Eyst/Brood

Ratha's Spurned Brood

This account is written some time after taking part in different expeditions among the Qi islands and far reaches of the mainland. I write so that what has been learned about this unfortunate subject will not be forgotten. Another who should not be forgotten is Yraggahh, the S'kra who lead these excursions and who without there would be nothing to tell.

Relating to the veracity of this treatise, while much of it I experienced or researched first hand, the history of these creatures comes primarily from a single oral account by their matriarch. I have been able to find some evidence supporting this tale and none suggesting it is false. However their history spans over a millenia, primarily involving an isolated island colony and secretive exploits of the Dragon Priests, neither of which lends itself to complete verification.

History

The Kra'hei began on the island of M'Riss during the reign of King Sroeden (1213 - 1159 BL). They were not actually Kra'hei at this point, but S'kra settlers belonging to the old Reshalian empire. For readers not familiar with the island it should be mentioned that M'Riss has a very dark history with the S'Kra that stretches back thousands of years. This was not the first attempt to colonize the island, and while it is unclear if they all met fates similar to the Kra'hei, it is certain they all were considered failed.

Something on the island changed the settlers, broke them. The colony and its people were abandoned, possibly to save face or possibly out of fear that their affliction could spread to the rest of the empire. The Kra'hei did not perish though. By their own account the curse took the gifts of the Mind and Tail (referred also as Heart) from them. In S'kra lore these are divine gifts from Hav'roth and Peri'el, the things that make S'kra more than beasts. Yet they persevered in this mean state from the fall of the Reshalian empire to the beginning of the Dragon Priest's.

It is the Dragon Priests that afflicted them next. A Dragon Priest expedition discovered the Kra'hei while possibly in search of whatever cursed source lies on M'Riss. The Kra'hei were taken by Dzree with promises of help and salvation, but what followed was experimentation and servitude. So great is the antipathy towards the priests that even speaking Dzree's name is not done. Circumstances did not get much better for the Kra'hei after the fall of the Priests. Being considered monsters they were driven into the sewers and have resided there to present times.

Society

Despite losing the gifts of the Mind and Tail the Kra'hei still have a primitive society. It appears to be tribal, with at least one powerful Matriarch as their leader. Hav'roth is still worshipped, though without much apparent reciprocity. The sewers of Ratha are both their home and their primary defense against invaders. It is very easy to lose oneself in this dark underworld making it unclear just how large it is and how many Kra'hei reside there. There is some capability in elemental and lunar magics. Instances of artistic expression are not apparent.

Anatomy

A normal Kra'hei looks much like a S'kra, though it is unlikely to be mistaken for one. Kra'hei are in general larger and more powerful than their S'kra cousins but are prone to deformities in their limbs. Their faces are often contorted by malformation and hostile expression. The tail is in general thicker and sometimes spined. The skin and flesh may appear withered in places.

The Matriarch(s) seem almost different beasts entirely. Though the relation is evident, the encountered Matriarch is both much larger than your average Kra'hei and has both supernumeral limbs and eyes. The claws, teeth, and spines are much larger.

[A rough illustration of a monstrous scaled creature in a threatening posture concludes this section. While some features resemble a more typical specimen of Kra'hei it is considerably different. The face, physically deformed and twisted in a toothy snarl has eight eyes along with a full crest atop the skull. Three sets of powerful arms ending in three-taloned hands are all poised to grab, rip, and tear. The lower body has a similarly powerful pair of legs and a tail covered in spines. A much smaller barely detailed gnome is beside the hulking beast, giving a sense of scale.]

Speculation

The reader is likely left with many questions relating to the Kra'hei. These are the best answers I can give to a few of them.

What is it that originally afflicted the Kra'hei? Unfortunately I have no specific answer as to what. However I may be able to speak as to who is responsible. M'Riss has long been a place of ill repute among the S'kra, but it is not only they who have history there. There were ruins of a city believed to date back thousands of years and it is here that I believe the original colony made their home. Some evidence points to it either being an ancient Elven city or possibly to the now-extinct Luethrans. The modern Rissans found relics bearing Elvish writing within the ruins. There is also a story of a xenophobic Elvish society on M'Riss that was destroyed in a self-inflicted catastrophe involving very questionable uses of lifesculpting. The ancient Luethran empire is known to have spanned to the Qi archipelago. The entire race was wiped out by a necromantic plague and while I know of no accounts relating it to M'Riss, this being the possible origin is worth considering.

What exactly did the Dragon Priests do to the Kra'hei? Given what we know of the Dragon Priests extensive use of dark transformative magic it's possible that their research involving the Kra'hei was the origin of this power. The Priests undoubtedly gained something from their study and that they created something very similar in the Adan'f is telling. Another part of their experimentation on the Kra'hei was attempting to control them, which is again paralleled in the story of the Adan'f.

How can they be helped? A problem which I've given much thought to. The simplest, though I do not imply that it actually is simple, would be to find some reconciliation between the Kra'hei as the currently are and their cousins the S'kra. The avenue to a cure for their condition would be much more difficult given the unknown factors and powerful magics at work. Undoubtedly research into both the Dragon Priest's actions and the original Rissan curse would be required before any real progress could be made. To make matters more complicated the Kra'hei remain both hostile and extremely resistant to being studied further.

Closing

It's clear that the Kra'hei represent a complex problem. Social, historical, and magical impediments abound when dealing with them. Yet I remain adamant that none of these are unsolvable. There has been renewed activity among the Dragon Priests and I suspect there are individuals that know more about the Rissan curse. If the reader is similarly motivated I urge you to keep your eyes, ears, and mind open.

From the hand of,
Eyst Pinunorin