First race, this is the races description... any game stat suggestions are welcomed... i'll try to work something up eventually but the description i think should come first
Serval
Serval are relatives of the small jungle cats which can be found in the less moist jungles. They are known for their quickness on the ground and in the trees and are skilled hunters despite their small size. They utilize traps quite effectively in the wilderness and have a knack of noticing them.
Personality: Serval are often quite warm and open with people they meet and often will offer sanctuary to those who are in need. They value communal activities of drama and have a long standing oral history. They rarely enter a fight but when so, they enter fully and without reserve, seeming to make intuitive decisions which are exceptionally fruitful on the fly. They often carry an air of lightness to their activities which can often upset people when they do not take grave seriousness upon any issues which some believe merit it.
Physical Description: Serval stand fully at about three and a half feet to four feet in height but since they’re natural standing position is a sort of crouched position they usually come to about three to three and a half feet. They usually weigh from 30 to 45 pounds at most. Their body is covered in a soft layer of fur which is usually two-tone blotches of light and dark browns and tans, although occasionally they will have stripes instead of blotches. Their faces are cat-like with short muzzles, tufted ears and commonly golden colored cat eyes. They possess a short tail which helps them balance their crouched positions. Serval reach maturity at about seven and rarely live beyond half a century.
Clothing: Serval prefer minimal clothing as their fur generally functions to protect them, although they may wear light armor in times of battle. Usually both male and female Serval will wear only a loin-cloth and a bandoleer of pouches for carrying items. Occasionally Serval will wear light cloaks when traveling. Serval prefer colors which accent their natural fur color, usually solid colored with accents of gold. Serval rarely accent their clothing with jewelry, although plain earrings are common in both male and female Serval. Serval have trouble wearing normal foot wear and commonly walk barefoot or wear light sandals made specifically for their feet.
Relations: Serval get along well with most other races except Hys which tend to over hunt and strip an area of game and resources. They are exceptionally adept at languages and as such generally can pick up the language of a newcomer readily. Due to their relatively short life spans, Serval value friendships and intimate relationships highly although forging these friendships can take very little time with the Serval’s open and warm nature.
Alignment: Serval are usually oriented towards good and harmony. However, this harmonious aspect usually means they will consider both sides of a situation equally and attempt to reconcile a situation with the best results for both sides.
Lands: Serval
Authority: Authority within Serval communities is localized to small circles of elder Serval who are often well versed in the history of their people, the needs of their people and spiritual matters. The elders of the many small tribes gather once a year to discuss matters and consider new members for the elder circle. This collaboration of tribes presides over judicial matters and matters of war and rarely makes decisions regarding economic matters leaving that to the individual tribal elders.
Community: Serval community is based around the transience of life and harmony with their surroundings. They possess a strong connection to the rhythms of the natural order. Young are raised collectively rarely feeling overly connected to their biological parents but rather to the tribe as a whole. Both males and females participate in hunting and caring for the community and young.
Rituals: Serval rituals are more often festivities of various sorts although the most intriguing is the harmonic meditation that basically all Serval practice on a daily basis. On the simplest level those practitioners of harmonic meditation are able to balance themselves to the daily tasks spread before them, however those with more developed skill are able to do much more with it.
Food: Serval are omnivores although they enjoy the taste of meat and it often is a large part of their diet. Serval meals revolve around a main dish of meat with accompanying fruits and vegetables. They often make thick stews. Serval rarely spice their food as they can be quite sensitive to the intense flavors. Serval generally drink water or various teas, warm and hot and rarely ever consume alcohol.
War: All out war is relatively unknown to the Serval, although they do have constant skirmishes with the Hys. For the Serval battle is an art form and one which they often compare to the arrangement of music or poetics. To properly arrange the fights to their advantage they take care to place their attacks effectively and concordantly. Serval fight guerilla wars; springing from ambush to quickly overtake their enemies and then disappear again into the jungle. Several well placed attacks can easily disable any significant force from being able to fight or even get to their target.
Commerce: Within each tribal community there is little sense of ownership, although each Serval may possess some items of their own, they place little weight upon the private ownership of objects and will often share internally. With regards to other tribes of Serval there is generally trade back and forth, although when a need occurs other tribes will attempt to support without expecting compensation. Serval will occasionally trade with humans and Skits and these trades are often negotiated by a tribes elder council although occasionally a craftsman will directly trade with outside sources.
Arts: Theatre in its many forms (dance, music, poetry, acting) plays a large part in Serval life. Their dances are often quite physically intensive and display a broad dynamic of heights and rhythms, reflecting natural creatures and elements. Their music often emphasizes drums and stringed instruments and it can build incredibly complex polyrhythmic patterns which can push even the most restrained person to move. Serval poetry is a very developed skill ranging from long epics to almost haiku like imagery, and their oral history extends deeply throughout their poetry. Their acting skills emphasize their abilities with language and incorporate often very subtle motions which those not used to their company often miss.
Religion: Serval are not a directly religious folk, although they are quite spiritual and their harmony with the natural order is often shown respect through various practices regarding anima (natural spirits). When supremely awed by a part of nature they often create small cairns before the presence of the awe-inspiring. These cairns usually grow larger over time as more Serval place a stone in respect. Serval harmonic meditation is also usually considered a religious or spiritual practice and occasionally non-Serval will study the practice as well as it often helps develop a sense of calm and happiness in relation to the way.
Language: Serval speak their own tongue which has changed relatively little over time, most likely due to the lack of a written language and lack of outside influence. They possess a long standing oral tradition for history and most Serval have exceptionally keen memories when it comes to language, able to recall numerous histories, poems and myths which could take up thousands of lines in text and even easily recall conversations they have had almost word for word. The Serval tongue is quite developed, possessing numerous inflections and aspirations that the human tongue does not possess. Additionally, Serval have a developed body language involving the ruffling of fur, as well as head, ear and whisker motions.
Names: haven't worked it out
Adventurers: gonna be why they adventure and the normal classes picked up
Equipment: common equipment they use and equipment unique to their race
