Thaun

Thauns

Thauns are a race of tall, warlike, winged humanoids with large avian wings and slanted, ridged, backswept conical heads. Thauns long ago lost the innate ability to fly, leaving them with powerful wings that can be used for gliding, controlled dives, and even martial combat (if trained correctly). Thauns live in a society completely run by the military, and everyone is integrated into it at a very young age. Even artisans and entertainers work and live in a military fashion and are attached to units with names like “The 5th Entertainment Special Division” or “Beautification Directorate.”

Thauns live like this because they are conquerors through and through. While some races have occasionally dabbled in war-for-conquest at the behest of a strong leader, thauns have perfected the art. Thauns subjugate and acquire; they take and control; they attack and dominate. Thauns have a naturalistic view of the world and see it as the progression of the predator/prey relationship. They believe that if something has value, one needs to be strong enough to protect it. Therefore, if one is not able to protect something, one had no right owning it in the first place.

Regardless of this belief, thauns are not without compassion and act with a great deal of honor. They honor treaties and value allies highly. Many other species live within thaun society as guests and are treated with respect. Those who earn their place though individual achievement are exalted, thaun or outsider, and are given great privileges.

Unlike many other species thauns view combat, particularly with less militarily competent species, as a sport, much in the same way we might view basketball. They will often provoke less civilized races or great beasts into engaging with them simply for the spectacle. Military units and great heroes often act with a degree of independence and the engagements have ceremonial/ritualistic undertones. Such displays, known as “thaunways”, are never performed with enemies of significant power and never against citizens or allies. They are mostly done against less civilized races (in a more traditional setting, goblinoids or other monstrous humanoids) and monsters (in a traditional setting this might include dragons, gryphons, etc).

Thaun are also known to offer technology and indirect aid to underdogs in military conflicts they are not involved in. This might be a battle a continent away, the feud between two civilizations within their own dominion, or something of that nature. They love a good fight to the point where it is considered honorable to even out the sides of disputes as much as possible. Myths tell of thaun who have cut off their own wings to make a fight more fair (though this is not a common practice). To this end, thaun forces will sometimes deploy just enough men to (in their opinion) win the day and no more. They believe a battle should be well fought and hard won or it carries no weight.

While this may paint the thauns as bloodthirsty warmongers, that is not quite true. They believe war is a sort of sacred struggle to prove who is right and who deserves to victory in the eyes of the universe. When they engage in serious combat, they deploy the appropriate number of troops to remind themselves that they pay for their misdeeds in blood. A true thaun victory is one that never comes to blows.

Thauns are not particularly religious as a general rule, though many social groups within them are devout practitioners of one faith or another. Many follow war deities or deities with an emphasis on logic and law. Thauns have an almost religious zeal for conquest, competition, and sport fighting.

Due to all their conquests, thauns have analyzed and implemented the achievements of many other races that fell to their might. With their highly developed minds, they have been able to use these stolen technologies to great effectiveness. Scientists, magic users, and engineers are given high funding to develop military weapons as well as create public works. Thauns are conquerors, not only because of their brawn but also because of their brains. While brutal, they are fair. While warmongers, they know how to rule with benevolence. While obsessed with conquest, they are smart enough to broker peace when it is wise. While warriors, they have produced many fine poets and philosophers. These two halves of their culture are not at odds with one another, but work in harmony.

## Racial Traits

* Ability Score Racial Traits (0): Thauns are mighty warriors with powerful minds and bodies that aid in their domination. Their only apparent Achilles heel is their rather bulky and muscular form that somewhat constrains their movements. Thaun characters get +2 Strength, +2 Intelligence, and -2 Dexterity.
* Size (0): Thauns are Medium creatures and receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* Type (0): Thauns count as humanoids with the thaun subtype for any effect related to race.
* Base Speed (0): Thauns have a base speed of 30 feet.
* Languages (1): Thauns begin play speaking Common. Thauns with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic).
* Gliding Wings (3): Thauns take no damage from falling (as if subject to a constant nonmagical feather fall spell). While in midair, thauns can move up to 5 feet in any horizontal direction for every 1 foot they fall, at a speed of 60 feet per round. Thauns cannot gain height with these wings alone; they merely coast in other directions as they fall. If subjected to a strong wind or any other effect that causes a creature with gliding wings to rise, it can take advantage of the updraft to increase the distance it can glide.
* Keen Senses (2): Thauns receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.
* Warmongers (4): Thauns begin play being proficient in all martial weapons.

Racial Points: 10

## Random Thauns Starting Ages

(16-19) | +1d6
(16-21) | +2d6

1 This category includes barbarians, oracles, rogues, and sorcerers.

2 This category includes bards, cavaliers, fighters, gunslingers, paladins, rangers, summoners, and witches.

3 This category includes alchemists, clerics, druids, inquisitors, magi, monks, and wizards.

## Random Thaun Height and Weight

(6’0-7’6) | 170 | +2d10x5 lbs
(5’7-7’1) | 135 | +2d10x5 lbs

## Section 15 OGL Copyright Declaration:

• System Reference Document. Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E.Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

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• Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Advanced Player’s Guide. © 2010, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn

• Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Combat. © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Dennis Baker, Jesse Benner, Benjamin Bruck, Jason Bulmahn, Brian J. Cortijo, Jim Groves, Tim Hitchcock, Richard A. Hunt, Colin McComb, Jason Nelson, Tom Phillips, Patrick Renie, Sean K Reynolds, and Russ Taylor.

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