Skald

Description

This humanoid creature has a gaunt, slender form, coarse gray flesh and a thick tail handing from the backside. Its feet consist of hooves like a goat, and its head resembles a hairless wolf but with only one eye that is honeycombed like that of an insect.

This intelligent alien race is generally humanoid in form, with a leathery gray flesh, two skinny arms, two short legs, and a thick, tapered tail. Each arm has two elbows and the hands have three thick digits. The legs are lean and muscular, with a spiked, cloven hoof for a foot.

The head is shaped somewhat like that of a hairless wolf, with a snout extending to a small mouth at the tip. The nostrils are placed back along the snout and have flare lips than can seal them closed. Instead of two eyes, the skald has a single, honey-hued eye band that extends across the face. This eye is faceted like an insect's, but functions better than human vision.

The ear lobes of a skald are quite large, and shaped somewhat like a cross between an elven ear and the wing of a bat. Above the eye is a heavy brow that projects forward to protect the sight of the skald from damage. Nevertheless it is not unknown for the eye to become damaged over the life span, and white scars can occasionally be seen in the eyes of elder skald.

Above the thick eyebrow are a band of short, protective horns that extend around the back of the head, and down the neck and the upper portion of the back. Additional horns are added to this band over the course of a lifetime, with the oldest skald having horns extending all the way down to the thick tail.

Skalds are omnivorous creatures, combining the ability to consume vegetation with a scavenging nature to supplement their diet with animal carcasses. Like humans they are highly social and their cultures can be complex and sophisticated. There are never loners among the skald, and all prefer to stay among a group.

Combat

Skalds are not fond of combat, and will usually seek to resolve issues in a peaceful manner. When they have to fight they will form fast-moving groups and use hit and run raids to harry their opponents.

Spell-Like Abilities: 2/day―lullaby. 1/day―hypnotism (DC 13), ventriloquism. Caster level 1st. Save DCs are Charisma-based.

Skald Lore (Ex): This power works like the Bard's bardic knowledge class feature, except the skald has a +2 racial bonus on the check.

Skald Traits (Ex): Skalds benefit from a number of racial traits.

• -2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma.
• Medium size.
• A skald's base land speed is 40 feet.
• +2 natural armor.
• +2 racial bonus to saving throws against effects that cause blindness.
• +4 racial bonus on Listen checks.
• +2 racial bonus on Perform (sing) checks.
• Special Attacks (see above): Spell-like abilities.
• Special Qualities (see above): Low-light vision, scent, lore.
• Favored Class: Rogue.
• Level Adjustment: +1.

Skald Society

The skalds are highly social creatures and spend much of their lives interacting with groups. As such they have a sophisticated culture with many fine nuances of communication. Skald societies are arranged in complex ways, and the rank of each member will depend on their current activities. All are expected to know a host of details about fellow skald in their particular groups. They are also very skilled at resolving conflict, and actual fights between skald are exceedingly rare.

Unlike humans, the skalds are not subject to addictive behavior, and they abstain from gambling or consuming substances that would affect their social standing or judgment. They are also a fairly conservative race, and reluctant to adapt changes that might upset the proper order of things. Despite this they are not adverse to useful new experiences, or adding to their body of knowledge. They simply choose to study and learn, rather than immediately applying what they have learned on a widespread basis.

As skald dislike being alone for more than brief periods, they form compact communities with shared spaces and tight quarters. Social meeting places are common, and are often places of creative performance. Skalds use various forms of entertainment for social bonding and as a means of group communication. Each skald is often skilled at various performance arts, and show absolutely no signs of shyness.

The families of skalds consist of a bonding of up to several wives and husbands. This bonding shares the responsibility of raising the children, protecting the group, and caring for related family members. Some celebrated bondings have histories stretching back centuries as new husbands and wives are slowly adopted into the group and older members die off. It is almost unheard off for such bondings to include members of other species, although a bonding can form tight friendships with suitable individuals.