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View Full Version : Adlet, Dog-men [PF Race][Crossroads]



Admiral Squish
2013-06-03, 08:01 PM
Adlet
Designed for Crossroads: the New World (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=269334)

http://behance.vo.llnwd.net/profiles2/130174/projects/398136/1301741264105684.jpg

Personality: Adlet strictly adhere to their laws and customs. They’re very social, and make strong bonds with those they hunt and live with. They respect and obey their leaders, but only if those leaders have proven themselves worthy of obedience. Adlet customs can be somewhat disturbing to those unfamiliar with them.
Physical Description: Adlet have humanoid upper bodies, with dog-like legs and a slightly-curled tail. Their heads are mostly human, though their mouths are full of sharp teeth and their jaws are pulled out a bit into a short snout. Their bodies are covered in fur, which can be patterned in red and white, black and white, gray and white, brown and white, or more rarely, pure white. Their eyes are usually varying shades of brown. Adlet age at roughly the same rate as humans, but they are born in litters of two to four, with infants born blind. Females have a seasonal period of heat in which they’re receptive.
Relations: Adlet have clashed for many years with the humans and tuniit of the arctic regions, sometimes gaining ground, sometimes losing ground. In recent times, they’ve been losing more and more ground in the face of horse- and musket-equipped tribes from the south. Out of desperation, they began to align themselves with the inuit and the tuniit. Old feuds still simmer below the surface of their tenuous peace, and the differences in beliefs and practices cause friction where the races live together.
Alignment: Adlet are usually lawful, and most often neutral, more concerned with survival than ethics. Curiously, their culture has no taboo against cannibalism, viewing it as a way to allow the dead to live on through the rest of the tribe.
{table=head]|L|N|C
G|15|10|5
N|20|15|5
E|15|10|5[/table]
Adlet Lands: Adlet used to dwell in the furthest northern reaches of the great plains, but they’ve been pushed back by the horse tribes, disseminating somewhat into the forests of the arctic.
Religion: Adlet believe their people were created from the five half-dog children of Niviarsiang, an inuit woman, who mated with a great dog spirit. They regard a dog’s life as equal to an adlet’s or a human’s, and one who mistreats or abuses a dog is likely to face their wrath. The Adlet share many myths with their inuit mother’s people, but there are some distinct differences.
Language: The adlet language is based in cree, but modified through generations of separation. They can also use barks, growls, whines and whimpers to communicate on a very basic level with their canine brothers.
Names: Adlet get a descriptive name when they first open their eyes, which they are known by until they reach adulthood. They have a ceremonial hunt to be recognized as an adult, after which they are giving a name by the village priest.
Adventurers: Adlet adventurers are relatively common, usually hunters or shamans. Adlet are fiercely loyal to the party, even if they don’t necessarily agree with them in all cases.

+2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma. Adlet are fast, with sharp senses, but they’re rather intimidating.
Type: Adlet are monstrous humanoids.
Medium Size: Adlet are medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties based on size.
Fast Speed: Adlet have a base speed of 40 feet.
Darkvision: Adlet can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Bite: Adlet possess a natural bite attack that deals 1d4 points of damage.
Natural Armor: Adlet have a +1 natural armor bonus to AC.
Scent: Adlet have the scent ability.

Admiral Squish
2013-06-04, 09:24 AM
Adlet Culture:

Language: Adlet
Skills: Perception, Survival. Adlet hunt with all their senses, and are particularly skilled at following tracks and surviving in the wild.
Special: Adlet characters with the adlet culture can communicate on a very basic level with canines.

Description Adlet are tall, slim-built creatures, with long, sinewy arms and legs. They’re covered head to toe in warm fur, ranging from red to black to brown to gray, or even pure white. Their heads are somewhat drawn out front-to-back, with their sharp-toothed jaws extending into a short snout, and their cranium somewhat flatter and longer than a normal human’s. Their ears are longer than a human’s, and can swivel on their head. Females are slightly smaller than males.
Clothing Adlet clothing is generally somewhat sparse, since their fur provides for most of their warmth. The most common outfit consists of a vest with a hood, a loincloth, warm gloves, and boots, all made from supple leather and lined with fur. Most adlet wear a knife on their hip, usually carved of bone or ivory, thought chiefs or leaders may have iron weapons. They usually have more heavy garments for blizzards or the depths of winter, including thick capes that could be wrapped around them.
Grooming Adlet take careful care of their fur, keeping it neatly brushed and clean. They wash often in the spring and summer, at least once a month. During the winter they make do with regular brushings and the occasional licking. There‘s communal grooming during the winter, where family groups will gather together and brush out clumps and knots in each other. They occasionally wear jewelry and other ornaments of bone, leather, polished stones, or carved wood.
Psychology Adlet place survival of the pack above survival of any individual member. In a place like the arctic, where survival is a constant battle, this devotion to pack can be just the edge a pack needs to survive. The Adlet are predators, and the hunt is a major part of their life.
Life
Arts and Crafts Adlet view art as spiritually important but with little practical importance. Their shamans craft beautiful masks of wood, as well as totems and statuettes representing powerful spirits and creatures. All hunters learn the basics of how to craft their weapons, armor, and tools, though some are better at it than others. All adlet crafts are practical first, and aesthetically pleasing second.
Technology and Magic Adlet shamans use magic regularly, and the adlet in general accept the spiritual world and magic as a part of life, but it’s not a central focus of their lives. Most adlet put more faith in the physical world, things they can see, smell, and touch, than anything immaterial. The adlet were perfectly happy using bows and arrows and stone weapons, but advancing technology is forcing them to adapt to keep up with the competition, driving many to begin to learn how to use guns and iron weapons, though most tribes still resist the use of horses.
Love Adlet, despite their usually practical view on things, seem to have an understanding with the irrational nature of love. Adlet females go into heat once a year, during the summer. During this time, the unmated males of the tribes leave, seeking out other villages, other tribes, seeking out potential mates. When they find a female, the courtship process is short, and extremely intense. The term ‘puppy love’ is particularly appropriate here. When a male decides to make the commitment, which usually doesn’t take more than a week, the male goes out on a hunt, and brings back the most impressive kill he can to demonstrate his ability to provide for his mate. If the female accept, the male moves in with the new tribe, and the two become a mated pair, with a short ceremony. For whatever reason, the bonds formed in this short courtship are extremely strong, and attempting to harm an adlet’s mate invites the fury of both spouses. If an adlet dies, their spouse usually does not mate again.
War Adlet go to war in much the same way as most natives do, though adlet are generally more willing to make war than most tribes, particularly if they feel their pack is threatened. Adlet also tend to be more focused on the kill when it comes to war. It’s adlet custom to eat the throat of a fallen foe, to take some of their strength with you. This has helped to give the adlet their bloodthirsty image.
DeathWhen an adlet dies, it is a sad affair all around. The pack mourns the dead for three full days before the funeral, where the pack gathers together and eats the flesh of the fallen, before burying the bones and inedible organs. They believe that by consuming the flesh of the fallen, they allow the dead of the pack to live on through their surviving family. An adlet gone uneaten is believed to just rot, their soul simply vanishing into the dark, or worse, coming back to haunt the mortal world.
Society and Culture The adlet culture revolves around the group known as the pack. A pack is a family group, including related females, their children, and married-in males. The females share a bond of blood, but the males bond through shared hardship when they go hunting. The pack can also refer to the individuals an adlet views as family, their closest friends and companions, though for most adlet, the two are the same group. Some adlet have a family pack and a friend pack, but these are usually those who live in more urban areas.
Leadership Pack leadership is generally held by the oldest mated pair in the pack. The male holds authority over matters of the hunt, and the female has authority over matters of the homestead. On the tribal level, the pack leaders and tribal shamans hold a council to decide major issues.
Social Structure Below the elders, adlet packs have a strict social hierarchy, with all members of the pack generally being aware of their position within it. Movement within the hierarchy is relatively uncommon. At the top are the best at their jobs, with the rest falling into line behind them.
Family Adlet view family as extremely important. The main unit of a family is the mated pair and their children. However, these adlet family groups have a tendency blend together into the pack, and the children are watched over by everyone in the pack.
TraditionsTraditionally, the adlet hold that a dog‘s life is equal to a human‘s, and as such they are treated as equals. Almost every pack has a handful of dogs that are, essentially, part of the pack. The dogs share the pack‘s food and shelter, and are expected to work for it, helping with the hunt and helping the pack move when food becomes scares, pulling sleds and A-frames.
Other Races Adlet have a long history of clashes with the tuniit and the inuit. These clashes are usually bloody, though short, and of late have ended in the adlet’s loss more often than not. The adlet have a resentment for their southern natives, the native tribes that have pushed them from the plains with their guns and horses, driving the dog-folk deeper into the woods. Recently the adlet have been mending fences with the tuniit and inuit, trading more freely and even fighting together against the Europeans.
Religion The Adlet revere a wide variety of spirits, but the progenitors of their race receive special treatment. Niviarsiang, the mother, and Nertuerk, the great dog.
History and Folklore Long ago, the Adlet were born from the union of Niviarsiang and Nertuerk. Five of the children were adlet, one of each color, and the other five were pure dog. Niviarsiang’s father slew the dogs, and Niviarsiang, fearing for her other children, fled from the shore and moved inland with her newborns. From these five adlet, all modern adlet are supposedly descended.
Language Adlet language is very similar to Inuinnaqtun, but separated by many generations of speakers. In addition, an adlet can vocalize like a dog and understand the sounds of dogs, allowing them to communicate on a very basic level with dogs and other canines.
Phrasebook (WIP)
Written Language Adlet hasn’t had a written alphabet for most of it’s existence, but recently the adlet have adopted the runic system learned from the Vikings, as part of the recent rash of trading with the inuit and tuniit.
Names Adlet names are two parts, a personal name, and a pack name. The personal name is physically descriptive until they reach maturity, after which it changes to match their greatest deeds.
Cities and Settlements Adlet only really have one permanent settlement, on the narrow strip of land between two large lakes, east of the northernmost parts of the plains, known by the name of Adletmuit. This is where the most powerful elders and shamans meet in times of great turbulence and trouble.
Most settlements consist of easily-movable tents. Each pack sets up their tents in a C-shape, the opening facing toward a central area, shared by all the packs in the tribe.
Economy Adlet mostly trade furs, antler, weapons, and in some cases magical services. In exchange, they take more advanced weapons, farmed foods, and the occasional luxury goods.
Example city (WIP)
Creating Adlet Characters Adlet characters aren’t particularly complicated to play, so the way to make a truly great adlet character is through the depth of play. Most commonly an adlet character is a hunter, as it’s by far the most common profession for an adlet. But one could achieve a unique character by creating an adlet shaman, or a druid. An adlet gunslinger could be an early adopter of the new technology.
An adlet character’s high speed and dexterity bonus make them ideal as a ranged attackers, and their bite attack means an adlet with a ranged attack remains a threat even if enemies manage to get in close.
Special Adlet Options: (WIP)
Adlet as Characters:(WIP)


Reserved for feats

SuperDave
2013-06-07, 07:09 AM
I really like these guys. It's obvious that you've given them a lot of loving care and thought, much more than the makers of Pathfinder ever did. I'd be perfectly happy to play as one of these guys, or have one in my party.

Does their bite attack scale with level? It could be based on Hit Dice, or Strength modifier. I just feel that at higher levels, 1d4 is gonna be pretty useless, even during a grapple.

I found a portrait for them. It's kinda small, and not really badass, but I think it captures their human side nicely:
http://www.mythicalcreatureslist.com/images/small/small476.jpg
Or there's this, though it makes them look like angry loner werewolves:
http://erpsa.e.r.pic.centerblog.net/o/0e7d24a5.jpg

Admiral Squish
2013-06-08, 08:34 PM
Well, I did have to do a lot of thinking about 'em to write up the culture. It's easy with the right questions to ask.

The bite attack is a natural weapon. 1d4 is the base damage. You add strength to the damage and you can get other feats/spells to further increase it. Essentially, you treat it like a normal weapon. 1d4's not so bad, it's like a dagger, but you don't need a free hand, you can do it in sequence with your normal attacks, and it can't be disarmed or taken away.

I saw those pictures, actually, but neither of them quite fit. The problem is, all my searches for 'adlet' just come up with semi-generic werewolf images.

SuperDave
2013-06-15, 04:43 PM
I found an artist on DeviantART called darknatasha (http://darknatasha.deviantart.com/), who does a lot of work with Arctic animals (bears, wolves, foxes, otters, etc.). This may be useful for other races/beasts of Tuniitaq as well.

http://fsa.zedge.net/scale.php?img=NC83LzcvOC8xLTU2MjQyMC00Nzc4MjE0Lmpw Zw&ctype=1&v=4&q=81&xs=620&ys=383&sig=74d3c60776c95b2619d1dbb86f54be6c449c63ea

http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs4/i/2004/219/6/e/Tundra_Phantom.jpg

http://darknatasha.com/animals/images/Morningwatch.jpg

http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2012/268/6/0/hunting_grounds_werewolf_calendar_by_darknatasha-d5fuyj4.jpg

SuperDave
2013-06-17, 02:34 PM
OK, maybe the others I posted aren't so great. They're more werewolf-y than truly Adlet. But I've found a better one:
http://behance.vo.llnwd.net/profiles2/130174/projects/398136/1301741264105684.jpg

Admiral Squish
2013-06-17, 02:46 PM
Okay, that last one looks more like what I'm looking for.

SuperDave
2013-06-20, 09:47 AM
Where do these guys live, exactly? I think they're originally from the folklore of Greenland natives, but your entry says their language is based on Cree, which would indicate they live anywhere from the Canadian Great Plains to modern-day Quebec.

Admiral Squish
2013-06-21, 03:15 PM
Well, myths about adlet were actually used to refer to everyone who's not inuit. At first, the myths just referred to inland tribes of native americans, but then eventually extended to cover europeans as well.

I beleive I mentioned the exact location in the entry somewhere. They used to live on the northern edge of the great plains, but then they were pushed north and east, into the woodlands surrounding the point. They occupy a crescent-shaped section of forest around the great plains.

SuperDave
2013-11-18, 08:26 AM
Question: How would the Adlet (or an individual Adlet) feel upon encountering European werewolves or Loup-Garou for the first time? Kinship? Respect? Disgust? Horror?

MonochromeTiger
2013-11-18, 09:41 PM
a couple questions on this, first being is there any plan of the adlet cold immunity, fire weakness, or breath ability that were part of the adlet bestiary entry? second also pertaining to the bestiary entry why the change from chaotic to lawful as the most common alignment?