Knumari [Sheep] - Malachite Idol

Knumari, Masters of Water and Clay

“Thus sang the Potter at his task
Beneath the blossoming hawthorn-tree,
While o’er his features, like a mask,
The quilted sunshine and leaf-shade
Moved, as the boughs above him swayed,
And clothed him, till he seemed to be
A figure woven in tapestry,
So sumptuously was he arrayed
In that magnificent attire
Of sable tissue flaked with fire.
Like a magician he appeared,
A conjurer without book or beard;
And while he plied his magic art–
For it was magical to me–
I stood in silence and apart,
And wondered more and more to see
That shapeless, lifeless mass of clay
Rise up to meet the master’s hand,
And now contract and now expand,
And even his slightest touch obey”
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Keramos

Playtest Version

This material is still in the process of being playtested. It is fully usable as written, but may be refined or changed in later versions. As always, this content should only be used with GM permission.

The Knumari

The knumari resemble humanoid sheep. They have short, lightweight wool in colors ranging from off-white to tan to black, but they often pigment patterns in their wool using orange or brown or gray ground clay or black with silt or charcoal. Regardless of sex, they all have large, distinctive curling horns that form various unique shapes. Knumari settle almost exclusively on the shores of rivers and their cultural practices revolve around these waters and their seasonal cycles. Occasionally explorers and adventurers will venture far from their rivers but even for trade they utilize these waterways for transport rather than using land caravans.

River of Life

The patron deity of the knumari rules the cycles of flooding that brings fertile soil downriver every spring, which allows river valleys to be verdant homes for cities even in desert regions. Many knumari are essentially nomads, living on flotillas of barges that they move up and down their river as needed, but others found cities surrounded by expansive irrigation systems for agriculture. Most knumari learn to swim before they can walk. Even within cities, their temples are usually either built up out of the river or on barges tethered extensively to the dockside.

Dedicants of the Divine Potter

Knumari legend says their god, titled The Lord of Innundations, also invented pottery and, in fact, formed the knumari from the holy clay, silt, and water of the River of Life in his divine realm. Their clerics teach that he crafted them so perfectly that they immediately became flesh and blood creatures as soon as he finished sculpting the final details. Knumari retain a small spark of this ability, and with the right preparations can craft tiny almost-living constructs from clay. Knumari magic users generally show a talent for the elements of water and earth, and their cities often have golems and other constructs supplementing the city guard’s forces.

Knumari Names

A knumari’s full name typically takes the form of [personal name], [son/daughter/child] of [father’s name], whose mother is [mother’s name], but in cases of an unknown or particularly disfavored parent or grandparent, the other parent is used. In other cases an occupational or other sort of byname might be adopted instead of using lineage.

Example Masculine Names: Akalamdug, Artakhshathra, Darayavahush, Djedknumiufankh, Ekur, Kambujiya, Mesanepada, Nakht, Narseh, Pasherknum, Sama’at, Shulgi, Tamasp, Udjaif, Ur-Nammu
Example Feminine Names: Ameretat, Aristomake, Berekhet, Elissa, Daniat, Enanatuma, Haurvatat, Iset, Ninbanda, Peset, Roshanak, Shub-ad, Sophonisba, Tachenef, Tayarew
Example Unisex Names: Heriu, Ibi, Joba, Kebra, Khurshid, Nemester, Neskhnum, Nether, Sechautawetey, Sedjemniykhnum, Zula

New Species: Knumari

Common Personality Traits: Creative, detail oriented, methodical
Common Physical Traits: Large curling horns, artificially patterned wool, mud-caked
Type: Medium biped folk with a Reach of 1. Your maximum wounds equal your Constitution score.

Attributes: –
Base Speed: 30 ft.
Craft Ushabti: You gain the Followers feat. The followers you gain from this feat must have the Elemental type.
Inquisitive Mind: You gain 2 additional Interests (see FC, page 61).
Mark of Clay: Choose either the Path of Earth or the Path of Water (See FC, page 312-314). You take the first step on the chosen path. Your Caster Level is considered equal to you Career Level for your abilities from these steps. When you would gain a feat from your Career Level you may instead take another step along the chosen path if after selecting class abilities your step will be no greater than step II at Career Level 3, step III at level 5, step IV at level 7, or step V at level 9.
Natural Attack: You gain the Gore I natural attack (see FC, page 235). If you gain a natural attack from multiple sources, the attack’s grade becomes equal to the highest single grade + 1 per additional benefit granting the same attack, to a maximum of V (e.g. Bite IV, Bite III, and Bite I become Bite V).
Delicate: It takes one less grade of Fatigued or Shaken to render you unconscious.

Legal Appendix

NOTICE OF OPEN GAME CONTENT
This product includes Open Game Content that may only be used under and in terms of the Open Game License Version 1.0a

DESIGNATION OF PRODUCT IDENTITY
Product Identity in this document designated in accordance with section 1(e) of the Open Game License, version 1.0a includes but is not limited to: Any and all Malachite Idol logos and identifying marks and trade dress, including all Malachite Idol product and product line names including but not limited to Malachite Idol Presents, all Malachite Idol logos, and all artwork, logos, symbols, designs, depictions, illustrations, maps and cartography, likenesses, and poses. Designated Product Identity is not Open Game Content.

DESIGNATION OF OPEN GAME CONTENT
All material in this document following the Playtest Version sidebar and prior to the Legal Appendix that is not otherwise designated as Product Identity is Open Game Content.

LICENSE

OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a

The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved. 1. Definitions: (a)”Contributors” means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)”Derivative Material” means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) “Distribute” means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)”Open Game Content” means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) “Product Identity” means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) “Trademark” means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g) “Use”, “Used” or “Using” means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) “You” or “Your” means the licensee in terms of this agreement.

2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License.

3.Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License.

4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, nonexclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content.

5.Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License.

6.Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder’s name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute.

7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity.

8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content.

9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License.

10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute.

11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so.

12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected.

13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.

14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable.

Open Game License v1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. System Rules Document Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

END OF LICENSE