World of Synnibarr: Ultimate Adventurer's Guide by Zereth
Introduction
Original SA post
Synnibarr is dead.
Long live Synnibarr.
McCracken is working on a new edition. I fear the gods have cursed me for my hubris and he will be finished with it by the time I complete reviewing this book, and I will never be free.
World of Synnibarr Ultimate Adventurer's Guide, Part 1:
Introduction.
Published in 1994, the Ultimate Adventurer's Guide is a supplement for Synnibarr, containing mostly expanded information on what all these goddamn races
are
. It's still stupid, but now there's actual information about things!
Before the table of contents, there's some stuff from our author. First, he says that he's intending to use "sentient being" or "being" in place of she, he, it, "ta", and "lym". I have never seen those last two used anywhere but in this book, right here, and that sounds like it's going to be really awkward. Still, at least he tried to be gender-neutral, and indicates any times he's specific is an error.
Then there's some dumb philosophical meandering, then a note that "This race is generally like" is not synonymous with "Every member of this race is like", followed by saying that once you pick your personality traits you need to stick to them and doing so properly is worth bonus XP.
Yes. There is some mechanical, game-effecting shit here in the FOREWORD. Welcome back to the World of Synnibarr.
Then there's some fiction! Which digresses for half a goddamn page to explain random goddamn shit about the Amazons. If I figure out how to scan my book you guys will get this in all its horrible glory, but until then, it can go piss up a rope.
And so we begin Chapter Still Not Chapter 1,
Rules Changes, Corrections, and Clarifications
. Which is NOT errata. There is a separate section on errata at the back of the book, behind the appendix, which is not listed on the table of contents.
The first is a few paragraphs on, according to the heading, "Power Gaming Versus Role Playing". As some of you may have noticed, McCracken built the system for power gaming, and took an analytical approach to the physics of the whacked-out fantasy world that is Synnibarr. So, naturally, he went around trying to do "everything" in the real world to make rules for the game! He got injured a lot in the process.
But in his older age, he has become more interested in role-playing, and "using the dice only when necessary".
As such, he's made less powerful classes and sub-classes in this book. So. According to McCracken, "Roleplaying = Being low on power". He specifically advocates pitting characters without any powers or supernatural skills or cybernetics or anything else along those lines against the normal Synnibarr shit. Also, nobody's invincible even if they could whip the entire team single-handedly at first level. "To this I say good, and I hope they are on my side when it comes to trouble."
He also complains that HP inflating as you go up in level is unrealistic. Solution: Just give everybody 2000 + 1 HP per pound, that'll be realistic! Make sure to use the hit location chart. Also, when it comes to gods you're on your own.
He also has an alternate "Did you hit?" table (You hit on 6+ on d100, not counting bonuses if your target is within 20 feet), and also lowers the maximum to-hit bonus, and provides a difficult chart for skill use instead of requiring GMs to wing everything! See, you take your base Chance To Accomplish roll, and compare it to the difficulty of the task, which ranges from 1 to 20. You determine this difficulty by... uh... No guidelines are given!
There's also a much easier method of determining how far you smack things: Divide the weight of the object by the force striking it and multiply by three!
Finally, he has some information on Immortal Born!
He fucking
hates
them and wishes he hadn't made them. He also notes that he once rolled dice for 36 hours straight and only came close to qualifying for one once.
But anyway, we're stuck with them! Certainly can't change the rules on things now!
please ignore that he does so a bunch in this very book, including on this goddamn page
And now, FINALLY, we come to Chapter 1, "The Characters". This opens with a segment called "The Maiming". This is the graduation ceremony for Adventurers! See, you get your arm cut off below the elbow, then you have to run an obstacle course to get to a heal spring melon to stop bleeding out of your stump, and then you go best two out of three in a mock knife fight. At this point they magically regenerate your arm, but you've got a ring scar around where it was cut off. If you fail, well, you still get the scar but you have to try again later!
This is to prepare you for the possible loss of a limb! And is also the justification for why you can keep fighting right up until 0 HP.
Also, when Space Jesus made the Adventurers, he gave them an oath to go with their great powers! Which represent what he considered the "finest qualities in the human spirit", and hopes they'll ensure "chivalrous conduct" among all adventurers.
The book neglects to mention if you are, in fact, actually required to take this oath to graduate or not, and also I should remind people of the existence of the Scarlet Tigers, who are all evil aligned, to go with the Golden Tigers who are all good.
The oath is called "
The Oath of Hope
", and is as follows, with my commentary in
italics
:
Never give up hope and persevere through all tests, for such is how the worthy are proven.
Protect and defend all inhabitants from harm or those who would do harm.
(inhabitants of what?)
Be willing to sacrifice your life for Synnibarr's.
The Worldship is alive. Good to know.
Respect and show respect for all others' customs and follow their laws when in their lands.
Like the ones of the evil vampire blood sacrifice dudes?
Seek the truth before acting and dispense justice if necessary.
Be courageous, humble, kind, loyal, honest, and above all, never falter in duty.
Always choose the lesser of two evils.
What is there's a non-evil option available, Space Jesus?
Never desert a comrade or leader.
Face all opponents on equal terms in single combat, when requested.
Show mercy to the fallen if asked for, and honor the dying's request if it will do no harm.
... Yeah.
Next Time
: Revisiting Alchemists!
Alchemy... again!
Original SA post World of Synnibarr: The Ultimate Adventurer's Guide, Part 2: Alchemists, again!Last time we learned about Alchemists , we got a cut-rate Adeptus Mechanicus with more wacky elemental lasers and shit. The background fluff covered about a page.
The Ultimate Adventurer's Guide has a solid four pages on them, although this being Synnibarr there's some mechanics tucked in here and there that you have to carefully read the entire fucking thing to make sure you didn't miss. So let's get started!
They have the worst reputation of all the "guilds" on Synnibarr (presence or absence of guilds for things other than the 20 Adventurer classes: not stated), probably becuase they're arrogant dicks who hoard all the tech for themselves and consider everybody else children playing with an engine block or disassembled firearm. This obviously puts them at odds with people trying to improve or teach technical knowledge outside the Alchemist's Guild. Rumors say their withholding knowledge has killed more people than The Purging, while claiming to be "humanity's saviors and benevolent protectors". I don't remember what The Purging was, but the timeline in the core book claims 20 million people died during it.
The Guild does try to ensure mental health in its members, but sometimes they degrade into Mad Scientist types anyway! Anyway, once somebody has shown themselves to be intelligent enough for membership, they are trained for decades in a pocket dimension the Guild made, with no contact with the outside world. Which tends to spit people with oddly similar personalities! But this is totally not brainwashing or personality reprogramming. It's just shit's so tough you either adapt or fail.
The Guild only got really powerful about 500 years ago. Up to 14,500 years ago, the Guild was just part of the Terra Council and had the same goals, more or less. This is the period where history gets murky, and only the Guild knows what really happened! Except then the book contradicts itself one sentence later and states no they've got it wrong.
See, Alchemy had reached its peak, so the Guild turned to engineering! Which as you may remember is "mashing two existing things together and hoping your GM and dice smile on your efforts". The Guildmaster at the time, Yi'Learrn, cracked under the pressure and went evil and insane. So, he commissioned a project to make a virus! But didn't tell anybody else, such as the people who were working on it, what it was supposed to do! Which was to "allow one creature to mentally dominate another and draw on the actual intellect of the victim." So, in an underwater lab, Yi and a bunch of genetic engineers who, note, didn't know what the thing they were building was supposed to do but somehow did effective work anyway, fucked up becuase Yi was insane. Instead it fucked up your smarts and, and those of your kids. BEGIN THE DARK AGES!
So, after this shit FINALLY went away, the Alchemist's Guild, the ones responsible for this in the first place, seized all knowledge of science and shit to prevent what had been done by members of the guild from happening again, because only the Guild had the necessary knowledge to cause a repeat of the catastrophe caused by... the Alchemist's Guild. (Also shame I guess.) This is why they're so fanatical, see. "and who is to say that they are unjustified."
So, there's two factions in the Guild: the Traditionalists and the Independents. The Traditionalists are completely loyal to the guild and its laws and shit, while the Independents think that maybe it's okay to teach people how to make some of the less dangerous things, but only a little. Naturally, the Traditionalists outwardly tolerate the Independents but secretly want them all destroyed for their heresy of things like "research into new fields".
Anyway, that pocket dimension mentioned earlier is maintained by "great organic machines" (which probably means Organic Electronics but is not specified), and the Guild doesn't know how the "porthole" (
) to it works anymore. It is located far under their guildhall in Terra City, and is behind a bunch of security checkpoints before they are allowed to take an elevator down to ANOTHER GODDAMN SECURITY CHECKPOINT. Although this one, "Alpha Section", is mostly a customs station focused on people taking unauthorized things OUT of the "University of Knowledge".
The "porthole" itself is in a chamber tiled with white marble and lit by the porthole" itself. It's a big tunnel between dimensions that they built a bridge through.
The bridge is made of gold, of course, becuase that is an excellent construction material.
Anyway, the University itself is in the dimension, and has a fake sky for a day-night cycle, except the night sky has equations solving themselves instead of stars. Maybe it's the Worldship's computer trying to solve a problem! Or teach math! Who knows!
The univeristy itself is made up of "over 100 buildings and laboratories" (Labs: not buildings. Good to know.) with housing and The Great Library with a big clock tower. It's named that due to the "frighteningly small amount of true style and imagination shown by"
Anyway, there's also gardens and forests to provide the people living here with food and shit, there's cafeterias, curfews, all that good shit. Schedule is 7 days training, 4 days off, with the break spent either catching up on the previous 7 day's lessons, or attending various group functions (dances, music shit, etc) which are carefully monitored and controlled by the Guild for their psychological effects on the students but this isn't brainwashing we swear . Also, physical training.
Actual classes are strict lectures, no talking above a whisper without being called on, and "all statements must be made with the utmost formality and dignity". And it's mentioned that some students are young enough that they need to be taught to read. I WONDER WHY NOBODY LIKES THEM. You're also required to grovel to your superiors, especially before you graduate.
Anyway, once you graduate and become an acolyte, you're divided into two categories, "Members" and "Administration". Admin is a "select body chosen by the deans", the criteria for which "involves an obscure use for kiwi oil and a small squirrel monkey". They're paid $30k to $50k a year, "excluding any monkey grooming costs, or vet fees." They have rank titles but who cares. If you're Admin you mostly stay in the pocket dimension dealing with students and the university shit.
The dress code for undergrads is "a uniform of cosmic ugliness, and charmingly made from the least attractive and comfortable materials available". Knickers for the males and short skirts for the girls, "both with safety fasteners to prevent accidental suicide". Oncey ou graduate you get a standard-issue Alchemist robe, which is required to be worn when on Guild property.
While you're a student, you aren't allowed to leave the University except to go to the Mirrored City to work on your final projects. You do get news from the outside, but it is
The Mirrored City is a research facility in and underneath the "diamond domes over Terra" and is where most Engineers work on their dumb, dumb projects. It has the benefit, though, of being available to anybody working on a project, not just the Alchemists. Who, remember, Frown On anybody who isn't a member of the guild knowing how to do this shit. It's very well stocked, having the best fucking gear on the planet and also assistants skilled in whatever you'd want to do. It's also got more security shit to get in.
When you graduate, you get a room in one of the guildhouses on the Terra Islands somewhere, which is yours for life! It is usually big enough for 3 people to leave comfortably, but non-guild members are required to register and can't leave them without your presence. You also can't be extradited from guild property., but you have to do what the Guild says.
If you disobey the rules of the guild, you receive either physical punishment or demerits. 3 Demerits and they pump you full of amnesia juice to remove your knowledge of... everything, actually, according to the text. And it "actually removes the memories", so... you can't do get it restored, I guess?
The current guildmaster is an Independent, 20 years into his 30 year term, after which he will be replaced by a Traditionalist. (You have to be 50th level to qualify.)
The Alchemist's Guild gives very few shits about what the Terra Council says, considering them a "dangerous farce", but they don't know what the Guild's real plans are so who gives a shit.
The Traditionalists want to "censor all technology and the Art and stifle their growth" so they can RULE BENEVOLENTLY FOREVER, BWAHAHAHAHAHA. As such they are attempting to amass wealth and power, and also have created a sub-group called the Keepers who are fanatically loyal to this goal, and sometimes provide aid to the "Fates Fist" group whoever they are.
Alchemist Personality Traits are as follows:
For Traditionalists, they are "Arrogant, fanatical, autocratic, moral, loyal, retentive, respectful, self-centered."
Independents are "Humble, curious, manic, benevolent, tenacious, loyal, nervous. Deep respect for therapy and reverence for clothing designers." This is an exact quote.
Alchemist Physiology Depends on race, "generally neurotic". phys·i·ol·o·gy , noun. "the organic processes or functions in an organism or in any of its parts." neu·ro·sis , noun. A psychological disorder of some sort, details unimportant for my purposes.
Their Appearance is also divided.
Traditionalists dress conservatively and with "great taste", usually in a robe of whatever color they want with a sash at the waist. They also look good in suits.
Independents dress flashy or just not giving a shit about fashion. Usual outfits are listed as "from riding leathers to robes". Usually clean, "appealing", and functional.
Guild Prejudices are once again divided:
Traditionalists are dicks to everybody who isn't themselves, consider Bio Syntha Cyborgs objects or tools and not people, and Weremen as servants. They are extra dickish to people who have cybernetics and aren't alchemists.
Independents dislike Traditionalists and think people who aren't Alchemists but do science are just dreamy.
Both thing Giants are cool and keep the secret of the plague from them out of shamed fear. And also everybody else on the goddamn planet.
Guild Affiliations come in a variety of types!
Religious affiliation is, officially, to the Guild itself as a religion. The fact that the God of Engineering (Xanthius, Independent) is a member gives them some credence here, and he can in fact be found in the Mirrored City or the Guild(... awfully vague there) 3% of the time.
Their ties to Organizations and Businesses include the Keepers, previously mentioned, Terra Council, secretly the Barrean Pirates, and somewhat with Starships Unlimited. The only people on the planet who make spaceships. Are only sort of tied to the Guild who is trying to keep a lock on all science and technology. God, the Traditionalists are incompetent.
Clan affiliation mentions that the Valduche have secretly infiltrated the Guild and also the Keepers.
Special affiliation includes the Armored Mantises and Talking Racoons.
Special Role-Playing !
Alchemists fucking love filing systems. They don't bathe enough, adding more fuel to the "everybody hates their guts" fire. They obey the laws of the guild, although the Indies will look for loopholes and twist the shit out of them while the Trads go by the book.
The Indies want to stop hoarding all knowledge and shit, and think the traditionalists are brainwashed (SHUT UP THERE IS NO BRAINWASHING GOING ON THE BOOK SAID SO) fanatics, too serious, and not trustworthy.
Guild law requires all members to confiscate the shit out of the projects of anybody trying to do engineering, discreetly and without witnesses. Or just without witnesses if you can't pull that off. Unless you've got official guild sanction in which case kick down their door and take all their shit, but make sure you've got your warrant.
Always obey your superior in the field, unless you have orders not to form somebody who outranks them. As such, "delicate orders" are given by the Deans (who I guess are the highest ranked dudes) when security allows.
Famous Quotes ! All direct from the book.
"Alchemists have loyalty only to their guild. Never should they be trusted or overlooked, for as we all know, they have their own agenda." -Rage, Mage Warrior of the Terra Council (Previously seen in the fiction bit at the start of the book hugging his apprentice and getting weepy.)
"Fate bless all Alchemists, for without them all our marvelous toys would all cease to be." -Tyden, Immortal Born son of Hadrathus (The God of War and Winning, since I didn't cover that from the last book.)
"You mistrust us. Yet who do you run to when your fears are greatest? Hypocrites. Without us you'd all be a cosmic memory." -Unknown Alchemist. (Open contempt: Excellent way to foster trust!)
"Fate bless Solstice for creating the anti-Elf paint." -Shela Goldspell, of the Terra Chronicle after winning an invasion of privacy suit
"Snappy dressers, with a lovely sense of style." -Bakksha, CEO of Reetha Fasions, Inc.
McCracken also sees fit to grace us with a Special Note at the end.
They get respect becuase they got the power. Indies will teach people shit without hammering home the laws as absolute, so the Trads are trying extra-hard to stamp this shit out and the Indies with it.
Also, Anti-Elf Paint ! It prevents Elves from using their wall-crawling thing for five minutes after touching it, and can be mixed into existing paint without changing its color. Costs $40 a gallon and is marketed under the brand name Solstice.
And that's the Adventurer's Guide writeup on Alchemists! Next time: Alentiens! You remember, the skeletons made out of psionics? Yeah, the book goes into detail on quite a few things from the Monsters chapter, another reason I just cut that short.
Alentiens
Original SA post World of Synnibarr Ultimate Adventurer's Guide, Part 3:Alentiens are spooky skeletons... MADE OF PSIONICS! Except they can shapechange freely so they're just made of psionics. They apparently use this kinda like a mood ring.
Pictured: An Alentien.
They used to be part of a hive mind, but now aren't, and are so very lonely. Not even making very close friends will help with this at times, leading to depression and "lack of will to persevere", AKA depression again. Or sometimes they go manic and don't give up in the face of impossible odds. These are the only ways Alentiens ever go nuts.
Their history is SUPER-SECRET, known only to them: They are really "psionic manifestations of the Worldship's subconscious" and leave their island only when it needs "another protector". Given all the crazy shit going down on the place I am surprised they aren't all out running around like chickens with their heads cut off or kicking down the door of the Alchemist guild and yelling at them to quit it with the world-threatening experiments or the like.
Anyway, there are 500 Alentiens. Exaclty. ALWAYS 500. Preseumably another one manifests promptly if an old one dies somehow. They are "the waking dreams and nightmares of Synnibarr herself given form". As mentioned previously, they can change form whenever they like, becuase they are "an amorphous race", and their outward appearance gives you no information about their true feelings.
Earlier on the same page and column posted:
They are a quiet race of constantly changing shapes, their forms expressing the unspoken and reflecting their mood with visual changes in color and form.
Pictured: An Alentien's true form.
Anyway, their personality is shaped by the form they choose to appear in, which they can change at any time whenever they feel like it.
They also each "personify a specific aspect of existence", which is set when Synnibarr dreams them up and is reflected by their manipulation of their visual aspects/form.
Two fucking paragraphs ago posted:
their outward appearance depicting nothing about their true feelings when incarnate
Although apparently not being a skeleton is noteworthy based on the phrasing. Anyway, these forms are always roughly human-sized, and are nonphysical. They only turn physical when they turn into a human or elf or whatever to interact with dudes. They float around at about 30 MPH, making a humming sound.
If you can get them off the "FOREVER ALONE
" thing for five minutes they are apparently great storytellers becuase they remember shit from the entire history of Synnibarr. This one sentence is worth an entire paragraph for some reason.
They don't have families or reproduce in the normal way or anything, because they are psychic dream skeletons except when they aren't. They live on an small group of islands in some really treacherous seas they have named Dreamhaven. Becuase it is a haven for them and they are dreams, see.
The islands are unusual and look like giant steps, and have a bunch of caves and shit. Also the seas nearby are prone to sudden unexpected whirlpools, explaining part of why they're so hazardous.
Anyway, if you try to get to their island, they read your mind, and then if they like you, you get to arrive. Otherwise they summon fog or mess with your mind so you can't find it.
On their islands, they live as a hive mind (I thought they USED to do this?) and have made the place a totally beautiful garden. Even the gods are all "shit, that's amazing", because "it embodies the very health of the world". You know. The one which is actually a severely damaged spaceship who could barely limp here and whose main reactor is spitting radiation left and right.
Anyway they live on those islands becuase they're the only place in the Center of the World where that radiation doesn't fuck with psionics, for some reason.
Alentien Personality Traits are "lonely, touchy, and self-centered."
Their Physiology is "Mentallis plannus". They are subject to radiation damage becuase they are made out of psionics.
Their Appearance varies quite a bit even if they're in their natural form. Rainshadow is given as an example, producing glowing red eyes and shooting lightning bolts if pissed, and also rain daggers. Quite effective in showing how "lym" felt. A footnote on that indicates that "lym" is "the biological term for a noncarbon based, nonsexed being". Okay I guess those do come up.
Their Racial Prejudices are that they fucking love the Shadow Masters and anybody else who uses psionics, hate colossi, are sworn to destroy all fiends, and distrust Traditional Alchemists, Psi Leeches, and Scarlet Insectivoids. They will also "risk all" to destory anybody who's tried to hurt the Worldship in the past.
As such, the Churches of Bi'reel, Tet, and Li'eel, the Scarlet Tiger Guild, Carbone Clan, and Chang Clan are also on their shit list unless proven otherwise on an indivudal basis.
Their Group Affiliations are "not much becuase they are the literal dreams of the Worldship, which by the ay has a mind to dream with" but they have been known to talk to the Terra Council sometimes because they consider them friends of the world. They also talk to the Emperor of the Forbidden City sometimes.
Special Role-Playing notes for the Alentiens are...
That they don't need to eat or breathe becuase they are made out of psionics, can fly, can see visible light and non-cloaked psionic energy. They can hear, but not smell things or have a smell, and can't feel things. Unless they are metamorphed into a form.
They can use drugs and cybernetics when in a physical form, but those just poof away when they change form again. They can't actually do shit during the Werestorm, but the Werewinds on the Forbidden Continent only do their normal things so they can keep moving around and talking and shit, just not shooting mind bullets.
They are incorporeal in their natural state, but aren't when they've taken a physical form, and they can be killed normally in it and can't change out until healed. They have also recently picked up the ability to settle into a form for 12 hours at a stretch, quite useful for getting through the Werestorm to Terra.
Every year they have a big party where they all merge and share information and shit, and makes "some of the most spectacular images of light and harmony" in the process. Some consider this a holy event, and Space Jesus has been seen at more than one, "smiling through tears of joy". It's held "at an indeterminate location" every year just before Dark Month. Attendance is usually about 100, and elders can grant or strip powers to younger Alentiens at these, based on, uh
Naming Conventions for Alentiens are that they're named after a "feeling or visual impression that they wish to show."
Alentien Diet is "thetavores". They eat psionic energy drawn from the Worldship or "the psionic pool of the universe."
Famous Quotes
"Show-offs, the lot of 'em, but boy can they put on a party." -Shan Valduche, Valduche Clan Head
"Children of light song and love, as long as they sing Synnibarr will endure." -Warlock Cragwarren, Terra Historian
Special Note :
Some researchers "have determined" (how?) that the clock's ticking until a corrupt Alentien shows up. From the DARK SIDE of Synibarr's psyche! They would have reversed prejudices and affiliations.
Next Time : Amazons!
Mantises, Armored
Original SA post
Well shit, how can I follow up Laser Jews? Oh well, I'll try.
World of Synnibarr: The Ultimate Adventurer's Guide:
Mantises, Armored
I don't remember anything about these guys, so let's see. As always, things "in quotes" are direct from the book, not rephrased or compressed.
They're matriarchal, and form whatever harems are called when there's lots of males to one female. The males are smaller and kinda dumb; they can hunt and mate and not much else. They form large family groups, which then group up into "packs" which are "the beginnings of a civilized society" according to the book. They've learned to raise livestock and build houses from Humans, and "in spite of their incorporate instinct" (
) they are rapidly expanding! In the wild, they have "very convoluted" governments, and tend to see humans as food, which is not helped by the language barrier.
They don't have a religion "per sa", but it's really good to be the alpha female. They tend to build homes in burrows or in the foliage, preferring the latter so they can drop on their prey. It reiterates that males are pretty useless.
Breeding is under control of the alpha female, who's the only one who gets to mate. Generally laying 5-10 eggs per season, with a different father per each (season? egg? unclear), becuase they eat the head of the male "with a cold emotionless efficiency that borders on quiet enjoyment".
There's usually one female per clutch and eggs grow to maturity in one year. Presumably after being laid, since it doesn't mention hatching.
Females often go fly around looking for shit with a handful of males along for protection. The Alpha Female rules until her "husband" (first mention of the word husband in this entry) kills her during mating, at which point the rest of the pack will use cold emotionless
robot
insect logic to replace her. Big enough packs will also split off. Packs encountering each other in the wild are pretty chill, and rather than fight might even offer assistance if they have enough shit. They're also friendly to other races (except when they see humans as food?) as long as they can talk to the females.
Armored Mantises "live a spartan existence", which you can tell by all the sweet sculptures and other artworks decorating their dwellings. They are an emotionless race, which you can tell from how they enjoy eating, art, flying, and intellectual pursuits such as "four-dimensional geometry puzzles and calculus story problems". You know, something seems off about this paragraph...
Their language uses pheromones, ultrasonic chirps, and rapid clicks. Their name for themselves translates as "great ones", and according to the book sounds like "chirp'click,brattt,tic".
Their written language is made by depositing pheromones on something, which are refreshed as the "Reader" reads. I guess if they aren't read regularly they deteriorate. This means they are often hired to send secret messages. Oh wait, "properly preserved" their records last for up to 100 years, and don't easily wash away. If you have an enhanced sense of smell you can just barely tell something's there, but not read it.
They are curious but cautious (neither of which, apparently, are emotions) and don't fear conflict. Their Mantis Style Kung Fu is superior.
They can concentrate longer than anybody except BSCs, but are short lived. Fortunately they learn quickly!
They're also really Lawful, and will obey the laws of wherever they are as long as they know them, and they don't restrict their breeding. Once this
emotionless race
is angered, they have a really long memory, and will plot revenge for generations. Because they're predators, much like the Arackmen, who they fucking hate for reasons not mentioned here. They are, again, emotionless and logical, which is why they
get angry and love sculpture
are buddies with the Alchemists and Shadow Masters.
This
emotionless race
loves fine jewelry and sculpture, and are widely considered totally awesome. The Dwarves in particular fucking love their work, and have a deal with the pack(s?) on the Terra Isles where they give them things and they turn them into sculpture and jewelry with their cold, emotionless insect logic. "Because of this pact on the Isles, it is considered well off." What is, the Isles itself?
Anyway, they're good at this shit becuase they have magic energy fields around their claws they can do fine manipulation with and also cut diamond, as well as plunge into molten metal no problem. Because this is Synnibarr.
Some of the ones on Terra have joined the Mage Warrior guild, and a couple others have gone to engineering school. They live in Stonegate outside Terra proper, which they have helped improve and expand as a token of their emotionless insect friendship. They have specifically constructed a 2000 resident apartment building, and during the fall they hold an annual kite contest with a $1000 cash prize. (last year's winners: some Giants flying a Drake. No, not a kite. An actual fucking Drake, not noted as being dead. Why this didn't disqualify them is unclear.
Historically, they've had wars with the Viceen and Ravashem, becuase those guys did slave raids and shit on them. They've only left the Garden (the Center of the World, remember, where all the radiation means most powers don't work, except for those of the giant monsters trying to murder you), and now they have developed new techniques with their energy fields (presumably the aforementioned crafting applications) and also they have fallen in
cold emotionless insect
love with technology, showing aptitude for it "second only to B.S.C.s."
Their
Personality Traits
are that they are Analytical; Logical;
Emotionless
; Loyal; respectful; Inquisitive; Predatorial; and Patient.
Their
Physiology
is "Manteodeasapien". "Being giant insects, the Armored Mantises are unique physiologies that are too complex for a complete description." How lazy. They're colorful, with bright green bodies and wings "resembling polished metal". They're up to 7 feet tall and can fly for up to an hour at 80 MPH if they can muster the 1 Strength Point per minute cost. (I don't think the game ever gave a solid explanation of spending anything other than Con Points like this.) Males are smaller and have boring green wings, and they look like "preying" mantises. As insectoids, they presumably have a total of six limbs, not counting the wings.
In
Appearance
, they wear clothing, and carve elaborate designs into their claws, usually including a Light Rune. Which I think means they have flashlights. They, in their cold emotionless insect lack of feelings, are fond of gold necklaces and fur leggings. Males get to be nakd.
Their
Racial Prejudices
are that they dislike Ravashem, Viceen, Halitheians, and Tenjohussan, and fucking hate Arackmen.
Racial Affliliations:
Religious:
Nope.
Organizations and Businesses:
They are on good terms with the Dwarves, Mage Warriors, and Alchemists.
Clans:
nope.avi
Special:
They like Amazons, Alchemists, and Talking Raccoons.
Special Role-Playing:
They see all males as inferiors, slaves, or even food, and will flat-out ignore them. Except the ones in the Mage Warrior guild who get their claws smacked with a ruler or something if they do that.
In the wild, they use their own language, and generally don't speak Terran. The ones from Terra Isles do speak the language of the place they live.
They can be disoriented or confused by perfume or incense in strong enough concentration. Specifically, unable to read or communicate in Armored Mantis for up to 5 minutes. The smell of strong roses gets them drunk. Lotus incense causes Class 1 Fear, and is the only way to frighten their cold emotionless insect hearts (that love sculpture and kites). Any other ability of spell or whatever fails.
Their magical energy fields mean they don't need real hands, and appears as a green transparent field. Doesn't cost anything or require concentration. At 10th level they can do it up to 10 feet away with minimal concentration (effectively a 0.5 level spell for the purpose of using multiple abilities at once). At 30th level that drops to no concentration again.
The Alchemists will let them into school to learn engineers in physical stuff, or magic. They're encouraged to go into AI, becuase properly trained mantises can program 25% faster than Humans, because of
They can also go to Mage Warrior school, as per usual for doing the split race/class stuff.
Starting money for Terra Isles mantises is $40k-100k. If from the Center of the World, they'll have 1-4 males in tow, armed with spears and swords and with some assortment of natural substances form inside. The female will carre, specificlly, 2-4 silver apples, 2-4 golden apples (possibly juice), powdered black rose petals (w/antidote), 2-4 Neptune's Breath, 1 fire pearl, 2-6 blood oranges, and 2-6 heal spring melons. Males suck and have some mechanical limits on them we don't care about, and typically only live until 5, breeding age.
Mantises get an additional 5 skill points per level over what they'd normally get because they live fast, die yo gnu.
Chemicals work weird on them because they're insects. Neuroaccelerator and truth serum are addictive euphoric drugs, rather than their normal effects. However, they can mix some coffee with honey and that works like neuroaccelerator for them. Ketoseen and talamean are poisons, and DMSO is an acid. Alchohol does nothing.
They're immune to poisons under 30th level, unelss mixed with DMSO in which case they take 10% poison damage (plus the effects of DMSO on them).
There's a 5% chance when you create your character that you're an intelligent male. These are killed whenever discovered by females, "which means that they have had these mutations all along." One has escaped and gotten protection from the Terra Council, angering the
emotionless
pack he escaped from, who used the logical argument that males could add a lot to their society. Secretly, these EMOTIONLESS insects are scared that the males might take revenge.
Mantis Style Martial Arts
is allegeldy the oldest known fighting art of all, and is said to have been invented on Old Earth. By mantises. Humans can use it, but Mantises are harder to counter. Plus mantises can do this shit AND use their magic claw field.
The techniques are "Grasping the Wind", which attacks with both claws and pulls the target in while you step forward with your rear legs and kick with your front legs. (How humans practice this is unclear.) Then you bite. The bite does shitty damage, but is lethal to anything without 10ths becuase you just ripped out their throat. The counter technique is...
"Passing the Storm", which comes in two variations. First, you sense movement form behind, and then drop and do a leg sweep, and use your arm hooks (again, this is practiced by humans too) to intercept the attack, serrated edges outward. You then grab them with your claws and elbow strike their jaw, while drawing your serrated edge across the body. Variation B uses your forward hooks to grab an incoming attack and twists clockwise, striking with the extremity elbow. You then twist counterclockwise and use the opposite elbow across the jaw, and finish with a reverse hammer hook.
"The Cradle of Death" is used to feed mainly. You lunge forward, dropping and grabbing the victim's left leg with your forward right leg, then reach behind the target and hook your claw around their throat with your left arm, and raise your left forward leg to block whatever they're doing with their right arm/leg. You then pull on their throat, stepping forward with your left rear leg to step on their right food, tripping them over. Now, begin feeding with your mandibles. This martial art is practiced by humans. The counter technique is Passing the Storm, Variation B.
"Blocking the Sword" is a defensive technique which comes in two varieties. The first variation uses your serrated arm edge to guide the weapon away from your body, while the other arm grabs their wrist, and then your first arm pulls the weapon away with the aid of your magical claw field, and then you deliver an elbow strike. This marital art is
practiced
by
humans.
Variation B has you grab the hilt of the weapon, twist and deliver an elbow strike to the face of the attacker, while using your other hand to pull the weapon away. You then continue to turn and hit somebody with your new weapon.
"Mantis Sword" is used against taller creatures. First you strike forward in a low front thrust with your blade, serrated edge up, while your opposite arm performs and upward block, blade extended, with the forearm doing the actual blocking. You then scissor closed your claw on the opponent, with draw your other arm, and strike over the blocking arm at the opponent's body or throat. This marital art is
practiced.
By
humans
. The counter technique is Taking the Arm.
"Taking the Arm" is a defensive technique used to dismember an opponent and throw them to the ground. You catch the attacker's limb and guide it to the opposite side with an outward block while retaining hold of the wrist. The opposite hand strikes at the elbow, while you turn and pull the attacker to the ground. Once the person dumb enough to attack you, a normal human being, you push the arm forward with the elbow bending backward. You then reach around with your free claw and use the serrated blade to cut off the arm at the now-damaged joint. THIS martial
art
is
prac
ticed
by
humans
.
The Path Divides is an offensive technique used to throw to opponents. You strike the first opponent with one arm's hook around the back of the neck, and pulling him into a kickc to the knee. At the same time, you do this to your other victim, only with a side-thrust kick to the knee as you turn. You then turn 360 degrees and throw them down. This
martial
art
is
prac
ticed by
hu
mans
. The counter technique is Turning the Path: Variation A.
"Turning the Path" has two variations. A uses a block, grab the wrist, and then you twist it, duck under it, and kick them in the face. Variation B is used to remove weapons from somebody's grasp by grabbing it with your left hand and twisting their wrist with your right hand. (Or vice-versa, I guess.) You then, once the weapon is rotated downward, use your other left hand to grab wepon.
this martial art is practiced by humans
"Slashing Elbows" is used to kill an opponent and throw them to the ground. In that order, I guess? You step forward, do an extended outward block, and use yoru extended blades to trap both of the opponent's arms. Then your opposite lower arm strikes at the groin or midsection while your upper arm on that side strikes at the throat with your wrist or magic field. Once completed, you turn and elbow strike the jaw, then reverse and reverse elbow strike the jaw with the same elbow. You keep turning, and grab the opponent's neck or head with your arm blades, throw them over your back to the ground, and hit them in the back of the head and kick them in the ribs. This martial art is
practiced
by
humans
The counter technique is Crashing Gates: Variation A.
"Crahsing Gates", variation A, has you block an attack with both upper arms, closing your blades on it, and giving an elbow strike with the outer arm while your inner one keeps the lock, then give them a backhand chop with the same one you just elbowed them with. Variation B is used against two opponents attemptign to grapple you from opposite sides. You turn clockwise, leaidng with the left shoulder, and use your back leg to kick the left one. Then, turn counterclockwise, pivoting on your forelegs, and use your other back leg to kick the opponent on the right. This marital art is practiced by fucking humans somehow and DOESN'T EVNE HAVE ANY RULES FOR HOW TO LEARN IT AAA
Armored Mantis
Naming Conventions
are completely unpronounceable by Humans, but they typically take a common human name like "Lucreacha Le'fay" or "Cleopatra". These are common names on the Terra Isles.
Males dont' get names becuase they're all dumb animals.
Their
Diet
is carnivorous, preferably consuming insects, especially Flymen and Arackmen. Preferably alive. Bowls full of ladybugs or small spiders are delicacies.
Famous Quotes:
nnnnnope.
And that's Armored Mantises, the emotionless grudge-having insects that fucking love sculpture and kites and shit! Up next, vote for which one of
Apes, Mutant
or
Batmen
you want to see!
Batmen
Original SA post 1 out of 1 readers voted for: BatmenWorld of Synnibarr: The Ultimate Adventurer's Guide: Batmen
The first thing you'd notice is this picture, sitting between the two columns on the first page of the entry:
Let's see if they live up to this.
They're also known as "Heska", and have "roosts" in caves all over the world. Sometimes, they even build houses. They have a reputation ans traders and info-brokers, and are often employed as diplomats, couriers, or slavers.
Uh, let me check the core book entry... Aura: Red. Welp. They're evil man-bats. People who don't like slavery tend to not be fond of them.
They are usually organized in tribes, which due to varying "cultures and personalities" tend to clash with each other. Or do business, whatever. As you might guess from the previous sentences, they don't have a unified government, and thus aren't a big economic player. This is becuase they're actually different species of man-bats. Because humans have formed one big monolithic civilization, right?
They're composed of four major species, "each with its own specialties in commerce". They don't work together well, but they like music and musicians.
They are found in the wild of groups of up to 100 based on food availability.
The civilized ones build rafters so they can hang from them, becuase they are bats. Did you get that they are bats yet? They're bats. The biggest of these is near Valhalla (the city), where they try to live with humans and export sailing vessels, handicrafts, music, exotic fruits, and pollen. Achoo.
Their origin is well-documented; They were created by Heska the genetic engineer just before the Dark Ages started. And he was just fucking around and never meant to release them into the wild, but then his heart grew three sizes he tinkered with them a little more and let them out to run free.
They're all bat-human hybrids: Fruit, pollen, omnivorous, and vampire bats. There's also a group called the Flock who wants them all to play nice with each other and unite, a noble but fruitless cause".
The pollen eaters are "Bakka", and are weird. They have a symbiotic relationship with a tiny six-inch tall version of themselves.
Female bakka are called "vixens" and bear young three times over their lifespan, giving birth to 1 "cub" at at a time. The mini-Bakka give birth to 1-2 young, called "kittens". When a cub is born, up to six kittens are placed in their pouches under the wing flaps, where htey nurse on the cub while the cub nurses on its mother. Both cubs and kittens are weaned and can fly at one year.
The kittens are only semi-intelligent, and are used to gather pollen for the Heska to eat, while they get their nourishment from the glands in the wing pockets. They are never used for any other purpose, except for the oldest who are intelligent enough to follow more complicated commands, which are relayed to them with ultrasonic whistles, which can only be naturally heard by Heska. Sufficently old kittens can also do this, and "develop a maximum ego of 14 and they can reason. However, they are extremely timid and cannot be forced to attack anything (except a pollen-laden flower)."
The kittens harvest pollen during the night while their host sleeps, and return by daylight with up to six ounces of fur stuck in their pouches and to their sticky fur.
Adult Bakka require holy shit how much of this goddamn fucking information on one fucking sub-species's feeding habits is there?
Anyway, they take 16 ounces of pollen per day, or 25-30 if extremely active. Oh, wait, I was reading this wrong, it's not "sufficiently old", it's "the oldest kitten the Bakka has". If their eldest bites it, the second-eldest becomes the eldest and gains its power, possibly after eating the deceased kitten's heart, it doesn't say. You can also breed more if you're running low.
The Bakka the "most industrious" of the batmen types, and are renowned for their craftsmanship, particularly clocks, furniture, cabinets, and carved wood paneling. So, there aren't really any poor Bakka, and starting Bakka characters get +$5000 cash.
Inheritance of the family business goes to the youngest Bakka, so the older kids don't bully the younger ones, and also becuase the parents think they've got a better handle on this child-rearing thing by then. I'm not sure how the "not bullying" thing is supposed to work.
Bakka love peace and avoid politics, living with the Megachi and Natbakka and letting them run the government. Flipping ahead indicates these are other batman races. I thought they DIDN'T have a government?
Anyway, pollen-gatherers mate for life and form strong family bonds, and I think they're talking about the human-sized ones not the "kittens" here becuase they also love music and art, but suck at them. They don't have many enemies thanks to their neutrality policy, but are scared of the Chiro (another type of batman). They also kinda distrust the Biogladites becuase they had a war with them once.
The Biogladites tried to use the pollen-gatherers as slaves and slave spies, see. They got almost 70% of the race, and then brainwashed them and used them as shock troops, all of whom died.
The Bakka want to make the best crafts in the world, and wish they could sing, or at least be less of a collective wallflower.
The Megachi, the fruit bats, are musicians, diplomats, and lawyers. They live in family homes with 2-4 young. They can fly , have good memories, and are hard to interrogate so they are often used as couriers. They also are good at debate and bartering.
They're often employed by corporations and governments as "executives and office holders". The have better poker faces than Arackmen or Mantises. They can also use their ultrasonics to talk to each other secretly during business meetings.
They are good at catching onto what other people are doing, trained by playign chess, and compose and play music for fun.
Younger Megachi think business is like, a drag, and are forming rock bands and worshiping Blade (god of ninjas and heavy metal). Still have that racial bonus to contract negotiation though, so they tend to make good money doing this.
The Natbakka, the omnivores, are explorers, with racial built-in wanderlust. They're nomadic, and during the Dark Ages kept the shipping lines open in tandem with the Giants.
They're awesome at making ships, behind only the Halitheians and Giants. Sometimes they hire the Bakka to make decorative carvings inside, except they're actually maintenance and operation instructions. And maps in the captain's cabin. Upside down, becuase they are BATS and HANG FROM THE CEILING.
Above-deck though they don't have a ceiling to hang from so they sail their ships. Awesomely. They can't just go "Fuck you storm, I'm huge" like Giants can, so they have to do it really well. Also, they can hang form the rigging and fly, which are a great help in a storm.
No, really. Flying around. In a storm . "the unique fact that by hanging from the rigging and being able to fly, they can move about a storm-wracked vessel with relative easy where creatures that rely on secure footing cannot." Also, they don't get seasick.
Their ships are smaller than Giant ships for obvious reason, and mostly carry cargo. They also all have backup steam or other type of motors. They are also smaller because of trade agreements they signed with the giants. They also sell the Chiro (I guess the vampire bats, by process of elimination) ships cheap, and thank this contract for being able to not sell them bigger ships for their slaving. Instead of just not selling them ships.
Anyway, again, the Natbakka are traders and explorers, and live exclusively on ships. In regular patterns, so lost Natbakka can find their families. They claim no land, except a port in the inner sea connected to the Great Silver River on the Enchanted Continent, where they chill during Darkmonth, and also where they build ships.
This place, Calm Bay, has an odd skyline, with tall, thin buildings that lean over. Even the ones made of stone. They are also made for flying people.
Chiro are the vampire batmen, and are considreed evil becuase they have to drink blood, I guess. Also they are treacherous and bloodthirsty, presumably in the metaphorical fashion.
They need up to 4 pints of blood a day. When encountered in the wild, they're usually really hungry and will jump you, becuase they are bad at hunting I guess. Civlized ones just do slavery and butchery, and trade bloodless corpses off to the Halitheans to eat, and they give the Chiro slaves in exchange. Nearly all Chiro are employed in the slavery industry. As opposed to growing cattle or something.
They can also use magic, thanks to a dark god's gift. This was in exchange for sacrificing Heska to the god, which they did becuase they are assholes. They are minor practitioners in magic, and also "other gifts". They start learning at age 10, and know 5-10 first level spells by the time they leave home.
They live in caves or stone buildings, "preferring rock to wood and the dark to light." Sometimes they buy cattle when they can afford it, but the idea of just fucking starting their own herds has not occurred to them, I guess. They get together, raise kids until they're old enough to leave, and then everybody wanders off and they don't keep any formal ties with their relatives, and seldom communicate with them at all, "living a solitary existence" (of big fucking organized slave trading).
They are secretive, and "protective of their Art" becuase the Dark Age had witch hunts, except there were actually people who could blow you up with their mind around. So they have a bad reputation, and also they feed on other sentient beings becuase they are too dumb to just raise livestock with a lot of blood. People attack them a lot, and Mage Chiro will often kill themselves rather than abandon their books, becuase these are completely impossible to replace unless you happen to have money.
The Chiro hibernate from Vember to January. Don't wake them up or they'll starve to death with a 30% chance! They can also astrally project and cast 1st-level spells into the physical plane from there. They are visible, and have a limit of 1 mile form their body. They use this trick to protect themselves while hibernating.
Otherwise, they're civilized (psst. livestock.) and enjoy things like the rest of the Heska, and also their kids are doing the rock band thing becuase this was written in the 90s. Also, the elderly like Dalhada concerts.
They also like wind surfing, with themselves as the sail, can handle stress well, and have sometimes been hired by Ravashem "and certain royalty" as consultants. Not many are willing to supply them with food, though, becuase FUCKING COW BLOOD WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU DUMB BAT PEOPLE
They are aware people don't like them, and also remember how they killed their creator for power, so sometimes they go insane.
They don't have a governing body and are solitary, so
They are secretly at war with the Megachi because of past indiscretions on the part of the Megachi, such as the Megachi defending the Bakka when the Chiro were attempting to enslave the Bakka. I... think. They'll kill any Megachi if they think they can get away with it.
Personality Traits:
Bakka are Hyperkinetic; Peaceful; Friendly; Content; Meticulous; Protective; Dependent; and Courteous.
Megachi are Strategist; Inquisitive; Watchful; Disciplined; Incisive; Diplomatic; and Retentive.
Natbakka are Emotional; Reckless; Extroverted; Brave; and Nomadic.
Chiro are Sadistic; Paranoid; Introverted; Disciplined; Incisive; and Brave.
Their Physiology is, for Bakka and Natbakka, Chiropteresapien, Megachi are Megachiropteresapien, and Chiro are Desmodontidaesapien. I'm almost completely sure this remains a gross misuse of the term "sapien".
They have sensitive hearing, including ultrasound, and find cities uncomfortable. Therefore they don't go after high technology, becuase soundproofing is not a thing that exists. They instead use simpler, quieter machines and magic. If constantly exposed to city-=type noise for 7-14 days, they go insane for a bit, possibly violent. Or they can wear earplugs, but they they can't use their echolocation or ultrasonic communication.
Earlier this post posted:
They're often employed by corporations and governments as "executives and office holders".
Appearance:
Bakka have chocolate brown fur, golden underbellies, and males have brown or gold eyes, females blue.
Megachi have reddish brown fur, brown bellies, and white-tipped ears. Eyes are red or brown, and the females have completely white ears.
Natbakka: Silver gray fur, black underbellies, black ears, blue or gray eyes. Females black fur, silver underbellies, silver ring around neck.
Dumb Fucking Vampire Bats: Ebony black fur, blood-red mane, black, brown, gray, or blue eyes. Females have red udner the wings.
Racial Prejudices:
They're too young to really have many, but dislike the Traditional Alchemists, and the Natbakka hate Barrean Pirates.
Racial Affiliations:
Religious affiliations are whatever the individual feels like, except the Chiro are cursed to worship Hartrak or lose their magic shit.
Organizations and Businesses: Some of them work for corporations.
Clans: The Megachi are affiliated with the Chang Clan.
Special Role-Playing Notes:
The Heska loves crowds, and sometimes will just touch you and not stop in a social situation. Family roosts have narrow, long rooms, and tend to just have the family grab each other and "jabber".
All Heska can train in the skills they learn, except magic. There they need teachers.
They all know air or water navigation.
Ultrasonic communication range: 750 in perfect conditions, 150 normally.
Bakka talk to their sub-batmen all the fucking time, "conferring with them in every decision that needs to be made" despite the fact that they're too dumb to give any useful input. They love music, but have no rhythm, so they're just really enthusiastic fans. They also do sleight of hand stuff.
They don't like rude people and will avoid them. They are also polite, but will gossip about people in power.
They know carpentry and wood carving, and get $5000 when they leave the roost.
Megachi know how to sing and play two instruments, and are skilled in psychology, computer operation, computer programming, and interrogation resistance hey wait a minute this is talking about what batman PCs get here. God, I hate this old-style "let's make the rules text indistinguishable from the fluff" shit. They are often professional musicians, entrepreneurs, or gamblers. They are the most likely to be living in Human-type houses, although they still hang from the rafters, and are clean and fastidious which makes them good for office work (except for the going insane thing).
Natbakka don't leave their home ship until they've made a 40-foot sailboat, which is stocked with a year's worth of provisions and $1000. They can make it motorized if they want, and can make it out of fiberglass, but this isn't traditional. Because if you're caught with only a motor boat in a werestorm or werewind, you lose control! Because adding an outboard motor to a sailboat means you have to take the sails off first, right? Anyway, steam power gives 70mph speed, using flawed fire diamonds to make hydrogen straight from the seawater. And then using it to power a steam engine instead of a hydrogen burning turbine, I guess.
They will come to the aid of a family member even at risk of their own lives.
Chiro
They can't avoid hibernating through any means until they hit Demigod or better, and immediately before it they gorge themselves on their own fucking body weight in blood .
Actually, no they, over the course of the month leading up to hibernation, drink enough blood to double their body weight. That's a lot of fucking blood. Despite the hard numbers on how much they need on a dialy basis, how much this is is not specified.
Naming Conventions: Everybody but the Natbakka name themselves by... uh... lppoing off the first letter or two of a human name. Mark -> Ark, Tamerlain -> Merlain are the two given examples. Kittens are named shit like "Boss", "Buddy" "Cleo" "Leo" and "Scouter", to list the given examples. Last names are based on family occupation.
Natbakka have the first name based off of the state of the sea and the weather at time of birth, such as "Breakerbreeze", the middle name is a piece of shipboard equipment, and the last names are Scottish. So you might get Breakerbreeze Winch McCracken. Yes, McCracken is in the list of common family names.
Diet
DID YOU GUYS KNOW THAT BAKKA EAT POLLEN
Megachi eat fruit and small insects.
Natbakka are omnivorous.
Chiro live on shitloads of fresh blood.
Famous Quotes:
"Crowded as a Heska family reunion." No attribution given.
I forget what else people voted for, so here's the remaining list:
Amazons; Apes, Mutant; Aquarians; Archers; Biogladites; Bio Syntha Cyborgs; Cattars; Chameleon Drakes; Demons, Cave and Tree; Dwarves; Elves; Fiends; Flymen; Giants; Gnomes; Halitheians; Lotts; Mage Warriors; Mutants; Ninja; Panther Men; Priests of Berava; Talking Raccoons; Ravashem; Scarrok; Shadow Masters; Shadow Warriors; Shamans; Tenjohussan; Tigers, Golden, Scarlet, and Mage; Tuch's Legion; Mutant Vampires; Viceen; Warchildren; Weremen; Winged Warriors; Half Breeds and Plague Clans; Elvomes; Plague Clans, now with their own entry I guess; and Engineered Races.
Pick something.