Quick Scroll: App. Per. Soc. Assn. Adv. R.T.

At the height of the Eluen-cuthpar’s dominance over Thepa, there stood few obstacles, or, in this case, few areas untouched by the “noble” assembly of wizards. The island state of Khael’vendra, once an autonomous nation, retained its sovereignty through a feral body of elves know as the amoraq. These elven people, though untamed and quite aggressive, were not expansionists. They existed as a peaceful people when left alone. And the Eluen-cuthpar did leave them alone. That is, until the knowledge of a potent artifact was discovered. The amoraq had discreetly concealed the fact that their island possessed a magic so powerful that it could suppress arcane sorceries of any magnitude.

Undoubtedly, the Eluen-cuthpar was intrigued. If not for their tickled curiosity with the anomaly, it was most definitely for the real threat to their authority that Krulean approached the amoraq. The elves understood the dangers of letting the Eluen-cuthpar into their lands. Furthermore, the elves desired to remain an isolated people.

War ensued.

Years passed by, yet the Eluen-cuthpar with all its might was unable to secure a glance at the artifact, let alone a foothold on the island itself. This fact held true until the Pact of the Nalu. What appeared to be a final desperate attempt at gaining access to the island turned out to be an overwhelming advantage for the Eluen-cuthpar. A large contingent of nalu being used as shock troops from beneath the ocean was able to establish a presence on the beaches of Khael’vendra. Inevitably, this decisive skirmish led to a conquered nation and people.

In totality, the war did cause a heavy toll upon the Eluen-cuthpar. Enormous casualties and depleted resources were experienced throughout the expansive years of warfare; still they maintained their altruistic nature when triumphant in battle. The Eluen-cuthpar did not annihilate the amoraq, though the actions taken by the band of wizards were disastrous for the amoraq.

Krulean decreed the race to be transformed into a docile people by diminishing their feral quality and spreading them throughout the world. After all, the Eluen-cuthpar could not allow such a powerful and intelligent people to continue to exist as they were. The amoraq was born.

Appearance

Amoraq stand between 5 and 6 feet tall. They weigh in at a remarkable 160 to 220 lbs. In most cases these numbers would suggest an obese creature, yet this is not the case. The density of an amoraq’s muscle structure is extremely high, thus leading to a very strong and lean race, and explains where most of their weight hides. An amoraq’s lifespan is short due to a mind that exists in a stressed state, 70 to 110 years.

Amoraq have almond shaped eyes consisting of green and brown hues with hazel undoubtedly being the most prevalent color. Comparable in diversity to their eyes, an amoraq’s hair ranges from blond through black and completely covers their dull beige skin. Many factors have determined the pigment of an amoraq’s hide yet none so much as environment. Typically, light-colored bristles for warmer climates and dark-colored coats in the colder climates are observed for this race.

Taking great pride in their hides, amoraq spend hours trimming, decorating, and braiding their pelts. In fact, one of their sacred rituals involves styling another amoraq’s hair in ways to show their current standing verse their rage. Much in the way alcoholics gain a new token for milestones, amoraq gain stature amongst one another from these racial practices. Amoraq are a very clean people and at times, their attention to intricate details about self grooming appears obsessive. Nevertheless, most other races appreciate the time taken to keep one’s self clean.

Three odd yet distinctive characteristics stick out when viewing this race. The race’s arm design is much longer than any other humanoid; its back is arched; and its neck sticks out in front of its body – all of which leads to a form capable of running on all fours. An amoraq’s movement speed is quicker in this stance but they are not able to carry anything with their front “paws”.

The hands of an amoraq are not actually paws at all, though they are rough enough to endure the weight and friction of running. Their hands are capable of grasping an item as well as any other humanoid type, in no short due to their lack of claws. In reality, amoraq prefer to stand on two feet, unfortunately they are rather awkward. Movement in this mode is limited to 20 ft.

Any depiction of an amoraq would not be complete without a brief description of its face. Amoraq have an ursine-like, elongated face. Their nose is connected by a shorter bridge than most bears yet its overall appearance is that of a muzzle. Amoraq’s canine teeth are not exaggerated but they are still able to give a bite attack if necessary just not as devastating as a wild animal. They have a small mouth and weak biting force. Peculiarly, the most interesting aspect of the amoraq is their innate ability to look fierce or frightening in one moment and humorous or loving the next.

Personality (chaotic neutral)

The transmutation of the amoraq did not end their ferocity; it simply quelled their rage. Amoraq are cursed with a type of dissociative identity disorder. On the surface, this friendly and gentle race exhibits laziness to anger. Not simply as a result of their ancient penalty, but more so for their lack of education and genuine desire to exist harmoniously with other races.

The disorder emerges when an amoraq is provoked beyond their stable sense of peacefulness. Two things happen when their rage overwhelms them: they are unable to stop fighting until their opponent is disabled and they release a pheromone that causes other amoraq to frenzy. Any amoraq within range, even if they have no prior knowledge of the original rage’s occurrence, must make a will save or rage themselves. An enraged amoraq is aware of everything that happens during an outburst. Luckily, these frenzies are rare.

Amoraq are introverts by nature, yet they have a startling desire to converse with other races. This craving for interaction is driven by their ultimate goal to be “normal”. Amoraq, being governed by their multiple personality disorder, endlessly labor toward a mastery of their affliction so they speak for the sake of speaking.

For the amoraq, the deeper purpose for many of these conversations is meaningless. They become too distracted with their own inner turmoil to understand the true meaning of a conversation. Their neglect of specifics does not mean they are unable to recall a previous conversation. It simply means that at that time an amoraq may overlook pertinent information. Information they typically discover after its usefulness has expired.

In any case, amoraq possess several traits desirable to other societies. One of these advantageous traits affects others in an interesting way. All amoraq own a deep, soothing voice that is capable of creating a tranquil environment from the simplest songs. These songs can cause those within range to experience a peaceful, sobering effect.

Another peculiar trait these ursine humanoids exhibit manifests through the olfactory senses. Amoraq emit a pleasant scent while in their calm state. This aura boosts the effect of their serene vocalizations and, for some like the arden, instills courage.

Lastly, amoraq carry much regret. Accidents caused by their explosions will create such an emotional instability for an amoraq that they will indenture themselves to innocent bystanders for a period of time as to compensate for their botched interactions. Sadly, these situations are often times exploited.

Society

Amoraq do not create permanent structures. They live in small, tight knit communities on the outskirts of other societies. Amoraq could very well fit into another race’s community and often do end up finding a place, but, for the most part, they dabble with other races, trying to learn how to belong and more importantly how to control their suppressed rage.

From an early age, amoraq begin to shy away from their solitary devotion of their mental fixations and realize that they actually enjoy the company of other people. Many individuals join groups for short periods of time during their early adulthood, discovering solace in the company of others. These youthful time periods occasionally increase in duration, blossom into friendships, and evolve into lifetime commitments for a very lucky, few. Unfortunately, these are the exceptions, not the norm.

Amoraq do not struggle with all of their racial qualities. As music loving humanoids, more so than any other race, they indulge in song and poetry. These arts are divided into two categories: the mundane and the sacred.

Common music is used daily and as often as possible. Most of these songs are uplifting touched with a hint of consoling charm. Amoraq love to frequent taverns when minstrels and traveling bards entertain, and eagerly participate if solicited. They even partake in alcoholic beverages, though it has no physical or mental effect on the race. They drink it because they enjoy the flavor.

Sacred music, appreciated as it is, is never mixed with everyday song. Celebrations, bereavements, and ritualistic rhymes (functioning as reminders of their beastly selves) are the only approved reasons to recite their revered words. Rhymes are expressed as legends, history, and prophecies, near exclusively with warnings about amoraq rage and how their heroes have overcome such odds. All of these sacral songs are primal with deep drumming beats and animalistic vocalizations, which differs dramatically from the daily melodies outsiders recognize.

Instinctively, most amoraq settle on their own race and remain travelers, moving from community to community in search of their unattainable goal. The burden of migration or, more to the point, of hauling their belongings rests heavily upon pack animals. Amoraq use large beasts such as elk, buffalo, warhorses, and even elephants to transport their valuables. A surprising fact of this race is their uncanny ability to accurately judge the quality of an animal – a useful talent when searching for a steed.

Associations

Amoraq are practically everywhere on the surface. They exist in small groups on the outskirts of almost any humanoid race. To others, the amoraq appear dimwitted. In actuality, the amoraq do this on purpose to put people at ease. They want others to think of them as large friendly teddy bears.

As to their nature, the amoraq are melodious. They break into song all of the time and find it hard to control their outbursts, but their music is considered beautiful by most people and does not normally cause a problem. If they are not singing they are humming. The only time an amoraq would not be singing is in a time of stress.

Amoraq have a docile nature, yet they do not put up with being treated poorly. They normally try to walk away from escalated situations as to keep their rage in check. Nevertheless, rages do occur and so do accidents. Innocents might be harmed, though death is extremely rare in any mishap.

Arden: Amoraq find arden to be friendly small humanoids with an innocence few others can comprehend. When raging, an armoraq’s scent repels most races, but not the arden. Arden are invigorated by this new scent. It instills bravery. The tiny humanoids surround the amoraq in a flurry of movement yearning for further inspiration. Amoraq view this phenomenon as a display of true friendship and reciprocate accordingly in the future.

Drow: Amoraq are surface dwelling humanoids uninterested in exploring the depths of the planet so their infrequent interactions with drow are understandably rare. Despite these rarities, stories have spread amongst the tribes of amoraq warning them about enslavement by the drow. Amoraq wisely shy away from their cousins, often times expecting the worst.

Duergar: As stated previously, amoraq enter the darklands with great scarcity. Contact with the duergar is significantly limited. In most instances, both races approach one another with cautioned hesitation or simply choose to bypass one another without a word. If this mutually-sympathetic detachment is ever breached, both races will treat the other with respect and fairness.

Dwarves: Amoraq feel very comfortable around dwarves. In fact, they trade with them on a regular basis. Amoraq seem to have such a sense for dwarven trade that even a fenodyree will feel a twinge of jealousy. Fenodyree have been known to ask for assistance from the amoraq when difficult trade negotiations arise. Additionally, dwarves love parties and music. Amoraq are the “musical” race. It would be unnatural for the two races not to get along.

Elves: Amoraq, who think their cousins are pretty, deeply admire elves and are willing to help them at a moments notice. Elves, however, do not appreciate an amoraq’s idea of “helping”. Amoraq have been known to carry cousins from place-to-place, mistake entire gardens for weeds, and misjudge exactly how much strength is needed for a delicate task. Amoraq can sense the unhappiness elves gain from these experiences, but are unable to understand that the frustration comes from them, instead the amoraq try that much harder to help their cousins out.

Fenodyree: Amoraq love traveling with fenodyree. The lightheartedness of these small folk promotes a stable environment for the amoraq. Even so, the amoraq do not spend extended periods of time with the fenodyree. Lack of exposure to their rage generally increases its instability. Amoraq are saddened by this concept, but accept its inevitable outcome and only accompany larger groups of fenodyree for short periods of time.

Goblins: Amoraq do not seek out goblins. They retain no animosity toward the small race; rather, it is the innate, feral ability of the goblins that keep them at bay. This feralness of goblins negatively effects an amoraq’s ability to control his rage. In spite of the difficulties, an amoraq will still join a party with a goblin or two, since the plague only manifests itself when an overwhelming number of goblins are present.

Humans: Amoraq and humans get along quite well by offering each other services that are mutually beneficial. The hirsute humanoids utilize their enhanced strength in the heavy labor market, while others fill taverns with voices far more beautiful than most humans. In return, the amoraq gain a people willing to accept most of their rage-induced outbursts. Humans have their own problems with racial violence and do not generally condemn such violent acts. Even with this comfortable familiarity, amoraq tribes continue to roam from city-to-city. They do not want to become complacent just in case a brother or cousin ends up killing someone in the city.

Kel: Amoraq despise kel attacking them on sight. It is well known that kel enslave amoraq and will work them to death. Yet, amoraq are forgiving if not forgetful. An amoraq will give a kel a chance as a party member as long as the situation warrants such an action.

Kobolds: Amoraq do not like large numbers of kobolds. Their scent is repulsive. Furthermore, amoraq are not fond of the kobolds’ guise of innocence. The amoraq use innocence to protect themselves and better the community they live near, while a kobold uses innocence for deception and self gain. Amoraq are only one of the few races to see kobolds for who they really are…thieves. At best, an amoraq is able to tolerate one or two in a party.

Nalu: Surprisingly, nalu and amoraq do interact with one another, and quite often. Typically, they find one another in taverns. Amoraq try to gauge nalu perceptions and observations of the human society so as to help them fit in. They love singing for the nalu because the nalu tend to pour their guts out when they are drunk.

Sobekite: Sobekites and amoraq do not normally befriend one another. They really have nothing in common. Amoraq do not find many opportunities to test their rage around the sobekites so they simply do not spend time with them. Although these races are on good terms with one another, they do consider their encounter status as neutral.

Adventuring

As a race, the most overwhelming desire of an amoraq is obviously learning how to control their rage, or – even better – ridding themselves of it. It is safe to say that a large amount of amoraq join adventuring parties to curb their primal instability. Loneliness is another common explanation for their participation in these odd companies. Sometimes the amoraq society is so focused inward that they are unable to offer the external affection most creatures need. Some amoraq are more sensitive than others and end up leaving their brothers for more socially adept people. Lastly, the life of an amoraq is normally on the road doing enough to survive with no real prospects of a better life. A few amoraq tire of the road and wish to gather enough monetary treasures to allow himself to settle into a small community. It is, after all, easier to fix “mistakes” with gold.

Class Preferences: barbarian, bard, fighter
Religious Preferences: Adaska, Askii, Ivaidin, Rai, Tariav’ai, Vazuet, Xurialu

Racial Traits (PF)

When creating an amoraq character, a player uses all the base traits presented below; these traits are inherent to the amoraq and cannot be altered. A player then selects alternate traits to flesh out his amoraq character. The total number of alternative traits may not exceed 4 racial points (RP). Each alternative trait has its RP cost listed after its name.

Base

+2 Strength, +2 Charisma, -2 Intelligence: An amoraq is both strong and charming, but lacks education.

Medium: An amoraq is a Medium creature and has no bonuses or penalties due to his size.

Facultative Speed: An amoraq has a base speed of 20 feet when standing on two feet, but a base speed of 40 feet when standing on all four legs. An amoraq cannot hold anything as a quadruped.

Low-Light Vision: An amoraq can see twice as far as a human in conditions of dim light.

Bite: An amoraq gains a natural bite attack that deals 1d3 damage. This bite is a primary attack or a secondary attack if he is wielding manufactured weapons.

Curiosity: An amoraq is naturally inquisitive about the world around him. He gains a +4 bonus on Diplomacy checks to gather information, and Knowledge (history) and Knowledge (local) become class skills for him. If he chooses a class that has either of these Knowledge skills as class skills, he gains a +2 racial bonus on those skills instead.

Frenzy: Once per day, whenever an amoraq takes damage, he flies into a frenzy for 1 minute, gaining a +2 racial bonus to Constitution and Strength, but a –2 penalty to AC.

Languages: An amoraq begins play speaking Common and Amoraqi. An amoraq with a high Intelligence score can choose from the following: Arden, Dwarven, Elven, Fenodyrean, Goblin, and Kelian.

Alternative

Dual-Minded (1 RP): An amoraq gains a +2 bonus on all Will saving throws.

Gregarious (1 RP): When an amoraq successfully uses Diplomacy to win over an individual, that individual takes a –2 penalty on attempts to resist any of the amoraq’s Charisma-based skills for the next 24 hours.

Relentless (1 RP): An amoraq gains a +2 bonus on combat maneuver checks made to bull rush or overrun opponents. This bonus only applies while both the amoraq and his opponent are standing on the ground.

Spell-Like Ability, Lesser (1 RP): An amoraq can use Charm Person once per day. The caster level of this spell is equal to the user’s character level.

Skill Bonus (2 RP): An amoraq gains a +1 racial bonus on Sense Motive and Perform skill checks.

Multitalented (2 RP): An amoraq chooses two favored classes at 1st level and gains +1 hit points or +1 skill rank whenever he takes a level in either of those classes.

Ancient Foe (3 RP): An amoraq gains a +2 dodge bonus to AC against humans and a +2 racial bonus on combat maneuver checks made to grapple humans.

Racial Traits (DD)

Ability Score Increase: Your Strength score increases by 1, and your Charisma score increases by 2.

Size: Your size is Medium.

Speed: You are very clumsy and slow standing upright. Your base walking speed is 20 feet when standing on two feet, but when on all four legs your base walking speed is 40 feet. You cannot hold anything as a quadruped.

Darkvision: Because of your magical nature, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You cannot discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Frenzy (Recharges after a Short or a Long rest): An amoraq can go into a rage for 1 minute. He has advantage on melee attacks and disadvantage on ranged attacks during this time.

Beast Subrace

Dual-minded: An amoraq is proficient on all Wisdom saving throws.

Beauty Subrace

Charm Person (Recharges after a Short or a Long rest): An amoraq can cast Charm Person on an individual for 1 hour.

First Artwork Provided by Samuel Kambey
Second Artwork Provided by Patrick Reutz
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