Name: Dureva/ Beastkin
History
Power has been a goal of men since time immemorial, no matter what corruption may come upon them. The dureva, also known as beastmen, are the result of men being cursed for their ancestors' pursuit of power. This began roughly 5,000 years a go, a man named Balaclava sought to increase his magic beyond what the gods had granted him, and had several followers who followed him. Each were incredibly powerful, pushing the boundaries of what a human mage could do, and yet that wasn't enough. Dissolution however, killed many in their cult as they tried harder and harder to break the limits of man's Elan. Eventually, they converged on what was the strongest concentration of mana on Bayera at the time, where the air around them buzzed with energy and glowed like thousands of fireflies. It was here that one final effort was made to break their limits, beginning by filling their bodies with vast amounts of mana, to brace against the backlash, and in the interest of retaining some. As their collectibe power peaked, the cult converged their energies and synchonized good and bad karma in a buildup to prevent the backlash from having an effect.
However, the sheer scale of their efforts attracted the notice of Gods and Archdemons alike. Seizing the opportunity to assert their place in the world further, the Archdemons harvested the power, tainting it with
"Wrongness" as they did so, thus affecting the world as a result. The sudden change in the mana's karmic state thus altered the landscape around them, forming the Bahrain Deadlands. Understandably upset with the foolhardy humans, the Gods themselves acted in the interest of ceasing further spread of the taint. So, rather than killing the cultists, they cursed them so that the once powerful mages would never again wield magic, as their Sway was rendered null. However, perhaps worse was that their bodies would depend on mana, forcing them to be near it for the rest of their lives. The curse would spread to their offspring as well, perpetuating the cycle.
Thus rendered unable to impression mana, it would instead leave impressions upon them, changing their bodies to suit their enviroments, giving them beast-like attributes. Some grew additional limbs or appendages such as wings or fins while others still grew fur, spines, or scales. The lucky ones managed to retain a fairly human appearance, while the unfortunate came to be regarded as monsters. As time went on, their dependence on mana only grew, infusing their bodies with that which surrounded them, so that eventually mana became their blood...their life in a way that it simply could not be for another. No longer human, their former kin shunned them and so were shunned in turn creating a rift between the two. They cursed men became known as Dureva as time passed, but while some forgot what they once were, all knew that to attempt to disrupt the natural order...one would be punished.
Culture
For thousands of years, the dureva were forced to follow where mana lead, living only where it was thickest thus making them a nomadic people. As a result of this and the circumstances of their creation, their culture gradually changed from that of humans to something else entirely. They came to resent the gods and chose to worship nature instead, as it was the only thing that truly supported them. So it was that "From the Gods" became a phrase of contempt, likening things to the curse that had been laid upon them. Magic, which they could not use, became an evil, and disruptive, thing in their eyes, with mages often thought of as unnecessary nuisances. Being nomadic, their ability to manufacture suffered and so technology lost favor. As time went on the dureva took to seeing technology as a hindrance or an outright threat to nature, causing them to shun it. All these factors seperated them further from man, and the group became hostile towards man as a result. Treating most of mankind with disdain they took to calling them 'humes,' as a way of insulting them.
As they developed as a people, their worship of nature led them to take care of those places that they settled, even if only a time. They became guardians of the lands they tread upon, repelling those who would harm what they considered holy ground. Yet, perhaps because of their aggression towards others, the dureva have never been particularly prosperous, their numbers remaining small throughout history.
Nonetheless, the dureva make due, traveling in groups called clans, for safety and comaraderie alike. Each clan competing for optimal locations, though never warring amongst one another in earnest.
With their bestial attributes defining them, dureva have come to naming their own, in some manner, after the beasts they resemble.
Despite the efforts of their elders to engrain the traditions of their kind, there are some dureva who would rather live among others. While once this was impossible, in more recent times the discovery of 'nature gems', items which can absorb ambient mana and grant it to their holder, some dureva have chosen to travel beyond their normal routes and join the ranks of humanity. Nonetheless, areas bereft of mana are something that every dureva dreads as should their crystal fail, their life will be soon in ending. Still, with the elders holding to tradition, many dureva have taken to shunning these gems calling them a trap laid by the divine, items which can only be 'from the gods' put in place to trick them once again.
Perhaps they are right.
Mana
The dureva, with mana literally running through their veins, have a large Elan, the mana of their souls being denser than most. However, part of their curse makes this completely useless, as they are entirely unable to influence mana. This is not however due to a lack of Sway, but instead because its flow has been inverted causing them to absorb mana, rather than exude it. Similarly this is why mana influences their person more intimately than it would a human affecting them when near. As with all races, some dureva have a more powerful sway, causing them to draw more mana into themselves, though it makes them more susceptable to it as well. This is just another reason that dureva hate spellcasters, as their influence can literally hurt them just due to proximity--though it is hardly ever fatal.
Race Abilities
Despite being without Magic, the dureva are far from weak. Drawing strength from the mana that flows through their veins, thus infusing their bodies with natural strength and resilience, though what form these things takes differs with the bestial traits they possess. Due to the sheer amount of mana in their bodies their muscles are energized, making them potentially terrifying adversaries in physical combat. Additionally, this mana is utilized to accentuate and strengthen their bestial attributes, allowing, say, a bird dureva to fly.
While unable to properly use magic, there are a small number of dureva, called Whisperers, who are so intune with nature that they are able to communicate with it. Two branches of Whisperers exist, Beast Whisperers and and Floral Whisperers. They are highly prized by the dureva, and some others, due to their rarity. Whenever a new Whisperer is discovered, the entire clan will host a grand banquet, festivities included, to celebrate their good fortune.
Whisperers, while unable to use mana themselves, are able to feel the mana coming from nature, and communicate with it. They are the closest thing the dureva have to spellcasters as their skills allow them to
commune with nature and then use their inherent connection to influence it.
A Beast Whisperer may command beasts as allies, gathering information or fighting alongside them. Floral Whisperer however, can persuade plants to speed their growth or even coax them to grow a certain way. Each species, be it flora or fauna, has a different 'feel', and so a whisperer must listen to learn this feeling.
Kalas
