Lion Kin (5e Race)

Lion Kin

Physical Description

A Lion Kin filled with primal determination, ready to face the savage jungle. (Image by Aaron Miller) Source

Standing tall, with the piercing gaze of a hunter, lion kin are a sight to behold. They are characterized by the resemblance to the animal called "the king of the jungle." Lion kin have bodily might, with muscles to spare. They are covered in fur. Their fur colors range in hues like the sands, Light yellows to dark tans and the occasional almost white. The males sport manes that add at least a few inches to their height. Though females lack the manes, they are taller and heftier than the males. The most entrancing thing about lion kin are their eyes. From yellow to blue to green, their eyes are deep, with a stare said to pierce the soul of any they look upon.

History

Lion kin's origin is best explained in their most treasured story, the Tail/Tale of Lion's Order. As the story goes...

The world grew too disorderly and the goddess of cats, Bast, couldn't stand the chaos. She resolved to create a champion to bring order into the world. Though to make a hero, a base was needed. Bast found the most suitable of her cats. The lion was strong, primal, and had established itself at the top of the food chain. Bast gave a lion human-like features, intelligence, and anatomy. She did, however, leave out the lawlessness of the human spirit. The first lion kin went out into the world, a hybrid of lion and man. It brought order in the chaos, directing all to become better. Bast created another lion kin of the opposite gender, as to let the race never die out. They are here to this day, a race of order in chaos.

Society

As lions travel together in prides, lion kin place great importance in social ties. Their communities consist of one or two families that live and travel as nomads in the same group. They follow the herds of animals, relying on the creatures for sustenance. Animals' migrational paths are one of the hardest studied subjects. They are governed by elders, the oldest of the group. Each individual makes it a personal mission to be acquainted with every last member of their community. This creates a stronger and more orderly group. Customs to honor lawful ancestors are strictly followed. Males braid their manes with intricate weaving to show honor. Females dye their fur with complex tattoos to give their respects. The use of this ornate art is said to please the ancestors. Tattoo and braid designs are adopted by each family.

Every aspect of daily life is associated with being the will of the gods. They see the choices of sentient minds as the only power beyond the gods' control. Deity worship, of Bast or otherwise, is central to every community.

Not all lion kin bother to associate with other civilizations. They prefer to keep to their own lawful ways in seclusion, meeting with others only to give counsel on how to be orderly and lawful. Those that do go to others succeed as natural leaders, rising in ranks as lions are in the food chain. Many lion kin are hired for their leadership abilities and integrate into armies as head officers, governments as leading officials, and other prestigious and mighty positions.

Lion Kin Names

Lion kin name their young after ancestors and family, keeping a name alive for hundreds of years in the same bloodline. In place of a surname, they take a title to tell a deed they've accomplished. An elder gives them this name when they reach adulthood.

Male: Aritt, Darin, Eldam, Jase, Rish, Tari, Vorti, Wiln

Female: Brynn, Ceru, Genri, Imri Maian, Tamil, Yemm

Deed Names: Chaos-Repeller, Eagle-Bonded, Gale-Speaker, Monster-Bane, Oak-Fell, Rock-Slasher, Shadow's-Fear, Trail-Forger, Valor-Tested

Lion Kin Traits

As mighty as the beast they resemble, no trial is too great for the Lion Kin.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2 and your Charisma score increases by 1.
Age. Lion kin live short yet heartily like lions. They reach maturity at the age of 12 and live for a bit over 70 years.
Alignment. Lion kin are naturally firm and loyal in their bonds to allies and homes. They almost always are lawful and orderly in their alignment, despite sides of good or evil.
Size. Lion kin are stout, never shorter than, and can reach well over, 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Mighty Roar. You can roar and scare creatures in the vicinity with your vocal power. As an action, each creature within 10-feet of you must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the end of your next turn or until they take damage. The DC for this saving throw is 10 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier. After you use your mighty roar, you can’t use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Lion’s Attributes. From your roots, some of your abilities are enhanced. You are proficient in the Stealth and Perception skills. In addition, you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Sharp Claws. Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier.
Bite. Your teeth are strong enough to make your bite a natural weapon. As an action, you can attack a creature within 5 feet of you. On a hit, the creature takes 1d4 piercing damage. If you knocked a target prone this turn, you can make this attack as a bonus action instead.
Languages. You can speak, read, and, write both Common and a dialect of Sylvan known as Leo-Speak. Leo-Speak is the dialect of the lion kin. It is comprised of rich usage of roars, purrs, and other feline sounds.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
6′ 0''	+2d8	160 lb.	× (1d4) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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