Ushanki

Wildlings
The Ushanki live throughout Beyrensic Plains both on the meadows and within coppices. Their organization is loosely tribal, known as Groves, with small populations dispersed over thousands of miles of rolling plains. Living in contiguous peace with the Unn Bey, they trade in varied hide-leathers and multifarious tools and jewelry made from wood, bone and precious stones. Unlike the Unn Bey, the Ushanki dabble in an ancient form of mysticism similar to the druids, though it is much more rudimentary and only those who join druidic Coves become adept at it. It is said the early druids learned from the Ushanki their mystique and nature-oriented magic, hence the similarity of Ushanki Groves and druidic Coves.

Physical Characteristics
Sinewy and lithe, Ushanki males stand no taller than five feet and six inches and females five feet and four inches, though the overall average is around five foot three. Hair and eye color is typically a range of woodland hues, namely browns and greens; still some Ushanki are born with a more golden-colored hair with brighter eyes, similar to their Lorien cousins in the north; and their skin color leans toward bronze due to frequent exposure to the sun. The same as most Guatha all over Mægwen, their facial features include high and sharp cheekbones, almond-shaped eyes and elongated, pointed ears.

It is common to see Ushanki covered in camoflauge or war paint. The designs are arbitrary and hold no associative meaning.

Society
As aforementioned, Ushanki live in small groups called Groves where populations rarely reach above a few hundred. The namesake originates from the early coppices, small spinnies in which the Ushanki burned the underbrush to encourage new growth of plantlife, particularly vegetation used domestically for food, building materials and poultices. Notwithstanding their namesake, most Ushanki actually live on the open plains as opposed to within coppices.

As a hunter-gather society, social ranking is almost nil. Every Ushanki learns to hunt game and gather the right vegetation for medicine and consumption at an early age. Therefore all are hunters and warriors, herbalists and healers. However, there does exist a circle of elders known as the Fayn—the oldest and wisest of the Ushanki and perhaps all Guatha in Beyrensia. The Fayn live in the Elder Groves, a few coppices said to have spawned all Ushanki, though no one truly knows the locations of them, but somehow they communicate their will into the subconscious of every Ushanki. No one has ever been known to meet a Fayn, though all Ushanki believe firmly in their prolonged existence.

Language
Shanki

Origins: Eastern Beyrensic Plains

Kinship: One of two Elvish languages spoken in Beyrensia, Shanki is the elder and most pure. While much of its lexicon and syntax is shared with Lorien, there are significant morpholigical differences insomuch that the languages are deemed related but separate—a Lorien speaker may be able to pick up on some Shanki words, but for the most part the languages are hardly mutually discernable. Furthermore, Shanki has no standardized written form; most scribed forms of Shanki are carved into stone or trees as simplistic glyphs.

Restrictions: Anyone can learn to speak Shanki, though the written form is maintained secretive. (The secrecy may in fact revolve around the notion that only few Ushanki can actually produce the glyphs.)

Ethnic Bonuses

• +1 Dexterity, -1 Constitution

• +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects

• Dark Vision: Ushanki hunt at all times of day and thus have dark vision; however they are somewhat blinded in twilight hours, thus receiving penalties of -2 on all vision-based skills and checks during those hours.

• Weapon Proficiency: Ushanki receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for the longsword, battleaxe, and longbow as bonus feats. They also have a +2 competency bonus to-hit when using shortbows and small blades such as daggers and knives.

• +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks, as well as Survival checks and noticing snares. Ushanki have no inherent ability to notice secret or concealed doors or passages.

• At third level an Ushanki receives access to 0-level Druid spells and each spell can be cast at will as an innate ability. The number of spells is based on Wisdom and treated as if a Druid three levels lower than the Ushanki's character level. Ushanki druids add these 0-level spells to their normal range of spells as that class, because they are treated as a racial ability.

• Lifespan: Ushanki live approximately 150-200 years.

• Automatic Languages: Beyric and Shanki

• Class Restrictions: Cannot be Clerics