Carian Barbarians
Overview
The Carians (Κᾶρες, Kares, plural of Κάρ, Kar) The Carian Barbarians are a smaller group based on islands in the East of the Continent - near to Vulcan's Reach. They are a far rarer form of Barbarian, and a culture that is spoken of in hushed whispers. It's history shrouded in both power and loss. They are named after Kar, one of three sons of Atys, who established three different kingdoms.The Carians are closely linked to death, and wield feared weaponry known as Necroblades that are rumored to drink the souls of those they kill. But rumors aside, they are famed for their former wealth.
Royal Library of Atlantis Information
The information gained from the Library from the Chronic Anachonism is highly contradictory concerning the Carians, in the library it shows that according to Homer, in the Iliad, (2.858–2.875), the Carians were famed for their "golden armour or ornaments of the Carian captain Nastes, the brother of Amphimachus and son of Nomio".
However, other information seems to indicate that the Carians were not supposed to rule today as they do - but rather were confined to another part of the world.
History
The Carian history is long - but a critical part of their culture. They are a small group based out of the Pirate City of Aktiki, and although they are tied to the history of Aktiki, they did not found it.
They originate in Atlantis as the pirates of the Southern Seas - they achieved a huge military success centuries ago against the City of Aktiki, named after it's first king, Aktaios.
Aktaios was the father of Telamon and a friend of Peleus. His daughter, Agravlos married Kekropas, a Dragon-Lord who would become the city's second King. From him the city earned a second name Kekropia, and in 80CY , the goddess Athena and Poseidon vied to be patrons of the city and offered gifts to it's inhabitants.
Poseidon struck the base of a Rock where the Acropolis had stood with his trident and caused a spring of salt water to gush. From the impact - the area where the three points of the Trident can be seen behind the Erechtheion, and from them jumped the first horse ready to serve the people, while Athena offered an olive tree.
A Tetraktys Seal (In this case a Heptaktys Form of the Magic - ending in seven syllables) was issued as a Divine Order to the City. Their choice would determine the Patron of the People:
All
mortals
present in
all Aktiki
must devotion show
she Athena above
or he Poseidon below
But at this time there was an invading force of Carians in the sewer systems of the city, and landing in the Port, who 'being mortals present in Aktiki were entitled to a vote - they all voted for Poseidon also, and as a result the city came under the protection of Poseidon. He, being grateful to the Carians for swinging the vote, blessed their invasion and the city fell to them in short order.
In the chaos that ensued - the Parthenon and the Acropolis itself was transported off the island, to another Isle further North, now known as Parthenos.
King Kekropas, had in fact organised the 'invasion' and its 'divine timing' was largely due to his influence - so he maintained control over the city, and the Carians continued to rule the city for a few decades. However, the Carians, now wealthy from both their pirating and control of Aktiki, and flush with their success influencing the balance of power among the Olympian Pantheon, sought to do one better - they would engineer the ascension of a minor god or goddess to a higher level in the Pantheon.
In their scheme they set a Trap now known as the Pork and Vinegar Trap. The end result was the bringing down of Persephone into the area of Eleusis near to Aktiki, and there, waiting for her was Hades - who took her from the World - as expected she became the Queen of the Underworld, but the Carians were not to be rewarded as they had expected. Demeter has cursed their people, and the city to be Barbarians of Death. And great Aktiki is little more than a minor town now. It is still protected by Poseidon and so cannot be destroyed, but it's people have the dubious honor of being viewed with favor by Hades, (at times they are blessed by Persephone too, for she has gained much from the arrangement), and the original Carian Goddess Hecate has ensured that they will not be destroyed through their alliances.
The Carians balance themselves between Life and Death, they are neither Evil nor Good, and those Barbarians among them honor Hecate (Goddess of Magic) and in so doing sacrifice magical items to her, to create their necroblades.
Ties to the Scalvin
The Scalvin, the desert ex-slaves of the Aubaydi Caliphate are the descendants of some of the Carians who were cast aside by Demeter's wrath - it is said that the reason why they were put into slavery was due to the Goddess's rage, and their efforts to make the Gods serve the Carians, rather than the other way around. The Scalvin and Carians therefore have a mutual affinity, but not a strong alliance.Languages
The Carian Barbarians gain Hadean as a base language, and have a natural affinity for all Divine Languages. They may choose any TWO languages from the Divine Language Tree - for the proficiency point cost of one. (Even if it exceeds their normal Intelligence limitation on language learning.) But the Carians do not see this as a benefit - they prefer their blades do the talking.Bonus Non-Weapon Proficiencies The originator of the Carians, was Car, one of three brothers, who was the inventor of oracles and omens using birds. As a result, all Carians gain Omen and Oracle Interpretation with the Oracular methods: Augury (the interpretation of bird behaviour), Cryptomancy (the interpretation of signs) and Ornithomancy as their first oracle methods. All are given free at the start of the character.
Other Classes and Kits Taken
The Carian Ethnicity may choose to use any of the following Class Kits and Classes rather than being Barbarian Class. SEA RANGER -Ranger - PHRB11 Complete Book of Rangers (69) BUCCANEER -Rogue - PHRB2 Complete Book of Thieves (34) PIRATE/OUTLAW -Warrior - PHRB1 Complete Book of Fighters (30) SWASHBUCKLER -Warrior - PHRB1 Complete Book of Fighters (34) EXPLORER -Ranger - PHRB11 Complete Book of Rangers (49) PATHFINDER -Ranger - PHRB11 Complete Book of Rangers (67) SCOUT - Rogue - PHRB1 Complete Book of Thieves (37) SKALD - Bard - PHBR7 Complete Bard's Handbook (47)Barbarian Class Specifics for Carians
The Carian Barbarian is not just a hunter of magic, but also of Undead. Hades may have blessed the Carians in the past, but they have interpreted this blessing as a tasking to rid the world of unnatural influences - these being both Magic and Undead. Just as Hecate, as the Goddess of Magic views sacrifices of magic to be a sign of devotion, so it is said by the Carian that the Undead, in death are a form of devotion to Hades and balances out Nature as it should be. (Some say it is an attempt of the Carians to regain the good graces of Demeter.)
The Carian Barbarian develops the following environmental non weapon proficiencies: an Undead can be deceived by the Carians - they will ignore Carians. They can be instructed in basic instructions too - but only one or two routines - equal to the HD of the Undead.
Barbarian Secondary Skills
All Carian Barbarians start with not only the above stated Oracular abilities as bonus Non-weapon Proficiencies, but also gain the following secondary skills as bonus skills for free:Detect Undead 60' (18m) 1 Intelligence +1 - acts the same as detection of magic spell
Tracking and Tracking Undead - same as normal tracking, but also includes tracking of ethereal undead and the identification of their type.
Running 1 Constitution -6 Player's Handbook (pg. 63) PHB 63
Hunting 1 Wisdom -1 Player's Handbook (pg. 59) PHB 59
By Level 3 they are expected to have gained:
Direction Sense 1 Wisdom 1 Player's Handbook (pg. 56) PHB 56, and
Fire-building 1 Wisdom -1 Player's Handbook (pg. 58) PHB 58
At Level 6, the Carian Barbarian is treated the same as a Cleric of the same level with regards to immunity to visual Ghost Aging Effects.
By level 7 they are expected to gain:
Distance Sense 1 Wisdom 0 The Complete Ranger's Handbook (pg. 83) CRang 83 and
Signalling 1 Intelligence -2 The Complete Ranger's Handbook (pg. 85) CRang 85
By level 9 they must gain: Weather Sense 1 Wisdom -1 Player's Handbook (pg. 65) PHB 65
Necroblades
The Carian Barbarian has the same abilities as a Scalvin - in the forging of specialised blades - the differences lie in how the Carian makes the raw substances needed to be placed on the blades to make the Weapons of Renown - these are known as Necroblades or Spiritblades by their users.What makes a Carian stand out from other barbarians is their carrying of shrunken heads and other skulls on their person - almost as if the heads are more than just trophies - these are in fact the Weaponising Flasks of this tribe.
Diverged ethnicities
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