Future Character Option: Tribal PC's

[Meldread]

As my current PC has roughly a 75% chance of death this week or the next, I'm preparing for my next character.  This post is not for people who need characters immediately, but those who may be interested in joining me for a concept in the near future.  (Defined as a MINIMUM of two weeks from this posting.)

I am in the process of writing an application now to be a Spirit Shaman who shall eventually join the Stewards (a DM faction).  She will be from Chult and very tribalistic - devoted to "the Old Ways."  A core aspect of the character will be convincing others to return to "the Old Ways" through whatever means she feels are necessary or appropriate.

I'm probing to see if there are others out there interested in playing a similar concept.  If so, we'd all be members of the same tribe.  The tribe is non-canonical - we were just some savages chilling out in the jungle when we were snatched to Ymph by the Ziggurat.  Ideally, we'll all be arriving at the same time.

I have some fun concepts we can toss back and forth, especially for Sorcerer types who want to apply for the Bloodmage PrC.  

As well, keep in mind that the Stewards DM Faction is open to non-Druids.  A concept that should work with what I have in mind, should also be able to easily fit in the Steward's faction.

Additionally, I should point out that most monstrous races are acceptable.  (You could play a gnoll, kobold, goblin, troglodyte, ogre, werewolf, etc. - almost anything you can get approved.)

Our patron deity will most likely be Malar, although we'd view him in a different light than most - as "the Great Pard" - the spirit of the hunt.  The group's over all alignment will most likely fluctuate around TN / NE.  Cleric's really aren't acceptable as a concept - spiritual matters of the tribe are handled through "spirit shamans" (druids).

I am posting this in advance not only so we can toss around fun ideas surrounding our backgrounds, but also so we can get our applications ready, send them off, and have them approved so we don't have to wait before we can create our new characters.

If you hold an interest in any of this and can wait until my current PC bites the dust, then send me a PM on the forums (preferred - I am more likely to see it) or shoot me a message on IRC.

[Drakill Tannan]

Well, some time ago i made a druid, named Marik who was a malarite, he didn't get far because he got killed (by herbalism) and i got frustrated with him, so i played Wayne instead. But i remember i loved the concept of a Malarite druid.

I was thinking about maybe appling for a neutral evil malarite werewolf druid: wich would be the same character personality but less "civilised".

I'd love to try it out. You know, to be able to kill some things on my own for a change.

[politoed_]

It'd definitely be awesome to see more nature types floating about. I'd encourage any interested to consider what Meldread proposes, or even a stargazer to get involved, if I might shamelessly self-promote. There are already quite a few chars around more than willing to help.

[Thomas_Not_very_wise]

Join this concept.

[Pup]

As usual, when a great group concept comes around that I find intriguing my current char is just hitting his stride.  Good luck, and if something happens to my current char in the near future I'll see what this is all about.

[IxTheSpeedy]

This sounds very fun.  You should roast your slain enemies on a spit and devour their physical form to gain their power...

(Did that cross the line?...)   :)

[Drakill Tannan]

Malarites, pefrect excuse to emote bloody, gory, romantic grotesque scenes of murder.

Love it.

[UnholyWon]

See you in there buddy

[johanmaxon]

This sound interesting! I'd like to join you, depends on if I manage to survive with the char I have now...

[Meldread]

Like I said in my OP, I won't even begin this until my current PC dies.  Right now, I'm ironing out the concept still.  I may post something a bit latter that I've been working on in my spare time.

[Meldread]

This post contains two separate things.  First, it contains some basic background on Chult and its main Jungle.  Second, it contains information about the non-canon tribe that we will be apart of... it's subject to change based upon input by those interested.

This is mostly background fluff, to be used to build a character around.  It should be used to answer such questions as:  How did my character get involved with the tribe?  Did my character grow up as a member of the tribe, and if so what would life had been like?  What is it like living in the Jungles of Chult?  What is the tribe like?  Etc.  All of these questions should be answered.

However, again – nothing is set in stone.  We still have awhile to wait, and anything can change based upon the input given by those interested.

We will be part of the Mazhilawi Tribe, members of the Blood Fury Clan.  (Clan name subject to change based upon suggestions.)

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The Jungles of Chult[/u]

Chult is considered by most to be a backward, unsettled land of monsters, jungles, disease, and savages.  This isn't far from the truth.  Chult is one of the deadliest places on all of Toril, where every bush and vine is potentially a strangling, poisonous, or flesh-eating monster - and under that bush or behind those vines lurks a scaled, taloned, fanged monster just waiting to kill you.

The heat and humidity is incredible, and the insects are everywhere, clinging and stinging, their noise unceasing.  The trackless jungles are home to strange tribes of dwarves and scaly folk found nowhere else.  Land leeches, carnivorous plants, and giant slugs are all too common, and every serpent seems to be armed with deadly venom.

However, disease is by far the deadliest killer of Chult.  It is carried in the plants with stabbing spines, or in the hundreds of insect bites suffered in a typical day, or even borne by jungle mists.  Those who drink unboiled jungle water are almost certain to acquire some sort of disease or parasite before long.

For years explorers from all over Faerûn have flocked to Chult again and again in search of its fabled riches - which are by no means exaggerated in the slightest.  They come to claim its veins of gold, gems as large as a man's palm, and exotic plants that produce scores of poisons, perfumes and medicines; along with its huge jungle timbers and rubber trees.  They come for the riches and for slaves, arriving from as nearby as Amn, Tethyr, and Calimshan and as far away as Thay and Sembia.

Aside from the exotic jungle dwarves and scaly folk encountered, there are many tribal cultures of both man and monster.  The two most prolific are the Tabaxi and the Batiri.

The Tabaxi[/u]
Most humans native to Chult consider themselves part of the great tribe known as the Tabaxi.  This is not to say the scattered clan units recognize any central ruler; they do not.  Over the centuries the culture of the Tabaxi has dominated many other less expansive cultures.  Now, at this point in time, most of Chult finds itself peopled by men and women who share a common language and a somewhat uniform social structure.

While this presents some obvious benefits for the Tabaxi, it also makes them relatively suspicious of strangers and intolerant of people unfamiliar with their customs.  This unfriendliness is even more noticeable in villages near the coast, where slave traders often descend upon unaware Tabaxi and carry them off to a life of servitude and captivity.

This cultural homogenization began nearly two thousand years ago.  At that time the Tabaxi were already strong and influential, but nearly as powerful and as numerous were the Eshowe.  In a conflict that lasted nearly 300 years, a bloody war raged across the entire country between the two largest tribes.

The Eshowe, who were losing the war, released a monstrous and ancient evil from a valley deep in the jungle.  This creature - a shadow giant that devoured honor and courage - attacked the great Tabaxi Holy City of Mezro, nearly destroying it.

The cost of this assault proved absolute for the Eshowe.  Most of the tribe's greatest warriors were annihilated by the shadow giant, who turned on them once it was repulsed from Mezro.  The remaining Eshowe were eventually hunted down and slaughtered in a campaign led by Ras Nsi, one of the powerful protectors of the Holy City of Mezro.

Now, only a few secretive and secluded enclaves of Eshowe remain, as a reminder of the genocide.

The Batiri[/u]
After the destruction of the Eshowe, the Tabaxi went on to subsume most of the other human cultures in Chult. Yet the death of so many humans during the war opened the door for the Batiri, the bloodthirsty goblin tribes of Chult.

The Batiri live in clans of twenty five to two hundred members. They hunt and travel at night, moving from campsite to campsite throughout the jungle.  The clans are ruled by a queen, who holds her crown only so long as she can defend herself in arena combat against any and all challengers.  Her court moves along with her clan.

Each Batiri clan has a patron deity, to whom they offer sacrifices. These many gods, the Batiri believe, are represented in the jungle by the various monsters and species of dinosaurs. Each tribe has a particular creature to which it offers worship; for example, a clan may pray to Oogra, whose avatar is the stegosaurus. For a ritual, any stegosaurus will do. Obviously, this means religious ceremonies often hinge upon chance encounters with these beasts.

Clans sometimes name themselves after these deities, but just as many are identified by other titles. The Gouged Orbs are a particularly large clan, and very easy to identify. Upon reaching adulthood, each goblin ritually blinds itself in the eye of its choice.

Most intelligent creatures in Chult fear the Batiri. They are relentless trackers, skilled in jungle lore and the use of the bow and spear. Rumors that the goblins devour foes captured in raids are true, though their cannibalistic tendencies never extend to other Batiri. Such behavior is considered barbaric and brings a penalty of death.

The Mazhilawi[/u]
Deep in the deadly jungles of Chult life is a continual struggle, and only those mobile enough to scavenge and brutal enough to pillage can hope to survive.  The strong must prey upon the weak, and the weak must be either clever or quick to escape death.  The Batiri were not the only tribe to rise to fill the vacuum left by the Eshowe.  Although the Mazhilawi remain a small tribe compared to the Batiri and the Tabaxi it warrants a notable mention.  

The Mazhilawi no longer consider themselves human, but something between man and beast.  Indeed, their tribe has grown to encompass savage monsters of all races, and no longer consider any difference between them.  They consider their tribe the Chosen of the Great Pard.  They do not give him a name, for he takes many guises – mostly that of beasts.  In truth the Great Pard is Malar who long ago began to speak to a number of the Jungle Druids and managed to sway them away from the worship of Ubtao.  

Malar began his infiltration into the tribes of Chult nearly a century after the genocide of the Eshowe.  The Jungle Druids – who call themselves Spirit Shamans – turned away from Ubtao as they saw the faith eroding the "Old Ways" as the center of worship began to move away from the jungles and to the Holy City of Mezro.  They sought a more primitive and natural way of life.  

Constant strife between the clans that make up the Mazhilawi and the continual threat of the jungle have given rise to a brutal, barbaric culture.  This has caused the tribe to wax and wane over the centuries, preventing them from ever becoming truly dominant.  They believe the strong must prey upon the weak, and the weak must be either clever or quick to escape death.  To be weak is to die – the Mazhilawi test their children rigorously after birth, and any who cannot keep up are left to the mercies of the jungle.  Most Mazhilawi are warriors, and every Mazhilawi child learns the basics of spear or staff fighting as soon as they can stand.

They have not been forced to live as they do, they have chosen it.  While most would easily die within the jungles, the Mazhilawi have learned to thrive there, a testimony in their minds to their superiority and worthiness to the Great Pard.  Their god is one that hunts constantly, seeking to prey upon all – including them – and only the fiercest will be spared his hungry jaws – every member of the  Mazhilawi believes that his highest duty is to prove himself worthy.  Every day the jungles test their strength and will – if the Mazhilawi were to live in civilized lands, surely they would become as soft and weak as all the other civilized peoples.

Like the Tabaxi and the Batiri their tribe is divided into many different clans, each having its own leaders and slightly differing customs.  The leader of a clan is a Mozark, a functional warlord, who has command over all the warriors.  The Mozark is expected to personify all the clans virtues and ideals.  In practice, no Mozark can do this, but he should come close.

However, the true rulers of the clans are the Shaman, who prefer to remain behind the scenes.  They appoint the Mozark to his position, and have the power to remove him should he do poorly.  They serve as the Mozark's advisors, and act as the spiritual leaders of the tribe.  There are no clerics among the  Mazhilawi, and while their dedication is strong to the Great Pard, it is also to the greater balance of nature itself.  Like druids in other lands, the Spirit Shaman form a druidic circle, which communicate between the clans.  

The concept of the inner Fury is central to Mazhilawi thought.  It is the essence of the primal beast buried deep within the souls of all sentient beings.  It manifests in many ways, but most often is seen during the hunt and acts of bloodlust, but can also be channeled in other ways.  The Fury can never be tamed or chained, it can only be ridden.

All Mazhilawi have a highly developed sense of honor, which they see as a product of their Fury.  This  honor can be both gained and lost and is codified in the Alorawi, a tribal code of conduct maintained by the Shamans.  The greatest honor to be had for a Mazhilawi warrior is to subdue an enemy without killing him.  Any fool can kill, but it takes a great warrior to fell an enemy and let him live.  They value the hunt above all else.  However, there are many paths to gain Alorawi, each with its own measure and price, and each facet of life with its own paths.  All must seek their own honor through the code, and honor is valued above all else among the Mazhilawi.  It is the key to all status in the tribe.

However, losing Alorawi is as important to understand as gaining it.  Just as there are many paths to gain Alorawi, there is an equal (some might even say greater) number of ways to lose it.  Additionally, the paths to gain Alorawi do not necessarily indicate the ways to lose it.  For example, while you may gain Alorawi by subduing an enemy in battle, there is no loss of Alorawi for killing him - nor is there any true gain.  A true member of the Mazhilawi will do all in their power to avoid losing Alorawi, risking pain, injury or even death.  An example of a way to lose Alorawi is to take from the jungle without giving something back equal in measure.  If you harvest a plant to the point where it dies, you are expected to plant a new one (unless of course there are too many such plants in the area).  It is forbidden to kill females that are pregnant or who still must take care of young children.

To go against the Alorawi engenders a great deal of shame, for it is a break with custom or a violation of tradition, and a declaration to all that one is too weak to live by the ways of the  Mazhilawi, a fate that many regard as unthinkable.  

It is the combination of both the Alorawi and the Fury that transforms the Mazhilawi into such deadly warriors.  Life tests their dedication to the Alorawi and the hunt tests their Fury.  In time all actions are viewed as a hunt, and gives them the ability to constantly grow their Fury – for it is like a fire, if not cared for it will eventually smolder and burn out.  Non-Mazhilawi are viewed as weak of both will and body.  They're ignorant of the Old Ways and their Fury is all but non-existent.  The more civilized, in particular, are looked down upon.  The Alorawi has no guidelines or statements on how Non- Mazhilawi may be treated, and thus any ruse, deception, or brutality is perfectly acceptable:  indeed deception and cruelty are considered honorable means of dealing with weak beings.

Those not slain in battle are offered the chance to become part of the Mazhilawi through the process known as Weshana.  An individual made Weshana is considered little more than a child and is treated as such by the tribe.  It is seen as a process of 'rebirth' wherein the individual is to learn the ways of  Alorawi and the clan that captured them.  The Weshana are often mistaken for slaves or servants, but the Mazhilawi are quick to correct anyone with this mistaken impression.  The Weshana are there by choice, there are no cages, chains, no masters, or whips (though there may be forms of corporal punishment similar to those administered to children).  

It is forbidden to take a wizard, druid (shaman), cleric, paladin, sorcerer, children under the age of ten, or someone who refuses as Weshana.  Most Weshana are captured in raids, and are given the opportunity to join the tribe or a swift death.  This practice most likely developed as a means to increase the numbers of the Mazhilawi.  It is certain that it began through the capture of Tabaxi, but overtime has expanded to include other races as well.  

The Mazhilawi are nomads by nature, they settle for a time, raid the area and then move on.  Every  Mazhilawi is a member of a clan, a sub-devision of the greater Tribe, which is mostly comprised of a number of allied family groups.  The bond between Mazhilawi clansmen is the strongest in their culture – no Mazhilawi would ever willingly harm or betray the others of his Clan.  Most clans have only a few dozen members, although the largest clans number in the hundreds.  Every Clan has its allies and blood enemies among the others, although the patterns of trade, marriage alliance, friendship, and vendetta are constantly shifting.  Every clan also makes a living through raiding, taking goods and Weshana from anyone weaker than themselves.  The goods are consumed and the Weshana are eventually brought into the tribe as new members.  The Mazhilawi have no cities or villages, as such is forbidden by the Alorawi, but they do sometimes lay claim to caves or jungle groves which they mark with intricately carved runes and decorative designs.  These places are often fought over fiercely among the  Mazhilawi, as they are usually near very good areas for food or raiding.

While the Tabaxi would claim that the Mazhilawi are all wanton, barbaric savages that eat the flesh of their enemies and drink blood, these stories are exaggerations (if not outright lies).  The truth of the matter is that the Mazhilawi have a highly advanced tribal culture, rich in history, folklore, and art.  True equality exists between men and women, as well as between all races, for any who can prove themselves worthy in the harsh jungle is worthy of respect and power.  Poetry, storytelling, and music come easily to the Mazhilawi, and their festivals are wondrous (if a bit bloody) to behold.  

War is the only time the constraints of the Alorawi breaks down between the clans of the Mazhilawi.  Teketuarm, also known as a Blood War, is one of the Mazhilawi's most ancient traditions.  Wars are not to be confused with duels: battles between the clans are frequent, and governed by Alorawi.  Dire insults or crimes against a clan will, under certain conditions (which are, again, rigidly defined by  Alorawi) lead to Teketuarm.  There are precise rituals for declaring a Blood War, but once declared there are no rules, and the conflict turns as bloody as any raid against Non-Mazhilawi, if not more so.  Entire Clans have vanished because of Blood Wars, yet they must not always end cruelly.  Usually, within a few months of the Blood War's end, the two tribes are neutral toward each other again, resuming trade and possibly even becoming allies.  To the  Mazhilawi, War is a passionate diversion, like wine or song to the Elves, meant to be savored to the fullest, then set aside before it distracts them from the business of survival.

[Fliggin McButton]

I'm in

[Odith]

Epic

Epic