Last week, we shared a no-prep character, Urok, to give you a brief glimpse at the orderly aphorite versatile heritage. We have another NPC this week showcasing another unrevealed aspect from Lost Omens Ancestry Guide. This week we’re going to preview another new versatile heritage: beastkin! I’ll talk a bit more about beastkin after showing you the NPC, but for now, let’s look at our no-prep beastkin, Chea.
Chea, Student of Unfolding Wind
Born to a large family of werecrocodiles in the nation of Jalmeray, Chea was envied by her fellows for her strange lack of the werecreature's curse. Chea's mother assured the girl that her blessing proved she was meant for great things, though her bitter cousins mocked her for her soft heart and lack of killer instinct. One night when she was a teenager, she went out for a swim, sick of the insults and teasing from her peers. The beastkin accidentally stumbled across an adventurer, who was stargazing by the riverside. The strange woman didn't attack, however, instead introducing herself as Nisha and inviting Chea to come look at the stars. Nisha pointed out a glowing comet in the sky and told Chea that the star was actually an elemental lord named Ranginori, and that Nisha's fellow adventurers, the Pathfinders, were working to set Ranginori free. When Nisha left that evening, she gave her telescope to Chea. From then on, Chea spent her nights gazing up to the glowing star, whispering secret prayers in hope they might comfort the trapped god.
Chea saw the moment her bright star burst across the sky, freeing Ranginori from his uncounted years of imprisonment. Knowing the hard journey that Ranginori faced ahead of him, Chea was among one of the first to pledge her faith to the elemental lord. Encouraged by her mother, Chea approached the Monastery of Unfolding Wind in Jalmeray. Though she had to hide her true nature from her fellow acolytes, her determination saw her excel in her monk training. Yet when she returned to visit her family after her initial studies were complete, she found them decimated and scattered. The survivors gave confused, conflicted reports, but several of them claimed that Pathfinders had attacked them.
Though Chea knew her family weren't always saints, she found she couldn't let this go. The monk now searches for answers to what truly happened, and vengeance for those who killed her kin.
Plot Hooks
Game Masters may consider the following plot hooks as a means of integrating Chea into any Pathfinder Second Edition game.
- Chea seeks out the heroes in hopes of learning a new fighting technique to give her a further edge in combat. She’s willing to share an aspect of her training in return.
- As the heroes leave a dungeon, some ruins, or another adventuring site, Chea makes her presence known. She challenges the heroes to a fight, believing them to be Pathfinders.
- A whisper on the wind guides the heroes to Chea. The monk notes that she’s received a message from her god about the whereabouts of a gem that holds another elemental lord. Chea believes it is her fate, and the heroes’, to rescue the trapped god.
About Beastkin
Beastkin is a blanket term for any person who has gained the ability to partially or fully transform into an animal through any number of means, while maintaining a balance with their humanoid side. Beastkin might have a lineage that traces directly to werecreature parents. Other beastkin might have received their abilities from a deity or even as a result of polymorph magic. Regardless of their origin, a beastkin is tied to a particular animal, such as bat, eagle, shark, spider, tyrannosaurus, wasp, or wolf. This animal is known as the beastkin’s inherent animal. Beastkin feats allow a beastkin to further tap into their animalistic connection and gain new senses, the ability to fly or swim like their inherent animal, or even fully transform into that animal in combat. Beastkin is a rare versatile heritage and you can learn all about it when Lost Omens Ancestry Guide releases on February 24th!