Skettan (Skaven, Ratfolk)
- Home Plane
- Vitaea
- Category
- Earthborn
- Ancestor Race(s)
- Sylvari-Vitae (True Sylvari)
- Home Region
- Kavzar
- Racial Abilities
- Dexterity, Constitution
- Racial Features
- Keen Smell, Plagueborn, Born Coward, Dexterous Tail, Clanborn, Clan Pestilent, Clan Skryche, Clan Mourden, Clan Shyv, Clan Mars
- Years of Existence
- 40,000 years
- Average Lifespan
- 50 years
- Average Weight
- 125 lbs
- Average Height
- 5 ft
- Skin Tones
- Greys, Whites, Blacks, Browns
- Playable?
- Yes
- Extinct?
- No
- Size Category
- Small
- Speed
- 30
- Movement Types
- Burrowing, Climbing
- Hair
- Furred
- Body Features
- Rat-folk Humanoid
- Divergence Cause
- Great Awakening
- Average Generation
- 10 years
- Vision Type
- Darkvision
- Vision Distance
- 60 ft
- Languages
- Aethyrian Common, Skettish
- Default Upbringing
- Communal: Raised by a village, order, or organization
Short Description
Vast hordes of highly competitive humanoid rat-folk with little care for their mortality who live in a huge network of underground tunnels and are organized into darwinocratic clans where leadership is achieved by eliminating rivalsFull Description
In the dark, labyrinthine underworld beneath the surface, the Skettan carve out their sprawling, chaotic empire. These humanoid rat-folk have a brutal, survival-of-the-fittest society, organized into various clans vying for power, resources, and influence. Skettan live and die by the rule of the strong, often literally, as their leaders achieve their positions through lethal cunning and treachery. Members of this race are marked by a constant sense of paranoia and a keen awareness of the dangers that lurk around every corner, including betrayal from their own kind. However, they generally possess a disregard for the mortality of others.
Physical Characteristics
Skettan are rodent-like in appearance, standing between 4 to 5 feet tall. They have fur ranging from gray to brown, beady eyes that gleam in the dark, and long, pink tails. Their bodies are agile and lean, built for skulking in the shadows and maneuvering through the complex tunnels that make up their subterranean world.
Society and Culture
Skettan society is divided into numerous clans, each with its own focus, be it warfare, alchemy, or even arcane studies. These clans are in a constant state of internal and external conflict. Leadership is determined in a "darwinocratic" fashion: those who can eliminate their rivals either through physical might, subterfuge, or other forms of manipulation rise to the top.
Their vast underground lairs are sprawling, disorderly places, filled with the sounds of chittering voices and the clatter of machinery. Despite their chaotic nature, these warrens are highly functional, supporting the Skettan's ceaseless drive for expansion and conquest.
Broodmothers and Clan Identity
The Skettan population is predominantly male, with each clan featuring only a few broodmothers. These rare, highly-guarded females are the cornerstone of each clan's future, birthing all members of the next generation. Each broodmother belongs to one of the great Skettan clans, and her offspring are considered members of that clan by birthright. The importance of the broodmothers in Skettan society cannot be overstated. They are fiercely protected and often secluded deep within the clan's territory, far away from the reach of rival clans or internal treachery. The presence of a broodmother often serves as a unifying force for the otherwise fractious clan members, reminding them that their survival and future prosperity are inexorably linked to her well-being.
Alignment and Religion
Skettan tend to lean toward chaotic alignments, with the struggle for survival and power overriding any concern for laws or morality. Religious practices among the Skettan often involve dark pacts and appeasements to gods and entities that embody the harsh, ruthless ideals they hold dear.
Adventurers
Adventuring among the Skettan is often a means to an end. Whether seeking new technologies, arcane secrets, or simply proving their worth by besting surface-world foes, Skettan adventurers are pragmatic and ruthless, willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals.