Vlandir

Racial Profile
This unique feline race of Ithos is indigenous to the frozen north and the western isles. Averaging around six feet tall, they are strong, lean, and agile fighters and wise tacticians. They are covered in head to toe with fine fur of varying colors and patterns. They appear more feral than humanoid causing those who are not familiar with their culture to believe they are primitive and beastly. What they lack in looks, they make up for in physique and what they lack in intelligence, they make up for in unsurpassed wisdom.

The Art of War
The tradition of clans and the warrior is still deeply rooted in their culture. One of their leading exploits is their master craftsmanship of firearms. Black powder weapons were supposedly invented by a Vlandir and have come to be a time honored and respected tradition of Vlandir society. Older and more significant, however, is the Vlandir tradition of unarmed combat. The Vlandir have produced some of the most renowned monks to have ever lived. They are credited with thousands of martial art moves, techniques, and fighting styles. Many Vlandir monks are trained from the year they are born in the ways of unarmed defense and combat as well as mental discipline. All Vlandir soldiers are revered as the most fearless and disciplined on the field and they are said to always fight to the death.

Vlandir Lore
Vlandir have their own language unique to their race named after them. There are not many Vlandir books but that does not mean they do not pass down the stories and wisdom of their ancestors. The Vlandir have a rich oral tradition in which elders, the wise governors of the clan, tell grand tales of heroes and morality to younglings in order to instill the values of the clan and preserve their customs.


 * One of their oral traditions is the story of Nora the Seer. Her tale is a product of Vlandir mythology which tells of a beautiful Vlandir woman with eyes that could see the future.  She is the embodiment of wisdom and foresight.  A popular Vlandir legend tells of two young Vlandir brothers who set out to the furthest North where the Gods live.  They sought to ask Nora the Seer about the ultimate truth, the true secret of life.  Their epic tale varies from clan to clan but, in the end, the brothers never actually get there.  However, through the hardship they endure, they discover deep inner truths about themselves and catch a glimpse of enlightenment.  There are many variations of this tale but all have the same general message that the absolute truth is not meant to be known but the real secret of life lies simply in living and brotherhood.


 * The renowned and ancient guru Ivan Kang is the focus of many Vlandir tales. According to legend, he was a Vlandir monk who obtained enlightenment.  There are many tales involving him.  Sometimes he is the focus and sometimes he is in the background.  Despite the near endless number of tales that concern him, there are two overarching categories.


 * Ivan Kang was a great and wise Vlandir who embodied the Vlandir honor code and always performed noble and often self sacrificing deeds. This legend claims that, after sacrificing his own life on a Vixma torture table to save his clan, he then awoke reborn as an enlightened monk.  He then roamed Ithos teaching monks the Vlandir path to enlightenment and helping the less fortunate.  He lived out the rest of his long life helping and sacrificing everything for others.


 * or


 * Ivan Kang was almost a villain of sorts by betraying his own clan and being outcast for standing up for what he believed in. He tried to commit good deeds but he did so in violent ways that often included murder.  He was self righteous and believed that those who went against his moral code deserved to be punished by death.  He was later cursed by the gods and he roamed the world with terrible misfortune following him everywhere.  Many stories coming from this legend involve Kang getting punished for the things he tries to do instead of rewarded like the other legend.  However, he works hard and suffers through all of these hardships fighting to bring his version of justice to the world.  In these versions, Ivan Kang dies in several equally horrible, and agonizing ways but he achieves enlightenment after sacrificing his life to save a group of total strangers.  He then roamed Ithos for the remainder of his days teaching monks and "balancing" the power of the world.  This is a much darker version of the story and is relatively new.  It plays with the character of Ivan Kang more than promotes Vlandir morals.  It also provokes thoughts about what it truly means to be honorable and just.  This legend is the more popular in modern generations of Vlandir.

Vlandir Honor
One of the highest values to the Vlandir is loyalty; loyalty to your clan, then your family, then your race. They are extremely lawful and are often willing to die for their beliefs. Outside observers say a Vlandir could be your best friend or your worst enemy, rarely in between.

D&D 3.0 Racial Attributes

 * Str +2
 * Dex +2
 * Con -2
 * Int -2
 * Wis +2
 * Cha -2
 * Darkvision, Humanoid relatives of felines, Vlandir have excellent eyesight, even at night, allowing them to see at a distance of at least 60 ft. even in total darkness. This still does not grant them the ability to see in magically created darkness.

D&D 3.5 Racial Attributes

 * Str +0
 * Dex +2
 * Con +0
 * Int -2
 * Wis +2
 * Cha -2


 * Medium Sized.
 * Base speed of 30 ft.
 * Low-light Vision: A Vlandir's keen eyes allow them to see twice as far in low light conditions than a human could.
 * Vlandir are incredibly strong willed and are completely immune to fear spells and effects.
 * +4 Fortitude Save Vs. Cold: Due to generations of conditioning in their frigid home lands, Vlandir have become naturally resilient to cold weather.
 * +2 Survival Check: The Vlandir have long been a nomadic people fighting each other and the elements for survival in the frozen tundra. Their well honed survival instincts far supercede that of a human.
 * Automatic Languages: Common and Vlandir
 * Favored Class Monk: The hard, disciplined fist of the monk is highly respected in Vlandir society.