Rylvain (3.5e Race)

=Rylvain=

Summary::Originating from the Wilderness of the Beastlands, the Rylvain are a large race of humanoid looking creatures that have survived in the plane of the Beastlands by excelling at being better and smarter hunters than any of the other creatures in their territory. Using sharp senses, and an even sharper wit with brute strength, the Rylvain are nearly unrivaled hunters.

Personality
Rylvain are an extremely intelligent tribe and family oriented people, learning from an early age that the harsh wilderness that they live in requires them to rely on the help and protection of your fellow rylvain to survive. Being a race of mostly hunters and gatherers, rylvains intelligence makes them tend to be curious and inquisitive, always wondering if good hunting or other sources of food lie beyond the next field, or if a suitable lake or stream for drinking might be found in the denser area of the forest, but also their intelligence helps them to rarely be impulsive, usually wanting to think things through and avoid danger. This isn't to say that rylvain are timid or avoid battle, but are smart enough to fight only when necessary, and to not be careless in battle. Rylvain fight with a calculating intensity and lack of resentment that some might find unsettling and disturbing. Rylvain value trinkets, artifacts, art and hunting trophies the more complex or powerful, the better, more than they value coins, gems and "shiny" things.

Physical Description
Rylvain are covered with a very fine, very smooth layer of fur which ranges in color from a light, sandy brown to dark browns or black, and also have longer hair on top of their head which resembles that of humans. With their large, physically imposing and heavily muscled frames, most rylvain are an intimidating sight to behold. Standing between 8 and 9 feet tall and weigh between 325 and 475 lbs with females visibly shorter and leaner than males, rylvains all have slightly broad noses with just slightly larger than human nasal openings. All rylvain are born with a prehensile tail that looks much like a tail of a lion in the fact that it has the same smooth fur along it, but bushes out at the end. The difference being that, this tail has muscles that allow it to act more like that of a monkey's in the fact that it can be used to pick up, hold and manipulate small objects. The muscles in the tail are so strong infact, that the tail can be used to hold onto something and support the weight of the rylvain for brief periods. Rylvain have keen eyes with iris' that are usually a shade of green, brown or orange, but on occasion blue or reddish hues are also seen. Rylvain are considered adults at 35 years old and can live to be up to 500 years old.

Relations
Having extremely high intellects, the rylvain view all races that are civil as potential allies, which are sparse in their home plane The Beastlands, with its low population densities. As such, rylvain try to get along with members of all races, but some come more naturally than others. They naturally get along well with any other tribal races that also enjoy hunting as a central theme of their culture. But outside of such cases, the rylvain get along well with humans, elves and half-elves, they view dwarves and half-orcs with suspicion; dwarves because of their quiet and aloofish nature, and half-orcs because of their general lack of patience and sullen tempers. Rylvain get along passably with gnomes and halflings, having very little in common with either race; gnomes because of their sometimes childish pranks, and halflings for thier tendancy for getting into trouble.

Alignment
Rylvain tend to gravitate towards more neutral alignments. They are comfortable with change (a chaotic trait), but have strong ties to their hunting traditions, and to honoring their tribes and family. An evil rylvain is both an extremely rare and terrifying sight to behold indeed.

Lands
Making their homes in the Wilderness of the Beastlands, rylvain have no land of their own in the Material Plane. More likely, they would set up somewhere in the wilderness where they are more comfortable and they can find plenty of resources for survival with hunting. Alternatively, they may set their wilderness home up somewhere near a small town where they can go in and trade for supplies they need, but cannot hunt or gather for themselves.

Religion
Above all else, the majority of them, all worship the chief deity of the rylvain, Aralhal, known as The Strategist, God of the Hunt, The Great Trapper, and Creator and Ruler of the Rylvain. Aralhal's clerics teach the importance of balance and not needlessly over hunting. They excell in teaching others to hunt, gather and to be able to survive in the wilderness. In larger cities temples to Aralhal may even be an outpost to purchase hunting supplies.

Language
Rylvain spean Rylvainian, which uses the dwarven script. They write very little in their own language, so, unlike dwarves, elves and gnomes, they do not have a rich body of written work. However, when speaking, Rylvainian has many additional words and phrases which relate to hunting, and when spoken in most other languages (i.e. Common, Dwarven, Elven) these concepts would take a good deal more words to describe the same concept. For that reason, although rylvain are highly intelligent and learning other languages is commonplace, most all rylvain still use Rylvainian when out in a hunting party, or discussing hunting activities.

Names
Rylvain only have one proper name, and they choose this name themselves upon declairing their own maturity, usually around the start of their 50th year of life. Rylvain traditions prefer names that begin with "C", "L", or "T" and have multiple "s" and "r" sounds in them. When choosing a name, rylvain will also tend to avoid harsh, syllabant sounds (such as "f", "k" or "x"), the better to quietly call out to an ally while on the hunt. Rylvain names always have 2-4 syllables, followed by a hyphen and then their family, which are al in the same way a human's surname shows his or her relations. As a rylvain grows up, he gains a nickname, most likely from his peers or from his fellow hunters.

When traveling outside of the rylvain race a rylvain will introduce himself by his nickname, and most often, never make even a passing reference at his real name. This tradition stems from the idea that only the people who've known you for long periods of time will call you by that name, as where, those that you met away from the tribe, or that hear of you from word of mouth use your nickname. Male and female example names below are given without the family suffix names.

Male names: Corrisor, Centran, Lareth, Lisnam, Rossar, Troniss, Tansuren

Female names: Aroness Ceressa, Cilrena, Lorassa, Lussera, Taress, Terrasel

Family Suffexes: Bel, Bar, Din, En, Hai, Ire, Lim, Ras, Sen, Tai,

Nicknames: Nicknames vary greatly, and have no rhyme reason or order to them.

Race Racial Traits

 * ,, , , : Rylvain are very big and strong, but that bulk sometimes gets in the way when trying to be nimble. Rylvain are sturdy, with minds that are as sharp as their muscles are strong.
 * Rylvain are Large creatures, and as large creatures, Rylvain take a –1 penalty to Armor Class, and a –1 penalty on all attack rolls. They have a –4 penalty on Hide checks, and a +4 bonus on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits are double those of medium characters, and they have a space and reach of 10 feet.
 * Rylvain's base land speed is 30 feet.
 * Low-Light Vision (Ex): A Race can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color under these conditions.
 * Darkvision (Ex): Rylvain have Darkvision out to 90 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but is otherwise like normal sight, and Rylvain can function just fine with no light at all.
 * Scent (Ex): This extraordinary ability lets the Rylvain detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell.
 * Unerring Direction: Rylvain have an instinctive sense of which direction is north, even when they are underground or otherwise unable to see the sky or other visual ques. Beyond their home plane of The Beastlands, or the Material Plane, this ability does not function.
 * Climate Tolerant: Rylvain suffer very little harm from environmental extremes of heat or cold. They do not have to make Fortitude saves in extreme environments between -20 and 140 F (severe cold to severe heat). This ability does not provide any protection from fire or cold damage.
 * Resistance to acid 10, cold 10 and fire 10: Rylvains gain a slight resistance to acid, cold and fire damage from their outsider blood.
 * +8 on all Survival checks, this includes checks made to follow tracks. This bonus increases by +2 when following a trail by scent.
 * +4 on all Listen, Search and Spot checks.
 * Automatic Languages: Rylvain
 * Bonus Languages: Common, Dwarven, Orc, Gnoll, Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Terran.
 * Favored Class:
 * Level Adjustment: +Level Adjustment::3
 * Effective Character Level: Effective Character Level::4
 * Effective Character Level: Effective Character Level::4