Faun

>    *“Make no mistake, the Fauns are horrifying, animalistic barbarians. Vicious, powerful creatures they are, the more terrifying because not only do they have their animal cunning and natural savagery to work with - they are also shockingly intelligent. I’ve lost a whole eye and half my life in pursuit of these beings.” -* Dorion Blackwood, Imperial nobleman, talking about his expeditions into Beast-Blood territory.
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Fauns, like practically all Beast-Bloods, are united through a combined experience of prosecution and genocide. They once populated lands all over Morrion, especially the modern regions of Raiontaine and the Imperiacht, but when new nations arose they were forcefully exiled into the Darkwoods with the other ‘Beast-Blood’ races. In their new nation, Fauns are the most numerous and comprise a majority of a herd’s workforce, but also a majority of the leadership as well.

## **Physical Appearance - Aspect of the Goat**

Fauns are known to somewhat resemble a cross between a Human and a goat, though they appear exactly like neither. They stand at a similar height to Humans, ranging from about 5 to 6 feet. On average, though, Fauns will stand on the taller end of that spectrum. Their bodies are also very thin and dense, resembling the physique of a typical athlete. These builds are likely due to a combination of biological factors and their difficult, intensive lifestyles. Due to their dense bodies, they weigh slightly more than a Human of a similar height and build. As a result of their builds, Fauns are surprisingly strong for their size.

The colouration of a Faun varies a fair bit. Their skin can range from pitch black to a Human-like pink. That being said, Fauns are often too hairy for the colour of their skin to be a noticeable factor in the first place. The fur of their goat-like aspects also varies quite a bit to. For the most part, Fauns have brown fur - though the exact tone and pattern of this fur definitely changes from  Faun to Faun. Other colours, namely black and white, are also possible but are considerably rarer and considered symbols of greatness or importance by the Fauns themselves. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Fauns have other goat-like traits. Instead of feet, they have hooves and their bodies are completely covered in hair. Their most noticeable feature, though, are their horns. The horns of a Faun, like those of practically all Beast-Bloods, are considered important and a symbol of their power. The horns of a Faun can be straight to spiralling to curved - and even more. It is not uncommon to see Fauns bash their horns together, similar to rutting, in order to settle disputes or assert dominance. Like the other Beast-Blood races, Fauns will tend to their horns diligently.

## **Mentality - Power in Numbers**

Despite being the most numerous, Fauns have the shortest lifespans of any of the Beast-Bloods race. On average, they mature to adulthood at about the age of 5 but only live for about 70 to 80 years, assuming they survive into old age in the first place. This unique position, as well as their history of prosecution and genocide, gives the Fauns an interesting perspective on themselves and the world around them.

Fauns, being the most numerous of the Beast-Blood races, comprise a large majority of the workforce, the warrior-base, and the leadership in most herds. Due to this, they are known to be incredibly hard-working. Fauns will tackle even the smallest tasks with as much effort and dedication as they can muster. No task is too small, no challenge too great. As well as hard-working, they are also remarkably cunning. Fauns, especially those in positions of leadership, use their wits to maintain power for themselves and order in the herd. Given the numerous races that comprise Beast-Blood herds, this is a difficult task and is truly a testament to their intelligence. That is not to say that they always have to manipulate their subordinates, however, for Fauns are able to use their talents to command respect and thus obedience from those that follow them.

That being said, despite their reputation for their work ethic, their cunning, and their leadership skills, Fauns are not perfect. They are known to be quite head-strong and stubborn. When a Faun sets their mind to something, it can be hard for them to give up - a trait that is both a boon and a bane. In addition, they are known to be rowdy and undisciplined on occasion. In some cases, a Faun might act before thinking or assessing the situation, thus putting themselves at unnecessary risk.

Unfortunately, like the other Beast-Blood races, a majority of other nations look down upon Fauns as inferior. In particular, the Kingdom of Roylandia considers their race as unnatural and an ancient enemy. Due to this, Fauns are quite reluctant to work with other races, especially Centaurs. That said, if one shows respect and compassion it is likely that the Faun will be willing to work with others.

## **Society - Rule of Majority**

In the Beast-Blood Confederacy, the Fauns comprise a majority of the population - in both the lower and higher positions. Their kind makes up a large chunk of the workforce, but also most of the leadership and other positions of influence as well. Their horns, though not as big as the Minotaurs, are well-maintained and larger than that of the Satyrs. In Beast-Blood society, such a thing commands respect and so the Fauns benefit from a position of dominance over the other races. At a Herdstone, most Fauns enjoy constructed shelters and positions closer to the fires than, say, the Satyrs might get. They also get larger and better-quality food rations. This does not necessarily come from a place of exploitation, mind you, but simply the result of how power structures work in this society.

In a herd, Fauns comprise a majority of positions. They are much of the workforce, where they labour alongside Minotaurs and Satyrs to clear forest and build structures. They also make up much of the warriorbase, where their physiology and mentality proves to be both beneficial and a detriment to military strategy. Fauns also make up much of the religious and political base of a herd. Most herds are led by Faun Patriarchs and Matriarchs and, on the religious side of things, many Shamans appear to be Fauns as well. The one exception to this are the Beast Shamans, which are mostly comprised of Satyrs.

Fauns in other lands are quite rare, for they rarely have a reason to move to lands where they might be prosecuted. Those that do, though, typically live isolated in the wilderness and countryside. Their intelligence and dense builds make them suitable for many roles, but will usually just keep to themselves whilst using these skills to survive independently.

## **Faun Adventurers - A Battle for Survival**

Realistically, Fauns have very little reason to become adventurers. They enjoy positions of relative comfort in the Beast-Blood Confederacy and more often than not have the skills and abilities necessary to survive independently even outside of the Confederacy. As a result, those that become adventurers are usually those that are, for whatever reason, pushed or forced to do so. Perhaps they ended up in debt and need swift coin to pay it off. Perhaps they were injured and were forced to join a party in order to survive. Whatever the reason, the knowledge of the Fauns proves to be very useful for most adventuring parties.

## **Faun Names**

Like all Beast-Bloods, a Faun’s name is derived from the combined language of Beast-Speak. These names are derived through deeds and actions and, as such, are not usually given until the  Faun reaches adulthood. Since they fill a large variety of roles within a herd, Faun names are usually not based on one specific role or theme. Beast-Bloods do not have family names as their language has no term for it. Each Beast-Blood belongs to the herd and, in turn, the herd belongs to the Beast-Blood.

**Example Male Names -** Ufasimba, Owethu, S’bu, Tandie, Lindani.

**Example Female Names -** Thulani, Ishumi, Ogogo, Amahle, Impisi.

## **Faun Traits**

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

* ***Ability Score Increase -*** your Constitution score increases by 2 and your Strength score increases by 1.
* ***Age -*** Fauns reach adulthood rather quickly, at the age of 5 years old. However they are somewhat short-lived, living to about 70-80 years old.
* ***Alignment -*** the bestial aspects of Fauns as well as their history of prosecution means that many Fauns fall onto the chaotic side. While most a neutral in nature evil Fauns also exist, likely fuelled by revenge on those that wronged their kind.
* ***Size -*** on average Fauns stand between 5 and 6 feet tall, with most being on the taller end of that spectrum. Your size is Medium.
* ***Speed -*** your base walking speed is 30 feet.
* ***Darkvision -*** adapted to a life in the blackness of the Darkwoods, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern colour in darkness, only shades of grey.
* ***Keen Sense -*** you have advantage on Perception checks that rely on hearing and smell.
* ***Bestial Charge -*** if you move at least 15 feet straight toward a target and make a melee attack against it on the same turn, the attack deals an extra 1d6 bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
* ***Hide Skin -*** when you are not wearing armour, your AC is 13 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.
* ***Languages -***you can speak, read and write Common and Beast-Speak. Fauns typically speak with guttural voices. Animal sounds like grunts and snarls might be woven into their sentences, like most Beast-Bloods. Their voices are often very low in pitch, though not necessarily as low as that of a Minotaur in some cases.