Scorpionfolk

## Description:

Scorpionfolk are an arachnoid race of large half-human-half-scorpions related directly to the Wad-Thet through their mythical and horrific origins. Scorpionfolk prefer hot and dry climates, and are found in Africa, Medio Inferno, Mongolia, the American Southwest, and the deserts of the Continent of Pilbo. Adult Scorpionfolk tend to reach heights of up to seven (7) feet tall, ten (10) feet long, and six (6) or seven (7) feet wide, with the torso, arms, and head of a human and the lower body of a giant scorpion. Their human upper halves tend to be physically imposing and muscular, a consequence of their militant lifestyles and constant training. Scorpionfolk are appropriately weighted for their size, being around twice as heavy as a normal person at around four hundred (400) pounds; this excessive weight does not weigh them down much, however, as they are still exceptionally fast.

Scorpionfolk are totally hairless, but their arachnoid exoskeletons can be shades of yellow, orange, brown, tan, or black; black carapace is considered blessed among Scorpionfolk, and is quite rare. Being mostly of Arabian descent, and spending their entire lives in deserts, their human skin tends to be very dark. Scorpionfolk eyes can be yellow, orange, red, or brown, and can appear like the eyes of either a normal person or like those of a scorpion.

Understandably, Scorpionfolk tend to be seen as monstrous and horrific by other races, with some exceptions; native populations that live in or around the deserts in which Scorpionfolk live tend to view Scorpionfolk as more normal and even friendly, if a bit standoffish. The Drow are known to recruit Scorpionfolk into their ranks as shock troopers and warriors in their gladiatorial arenas, and the Wad-Thet are also known to manipulate roaming nomadic bands of Scorpionfolk into protecting Wad-Thet territory; the Wad-Thet view Scorpionfolk as inferior subordinates not worthy of their gods' favor, despite the fact that the Scorpionfolk worship their own pantheon separate from that of the Wad-Thet and Lizardfolk.

Despite their somewhat brutish nature and lifestyles, Scorpionfolk are equally as intelligent as human beings, although they prefer their simpler nomadic tribal societies to those of other humanoids. It is this reason that some scholars believe Scorpionfolk to be the holders of great wisdom, passed down through oral tradition from generation to generation. Their extensive survival instincts, intricate knowledge of local flora and fauna, and understanding and accurate predictions of the weather lead experts to claim that the Scorpionfolk have adapted to use their strong animalistic instincts to their advantage, and have gained a deeper understanding of their simple lives than the more advanced civilizations; many older Scorpionfolk, and all Scorpionfolk druids/shamans seem to possess innate wisdom beyond their years, and are often sought after by locals for advice or predictions of the future. As expected, however, this great wisdom and personal understanding come at the cost of technological development, leaving most Scorpionfolk to live a meager life out in the desert.

Scorpionfolk reproduce sexually, in a manner identical to normal scorpions, by laying a clutch of eggs in a dark, cool nest and waiting for the eggs to hatch; Scorpionfolk eggs are coated in a paralyzing poison that, if touched or ingested, prevents a potential egg-thief from escaping. Despite their mode of reproduction, Scorpionfolk do not lay eggs frequently, and tend to only do so one every few years, in order to allow for the previous clutch to reach an older and more self-sufficient age. Because Scorpionfolk are so constantly focused on survival, their young are expected to learn very quickly and be able to fend for themselves by the time the next clutch of eggs is hatched; despite only being a few years old at that point, Scorpionfolk young are frequently able to fight and kill most smaller animals by themselves, and can take on miscellaneous tasks around the camp until they reach maturity and undergo their rite of adulthood.

Scorpionfolk tend to live for upwards of two hundred (200) years, although this can easily be extended by magical means.

### Personality:

Scorpionfolk, on the individual level, spend almost all of their time striving to survive. As such, Scorpionfolk culture reflects this constant driving force, and allows room for far more instinctual influence than the civilizations of other, more advanced groups. Much of a Scorpionfolk's life is focused solely on living through that day, which leaves little time for more future-forward thinking and leaves Scorpionfolk open for manipulation by conniving outsiders who feel they can abuse the "shortsightedness" of the "barbaric" Scorpionfolk tribes.

Despite the stereotypes, Scorpionfolk are not a particularly temperamental or emotional race of individuals; due to their instinctual nature, they tend to be suspicious of others and slow to trust even other Scorpionfolk, but tend to assess situations more pragmatically than not. Most Scorpionfolk can be befriended, however, and they are unlikely to attack anyone unprovoked; many communities that live near the territories of Scoprionfolk tribes rely on Scorpionfolk trade, and know better than to encroach on their territory without due reason or appropriate invitation. Scorpionfolk do not possess much of a sense of ego, and see themselves in a very pragmatic manner in order to best assess each situation.

Scorpionfolk have been known to participate in slave trades, but only in those areas where such practices are also allowed by the regional governments or other local groups. Treatment of slaves is on a tribe-by-tribe basis. Scorpionfolk are suspicious of everyone as part of their innate instinctual reliance, but tend to treat those of other races equally and have no rivalries or preferences.

Scorpionfolk live simple, nomadic lives, and as such see hedonistic behaviors as wasteful and unnecessary. Scorpionfolk do not have a dedicated language of their own, but many are taught to read, write, and speak the language of the locals; those in Egypt tend to also known hieroglyphs, those in the Middle East tend to know Sumerian or Cuneiform, and those in America tend to also speak the languages of the local Native American tribes. Music and dance play an important role in Scorpionfolk society, but other artforms are seen as too wasteful, time-consuming, or difficult to transport to be worth it; a key exception, however, is a Scorpionfolk tendency to construct large glass sculptures by manipulating electrical currents (either through technological or magical means) and directing said currents through the sand, melting the sand and creating large pillars of glass.

Scorpionfolk are suspicious of all others, but are not necessarily paranoid towards anyone, and while they are cautious in all of their endeavors they are not hesitant.

### Abilities:

Scorpionfolk are physically superior to humans in most aspects, and can even hold their own against Elves if the Scorpionfolk is properly trained. Scorpionfolk are sometimes born with additional claw-sporting arms that can cleave a man in half with a single snip, and all are born with their infamous scorpionlike tail, capable of stabbing through even plate armor with relative ease and delivering enough potent poison to kill a grown human almost instantly; due to the type of poison found within Scorpionfolk, the younger a Scorpionfolk is the more potent their poison. Like mundane scorpions, Scorpionfolk possess an innate vibrational sense in their legs that allow them to detect even the slightest of movements amongst the desert sands, further enhancing Scorpionfolks' superhuman talent at ambush hunting; similarly, Scorpionfolk are known for their incredible strength, unnatural speed, and their ability to climb along walls and ceilings like spiders. The Scorpionfolk, preferring nighttime when the desert heat is replaced by harsher cold, also possess innate night vision.

The Scorpionfolk's instincts towards survival are very powerful, and serve as the predominant force of will within a Scorpionfolk's mind. While one may initially assume that such an ancient drive makes Scorpionfolk cowardly, one would also be completely incorrect; Scorpionfolk seek to preserve their race, and are not afraid to sacrifice themselves in the face of death or greater loss. Additionally, a cornered or near-death Scorpionfolk is considered incredibly dangerous; like a fearful animal, dying Scorpionfolk will enter into a powerful adrenal rage-state, during which they lash out at whatever and whomever is close at hand. This instinct is purposely weaponized by Scorpionfolk Berserkers, who push themselves into this blind fury before a battle to increase their combat abilities even further than normal.

Scorpionfolk do not possess any innate magical abilities beyond their physical forms, but are known to employ Druids, Shaman, and other Magic-users amidst their tribes.

Scorpionfolk have few physical weaknesses, being incredibly tough, durable, fast, strong, perceptive, and deadly; instead, their intelligence tends to be their greatest downfall. Scorpionfolk are usually tribal, and as such tend to fear advanced technology to which they have not been exposed previously; their tactics can be predictable to the experienced traveler, and their physical prowess cannot stand up to large groups of gun-toting humans.

### Culture:

Scorpionfolk culture is organized primarily according tribal lines; different tribes venerate different gods over others, abide by slightly different codes of conduct, specialize in different jobs, etc. However, the goal of all Scorpionfolk tribes remains consistent: survive at all costs. The ancient and once-great Scorpionfolk race was built upon an unbeatable desire to keep their race alive, and this has turned them into powerful warrior nomads. Scorpionfolk culture operates with the singular goal of survival in mind, working to ensure unity within tribes and encourage amicable relations between tribes to improve the odds of success out in the desert.

Scorpionfolk culture lends itself most readily to nomadic tribal communities, encouraging more traditional gender roles and emphasizing personal combat ability among all members of a tribe. The Scorpionfolk population is divided according to these tribes and the individual's place within the tribe, often depending on the individual's role.

Scorpionfolk do not possess knowledge of their race's ancient religion, and instead take on the languages of the local races; in the Sahara, where Scorpionfolk are most common, Scorpionfolk are known to speak Arabic and read ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

#### Cuisine:

Scorpionfolk are known to maintain a strange diet, consisting primarily of foods which are scavenged or hunted by tribe members. Cactus fruits, different wild vegetation, and hunted animals are combined with any spices the Scorpionfolk can find; Scorpionfolk are known to use salt as a preserving agent and their most common spice, as salt is abundant in the deserts. Scorpionfolk's drive to survive at all costs can also lead them to eat less conventional foods, including other Scorpionfolk, Lizardfolk, carrion, or even kidnapped/enslaved humans; if driven to desperation, Scorpionfolk tribes will become cannibalistic raiders to survive. Scorpionfolk tribes often denote honor according to the abundance of food and water a particular member has been able to acquire, allowing members to take trophies from great beasts or loot the corpses of raided caravans.

Scorpionfolk also place a great amount of value on fresh water, which is extremely rare in the desert. While their bodies do not rely on as much water as a normal person, despite their larger size, Scorpionfolk consider all water to be a blessed gift from the gods. Water is traded for, sought after, and hunted with a great degree of veracity; as is with the Scorpionfolk, they will drink human blood in order to sate their thirsts if need-be.

#### Military:

All Scorpionfolk are expected to know how to defend themselves, hide, and survive on their own should they become separated from their tribal group. As such, Scorpionfolk do not maintain standing armed forces, instead allowing all members to make and scavenge weapons and armor to defend themselves or use for hunting. Scorpionfolk are known to use swords, shields, spears and polearms, and javelins.

Their role as slavers and bandits also allows Scorpionfolk to apply slave forces should a great threat present itself; additionally, even the most embittered and rivalrous of tribes will band together to face against an overwhelming foe. Similarly, Scorpionfolk are known to domesticate and breed various kinds of animals, most of which being Magical, as a means of defense and hunting support; everything from vultures and lizards to giant scorpions or Saharan Dread Worms are considered potential pets for the Scorpionfolk.

Scorpionfolk tactics often mirror their hunting strategies, and make use predominantly of ambushes and lightning-fast assaults. Scorpionfolk raiding parties will track targets for many miles over multiple days, waiting for an opportune moment to strike; their drive for survival removes any potential qualms with picking off the stragglers of a beaten group of refugees or picking the pockets of a long-dead corpse. Scorpionfolk prefer to attack at night, when most of their senses work in their favor, and rely on fast-moving brutal violence to scare or slay potential foes before they even know a battle is afoot. Scorpionfolk are known to take particular glee in killing Lizardfolk and Wad-Thet, with whom the Scorpionfolk are supposed to have a millennia-long rivalry.

## Religion:

The Scorpionfolk faith is a disorganized, tribal form of henotheism heavily connected to the ancient Egyptian pantheon with some independent gods of its own that features inwards focus of self-reflection and personal responsibility towards the tribe. Divine interaction for Scorpionfolk comes in the form of water and survival, scorpions, children, poison, and death. Scorpionfolk believe in [REDACTED], a boring and uneventful Afterlife which Scorpionfolk seek to avoid through the pursuit of a long life; those Scorpionfolk who live exceptionally long lives or who reproduce effectively and raise good children are allowed to reincarnate (*Note: Scorpionfolk culture often attributes reincarnations to the children's children containing the Souls of the grandparents*). The supernatural exists in the form of Magic, divine interaction, and reincarnation. Worship is conducted via individual thought and prayer sessions, group rituals and chants, holidays, and performances of dance and song; holidays seek to celebrate special myths, individuals, gods, and historical events.

### List of the Gods:

1. Serket: Ancient Egyptian goddess of fertility, nature, animals, medicine, Magic, and healing; specifically, Serket is associated with scorpions and the healing of/protection from scorpion stings and snakebites; considered to be the creator of scorpions and worshipped as the prime creator deity for the Scorpionfolk.
2. Rykjir: God of survival, water, life; associated with oases and other bodies of water; worshipped as a god of life responsible for bringing rain and life-giving water.
3. Ahuum'Rer: God of death, sand, stagnancy, Undead, immortality; associated with the desert; worshipped as a god of death responsible for forcing the Scorpionfolk into a nomadic lifestyle to prevent falling under Ahuum'Rer's domain of stagnancy also believed to be the source of Undead and a corrupted form of immortality.
4. Eth'Kher: God of nomads, travel, journeys, persistence, and willpower; associated with journeys, the Scorpionfolk's nomadic lifestyle, and perseverance; worshipped as the god of travel and nomads, often relied upon as a guide for Scorpionfolk tribes.
5. Kheruer: God of chaos, sandstorms, and madness; associated with insanity, sandstorms and natural disasters, and time; worshipped as the unpleasant extreme of activity that stands in contrast to the stagnancy represented by Ahuum'Rer.
6. Apophis: Ancient Egyptian Demon-god of snakes; associated with evil, death, snakes, etc.; despised by Scorpionfolk as a wretched Demon and creator of the Scorpionfolk's ancestral enemy, the Wad-Thet.
7. Sobek: Egyptian god of crocodiles; associated with Lizardfolk, ferocity, hunger, destruction, and flooding; despised by Scorpionfolk as a Demon and predecessor/creator of the Egyptian Lizardfolk.

### Clergy:

The clergy of the Scorpionfolk faith come in the form of Magic-wielding priests, Druids, and shaman that conduct rituals, lead performances, share knowledge, guide the Souls of the tribe towards reincarnation and away from [REDACTED], etc. The clergy are also expert navigators, as many worship Rykjir or Eth'Kher, and are responsible for guiding the tribe from one oasis or source of food/shelter to the next nearest oasis/food/shelter.

Clergy live similar lives to those of other Scorpionfolk, usually possessing no additional luxuries or privileges beyond the practice of Magic. Scorpionfolk clergy are encouraged to have children, and raise those children to be the next generation of Druid or priest or shaman to lead the tribe's spiritual life.

Scorpionfolk religious beliefs do have a Prophet or Chosen archetype associated with their kind, manifested in the metaphorical personification of Serket into a divine-mortal physical body. The Scorpionfolk believe they can achieve some semblance of this through a process known as [REDACTED] in which Scorpionfolk are magically fused with humans to create a "biological" child between two (2) incompatible lifeforms. The formations of these Magic-induced unions are known as [REDACTED], and are often treated as prophets and signs of good luck; in most cases, however, the formation ritual is misconducted or otherwise disturbed, leading to unintended mutations in the created "child." The JPCU attempts to disrupt any large-scale creation rituals of this type to decrease incentives for Scorpionfolk to begin kidnapping humans and forcibly impregnating them with human-Scorpion hybrids.

### Cultural Aspects:

Rreligious symbols for the Scorpionfolk include poison, a scorpion's barbed tail, a set of fangs, etc.; holy colors are beige, crimson, and green. Learning is passed down orally from clergyman to their children, but is also taught to other tribespeople via oration and performances of song and dance at festivals. Major myths include the creation myth, the start of the Scorpionfolk's nomadic marching incited by Ahuum'Rer, and the mythological epic that depicts the Scorpionfolk's ancient wars against the Lizardfolk and the Wad-Thet.

Deadly sins for the Scorpionfolk include stagnancy, death, lethargy and laziness, and irresponsibility. The highest virtues are, in contrast, considered to be activity, life, productivity, and responsibility.

Scorpionfolk religious beliefs are expressed through elaborate songs and dance performances, occasionally accompanied by instruments or chanted narration. Sculpting, particularly the creation of large columns and statues of glassed sand, is also very significant; these pillars of glass are incredibly sacred, very valuable, and sought-after collector's items said to contain intense Magical power or electricity stored within them. The glass sculptures are created through the Magical diversion of natural lightning strikes into the sand of the desert; the lightning melts the sand and launches it into the air, turning it into a beautifully ominous pillar of tinted glass.

Scorpionfolk culture establishes the year of adulthood as being around twenty (20), at which point there exist 2 (2) separate coming-of-age rituals, one for men and one for women. The males are expected to venture forth and either slay a great beast worthy of becoming their first trophy, or until they receive some definitive sign or blessing from the gods; this lonely journey is preceded by a day-long festival and followed up by a night-long celebration upon the man's return; should a male fail to return within one (1) month, the tribe assumes they died in their attempt and move on. The women members of most tribes, however, are tasked with creating some masterpiece of clothing, art, or putting on a special and unique performance for the tribe, prepared over the course of the year and performed in front of the entire tribe at the tribe's most important holiday, called [REMOVED]. The women's performances or art may also receive blessings or signs from the gods which void the need for the completion of the ceremony in favor of Magical training instead.

Marriage for the Scorpionfolk often exists as a necessity; couples are not expected to mate for life, but are expected to remain married until all of their children are raised to adulthood. The separation of parents during a child's early life is considered incredibly bad, ruins the parents' reputations in the eyes of their tribe, and is said to warn of the child's/children's failures and difficulties later in life; the most vile and evil Scorpionfolk have been said to have come from parents who were abusive or divorced early in their lives. Marriage rituals consist of a night-long celebration that ends with a cooperative song/dance performance by both the bride and groom; the bride and groom first perform individual sets before coming together and performing a unified duet to symbolize their new connected natures. Married couples that die together are said to reincarnate together and find each other at some point in life, indicating the presence of Soulmates in Scorpionfolk society.

Scorpionfolk detest death by nature of their instincts; Scorpionfolk react violently to the sight of a dead tribesman, and only clergy are expected to look upon or touch a dead body; unsanctioned individuals (Note: This is defined as being anyone not a Druid, shaman, priest, or close relative of the deceased) that touch a corpse are considered tainted and must undergo an intensive cleansing process or risk dying early through an unholy curse. Those Scorpionfolk that die of old age, die in childbirth, or die protecting the tribe or one of its members are treated to a full funeral and burial, consisting of a night-long ceremony and six (6) month mourning period for the direct family; nightly prayers are sent to Serket in intercedence for the deceased that they might be reincarnated. Those Scorpionfolk that die in other circumstances are given so-called "sky-burials," where their bodies are laid open to the sky and eaten by animals or cooked by the intense sun. A particularly nasty and unpleasant burial ritual, conducted only on the most hated and criminal of Scorpionfolk, called the [REDACTED], which involved the natural mummification of the body via the drying properties of salt, sand, intense heat, and exposure to the sun via a shallow burial within a desert; this curse was said to bind the target's Soul in their body, preventing reincarnation and even a pleasant Afterlife, forcing the insane Soul to waste away for eternity in its own mummified corpse until the body was destroyed or thrown into a body of water; dowsing such a corpse in the water of a cursed or poisoned oasis is said to resurrect the deceased individual as a powerful and malevolent entity known as a [REMOVED].

Cultural taboos include cowardice, laziness or lethargy, dying of non-natural or defensive causes, and possessing sympathy for Lizardfolk or Wad-Thet.

Scorpionfolk do not detest outsiders, but are also known for their hesitation and caution towards others of different races. Scorpionfolk tribes occasionally enter larger cities to trade with the population, and some of the more modern tribes even send their children to proper schools or hold legitimate jobs outside of the uninhabitable desert, but these are exceptions to the rule. More often, Scorpionfolk are best avoided; if they are starving, they will kill and eat anything and anyone; if they are not starving, they may rob you anyway, and if they are neither starving nor looking to enslave or rob you, they may offer some valuables scavenged from beneath the timeless sands...