The shiagra are massive humanoids that strongly resemble various types of great predatory cats. Some have tiger stripes, some have spots, and still others have tawny fur and dark, shaggy manes. Typically the differences correspond to the sort of homeland they hail from, but they are known to travel to each others’ territories on occasion and marriages between varieties are not unheard of.

Rumored Lords of Wild Places

Most shiagra live either in nomadic groups or in remote settlements. In both cases they prefer isolated regions of largely unspoiled wilderness that outsiders would find inhospitable, difficult to navigate, or both, such as deep within a jungle or in the middle of a vast savanna with few landmarks that would be easily recognized by someone unfamiliar with the area. In their terrain, they are almost always the unchallenged apex predator, but they do not attempt to disrupt the natural order or displace lesser predatory creatures. They prefer to coexist with nature, but are not averse to mining or harvesting rare or valuable resources within their domain.

Contemplative but Ferocious

The few rumors about shiagra mostly depict them as wild and brutal warriors, but in most regards they are actually quite serene and dignified. The confusion stems from their attitude towards combat, which holds that if battle must be had, it should be as decisive and overwhelming as possible. As with hunting, they will tend towards quiet stillness until the moment comes to attack, and then they strike with as much concentrated aggression as they can muster to finish the battle before it can drag on and cause unnecessary collateral damage. Furthermore, their tendency to give battle without weapons of any kind sometimes creates the misunderstanding that they are simple brutes.

Weaponless Warriors

The Shiagra have no dearth of skilled, proud craftsmen among their communities, and even their armor is made with intricate artistry. However, weapon crafting beyond the occasional sling or javelin for bird hunting is almost unheard of, as there are very few close combat weapons which can equal their most notable birthright—the wicked, retractable claws that tip their hands and feet. Pruning knives, axes, and other such tools are not foreign to them, but the idea of such things being useful as weapons will seem strange, as the only utility such tools have for them that their claws cannot achieve is from designing such objects expressly for a particular non-combat function.

This is a free player character species for 5th Edition (You probably know which RPG, I can't say its name because the OGL license I am using doesn't allow it)

Also available at MalachiteIdol.com

Illustrations by   Sapphwolf