Jhaikan

Jhaikan are one of the seven original humanoid species. Hear it pronounced.

Traits

Jhaikan are synonymous with evil and brutal violence. They are used in stories to frighten children and adults. For jhaikan, dying outside of battle is dishonorable. They’ve tortured and killed more people than anyone. They are ferocious, antagonistic, driven to conquer, man-eaters, and certain death to anyone not trained in self-defense. They have keen smell, taste, and hearing but worse sight.

Jhaikan are notorious for their intelligence and strategic thinking. They’re only wise in the sense of understanding what people want and how to manipulate them, which they excel at. Their prodigious strength allows them to pick up and throw things like wagons, boulders, and even horses.

Appearance

Jhaikan have a large head dominated by a strong jaw, snout, and mouth full of serrated teeth that grow back within days if broken. Their flat nose’s keen sense of smell is aided by a black tongue. Beneath a strong, bony brow, two cold blue eyes can move independently like their cat-like ears. They seldom have hair.

Mature males are seven to nine tall, females slightly smaller. Jhaikan are powerfully built and can lift and even throw objects larger than themselves. Their toes and hands are tipped with retractable talons. Their hands can easily crush items and are their primary weapon. Jhaikan are the only humanoid species with a tail, topped with a talon. Their scaly hide is naturally brown and green but can camouflage them. In the wild, jhaikan eschew clothing.

Habitat

Jhaikan prefer forested land on mountains or hills. Trees let jhaikan surround prey. They can be found in any climate and often live in abandoned locations. In the few cities that allow jhaikan, they live in a quarter designed for them and which is heavily guarded.

Magic

Jhaikan rarely becomes wizards (those who need spells) because they lack patience and calmness. Sorcerers, who can perform magic by force of will, are more common. A jhaikan sorcerer is almost always lord of the horde and often unites other hordes under him or her. The worst uprisings among jhaikan are frequently caused by jhaikan sorcerers.

Gods

All species acknowledge Llurien’s twenty-eight gods. The four gods of the red sphere created kryll and heavily influence their outlook.

Okier, God of Rage, Storms, Earthquakes, Destruction, and the Patron of the Hostile

Okier inspires their energetic ferocity and love of violence. They exult in destruction. Their temper can interfere with their plans. They intimidate people with sheer menace and explosive power.

Loiria, Goddess of Cruelty, Pain, Hurt, Torture, Suffering, and the Patron of the Cruel

Jhaikan love causing pain and torture victims on and off the battlefield. Man-eaters, they prefer to eat people alive. They enjoy feeling pain, too, being incited to a frenzy by it. Their tolerance is high and they will hurt themselves on purpose.

Araiya, God of Strategy, Cunning, War, Manipulation, Conspiracy, Strife, Arguments, the Patron of Warriors

Araiya made jhaikan cunning masterminds of strategy. They are impossible to trust and specialize in the “long con” of trying to get humans to trust them. Jhaikan are so prone to argument that they often can’t cooperate with each other, so it’s only strong leaders (a lord of the horde) who can make them more band together.

Krairon, God of Domination, Authority, Command, Oppression, Intimidation, Control, Conquest, Ruler of the Dead

Every jhaikan wants to rule all of Llurien but have their own kind as the biggest obstacle, as few will bend the knee to another. They radiate a natural authority and command. Once in command, jhaikan become oppressive of dissent. They are driven to conquer.

Ideology

Jhaikan society is hierarchical and based on brutality, cunning, and military might. A sign of weakness results in a leader being usurped. In some jhaikan hordes, there is one leader and no other structure; in larger ones, a rigid structure exists, allowing individuals to attain various ranks and rise through them.

Combat

Jhaikan disable victims to prevent escape. A spear can be hurled straight through people. Improvising with objects as impromptu weapons for the occasion is something they look forward to and is the closest they get to being creative.

Non-jhaikan who kill a jhaikan in single combat can sever the head and carry it with them, earning safe passage from all other jhaikan attacks for three days; this time frame is not exact and is instead based on the amount of decay in the head. It is a sign of respect

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