Kor
Deeply reverent of the land and its sacred sites of the shadowfell, the nomadic kor live a sparce existence defined by their constant travels. Masters of ropes and hooks, they scale sheer cliffs and cross yawning chasms with such skill and agility that they sometimes seem almost to take flight. Kor are tall, slender humanoids with light hair and gray, blue-gray, or ivory skin. Males have short, fleshy barbels on their chins. They paint softly glowing geometric patterns on their faces and bodies. Their clothing tends to leave their arms and shoulders free to facilitate climbing, and they keep most of their gear in pouches and slings at their waists. The kor have a nonverbal language of hand signs and gestures that allows communication despite significant distance (particularly when augmented with whirling ropes) or howling winds. They also use this sign language among themselves when they wish to avoid being overheard, giving rise to misguided rumors that they are incapable of speech. When they do speak, they typically use as few words as possible to convey their meaning.
- Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
- Age. Kor mature at the same rate as humans and live about as long.
- Alignment. Most kor are lawful good, with a strong dedication to community and the traditions of their ancestors.
- Size. Kor average nearly 6 feet tall, but are much lighter and more slender than humans. Your size is Medium.
- Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. You also have a climbing speed of 30 feet as long as you are not encumbered or wearing heavy armor.
- Kor Climbing. You have proficiency in the Athletics and Acrobatics skills as well as climbing tools/gear.
- Lucky. When you roll a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.
- Brave. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
- Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, and communicate in the silent speech of the kor.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Kor appear like humans with gray, blue-gray, or ivory skin. They often have hair colors of whites, grays, silvers, platinums, and blacks. The kor are a lean athletic people standing at about 6 foot tall and typically weighing about 150 lbs. Kor are known to draw geometric patterns on their bodies this is a tradition from their ancestors symbolizing strength, bravery, and loyalty.
Genetics and Reproduction
Kor are compatible with most races with mixed offspring taking the mothers race.
Growth Rate & Stages
Kor mature at the same rate as humans and live about as long usually fairing closer to 80 years
Ecology and Habitats
Within the shadowfell the kor travel from place to place; moving wares and people through the shadowfell. While on the material plane it is hard for kor to break away from their nomadic nature.
Behaviour
Often soft-spoken or mute people the kor seemingly don't speak much. They are often blunt and to the point they don't enjoy the dilly-dally of small talk.
Civilization and Culture
Beauty Ideals
Kor value mobility when it comes to beauty. A kor who can easily navigate and traverse the crags of the shadowefell are seen as more attractive than a being who cannot. Above mobility kor have a deep sense of respect for ones body art finding ones story beautiful, and the dedication to ones body art, and the process there within, a true display of loyalty and personal connection.
Courtship Ideals
In kor culture the way to court a partner is to start the "Dance of Hooks & Blades". Wherein potential partners perform a deadly dance between high mountains, or above dead crags. Flinging lines and striking at each other with climbing hooks and swords. The dance is a test of ones abilities, mobility, and survival prowess. It tests if your potential partner is as good as you or good enough to protect and guide the "weaker link".
Relationship Ideals
Kor relationships is a pact, an agreement to travel together, have each others backs, etc. The act of marriage is the binding of robes where all members of the partnership unbind their ropes and reweave them together. This symbolizes your reliance on your partner as they are literally a part of your ropes and thus your survival.
Major Language Groups and Dialects
The kor have a silent language using their appendages, head placement, lip orientation, and eye directions. Some races believe that kor are all mute but most of them are just soft-spoken and short-spoken. Most kor also speak common.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
Your equipment is your life. Kor hold very strong ancestral values. Their geometric body paint (or sometimes tattoos) are intrinsically linked to their families and their story. Some lines and symbols represent the family tree, while others represent great good or bad that struck the family. Every kor's body art is unique to them, each one a beautiful tapestry of a kors life, history, and family.
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
When a kor reaches adulthood they start their body art. The geometric designs are specific in placement at first all of them share similar building blocks. The first part of all kor body art is the roots the connection to ones family and thus a connection to kor traditions.
Common Taboos
Denying your race is the biggest taboo in their society. Doing this is a kin to throwing away ones traditions and the connections to them. Kor who are found disowning their family or race are subjected to an awful punishment known as the disowning. The disowning is a truly horific scene in which the body art they used to, or usually wear, is permanently tattooed to there body. Once it is healed up the tattoo is carved from the offending kor and then they are left to there own vices to seek medical help and survive. The final step of this is exile from kor society. From then on you are known only as (First name) the Skinless. When you disown your family you lose your family name.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Kor have an odd relationship with the Shadar-kai. Some kor seek them out as trading partners an allies while others see them as emotionless husks and avoid them out of fear. In the material plane kor are seen only as odd looking humanoids with odd traditions.
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