Name: Daoine
Normal Life Expectancy: 0-10,000 years
Background: Ancient. Ancient is ways few could ever comprehend. Some say they existed before time itself. Others that they were of the First Races. This is... not exactly untrue; but the truth itself is far more. However, that truth is known only to the highest castes of the race; the nobility that see to the continuation of their people. A people of many and no one in particular; the race is less a race, and more an alliance. Multiple species came together in a time of great hardship to create an empire that lasted for eons without end. Ruling their world for generation came naturally; the rulers kept a loose grip on the people; allowed the various races to live as they would have normally; extending their power only when needed to keep the people safe. This system worked perfectly for longer then even the nobility could remember; until the final fall of the empire.
Not a war, nor an outside attack. A simple virus; new and unknown and from the lands beyond their control. A virus from the new species on the planet; humanity. Something that to the rest of the planet was mostly a mild annoyance; but ravaged the Daoine Empire with a speed never seen before. By the time a cure was found; it was too late. The Empire had fallen; the survivors had retreated to their ancestral homelands. The population had been decimated; less then 20% of the original population was left alive. It was enough to survive; but they never managed to build back to how they had been before. Too many species lost; to much destroyed; too much energy lost.
It was time to rest; and they took to their smaller lands with an almost joy. Now, they could work together better; see each other more. Dream together. The last two cities; the oldest in the Empire; they kept the people going as they transitioned into small villages and towns; changing from a city people back to a more agrarian way of life. Science and technology still flourished; they where far removed from the pre-tech and post-tech civilizations that existed elsewhere; having done that long ago. Tech was a tool, not a way of life. They had learned the balance of nature and technology long before; there was nothing to worry about now.
From there they enjoyed several generations of prosperity; slow growth and rediscovery of the lands they had once forsaken. It was a good time to be alive; a new age of mental growth and discovery. They focused on medicine and bio-technology in this era. While they had find a cure to the plague that nearly destroyed them; the entire race agreed that it could never happen again. With this in mind; they worked to enhance upon what nature had given them; they had long ago reached what was the end of their physical evolution on this world; it was why they had so much trouble adapting to the sickness at first. When a species stopped adapting; they died off. This was relearned the hard way. So now; it was time to kick start. Bio-augmentation, genetic tweaking, you name it. The only thing they didn't do was eugenics; the people where still free, they would not be told how to breed.
It was during this time that they reached the height of their scientific might. They had achieved the impossible; creating an entirely new race of beings from nothing. The pride of the race; the newest addition to their ranks. The species where known as nothing but what they where, the people. Part of them, as if they had always existed. Powerful; powerfully different; an attempt to bring the best of the primates into the People. Primates had never existing within the empire; long shunned after the bloody wars that gave rise to the Daoine. Now, the lesson was learned. To exist in world overrun by the hairless primates called humans; they would need to bring them into the fold. The new people; code-named "Biskmatar" where just that. The sum total of everything the people had ever known, brought to bare in creating new life. And they where perfect.
They never had a chance.
None of them did.
History caught up with them not long after the celebrations of their creation ended. A prophecy long forgotten; from the depths of their history. The old ways; the old masters. The forgotten gods; the progenitors of the race. Sleeping giants of power and terror. Long forgotten; unknown and unneeded for ages. Awoken, power brought to bare. A fight between two children of the highest nobility. Destruction born of pain and anger and fear. The end of the people; the end of their world. When the battle ended; nothing was left. Nothing but the combatants; ruins of the cities and towns and an entire race fallen. Or maybe... a small hope. The Biskmatar remained; children immune to the effects of the fight; the small spark of humanity within them protecting and allowing them to live on. And maybe a few more; mind-blind and far away; the strongest minds; the rare few who where able to resist the destruction. They wonder the world now; the descendants of those living Biskmatar and the last stragglers of the original peoples; living out the last of their lives and maybe, just maybe finding some solace in this world of humans and demons and strange peoples.
Special Abilities: Varies by sub-class.
Sub-Classes:
Mammalian
The largest overall of the sub-classes, this is widely varied group which can and does at times overlap with others. Anything that would be classically defined as a mammal falls here. (EX: canines, Mustelidae, cetaceans, etc.) Within this class, only true bat species have the ability to fly.
Avian
Smallest in number, these are the birds and proto-bird raptors. This is the only class outside of Mammalian Bat species that can fly; however this group also includes the large flightless and proto birds such as Ostrich and cassowary.
Reptile
Anything normally though of as a reptile, as well as the atavistic sauropods and raptors that appear rarely within the population. Turtles, snakes, crocodiles, etc are all found here. Atavistic sauropods and raptors are essentially dinosaurs and the warm-blooded mammal-like reptiles that pre-date the dinosaurs.
Aquatic
Anything that swims in the lakes, rivers, and seas of the world can be classified (at least partially) as an Aquatic. Fish, crustaceans, cephalopods, etc are all true aquatics; while the mammalian cetaceans (whales, dolphins, etc), Mustelidae of the Lutrinae subfamily (otters), amphibians, reptiles (turtles and diving lizards) are all considered semi-aquatics as they are mainly part of other sub-classes and do not breathe water as their primary form of respiration. Only True Aquatics can breath water naturally. All semi-aquatic and non-aquatics must 'learn' this ability.
Disadvantages:Varies by sub-class.
Strength Tables:
Mammalian
Large predators (Bears, Large Cats, Wolverines, etc) +5
Large Prey Animals (Moose, Elk, etc) +5
Smaller carnivores (Canines, smaller cats, Mustelidae, etc) +3
Small prey and other mammals + 1
Large Semi-Aquatic mammals (Whales) + 4
Small Semi-aquatic mammals (Dolphins, otters, etc) + 2
Avian
Raptors + 2
Large flightless birds (ostrich, emu, etc) + 3 when kicking ONLY. Otherwise + 1
Other avian + 1
Reptile
Limbless reptiles (snakes, etc) + 3 crushing power. otherwise + 1
Raptors, Atavistic reptiles, sauropods and other dinosaurs + 4
Semi-Aquatic reptiles + 1
Aquatics
In water
Smaller Fish +1
Larger Fish + 2
Crustaceans + 2
Cephalopods + 2
Other aquatic species + 1
Out of Water all True Aquatics are reduced to + 1 with the exception of Crustaceans, which retain their + 2 due to their exoskeleton support structures.
Speed Tables:
Mammalian
Large predators (Bears, Large Cats, Wolverines, etc) +3
Large Prey Animals (Moose, Elk, etc) +3
Smaller carnivores (Canines, smaller cats, Mustelidae, etc) +4
Small prey and other mammals + 3
Large Semi-Aquatic mammals (on land) (Whales) + 1
Large Semi-Aquatic mammals (in water) (Whales) + 3
Small Semi-aquatic mammals (on land) (Dolphins, otters, etc) + 1
Small Semi-aquatic mammals (in water) (Dolphins, otters, etc) + 4
**Cheetah and other species that are known to be EXCEPTIONALLY fast, and you are able to show proof (Wikipedia, etc) are treated as +5 speed.
Avian
Raptors + 3
Large flightless birds (ostrich, emu, etc) + 5
Other avian + 2
Reptile
Limbless reptiles (snakes, etc) + 1
Raptors, Atavistic reptiles, sauropods and other dinosaurs + 2
Semi-Aquatic reptiles (on land) + 1
Semi-Aquatic reptiles (in water) + 2
Aquatics
In water
Smaller Fish + 3
Larger Fish + 2
Crustaceans + 1
Cephalopods + 1
Other aquatic species + 1
On land, all true aquatics are reduced to + 0.
Disadvantage Template
All members of the race must fill this out individually. Your disadvantages must tie into the particular animal you choose as your base. Please don't copy someone else's template unless they have the same base animal as you, at which point you can argue that it is a species-wide trend. Because the speed and strength stats are set, don't use something like a random 'physical weakness/reduced speed', actually do some research on your animal and use that.
Name: (Obvious)
Type: (Physical, mental, other)
Description: (The more detailed, the better)
- Code:
-
[b]Name:[/b] (Obvious)
[b]Type:[/b] (Physical, mental, other)
[b]Description:[/b] (The more detailed, the better)
Special Customs: -