Guldarine (3.5e Race)
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Guldarine
In truth, 'guldarine' [GULL-da-reen] is the term for the race overall; there are several different subraces, all with different attributes to make them unique. Also in truth, these are based on Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time races and various groups of Pokemon. On a side note, the singular form of the race name is 'guldarin' [GULL-da-rin]. Most species of guldarine are quite friendly, though somewhat mischievous. They have many oddities and habits similar to other humanoid creatures, which I will get into later on.
The subraces are as follows (I will link to their entries when I make them):
- Guldarine, Burghal (3.5e Race) - the 'common' city-dwelling guldarine
- Guldarine, Palisade (3.5e Race) - the giant mountainous species
- Guldarine, Coppice (3.5e Race) - the tiny forest-dwelling creatures
- Guldarine, Caliginous (3.5e Race) - the evil ones in the Underdark
Personality
One of the most notable features of guldarine is their mating style; the females, who are the leaders of the clan, can, and usually do, have two mates. The primary, or 'husband', is very obedient, and is responsible for gathering non-hunted food, finding and/or making shelter and safe living, appeasing an angry female, and making babies. This mate is lifelong, staying at his mate's side forever. The secondary mate, the 'boyfriend', if you will, is free to go if he chooses, though usually it is the female making such a choice. He is almost universally less obedient (and more aggravating because of this) because of his known disposable station. This one is responsible mostly for entertainment, in various ways as the female desires. While he can make pups without issue, once the child is old enough, it is either cast out to fend for itself, or, usually at a younger age, sent to an orphanage.
As mentioned, a female guldarin is in charge of the clan. Her oldest daughter is the heir to her 'throne', much like hyenas, though not nearly as vicious, except in the case of the caliginous, talked about in its own race entry. Both genders hunt, but the alpha female and her daughters always get first dibs to eat, though they always insure the rest has enough as well. The higher ranking males gather food that is not hunted, as mentioned, and harvest the food farmed throughout the year, if not a wandering clan. Occasionally, a clan will scavenge for food, though this is not a trait of the burghal. All, however, have terrible table manners.
Guldarine show affection in much the same way as humans, with caressing, cuddling, kissing, and holding hands being quite common. The ears and tail are sensitive places, good to touch if close to a person, namely in a romantic way. Families, friends, and lovers are treated mostly the same way as humans; there is really not much to get into here, so I won't. They also raise animals as both food and pets, the variety of both such animals being great.
All guldarine have a notorious obsession with shiny or glowing objects. No one knows why, but if they see it, they surely must have it, by any way possible. However, they are not so insistent to put themselves or allies in danger. Another 'notable feature', and quite a well-known one as well, is the universal possession of at least one phobia. All of these creatures have something that they are absolutely terrified of, sometimes rightfully so, but usually for no reason at all, and is often something strange, unusual, or rather hilarious. It is some people's goal to find out one fear of every guldarin they meet.
Physical Description
Guldarine are fairly humanoid, standing on two legs, having pretty dextrous hands, and forward-facing eyes, and even lips. Other than that, they are a bit of an amalgam of other types of critters. Their bodies are covered in fine, smooth, snake-like scales, while the tops of their heads, their tails, and from the knees down is (sometimes, in the case of tail and legs) covered in hair. Not fur, mind you. On their head, hair is just like most creatures with hair; it can be silky or dry, long, short, etc. Their tail and leg hair though is often rougher, and can stiffen when needed to let in cool air if they're too hot, which also makes it a bit lighter, as well as getting to a certain length and will not grow longer. These latter two areas, in the warm months of the year, lose their hair, in places at a time. In summer, the only hair on a guldarin is on the head. In autumn, they start growing leg hair. In winter, it is the tail's turn, and in spring, the leg hair starts falling out. They can bald just like humans in any of these places. Now on to shapes. Their face is sort of elongated and almost lizard-y, with two sets of slitted nostrils and a somewhat wide mouth. Their lips are only present on the forward-most section of mouth. Eyes are rather large, but otherwise typical almond-shape. Ears are long and thin, usually droopy, and sometimes also have some hair on the tips. Teeth are omnivorous, with large canines, and they have a short forked tongue. It is possible, though extremely rare, for an individual to have two tongues, but they have a horrid lisp, and dislike talking at all.
The torso is shaped the same as humanoids, with breasts for women and bellybuttons, though they have no nipples and generally stay pretty thin, even if sedentary and gluttonous, thanks to their reptilian... genes. It is said they were created when a reptile and a mammal mated, which is why they have traits of both, but no one really knows. Anyway, females have three fingers and a thumb, while males only have two fingers and a thumb. On their backs sit a small, useless pair of wings. These can be of any variety one can think of, but always small and useless. A somewhat thin tail, not very long, but not particularly short, sprouts from right above the derriere, and is always striped with thick black lines. Their feet are digitigrade (stand on their toes, like dogs), with three clawed toes, innermost being largest and getting smaller as they go out, and a gigantic retractable dewclaw on the inside of the foot. When extended, this claw points backward, otherwise it sits, bulging, next to the foot, inside its sheath, only the tip sticking out.
Colors. This is a fun subject, yet can be complicated. Hair can naturally be any color of the rainbow, and even have stripes of other colors in it. Scales are generally dependent on the type of guldarin. Eyes can be any color as well, with all three parts being colored, but have to be in a combination that a human cannot have - meaning, if the iris is blue, either the sclera (white part) is not white, or the pupil is not black, or both. The iris also glows, as do the claws. If an individual is blind, the entire eye is one color - this does not mean, however, that an individual with single colored eyes is blind. It is not a vice-versa situation. This is where it gets interesting. The 'white' of the eye is the same color as both the teeth and bones of the creature. Tender skin, lips (only on females), and organs are the same color as the iris. Blood is the same color as the claws.
A single female will typically have three or four pups in her lifetime, laid as eggs, conceived like humans. They develop for three months inside the womb, then are laid and spend four months in the egg before hatching. The female temporarily grows nipples to nurse the child for one year.
A couple of last notes, most subraces cannot swim, most cannot breathe underwater... literally. If you hold a glass of water over one's head, it cannot breathe, except for the caliginous, which can breathe under a glass and submerged. All can, however, hold their breaths for much, much longer than most creatures. Boreal are the only ones that can swim, though. Also, all but burghal have a beast form, talked about in the separate entries.
Relations
Often, this depends on which subrace one is interacting with. Most are pretty friendly, though they might be suspicious of unknown people, and especially of a race or species they have never encountered before. Some are territorial, but this will be specified in each subrace's entry.
Alignment
This depends on the subrace.
Lands
This is probably the biggest thing that depends on what kind of guldarin.
Religion
Most species do not venerate one god over another, but rather give small prayers either to many for different occasions, or to spirits or various parts of nature. This depends on the type though.
Language
All speak a sort of fast-paced, catlike language called Guldine [gull-DEEN]. It is not particularly hard to learn, but most guldarin teachers of the language are impatient and may move on before one is caught up. Secondary languages depend on which subrace they are.
Names
Depends mostly on the subrace.
Racial Traits
These vary greatly for each subrace.
Vital Statistics
Size also varies greatly with type, though age is about the same for all. Reference should be taken directly from the subrace's entry, for there are differences in a couple of side notes. Numbers are the same though.
Adulthood | Simple | Moderate | Complex |
---|---|---|---|
30 years | +1d6 | +3d6 | +6d6 |
Middle Age1 | Old2 | Venerable3 | Maximum Age | |
---|---|---|---|---|
85 years | 230 years | 320 years | +10d10 years | |
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