Shersūra

The imposing denizens of the savannah, blessed children of two deities

Base Racial Traits

Ability Score Modifiers: (+2 Strength, +2 Charisma): Shersūra are strong of body and possess a natural magnetism that naturally lends them to positions of leadership.
Size: Shersūra are medium sized creatures and gain no benefits or penalties due to their size.
Type: Shersūra are Humanoid creatures with the Shersūra subtype.
Speed: Shersūra have a base land speed of 30ft.
Vision: Shersūra have low-light vision, allowing them to see twice as far as humans in conditions of low-light. They also possess darkvision out to 60ft, but since this sense is based on their exceptional hearing, it can be fooled by muffling one's own noise.
Languages: Shersūra begin play speaking the Regional Language that reflects their origins(See Languages of Numiastra for more info), and Aquan. A Shersūra with high INT can select from Low Ironite, Chotaran, Bhaduran, Haakturan, Aklo, Sylvan, and Necril as bonus languages.
Rainshadow Shroud: Shersūra, blessed as the last surviving prophets of the Ruatiwangan Goddess of Rain, Trishna-Kapur, possess an uncanny ability to control water itself. During any time period in which their Numeral of the Dawn(Or Replacement Trait) is nonfunctional, Shersūra gain limited control over water and rainfall in their local vicinity - they can create and manipulate water as well as create localized periods of rainfall in a radius around them or centered on a square they can see equal to 100ft+10ft/HD. Multiple Shersūra working in concert increase the efficacy and area of this trait exponentially. GM is final arbiter on what water-based effects this trait can achieve, but should allow the Shersūra in question to be creative - allowing them to replicate water-based spell effects of a level not exceeding 1/2 their HD, create an amount of water corresponding to their HD, and so on. Especially complicated uses may reasonably prompt a skill check or some kind of test to determine the efficacy of the ability, or may take longer to activate.
Savage Claws: Shersūra gain two claw attacks as primary natural attacks, dealing 1d6 damage each with a x2 critical multiplier. They gain the Rend UMR with these claws, dealing an additional 1d6 + STRMOD when they hit a single creature with both attacks in one round.
Natural Charisma: Shersūra gain a +4 racial bonus to Diplomacy and a +2 Racial Bonus to Sense Motive, and gain both as class skills if they weren't already. Additionally, Shersūra have the uncanny ability to gauge the mood of large crowds, armies or even large population centers and feel what they are feeling in a real and potent way - they must be in a vantage point that affords them a view over most or all of such a gathering or place, but once there may concentrate for one minute to gain a general sense of the group's morale, overall mood, most potent desires or wishes, biggest ailments or fears, and so on. GM is final arbiter on what info this can gather.
Weighty Build: Shersūra gain Awesome Blow as a bonus feat ignoring prerequisites, and may use it on creatures up to their size. If they possess the Rend UMR, they can use this ability in place of activating rend. Additionally, they treat their STR score as being 10 higher for the purposes of lifting weight and carry capacity.
Lead by Example: Shersūra cannot roll lower than a 10 on a d20 roll when determining their initiative(Treating their roll as a 10 if they roll lower). Once per round as an immediate action, a Shersūra can take an effect or attack meant for a creature they can see within 30ft and treat themselves in all ways as if they were the original target, even if spacing or positioning would normally make this impossible. This allows them to protect a creature against even an AOE, but only negates that effect for the target in question - and might cause the Shersūra to take AoE effect twice if they are also naturally within its radius.
Deepstrike Toss: Shersūra, when adjacent to a helpless or willing creature or an object they can lift, can throw them truly ludicrous distances - rolling a 1d6 and multipling the result by x100 to determine how far the creature travels. The creature takes no damage from this throw or the fall, and can be loosely aimed to an area of the Shersūra's choosing. Instead of maintaining a grapple, they can instead choose to toss the grappled creature 1d6x10ft in a direction of their choosing - the tossed foe takes any falling damage incurred by this smaller toss as normal.
Numeral of the Dawn: Shersūra, blessed as children of the Ruatiwangan God of Dawn and Dusk, Akash-Palla, are at their strongest when the sun is at its highest in the sky. During the hours of 9AM and Noon as well as between 3PM and 6PM, Shersūra gain the following buffs automatically(This ability may function more frequently or not at all in areas with unnatural periods of true sunlight or in areas where true sunlight cannot reach, GM Discretion):

• +2 to all Physical Ability Scores OR +6 to one Physical Ability Score
• +10ft Base Land Speed
• +5 CMB and CMD
• +2 on a Save of their Choice
• +1d6 Fire Damage on all Natural and Manufactured Attacks(Not Multiplied on a critical hit)

Basic Information

Anatomy

Shersūra are towering beings with a tightly woven, animalistic anatomy that hearkens back to their origins as ruthless tribal hunters of the Savannahs and Plains of their homeland - tall, imposing, and imbued with a weighty constitution the likes of which can seldom be compared to any other species, Shersūra have an anatomy similar to many humanoid creatures that has evolved for hunting and violence. They possess two arms and two legs attached to a central torso with a head resting atop their shoulders like all other humanoids, and possess all the same anatomical systems as Humans such as Skeletal, Muscular, and so on - however, their muscles are woven a great deal tighter and their bodies leaner and more prepared for violence.

Biological Traits

Shersūra possess a wide variety of biological traits and characteristics, though in truth such things are difficult for other species to pick out and notice without a great deal of experience interacting with their species. Most notable are the differences between Shersūran Males and Females - Males tend to be larger on average than females, and possess a large mane of hair around the neck and surrounding their head which females lack. This mane's color, abundance, and shape can vary quite wildly, much like the fur of the species as a whole, depending on climate and the Shersūra's origins and even how the Shersūra in question groomed themselves that morning.
Overall, Shersūra tend to be heavier than many expect them to be due mostly to the weight of their fur, but otherwise their bodies often develop a wide variety of unique patterns and colorations that, while many believe them to be tattoos or other such purposeful designs, are in fact wholly natural pigmentations of their skin and fur that develop in various and unique ways depending on the Shersūra's origins, as the patterns themselves tend to appear differently depending on how the sun shone on the lands in which they grew up. As one may expect, Shersūra who grow up in areas without plentiful sun tend to be sicklier than most and lack these marks - a badge of shame by most Shersūran standards.

Genetics and Reproduction

Shersūra reproduce through sexual means similar to Humans and other Humanoid Species - once a female Shersūra becomes pregnant, they tend to carry the child to term in around four to six months and often give birth to at least two live cubs, with twins having a nearly a 30% higher occurance within Shersūran populations compared to other humanoids.
Shersūra, unfortunately, do not have the best of luck reproducing with other species - even the normally highly-compatible Humans. The reasons for this are not entirely known even to the Shersūra themselves, but regardless of the reason behind it this limited ability to couple with other species has led to a growing movement among their people in the modern day of Globalism to embrace a separation of Sexual Love and Marital Love, or embracing other cutting-edge means of allowing inter-species couples to either adopt a child or have a child thanks to a donor who can make such a thing possible.

Growth Rate & Stages

Rather surprisingly, Shersūra are quick to grow to maturity and are often considered full adults by age 5 or 6 at the latest in a biological sense, though they are often not considered adults in a cultural sense until around their 10th birthday.
Once they reach biological adulthood, Shersūra reach middle age around age 40, become old around age 65, and become venerable around age 80 and die a few years to a decade afterwards.

Ecology and Habitats

Shersūra, true to their origins, are most at home in warm prarie, savannah, or open plains climates and environments where they can run free - they are ideally suited to high heat and high moisture environments, especially those that experience monsoons or similar "wet seasons", and reside in such climates ideally. They are especially uncomfortable in especially frigid climates, and they tend to overall prefer habitats with a certain degree of "balance" to their ecology.
Shersūra are otherwise a mixed blessing on the areas they inhabit - despite the claims of the modern day Suzerainty of Ruatiwanga that they are a people of peace and leadership, the fact remains that at their core Shersūra are apex predators who, left to their own devices, have historically exerted ruthless and violent dominance over the areas they inhabit. They cannot seem to suffer the existence of another "Alpha" or "Leader" type species in their homelands, and often prioritize destroying such foes or subjugating them so they can leader the meeker and more subordinate species as their Kings and Queens. For good reason have many denizens of the Suzerainty of Ruatiwanga decried the actions of the Shersūra in times past as those of War Criminals and Warrior-Tyrants who mask their actions beneath a skillful guise of amicability and kindness.
Overall, Shersūra are ruthlessly territorial but are equally skilled in the art of "Realpolitik" to mask such brutal, hunter-esque tendencies.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Shersūra are primarily Obligate Carnivores, and prefer the consumption of meat above many other things - their digestive systems are not designed or built out to get nutrients from plants as Herbivores or Omnivores do, and as such Shersūra prefer to dine on meat almost exclusively. Though Shersūra of the modern day enjoy a great deal of variety in their food and cooking, there are many dark tales of Shersūra in ages past relishing in the consumption of raw meat, especially the flesh of their enemies, out of the belief that doing so would imbue them with a shard of thier fallen foe's power and vitality.
Though Shersūra of the modern day publically claim to have renounced this barbaric practice, rumors persist of various Shersūran Lodges and Fraternities where various members of their kind can indulge in such desires free of judgement or bias.

Biological Cycle

As they age, Shersūra find their fur growing greyer and thinner and their bodies growing older, more wrinkled, and more infirm in a pattern quite similar to Humans. The natural patterns across their skin also tend to thin out and grow harder to see with age.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Shersūra faces greatly resemble the lions which they are believed to have evolved from eons ago, and possess long snouts and furry skin while the Shersūran Males possess massive manes of fur that ring their heads. Shersūra greatly enjoy adorning themselves with clasps of precious metals and other bits of jewelry as well as braiding the hair on their head, meaning that many Shersūran faces are often complimented by scars(Which the Shersūra see as beautiful) and beautiful clasps of precious metals and gemstones.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Ever since The Defeat at Saganaoa and the resulting Age of Assemblies that followed that saw Diplomatic Relations between The Iron Empire and the Suzerainty of Ruatiwanga calm down enough to allow for travel, Shersūra have become more and more common of a sight across the whole of Numiastra where before they were almost exclusively found within the north-eastern lands of the Suzerainty of Ruatiwanga.
Now, while they can be found in many places beyond this homeland, they remain most populous there and in places with clear harmony between the area's day-night cycles - meaning that while many Shersūra happily visit or temporarily stay in the cities of The Iron Empire, they find such places exceptionally uncomfortable and unbalanced and prefer not staying there for any permanent period of time.

Average Intelligence

Shersūra are of Human-average intelligence.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Though Shersūra once possessed excellent vision to hunt their foes during the nighttime hours, this trait has largely fallen out of the modern-day Shersūran populations as the Shersūra themselves have not lived such a wild lifestyle in eons - instead, while their eyes retain a shard of this sensory prowess and allow them fantastic sight in low-light conditions, the Shersūra are now most famed for their excellent hearing which serves a similar purpose that their night-vision once did.

Alternate Racial Trait List:
NOT YET BUILT.

Racial Feat List:
NOT YET BUILT.

Lifespan

80 Years

Conservation Status

Though they are a rare sight throughout much of Numiastra, Shersūra are a plentiful people whose main population centers are bustling with their own kind - their rarity in the lands of Numiastra is simply a result of their slow diaspora from their distant homeland into the surrounding area.

Average Height

Males: 6.0ft - 7.2ft (1.83m - 2.19m)
Females: 5.4ft - 6.5ft (1.64m - 1.98m)

Average Weight

170lbs - 290lbs(77.1kg - 131.5kg)

Average Physique

Shersūra are a physically imposing species, though the males are slightly moreso - Male Shersūra tend to be large and broad-shouldered, with their massive manes giving them an incredibly regal appearance alongside what are often powerful physiques evolved for hunting on the plains and savannahs of their homeland. Female Shersūra tend to be slightly smaller and more elegant in appearance, with leaner and "softer" frames that lack the large and imposing stature of their species' males.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Shersūran bodies are furry things packed with muscles both imposing and lean, and can range a great deal of coloration - however, their fur tends to take on darker, earthen colorations most commonly such as blacks, browns, tans, and so on. Additionally, and rather uniquely, Shersūra naturally develop tribal-esque lines and bodily markings that crisscross their bodies in red, yellow, and blue colorations that correspond to the type of climate and environment they grew up in as the sun or rain that falls upon them in childhood naturally creates a reaction in their fur and colors it in strange but beautiful patterns.
Shersūra enjoying showing off these unique bodily patterns, and often complement them with tattoos or other markings they get to enhance their appeal.