only have one emotion of their own. The one that's grafted on and hardened into permanency. The wary traveler gives the "angry faced" malask a wide berth indeed! In line with their general sloth-like appearance, the malask features elongated arms ending in sharp claws similar to the more common tree beast. They can use these for digging and burrowing, and the scythe-like claws can sweep an area of underbrush in mere moments. Their heads provide them protection from the various "man-eating" plants of the Wet Dark, ones which are especially prominent in the jungles below. Because of the inflexibility of their maws, malasks are forced to slice their food into tiny sections small enough to fit through their "mouth slits." Either that, or they have to "drink" their food. They are omnivorous by nature, and tend to predominantly consume the leaves and mushrooms of the underdark jungles they inhabit. However, when they get the taste for meat, all bets are off. The wise adventurer knows to keep away and avoid tempting fate! As far as appearance goes, the "masks" that comprise their faces tend towards a minimalist aesthetic, with many merely suggesting a set of eyes, a mouth and sometimes a nose. Some are more intricate than that, and others have duplicate "upside down" features, such as mouths or eyes towards the tops of their faces. This facilitates those malasks who have the mutation that allows them to "flip" or "spin" their faces around. Some malasks can rotate their heads upside down (literally 360 degrees), and thus are often capable of two emotions. The most common occurrence of this involves the "happy/sad" malask. As a species, they are completely unaffected by any magic that alters ones mood, loyalty or alignment. They have considerably bad vision (near sighted), but make up for it with phenomenal hearing. Malasks mate for life and care for their young in the same manner as most mammals. They have no tongues, and can only form rudimentary sounds. Consequently, their language is based upon knocking on their own "wooden" faces, and the hollow noises that emanate in response. These are augmented by a series of vocal "hoots," not unlike a very baritone owl. These combined make for a very strange (yet somewhat musical) sound. Malasks have a rough but considerable intellect, and some even learn to understand the Common Tongue (though they cannot speak it). Their basic unit of organization is the tribe, which is led by a chief (and in some regions a war chief). Malask warriors are denoted by their hairless bodies, as they shave their fur prior to entering combat. These warriors are not found in every tribe, but tend to persist in those that live near or adjacent to Qualenti settlements. They are capable of using simple tools and weapons, but generally prefer to attack (when forced) with their claws. Malasks tend to live approximately 200 years, and reach adulthood by age 40.