Zith

From Mizahar Lore

Revision as of 14:26, 25 September 2012

Zith

Winged-Nightstalkers
Height	6' (males), 5' (females)
Weight	125-150lbs (males) 90-110lbs (females)
Lifespan	50 years
Major features	Bat-wings and Claws
Abilities	Flight, Nightvision, Enhanced Hearing
Population	8,000 (scattered colonies)
Most common in	Cyphrus
Reputation	Feared, Hated, Distrusted at best
Racial gods	No Specific Gods Worshipped
Racial bonus	+10 Detection
Subraces	No subraces although some are more feral than others

The Zith are a race of winged humanoids that look like a cross between a bat and a human. Instinct-driven, passionate, monstrous and exotic, the Zith came into being during the chaos of the Valterrian. Once peaceful human farmers, they are now winged hunters of the night, preying upon animal and humanoid alike. First discovered in the Cyphrus region, the Zith have since spread out across Mizahar, forming small colonies both in the wilds, underground and in various cities and villages. Ruled by darker, more bestial instincts, the Zith are feared by many and distrusted by most. They are as curious and quick learning as they are brutal and have a tendency to enslave those whom they do not eat.

History

When the Valterrian swept across the land, it left unfathomable changes in its wake. Not only was the land forever changed, but so were many of the people who lived there. Just as the cataclysmic forces destroyed so much, some things were created as well. The Zith are one of these creations. Newborns in comparison to some of the older races, the Zith are a unique amalgamation of sentience, cunning and savage ferocity all in one.

Their exact origins are unknown, but it is widely believed that the Zith were created when the Valterrian brought with it uncontrolled Djed to a now forgotten village somewhere in the Cyphrus region. The human population of that village was small and thought to have been made of simple farmers. When the wild storm tore through the village, it destroyed everything but the people living there. Those people were twisted and transformed; their peaceful nature was ripped away and their darker instincts took over. From this darkness, their bodies too twisted and changed until they were nothing like the human farmers they used to be. Over the generations since their birth, these creatures have come to call themselves Zith.

The history of the Zith is indeed brief compared to others. They were first discovered just over three hundred years after the Valterrian. A collection of human settlers, surviving descendants of those who escaped the horrors of the Valterrian, came upon a small collection of ruins that appeared to have been some sort of pre-Valterrian settlement with the goal of trying to rebuild their lives. Almost every one of the settlers vanished, although some time later, a single survivor returned to the colony from which he and his comrades had set out. He described a nocturnal attack against the settlers by winged beasts who dropped out of the sky and snatched the settlers from the ground; carrying them off. He described the creatures as dark-skinned, blending into the night sky. There were males and females among them and they attacked with great savagery, slicing through flesh with claws. That encounter was only the first one recorded as over the years there were many more sightings and attacks.

For another hundred years, those who began to emerge from their hidden sanctuaries hoping to rebuild civilization endured violent confrontations with this winged humanoid race. It wasn’t until about 150 years after the first sighting of the creatures that some discoveries were made about them. Some of the more learned folk across the land sought to find out more about these creatures and hopefully discover why there were so many violent encounters. A woodsman and self-proclaimed Ranger by the name of Bolai Fionse set out on a quest to try and communicate with the creatures. After no small amount of time and effort, Bolai indeed made contact. He stumbled upon an actual colony of the creatures deep in the Cyphrus plains. He never revealed how he survived the encounter, but he did return to civilization quite some time later with invaluable information about the beasts.

From Bolai’s report, the creatures called themselves Zith. They spoke the common human tongue which turned out to be learned from those they captured. They knew little about where they came from other than that their elders spoke of the “Great Rending” which destroyed the land but gave birth to their people. From his observations and information gathering, Bolai also learned that the Zith were driven strongly by their instincts and were quite bestial at times. They started out as scavengers, picking away at the leavings of other animals' kills. An adaptive race, they quickly moved from scavenging to hunting. In a couple hundred years after the Great Rending, the Zith had begun to claim various tracts of land as their own hunting grounds, often setting up small tribes and even full colonies in various ruins and underground caverns. The violent encounters most people had with them were mostly from the Zith seeing an opportunity for a hunt, though sometimes due to the Zith feeling threatened and acting out in defense of their colonies.

Bolai however made it clear that the Zith were far from misunderstood. They truly enjoyed the hunts and, though omnivorous, have a taste for human flesh. In addition, they realized that there are many things that they themselves are not very good at; thus they do maintain a number of slaves to work for them. Bolai’s information came mainly from the colony, which he had made contact with; however he did discover that some of the larger colonies actually kept in contact with one another and during his time with the Zith he learned that they were in the process of building, through slave labor, actual structures both underground and above.

Since Bolai’s reports, more and more encounters with the Zith have taken place, not all of them ending in complete bloodshed. The occasional Zith has been known to enter some of the more open cities hoping to learn more about the other sentient life that live around them. A few colonies have even begun limited but stable contact with some small cities and towns, creating a strange alliance of sorts where, in exchange for remaining out of their hunting grounds, the Zith will aid in the defense of the settlement against barbarian raids. These truces are shaky however and it is unknown how long they may last.

Biology

Physical Appearance

Male and female Zith share a number of common physical traits. Their bodies are both covered by a very fine layer of silky fur ranging in color from a dull gray to a midnight black. From their elbows and knees grows thicker, much longer patches of the same silky fur. This fur is most often a deep red or black in color. All Zith have a pair of batlike wings that extend from their upper backs near their shoulders. These wings are strong enough to provide a full ability to fly. Zith themselves are relatively light in weight with males averaging around 125 to 150 lbs and females around 90 to 110 lbs. Males are much taller than females and tend to be slightly larger than the average human at around six feet. Females rarely grow past five feet tall with most being slightly below.

Eye color varies between black and dark blue with the occasional red and yellow. Both males and females have hair on their heads much like humans that they usually wear loose. Hair colors range from blood red to a dark blue or black.

Both genders have long, naturally sharp claws on their fingers and toes. Aside from the fur, claws and wings, though, they are quite humanoid in overall appearance. Their facial structure is quite human, although they bear a strangely exotic look. Although they possess batlike wings, Zith do not sleep upside down as their feet are not designed for such a thing. It is interesting to note that Zith who associate with other races for purposes other than hunting or enslavement tend to fold their wings down and wrap them loosely around their bodies, thus creating the illusion of wearing a rather odd cloak. Aside from this, most Zith do not wear clothing. At most they may wear simple harnesses for carrying anything they may need.

Common Traits

From a relatively small number of Zith, a moderate population has sprung up over a comparatively short time. Though scattered are most of the small tribes and colonies, they all share common aspects. First off, Zith are an adaptive race of quick learners who, despite being ruled by their instincts, seek to learn more. This form of curiosity is perhaps the only thing that has allowed some small amount of favorable contact to be made. Zith are often described as passionate in nearly all things and not easily distracted. This focus, driven by passion, can be dangerous if not deadly although some Zith in more recent times have been known to find some of their passions shared by non-Zith which has resulted in the occasional “friendship” being formed. Such relationships are shaky at best and oftentimes do not last very long.

Zith have been compared to vermin in the speed by which they procreate. A female Zith almost always gives birth to twins and does so usually twice a year. All Zith age almost twice as fast as humans with most not living past 50 years. Adulthood is reached around age ten.

Zith are primarily nocturnal, sleeping during the day and quite active at night. Although they may function during the daylight hours, they loathe doing so. Their eyesight is limited during the day mainly due to their eyes not being able to appropriately process bright light. At night, their vision is much greater and they supplement this with an amazing sense of hearing. It has been said that at night, it is impossible to hide from a Zith as they can hear your heart beat.

In general, most Zith do not practice the use of Djed although it is possible they could learn it.

Unlike most races, the Zith do not view the Valterrian as a bad thing. To them, it was the birth of their civilization and a blessing from the gods.

Psychology

As mentioned, Zith are driven by their instincts. However they do maintain some amount of humanity that grants them a unique curiosity and passion for learning and sometimes conflicts with their instinctual nature. They are quick learners and very adaptive which has led to a surprisingly fast psychological evolution among their race from wild beasts to calculating, focused hunters. Often controlled by their passions, Zith are known to pounce upon one another in fits of rage, ripping away at one another with their claws in an attempt to dismember each other. A moment later the victor may engage in intensely passionate coupling with a member of the opposite sex. They are wildly unpredictable much of the time, but when they become focused on something, that focus does not end until their curiosity has been satiated or something else has awakened a stronger desire.

Toward non-Zith, there are so many ways a Zith may approach them. Primarily, most Zith view other races as either potential food or slave labor. If someone were able to capture a Zith’s curiosity, the Zith may react in a more favorable way in hopes of learning more about the person and why they are so curious about the person. This is perhaps the only path to forming any sort of relationship between a Zith and a non-Zith.

Zith don’t see themselves as a superior race even though they may act like they do. Their views of themselves and of others is based on instinct tempered somewhat by human emotion. They have a predatory nature that drives them to view others as potential food or even entertainment. They look at others as prey, appraising them and determining their threat level and potential worth. Those who are suited for it become food while those who may prove more useful alive and enslaved are made such. It is this same view, combined with their curiosity that allows them to occasionally view others in a more positive way. This outlook often confuses non-Zith who are able to associate with them as it can be difficult to work past the Zith’s very foreign way of interacting.

Society

Social Structure

The Zith usually live in small, independent family groups that gather in loosely organized colonies. Their social organizations are not very complex and the individual families within a colony pretty much live as they please. Considering the reproduction rate of the Zith, many generations are included in each family group with the eldest generation being the ruling body to settle all issues. The oldest and most experienced Zith in a collection of families form a council of sorts that may settle any disputes between families as well as making decisions on external issues.

Zith live in a variety of locales ranging from ruins to underground caverns to even some towns and cities. Those living in the latter are usually only single families (20-30 individuals) that temporarily use the town as a hunting ground although larger cities may contain larger populations for a bit longer (two or three families depending on the city size). Usually, however, the Zith live in large caverns deep underground, normally accessible only by a series of winding tunnels. They often tunnel into the ceilings of these caverns to create living spaces and keep the entrances to spaces hidden among stalagmites. On the cavern floor they often keep a collection of slaves which they use to grow fungi, gather water from underground lakes and rivers and, in some of the more civilized colonies, build structures for the Zith to live in.

A Zith ‘settlement’ includes a rather large number of children. As an egalitarian society, both males and females can be found filling many of the same roles although any real labor is usually conducted by slaves. Thus Zith, for the most part, enjoy a simple lifestyle. They do understand the value of tools and weapons, but monetary wealth is something of a foreign concept. Those select few Zith who engage in trade usually do so through bartering furs and stolen goods. Among their own kind, the only status they truly recognize is age or the number of slaves a family owns.

Zith mating rituals are an often violent and passionate affair. Males will fight to the death or until one submits in order to gain the right to mate with a female. Such combats are vicious and bloody and if the loser does live, they are often maimed and shunned from the family and colony as a whole. When a male takes a female as their mate, their copulations are passionate and loving, though sometimes rather rough, as both partners give in to their passions.

While hunting is a popular sport and a means by which slaves and goods are acquired, a new form of entertainment has begun to rise in popularity. The breeding, keeping and training of slaves has become a favorite activity among some Zith colonies, usually the larger ones. They consider it a mark of distinction to breed strong and useful slaves. Because Zith are comparatively short-lived, greater status is usually held by the family that owns the most and breeds the best. Interestingly enough, Zith are quite protective of their slaves even if they are rather harsh masters. In fact, younger generations of Zith have been known to take slaves as mates. The relationships are thus ones of passion, curiosity and occasionally, though rarely, love. Unfortunately for some slaves, they are simply not prepared for the Zith manner of love-making and thus few survive such relationships for very long.

Another unusual distinction that has become greater in recent times is the one between Zith colonies who keep slaves mainly for food and the ones who keep slaves for labor. The colonies that still cling strongly to their instinctual ways will keep slaves only long enough to serve as food when other sources are hard to find. They treat their slaves as nothing more than animals. These colonies are usually ones found furthest away from civilization and are truly threats to all those who wander into their hunting grounds. Those colonies that live closer to civilization and actually engage in some amount of communication still keep slaves, although they treat them far better and maintain them for far longer. There are a couple of rather large colonies that have maintained slaves for a couple of generations and, while harsh as far as discipline is concerned, are also quite protective and even slightly concerned about their slaves' well-being. It is these more ‘civilized’ colonies who, along with their underground caverns, also inhabit moderately intact ruins above ground as well and are the ones who are most likely to allow outside merchants to ply their trade, however limited in scope.

Zith colonies, for the most part, approach other colonies with caution. There is always the threat of a colony, or elements of it, trying to steal another colony’s slaves or even the colony’s home. This is actually the most common way for the majority of colonies to expand. Although some may have positive relations with one another, it is usually from a distance. This is beneficial to outsiders who fear explosions of Zith populations, because once a colony reaches a size too large to support, it splits apart and spreads out in search of fresher hunting grounds. This often brings them in conflict with other colonies and thus in-fighting helps slow their growth. This, combined with their short life span, helps keep their rapid reproduction in check.

Known colonies of any significant populations are few and far between and their names are those given by outsiders as most Zith refer to their colonies in their own tongue for which there is no translation.

Xy – This Zith colony is located along the northern portion of the Cyphrus-Sylira border. It is said that this is where the ranger Bolai is said to have discovered the Zith about which he wrote. Xy is one of the more ‘civilized’ colonies estimated to be made up of around 1,000 Zith and about 250 slaves. It lies beneath a ruined castle now referred to as Castle Xy. Zith there live both in the castle as well as in the caverns below. Their slaves too are kept in the caverns where they farm fungus, gather water and continuously work on carving out tunnels and building more elaborate structures for the growing Zith colony. Some even craft items from materials brought down from the surface which the Zith then use to trade for exotic fruits, meat and other food items to feed not only themselves but also their slaves. The Xy colony does not engage in as much slave hunting as many other colonies and instead relies on trading slave-crafted for new slaves. The Zith themselves have also learned to create a few things of their own which they also trade. Outsiders who are not slaves are not allowed into the caverns but may enter Castle Xy to engage in trade.

Din – The Din colony is located a good distance away from Xy, almost in the center of the Cyphrus region, and is everything that the Xy colony isn’t. It is smaller than Xy with around 500 Zith and an unknown number of slaves, if any. The exact entrance to the caverns is known only to the Zith who live there. Unlike Xy, the Zith of Din are still driven strongly by their animal instincts and regularly hunt humans for food. Any taken may only live long enough to be taken back to the colony and eaten. The Zith do however engage in some small amount of communication with various barbarian tribes, yet this is only to negotiate a horrific trade. The tribes give up a handful of their members to the Zith in exchange for the Zith not attacking the tribe.

Although smaller colonies do exist across all of Mizahar, most known ones are smaller than Din and their populations are kept in check by the availability of food and lack of any civilized development. Considering the speed at which they learn and adapt, however, it is only a matter of time before more colonies begin to find organization and structure enough to grow and expand.

Average Colony Sizes

20-30 (single family colony) - Found near small, rural humanoid settlements, small cities or near transport routes, and spread throughout the non-civilized lands with hunting grounds ranging from 1-15 miles. (common)

40-60 (multiple family colony) - Found near large rural humanoid settlements (mainly the larger barbarian tribes of the wilds), larger cities and spread throughout the non-civilized lands with hunting grounds ranging from 1-30 miles. (uncommon)

80-120 (fully established colony) - Found only near the largest cities or in the non-civilized wilds where food and water supplies can support them (often forced to live on more animal meat than human meat due to the colony size). Have hunting grounds ranging from 1-50 miles. (rare)

The number of slaves in a colony typically equal around 1/4 of the colony size. Thus a single family colony would normally have around 5-7 slaves, multiply family colony 10-15 and fully established 20-30.

Language

The Zith language is made up of a series of subsonic and ultrasonic sounds so only they may speak it. It is through this unique form of communication that they are capable of identifying one another as well as communicate. Males that have learned non-Zith languages speak them with deep, rich voices although at times the occasional squeak or deep rumble can be heard. Females speak other languages with smooth, almost erotic voices that are punctuated at times with deep rumbles similar to the males. They have no written form of their native language, although some have learned to write in others.

Names

Zith names are another outsider creation as the Zith themselves do not have names that can be translated from their own language to that of an outsider. They usually identify one another by smell or by sound and refer to each other by names in their own language. When speaking to outsiders, they will often use their given name and refer to other Zith by their given names if such exist. The names they take from outsiders are usually ones that have meanings that the Zith like or sound appealing when spoken. Thus names can vary greatly with no real pattern. Some of the more common names include: Nightwing, Pitch, Shatter, Gut, Silence and Blood. There are usually no last names although some Zith have been known to take on more complex names because they enjoy the way they sound when spoken.

Family Life

Zith maintain a strong yet unique sense of family. Male and female Zith do not have only one mate for life. They in fact may have several at any one time with children coming from numerous couplings. This creates quite an extended family situation where the eldest are considered the heads of the family. It is not unheard of for a single Zith family to be made up of 20 or 30 members with anywhere from two to five elders per family. Pregnancy lasts for about 90 days from which twins are born. Childcare is handled by all of the females in the family and children become independent after about three to four years. Children engage in games of hunting small animals so to hone their skills for when they become adults.

Males have little to do with the children although they will defend their families to the death. The females are responsible for taking the children on their early hunts and teaching them how to survive. When the children become older, they may take part in hunts with the males although they are still treated much like children until they finally reach adulthood. This transformation is marked by succeeding in a private hunt and returning to the colony with a kill of equal or greater inherent strength and/or skill than the hunter.

Those Zith who maintain slaves may occasionally accept them in a way similar to servants more than slaves. In situations like this, adult Zith may allow their children to be taught about the outside world from the slaves. The adults monitor this teaching closely. however, to avoid defiant slaves teaching their children things that would be detrimental the child, family or colony. Although it is possible to crossbreed a Zith and a non-Zith, the resulting offspring never has wings. Those Zith who take slaves as their mates treat them much the same way as they would another Zith although such a relationship can cause strife within a family. Such conflict often ends in the death of the slave at the hands of a jealous Zith. More often than not, it is the strongest and most cunning of Zith that are able to maintain a non-Zith mate for any real length of time.

When a family member dies, the rest of the family buries the body in piles of stone in a secluded portion of their cavern. There is little ceremony involved as death is seen as just another part of life. Although the dead are remembered, they are seldom mourned for very long. If a Zith falls in battle or is killed during a botched hunt, their comrades will go to great length to retrieve the body and bury it.

Everyday Life

The life of a Zith can vary greatly depending on each individual, their family and their colony. Those Zith who are less civilized and fully embrace their animalistic nature spend their lives hunting, reproducing and expanding their territories. They sleep during the day and wake shortly before nightfall. Hunting parties gather and then head out in search of prey to bring back for the rest of the colony to feed or otherwise enjoy. The Zith who have embraced a bit more civilized way of life will sleep much of the day while waking before nightfall. Upon waking, they tend to their slaves who often take on a similar activity pattern. There is still some amount of hunting although this is more for sport or slave gathering while females teach and train the children. Those Zith who have contact with the outside world will perform their duties in regards to trade or other needed communication.

Those Zith who have distanced themselves from their colony and have begun to acclimate to the outside world operate a little differently. While they still prefer the nighttime, it is not unheard of to see them active during the day. Such Zith are usually a bit more irritable during their waking hours in the light. "Civilized" Zith, or those who operate outside of a colony and spend constructive time interacting with other races may also take up some of the habits of those around them. If given a job, they will work with fierce dedication which they can take rather personal if their work is challenged. Most of these types of Zith prefer to work in small but structured environments and do their best when the sun is setting. These Zith can often feel alone and isolated in the absence of others of their kind thus they are more likely to seek friends among non-Zith. Everyday life for a lone, civilized Zith can be difficult as they are in a constant struggle with their more bestial nature. Those that learn to master this conflict find they are able to benefit from both worlds in ways other Zith could only imagine.

Art and Industry

The Zith as a whole are not very proficient in art or industry. Most if not all of the products that they may trade are crafted by slaves. Such items include a special fungus that grows on many a cavern floor. This fungus is known as Salialana and is a powerful aphrodisiac. It is said that through many generations of living around and feeding upon this fungus, the Zith developed their rapid reproduction cycles. Whether or not this is true is unknown; however Salialana is a valued by many surface-dwellers. Other items include general goods such as clothing, weapons and tools which the slaves create and the Zith trade.

Some Zith do however learn to do a bit of crafting of their own. Artwork produced by Zith is said to be some of the most enticing pieces due to the amount of focus and passion they put into their work. Awe-inspiring scenes of the night and of the underground realm have been known to bring a tear to the eyes of those who look upon them. Some Zith also learn a rather grotesque craft involving the use of the bones, skin and hair of their kills. Clothing and bone weapons made from human remains are a morbidly popular craft that many Zith, even the more civilized, engage in. Although somewhat crude in appearance, these items are very well crafted.

Religion

Religion in Zith society is pretty simplistic. They view the Valterrian as the "Great Rending" and believe it to almost be a god in itself. They know only that they were created during the “Great Rending” and many believe, with the belief passed down from generation to generation that a winged god was responsible for the Rending and remade the Zith in its image. There isn’t a translation for how they refer to this god, which makes further understanding of Zith religious concepts by outsiders all the more difficult. As for the Zith themselves, they have come to associate their hunts as being a way of paying homage to their god. Otherwise they do not practice any formal religious ceremonies. Even those Zith who learn of the existing gods fail to acknowledge any of them as the one responsible for their creation. Whispered rumors, however, tell of a possible being of divine heritage somehow spreading its influence slowly and secretly into Zith culture. What this may mean in the long term, however, is yet to be discovered.

Active Zith PCs

Monsters of the Night
	Massacre	Strong, Confident, Older, and Experienced