Sanujae (5e Race)

Sanujae

Physical Description

Sanujae are small furry humanoids, though they resemble squirrels much more than any other sentient race. Short hair covers their entire body, save the long fluffy fur on their tail. Sanujae come in two varieties, red and grey. There are very few differences between them, the only ones of note being fur color and height difference. Most grey sanujae tend to be slightly taller than red.

History

Sanujae are extremely reclusive to the outside world, but lead extremely active social lives within their hometown or city. They love to flaunt the accomplishments of their kind and thus some braver souls have spread far and wide to spread word of them.

Almost none of their early history was recorded, and royalty like to use this as proof that the sanujae have, for as long as anyone can remember, always the proud and sophisticated people they are now. Other races, however, have no shortage of records portraying them as a ruthless and solitary warband. It is said they finally settled down and began truly advancing themselves after their great loss to a hobgoblin warlord. From then on their raids on nearby caravans and villages came to a halt, though they retained their reclusiveness.

Society

Although considered weak and even cute by other races, sanujae are actually courageous warriors on par with dwarves in tenacity. They have a hierarchical society, where the strongest warriors are held as leaders and are served by weaker and less prestigious folk. They create sprawling kingdoms in the treetops, deep in the heart of forests. Each sanujae feels they must prove themselves useful to society in some manner, with many striving to lead or rule in some way.

One of the most important things in sanujae society is honor, even going so far as to fight decades long wars to protect it. They have a strict cultural ranking system in place, especially evident in their cities. The most honorable and respected members of society are their lords, kings, and emperors, or Omo, followed by the wandering peacekeeping warriors they call Kuma. Sanujae make no distinction between Omo, meaning all lords, kings, and emperors are equal in their eyes. This can get them into trouble when visiting kingdoms of other races if they have not learned of the distinction. Becoming an Omo isn't based on blood like many other races tend to do; instead the current Omo chooses an heir from among the greatest warriors and craftspeople in their society. This chosen heir is then treated as a Kuma (whether they were before or not) and trained to replace the Omo once they step down or die. Anyone may be chosen for this honor, leading many Serebu to try and join the army in an attempt to raise their status. There have even been a few non-sanujae Omo, though they were rare and controversial to say the least.

Kuma are peacekeepers, people appointed to protect and serve. They may stay close to the the Omo they are appointed by but many opt to wander, using their elevated status to see the world. Kuma are rare, as they are usually appointed by Omo and their Oshi directly. Being given the rank of Kuma is an honor only those who have already achieved great feats are granted. This is the only thing that binds Kuma, as they can be extremely different. One may be a great warrior, another a master tactician, a great scholar, or even a legendary diplomat.

Oshi are mentors to an Omo, and usually live with them if they have a home large enough. There are traditionally twelve Oshi assigned to an Omo, each an expert in a particular topic. These topics vary greatly depending on the needs and interests of the people.

Tenken are the warriors of sanujae cities. All Tenken are treated equally, regardless of specialty. Oshi and Kuma are appointed as generals when needed, but if there are too few or the army is too large temporary generals called Cho Tenken will be appointed until no longer needed.

Chukan are the middle and largest class of the sanujae, made up of workers and craftspeople. Sanujae are expert leatherworkers and woodcarvers; because of this and their small size they prefer to make armor out of these materials instead of metal, which they save for weaponry.

Hoka are a special class created relatively recently. Any non-sanujae just visiting a city are given this name as a sort of temporary protection. Not so long ago outsiders weren't allowed inside sanujae cities at all. Once the usefulness of inter-species trade was recognized, Hoka were added to the ranking system to give legitimacy to their presence.

Serebu are the lowest class, but are not seen as disposable as many other races may view their slaves. Instead, they are seen more as loyal servants of the family they attend to. Because of this, many Serebu have their last names revoked and replaced with the first name of the family they serve. Many Serebu are red sanujae, as their smaller stature makes grey sanujae feel superior to them.

-Omo (Kings, Emperors)

-Kuma(Peacekeepers)

-Oshi (Advisers to Omo)

-Tenken (Soldiers)

-Chukan (Workers)

-Hoka (Foreigners, Outsiders)

-Serebu (Slaves, Indentured Servants)

Sanujae Names

Sanujae have a long list of traditional names, normally given the name of a grandparent. Last names are simply the name of the kingdom they were born in or were raised closest to. An individual may choose to change their last name if they find great respect for a new home, become a ruler, or other circumstances warrant it.

Male: Oishi, Fukui, Matsutani, Ose, Umeji, Hirai

Female: Ida, Namba, Jo, Akibara, Izumo, Morine

Kingdom Names: Rie, Satoko, Tomomi, Gihei, Sotatsu, Hiroya

Sanujae Traits

Sanujae are small squirrel people with an honorable martial society.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Constitution score increases by 1.
Age. Sanujae have rather short lives, considered adults at 5 years old and living only 35 to 45 years.
Alignment. Sanujae emphasize honor and leadership, causing most of them to lean towards Lawful alignments.
Size. Sanujae technically come in two species, red and grey. There are very few differences between the two other than coloration, but grey sanujae also tend to be taller than red. Red sanujae are between 2 ½ and 3 feet tall, and grey stand from 3 to 3 ½ feet tall. Your size is Small.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet. You also have a climbing speed of 25 feet.
Utilitarian. You gain proficiency in one of the following skills: Survival, Nature, Stealth, Sleight of Hand, or Acrobatics.
Keen Hearing. You have advantage on Perception checks that rely on hearing.
Martial Society. You are proficient with the spear, shortbow, shortsword, and rapier.
Armored Combatant. You are proficient in light and medium armor.
Apprenticeship. You gain proficiency in your choice of artisan's tools.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Sanujae and Common. Sanujae script is made up of symbols called Kaii, which are reminiscent of both Dwarvish and Elvish scripts. It fuses the blocky character design of Dwarven runes with the light, flowing touch of Elvish script. It likely evolved to be this way due to sanujae using knives to carve messages quickly into the bark of trees.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
2′ 4''	+1d12	20 lb.	× (1d4) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

Suggested Characteristics

When creating a sanujae character, you can use the following table of traits, ideals, bonds and flaws to help flesh out your character. Use these tables in addition to or in place of your background's characteristics.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I enjoy singing quietly as I work.
2	I yearn for the olden days, when things were simpler.
3	I have very high standards for food, drink, and entertainment.
4	I'm very interested, though uninformed, in the culture of other races.
5	I will take any chance I can get to prove my worth as a warrior.
6	I constantly look to achieve a great feat to be recognized for.
7	I study and practice something incessantly, hoping to become the best at it.
8	I polish my weapons and equipment every chance I get to look more professional.

d6	Ideal
1	Strength. I must be strong to prove my worth. (Any)
2	Loyalty. Remain true to those around you. (Lawful)
3	Community. It is the duty of all people to strengthen the bonds of community and the security of civilization. (Lawful)
4	Power. The only thing worth living for is controlling others. (Evil)
5	Idealism. I need to rule to make life better for those under me. (Good)
6	Obedience. Nothing is more important than following orders. (Lawful)

d6	Bond
1	Everything I do is for the glory of my home.
2	I am indebted to a Kuma who saved my life.
3	I was disgraced and lost my status a long time ago.
4	I'll never forgive myself for the defeat my battalion suffered.
5	I look to free any slave I see.
6	I was taught my craft by a well respected Oshi.

d6	Flaw
1	I tend to see members of other races as beneath me.
2	I have little respect for anyone who isn't a proven warrior.
3	I obey the law to the letter, even if it causes misery.
4	I made a terrible mistake in battle, costing many lives. I'll do anything to keep it secret.
5	I am easily swayed by the promise of glory.
6	I am slow to trust members of other races and societies.

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