Shen Humans
The human of Shen ancestry are still slave of the Phan Empire. Some lucky people have succesfully fled from the Empire, a lot more failed and pay with their life. It is said thet the day to day life of the Empire is only possible through the work of their Shen slaves, but not a lot of people are ready to risk their life to prove this idea true.
Shen society is very honor-bound, focused on strict moral codes and doing what is best for the people. Individually, Shen often tend to come of as "boy scouts", always doing the right thing and oftentimes being taken in by their own self-righteousness. Yet, at heart, the Shen are a people of kindness and compassion, looking out for their own and always willing to fight off dangers, no matter their origin. The Shen are a proud people of tradition and greatness, dedicated to not only the preservation, but the dominance of their people.
That's not to say there aren't those who fall on the darker end of the moral compass. In fact, Shen are renown in the criminal underworld for their determination to finish the job, no matter the costs. If there's one person you want on your team, good or evil, it's a Shen.
Physical Description
The Shen are often slightly shorter and leaner than most of their cousins, such as the Dail Humans or Rodhian Human. However, what they lack in height, they make up for in their speed and agility, being widely known for their dexterity and flexibility.
The Shen, otherwise, look much like other humans, though with slightly paler skin tones. Their eyes are typically brown or black, though gray and green are no unheard of. Rarely, their eyes can be violet, blue, hazel, and amber. Their hair is almost always black, and often worn long.
Relations
The Shen are a rather shy people, and tend not to associate much with outsiders. They are noted for having a strong distrust of their closest cousins, the Chi Genasi, including blatant racism and a strong belief in Shen supremacy despite their strong similarities. In fact, many outsiders cannot even distinguish between the two peoples, much to the chagrin of both.
To those who prove themselves a friend, the Shen will welcome with warmth and protection. To those who prove themselves a foe, only death awaits.
Alignment
Most Shen tend towards the lawful end of the spectrum, whether it be good or evil. However, as all races, the alignment of the individual is as unique as the individual, themselves.
Lands
The Shen lived in tight-knit communities, usually ports, trading hubs and mountain strongholds, with long, winding roads in between. Under the control of the Phan Empire, new cities were built and entire population moved or killed. For the Phan only two type of people live in their empire: themselves and their slaves. While capable of adapting to nearly any environment, they tend to prefer the relative seclusion walled city and mountain strongholds.
Religion
The Shen are a people who are heavily devout in their own way. Rather than worshipping the gods, themselves, however; the Shen tend to worship their spheres of influence, revering the Sea, the Sky, Warfare, and more as deities, and the gods as mere avatars of these more abstract concepts. With the coming of the Phan and their atheist view, the worship of the Shen has gone underground. The cult of the Ancestors, each family have a small temple in their home, was allowed by the Phan but with adding the Emperor in every family altar.
Language
The Shen now speak Slave Pidgin, but they have had another, ancient, language: the Ancient Shou now lost to history, replaced by the language of the invaders. Shen also talk and understand a little of Phan'ja, at different level, for the work required by their masters. Someone also know Common for trade and diplomatic purposes.
Names
The Shen tend to have three names, in addition to titles and honors and some form of clan recognition. Thus, a full name could appear as The Righteous Lord, Akio Dai Ebisu of the Yokoha Clan, Protector of the Valley and the Pass. Thus there is a title (The Righteous Lord), the Clan (The Yokoha Clan), and a list of honors (Protector of the Valley and the Pass). There are also three names. The first, Akio, is the mother's choice, and is used in the presence of family. This can be thought of as a "nickname" of sorts, though much more official. The middle, Dai, is the father's choice, and is used on the daily basis. This is the name most are known by, and the one used in everyday conversation. The final name, Ebisu, is chosen by the leader of the village, city, or other such settlement the child is born in, and is rarely used in any daily manner, though it once held a more special meaning as, traditionally, the final, or "Vassal" name was a family name of sorts, identifying where you were from and where you call home.
When one was out traveling, to find another with the same Vassal name was to find a trustworthy friend. However, as the invasor take control of the land, travel or relocation has become more common and numbers have increased, the meaning of this name has largely diminished. After all, babies are now born in one city, maybe raised in another and living as adult who knows where. Add to this that many strangers you meet on the road aren't quite as trustworthy, anymore. Additionally, with so many cities so far apart, it has been found that oftentimes two faraway cities may in fact utilize the same Vassal name, leading to much confusion.
In everyday use, a Shen will tend to use only their middle name, in this case Dai. In western settings, they may take their Clan name as a surname of sorts, and identify themselves as Dai Yokoha.
For real-world inspiration, take Japanese or Korean names.
Racial Traits
- Ability Score Increase. Shen Dexterity and Inteligence score increases by 1.
- Humanoid (Human)
- Size: Medium
- Shen base land speed is 30 feet:
- Extra Talent: 1 extra feat at 1st leve.
- Arcane Dabbler. A 1st-level Shen already knows 1 cantrip chosen from the wizard's spell list. When he reaches 3rd level, he learns a 1st-level spell from the wizard spell list. You can cast this spell once per day and regain the ability to cast it this way when you finish a long rest. Intelligence is their primary ability for these spells.
- Slave Talk. Shen are useful to their masters if they have any unusual abilities, so Shen have a +2 racial bonus on one Intelligence- or Charisma-based skill of your choice.
- Stoic Pride. Continuously harassed by their masters, the Shen have developed a resistance, which allows them to make the test with Advantage when they have to make saving throws against being charmed or possessed.
- Spirit Links: Before being subjugated by the Phan conquerors, the Shen people were renowned for their knowledge of the Spirit world. These abilities, forbidden by the conquerors, have fallen out of favor, but the custom of calling upon a Guardian Spirit to watch over newborn children has remained. This means that a Shen can call upon his Guardian Spirit to receive the mana necessary to recover a spell slot, once per day.
- Favored Class: Monk
Vital Statistics
Table: Shen Random Starting Ages
| Adulthood | Simple | Moderate | Complex |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 years | +1d4 | +1d6 | +2d6 |
Table: Shen Aging Effects
| Middle Age1 | Old2 | Venerable3 | Maximum Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45 years | 65 years | 80 years | +4d10 years |
|
Table: Shen Random Height and Weight
| Gender | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 4' 8" | +2d8 | 100 lb. | × (2d4) lb. |
| Female | 4' 4" | +2d8 | 85 lb. | × (2d4) lb. |
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