Need some lore for my new race

[King of Casuals]

Im trying to DM a campaign, and I want to add my own race. I finished all of the stats but im having trouble thinking of lore for them.
Heres the stats:
Charsk (name of the race)
Aberration, Medium size, Normal move speed
+2 Con, +2 Wis, -2 Int
Xenophobic (doesnt get common as a language for free)
Stalker (perception and stealth are always class skills)
Resurrection vulnerability (cannot be resurrected)
Charsk are born with blank genetic templates and as a coming of age ritual they hunt, kill, and skin an animal, then wear it's pelt, gaining some of that animal's characteristics (and special abilities based off of the animal)

Please post stories/lore about them, i would love to hear what you guys can come up with.

[ReturnOfTheKing]

OK, so by Aberration, you mean we're talking Far Realm-y stuff here? Excellent, I love Far Realm! Needs more races.

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but the basic concept behind these guys is that they start off as blank slates, and later they gain characteristics of another life-form by killing it? Can't think of anything there lore-wise at the moment, but it does present some intriguing roleplaying opportunities…

[Solaris]

So they're alien invaders (from the Far Realms, perhaps) who steal the skins of Prime Material creatures to blend in?

[Secret Wizard]

How about this:

The Chask were race of technologically advanced, imperious creatures, whose lands reached far and beyond the world.
Afraid of the inevitable downfall of their empire as new races burgeoned in every corner, the Chask entered a bargain with a deity to become immortal and achieve physical and mental perfection. To fulfill the end of the deal, they had to partake in all kinds of rituals and sacrifices.
They enjoyed a short period of absolute power over the known world, but they soon started fearing the deity they had started to revere - they wanted to have no rulers above them, after all. Some of them were disgusted by the cruel acts they had to make to sate that deity.
The combined forces of the Chask empires gathered and created an artifact that could slay a deity. When they used it to kill their deity, they found themselves weaker, mentally drained and deformed.
Most of them killed each other at that very moment.

The very few that survived turned to the shadows, ashamed of their new countenances. They seek the skin of other creatures to assume new forms, but they keep the memory of their downfall present, so they shy away from vying for power and focus on survival.

Deep down, however, all of the Chask want to restore their perfect beings and make their empire rise once more.

[ReturnOfTheKing]

How about this:

The Chask were race of technologically advanced, imperious creatures, whose lands reached far and beyond the world.
Afraid of the inevitable downfall of their empire as new races burgeoned in every corner, the Chask entered a bargain with a deity to become immortal and achieve physical and mental perfection. To fulfill the end of the deal, they had to partake in all kinds of rituals and sacrifices.
They enjoyed a short period of absolute power over the known world, but they soon started fearing the deity they had started to revere - they wanted to have no rulers above them, after all. Some of them were disgusted by the cruel acts they had to make to sate that deity.
The combined forces of the Chask empires gathered and created an artifact that could slay a deity. When they used it to kill their deity, they found themselves weaker, mentally drained and deformed.
Most of them killed each other at that very moment.

The very few that survived turned to the shadows, ashamed of their new countenances. They seek the skin of other creatures to assume new forms, but they keep the memory of their downfall present, so they shy away from vying for power and focus on survival.

Deep down, however, all of the Chask want to restore their perfect beings and make their empire rise once more.

Me likes :smallcool:

[JNAProductions]

Charsk

Charsk is. Charsk exists. This world does not. The world is new, the world is young. The world is nothing compared to Charsk. Charsk is eternal, Chasrk is god. Charsk is not god, Charsk has slain god. Or did Charsk become god? Serve god?

No. Charsk is Charsk. Charsk does not serve. Charsk is-

Hey, look over there-what is that thing?

Charsk smells. Charsk hunts.

Some kind of... I don't know. Whoa, look at it move!

Charsk is god. Charsk has the power, and Charsk can do what Charsk wants.

Sword out, Daniel.

But-

Sword out now!

Charsk wants.

Where is it?

It's gone!

Charsk wants power.

Oh god! Oh god, my legs!

Daniel! You idiot, you let-aaagggh!

Will! Come on, I can move, I can move, Will! Are you okay?!

My-my skin! Oh god, my skin is just gone!

Charsk's skin.

Will...

Bleeding, Daniel! That thing is gone, get me-

Will, that's you.

What?

Charsk is Will?

Will... I can't get close enough. My legs-

I'll get it.

Get Charsk?

I'm the real Will, you-

If Charsk is to be Will, then Charsk will be the only Will.

...

Will?

Yes?

Will, you're alive? Will?

Charsk is Will now.

No... No, you're a monster! I'd rather die than-

Charsk is monster? Or Charsk is Will?

...

Charsk is god, and god is Charsk. Charsk will show the world it is Charsk's.



It's ancient, aberrant, inhuman... I've got no idea if this is usable, but hopefully I can give you a few good ideas through dialogue alone.

[ReturnOfTheKing]

Problem with the above is it sounds like a monster, not a race.

[JNAProductions]

I tend to have a low view of Aberrant races. Something about being from beyond the universe itself and having no care at all for our lives while callously slaughtering us or driving us insane just by its presence...

And when you get down to it, the back-stabbing, power-hungry, rughtless, merciless, demon-worshipping Drow aren't exactly the most moral of races either. Doesn't stop players from playing Drizzt, though.

[Secret Wizard]

Drow are like that because they have to be. If you are not strong, you are probably going to either succumb to the Illithids or Duergar and bring them all down.

[JNAProductions]

My headcanon was always that Drow are that nasty, vicious, and powerful because other Drow are going to kill you if you aren't.

And an ancient race that desired power above all else, to the point of basically selling their souls to a god in order to achieve that power? That's not a new idea for a race, and the Necrons aren't the most friendly bunch either.

[Hanuman]

I'd suggest giving them common, taking away common is like telling a player they either need intelligence or they need to ignore the language disadvantage, similar to a blind character. (Tongues, telepathy, ect)

If you want to go telepathy I'd actually allow that as an ok rule, as long as eye contact is required for the telepathy to function, this roleplays well too at table.

I'd give them flat attributes with one +2 to a single attribute of their choice, representing their rite of passage.

I am a fan of vague open-ended fluff, so I'd write it as nondescript as possible... like describe the charsk's rite of passage as a 1 week long ritual, they must commune with an animal, concept, god, alignment, or any such physical, mental, emotional, magical, psionic, spiritual or planar focus to gain their attunement. Some examples may involve skinning and wearing a pelt, consuming the flesh, sitting underneath a waterfall, burning one's flesh, saving someone's life, ect ect.