Cloaks & Daggers: The Criminal Guilds of New Mithrak

Crime is a serious problem in Mithrak. The lack of proper law enforcement, the widespread injustice and inequality, and the opportunity available to those willing to do anything draw criminal enterprises from across the realm. The urbzthrong are able to respond to individual crimes done against them with their personal security but are hardly capable or interested in policing the city. Most of the business minded vithzar would rather pay off these criminals for some sort of immunity without really thinking about the naivete of trusting them. The citizens, particularly small business owners, have no choice but to deal with these crooks and thugs on a daily basis. Arguably, some of these organizations contribute to the city in more positive ways than their corporate overlords do and others are larger and more terrible than even Smaragdine the Green Dragon of the Emerald Bank.

Gangs 

The Bogeymen. Goblins and orcs are relative newcomers to Mithvale and it is a testament to the city's creedo of "opportunity for all" that they aren't run right out of town. After all, the reputation of goblins and orcs are that of invaders, cowardly and brutish, and their name is dirt with the native population. But just because their welcome and have "opportunity" doesn't mean the opportunity is equal to that available for dwarves, gnomes, halflings and humans. Goblins and orcs are expected to take what they can get, job-wise, and forced to live in ghettos by the urbzthrong who want to keep an eye on the "green bastards". This ill-will has led to the rise of the Bogeyman.

By positioning themselves as heroes of goblinoid and orcish kind, the bogeyman run a number rackets among the ghetto: they offer protection to their neighborhoods with armed thugs positioned to push out other gangs, they often enforced tolls, that are little more than polite theft, on those who travel through their neighborhoods, and are known for their lack of scrutiny. Bogeyman are popular hires for jobs that nobody else wants to do, whether due to the dangerous nature or the immoral nature. Bogeyman prey on men, women, children, dwarf, human and their own kind alike. Gold is gold.

Bogeyman have no honor. Or so the other gangs say.

The leadership of the bogeyman is often shifting between the hands of the toughest and meanest orcs and hobgoblins. Their symbol is a green humanoid figure.

The Brick Dragons. The Brick Dragons started out as an adventurers guild that tried to establish themselves in the city. After their membership ballooned, leadership changed hands several times, and they wound up embroiled in a gang war, the Brick Dragons became another street gang that, occasionally, offered mercenary and treasure hunting services, but more often than not engaged in the same sort of criminal enterprises of the other gangs. They still operate under the auspices of "an adventurer's guild" but it is merely a front for recruitment. Many young and naive adventurers wind up in the grip of the guild, bound by contract, debt or loyalty, and reduced to a life of petty crime.

The Brick Dragons can be spotted by their formal aesthetic, often wearing formal dressware and hats, adorned with patches of the red and brown dragon symbolizing their guild. 

 

Their leader is a human druid named Harlock, a bit of a nutjob, who says he can hear the city's thoughts.

 

The Clan Bastards. Dwarven culture is built upon family. Your clan name is your history and your history defines you. In a city partly ruled by prominent dwarven clans, those that come from lower families, those disowned and exiled by their clans, often turn to forming bands of mercenaries or, in the case of Mithrak, thugs. The Clan Bastards are small change crooks, running protection and shake-down rackets, and pitfighters in the outer rings of the city. They wear no symbols of their houses and abandon their family names. Instead, they wear the bastard's symbol of a boar's skull with crossbones, and go by nicknames specific to their reputation. The Clan Bastards are famous for riding pigs and boars around the city.

Their leader, Guncan Fingerbreaker, operates pit fights throughout the city, being a former champion of the ring himself.

The Hatpin Harpies. The city can be a tough place for anybody, including young women. This tough scene creates tough women and none are tougher than the Hatpin Harpies. The harpies often work in conjunction with the Washwomen's Guild but also provide protection for orphanages, widows, and women of "ill repute". The harpies have a reputation for their disrespect for patriarchy, particularly dwarven misogyny, and take pleasure in taking opportunities to show of their disrespect for the city's institutions and the other guilds (particularly the clan bastards and the brick dragons).

Their half-orc & half-elf leader, Arabella Halfsong, started the gang after being pushed out of the Bogeymen several times. Their symbol is a yellow canary carrying a pin.

The Midnight Revelers. Punks, junkies, carnies, and sadomasochists make up the nastiest gang in the city of Mithrak. They consider themselves "artists".

The revelers might be a guild if not for their chaotic nature, being joined by their involvement in various annual festivals and carnivals held throughout the regions, and are known for their "eccentric" appearances, random acts of frivolity and violence, and their relationship with pain, drugs, and insanity. The revelers often through block parties, without the permission of the urbzthrong, that get increasingly raucous. When challenged by authority figures or other gangs, they respond with horrible violence. Their gang are all known to use any number of concoctions to increase their revelry, all of which have turned them into little more than slaves to their addictions and appetites, and ruined their lives/minds.

Their business is mostly being paid to perform/NOT TO PERFORM by citizens but they also deal in the sell of drugs & contraband that even the most ruthless businessmen have the sense not to hoist upon the populace.

Their leader is a tiefling bard, Bungler, who often calls himself the "prince of mayhem". Bungler is believed to responsible for a string of elaborate murders....and taken credit for some elaborate atrocities. Their symbol is a purple and red jester's cap.

The Sewer Scorpions. Ratfolk, perhaps even more-so than orcs and goblinoids, have been slighted in New Mithrak. After all, they have been here longer than the Founder. They make their homes in the "under-city", in the sewers and ruins that New Mithrak is built upon, and provide services relevant to their knowledge of the under-city. With little opportunity above ground, and due to the harsh nature of under-city, it is no wonder that ratfolk turn to crime. Most are part of the criminal enterprises of the Santitation Union but many youths form their own sewer gangs. The biggest and most infamous, currently, are the Sewer Scorpions.

These young toughs and scrappers claim a large portion of the city's sewer ways and demand respect for any passerbys foolish enough to find themselves in the sewers. They are common pickpockets and thugs but, within the confines of their domain, are the only crooks who know the secrets of the sewers.

They are also the most notorious "taggers" in the city, using paint to mark their territory and sometimes even making elaborate murals depicting their heroes, and the symbol of the scorpion is found on walls all over. The fact it often looks like a spider with a spiked club is another story.

The Semi-Legitimate Guilds

Their is no formal guild system recognized in the city of Mithrak. That doesn't mean there aren't guilds with a formal structure, from membership dues to retirement funds, and that these organizations manage to find a way to exist in the city.... as long as they don't threaten to unite the laborers against the urbzthrong.

The Working Women's Guild.  Maybe the guild was formed by prostitutes or maybe they were formed by washwomen, seamstresses and midwives. Or maybe both. All that matters is that the Working Women's Guild, the WWG, is formed by like-minded ladies looking out for each other in business. In a city dominated by male ambitions, the WWG is formed of equally ambitious, industrious and business-minded women. And business is booming.

While the reputation of the WWG is often slighted by less-respectful opponents, they aren't afraid to defend their reputation. A fool who goes around calling a working-woman a "whore" is quickly going to find it hard to get his socks repaired and even harder to get his socks off. It is generally considered important to follow the rules set by the WWG to protect their members and they're not afraid to respond to any infractions by calling on the harpies or other hired muscle to teach them a little respect... or throw them in the sewer.

The leader of the WWG is Prudence Redlace who operates a home & school for wayward girls. Their symbol is a cursive WWG over a corset/hourglass.

The Bodysnatchers. In a city of Mithrak's population, death is an unavoidable part of every day life. Whether there is a work accident that needs to be discreetly cleaned up or a blight tearing through the outer ring, the snatchers are called into take care of the bodies. They store the bodies for a period of time until they are either claimed or left to rot. The snatchers collect fees from those claiming the bodies and provide funerary services in the graveyards that they have collectively gathered under the banner. The urbzthrong have paid for corporate cemetaries for the bodies of employees that aren't claimed, that might as well be mass graves. But even these mass graves are better than what happened to the bodies that go completely unclaimed.

The snatchers definitely sell of their possessions but rumors abound about what the guild does with the bodies: some say the guild just throw the bodies into the sewers, others say they sell their organs and body parts to alchemists and necromancers alike and the wildest rumors claim the snatchers eat the dead. They are called "ghouls" for a reason.

The guild is currently led by a council of their most elder members. Their symbol is a coffin with crossed shovels.

The Rubythroats. Entertainment is big in New Mithrak and professional actors, singers and dancers have formed the Rubythroats. Originally, the Rubythroats were a family of gnomish bards but quickly grew their theater company, expanding to providing all sorts of membership benefits and expanding until they shifted into an unofficial guild that controls the theatre and club scene within the city's walls. Membership is earned through audition, apprenticeship and due payments.

While other entertainers are allowed to entertain in the city, the Rubythroats are known to control the best spots and their reputation carries enough wait to encourage enrollment. They have a black list that is infamously effective and any artist who's name winds upon the list would be lucky to perform on a street corner without getting harassed by "critics".

They are known to carry business cards with the symbol of a green and pink hummingbird. They are still led by the Rubythroat family and their current matriarch, Guerda Rubythroat.

The Sanitation Union. The city of New Mithrak is filthy. It produces tons of waste, both industrial and humanoid, every day that are not only unsightly but often dangerous. And, if it wasn't for the Sanitation Unions efforts, the city would be up to its knees in trash and the sewer drains would back up with waste. They keep the sewers running and they clean the streets at night. They also help ship garbage off on barges going down river and bury it in the pits under the city. Without them? This city would fail. There is no guild as underestimated and omnipresent as the Sanitation Union.

There are many gangs in the sewers. There are many who operate in the sewers. But there is only one king in the sewers and the sanitation union, all ratfolk, are his subjects, his family, and his army in a socio-political game he has been waging for a decade. The Big Cheese is a legendary figure in the sewers and his name is well-known to hang on the breath of the vithzar. If it were up to him? He would be a vithzar. Whether or not this criminal genius will ever get his due, whether or not the ratfolk will ever get respect, and whether or not the sewers will remain in the hands of their native inhabitants remains to be seen.

The vithzar don't share power easily with non-dwarves and non-gnomes.

Secret Organizations

There are at least three organizations in the borderlands that don't want their name on any outsider's lips. They operate outside the law and prefer to operate outside of common knowledge. They oppose each other vehemently and the war that they fight in the shadows could determine, not only their own fates, but the fate of the world.

The Coil of Apophis

"The snake that cannot cast aside its old skin dies. The man who cannot cast aside his identity dies too." An Apophisian Proverb

There are many snake cults in Narya. Most of them are evildoers who have tried and failed to bring about their ascension to world dominance or the very end of the world. They have overthrown and foiled several times throughout history. But, like a hydra, every time a head is cut off, the serpent splits into new horrors. The most infamous of these organizations, known and feared by scholars, political leaders and do-gooders alike, is the Coil of Apophis.

The Coil can be traced back almost a thousand years ago, back to the snake cult that installed Apep II, the colossal demigod serpent, as the god-king of Ptah-Hamut, and their members would have you believe that they are much older than that. After the death of Apep II, the snake cult was banned in Hamutia but they have simply slunk into the shadows to grow into a new and terrible form as one of the premier organizations dealing in death.

The Coil takes in orphans, training them in stealth and martial arts, and build them into completely loyal servants of the Coil. These assassins are then let loose into the world, handed missions to be carried out with no hesitation, and serving the whims of their unseen masters. Most members don't even know the name of their organization or their master's identity as they take missions from handlers. Only those assassins who earn the trust of their masters, impressing them with their skill and loyalty, learn the true nature of their purpose. They are transformed and become part of the conspiracy leading the cult.

Currently? It is no known who bears the mantle of the guild's leader, the one they call the Apophis. It is also unknown what their larger goals are beyond destabilizing the power structure of the realms and growing their own power. It is possible that many of the leaders do not believe in the cult's goals and instead play along for their own power.

Traitors are dealt with and suffer horrible consequences.

The Coil's symbol is the ouroborus, a snake eating it's own tail, often with a body in an endless loop or a spiral, representing the endless cycle of birth, growth, death and rebirth that is the coda of the cult.

The Masquerade

"We are none and we are all." A Masquerade Assassin

The Coil is driven by ambition. That is clear. What drives their rivals? What drives the Masquerade?

The members of the Masquerade, the Masqs, are strange figures. When they choose to be seen, they are always wearing a mask that is unique to them. This guild item is something that they are said to make unique to them and the guild pays good coin for the return of these masks, as well as the bodies of their fallen members, and pay even more to punish those that would keep them.  They often wear cloaks, gloves and other clothing items to disguise as much of themselves as possible. They consider it a great dishonor if anyone ever learns more about them, whether it be their appearance or anything about the guild, than they would wish to share. While the Masquerade deals in assassination, their main business is the acquisition, silencing and sale of information & secrets. They have an affinity for espionage that leaves even their customers uncomfortable.

A member of the Masquerade will always choose death over capture and are known to be unbreakable under interrogation. While the members of the Coil are known for lurking in the shadows and using the cloak of night to commit their misdeeds, the Masquerade operates in a very different manner. Masqs operate in the open. They use a mix of research, craftsmanship, and magic to create disguises that are seamless. They create or steal personas that fit perfectly into their surroundings, tailored to achieving their missions, and can live out this false-life for years and, only upon completing their mission, disappear as if they never existed. Some are so capable that they create elaborate alibis for their personas disappearance-- either killing them off to avoid suspicion or having them leave for an extended period until they have need of them again. They pull of these disguises with supernatural ease that has many question whether they are even human or some sort of chameleon humanoids. If their conspiracy is uncovered, they will flee immediately and, if forced to fight, they are notoriously deadly and fearless. Or so it seems. It is impossible to read the face of a masked assassin.

At least one captured Masq was revealed to be a changeling, a shape-shifting human/doppelganger hybrid, but reports were unable to confirm this allegation after the prisoner committed suicide with a strange poison that reduced their body a heap of silver goo.

They have no symbols or known history.

The Shepherds Guild

"The good people are like sheep in a world filled with wolves. We are the shepherds. We are the sheepdogs." The Shepherd's Decree

Not all organizations that choose to operate in secret are assassins, thieves or worse. In the case of the Shepherds, they are the opposite. They are perhaps the only neutral adventurer's guild that puts itself above simple mercenary work or treasure hunting. They have no specific religious allegiance and act outside of any rigid system. They do not serve any particular state and they do not pick sides in times of war. They are independent and they fight evil at every turn. They, perhaps naively but definitely boldly, consider themselves heroes.

The Shepherd's Guild is a secret organization ran by and composed of like-minded adventurers with the objectives of exploring the world of Narya, acquiring powerful and dangerous magical items/artifacts, and opposing the worst sorts of villainy. Ultimately, they see themselves as defenders as against threats to the world. After all, it was formed after the second Dark Age, after the beastmen horde of Kalibos almost wiped out the northern continent and threatened all of Sublanarya. Their ultimate goal is to oppose the threats to peace, justice and life that are always present and to prepare for those that are waiting for their opportunity to strike. Without the actions of the goodhearted and brave, the world would've fallen into darkness countless times. The guild finds and recruits the brave, the goodhearted and the talented and puts them to work.

Up-and-coming adventurers that join the guild are called "sheepdogs" and are expected to go on quests posted at their secret guild headquarters by the senior members of the guild, "the shepherds". These locations are carefully guarded and, somehow, are all connected by a magical network that allows for instantaneous travel between each HQ's chimney. This network is just one of many reasons the guild operates in secret due to hot it could be used for great evil purpose. The guild doesn't collect dues but it does expect the members to utilize their services, hand over powerful and dangerous artifacts for research and share in information that is useful in their war against the forces of darkness.

 The Shepherds may not always be seen by their flock, but they are always vigilant and watching over them.

Character Crunch: Mousefolk

Mousefolk are a subspecies of ratfolk.

Physically, they are similar to ratfolk but have distinctive differences. They are at least a foot smaller than their ratfolk cousins with rounder features, fluffier and lighter colored fur, and brighter eyes. They are omnivorous, like ratfolk, but prefer fruit, vegetables and grains. They are less cautious than most ratfolk, often characterized as overly curious and gregarious. They are nimbler than ratfolk but do not have the subterranean survival skills of ratfolk since they live in agricultural and metropolitan environments.

Mousefolk live on the elven isle of Saesun. "Wild" mousefolk live in small forest communities that ally themselves with their Sylvanar neighbors. "Domestic" mousefolk live in small farming communities or settle in Iaurdin towns and cities. While ratfolk are often mistrusted and marginilized by humans, mousefolk are welcome neighbors. Mousefolk often get jobs as street cleaners, chimney sweeps, house servants, carriage drivers and gardeners.

Mousefolk have the same suite of features that ratfolk except: they get a bonus to Cha instead of Con, they lose Speak with Beasts and Sewer Dweller but gain Nimbleness and Naturally Stealthy. For your convenience, here are their features:

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Charisma increases by 1.
Age. Mousefolk mature quickly to adulthood at 10 years of age and live to about 40 years.
Alignment. Mousefolk are friendly, generous and helpful creatures. They tend to stay out of larger affairs. They are most commonly neutral good.
Size. Mousefolk are smaller than ratfolk, standing between two and three feet, and are not as hunched as their rat cousins. Your size is Small.
Speed. Mousefolk are slower than other races but can use their front paws to outpace most humanoids.Your base walking speed is 25 feet but, if you drop to all fours, your base walking speed is 35 feet.
Dark Vision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.
Inquisitive Nose. You gain Perception as a skill and have advantage on all Perception skill checks involving your sense of smell.
Rodent Bones. Your bone structure is impressively flexible and you're used to moving through cramped spaces. You are considered one size smaller when attempting to move through tight spaces and take no movement penalty when doing so.
Nimbleness: You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.
Naturally Stealthy. You can attempt to hide even when you are obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than you.
Extra Languages. You can read, write, and understand the Raskaar language.

Character Crunch: Catfolk, Dogfolk, Ratfolk, Frogfolk, Fairy Cats/Dogs (Bonus:Foxfolk)

Last time in Character Crunch: Tirikujin we covered a race that fits a historical niche of the Naryan setting. This time, I want to give a fair shake at races that I have described as being fixtures of Sublanarya but have not shared their statistics previously. Specifically, this article is going to be about the player character statistic of the beastfolk races. I covered details about them, previously, in an article titled "People First".

If you want the specifics on each of the races detailed below, make sure to check out that article first.

It is important to remember these races are uncommon compared to humans and elves, but they still are an impactful part of the setting. Other races that I haven't covered that would be included with this group include Aarokocra and Kenku, which mostly likely reside in isolated mountains, remote islands, and the ruins of the Hold. Lizardfolk are also in Naryra found in the jungles and swamps of the region. I will probably detail their place in the setting when I discuss Zafaria, Tazlani, Hamutia and The Hold.

There are other Beastfolk across Narya that will be described in the future, but I will tide you over by including a race I have been on the fence about adding: Foxfolk or, as I call them, Volpayaya! I will feature them with some gusto at the end of the article as I know some folk would love to play a character of that flavor.

And now, without further ado, here is a resource many of players will find helpful.

KOTHARI (CATFOLK)

Ability Score Increase. Your ability score increase is determined by your subrace.
Age. Catfolk have lifespans equivalent to humans.
Alignment. Catfolk are determinedly chaotic, valuing personal freedom and determination in all of their cultures, and, despising evil in all forms, tend toward good alignments. This reflects their cultural tribalism since they rarely become involved in the political machinations of nearby cultures but are quick to offer assistance to trusted allies in defense against evil threats.
Size. Tigerfolk and lionfolk are taller and more muscular on average than humans while leopardfolk and cheetahfolk tend to be a little shorter and relatively slender. Your size if medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Dark Vision. You have the sharp eyes of a feline predator, especially in the dark. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.
Claws. Because of your claws, you have climbing speed of 2/3 your base walking speed rounded down (minimum 20 feet). Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Apex Predator. You have proficiency in the Perception and Stealth skills.
Extra Languages. You can read, write, and understand the Kotharian language of the Catfolk.
Subraces. There are four well-documented subraces of Kothari: powerful and proud lionfolk, quick-footed and spontaneous cheetahfolk, elusive and savage tigerfolk, and the reserved and clever leopardfolk.

Cheetahfolk 
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.
Racer. Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.
Feline Agility. Your reflexes and agility allow you to move with a burst of speed. When you move on your turn in combat, you can double your speed until the end of your turn. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you move 0 feet on one of your turns.

Leopardfolk
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increase by 2 and your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Tree-Dweller. Your climbing speed increases to 3/4 your base walking speed rounded down (minimum 25 feet).
Lore-Hunter. You gain one cantrip of your choice from any spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it. You also gain speak, read and write one extra language of your choice.

Lionfolk
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.
King of the Beasts. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.
Lion's Roar. As an action, you can let loose a powerful roar. All intelligent enemy creatures that can see and hear you within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw against a DC equal to 9 + your proficiency bonus + Charisma modifier. If the creature fails the saving throw, it becomes frightened for 1 minute.

The frightened creature must spend its turns trying to move as far away from you as it can and it can't move within 30 feet of you. It also can't take reactions. For its action, it can use only the Dash action or try to escape from an effect that prevents it from moving. If there's nowhere to move, the creature can use the Dodge action.

At the end of each of the frightened creatures turns, it can attempt the Wisdom saving throw again and, if it takes damage or succeeds on the saving throw, it is no longer frightened.

You must take a long rest to use this feature again.

Tigerfolk
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Carnivore. You have difficulty containing your savage nature. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, the creature takes an extra 1d8 damage if it’s below its hit point maximum. You can deal this extra damage only once per turn.
Survivalist. You gain proficiency with Survival skill.

DHOLE (DOGFOLK)

Ability Score Increase.  Your Constitution score increased by 2.

Age. Dhole have lifespans equivalent to humans.

Alignment. Between being bred in servitude for millennia and having strong pack instincts that reward obedience, Dhole are inherently loyal and being from a culture of merchants that prides themselves on honesty, they tend to be lawful. They are rarely evil since they usually are quick to make friends and are doggedly loyal.

Size. Dhole are taller on average than humans but are built in a similarly varied manner. Guard breeds tend to more muscular and scout breeds tend to be more lean. Your size if Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Bite. Your jaw is a strong natural weapon, which can be used to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Bloodhound. You have proficiency in the Perception skill and have advantage on all Perception skill checks involving your sense of smell.

Pack Tactics. You have advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of your allies are within 5 feet of the creature and isn’t incapacitated.

Extra Language. You can read, write, speak and understand common, Dholish, and one extra language.

Subrace. Two subraces of dhole exist: guard breeds are larger, hardier and less likely to back down from a confrontation have been bred in ancient times to guard their rulers and scout breeds are leaner and more agile because they were bred as messengers and hunters.

Guard Breed

Ability Score Increase.  Your Strength score increases by 1.

Brave. You have advantage against being frightened.

Scout Breed

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity increases by 1.

Racer. Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.

RASKAAR (RATFOLK)

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Age. Ratfolk mature quickly to adulthood at 10 years of age and live to about 40 years. Some ratfolk live exceptionally longer.
Alignment. Ratfolk neither love nor loathe society, which they often live on the outskirts or under the streets of, and they are neither especially good nor bad, despite nasty rumors suggesting they steal goods and eat pets. Ratfolk are most commonly neutrally aligned.
Size. Ratfolk are just under four feet, but also hunch over in a way that often has them eye to eye with halflings and gnomes, but are not diminutive. Your size is Small.
Speed. Ratfolk are slower than other races but can use their front paws to outpace most humanoids.Your base walking speed is 25 feet but, if you drop to all fours, your base walking speed is 35 feet.
Dark Vision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.
Inquisitive Nose. You gain Perception as a skill and have advantage on all Perception skill checks involving your sense of smell.
Rodent Bones. Your bone structure is impressively flexible and you're used to moving through cramped spaces. You are considered one size smaller when attempting to move through tight spaces and take no movement penalty when doing so.
Speak with Beasts. Ratfolk love to keep pets from rats to giant snails to centipedes to sewer alligators. You have the ability to communicate simple ideas through sounds and gestures with beasts.
Sewer Dweller. You have advantage on saving throws against poison and disease.
Extra Languages. You can read, write, and understand the Raskaar language of the ratfolk.

GRIPPLI (FROGFOLK)

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Age.
Alignment.
Size. Grippli stand just over 2 feet tall and are very lean. Your size is Small.
Speed. You have a base walking speed of 25 feet and a swim speed of 30 feet.
Dark Vision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.
Slippery. Your bone structure is impressively flexible and you're used to moving through cramped spaces. You are considered one size smaller when attempting to move through tight spaces and take no movement penalty when doing so.
Climber. You have a natural affinity for climbing due your grip (hence the name) and have a climb speed of 3/4 your base walking speed rounded down (minimum of 20 feet).
Jumper. You may use your Dexterity when determining the distance of your jumps. If you are not proficient in the Athletics skill, add your proficiency bonus to all Athletic checks made related to jumping.
Hold Breath. You can hold your breath for a minimum of 15 minutes, under normal circumstances.

Extra Languages. You can read, write, and understand the Grippli language of the frogfolk.

CAIT SIDHE (FAIRY CATS)

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Charisma score increase by 1.
Age. Cait Sidhe mature at the same rate as cats but have supernaturally long lifespans that allow them to live up to the lifespan of their creators ranging from that of a human to the 400 or longer lifespan of Iaurdin.
Alignment. Cait Sidhe are obedient only to their creator and tend to have a chaotic worldview, being magical beings by nature that go against natural law, and have the self-serving nature of domestic cats making them usually neutral.
Shapechanger. 
Size. You stand between two to three feet tall while in your humanoid form. Your size is Small.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
Dark Vision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.
Claws. Because of your claws, you have climbing speed of 3/4 your base walking speed rounded down (minimum 20 feet). Your claws are natural weapons, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Rat-Chaser. You gain proficiency in the Perception and Stealth skills.
Cat-Talker. You can communicate simple ideas, with a mix of gestures and sounds, to feline beasts and understand the simple communication of feline beasts  You have advantage on Charisma checks during all interactions with felines.
Cat-Shape. You can use an action to assume the shape of a small cat of similar breed/appearance of yourself. You can revert to your normal form by using a bonus action. While you are transformed, the following rules apply:

• As long as you behave like a cat, you are indistinguishable from a domesticated cat to anyone who is unaware of your ability to transform into a cat and will not become suspicious unless they are looking for someone shape-shifting as a cat.

• You retain all of your game statistics but your walking speed becomes 40 feet.You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies. You keep your hit points and Hit Dice while in your cat form. 
• You can speak, read and write in the cat form. You can't cast spells but you can maintain concentration for spells you cast before transforming into this form while in your cat form. 
• You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race or other source and can use them if a cat would be physically capable of doing so while in your cat form.
•  You choose whether or not your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your cat form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the DM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear the equipment based on a cat's shape and size. Your equipment doesn't change size or shape to match your cat form, and any equipment that the cat form can't wear must either fall to the ground or merge with your cat form. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.

Extra Languages. You may speak, read and write an extra language.

CU SIDHE (FAIRY DOGS)

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Charisma score increase by 1.
Age. Cu Sidhe mature at the same rate as dogs but have supernaturally long lifespans that allow them to live up to the lifespan of their creators ranging from that of a human to the 400 or longer lifespan of Iaurdin.
Alignment. Cu Sidhe are obedient to their creators but, unlike Cait Sidhe, have a friendly and selfless nature. They are disproportionately courageous when faced with threats to their friends and tend to have good alignments.
Size. You stand between two to three feet tall while in your humanoid form. Your size is Small.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
Dark Vision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.

Bite. Your jaw is a strong natural weapon, which can be used to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Bloodhound. You have proficiency in the Perception skill and have advantage on all Perception skill checks involving your sense of smell.

Winning Personality. You have proficiency in the Persuasion skill.

Dog-Talker. You can communicate simple ideas, with a mix of gestures and sounds, to and understand the simple communications of canine beasts. You have advantage on Charisma checks during all interactions with canines.

Dog-Shape. You can use an action to assume the shape of a small dog of similar breed/appearance to yourself. You can revert to your normal form by using a bonus action. While you are transformed, the following rules apply:

• As long as you behave like a dog, you are indistinguishable from a domesticated dog to anyone who is unaware of your ability to transform into a dog and will not become suspicious unless they are looking for someone shapeshifting as a dog.

• You retain all of your game statistics but your walking speed becomes 40 feet. You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies. You keep your hit points and Hit Dice while in your dog form. 
• You can speak, read and write in the dog form. You can't cast spells but you can maintain concentration for spells you cast before transforming into this form while in your dog form. 
• You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race or other source and can use them if a dog would be physically capable of doing so while in your dog form.
•  You choose whether or not your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your dog form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal, but the DM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear the equipment based on a dog's shape and size. Your equipment doesn't change size or shape to match your dog form, and any equipment that the dog form can't wear must either fall to the ground or merge with your dog form. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.

Extra Languages. You may speak, read and write an extra language.

THE CLAN OF REYNARD:

THE FOXFOLK

The foxfolk or Volpayaya [vohl-puh-yah-yah] are not like other beastfolk. They are fey creatures, their origins in the Twilight Realm of Dawn, and with a legendary figure, their patron god, and the clown prince of cruel pranks, Reynard the Fox. Reynard lived in the strange fey kingdom of Animalia, where talking animals play at being people, and he was an infamous criminal and prankster. He attained godhood, some say by stealing all the holy books in the kingdom of Animalia and rewriting them, and it is said his descendents are the fey race known as the Volpayaya.

Reynard's antics eventually led to his kind being banished from the forests of the fey and thus they were forced to flee to the material plane where they have remained ever since. Volpayaya live in small traveling bands that travel throughout Sublanarya performing services like fortune-telling, musical and acting performances, and some magical aid. To earn the trust of humans they often try to maintain their human form when dealing with them, making excuses to escape their attention and recover, and are a fairly rare/unknown to being the subject of many myths and legends among common folk.

Volpayaya that cause too much trouble for their kin are said to be "blessed by Reynard" and forced to strike out on their own. These foxfolk most often make their marks with their trickery, seeking out ways to test their skills against the "marks" of the world, and create stories worthy of Reynard himself. Unfortunately, their fey nature and propensity for trickery lands them into hot water, especially since they have little regard for the law. More often than not, such foxes are forced on the run from village to village.

Volpayaya adventurers tend to be bards, rogues, and spellcasters, using their cunning and shape-shifting to assist in their duties, and are welcome allies to anyone who can take a good joke.

VOLPAYAYA (FOXFOLK)

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Charisma score increase by 1.
Age. You have a lifespan similar to a human.
Alignment. Volpayaya are naturally curious, impulsive and full of surprises. They are almost always chaotic in nature. Their trickery can have them swing anywhere from benevolent and well-meaning to cruel and terrible when it comes to their capacity for good and evil.
Size. Your are similarly sized to a human. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Dark Vision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of grey.
Clever Fox. You have proficiency in the Perception and Deception skills.
Reynard's Blessing. You can cast the Disguise Self with this trait and regain the ability to do so when you finish a short or long rest.
Fey Beast. You can take an action to magically transform into a Fox (used Wolf stats for now) until your concentration is broken (as if you are concentrating on a spell) or become unconscious. You can willingly return to your normal form by using a bonus action to do so. 

The fox is limited in the actions it can perform by the nature of its new form, and cannot perform spells.

The target’s gear melds into the new form. The target can’t activate, wield, or otherwise benefit from any of its equipment.  

You regain the ability to do so when you finish a short or long rest.

At 4th level or higher, you can instead transform into a Giant Fox (use Dire Wolf stats for now) instead of a Fox.
 
Extra Languages. You may speak, read and write Elven and Volpayayan.

PEOPLE FIRST: The Beastmen Vs. The Beastfolk Pt. 2

BEASTFOLK: PEOPLE FIRST

Beastfolk are not beastmen.

In a land where horrible and monstrous beastmen terrorize the countryside, peoples with animal features are feared by the common folk. This means that even if they have good intentions, a person with animal like features is unlikely to be trusted or welcome company. Especially in the Free Kingdoms of Thule, where anything exotic is distrusted, unusual people are hunted down or run out of town. That being said, there are such people in Sublanarya that are no more inclined towards evil than humans or elves. Among the ignorant, they are "monsters" and among worldly peoples, they are called the "beastfolk".

Beastfolk come in many shapes and sizes, have a wide variety of cultures, and can be found in territories just beyond civilization (and others right under civilization's feet) all around Sublanarya and beyond. They may share animal instincts, but there are as unalike to each other as humans are to elves and dwarves are to elves, meaning that they have just as many reasons to get-along, or not, as anyone else. And then, on the issue of being unwelcome in many places throughout the realm, beastfolk mostly keep to their varied home environments with a few exceptions. Those that travel into lands dominated by human and elf alike, usually do so profit or for more noble causes.

Perhaps the greatest irony in the way that humanoids treat beastfolk is that, if they chose to work alongside them, they could fight the beastmen together. The beastfolk have just as much cause, if not more, to eliminate the threat of the beastmen. Beastmen are a corruption of nature and many beastfolk cultures revolve around natural order. And the beastmen are an insult to all beastfolk: whenever an innocent beastfolk is caught and punished by human hands, it is beastmen who are to blame for this discrimination. Lastly, just as humans, beastmen encroach upon the territories where beastfolk live and threaten their lives. The great irony is that while beastfolk are often erroneously lumped together with beastmen, they are often the ones keeping the beastmen threat from spreading into human lands. They are allies to the good peoples of this world, whether the good peoples realize it or not.

The beastfolk want the same things as any peoples; they want their homes to be safer and more prosperous for themselves, their loved ones and their children. Family is important and at the core of all beastfolk cultures. This comes from their tribal nature that is further nurtured by their reclusive lives. Most beastfolk tribes are far from humanity and, those that live aside them, are separated by choice or by threat of force. This means that most beastfolk seek friendship within their own tribes and through neighboring tribes. It is important to remember the strength and importance of beastfolk bonds as they inform everything they do. The catfolk warrior who rips the throat from a red mantis does so to protect her children. The dhole sailor traveling across the world owes a life debt to his captain. The blind ratfolk who steals bread from a cart has a sick father to feed. The grippli druid goes to the big city to convince the lord mayor to stop using the river that goes to her swamp.

The difference between beastmen and beastfolk is simple: beastmen are inhuman beasts. Beastfolk are people first and beasts second.

Let's take a look at each common variety of beastfolk in Sublanarya.