Former Men

Written by Martin Ludwell, edited by Smidgen

The twisted creatures came from the darkness of the deep cave, Marcus and Pollia went down before they could react, Kinslayer blunted the rush with his two handed sword, Gabby began picking the creatures off as quickly as her bow would let her, Abraxas finally got the fireball into the best location, and the creatures disappeared in flame and smoke. ten rounds had passed and the party was in a position to regroup, Marcus and Pollia were found alive but unconscious, and Marcia had to revive her brother and his companion. "What were they?" Rudolpho queried as he examined the dead. the creatures had faces like humans, with two large, dark, eyes and ears twice the size of a normal mans. The fact that some had extra arms, or legs, or both, made them border on the horrific. "Could these be the Former Men that the Tin Man told us of?" "I believe they are," said Kinslayer.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Base FM is a bipedal human with white skin, large dark eyes, and broad ears. The FM may have mutations which include, and extra arm (usable and like a normal arm), an extra leg (fully functional), larger size (up to three size categories larger). Sorcery. Reduction to only one eye, or an extra eye (functional and maybe able to see in a different wavelength).

Biological Traits

The FM may have mutations which include, and extra arm (usable and like a normal arm), an extra leg (fully functional), larger size (up to three size categories larger). Sorcery. Reduction to only one eye, or an extra eye (functional and maybe able to see in a different wavelength). An FM may gain a mutation at birth, at puberty, at full adult hood, when they gain a class, when they gain a level.

Genetics and Reproduction

They are human, under the weirdness, and can interbreed with normal humans. their offspring will be FM if the father is FM, normal human if the Mother is the FM. They have a taboo about mating with non humans.

Growth Rate & Stages

exactly as a human, however, an FM may gain a mutation at birth, at puberty, at full adult hood, when they gain a class, when they gain a level.,

Ecology and Habitats

They live underground, in caves and mines, they do poorly in bright light (-3 to hit) and have an allergy to sunlight, any skin exposed to daylight burns in seconds, developing to third degree with two hours exposure.

Dietary Needs and Habits

they have adapted to eating fungus and insects, though they have lizards and other livestock they can feed on. They have a wide variety of cave fish and root vegetables for food.

Biological Cycle

as a human.

Additional Information

Social Structure

They have a king and a hereditary nobility. All nobles have mutations, and most are large or larger, the King is Huge. They have a common medieval social structure, there are orders of knights as well.

Facial characteristics

their eyes are at least twice the size of a normal humans eye, they are dark and work well in dim to no light. their ears are also twice the size of a normal humans, and stand straight out to the sides. Close examination of the ears reveals that they are slightly off set from the horizontal symmetry found in most humans. Some only have one eye, some have three, most have two.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

at least under the island that the colony is on.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

They have darkvision to 120 feet, they have exceptional hearing giving a plus five to detecting sounds. In bright light they have reduced sight, they will have a 15% reduction to sight based perception.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

Human Fleas, and normal human parasites affect them as well.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

in the fantasy name generator use the Celtic (Irish) settings.

Major Organizations

The Nobility Knightly orders

Beauty Ideals

they retain human ideals of beauty, though modified for their own looks.

Gender Ideals

Men look after War and Protection, Women are in charge of Magic and Religion.

Courtship Ideals

they have arranged marriages, but women can institute divorces fairly easily.

Relationship Ideals

Each family is expected to have as many children as they can, families in excess of ten members is common.

Average Technological Level

Medieval

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Gael is the language of the FM, and is the common tongue. Most also know Underdark Elf.

Common Etiquette Rules

when meeting someone for a peaceful encounter draw your weapon, show it, and then sheathe it. This shows you are armed but not wanting to fight.

Common Dress Code

both sexes wear kilts/skirts of leather, warriors have armor, usually chain mail or scale.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

They have a War Culture, they have been struggling for their entire below ground History, sometimes they are on top, at others it is the other races that win, and it has colored their entire culture.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Parents arrange marriages, Nobles choose strong warriors or wisest women to assist them, the King calls on all to attend him. Knightly Orders can choose to take supplicants and use them as they wish.

Common Taboos

surrender is the only sin. Non Human cannot be trusted, to have a child with one is disgusting.

History

as far as any can tell, it was two millennia ago that the gods directed the people to move underground, to hide while the gods and past heroes fought the disaster that was to come. The people moved underground as heroes went to fight. The people found magics that allowed them to live underground, and now they have to bear the problems caused by those magics. They live in the caves, caverns, mines and grotto found underground. they have moved often as their fortunes have waxed and waned. Now the Dain Shee are forcing the kingdom to move again, and experiment with returning to the surface, though the gods are silent, though the gods have been silent since the move underground.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

The Under Dark Elves, the Dain Shee, are their greatest enemies.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

Human

Scientific Name

Homo Sapiens Malformia

Origin/Ancestry

Humans affected by chaos magic to survive for a long time underground.

Lifespan

70 years

Conservation Status

The Former Men have a kingdom underground, where they have dwelt for millennia. the Kingdom is in the throws of being overtaken by the Dain Shee, and so they are trying to retreat to the surface of the planet, though it is forbidden.

Average Height

as human

Average Weight