Ishka (Ish-kA)
Savage reptilian humanoids who dwell in humid swamps, the Ishka are fierce warriors.
Basic Information
Anatomy
The ishka resemble humanoids lizards, generally similar to iguanas. They possess sharp claws and powerful jaws capable of inflicting damage on their foes, as well as hardened scales to grant them protection from their enemies.
Genetics and Reproduction
After mating in the fall, the ishka females lay their eggs in winter, so that they may hatch in the rainy spring season. Ishka eggs are usually tied in clutches to the stilts of their raised houses, so that they may be periodically bathed in nourishing swamp water. Due to low fertilization rates and natural predators, Ishka children are incredibly precious to the tribe.
Growth Rate & Stages
An ishka reaches adulthood at 12 years of age.
Ecology and Habitats
The ishka are cold-blooded creatures, meaning that they thrive in more hot and humid environments. They require swamp water to hatch their eggs, and thus can be found inhabiting Ixuils' warm swamplands.
Dietary Needs and Habits
The ishka have a mostly pescatarian diet that persists on swamp plants, fish, and insect life, but will occasionally partake in larger, meat meals for holidays and festivals.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Ishka are very tribal and insular in nature, untrusting of other cultures and practices. While standoffish and secretive at first, Ishka society is quite varied with many different practices and traditions. Due to the wet habitat of the swamps that they dwell in, they don’t place much trust in the written word, and are mostly illiterate, but they have a strong oral tradition.
Facial characteristics
Ishkas often have colored frills that grow both on the back of their heads and neck, as well as under their jaws. Such jaws are capable of unleashing significant biting force.
Average Intelligence
Many ishka are considered dull, and their brains are wired more for primal survivalism then higher thought. Very few ishka can read or write, and those that can still struggle immensely with more academic concepts
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
The ishka have darkvision, although the rarer underground ishka that are known as troglodytes can see even farther in the dark then their surface companions.
Civilization and Culture
Beauty Ideals
Larger and more expansive frills are considered attractive for male ishka to have, as well as maintaining the sharpness of their claws. Longer tails is considered a desirable trait for females to possess.
Gender Ideals
Male ishka are hunters, gatherers, and warriors, while female ishka learn medicinal techniques and care for the tribes eggs.
Courtship Ideals
A prospected male must undergo some sort of trial set by the female. Such trials are usually trial by combat with another potential mate, but sometimes are more complicated tasks, such as hunting down a specific beast or stealing a item of a nearby tribe. The ishka show affection by nuzzling their necks together, and by interlocking their tails.
Relationship Ideals
The ishka often divide themselves in cliques based on the levels of trials one as passed, and rarely interacts with those in other levels. Close friendships are often cut short when one ishka ascends to a new level and their friend does not.
Average Technological Level
Due to their simple swamp life, the iskha have little in the way of advanced technology.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
A vast majority of the iska speak only Ishkanan, not having the mental wherewithal or see the need to learn other languages. The few that do pick up other languages can often be found speaking Ixiwian Common, Dylia, Ignan, or Orochi.
Common Etiquette Rules
Due to their territorial nature, one must take precautions when attempting to interact with an ishka tribes. It is expected that an outsider bring with them some sort of gifts for the tribe, with exotic herbs or medicines extremely valued.
Common Dress Code
The ishka spend most of their time at least partially submerged in swamp water, and have little need for armor with their scales, thus wear little in the way of clothing, instead painting their scales with mud in order to express themselves.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
The ishka place heavy cultural significance on the idea of trials, and ishka must go through several trials in its youth in order to be considered truly an adult. Trial by combat is the most used method to resolve disputes within a tribe.
Common Taboos
Killing of a child, even of another species, is unacceptable for the ishka.
Common Myths and Legends
A majority of the ishka worship their Primal Beastman, Kachi, the Medicine Mother, who is said to hold much of the world medicinal secrets.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Ishka don’t trust most other races, but have healthy respect races with a strong physical prowess, such as the Bura and the Dylia. While they are hostile to most, if one enters their territory with the proper gifts and respects, they can find the ishka quite amicable and friendly. Due to their low birthrates, the ishka view children as sacred, and will adopt any lost or orphaned children they find, even if they are the ones who killed the child's parents for entering their territory.
Racial Table - Ishka: Hit Dice: D10; Class Skills: Intimidate, Perception, Stealth, Survival, Swim; Skill Ranks Per Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier per level; Weapon Proficiency: Simple, plus natural weapons; Armor Proficiency: Light
| Level | BAB | Fort | Reflex | Will | Abilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +1 | +0 | +2 | +2 | Animal Minded, Cold-Blooded, Natural Attacks |
| 2nd | +2 | +0 | +3 | +3 | Marsh Stealth, Natural Armor |
| 3rd | +3 | +1 | +3 | +3 | Natural Attack Increase, Protection from Natural Attacks |
| 4th | +4 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Natural Armor Increase, +1 Strength, +1 Constitution |
| 5th | +5 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Limited Regeneration |
Random Starting Ages
| Adulthood | Intuitive1 | Self-Taught2 | Trained3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 years | +1d4 years (13 - 16) | +1d6 years (13 - 18) | +2d6 years (14 - 26) |
Random Height and Weight
| Gender | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 5 ft. 9 in. | +2d10 in. (5 ft. 11 in. - 7 ft. 1 in.) | 140 lbs. | +(2d10x7 lbs.) (154 - 280 lbs.) |
| Female | 5 ft. 7 in. | +2d10 in. (5 ft. 9 in. - 6 ft. 11 in.) | 120 lbs. | +(2d10x7 lbs.) (134 - 260 lbs.) |
Ishka Aging Table
| Middle Age (-1 to Str, Dex, and Con, +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha) | Old (-2 to Str, Dex and Con, +2 to Int, Wis, and Cha) | Venerable (-3 to Str, Dex, an Con, +3 to Int, Wis, and Cha) | Maximum Age (GM secretly decides maximum age) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 years | 44 years | 58 years | 58 + 2d20 years (60 - 98 years) |
Random Ishka Homelands
| % Rolled | Homeland | Trait Gained |
|---|---|---|
| 01-50 | Swamp | Life of Toil |
| 51-70 | Jungle | Savage |
| 71-81 | Subterranean | Surface Stranger |
| 82-90 | Non-ishka Settlement | Adopted or Scrapper |
| 91-00 | Unusual Homeland | (Roll on Unusual Homeland table) |
Random Ishka Families
| % Rolled | Parental Status |
|---|---|
| 01-40 | Both of your parents are alive |
| 41-60 | Only Mother is alive |
| 61-80 | Only Father is alive |
| 81-00 | Both of your parents are dead |
| % Rolled | # of Siblings |
|---|---|
| 01-60 | 1d2 siblings |
| 61-85 | No siblings |
| 86-00 | 1d2 siblings + 1d2 adopted siblings |
Lifespan
60 - 98 years
Average Height
5 ft. 9 in. - 7 ft 1 in.
Average Weight
134 - 280 lbs.
Average Physique
Ishka are strong and hardy, their hard scales and jungle life making them experts a surviving in the wild.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
The ishka range widely in scale color based o breed and tribe, but most fall somewhere in the green to brown range. Many paint themselves with colored mud that marks them from a particular tribe.
Geographic Distribution
Related Ethnicities
Ishka
Type
Monstrous Humanoid (Ishka)
Ability Score Modifier
+2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence. Ishka are sturdy but uneducated.
Size
medium
Speed
An ishka has a base speed of 30 feet and a swim speed of 30 feet. Ishka gain the +8 racial bonus to Swim checks that a swim speed normally grants..
Language
An ishka begins play speaking only Ishkanan. An ishka with a high intelligence score can pick from any of the following languages: Common, Dylia, Ignan, or Orochi.
- Materil: Ishkas are intrinsically tied to the Fire Materil, and must become Firedancers.
- Darkvision: Ishkas can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.
- Animal Minded: An ishka gains a +2 racial bonus to Handle Animal and wild empathy checks to influence lizard-like creatures. This bonus increases by 1 for every two hit dice the ishka possesses beyond the first.
- Natural Attacks: Ishka have two claw attacks that deal 1d4 points of damage and a bite attack that deals 1d3 points of damage. The claws are a primary natural attack and the bite is a secondary natural attack. At 3rd racial level, the claws increase to 1d6 and the bite increases to 1d4, and at 5th racial level, the claws increase to 1d8 and the bite increases to 1d6.
- Cold Blooded: While in a swamp, jungle, or other overly warm and humid climate, a Ishka rolls twice on Fortitude saves and Survival checks and takes the better result. In overly cold or frigid climates, they still roll twice, but take the worst result instead.
- Marsh Stealth (Ex): Starting at 2nd racial level, an ishka can make a swim check in place of a Stealth check to move silently when moving through water. A ishka who is in water and is not moving gains tremorsense of 60 feet.
- Natural Armor: Starting at 2nd racial level, an ishka gains a +1 natural armor bonus to its AC. This bonus increases by 1 at 4th racial level.
- Scaled Protection (Sp): Starting at 3rd racial level, once per day, an ishka can use protection from natural attacks on itself as a spell-like ability, using its total hit dice as its caster level.
- Limited Regeneration (Ex): Starting at 5th racial levels, a lizardfolk gains regeneration 1. This regeneration slowly regrows lost limbs over the course of a week. This regeneration cannot regrow the ishka’s head, (an ishka's regeneration ceases if it is beheaded). A ishka’s regeneration ceases to function for 24 hours when exposed to cold damage or cold environmental effects, and ceases to function if the ishka is brought to an amount of negative hit points equal to twice its Constitution modifier.
Alternate Racial Traits
- Fearless: Some ishka are able to stand tall in the face of many horrors. They gain a +2 racial bonus on all saving throws against fear. This bonus increases by 1 for every four hit dice beyond the first the ishkas possesses. This trait replaces the Animal Minding trait.
- Greater Maw: Some ishkas have more pronounced teeth, but lack sharp claws. Their bite attack starts at 1d6 points of damage, but they lack claw attacks. This trait modifies the Natural Attacks trait
- Hydrated Vitality (Ex): Some ishkas can absorb nutrients from swampwater. While submerged in swampwater, they gain fast healing 1. This fast healing can’t heal more hit points than the ishka’s Constitution score per day. This trait replaces the Natural Attacks traits.
- Troglodyte (Ex): Some ishka live deep in the depths of the earth instead of in jungle swamps. They gain darkvison of 90 feet and the stench ability, as well as the light sensitivity trait. Troglodytes are tied to the Earth Materil instead of the Fire Materil. This trait replaces the cold-blooded trait, and alters the Ishka’s senses and Materil.
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