Vanara

## Overview

Vanara are a race of monkey-like humanoids with an ancient heritage that has been mostly forgotten due to a spotty racial memory and a cultural focus on the present moment above all others. Exceptionally nimble and insightful, vanara rarely have trouble making a living - instead, the main threat to a vanara is boredom, as their talents and occasionally noble bearing hide a mischievous, childlike side of the monkeyfolk that reveals itself during festivals, times of difficulty, and times of stability. Vanara are bold creatures of the present that are often judged for not thinking before they act, when in fact, they do think, but judge themselves immune to the consequences of their actions. This boldness often manifests itself as an easygoing sense of humor or irreverence, which can mislead non-vanara into believing that the race has no real hierarchies. However, a well-raised vanara deeply knows the importance of the colors they wear, the style of their fur and hair, and the achievements of their relatives.

## Mechanics

Standard Racial Traits

* **Ability Score Modifiers**: Vanaras are agile and insightful, but are also rather mischievous. They gain +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, and –2 Charisma.
* **Type**: Vanaras are humanoids with the vanara subtype.
* **Size**: Vanaras are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* **Speed**: Vanaras have a base speed of 30 feet and a climb speed of 20 feet.
* **Languages**: Vanaras begin play speaking Vanaran. Vanaras with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aklo, Celestial, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, and Sylvan.

Feat and Skill Racial Traits

* **Nimble**: Vanaras have a +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics and Stealth checks.
* **Tree Hanger**: Vanaras gain a +2 bonus to CMD against all trip attacks. While hanging, vanaras cannot use their tail for anything else.

Senses Racial Traits

* **Low-Light Vision**: A vanara can see twice as far as a human in dim light.

Other Racial Traits

* **Prehensile Tail**: A vanara has a long, flexible tail that she can use to carry objects. She cannot wield weapons with her tail, but the tail allows her to retrieve a small, stowed object carried on her person as a swift action.

## Society

Vanara are often found living in forests, jungles, and grasslands in nomadic groups. Though they are often subsistence societies in appearance, in practice these nomads usually have the free time and resource surplus that are characteristic of more permanent settlements. Common uses of this free time are solidifying social bonds (especially through group grooming), playing pranks, anthropomorphizing fables out of daily events, and thinking deeply on philosophical subjects. Vanara boldness means that honesty - including about one's own ignorance of something, which usually leads to questions and hypotheticals - is a valued trait, though it can come off as tactless to other races. Outside of racial enclaves, vanara tend to seek out commonalities with others, but place a lot of attention on the extravagance of one's hairstyle and their attention to hygiene. As such, many vanara end up as gardeners or herbalists for nobles, who tend to have well-ornamented hair and clean grounds. An equal number utilize their talents as acrobatic performers or debaters, noting that festivals and political halls are better maintained than muddy fields - not that there isn't a time and place for a good muddy frolic, of course.

## Religion

As nomads who find boredom to be their greatest struggle, vanara find Petya Naumov's domain and her curiosity to speak directly to them. Vicenta Salcedo, Fa'qamuu Twice-Heavenbound, and Masik are also commonly worshiped among vanara, as they appeal to the race's tendency towards self-expression, insight, and acceptance of accidents as part of the present moment. Those who spend more of their time thinking than acting often worship Jolein Composed of Desire, while those with a more mischievous slant venerate the Apparitions of Nothing Left of Quibatus and Ketar Mozog. The Apparitions of Basang Ba, Alessandra Juntoso, and Zhihao Jin are given their daily respects, as well; the first two are valued for keeping away storms and disease, while the latter is a simple appreciation of the continuation of time. Almost all vanara place their current well-being over any importance of future plans, and as long as they are given another day, they will find something to be happy about.

## Relations

Vanara always try to see commonalities between their own views and those of others, but their occasional tactlessness and constant carefree tendencies can make it difficult for them to get along with others. Aasimar and tieflings easily blend with vanaran societies, though they rarely stay long unless some divine goal pushes them or a stray philosophical inquiry catches their attention.

Aphorites usually have high opinions of vanara, considering their bluntness a manner of respect, but only can form strong bonds when in cosmopolitan, settled locations.

Ganzi and vanara are able to work together just fine, but they never seem to really understand the other on any deeper level.

Changelings, skinwalkers, and dhampir tend to treat vanara as tools rather than people, as vanara are only willing to help out changelings and dhampir if they leave soon afterwards.

Drelmans appreciate vanara for their ease of getting along in the wilderness, while halflings appreciate and relate to their ability to shrug off the worries of tomorrow.

Drow are most often made into quick enemies of vanara, their tempers rising after one irreverent question, while duergar get along with vanara just fine until they need food - at which point, they see the vanara as no different from a beast.

Vanara are treated as representations of the natural world by elves, quickly becoming uncomfortable with the idolization, while dwarves see vanara as somewhat unreliable but otherwise loyal and genuine companions, becoming fast friends.

Fetchlings consider vanara to be quirky and confident, but vanara are never comfortable enough around fetchlings for any real relationships to blossom.

Ghorans fear vanara, who instinctively treat them as perches or food, and gnomes get along well until they encounter expressions of blatant annoyance displayed when the gnome's obsession takes over the conversation.

Grippli have a visceral hatred of vanara, who treat their spirituality as if it was something to be questioned and figured out.

Hobgoblins and orcs don't care about or for vanara, and tend to expand into and exhaust the territory of vanaran nomads, creating tensions between the races.

Vanara consider ifrits to be deeply flawed, and often take it upon themselves to 'fix' any ifrit who will allow them to, to mixed results.

Kitsune, nagaji, parmans, sylphs, and tengu all get along well with vanara, able to talk about anything and play around with anything.

Vanara find themselves accidentally offending kobolds or getting irked at oread stubbornness when they spend too much time together, but work reasonably well as business partners or acquaintances.

For suli, vanara offend them purposefully and to their face, leading to tumultuous interactions.

Ratfolk can get along with individual vanara, but are often treated as stereotypes by the monkeyfolk unless they take pains to distance themselves from the rest of their race.

Undine find vanara to be weirdly stilted and awkward around them - a result of vanara instincts befuddled by undine stoicism - and both groups prefer to avoid the other.

Goblins find vanara to be exceptionally wise and skilled, and are eager to show off their own skills and wisdom to the vanara's warm and not-entirely-mocking amusement.