The Isharmaq [Fennecs] - Malachite Idol

The Isharmaq, Mirage Walkers

“’Tis raging noon; and, vertical, the sun
Shoots thro’ th’ expanding air a torrid gleam.
O’er heaven and earth, far as the darted eye
Can pierce, a dazling deluge reigns; and all
From pole to pole is undistinguish’d blaze.
…
All-conquering heat, oh intermit thy wrath!
And on my throbbing temples potent thus
Beam not so hard! Incessant still you flow,
And still another fervent flood succeeds,
Pour’d on the head profuse. In vain I sigh,
And restless turn, and look around for night;
Night is far off; and hotter hours approach.
Who can endure! the too resplendent scene
Already darkens on the dizzy sight,
And double objects dance; unreal sounds
Sing deep around; a weight of sultry dew
Hangs deathful on the limbs; shiver the nerves;”
-James Thomson, The Seasons: Summer

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 Isharmaq

Short of stature, with sandy colored fur and very large ears, the isharmaq resemble humanoid fennec foxes. Swift and energetic, passionate and capricious, these folk (when sighted at all) are often assumed to be spirits of fire and air or a peculiar sort of desert fey. They can live comfortably in heat that would prove intolerable to humans and other folk from temperate climes. This further adds to their mystique as those who stumble upon them in the wild are often half-delirious and lost in the endless sands.

Desert Nomads

The only permanent isharmaqi settlements are located around hidden oases, ancient half-buried structures or cities with fonts of water within, caves that access undergound lakes, or other well concealed water sources in the deep desert. Most of the isharmaq only rarely visit these locations to resupply and trade excess food they have gathered, instead living as nomads that travel between smaller oases along paths that are simply too hot and inhospitable for other folk. On occasion an isharmaqi community will build a relationship with a brass dragon, bringing it gifts of crafts and tales in exchange for a place to build a small settlement to serve as travel hub and sanctuary where those too old or infirm for constant trekking can live in comfort and safety.

Heat Visions

Mirages and distortions in the air above the hot sand are common in the desert regions the isharmaq travel. Most tales of them treat them as a trick of the environment upon the eyes of less desert-adapted travelers. At long distances, their strange ability to flicker from place to place can be a particularly disorienting form of camouflage to travelers who are reasonably suspicious of the trustworthiness of wavering, distorted images in the desert. The fondness of isharmaqi magic users towards illusion spells makes it even rarer that undesired sightings of these folk are taken seriously even by the witnesses themselves.

Isharmaqi Names

An isharmaqi is given a childhood name by their parents at birth, and then will choose a name for themselves upon coming of age. Childhood names are typically the Primordial word for a type of flowering plant.

Example Feminine Names: Aru, Bilin, Celu, Delel, Elra, Falyi, Gaqui, Heryin, Ira, Laqah, Mequ, Qumeg, Semru, Telud, Uvuq Vulu, Zurya
Example Masculine Names: Annisa, Ewem, Deffaneh, Eewi, Fida, Ifime, Mema, Kiweye, Liwima, Navana, Ralanna, Seeva, Teha, Wadash, Zana
Example Childhood Names: Alaleh, Avish, Barsin, Chalipa, Fella, Gelayol, Golavis, Hester, Mamisa, Narjis, Nawfar, Razak, Sawsan, Varda, Wardiya

New Species: The Isharmaq

Common Personality Traits: Capricious, hyperactive, playful, distrustful of strangers
Common Physical Traits: Pacing, frequently teleporting, proportionally huge ears
Type: Small biped folk with a Reach of 1. Your maximum wounds equal your Constitution score x 2/3 (rounded up).

Attributes: +3 Dexterity, -1 Strength, -1 Constitution, -1 Wisdom
Base Speed: 30 ft.
Flickering Teleport: At Career Level 1 before spending skill points you gain 1 rank in acrobatics. Your minimum result when making a Jump or Tumble check is 15 unless you roll an error. Furthermore, your jump distance is not limited by your height.
Heat-Loving: You gain Heat Protection III (ignoring Extreme Heat III and reducing the effects of Extreme Heat IV). (Extreme conditions rules can be found [here])

Legal Appendix

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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.

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