Shadar-kai
Lurking in the darkened shadows of a narrow backalley in Gloomwrought, Talis kept to herself as she watched the two creatures wrestling for survival. Other creatures passed the alleyway, undoubtingly hearing the hostile commotion going on, while none paid them any attention. One of the creatures seemed to gain the upper hand and eventually managed to strangle its opponent. It grabbed the dead one's bag of gems, letting out a lesser growl to celebrate its own victory. Talis then made her advance. Unsheathing her magical sword, she emerged from the shadows only to plunge it into the creature. A violet stream of warm alien blood covered her swords as she withdrew it from the creature's flesh. "All to easy" she thought.
"For you, Mistress of the Night" she said aloud, and then cut herself on her wrist and tasted her own blood. Although no sun or moon indicated the days end in the Shadowfell, Talis knew that it was time to find shelter, as the gray dim light of day would soon give way to the grim darkness of a starless night.
Long eons in the Shadowfell have shaped the shadar-kai into a fiery and, some say, cruel people. Fighting the apathy pervasive in their home plane, shadar-kai live passionately and fearlessly, if only grimly. They see themselves as instruments of death and dissolution, the bringers of the righteous end to complacency, stagnation, and life itself. Theirs is a harsh society of self-interest. Among shadar-kai, the strong of body and mind excel and create legends. The weak molder to dust, passing into eternity unremembered.
A shadar-kai has colorless complexion that varies from alabaster to dark gray. Shadar-kai hair is similarly drab or raven black. The eyes are lustrous red or black, lacking any white or clear pupil. Shadows near a shadar-kai may seem to reach out or deepen, especially when the shadar-kai is angry. Most shadar-kai are followers of Shar, the Goddess of darkness that once upon a time granted these former humans their shadow heritage that compelled them to move into the Plane of Shadow.
The prolonged existence in the Shadowfell did not come without a price. The grim misery that defined the plane initially tore the shadar-kai into dreadful beings. Gripped by the dark despair, some shadar-kai simply faded from existence, first turning insubstantial and then vanishing altogether. As their people began to fade into the shadows, many shadar-kai sought to stimulate their mind and bodies, committing themselves to passion and excess to stave off the overbearing malaise.
Over time, the shadar-kai became a people of extreme emotions and incredible appetites. Some reveled in pleasure and pain. Others found stimulation in complex fighting styles and difficult weaponry, such as the spiked chain. A few turned to the dark arts of the Shadowfell and became masters of its powers.
Their culture evolved into means of tutoring themselves, pierce skin and bone with cruel objects, abrade their flesh with jagged barbs, and cover themselves with scars and tattoos for little more than the rush of feelings these acts arouse.
Shadar-kai frequently takes names of heroes of their culture or great warriors that they revere.
Male Names: Albrek, Baden, Codren, Emul, Hutahn, Ioan, Lucyan, Mahahn, Niku, Ovid, Razvahn, Scrbahn, Shathys, Tcodahr, Vasylay, Zahar.
Female Names: Afyn, Bahnka, Codruta, Doru, Dyon, Flaohr, Ghita, Helayna, Ioana, Jenit, Katryn, Lucya, Markella, Nadya, Roduka, Sahyeh, Talis, Yalda, Zyna.
Shadar-kai share certain traits that only abides to natives of the Shadowfell.
Long eons in the Shadowfell have shaped the shadar-kai into a fiery and, some say, cruel people. Fighting the apathy pervasive in their home plane, shadar-kai live passionately and fearlessly, if only grimly. They see themselves as instruments of death and dissolution, the bringers of the righteous end to complacency, stagnation, and life itself. Theirs is a harsh society of self-interest. Among shadar-kai, the strong of body and mind excel and create legends. The weak molder to dust, passing into eternity unremembered.
Children of the Dark Lady
A shadar-kai has colorless complexion that varies from alabaster to dark gray. Shadar-kai hair is similarly drab or raven black. The eyes are lustrous red or black, lacking any white or clear pupil. Shadows near a shadar-kai may seem to reach out or deepen, especially when the shadar-kai is angry. Most shadar-kai are followers of Shar, the Goddess of darkness that once upon a time granted these former humans their shadow heritage that compelled them to move into the Plane of Shadow.
Passion for the Extreme
The prolonged existence in the Shadowfell did not come without a price. The grim misery that defined the plane initially tore the shadar-kai into dreadful beings. Gripped by the dark despair, some shadar-kai simply faded from existence, first turning insubstantial and then vanishing altogether. As their people began to fade into the shadows, many shadar-kai sought to stimulate their mind and bodies, committing themselves to passion and excess to stave off the overbearing malaise.
Over time, the shadar-kai became a people of extreme emotions and incredible appetites. Some reveled in pleasure and pain. Others found stimulation in complex fighting styles and difficult weaponry, such as the spiked chain. A few turned to the dark arts of the Shadowfell and became masters of its powers.
Their culture evolved into means of tutoring themselves, pierce skin and bone with cruel objects, abrade their flesh with jagged barbs, and cover themselves with scars and tattoos for little more than the rush of feelings these acts arouse.
Shadar-kai Names
Shadar-kai frequently takes names of heroes of their culture or great warriors that they revere.
Male Names: Albrek, Baden, Codren, Emul, Hutahn, Ioan, Lucyan, Mahahn, Niku, Ovid, Razvahn, Scrbahn, Shathys, Tcodahr, Vasylay, Zahar.
Female Names: Afyn, Bahnka, Codruta, Doru, Dyon, Flaohr, Ghita, Helayna, Ioana, Jenit, Katryn, Lucya, Markella, Nadya, Roduka, Sahyeh, Talis, Yalda, Zyna.
Shadar-kai Traits
Shadar-kai share certain traits that only abides to natives of the Shadowfell.
Age
Shadar-kai ages half the rate of humans on their native plane, but age the same if they reside on the Material Plane.Alignment
Shadar-kai inherit a tendency to be any chaotic alignment but most often find themselves to lean towards neutral or evil.Size
Shadar-kai are humanlike, but the weight of existence in the Shadowfell has shaped them to be slightly shorter and much thinner than their human counterparts. Your size is medium.Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.Darkvision
Your shadowy heritage has made you acquainted to see 60 feet in dark and dim light conditions.Shadar-kai Weapon Training
You are proficient with the spiked chain, flail, net, and whip.Shadow Jaunt
You can cast the misty step spell once using this trait. You regain the ability to do so when you finish a short or long rest.Languages
Shadar-kai retains their common dialect since they were once humans, but rarely finds the need to learn any other. You can speak, read, and write Common and Necril.
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