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Warning to Players - Read no further - Spoilers below!
DOUBLE WARNING - If you're a player in my campaign - Melbourne, Australia - Read no further!
I'm soon to begin DMing Burnt Offerings, and one of my players is to play a Raptoran (Races of the Wild). You could subsitute Avariel (winged elves) or Aarakocra (both from Races of Faerun), though Raptorans work as 1st level characters, avoiding any level adjustment, by delaying the ability to fly until achieving 5HD.
Obviously, this is a departure from the largely human-o-centric Varisia, where even the other PHB races are somewhat less common. So one of my objectives was to weave the race seamlessly into the campaign so she doesn't feel like a lone anomaly in the setting, but feels as though her character belongs as much as any other player would.
I've ruled that Raptorans are "children of Desna", as they reflect well Desna's portfolio, domains and image. Raptorans grow up in isolated cliff communities. When they reach adolescence, they feel the urge to embark on the "walk of the four winds", a ritual journey to experience the wonders of the world, and gain the favour of Desna, who then grants them the ability of flight!
For the most part, Raptorans remain rare and isolated throughout Varisia. However, due to the "walk of the four winds", most Varisians can claim to have crossed paths with a travelling Raptoran at least once in their lifetimes.
I am changing Shalelu's race to Raptoran, so my player doesn't feel too isolated in the campaign. I am imagining a scene introducing my player's Raptoran to the town of Sandpoint where the local children all swarm around her singing "Sha-la la-la la eee-ooo eee-ooo eee-ooo ..." running up to touch her feathers, and then running away giggling (mistaking her for Shalelu who always takes time to sing and play games with the children during her seasonal passing through the town).
My Raptoran player's background will be that she's embarking on her "walk of the four winds", tracing her route through:
1) Sandpoint to participate in the Swallowtail Festival. I'm going to ask my player to spend a few ranks in Knowledge (Religion) and then print out the Desna article from Pathfinder #2 to give her. Then she may participate in the Swallowtail Festival as a special invited guest, assisting Father Zantrus by performing in her own words one of the Myths of Desna, releasing the butterflies, etc.
2) Magnimar to witness the Arvensoar. While no specific mention of Desna is made in reference to the Arvensoar, the the appearance of an angel, a flash of bright light (starlight?) clearing the clouds and revealing the starry sky, might all suggest the influence of Desna.
3) Her eventual destination is to re-unite with her mother and step-father at Fort Rannick. B5 Collapsed Tunnel - leading up to a ledge that once served as the nesting ground for a group of Giant Eagles - inspired me to place an Erie of Raptorans here, in alliance with the Black Arrows. Tragically, the Raptorans were also killed in the defence of Fort Rannick against the Ogres. I am disposing with Jakardros' connection to Shalelu, instead replacing Myriana with the Raptoran ghost of my player's mother, and Lamatar Bayden as her mother's human partner. They met years ago when Lamatar saved my player Raptoran's life. More recently, Myriana left for Fort Rannick to assist a fledgeling Raptoran colony, and Lamatar followed and took up a post with the Black Arrows. If Myriana succeeds in reincarnating Lamatar, he returns as a Raptoran. I'm also going to add an encounter where an enraged Giant Eagle stands protecting a nest of Raptoran hatchlings.
By this time, my player's Raptoran would have visited at least two locations holy to Desna 1) Sandpoint Cathedral 2) Arvensoar, over a 200 mile journey, and possibly qualified for the Spherewalker prestige class.
Then imagine my surprise when I download Pathfinder #4 PDF today, and see what appears to be an illustration of Raptorans in Fortress of the Stone Giants!? But it turns out they're actually Harpies. Hmmm ... Harpies? Now here's an idea! Harpies are the corrupted version of Raptorans, turned to the dark side by Desna's arch enemy Lamashtu, goddess of monstrous beasts! The song-bird voice of the Raptorans being corrupted into the captivating crooning of the Harpies. Voila! My Raptoran now has a racial enemy.
And what new theatrical production did Cyrdak Drokkus bring to Sandpoint? The Harpy's Curse - right in the middle of the Swallowtail Festival - disrespect bordering on Blasphemy! I'll have to make something of that.
I'll be sure to post here as my campaign develops.
Feel free to discuss, borrow or steal these ideas for your own campaigns.
Cheers.
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Sounds great, but I do wonder at Shalelu always having time for some fun with the kids. I've got her pegged and too stern and serious to be little miss sunshine every time she sees a juvenile.
I'm going to play up Shalelu's no-nonsense Ranger attitude. But as a protector, she needs something worthy of protecting. The children of Sandpoint are that for her. They ground her and remind her why it is she spends most of her days scouting around the wilderness for signs of trouble.