Shou

Legends concur that the masters of the wild are the shou (singular: shou, adjectival: shou). They are an animalistic people awakened from the beasts by Inashayle. Like their animal predecessors, the shou have keen instincts and remarkable deftness. A human nursery rhyme tells "If away from cities you go, you'll find the packs of shou."

Physiology

The most readily identifiable feature about the shou is that they are digitigrade — they walk on their toes like dogs or cats. This makes them powerful sprinters and jumpers. They have tails with limited motion usually less than the length of an arm. They bear large, slightly pointed ears, which face forward and sit higher on the head than a human's. Their noses are leathery and kept moist, and their upper lip has a marked cleft. All shou have soft fur covering parts of their bodies, notably the cheeks, neck, shoulders, hands, tail, feet, and along the sides of the arms. They also have silky hair on their heads which many shou keep chin-length or shorter. Their hair, fur, and skin share the same color, often in shades of blond, gray, brown, and tan, with very rare occurrances of black or white. Their eyes have vertical slits, with a reflective membrane for great eyesight at night when they are most active. Eye color amongst shou is generally gold, brown, and green. They have four digits with small claws on their hands and feet. Shou bear sharp teeth and large canines. A majority of shou carry the appearance of something between a dog and a cat, but some have features which are decidedly one or the other (for instance, feline-looking shou may have spots and a long, sleek tail, whereas a canine-looking shou may have slightly droopy ears and a thick tail). Adult shou tend to vary in height between 4′6ʺ and 5′6ʺ, with males usually taller. Shou adolescence begins at 10 and they reach adulthood by 12. The shou lead short lives and tend not to live for more than 50 or 60 years.

Appearance

A shou can typically be seen wearing simple clothes made primarily from fur or leather, but also some fabrics. They favor tunics, loincloths, vests, and shawls. The shou don wooly ponchos in harsh weather. Many enjoy wearing jewelry (typically necklaces, hairclips, and tight bracelets) crafted from the remains of hunted animals to give their respect. Elders and important pack members are known to wear headdresses. A shou's feet are normally bare as their leathery paw pads provide enough support, although shou in colder climates wear boots for warmth.

Personality

Shou are brave fighters and hunters who delight in the chase. While not studious or infinitely wise, they are instead blessed by a spiritual calm. The shou are reverent toward nature and the unseen world, but tend not to be intimate with magic. They are observant and wily. Their nimble feet grant them a devotion to the art of dance. A majority of shou ceremony and tradition feature complex dances. A shou tends to be both skeptical and curious, and can usually keep very calm under fire. A shou makes for a faithful companion and a tenacious — often successful — opponent. "Don't hate your enemies; defeat them," is a shou proverb.

Habitat

Shou are often nomadic as a result of the waxing and waning of natural resources. Their homes are temporary, portable conical tents, being constructed of long wooden poles and covered with thick animal hides. They're remarkably dry in wet weather, resistant to wind, cool in the warm season, and warm in the cool season. The floor of these dwellings is typically hide as well.

Society

A settlement of shou is referred to as a pack and is comprised of several families. Each pack is led by an Alpha Pair: a mated couple who assumes authority by popular agreement or sometimes a display of prowess. It varies from pack to pack whether the Alpha Pair govern justly or cruelly. Infrequently, many packs meet up in a convocation or moot to negotiate and arrange trade agreements and other treaties. These events are marked by celebration and ceremony. During battle and war, the shou are remarkable tacticians, and favor indirect means to vanquish their foes, especially the depletion of their opponents' supplies and resources. Few shou are put to death for offenses. Instead, dishonored pack members are banished from the pack, and it is taboo of for another pack to "adopt" a rogue shou.

When a shou comes of age, he leaves the pack for a time to complete a rite of passage the shou call the Finding Hunt. For one to three years, a young shou will learn trades and skills away from the pack. Part of the challenge of the Finding Hunt is to locate the pack upon completion.

The shou are hunter-gatherers and tend to eat more meat, eggs, and other sources of protein than anything else, but also enjoy the grown bounties of the land. They make good fishermen as well as hunters. The shou are absolutely opposed to scavenging, nor would they consume the flesh of sentient beings. They are also known to partake of psychoactive concoctions derived from such natural resources as herbs, grasses, and fungi. These substances figure heavily into the ceremonies and deep spiritual fabric their people share.

The shou are blessed with fertility. Females are fertile for at least 30 years and give birth to 2–6 young at a time, but tend not to mate again while raising young. The shou don't necessarily mate for life, but a mating pair generally assumes parental responsibilities until the young reach adolescence. While there is certainly delicate ceremony involved between potential mating shou, no public wedding ceremony is part of their culture. Deceased shou are burned by funeral pyre; burial grounds do not suit their nomadic ways. Funeral ceremonies involve bestial howling to guide the deceased on their way.

Language

Others who have learned to speak Shou describe it as soft. The language lacks hard consonant sounds like K and D. The language has no plurals, no verb conjugation, and no verb tense; it is exceedingly simple for most other races to learn.

Occupations

As a creature at home in the wild lands with great speed, a shou makes an excellent hunter, trapper, messenger, scout, ranger, and guide. A shou might also find aptitude in the show business as a dancer or acrobat. Their ability to see at night, excellent hearing, and nimble frames make them devastating assassins, spies, and thieves.

Shou tend not to practice magic, but most connect with the spiritual world and could make excellent martial artists. The shou favor sharp, one-handed weapons, such as spears or knives, or their own hands. Many shou are found amongst the Wilders.

Max Caps

• Agility 12
• Intellect 8
• Insight 8
• Psyche 12

Powers

• Balanced Beastie: Shou are nimble and dexterous. They tend to land on their feet, leap good distances, and tumble about with ease. They gain a +2 bonus to Gymnastics.
• Night Child: Being primarily nocturnal, the shou possess the same reflective layer behind their retinas as many species of animals. They can see well in all but pitch darkness.
• Keen Senses: The shou have impressive smell and hearing, receiving a +4 to Perception checks involving these senses. Their range for these senses is twice that of a human (a shou can halve Perception distance penalties). They can hear sounds one octave higher than humans.
• Attuned Spirit: The shou have one foot in the spiritual door. A shou receives a +2 to Clairvoyance to detect the presence of supernatural phenomena.