“We are the People.

As fire, we dance.
As water, we flow.
As wind, we fly.
As earth, we endure.
We are the People.
We are the First.”
Traditional Arak Chant
RACIAL TRAITS
Average Height: 5’4 - 6’2
Average Weight: 125-200 lbs.

Ability Scores: +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom

Size: Medium
Speed: 7 squares
Vision: Low-light

Languages: Common, Arak

Skill Bonuses: +2 Nature, +2 Perception, +2 Stealth
Arak Quickness: You gain a +1 Racial Bonus to your Reflex
defense.
Furious Hunter: Once per round, when you have combat advan-
tage against an enemy and are using a weapon that you are profi-
cient with, an attack you make against that enemy deals an extra 1
[W] damage if it is a weapon or 1d8 if it isn’t.
Poverty: Because of your relative poverty, you cannot start with
metal armor or shields of any kind, regardless of class.
In the language of the Arak, the word “arak” means
“the First.” This is the source of their pride, their noble
carriage and their isolation.
According to the other races of the world, the
Arak are little more than blue-skinned barbarians who
live in the outskirts of the world. If during a conversation

1
with an Arak you were to call him a barbarian, he would practiced grace and have excellent balance.
probably snort and mutter, “What do you know? You are
They tend to wear leathers or simple
but a simple T’endrak.” Unless you spoke Araki, the fact
loincloths for clothing and warriors and clan shamans
that you had just been given the worst insult that one of the
always drape themselves in the skins of their clan
Arak can utter would be lost on you. If you did speak it,
animal. (In the case of the Dragon clan, how they
you’d know that he had just called you “a Second.”
get their skins is a mystery known only to them and
That is the core of the Arak worldview.You are perhaps the clan elders of the other clans.) Women
either one of the Arak, or you are just a Second…simple, sometimes wear a shift or a halter, but sometimes not.
foolish and one of the lost. Warriors, chiefs and women rarely wear any jewelry,
save for the most special of occasions. Shamans,
Play an Arak if you want . . .
however, always have pendants, teeth, fetishes; bits of
• to be a member of a race proud of your ancient
carved bone - the usual tools of the trade.
heritage.
• to be tough and wise.
• to strike your enemies with the skill of the expert RELATIONS
hunter.
The Arak keep to themselves and rarely interact with
• to be a member of a race that favors the barbarian,
the rest of the races of the world. However, they have
ranger, shaman and warden classes.
some limited trade with peaceful societies, regardless
of race. Merchants will occasionally be allowed into
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS Arak lands, but only under heavy escort and only
for a limited time. Generally, no priests or religious
All Arak have blue skin, black hair and reddish colored eyes,
evangelists of any kind are allowed into Arak territory,
with almost no variation among them. Most wear their hair
while Gadianti are hunted and killed whenever they are
long and warriors wear a single long braid with bands of
found.
color that signify the battles they have won. Women, if they
do not wear their hair long and loose, will wear two braids
and if married, will wear the same bands as their warrior ARAK LANDS
husband, but only in the right braid. If their husband is
Most of the clans live on the broad, grassy steppes
killed, the bands are then transferred to the left braid.
of northwest Diomin. The Dragon clan lives in the
Arak stand between 5’4” and 6’2”, with males mountains and the Bear clan lives near the sea. Most
tending toward the higher end. Due to a lean diet, they places in Arak territory have mild summers and cold
usually weigh less than humans of the same height.You will but not harsh winters, save for the Dragon clan, given
see few bulky Arak…even the strongest men in the clan the altitude of their main city and the Wolf clan, who
tend to be thin and wiry rather than bulky. They move with winter on the shore.

2
RELIGION After the age of nine, there is a coming of age
ritual. Boys who pass through the ritual are referred
on the cult with a group of friends and nearly lost
his life. When he regained conciousness, he found
All religious life focuses on the reverence of a diety to as a son of their father. Girls retain their mother’s himself the only survior of his adventuring group and
known as the One. An important aspect of this is the name, but they change the ‘sera’ to “seri”: now harbors a hatred that can only be asuaged when
pantheistic thread which winds through Arak religious that foul goddess is brought to divine justice.
Zah’ven ser’Se’vel’tavaum would translate as
belief. They believe all things have essence of the One Winter-son, son of Se’vel’tavaum, while Alin’zabam Se’veli’tavaum is an Arak rogue who could
and because of this, all things are sacred. There is as seri’Zeleni would translate as Dew-of-the-Morning, no longer suffer his people’s primitive ways. He
much reverence given to building a stone wall as to traveled the world for years, finding adventure and
daughter of Zele’ni.
a marriage ceremony. All things in Arak life draw coin wherever he could. When he returned home a
strength from their belief of the One and the reverence During marriage, a woman will traditionally few years ago, he found his brother was exiled for
for the One’s creation. They view themselves as the join the pride of her husband and will add the matri- workshipping The Silent Maw. He is now searching
Custodians of Diomin and as such, are very serious arch of the pride’s name to her own; Alin’zabam the world for his wayward brother with the hope
folks. seri’Zeleni ser’Zezhe’syvin’faltzin - Dew-of-the- that one day he will admit his mistake and come
Morning, daughter ofZele’ni, wife in the pride of home.
NAMES Fluffy-bunny-feet.
Alin’zabam was always taller than all the
Because of the complex naming structure, boys and could beat them all at ‘tal, an Arak ball
All Arak names relate to some sort of event or quality.
Since the Arak language is not fully detailed within children are required to learn the family trees of game similar to soccer. Her mother tried to stop her
this worldbook, DMs and players should feel free to their clan, leading back as far as the oral history can from playing, but Seri’ulk ‘savin really didn’t care.
be creative. Watch for full linguistic details in the reach. As she grew older, the boys stopped allowing her to
upcoming Arak Sourcebook. Male and female names play with them and instead would ridicule her. She
are similar in this way. ADVENTURERS still didn’t care, but someone else did and one night
he and his friends showed her their anger. Battered
Name: Translation: Most of the time, Arak do not adventure. However, and broken, she quietly left before anyone found
Zah’ven Winter-son on occasion an Arak will feel that he is called to her. If it hadn’t been for Seri’veli’prathlem (“She who
Alin’zabam Dew-of-the-morning venture forth. Common reasons can be a quest, walks backwards”), she would not have survived the
Se’veli’tavaum He-who-walks-in-Shadow being exiled, rebellion against the social order within season. Seri’veli’prathlem taught her to survive both
Ser’veli’laum She-of-the-rain Arak society, revenge or Holy War. Like the Native in the wilderness as well as in the clans. She taught
Mat’zejin Eater-of-dust Americans during the mid-1800’s, they are a fairly her to pass herself off as a warrior. Now she’s tough,
Zezhe’syvin’faltzin Fluffy-bunny-feet insular society. toughter than any man she’s ever come across. It
doesn’t endear her with the men, but then again,
A word about surnames: Three sample Arak adventurers are described she really doesn’t care. After being attacked by the
below. young men of her original pride, she’s become very
Children under the age of nine are referred to as a son
of or daughter of their mother, as such: Zah’ven is an Arak fighter who was exiled aware of her surroundings. Even though she is ever
by his people for falling in love with a chieftan’s watchful, she is a boisterous person who enjoys life.
Zah’ven ser’Zele’ni would translate as Winter-son, son daughter and now makes his home at the Tirasim She feels equally comfortable drinking the local men
of Zele’ni, while Alin’zabam sera’Zeleni would translate as Outpost in Qether. After discovering a group of under the table as she does spitting in the face of her
Dew-of-the-Morning, daughter of Zele’ni. cultists dedicated to The Shadow Above, he took current enemy.

3
 HISTORY Kensin then called for all of the the clans to
gather at Tez’riin, the Sacred Mountain. Kensin stood
The only race that cannot in some way draw
lineage from the Arak are the Hearthom, or dwarves
At the dawn of time, before the common gods were before the gathering and abjured the shaman of the as they are more commonly known. The origins of
worshipped, there stood One above all others. He Jaguar clan to renounce the Jackal and his ways. The the dwarves are a mystery, even to the shamans of
has no other name, just the One and He can be Jaguar shaman refused. Kensin and the others then the Arak.
found in all things, from the smallest insect, to the released the curse that they had prepared during
largest creature in the multiverse. All are part of the
One and in these modern times, only the Arak seem
Shen’dra’ken. Kensin took the Jaguar shaman’s name
and stripped it from him. He pronounced the Jaguar
SOCIETY AND CULTURE
to worship Him. clan dead and cast out those who followed the first Today, Arak society is divided into five major clans:
son of the Tiger clan. Finally, he marked them all by the Bear, the Wolf, the Dragon, the Serpent and
When the One created the world, He
drawing the blue from their skins and the red from the Stag. There are several minor clans who, for the
created a race of people to tend to it. These were the
their eyes, that they may be known as the T’endrak… most part, are allied with the larger clans. The one
Arak, or the First in their language. They were given
the Second People. The Second People were force exception to this rule is the people of the Tiger clan,
the entire world to tend, hunt and live upon. They
were faithful and did their duty. Thus it was for thou- marched far from the centers of Arak land and cast who still bear the stigma and shame of having their
sands of years until Cedron the Jackal, of whom The out. Then Kensin and the other shamans were put to first son (the next chief, should the current chief die)
Shadow Above is but an Aspect, came. The Jackal death for acting without the sanction of the chiefs of take the Fallen Path long ago. They are nomads who
brought change and change is rarely a good thing. their clan. live alone and are shunned by the other clans.

The Jackal brought to the Arak the Fallen Since then, the name of Kensin has been Within the clans are prides, individual
Path, a way of thinking alien to the clans and at both revered and cursed. The Arak have kept their families that make up the clan. The pride is
odds with the One. At first the Clan Shamans stood ways and their faith in the One and they watch the traditionally named for the senior female in the
strong against him, but the Jackal waited while his T’endrak warily, knowing that their taint is seductive. family, since all children can be traced to her.
lover, the Adder, sought to bring the Spirit World However, it is the pride mother’s mate (or in some
The T’endrak evolved over the years. The
into her embrace. After a time, one of the shamans cases, father or brother) who runs the affairs of the
remaining members of the Jaguar and Tiger clans fled
allowed himself to be corrupted by the Jackal and he pride, while the mother sees to the stability and
south and remained the Jackal’s children. The Jackal’s
swayed the chieftain of the Jaguar clan and the first solidity of the pride.
servant, the Bat, twisted their form, melding them
son of the Tiger Clan. Like a mold, a sickness, the
with their clan totems. They took a new name: the It is the pride mothers who, with the
Fallen Path was embraced and the seeds of conflict
Gadianti. The fallen members of the Dragon clan, clan shaman, name the first son, the young man
were sown between the clans.
who so foolishly turned against their own, traveled who will become the next chief. The chief is the
At that time, the shaman of the Dragon to the furthest end of Diomin and founded cities - lawgiver of the clan and is the one who leads in all
clan was a man called Kensin. As the Fallen Path forgetting their tribal roots. Over time, they became matters. If, after seven years, the chief is proven to
began to spread, he was given a vision by the One the Zeredites and from them other human nations be incompetent, cursed, or not working in the clan’s
and saw how the clans would be split by the Jackal’s have formed. Two lesser clans, the Dolphin and the best interest, the pride mothers and the shaman can
treachery. War was coming, so, in secret, he Turtle, fled east in boats and settled a wild land, (if unanimous in their decision) name a new first son
contacted the shamans of the other faithful clans to taking upon themselves the name of the Gnolaum, and demand that the current chief meet the first son
form the first and thus far only, Shen’dra’ken, or Spirit which means eternal in their language. Today, they in single combat. The One will choose the victor and
Circle. are commonly known as the Fey. thus, the future of the clan.

4
 The Arak capital “cities” are found in the There is definite segregation of clan duties be called Coldwind (or Thalin’serah in Araki). The
territories of each clan, although they hardly qualify along gender lines. Men are the warriors, the child will bear this name until his or her ninth name
as cities, per se, as each are only slightly larger than hunters, the chiefs and the shamans. The women have day (nine years not from the child’s birth, but from
villages and most of the clan live outside the village the far more important role…seeing to the stability the day the child was named by the shaman).
boundaries in loosely knit familial gatherings. and health of the tribe. They are the mothers,
the herbal healers and the tenders of the hearth. There are times when, if a name is not
Gilgal - Tribal area of the Wolf clan revealed or the child is sickly, malformed, or is the
According to clan law women may never become
Addan - Tribal area of the Serpent clan warriors, chiefs, hunters or shamans. However, product of union with one of the T’endrak, no name
there is a legend of the Sisterhood of the Spider…a will be given to the child. This is a shame to both
Cashal - Tribal area of the Bear clan the parents and the child and most parents will leave
secret inter-clan society that takes in those women
Asshur - Tribal area of the Dragon clan who wish to take on one of the male roles. It is, such children to die in the wilderness.
of course, strictly forbidden and members who are On the child’s ninth name day, one of three
Elam - Tribal area of the Stag clan
found are cast out and stripped of their name. No things will happen. If the child is male, he will be
one talks about it and indeed, it taken from the care of the women of the tribe by
might just be legend - but then the shaman at dawn and from there taken into the
again, it may not. wilderness for a nine-day vigil. During the first
three days, the shaman will enact rites and rituals,
COMING OF trying to determine if the boy has the talent to
AGE IN ARAK become a shaman. If this succeeds, the shaman
returns to the clan with an apprentice. If this fails,
SOCIETY the second three days will be spent performing
rites and rituals to see if the boy is prepared to
When a child is born, it is the become one of the men of the clan, with all the
custom for the tribal shaman to rights and responsibilities which that entails. If
go into the wilderness for three this is successful, the shaman will light a fire using
days to meditate, asking the specific herbs and plants that produce a white smoke.
One to reveal to him the name This is a signal to the men of the clan to gather at
the child will bear for their first the clan’s traditional place for the Rite of Passage
years. Commonly, this will ceremonies. At the end of these ceremonies and
be revealed to the shaman by trials, the boy will be given his man-name, casting his
something appearing significant, birth name from him, like a man who has outgrown
like the rain upon on a leaf, or his childhood toys. If the rituals of the second three
a walking bear, or a cold wind days fail, the boy’s birth name and clan totem will
on a warm day. Most children’s be stripped from him and the shaman will spend the
names are compound words. If next three days hunting the boy. If the boy survives,
the shaman found a cold wind he will be given a choice. He can remain within the
on a warm day, the child might clan as one of the muil’sen, which roughly translates

5
to Mother’s boy, or he can make his way into the
world as one of those most rare Arak, one of the
the clan. On the second night, things turn darker,
as the women of the clan psychologically assault
Heroic Tier Feats
Feats in this section are available to Arak characters of
Clanless. If the boy chooses to be muil’sen, he will the girl, attacking everything from her looks to her any level, as long as they meet the prerequisites.
serve the women of the tribe in their daily duties carriage in an effort to reduce her pride to a heap
and will answer to the clan or pride’s chief’s wife, of rubble. On the third night, psychically battered Primal Blessing [Arak]
called the muil’arak. and broken, the girl is gathered by the women of the Prerequisite: Arak
clan who perform a most sacred ritual…the healing Benefit:You gain a +1 feat bonus to your Reflex
For girls, the rituals are even more intense.
circle. They will pour all of their love, hopes, wishes, defense, and a +2 bonus to saving throws against
To most T’endrak, Arak society appears to be
dreams and strength into the girl and at the end, primal effects.
patriarchal, where the women have a subservient
they will present her to the One with a new name,
role to the men. Say this to an Arak woman and
her woman-name and she will be born anew into the
she will likely smile a secret smile and allow you
clan.
Primal Hunter [Arak]
to think just that. Appearances can be deceiving. Prerequisite: Arak
Using the Holy Words (which each shaman must Benefit: When you wield an axe, bow, or spear, its
memorize and recite) on holy days, a title is weapon damage die increases by 1 die type.
given by the One to the women of the Arak. It is
eden’raetan and it translates to Heart of the Tribe. Primal Survivor [Arak]
This is why the ritual for the girls is so much Prerequisite: Arak
more intensive…it falls to them to keep the tribe Benefit: When you are bloodied, you gain a +2
growing, healthy and stable in day-to-day living. bonus to saving throws.
Hunters come can go, they are expendable, but
only eden’raetan may create life,and thus bring
strength to the clan.
Paragon Tier Feats
An Arak character must be at least 11th level to select
Whereas a boy’s rite of passage begins at any of the feats in the following section.
dawn on his name day, a girl’s begins at the rising
of the full moon before her ninth name day. The Primal Heritage [Arak]
shaman will come to her and take her to a secret Prerequisite: Arak
place known only to the women of the tribe. Benefit:You gain resist 5 primal and a +2 feat
There, for the next three days, the mothers of the bonus to saving throws against primal effects.
clan will enact rituals and impart knowledge to
the girl. On the first night, her birth name will be
taken from her and for those three days she will Primal Killer [Arak]
exist in a place between life and death, a place Prerequisite: Arak
that is a bridge between the worlds. There, she Benefit: When a bloodied foe grants combat
will be taught, through words and visions, the advantage to you, you gain a 1d6 bonus to the
history of the tribe and the duties that she will be damage roll.
expected to know when she becomes a woman of

6
 Credits
Design: R. Hyrum Savage and Christopher T. Miller
Editing: Carlos Paradinha, Jr.
Typesetting: R. Hyrum Savage
Art: Derek Stevens
Special Thanks: Annie Savage, Stan! and Chad
Cunningham

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Gods of the Shroud material is ©2008 One Bad Egg,

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©2009 R. Hyrum Savage

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