Sith-makar
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A People Forgotten
Around central fires, the Keepers tell stories of the People's origins. They say the Tyrant of Dragons took fire and scale from his powerful beasts and spun the Children of Flame into being. They say they were born as slaves to the Tyrant's dragon servants. A second version says that long ago, the Tyrant fought a Primal Dragon. Unable to destroy him, he instead shattered it into millions of pieces, which became the Children of Flame. In each tale however, their wings were rent from them and they found themselves slaves for generations. The Keepers of Memory place these events as the early years of the Second Age, after the passing of the Time of Glaciers.
However, Alumivoritax saw this was wrong, and her Tears fell upon the earth. It was she, the Keepers sing, who first rose against the Tyrant's forces. The great Silver Dragon cut them with her mighty claws, and it is she whose name is to be chanted at Fires until the last of the Children has drawn breath.
Though weakened, Alumivoritax and other dragons of Light swept them away where no one could find them. The Tyrant raged, but they hid the Children so deeply within Am'shere's covering branches that the Children of Flame were forgotten by the world. And likewise, they forgot the world.
Until 100 years ago, the Children of the Flame remained unknown.
During this time, the Children by and large forgot their heritage, and lost the power of their blood. Alone among them, because of their keeper-caste, the sith-makar remembered the truth of their making. For years, the keepers had chanted their histories in Fire and Flame. Their caste is charged with never forgetting.
A People Rediscovered
Yet, as well as Alumivoritax hid them, the children of the Tyrant would eventually find them. Charn, seeking power and resources, ripped holes into the ether. They found a jungle and its people lush with what it saw as untapped resources.
The Charneth enslaved and burned--using the Children in experiments, or fodder for their shock troops. The Clans' sacred spaces they would see as untapped wonders, and set about to conquer them.
After their initial shock, the disparate Clans of Flame united briefly. Ko-jodakh, Nar-sektoth, and the Sith-makar drew fang and claw. They ousted the Charneth from much of their homeland. Charn's actions would set the Children's view of "softskins" for years to come.
A People Awakened
With details that remain shrouded in secrecy, the sith-makar Awakened their own blood. Their blood Awoke with a great roar that was felt across their tribes, and the Memory of Blood came to life within them. Adults found themselves transformed, and each new hatching came with shining scale. Some among them breathed fire, or ice. Others carried with them the terror of their ancestor-races, or their strength of scent and scale.
Alone among the remaining Children, the sith-makar found and embraced the strength of their lost heritage, but as free beings.
With this strength they faced Charn, and drove them off a second time. The Keepers of Memory tell of this victory as a turning point in sith-makar history.
The Awakening was primarily an Am'sheri event; without the keeper caste it would not have happened. This has left those few sith-makar who existed outside somewhat bereft and lacking in their race's magic and knowledge.
Modern Threats
As the other Clans returned to their lives, the sith-makar took a different path. Today, they look not backwards, but forwards. They are not ruled by their history of slavery; they work actively to establish their rights within the world.
Their Empress, descendant of the Great Silver, sends the People outwards to learn of the outside world, to bring back what is useful so that it may be adapted to the People's ways, and to establish ties with other cultures. Thanks to their efforts, Charn's influence upon the jungle wanes, and other cultures have begun to recognize them. Like the oruch, they face perceptions of the outside world, where other cultures may see them as backwards and uncivilized. This suits some sith-makar just fine, as it is a means of preserving the depth of ritual and magic that protects them.
Their first and noted alliance is with the druidic union of Alexandros. They have begun to reach out to other druidic communities and their exotic caravans are quick to draw crowds. They also possess a Treaty with Alexandros, the first of its kind.
Physical Description
Among Awakened sith-makar, the race often displays a mixture of draconic bloodlines combined with their sauran ancestry. Overall, there is no one universal look for them: the bloodline has been so mixed and diluted over the years that though certain traits may dominate, the bloodlines mix among them in a way that is truly exotic and unique.
As a race, they are large and, due to their reptilian nature, physically imposing but deceptively fast on their feet, with long tails to counterbalance them, and at times horns or dramatic, colorful frills that often accent their speech. Their scales are reptilian and tough; lending the name "softskins" or "nonscaled" to those of gentler heritage. Their unique features can play a distinctive role in their communication: their heritage is a language based on old draconic, whose original speakers possessed similar traits.
Beauty among them is alien to most humans. A sith-makar might compliment another on scale-color or sharpened jaws, as good weaponry and defenses are desirable traits. There is otherwise little difference between the males and females of the race, and outsiders have trouble telling them apart. This amuses some sith-makar to no end. Also, not being mammals, they lack boobs, udders, or fatty deposits.
Since the Awakening was conducted within Am'shere, those outside of it received fewer benefits; these sith-makar tend to possess a less draconic look.
Sith-makar are comparable in size to half-orcs, being somewhat taller then humans, possibly even approaching seven feet in height.
Society and Lands
Although tribes vary in the details of their customs, the sith-makar possess enough in common to treat them as a united people, if roughly so. The reasons for this are deeply rooted in their psychology and history.
Over all tribes is the Silver Empress. The Silver Empress is said to be a direct descendant of the Great Silver, who freed them from slavery. Because of this, she receives great honor and respect among their culture. She has ruled for generations--an unusual lifespan, even for the sith-makar.
Sith politics are matriarchial in nature. This is due both to the protection of the young as well as the legend of the Silver Dragon.
Central to their culture are tribe and caste. Technology-wise, think similar to the Aztec or Maya. Am'shere is wild yet beautiful, and ziggurats and great structures dot its landscape.
Tribes: Sith-makar society spans across Am'shere and consists of many tribes. Tribe leadership is usually female, though this is not always so. Tribe leaders are aided by groups of caste-elders, those sith-makar considered learned within their caste. Castes possess several caste elders.
Every sith-makar tribe possess a central Fire. The Fire represents their heritage.
Castes: Sith-makar choose their caste based on ability. Though, as they live a long time, individuals may change. Since caste can be like extended family, this is a big event. Adult sith-makar compete over the right to bring a child into their caste; training the young is considered a great and necessary honor, though an adult's continued presence in any one caste is ultimately up to them. Individuals change, after all. Once a sith-makar joins caste, they step away from their egg-parents, and join a new family. Some keep in touch; others do not.
The use of caste came into existence as a means of survival, both practical and psychological. First, the sith-makar psyche is most comfortable feeling a role or place within the world. Caste gave them a sense of place in the world, among conflicting draconic instincts.
Second, castes became bastions of knowledge and a means of training. The shaman-caste possesses knowledge on par with some mages' guilds, for example, as well as a similar diversity.
Caste can be described as loosely familial, though not by blood-relation. A sith-makar visiting another tribe will find him or herself quickly among comrades, given a place to sleep, and have food given to them. Hunter-caste will take care of hunter-caste, for example.
For practical purposes, tribes use caste to quickly assign roles for defenses, quickly mobilizing scouts and warriors. Given the high death rate, even shattered tribes could be reassembled by other tribes, who donate members of caste.
The caste system is why the sith-makar Awakened, and the other Children did not.
Because caste evolved both from necessity as well as psychology, sith-makar outside of this system often report feeling unsettled or lost. This can have varied effects. Some of them may unknowingly try to re-create caste, by insisting on specific roles, and so on, though individuals will vary. Sith-makar who are around others of their kind are quickly welcomed into a caste of their choosing, and taken in as family.
Memory of Blood: As a race, the sith-makar possess a great racial memory, with chants and stories passed down among the keeper and shamanic castes. This is further augmented by the Memory of Blood, giving them a capability for memory to challenge even the most learned sildanyari historian, though only within certain realms. It is for this reason they knew to seek their Awakening, while the other Children of Flame continue to languish.
Hatchings and Namings: Most sith-makar children do not live past their first year, due to predators and diseases. For this reason, a sith-makar receives a name only if they survive their first year. This name is given by the shamans, who select it after a traditional period of meditation and visionquesting, though the rituals vary by tribe. Names supposedly indicate a trait the elders believe the child will possess. This of course, does not always turn out to be the case, so a name may change over time, just as caste may.
Hatching and Namings are celebrated events.
The tribes suffer high mortality due to the jungle's ferocity. Accordingly, children are important to all sith-makar. Mates tend to be informal, though longer bonds are not unknown, named cihuaa.
Housing and Tech: The sith-makar typically build large, communal buildings for their castes, similar to a family house. There are also great structures within tribal lands and sacred sites, whose styling varies by location and tribe, though take inspiration from real-world Aztec and Mayan stylings. Their structures are composed of colorful volcanic stones, rubble, and limestone, and are typically covered in draconic carvings. Construction focuses on strong foundations, since otherwise these might sink.
The presence of the keeper-caste has meant there is a system of writing based on their draconic heritage, though much of their history is preserved through oral tradition, and the Memory of Blood--that is, kept within. They also tend to rely more on artistic symbolism, etched onto their sacred sites.
Castes
The following castes have developed through RP. It is by no means an exhaustive list.
- Crafter: A sith-makar skilled with their hands!
- Hunter: A sith-makar who knows the lay of the land, brings food to the tribe, and warns them of dangers!
- Keeper (of Memory): A sith-makar who recalls the rituals and is learned of history!
- Shaman: A sith-makar versed in magic! Mediums and go-betweens between the tribes and the unknown. Some serve as advisers or spiritual guides. They tend to be more charismatic than their scaleless counterparts, but individuals always vary.
- Speaker: Arbitrators and translators. They can broker words of peace as well as war! A subset of them are also sith-makar who deal with outsiders, or work to secure trade for the tribes! To some sith, it is well known that many of these sith-makar who take this role are actually agents of the Empress who are studying the outside world!
- Warrior: A sith-makar who is trained as a warrior of some type. They defend the tribes!
- Omenti-anim: Often abbreviated as 'omenti', the omenti are less a caste than a sub-community within many castes. It is said that Memory itself is both physical and spiritual, and that sometimes, some pieces of Memory are so unusual--that some sith-makar are born with a mismatched soul and body, or shards of additional souls within one body, in order to be able to contain them. The omenti hold an honored place within sith-makar society, and it is rumored one of the first keeper-caste was of this group. Sith-makar do not share of the omenti's role with outsiders without cause, nor do they translate the term fully. This is because to do so may place the omenti-anim at risk, as they are so tied to Memory, and the People, themselves. More on the omenti may be found here, for those interested in them.
Castes tend to be broad in scope, enough to encompass several concepts and possibilities. The above is not exhaustive, and there is room for more castes of your make. Some players make sub-castes.
Other Races
The sith-makar look forward, not backwards. They are slowly winning the war against the Charneth, and recognition amongst the other nations of Ea. Rumors propagated by the Charneth and hungry mages as excuses for their acts would paint them as mindless savages, "rescued" by cultural missionaries and slavery that tout the inherit superiority of outside thoughts and ideals. However, while some may shrug off sith-makar accomplishments due to such propaganda, those who get to know them discover the depth of their history and accomplishments. Visitors to Am'shere comment on the beauty of a jungle ziggurat, and warriors on the swift organization of a hunting party against a three-story beast that caste makes possible. Most of allied nations, such as Alexandria, see them as a unique and separate peoples. Some sith-makar view the misconceptions as just fine, and nothing more than the oruch must deal with; it preserves the depth of their magic and ritual.
A sith-makar's greatest challenge among others may lie in communication with other races. Their mindset is not a human one, and signals that may seen glaringly obvious to another sith-makar are often overlooked and missed by the nonscaled. A sith-makar adapted to the outside world will find they need to "over-exaggerate" to get a point across.
Secrets and Survival
The sith-makar have among them certain secrets: the power of the Memory of Blood, the full truth of their draconic heritage, and the true knowledge possessed by caste. These secrets are not without risk. Mages who find of their draconic blood often become possessed of istli-apistli or blood-greed. Should dragons discover Memory works on them and the visions which groups of sith-makar might access, the risk is great. Then there are the Charneth.
Secrecy does not mean the sith-makar do not get along with other races; it is more that certain things are held back where it would place the sith-makar at risk. Aside from these secrets making sense due to their history and culture, they may give an aura of mystery and intensity to sith-makar PoPs and plots, and GMs are encouraged to make use of it as a backdrop. It is also meant to give sith characters a shared "backdrop element" during roleplay. They are not meant to be put at risk on the larger stage; while an easy source of drama, it is also something that could only be done, once.
The Empress encourages her people to seek alliances with some nations and druidic circles as a way to establish themselves. Her efforts have been successful, and this has begun to change how the sith-makar are viewed upon the world stage, to be seen as a nation and people in their own right. The view of the sith-makar is changing for the better, and the People have begun to find if not allies, at least a friend across the table.
Alignment and Religion
Nature and the Gods
The sith-makar view the gods as versions of Great Dragons, with Daeus as the Dragonfather or Platinum Dragon. Thul is the Jaws of the Death Eating Wyrm (sometimes the Death Snatching Wyrm), and Vardama the Death-Singing Dragon. The names given to the gods are colorful and varied, and different tribes may use many names, with variations on each tale. These visages are served by complicated hierarchies of druidic circles and shamanistic ritual.
Sith-makar frustrate Western scholars in their refusal to accept a "pure" interpretation, and instead reform tales and knowledge to fit their own view of things.
Death Rites
Travelers to Am'shere may make note of their death rites. The sith-makar often burn their dead. What began as a means to deter predators has taken on spiritual significance, by returning the bodies to the Fire of the ancestors. Shamans scatter the ashes on well-known sites, further binding the sith-makar to the land, and encouraging the spirits to watch over their kin.
The ash of an ancestor may be brushed over a newly laid eggs to guard their survival. Placing the ashes of the heart are said to be the most potent, as that is where the soul resided.
Sacred Sites
A sith-makar venturing from their tribal lands may take with them a vial of dirt from tribal grounds. These grounds were often marked with the ash of ancestors. In this way, they take with them the "spirit of protection of their ancestors."
In addition, locations known to have been the domain of ancient dragons are sometimes sacred--shamans may hold important rites among them to lend power or additional sacredness to a rite.
Note on Cannibalism: Cannibalism as a practice may have existed at one time and may still continue in part of Am'shere and other places. However, it's largely frowned upon, given its connection to Thul and Charn--deities, spirits, and a people reviled by the greater sith-makar population. More worryingly, sith connections with dragons have lead to a darker form of cannibalism where maddened sith use the practice to try to 'awaken' the dragon blood in themselves. The act and the results have led to more formal renunciations by Children of the Flame of the practice, and those who practice it.
The act of cannibalism in their environment carries with it certain unique dangers. Bodies, particularly those of similar creatures, transmit disease easily. In Am'shere's climate this process appears to occur more quickly, and the Blood inherit in them appears to compound and lend these effects unusual properties. As a result, tales grow of maddened sith-makar who are called "Forgotten," whose diseased minds reave the Memory of Blood from them. It is said they live in one reality and act in another. Attacks upon hatcheries may be blamed upon them. Tales abound of a hungry Forgotten, whose claws and mouths drip with blood, and their eyes shine with a madness that they are true dragons, awakened. Such creatures continue to battle past reason, and it is said, cease to recognize other sources of food. If denied their cannibal feast, they will slowly starve. Whether this is true or not remains to the teller--stories told beneath Am'shere's dark canopies. It is also rumored that Charn uncovered these properties, and will take sith-makar children, and forcibly create them.
Adventurers
Sith-makar explorers who are learning much of the western world in order to take news back to distant Am'shere are the most common type of explorers someone is likely to encounter. Trade caravans, while rare, are not unheard of. Sith-makar who are curious about the world beyond what they have known for so long often join these caravans and make their way slowly from the distant east into the great western lands. They are interested in the magic, weapons, armor, wealth and appearances of other cultures.
The Empress encourages them to seek alliances with some nations and druidic circles as a way to establish themselves--or at least force them to be recognized as a nation on the global stage.
Recent Events
The Treaty with Alexandria
The sith-makar signed a Treaty with Alexandria. It is the first of its kind, and a first step as the tribes work to be recognized as a nation. Their scouts tell them of the vastness of the softskin nations, who breed as rabbits in gentler lands. Though not as quick of mind as gnomes or lucht, the sith-makar realize they must be seen and treaties made--to their benefit, or risk being lost in today's warring landscape. The gaining of such status is slow and arduous, though necessary.
Charn
In the background is a continual, unspoken war against Charn, Maugrimites, and certain opportunistic wizards. Though the sith-makar face such threats with ferocity, their opponents see them as little more than disorganized beasts, or worse, leftovers from Maugrim's work, whose natural place is beneath His heel'd boot. To these, the sith-makar bare their teeth. The sith-makar stake in this war is high: their future, their children, and the right to their own culture are at risk. Many of these battles, they have won, though the fight is ongoing.
Internal Politics
A sith-makar known only as "The Teacher" stirs the blood of some tribes against their Empress. He and his followers advocate the blooded expansion of the jungle, and the slaughter of the weak. The Teacher preys on the fear of the sith-makar and subtly preaches the words of Caracoroth. He uses the past acts by Charn, the slaughter of their hatching grounds, and other events over time, to fire their blood. He argues that blooded conquest of the world is protective and just. He calls upon their druids to spread the growth of the jungle throughout the world. Subtly, he also suggests that the Empress is too softhearted to see this necessity. In many ways, it is a psychological war, not to be won on a single front. It is fueled and led by agents of the Maw. He may or may not also be responsible for the creation of a number of Forgotten.
The sith-makar respond to this threat in a variety of ways. Some argue for treaties only with druidic circles and cultures, while others advocate a wider view. Another sect sect believes all will be solved with the final Awakening of their draconic blood, and some advocate complete isolationism. Others study the differences in sith-makar psychology and softskin, and look to overcome them.
Sith-makar Racial Traits
Sith-makar mature at the age of 20 and live roughly 450-500 years, although this measurement is taken within Am'shere. Some agents of the race, such as the Silver Empress, are said to live as long as dragons.
The below numbers below assume an "average" person. That is, they probably have a strength and constitution within the 9-11 range. Higher physical stats will make these numbers go up. In other words, a character with 18 strength will weigh much more than one with 9. This site can be used to gauge weight though remember some races possess unique composition, bone structures, or even additional appendages and so on that may influence.
| sith-makar Average Height and Weight | ||||
| Name | Base Height | Base Weight | Modifier | Weight Multiplier |
| sith-makar, male | 5ft 6in | 160 lbs | +2d12 | x7 lbs |
| sith-makar, female | 5ft 4in | 140 lbs | +2d12 | x7 lbs |
| Sith-makar Starting Age | |||
| Adulthood | Barbarian, Rogue, Sorcerer | Bard, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger | Cleric, Druid, Monk, Wizard |
| 17 years | +1d4 | +1d6 | +2d6 |
- Classification: humanoid (reptilian)
- +2 Constitution, +2 Charisma, -2 Intelligence: sith-makar are incredibly tough and exude a powerful presence due to their draconic blood, but they are not prone towards complex thinking due to their more instinctual outlook on life.
- Medium Size: sith-makar are Medium sized creatures and so have no flaws or benefits due to their size.
- Normal Speed: sith-makar have a base speed of 30 feet.
- Natural Armor: sith-makar hides are very tough; they are not soft. They have a +2 AC of natural armor.
- Memory of the Blood: sith-makar are humanoids with the reptilian subtype.
- Immunities: sith-makar are immune to the frightful presence ability of dragons, as if they were dragons. They are also immune to sleep effects and paralysis effects.
- Draconic Heritage: A sith-makar must choose an energy type at 1st level, based on their heritage. The sith-makar gains resistance 5 to this energy type.
- Draconic Vision: sith-makar have Darkvision 60ft and Low-light vision.
- Hold Breath: sith-makar can hold their breath for a number of rounds equal to three times their Constitution score. For one hour a day they can Breath Water.
- Languages: All sith-makar begin play speaking Common and Draconic. sith-makar with high Intelligence scores can choose any of the following bonus languages: Mynsandraal, Handspeech, Sylvan.
Character Options
Sith-makar Racial Feats
The below are racial feats for this race. All races receive a bonus racial feat at 6th level (when you level, send in a +request to staff). House feats and feat summaries may be found on the Feats page. Items with a * have had their pre-reqs altered to fit the setting (see Feats page). You must meet the pre-reqs for any racial feat you select.
- Keen Scent, Razortusk, Smell Fear, Ironhide, Draconic Breath, Terror of the Wild, Territorial Defender, Apex Predator, Tribal Unity
Optional DM Rules
Ea's magic responds to its people. Wizards, sorcerers, the uncovering of Aspects are not the only ways in which magic manifests.
The following are options for any storyteller, for use in PrPs, scenes, backgrounds, and small stories. If some of these rituals come across as "didn't we always have--!??" that is part of why these are being offered: to illustrate just how active magic is in Ea. Also, just because there are no given mechanics for them does not mean they shouldn't exist.
These rituals and options are beyond the scope of any one PC working on their own.
They are meant to be used as story devices, and tend to require a story element, such as a visit to the sylvanori elders. In addition, they require the presence of more than one person from that community--they are NOT means to add to individual PCs' power levels. Finally, all rituals work according to story. Sometimes rituals sometimes work perfectly, and other times do so to varying degrees (that's just saying they are story-dependent, and not a means of power).
You are welcome to build on these ideas, or expand on them.
Ritual Magic
The greater sith-makar rituals are held known by the castes, and are a means of awakening further the blood in a way which the Awakening began. It is said by partaking in ritual, a sith-makar strengthens their draconic ancestry. Knowledge of them is withheld outside of Am'shere, lest it fall into the hands of their enemies.
Memory of the Blood: By calling on ritual, a group of sith-makar may summon the memories inherit in their blood, the voices of ancestors, and so on. The older the blood, the stronger and older the memory. In this way, certain memories may only be available to certain tribes, and the gift of a particularly old bloodline to one of these rites is considered significant. It is also why sith are encouraged to find mates in different tribes, in order to ensure no Memory is lost.
What the sith do not say to outsiders is that so long as there is any dragon blood in the participant's veins, the tribes may call upon that person's ancestral Memories as well, even if that person is not sith-makar. This knowledge would easily make them a greater target of Charn, Rune, dragons, etc.
The ritual to do so always involves a great Fire, but details vary from shaman to shaman and tribe to tribe. DMs are encouraged to have the visions appear in the Fire itself, so that other characters may partake of the story, though this does not always need to be the case.
Sacred Objects: The bones of an ancestor, sith or dragon, are said to possess community magic and boost the Memory of the Blood. Likewise, ashes from the same--especially ashes collected from the heart--are said to be protective and encourage an ancestor to be present. The community Fire itself is considered to be significant also.
Character Page Badges
Want to show off your Sith-makar pride on your Character Page? Use the following wikicode! (More badges here!)
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{{Badge}}
{{Badge-Icon|Amshere01.jpg}}
{{Badge-Content}}
{{Badge-Title|Sith-makar PC Badge}}
{{Badge-Entry|Caste}}Your primary caste. Since sith castes are based around what you do, this might change over time to suit your RP.
{{Badge-Entry|Draconic Ancestry}}Your particular mixture of draconic bloodlines.
{{Badge-Entry|Tribe}}Name of your tribe. Feel free to make up some details.
{{Badge-Entry|Faith}}Your Faith
{{Badge-Entry|Politics}}Primarily Supportive of the Silver Empress / Against the Silver Empress.
{{Badge-End}}