Max clicked on the next species, daekais, and saw a repulsive, slouching, three-and-a-half foot tall humanoid. It had feathery wings of dark green on the back and light green on the front. Large, slanted, ginger-colored eyes scowled suspiciously at his surroundings, the arched eyebrows adding menace to the gaze. Unkempt orange hair was haphazardly shorn to an inch or two. The teeth were sharply pointed like his chin and ears. Garish baubles were on most fingers, wrists, ankles, and around his long, thin neck. The daekais had retractable talons on his dirty, bare feet, and long nails on his grimy hands. Above stained, tight leggings, he wore a soiled, ill-fitting tunic that had holes in the back for the wings. A sling hung from the belt at his waist until he pulled it out. He also grabbed stones from a pouch on the other side and began firing expertly at a row of targets, even after launching himself into the air.
Species: Kais.
Race: Daekais.
Summary: One of the seven original species, daekais exhibit the traits of the four Orange Sphere nefarious gods who created them: deception, greed, envy, and fear. They steal everything they can and are known to follow and ambush unsuspecting travelers. They usually attack in numbers, the talons and bite poisonous. They excel at ranged attacks. From a distance, they can be mistaken for their more benevolent brothers, the morkais. Feather colors suggest their habitat: green for forest, gold for plains, blue for seas, and so on.
In the Divine Covenant, two daekais were turned into morkais, creating a new race. Now, the daekais are considered a race of the kais species.
Species Strengths: +1 Agility in the Air, +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution.
Species Weaknesses: -1 Strength, -1 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma, -2 Morale, -5% Regeneration, -5% Attack Speed, -25% Reputation, Poor Concentration.
Species Bonuses: +50% Most Thieving Skills, +10% Poison Resistance, Assess Gems.
Class Restrictions: Any Heroic Classes (Knight, Paladin, Coiryn Rider, Winged Rider, Warder), Bard, Monk. Can be Sorcerers but not Wizards.
There was little chance of Max using this for his player character, partly because he’d probably be hated everywhere he went. He’d had enough of that in real life and was far beyond sick of it. He made a note of the dangers daekais posed. He’d have to watch himself in the wilderness and keep one eye on the sky. They seem almost ideal as a thief, their wings an asset for getting over defenses but possibly a hindrance for sneaking around. Max didn’t want to be a thief, though. He would have to look up this Divine Covenant later, but it seemed that the kais species now had two races: daekais and morkais. Curious, he pulled up the morkais to see what the differences were.
A similar humanoid appeared, but friendliness had replaced all traces of malevolence, and the blue eyes were bright, intelligent, and charming. This one had golden hair and wings, which were light on the front. His claws were neatly trimmed, the teeth not pointed. Little leather boots made it impossible to see if the talons were similarly clipped. The colorful clothes were similar but better kept, and he wore no gaudy jewelry. He had donned a scroll case on a bandoleer that hung from one shoulder to the opposite hip. He held a small bow that he used to skillfully fire at daekais flying menacingly above him. Max wondered if he’d be able to tell them apart in the sky, because he felt drawn to this one as much as repulsed by the other.
Species: Kais.
Race: Morkais.
Summary: A product of the Divine Covenant, the morkais race of kais exhibit the combined traits of the benevolent Green, Indigo, and Yellow Sphere gods who created them: truth, vitality, courage, and intuition; innocence, passion, expression, and unity; inspiration, empathy, rejuvenation, and patience. They are often mistaken for their nefarious brothers, the daekais, from whom they were created, a fact which causes some to not trust morkais. They are frequent messengers, scouts, and aerial protectors of travelers and settlements. Unlike daekais, they do not have poisonous teeth, claws, or talons, but the antidote to daekais poison. They excel at ranged and magical attacks. Feather colors suggest their habitat: green for forest, gold for plains, blue for seas, and so on.
If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Species Strengths: +2 Agility in the Air, +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution, +2 Charisma.
Species Weaknesses: -1 Strength, -10% Reputation.
Species Bonuses: Daekais Poison Immunity, +25% Most Thieving Skills, +5% Magic Resistance, +5% Physical Attack, +5% Magical Attack, +10% Sling/Dart Bonus.
Class Restrictions: Paladin, Coiryn Rider, Winged Rider. Dual classes permitted.
This was another race Max didn’t want to choose, partly because they weren’t good at melee attacks. But the idea of being able to fly certainly intrigued him. That alone could solve all sorts of problems with travel, getting past defenses, and evading ground threats. The thought made him wonder if daekais were the only aerial threats he’d face. While the morkais was a lot better than the daekais, he wasn’t as good at thieving skills, maybe from lack of use. The description made it seem like they wouldn’t use those abilities for evil. Springing traps or sneaking up on people weren’t just for bad guys though.
Max moved on to the next species, clicking the yellow circle.
Another small humanoid about three-and-a-half feet tall, a querra appeared. Slim with a broad back, he was well-tanned and dressed in a colorful tunic partially covered in loose leaves and dirt, several flowers tucked behind an ear, poking out of pockets, or hanging from a garland made of a flowering vine. Snug slippers hugged his feet. Braided brown hair topped his round head. Full cheeks and a wide nose lay under hazel eyes, his demeanor pleasant and charming, a little mischievous. He casually rolled over to a pile of smooth stones and picked one up. Whistling while he winked at Max, he pulled the sling from his waist and began firing at stone targets that seemed part of some game from the way the querra aimed at specific places.
Species: Querra.
Summary: One of the seven original species, querra exhibit the traits of the four Yellow Sphere benevolent gods who created them: inspiration, empathy, rejuvenation, and patience. Lovers of the wilderness, they are master chefs, gardeners, and engineers who don’t believe in personal property, making them natural thieves, though they’re offended at the idea that they stole something. This and their penchant for practical jokes taint their otherwise stellar reputation; they are very popular and excel at relationships with animals. They’re skilled at ranged attacks and running for their lives because they know everything can out-fight them.
Species Strengths: +1 Agility, +1 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, +1 Charisma, +1 Morale.
Species Weaknesses: Restricted to Leather Armor or Light Chain, -20% Physical Attack
Species Bonuses: +10% Luck, +20% Regeneration, +5% Mana, +5% Magic Resistance, +10% Attack Speed, +50% Herbology, +50% Cooking, +50% Most Thieving Skills, Acute Smell, Acute Taste, Acute Feel, Assess Gems, Befriend Animal, Brewing, Detect Unstable Ground, 50% Evade Detection, Leave No Trace, Speak with Plants, Weather Sense.
Class Restrictions: Knights, Paladins, Coiryn Riders.
Unless Max wanted to be a healer or a thief, he didn’t see much reason to go with a querra, though their great reputation would be invaluable with NPCs. The armor and physical attack penalties were enough to counter their regeneration and stat bonuses, though the cooking and herbology meant great crafting. He’d just never been into that when playing games. He’d want a querran healer in his party, though, just not to be that guy. The animal friendship could also be great, but Max wanted to play someone versatile, with melee, ranged attacks, and some magic.
This species had another, similar race called niquerra, short for “night querra,” though operating after dark wasn’t their defining trait. The description said that the god of greed had cursed a group of querra because the whole species ignored his influence, having no interest in property. The cursed ones became niquerra. They eventually spread around the world, tunneling deep into mountains in search of precious ores and gems. The querran good nature had turned sour so that they shunned most others, but a healthy trade existed in some areas, mostly for niquerran steel, the hardest and most prized metal, from which the master niquerran smiths created the best armor and weapons to sell for a fortune. Max wondered how long it would take to find such an item.