Venau Knight
The undead creations of the Lich-King himself
Base Racial Traits
Ability Score Modifiers: (+2 Strength, +2 Charisma) or (+2 Strength, +2 Intelligence): Venau Knights are created and 'born' for countless purposes, some as mundane as farming. Regardless, they generally are either strong and charming, or strong and highly intelligent, thanks to Venau's numerous libraries and universities. A Venau knight cannot lower its CON score below 10 with ability point buy. Size: Venau Knights are medium sized creatures, and gain no bonuses or penalties due to their size. Type: Venau Knights are creatures of the Undead type, and do not need to eat, sleep, or breathe. Speed: Venau Knights have a base land speed of 30ft. Vision: Venau Knights have darkvision out to 60ft. Languages: Venau Knights start play speaking Common and Necril. A Venau Knight with High Intelligence can choose from any non-secret languages to represent the countless origins from which they came in life. Glacial Soul: Venau Knights are as cold as the grave in body and spirit, and they can choose to have an enemy they strike with an attack to treat all squares they move through as Difficult Terrain for 1 round. Fear Aura: Venau Knights were modeled to be mighty, steadfast warriors, and carved by Barkhan the Eternal in the visage of ancient Death Knights. The gain the Supernatural Ability Fear Aura, the use of which is a free action. It functions in a 30ft Radius and the DC for the Will Save to resist is equal to (10 + ½ HD + CHAMOD), and upon a failed save, the target is paralyzed by fear for 1 round and is shaken for 1d4+1 rounds after. A creature, regardless of whether it makes it save, cannot be affected again by the same Venau Knight’s Fear Aura for 24 hours. Unlike most Fear Auras, this paralysis and shaken effect pierces normal immunities for Paralysis and Mind-Affecting effects. They can choose which Targets to exclude from the aura. Undead Defenses: Venau Knights were given shards of true undead defenses, and gain DR 5 Overcome by bludgeoning and magic, channel resistance +4, and immunity to cold. Horrifying Visage: Venau Knights are adept at using their undead natures to scare their foes, and possess superb senses. They gain a racial +4 to Intimidate and Perception, and they are always class skills. Weapon Proficiency: Venau Knights are proficient with Glaives, Longswords, Greatswords, and Scythes, and treat any weapon made of Kinslayer Steel as a martial weapon. Whispering Madness: All Venau Knights have an intrinsic connection to the very root of Necromancy itself, and because of this ominous curse that drives them to madness they automatically detect all spellcasting of the necromancy school within 60ft of themselves, automatically learn the spell if its level is equal to or less than 1/2 their total Hit Dice, and by concentrating for a full round on a creature or object, can determine if it is radiating a Necromancy-School Magic Aura, but not what that aura is doing.
Race Flavor:
A race of fearsome undead hailing from the infamous country of the undead, the Venau Necrocracy. Like the other races from the Necrocracy, they are all intelligent, and not innately harmful to the living as others of their kind. They all swear allegiance to the leader of the Venau Necrocracy, the Grand Lich Barkhan, and the few knights who leave the Necrocracy on journeys of discovery are found to have as many variations, personalities, and traits as the living do...some are good people, some bad, but they all make truly fearsome warriors.Basic Information
Anatomy
Venau Knights have two arms and two legs that are attached to a central torso, from the top of which sprouts a head. As they are undead, they lack any functional anatomy and many among them lack flesh at all and are simply skeletons...they are instead animated from roiling masses of negative energy which have been infused with a wholly intact soul pulled from The Great Beyond and returned to a rotting body for a new lease on life. Rather uniquely, they are not formed from fractured remnants of souls as is common for undead raised with intelligence, and the negative energy as well as the soul that animates them simulates many processes that would otherwise be done by their organic systems such as sight, smell, taste, hearing, and so on.
Biological Traits
As they are not "alive" in the traditional sense, Venau Knights instead derive their variation and variety in the bodies they inhabit. Their bodies are their personal temples, and each is unique and completely original in its own way...particularly shapely or lifelike bodies, thin and skeleton bodies, or even heavyset and fat bodies...the variety is huge, and dependent on the tastes of the Fleshcrafter or Sculptor who carved their bodies for them.
Genetics and Reproduction
Due to their undead bodies, Venau Knights have no genetics and cannot reproduce in the traditional sense. Instead, they are created and made in two parts:
- Step 1. First, a "body" is crafted for their souls to inhabit. While historically this process was invented, pioneered, and done first and greatest by the creator of the Venau Knights Barkhan the Eternal, the process has since been taught to a select few "Fleshcrafters" or "Sculptors" who go to great lengths to assemble powerful and beautiful bodies out of flesh, bone, and a variety of other ingredients that will one day serve as powerful corporeal forms for a future Venau Knight to inhabit. This process can vary, and can be simple skeletons to opulent bodies formed from an amalgam of high-quality corpses.
- Step 2. Secondly, once the body has been completed, a soul is coaxed from the Great Beyond, within the river of souls, to return to the realm of the living to inhabit the vessel prepared for them in a process not dissimilar to a Resurrection spell...the process is not inherently evil as some other animation spells are, as the whole and intact soul is coaxed back to the Material in its entirety to live again. The secret to this step in the process is one that has been historically very closely guarded by their creator Barkhan the Eternal, and only a select few of his pupils who have learned the art and gained their Liege's absolute trust know the secrets of coaxing a soul into a body...often, aspiring sculptors who have crafted a body will go to these master craftsmen to have a soul implanted into their creation rather than attempt to do so themselves and potentially fail catastrophically or wait until the annual festival where their Lich King opens a portal to the River of Souls in celebration of the country's anniversary to implant a soul into their body.
Growth Rate & Stages
As their bodies are dead, Venau Knights are incapable of growing as other living races are...the body they inhabit is the one they must live with until they one day succumb to the Soulshivers and die another, final death. Instead, they grow mentally throughout their lives, and start their lives as confused children, living their first decade or two as a child might, reconnecting with their soul and their old life, learning of the world they have been thrust into, and learning until they become a full "adult" mentally around 20 or 30 years of age...though, for especially ancient souls coaxed back to corporeality this time frame can be much, much longer.
Ecology and Habitats
As they are undead, Venau Knights have the endurance and longevity to survive in almost any environment. Their bodies, being immune to cold, are naturally suited to conquering and living within the frozen climates of the world though they are yet capable of living anywhere.
Generally, Venau Knights are very gentle to their place of habitation, and mostly live off the land or within the cities they are born in as somewhat "retired" creatures, eager to relax and enjoy their new lease on life. They prefer to live quietly for the most part, living slowly and enjoying every minute of their new existences and savoring new experiences...and as a result, they often live in relative peace with their surroundings.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Venau Knights do not need to eat, but can taste food and eat it if they so desire to do so...as they get no nutritional value out of it, the Negative Energy animating them can consume anything they eat but gives them no value in doing so.
Biological Cycle
Venau knights are completely unaffected by the passing of time from a biological perspective. Their bodies are already undead, and the Negative Energy animating them is the only biology they have or need.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Venau Knight society is one that places heavy emphasis on discipline and law, and rigidity in both spirit and body. As they become more and more susceptible to the insidious Soulshivers with each passing decade and century, Venau Knights societies are often disciplined and lean heavily towards Law and Order compared to other races, as they believe that maintaining an orderly lifestyle and a composed mind allows one to better stave off the onset of the Soulshivers and their inevitable slide into madness and slaughter. They often hold each other at a relatively equal level, but tend to follow a rigid military-esque hierarchy where older or more experienced Knights hold seniority over newer and more fresh ones...these older Knights teach the newly created or younger members of their kind of their new lives and of all its challenges and virtues. Respect is a thing to paid to one's elders no matter what, and Venau Knight societies greatly value and revere those among them who have grown old and venerable, as the longer one lasts and stays sane the stronger they are, and the more respected and wise they are seen as.
Though they themselves are quick to embrace change and greatly treasure the idea of changing and adapting, generally, Venau Knight societies are slow to put that change into reality and are slow to adapt in practice, as their long lifespans and Undead natures mean they prefer to come to a decision as a group or be assured of their path before they make a choice...they are patient and stable, but following in their creator's ways, once they have decided upon a path or once they have been slighted not even an apocalypse can dissuade them from carrying out what they have resolved themselves to do. In this way, they have a hard time dealing with or understanding the societies of more unstable races such as Humans, who they see as respectably willful but reckless and headstrong.
They also favor the arts and mental disciplines greatly, and all Venau Knights, once created, are expected to take up a hobby or an art to keep themselves mentally busy.
Facial characteristics
Venau Knights can have a variety of facial features and characteristics as a result of their varied appearances and origins, and they can have features that emulate a myriad of other races or take on a form all their own...generally, however, their faces are typified as gaunt and pallid, with many sporting rotting flesh and chunks missing from their faces and bodies. Others are simply skeletal and lack a face to begin with, while rare Venau Knights are sometimes made to be as lifelike as possible and thus can have very realistic features.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Venau Knights originate from the frozen lands of the Venau Necrocracy, and are mostly found in the northern and frozen climes of the world...however, they can range outside and be found elsewhere, but rarely.
Average Intelligence
Being created by the legendary Lich King Barkhan the Eternal and dwelling within the greatest magically-inclined nation on the Western Continent, Venau Knights are highly intelligent and refined beings, full of culture and sophistication. Though initially they are the same in death as they were in life, Venau Knights possess immense potential and can and often do grow in intelligence and wisdom as they live their unlives thanks to ample access to libraries, magic, and teachings of some of the greatest mages of the Era.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Thanks to the Negative Energy that animates them, Venau Knights can see perfectly in darkness out to 60ft.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Venau knights, if they have the luxury of recalling their former lives before they became undead, generally carry the names they had in life. For those who do not remember, or for those who wish to take up a new name to symbolize a new life, their names are grandiose, elaborate, and fantastical, their sense of inhibition and restraint thrown to the wind in their new undead bodies. Their names tend to be long, bombastic, and colorful, some of them simply mashing syllables together to create terrifyingly complex, odd names that perfectly represent the Venau emphasis on personal freedoms, thought, and the arts.
Male: Edmonton, Leibowitz, Raghumorte, Inigo, Vostroyach, Sanbonzakuraxia, Bobaline, etc...
Female: Coraliona, Ventiyanthransis, Helenixis, Christinia, Lorelei, etc...
Beauty Ideals
Though their bodies are Undead, Venau Knights believe beauty can be found even in their often rotting forms. They believe that a well-crafted body is a thing of beauty, but 'well-crafted' is more nuanced than many know or expect...it does not simply mean 'intact', and can instead mean that a simple skeletal body can be beautiful beyond measure if it is put together well, with good solid bones and well-proportioned construction and even balance. In this way, Venau Knights find beauty in the mathematical and architectural aspects of their bodies such as balance, symmetry, and durability and solidity of one's construction..."good bones" is a common turn of phrase or compliment for Venau Knights, and is meant to hearken that the given individual has quality parts that make them up.
Gender Ideals
Venau Knights have very little distinction between Male and Female gender ideals thanks to their rotting bodies that technically lack gender in most cases, and as such they have little distinction between them, unless a given Venau Knight retains the ideals from the race they were in life.
The Ideal Venau Knight is one who adheres to the ideals of discipline in both mind and body, embraces order, has one or more hobbies or studies, who engages in frequent physical labor or physical activity such as combat or war, and who doesn't dwell overmuch on their past lives or who they before.
Courtship Ideals
Venau Knights courtships are odd things that can seem incredibly off-putting to others not of their kind who view such rituals from the outside. Often, when a Venau Knight wishes to court another, they will present a piece of themselves to the subject of their affection as a symbol of their desire to romance or court them. This piece is generally a bone of some sort or some other piece of themselves that won't frighten or scare off living partners...and if their interest is another Undead, they will each exchange a part of themselves to the other to symbolize togetherness and wholesomeness. Once this gift-giving ritual has been performed, Venau Knights prefer to court the objects of their affection with conversation and casual talk, often in a friendly and amicable setting where both parties discuss themselves, their lives, and their memories of when they were alive(If both are Undead). In this way, both parties learn of each other and build confidence in one another through a shared rapport.
Relationship Ideals
The Ideal Venau Knight relationship is one where experiences are shared openly, activities and day-to-day tasks are done together, and absolute trust is established and held between the partners. They prefer long-lasting and invigorating relationships where both partners can get out and do various activities each day rather than fall into a stagnant routine...as to the Venau Knights, stagnancy and routine are the two easiest ways to invite the terror-inducing Soulshivers to claim them and render them mindless and feral. If they are not being mentally invigorated by their partner, they are likely to cordially break it off and go find another.
Average Technological Level
Many Venau Knights commonly used an amulet invented by one of their kind that gives them a lifelike appearance, and gives them the senses of a living creature so they can experience sleep, eating, and drinking.
Common Etiquette Rules
Venau Knights are often cordial and welcoming to those they meet, unless they are given reason to dislike them...perhaps due to the natural tendency of other creatures to shun them and fear them for being Undead, Venau Knights cannot stand those who blindly dislike Undead for their very nature and make no distinction between those who have intelligence and those who don't. To such creatures, they rarely care to be polite at all and simply ignore them or remove themselves or the creature in question from the area.
Otherwise, Venau Knights can vary wildly in their etiquette for the simple fact that they were once creatures from any number of races and cultures, and often retain the habits from when they were alive. Though their nature drives them to try to be polite and accepting of others as they know the value of such things, they can embrace the bigotry they so often experience and become hateful and spiteful, or any other number of temperaments.
Common Dress Code
Venau Knights often dress in attire that resembles what they once wore in life, meaning they can be found in a myriad of outfits from dozens of races and culture all over Ea. They rarely, however, feel the need to dress warmly or wear many layers thanks to their natural immunity to cold...and many of them, in the absence of a preferred style of attire, often prefer to wear armor of some sort out of both a desire to hide their forms away and a feeling of safety and protection. They often cover their face unless they reside in a land that is accepting of Sentient Undead.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
A very custom observed by Venau Knights engaged in a relationship with another creature is to "build" another Venau Knight together in an odd analogue to childbirth, where both partners go and find suitable parts and pieces to construct the "body" that all new Venau Knights need to be "born"...building this body together, they then take it to a Fleshcrafter or Sculptor trained in the ways of breathing life into the empty shell, and thus create a new Venau Knight to symbolize their love for each other. Thus, they spread new life out into the world and leave something behind for when they are one day gone.
Another common custom observed by Venau Knights is one that sees them gift a portion of their own bodies to another creature that they care deeply and immensely for...whether this is a partner or romantic interest, best friend, or trusted ally, the giving of this part symbolizes an absolute trust in the other creature, and a togetherness that cannot be aptly described by words alone.
Common Taboos
For Venau Knights, inaction and stagnancy are large taboos for them, as is giving in to one's bestial instincts and becoming 'feral'...the latter is seen as embracing the onset of The Soulshivers and thus will lead to an early grave, while the former is seen as a waste of the new life granted to them by their creators and is said to similarly invite The Soulshivers to take their rotting and inactive minds...for Venau Knights believe that if one does not use their minds and mentally stimulate themselves, they will rapidly slide into madness.
History
Formed long ago when the legendary Lich King Barkhan the Eternal formed the country of Venau from the iceblasted wastelands of the north, The Venau Knights were born from their liege's unquenchable thirst for power and knowledge that drove him to dabble in forbidden techniques of his own design that manipulated souls themselves. In time, as the Lich King experimented he soon perfected his soul-manipulation and, after crafting a mighty body from the finest corpses, gently coaxed a wholly intact soul from the River of Souls that flows within the Great Beyond and gave his crafted body new life as the first Venau Knight in a monumental display of his nigh-mythical power as a mage.
Once created, the Venau Knights became their lord's first and only truly successful creation...and as more and more of them were created they quickly became the first of his citizens in the newly established Venau Necrocracy, living their lives alongside their liege in the frozen north, carving out a realm where all Undead could live in peace, free from the hatreds and biases of the living. As souls reborn in new bodies, they came from almost every walk of life, every species, and every nationality when they were once alive...thus giving the fledgling Necrocracy dozens of different mindsets and beliefs to draw upon and giving it a beautiful variety. The Venau Knights were quick to embrace the ideals of their Lich King, and worked alongside him to unite the tribes of the frozen north into a truly mighty country that spanned from coast to coast.
Even now, the Venau Knights count themselves as Barkhan the Eternal's most loyal servants, and serve their creator in his idealistic quest to give Undead a place to belong and a place where thinking minds can innovate and create without fear of persecution or religion.
Historical Figures
No figure is more important to the Venau Knights than their one true king and creator, Barkhan the Eternal, Lich King of Venau and the father of their race. Said to have invented the techniques of fleshcrafting or fleshsculpting to build their bodies as well as the techniques to coax a soul into them, he is a figure revered by many of them as their one true master.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Venau Knights often get along well with other races, so long as they can accept them for their true natures...as they themselves have been persecuted and hunted in times past, they understand and sympathize with races with similar experiences, and know the value of simply being appreciated and treated like an equal.
Alternate Racial Trait List: Venau Knight Alternate Racial Traits
Racial Feat List: Venau Knight Racial Feats
Origin/Ancestry
Lifespan
Biologically Immortal. After 350-400 years, their soul begins to detach from their Undead body to the Great Beyond, fracturing their minds and leaving them as monsters. See The Soulshivers for more info.
Conservation Status
Venau Knights, while they cannot reproduce in the traditional sense, are a populous race in no danger of extinction and in no need of protection.
Average Height
1.4 - 2.0 Meters
Average Weight
40 - 120 kg (Depending on percentage of body left intact after death)
Average Physique
Venau Knights have no set physique, as their bodies can vary so wildly in form, appearance, and function that it is difficult to truly define them as one thing. Their bodies can vary wildly, but their general characteristics are often not over 8 feet tall and not under 5 feet, can run the gamut from muscular and stocky to large and fat to even skeletal and bony...and they can even appear lifelike and almost living in appearance or as rotting, shambling corpses, all dependent on their creator and their wishes.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
If they have skin, Venau Knights generally have pallid grey and black skin that is the color of rot and death...rarely, if their bodies are made with a particularly high quality or attention to detail, can sometimes have normal pinkish-pale skin or even sometimes green or the colors of other races. Venau Knights have no tradition of marking their skin, but some paint themselves to appear more lifelike.
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