Carrionite

>    *“In that dread desert, beneath the moon’s pale gaze, the vultures rule. They watch over the shifting dunes of the breathless, windless night. Their legions guard the vast hoards of wealth they covet, religiously and without restraint. These beings call themselves the Carrionites.” -* extract from Tales of the Desert, a High-Elf story about the Dead Sands.
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According to the oldest stories, Carrionites were once low-life scavengers, at the mercy of stronger races like the Gnolls, who wandered the desert in search of carcasses to feed upon. However a small group stumbled across a party of adventurers, where they traded bone trinkets for food. Enraptured by this concept, they settled at this point and established a trading village. And so the fate of the Carrionites changed overnight. This fascination spread and more settlements were built. Now, the Carrionites are the dominant race in the Dead Sands. Completely obsessed with trade and money, they are amongst the most wealthy of all peoples.

## **Physical Description - Hills and Valleys**

Cunning and shrewd, Carrionites are known to be incredible merchants, leaders, negotiators and manipulators. They stand at just under 5 feet on average, but their characteristic hunch makes them appear more 4 feet. They are also very light for their size, mostly due to their hollow bones and other such features of their avian ancestry.

The skin of a Carrionite is almost always a variation of pink or grey, however the colours of the feathers that cover their bodies vary greatly. They can be shades of grey, pink, purple, blue, and many other colours. This is rather peculiar, considering that Carrionites are loosely related to vultures, however it is believed to have once been part of a mating display, before the Carrionites evolved intelligence. Despite being bird-like and having clear avian ancestry, some of the typical features of birds do not function the same way in Carrionites. Most notably, Carrionites have devolved the ability to fly despite having a large pair of wings on their backs. It is believed this was caused by the comforts that a settled life provided their kind, meaning they no longer had to fly. It is the weight of these wings that cause the Carrionites to have their noticeable hunchbacks, as their backs cannot support the continuous weight without the respite of flight. Most Carrionites also have teeth, despite that being a rarity in bird-like species.

## **Mentality - Obsession with Currency**

Carrionite children mature shockingly fast, after only 4 months, and live for up to 200 years. This provides them plenty of longevity and plenty of opportunities to pursue their goals and observe events. That said, most of the Carrionite race are uncompromisingly and exclusively obsessed with one thing and one thing only: the accumulation of money. This obsession has been culturally engrained in the Carrionite race for hundreds and hundreds of years. No sum is too large and is not restricted to simple coin - precious metals, gemstones, and precious trinkets are all sought after as part of a Carrionite’s hoard. Most keep a trinket of particular importance or value on their person - and are very protective of it. The most powerful of the Carrionites create hoards worth an unquantifiable amount in value. On the flip side of that, though, these ruling Carrionites participate in excessive shows of wealth in an attempt to assert dominance over rival kings. This usually manifests itself in the building of great, intricate pyramids - buildings that serve as palaces in life and tombs in death. This practice is so common it has become a symbol of both the Carrionite race and the Dead Sands region as a whole.

Individual Carrionites are known to be incredibly intelligent individuals. They know that they are biologically disadvantaged when it comes to most physical tasks and so use their great minds and vast wealth to solve their problems. The best of their kind are known to be wise scholars and sages, despite their flaws, whilst the worst of their kind are master tricksters, manipulators and fraudsters. Their obsession with wealth, combined with their large intellects, has had a arguable downside however - in that many of their internal affairs risk becoming needlessly complex. Reproduction, for example, is an incredibly complicated affair that revolves intricate breeding contracts between two families. Negotiations can take many years, as the Carrionites are very selective in their partners. The result of this is that the Carrionite population is actually rather small, only having just enough to retain a consistent population.

When it comes to dealing with other races, Carrionites are known to be vary careful in their conduct. They see every interaction, every conversation, as an opportunity - for one goal or another. As a result, they select their words with intention and specificity. Unsurprisingly, Carrionites are known to be amongst the greatest users of the spoken word. Due to the way they conduct themselves, some consider Carrionites to be inherently untrustworthy.

## **Society - Mercantilism and Mercenaries**

The Carrionites are the dominant race in the Dead Sands region. Calling themselves Carrion Kings, they are the rulers of many kingdoms, both small and large, and are often at odds with rival kings for control and currency. The cities of the Carrionites are, for the most part, incredibly capitalist and mercantile. The largest and most prosperous of these settlements are positioned on the coastline or along the huge river that runs through the region. These cities are typically trade-focused and amongst the wealthiest cities in the known world. Merchants from all over Magnula travel to these cities to sell their goods and acquire new ones to sell back home.

Being a civilisation with so much wealth, one would expect a large presence of crime. This is certainly the case in the expanses of the desert, however the towns and cities are surprisingly secure due to the presence of large mercenary armies. Despite their obsession with money, most Carrionite rulers field armies of mercenaries to keep their own lands secure and, when necessary, make battle against rival kings. In their minds, crime drives away trade opportunities and so the benefits outweigh the costs. Unsurprisingly, Carrion King lands are also popular destinations for mercenaries and adventuers - for work is available and plentiful.

When a Carrionite travels to another land, they are typically there on business or political affairs. They might be seeking a new trade deal with a local lord or perhaps seek to secure an alliance. Those that live in other nations permanently will typically find themselves employed as scholars or teachers - where their great minds and natural longevity prove to be advantageous.

## **Carrionite Adventurers - Money and Experience**

Carrionite adventurers are rare, for their bodies are not really built for such a lifestyle. However, those that do are almost always doing it for the money. They are most likely not a lord or in a position of major influence, and so seek to obtain their own fortune and status through adventuring and loot. Those that are not seeking to acquire personal fortune, which is rare, might be seeking new experiences outside of the restrictive society their kin have built.

## **Carrionite Names**

Like some races, such as the High Elves, Carrionites are not given family names. This is perhaps for the best considering that Carrionites do not really have closely-knit family units like some other races do. Instead they have one singular name that will be allocated at birth. Carrionites, especially those in positions of power, will supplement this name with a flashy and powerful title, or titles, in an attempt to position themselves above their rivals. Though not technically part of their actual name, Carrionites still consider these titles an important part of their identity.

**Example Male Names -** Hondo, Neb-Amen, Nu-Antef, Khalfani, Ra-Ka-Ankh.

**Example Female Names -** Bahiti, Naeemah, Serk, Maut, Shepen-Hesi.

**Example Titles -** King of Kings, Lord of the Earth, Great Hawk of the Heavens, Eternal Sovereign, Majestic Emperor of the Sands.

## **Carrionite Traits**

Your Carrionite character has an assortment of inborn abilities, part and parcel of Carrionite nature.

* ***Ability Score Increase -*** your charisma score increases by 2 and your intelligence by 1.
* ***Age -*** Carrionite children mature incredibly quickly, becoming adults only 4 months after hatching. They live for about 200 years on average.
* ***Alignment -*** being the rulers of their own lands, Carrionites tend to be very lawful in nature. Even in foreign lands, breaking most laws invites trouble rather than profit. That said, they are also quite self-serving, making them rather neutral in most affairs.
* ***Size -*** Carrionites are typically about 5 feet when standing, but their hunchbacks make them appear more 4 feet.
* ***Speed -*** your base walking speed is 30 feet.
* ***Personal Trinket -*** while wearing a personal trinket or trophy, you are more aware and paranoid. Other creatures have disadvantage on opportunity attack rolls against you. If your trinket is lost or destroyed, you lose this effect.
* ***Scavenger -*** you can digest almost any food, regardless of decay, and are immune to the poisoned condition.
* ***Keen Senses -*** you are proficient in the Perception skill.
* ***Wing Exaptation -*** you still retain semi-vestigial, feathered wings that catch the air and limit fall damage. When you fall more than 10 feet, you can, as a reaction, extend these wings as if you were under the effect of the feather fall spell.
* ***Hollow Bones -*** due to your avian ancestry, you cannot wear heavy armour unless manufactured from lighter materials such as bone.
* ***Languages -*** you can speak, read, and write Common and Carrionite. Carrionites tend to speak with high-pitched, squawk-like voices - befitting of their avian ancestry. They are also very particular with their wording.