Lapins

in: Races

## Introduction

The Lapin are a bunny-like humanoid race with strong ties to elven cultures despite not getting along with elves. They believe in their families and their collective knowledge to solve problems rather than the magics of the world.

## The Basics

* **Other Names:** Bunny Folk (derogatory), Rabbits (derogatory), Long Ears
* **Slang:** Animal references are often offensive to beastkin. “Cat Girl”, “Dog Boy” and so on are often seen as an insult.
* **Appearance:** They are humanoid in appearance with pawed feet, long rabbit-like ears, and small round tails.
* **Lifespan:** Upwards of 75 years
* **Height:** 170 cm (5’7”) to 190 cm (6'3")
* **Regions Found:** Forests near Wood Elf, High Elves, and Caledonii.
* **Culture:** The Lapin are very family oriented and often peaceful dwellers. This all changes when their warrens are threatened.
* **Common Character Roles:** Engineers, Healers, Herbalists, Entertainers, Workers
* **Common Allies:** Caledonii, Nords, Muulari, White Thorns
* **Common Enemies:** Elves, Simiku, Obsidian Spire, Slavers, Crusaders
* **Architecture:** Burrows; they like to live underground with city-like structures and homes.
* **Religion:** The Lapin mostly follow Naruli or the elven gods Jouri or Yaria.
* **Views on Magic:** Distrusting of magic, they solve problems through engineering, know-how, or teamwork rather than magic. If they do practice magic, it is almost always one of the four nature spheres.
* **Abilities:** They are able to see at night due to living underground.
* **Weaknesses:** They are weak to elven magic in particular, and most magics in general Their ability to resist magic is lessened by nature, putting them at great risk to the potent abilities of spellcasters. They have a penalty to magic resistance.
* **Quirks:** They can often be skittish and seem to have an abundance of energy to hop around, similar to actual rabbits.

## Appearances

Lapins are humanoid in appearance with long rabbit-like ears on the top of their head, soft paws at their feet, and round balls of a tail at the base of their spine. Their coloring ranges from white to blond, gray, or black. Their eyes resemble that of a rabbit in color with the most common being brown followed by amber and rarely blue. They tend to prefer natural materials of cloth and leather over metal armor and weapons, typically dressing in tribal garb but they have also been known to adopt the clothes of nearby cultures to their warren. Though some believe this is because the tricky lapins are stealing clothes instead of properly buying them.

## History & Culture

The Lapin are found most commonly in the northern hemisphere of the world. Their burrows can be found in the dense forest, expansive hills, and rocky mountains. More specifically, they are often found in the forest of the High Elves, Wood Elves, and Caledonii. Due to their close ties with elven culture, there is a long persisting rumor that Lapin were created by the elves possibly to be kept as pets with human-like lifespans, rather than the short lifespans of rabbits. However, the Lapin almost all fiercely deny this, but they are wary of magic, especially elven. The Lapin originate from the warrens: independent communities beneath forests and hills. These warrens are made up of multiple families with complex interwoven bloodlines, each one essentially a clan. Occasionally, clans can join together to form a warren-complex that may span many miles beneath the surface. These burrows are inter-connected communities among a bewildering maze of tunnels and passageways. Though the Lapin are not aggressive by nature, they will fiercely defend their warrens against attack and have been known to go to war for neighboring warrens. Lapin maintain a large and extensive society within the warrens under the lands of the eastern continental forests. These warrens can sometimes be so extensive that they resemble small cities in scope, with carefully crafted and engineered tunnels that contain many familiar staple structures within. This vast community and the extensive engineering knowledge of the Lapin community make them perhaps the most independently technologically advanced of the bestial humanoid races, and their knowledge of metallurgy rivals that of human kingdoms. Their ability to work metals is rivaled only by that of the dwarves. They do not normally make use of steel armor or crude machinery, instead relying upon nimble movements and precision in a fight and taking full advantage of their greater numbers in conflict and natural ingenuity to solve complex problems.

Lapin tend to be polygamous, sleeping with multiple mates though usually with a singular pair bond in order to grow their families as much as they can. The warren takes charge in raising a collective nest of offspring. As a result, Lapin often feel they have a great number of ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’ who they were raised together with, and they do not consider that they might not be blood related to them. Matters of lineage and heritage are also foreign concepts to Lapin. Their leaders are normally selected from among the masses by merit or democracy. They are capable of fighting wars, though these are nearly always defensive in nature and revolve around the defense of the warrens and the above areas within which they grow crops and maintain a minimal presence to better help hide the burrows, disguising these entrances with farmhouses or other similar structures. They feud sometimes with the other sentient creatures near their homes. Most noticeably the Simiku and Dark Elves as well as Caledonii and Obsidian Spire. Lapin may be meek under many circumstances, but they will defend their warrens to the last, and few sieges are as hellish for the attacker as an attempted attack on a well prepared underground warren-complex.

Given that they are family oriented, a Lapin rarely leaves their home and such individuals are seen as an oddity amongst their kind. Most lapin desire to stay within the warrens among their kinfolk above all else. Still, lapin adventures are not unknown and sometimes lapin are also taken as exotic slaves by those either determined enough to raid a warren or when they can be caught unprepared in the above ground wilderness. Moreover, a group of lapin might decide to leave the warrens in an attempt to create a new community elsewhere, thus isolated populations of lapin are sometimes found in remote corners of the world.

## Religion

There are three gods that Lapin’s have been known to worship. Naruli is one of the biggest ones they worship as they tend to the ground and build their homes within her surface. However, due to their close proximity to the elves they have also been observed to worship the elven pantheon. Most noticeably Jouri, the Goddess of Fertility, Youth, and Spring or Yaria: the Goddess of the Hunt, Animals, and Archery.

## Perception of Magic

Lapin are distrusting of magic in general, especially that from the elves. They prefer to use their quick wits and knowledge to solve problems. Either through engineering, know-how or teamwork with their families or warren-complex. Most prefer to hold professional jobs over learning spheres of magic, though if they do learn a sphere of magic it tends to be from the elemental spheres of magic.

## Racial Abilities & Weaknesses

### Nightvision

All beastkin are capable of seeing in the dark.

### Aspect of the Rabbit

Lapin have powerful legs, suited for running and quick, sudden movements. They’re able to adjust their direction at a moment’s notice and jump to an altitude that matches their full height without second thought. They receive a small bonus to Athletics and Dexterity.

### Arcane Susceptibility

They are weak to elven magic in particular, and most magics in general Their ability to resist magic is lessened by nature, putting them at great risk to the potent abilities of spellcasters. They have a penalty to magic resistance.

### Skittish

They can often be skittish and seem to have an abundance of energy to hop around, similar to actual rabbits.

## Attachment & Kit Items:

The items listed in the kits below are made with the Season 6 modlist. They have been updated as of **14th December 2023**.

*Expand for Lapin Racial Kit*

## Lore Contribution

> **Credit for Lore Contribution:**
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