Bhadu

The oft-oppressed, fiercely independent beastfolk who fight tooth and nail to earn their keep in a world that treats them as vermin

Base Racial Traits

Ability Score Modifiers: (+2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence): Bhadu are quick in both body and mind, tempered by generations of persecution at the hands of those mightier than they.
Size: Bhadu are medium-sized creatures, and thus gain no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Type: Bhadu are humanoid creatures with the Bhadu subtype.
Speed: Bhadu have a base land speed of 40ft.
Vision: Bhadu have darkvision out to 30ft, and gain Scent out to 60ft.
Languages: Bhadu begin play speaking the regional language that reflects their origins(See Languages of Numiastra for more info), and Bhaduran. A Bhadu with high INT can select from any non-secret language as a bonus language to represent their varied origins.
Nimble Runner: Bhadu gain the Run feat as a bonus feat with double the normal movement speed(x10 their normal speed at base, or x8 if wearing heavy armor or load). While running in this manner, they gain the light steps Ninja Class Feature. If a Bhadu gets a running start before a jump, they double their jump distances.
Analytical Acrobats: Bhadu gain a racial +2 on Perception and Acrobatics, and gain both as class skills. They may use INT for Perception in place of WIS if doing so would be beneficial to them. Additionally, Bhadu have supernaturally potent Eidetic Memories which grant them a +4 on all saves to resist memory-altering effects. They can relive any of their past memories with all sensations as if they were living them for the first time all over again, and often find it disturbingly easily to slip back into traumatic or powerful memories of their past and lose touch with the present moment.
Danger Sense: Rather notorious for their near-supernatural sixth sense for danger, Bhadu are alerted to any impending danger one round before it occurs so long as it would directly affect them or a large area near them(GM Discretion) - mechanically, this allows them to always act in the surprise round and prevents them from being caught flat-footed before they have acted in combat. Non-mechanically, this manifests as an intense twitching or shivering sensation in their neck and back that alerts them to impending danger - this does not let them know where exactly said danger is or may be coming from, just that it is imminent. This sensation increases loosely in intensity according to the lethality or intensity of the impending danger.
Quick Hands: Bhadu, blessed with quick reflexes, find wielding various weapons effortless and can sheath, draw, or swap held or wielded or carried weapons with other weapons on their person as free actions. They can also withdraw items from containers as move actions or from handy haversacks as free actions, and do not provoke Attacks of Opportunity from doing either swapping weapons or or withdrawing items. They may also use potions, scrolls, and wands as move actions - though they still provoke as normal.
Pocket Check: Bhadu can, by spending a full round checking their pockets for valuables, attempt to 'create' any non-masterworked light weapon, item worth less than 25GP per HD, or other relatively mundane item relevant to the current objective or task at hand by suddenly finding them in their pockets. However, by doing so, they misplace an item of roughly equal value(GM Discretion) from their own inventory and lose track of it. This effect is not magical in nature, and is an abstraction to represent the Bhadu finding, misplacing, or discovering items on their person that they are searching for in mundane ways - though the exact ways are up to GM discretion. If no such item can be found, the ability fails.
Strength in Numbers: Bhadu can share squares with other medium-sized creatures, and gain a teamwork feat as a bonus feat at 1st level and every 5HD afterwards that they can use with their allies as if they possessed those same feats for determining the bonus received from them. Their allies do not receive any bonuses from these feats unless they actually possess the feats themselves. The allies' positioning and actions must still meet the prerequisites listed in the teamwork feat for the Bhadu to receive the listed bonus. Bhadu that are sharing a square with another medium-sized creature who is threatening the same target as them are treated as flanking the target creature.
The Lotus Trance: Born with faulty flight-or-flight responses, Bhadu find it almost impossible to resist their flight response when it is triggered - however, those who can manage the feat either purposefully or accidentally enter a state known amongst their kind as The Lotus Trance, or "The Killer's Calm". Bhadu can activate this trance as an immediate action while in combat to gain an extra move action on each of their turns, blindsense 30ft, and immunity to all charm and compulsion effects, but lose all sense of friend and foe for the duration of the trance as they prioritize the largest threats to their own safety(based on their own judgement with no memories or preconceived notions of any creatures involved in the combat) to the exclusion of all else. Additionally, whenever a Bhadu leaves the trance as a move action, they have no memory of the events that transpired during its duration. Bhadu that are reduced into single digit HP totals or who see a close ally die or reach negative HP must make a Will Save(DC 15 + 1/2 their HD) or enter this trance automatically for 1 minute, allowing for saves on each round after the first to leave the trance. Bhadu can choose to automatically succeed this save, but must then flee from the area as if frightened for the same duration instead, allowing saves in the same way.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Unlike many species that dwell in the Suzerainty of Ruatiwanga, the anatomy of the Bhadu is well-studied and understood - though for all of the wrong reasons. As lithe and lanky humanoids, the Bhadu possess greater freedom of movement than many other races such as the Shersūra or the Chotara, with arms and legs that have much more resilient and agile musculature to allow for greater field of rotation and movement in the joints and to allow for quicker speeds of movement than other species of their size and build.
Overall, the bodies of the Bhadu are built for speed and agility thanks to lifetimes spent on the plains of Ruatiwanga having evolved to flee from the predators of the land who almost universally despised and hunted them like game animals. Thanks to this unfortunate history, the surviving Bhadu populations have inherited a disjointed fight-or-flight response that almost forces them against their will into the flight response, sending such unnatural jolts of terror through their system that they often find themselves fleeing at high speed before their brain can even consciously process the situation to allow them to make a conscious judgement - however, this is not to say their fight response has completely faded with time; indeed, it is quite the opposite - the fight response of the Bhadu has over time developed into something truly terrifying known only to their own kind as The Lotus Trance, or "The Killer's Calm".
This unnatural mental state, achievable usually by accident by many cornered Bhadu and only purposely after training and meditation, invokes a still poorly-understood psychological response in the Bhadu that shuts down almost all higher-order mental functions aside from those dedicated to motor skills and muscle memory - turning the Bhadu into a near-mindless, instinctual killing machine who calmly analyzes the situation around them with a sociopathic detachment to then begin systematically breaking down all nearby creatures and objects deemed threats to their safety. This incredible response, evolved out of what is believed to have been a biological imperative to allow for the normally twitchy Bhadu to stand against their enemies on equal footing, has largely evolved into their greatest defense against oppression in the modern day - as Bhadu have become increasingly skilled at tapping into this reflex as a species as part of efforts to stand against the oppression they have suffered at the hands of the Suzerainty of Ruatiwanga that they might one day reclaim their ancestral lands and be treated as equals by their peers(And especially the Shersūra, who have historically enslaved and devoured them as lesser species for generations).

Biological Traits

The Bhadu are some of the most physically diverse people in all the world, barring perhaps Humans - their fur color, ear shape and size, and physicality can all vary wildly depending on the environments in which they are raised, with wild-raised Bhadu tending to be larger and slightly chubbier with longer ears. Inversely, Bhadu in populated areas tend to have shorter ears(Either naturally or as a result of their ears being 'clipped' as a form of population control), and are often skinnier and lankier.
As one may expect, wild Bhadu tend to be longer-lived than those that dwell in civilized areas.

Genetics and Reproduction

Bhadu are notoriously populous, and largely for the simple reason of their near-constant sex drives - evolved out of biological neccessity to keep their numbers high in the face of historically brutal hunts by their enemies. Bhadu, even more sexually active than humans, reproduce sexually as their females carry their young to term in as little as one to three months, whereupon they are almost immediately able to have more children. Females tend to have litters of anywhere between 3 to 12 young at a time, can give birth as often as once a month or more.

Growth Rate & Stages

Once born, Bhadu are considered full grown adults at one year old and are often mentally matured by the age of 2 or 3.
After reaching adulthood, Bhadu reach middle age around age 30, become old around age 50, and hit venerable around age 60 whereupon they die shortly thereafter.
However, it is altogether rare for many Bhadu to reach even middle age, and has been rare for nearly their entire history - as they often perish to predators far before they reach such esteemed ages.

Ecology and Habitats

Bhadu thrive in temperate climates such as those common across the Suzerainty of Ruatiwanga, particularly in forested or jungle-covered areas where they have many places to hide from predators. They can also be found somewhat uncommonly on the open plains and savannahs.
Unfortunately for the Bhadu, they almost exclusively tend to occupy the prey niche in the areas they inhabit - their relatively high populations and lack of physical "strength" means that they tend to be targeted for hunts by predators more often than any other species, which forces them to expand their populations to keep up with the rate at which they are slaughtered by their foes. Oftentimes, their only impact on a given area is the plant material they strip for consumption and the blood and gore which they leave behind after being butchered.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Bhadu are obligate herbivores, and cannot effectively process meat as many other creatures can - meaning their preferred diet is vegetarian and consisting largely of grass, ferns, berries, and similar food sources. They often can be found raising wild animals for their milk and byproducts to supplement their diets.

Biological Cycle

The biological cycle of the Bhadu is a thing poorly studied, as they are often butchered far before they reach old age.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Bhadu faces, in better times, are often considered cute - with their angled snouts and large ears, they have a distinctive appearance that is hard to mask with eyes that can run the gamut of nearly every color under the sun, with brighter and more fantastical colors such as reds and purples more common than any other, with more earthen tones such as browns and blacks also common. Their faces tend to often marked by scars and cuts that were forced onto them at birth as a form of societal control, though Bhadu that have settled in Numiastra and the lands of The Iron Empire proudly bear their lack of such features with pride.
Additionally, Bhadu eyes tend to be off-putting, as they tend to reflect certain spectrums of light with an ominous red glow similar to the Chotara(Albeit to a much less degree), and can even be changed by the Bhadu themselves as a conscious effort to make their pupils almost entirely vanish, leaving their eyes as solid-colored pits that can be off-putting to many. The purpose of their ability is believed to be defunct, and now serves as a mostly cosmetic change many Bhadu use to keep themselves hidden while sneaking.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Though they are almost explosively populous within the Suzerainty of Ruatiwanga, the Bhadu have benefitted and been far more excited than any other denizen of Ruatiwanga with the coming of the Age of Assemblies and the alliance between The Iron Empire and the Suzerainty of Ruatiwanga, which has seen thousands of Bhadu flee their homelands in Ruatiwanga for the lands of Numiastra and beyond, even settling within the lands of The Iron Empire and going on record as considering the racist oppression of Numiastra a far cry from the Tyrannical Extermination campaigns carried out by the Shersūra and other member species of Ruatiwanga...a statement which has only recently begun to truly put their suffering into perspective for many.
The Iron Empire, in a historic announcement, has even granted several Bhadu populations asylum within their borders and given the hardworking beastfolk protections against extradition to their homeland, chastising the Suzerainty of Ruatiwanga for "Gross Misuse of their National Resources in a way that was out of style a thousand years ago" in a rare display of generous, albeit pragmatic humanitarianism.

Average Intelligence

Contrary to a lingering racist sentiment that pervades their homeland of Ruatiwanga and the Suzerainty of Ruatiwanga, the Bhadu are actually a highly intelligent and analytical species whose twitchiness and evasiveness are mere byproducts of their evolutionary biology which keeps them constantly on edge against attack.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Bhadu are an incredibly analytical people with minds that allow for incredible amounts of information processing in a fraction of the time that other species can - and thanks to their naturally light-sensitive eyes, they can see exceptionally well in the dark as they are largely nocturnal creatures, active most commonly during the evening and early morning hours and parts of the night, when their enemies are usually fast asleep.
Additionally, though it is a capability only accessible in their increasingly notorious Lotus Trance, Bhadu eyes and brains are so good at on-the-spot analysis and spatial calculations that when in this trance they can literally "infer" the existence of creatures around them even when they should be invisible by studying the air pressure, wind patterns, and smallest particulate movements in their surroundings.

Alternate Racial Trait List:
NOT YET BUILT.

Racial Feat List:
NOT YET BUILT.

Lifespan

60 Years. Many Bhadu are slain far before old age, however.

Conservation Status

As perhaps one of the most populous races across all of Numiastra and Ruatiwanga, the Bhadu are by no means needing of protection or endangered status - and are in fact so populous that many places across Ruatiwanga still maintain increasingly controversial laws to allow for the extermination of the Bhadu as vermin to thin their numbers in the surrounding areas near population centers.

Average Height

5.3ft - 6.1ft (1.62m - 1.86m)
*Not counting ear height, which tends to add around 4-6in(10cm - 15cm) of height

Average Weight

80lbs - 175lbs (36.29kg - 79.38kg)

Average Physique

Though they lack a great deal of the looming musculature and physical statue of other races such as the Shersūra or the Haaktura, the Bhadu are extremely nimble and agile and possess a slender, lanky physique that is in almost all ways streamlines for speed. Their bodies tend to be thin, athletic, and lanky, although wild Bhadu can often appear cutely chubby - in addition, many Bhadu possess brands or cuts or 'ear clippings' that scar their physical form as evidence of having grown up in the various racially-charged housing slums of Ruatiwanga, where they are often marked at birth by local authorities as belonging to certain ghettos or population areas.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Bhadu bodies are furry things, and tend to have fur of various earthen tones such as brown, black, or similar such colors - though brighter colors are not unheard of, with white being an incredibly common fur color among many Bhadu populations. Their bodies are rarely marked by patterns or lines, and as such these lines or patterns, when they do appear, are often considered signs of extreme honor or prestige or otherwise denote a Bhadu who is destined for great things in their life.