Maenad

Posted by EarthDragon on 22nd August 2015.

Maenadi are a race rumoured to be wildly emotional, but perceived as extremely reserved by those who encounter them. In fact, both rumour and perception are true: Maenadi have developed strict self-control as a means of holding their intense emotional turmoil at bay. On the rare occasion when a maenad loses their control, a flood of emotions rises to the surface, often to be released in acts of stunning bravery or violence. Maenads have a strong martial bent, useful for venting the passions they keep bottled up. Maenadi know not the source of their spiritual anger, but legend has it that they were terribly wronged by a higher power in some distant time. No tales remain of the specifics of such an injustice, at least, not within The Unification.

   Personality

Maenadi seem discreet and calm, even restrained and undemonstrative, unwilling to use a sentence where a word will do, and happier with a gesture if words can be dispensed with altogether. Their apparent calm is at odds with their more fiery reputation. However, in order to maintain a life in civilised lands and even (or especially) among themselves, maenadi must practice a discipline of mental calm, lest the furies of their racial memory break forth. They are slow to make friends for this reason, but come to regard as family those that understand and accept them despite their occasional lapses.

   Physical Description

Maenadi are tall and have a wiry strength, standing about 5½ to 6½ feet tall and typically weighing 145 to 220 pounds. Maenad men are the same height as, and only marginally heavier than, maenad women. Maenadi have no facial or body hair, but usually wear the dark hair on their heads long and braided. Their skin is dusted with a peculiar sparkle, as of gem dust, giving them a striking lustre in the right light. This sparkle is a natural component of their skin, which is flecked with tiny living crystals. Maenadi possess grace and fine features. They prefer heavier clothes, and armour, if possible, and they are not affected by the desert heat as much as other races when wearing such attire, even in full sun. A maenad typically achieves adulthood at about 25 years of age, and can live to be over 150 years old.

   Relations

Maenadi are most comfortable with humans (though the humans of The Unification rarely trust them, especially the Citizens), finding that race’s various temperaments not too dissimilar to their own. They respect the Lo’menni ability to focus closely on a task and their ability to hold a grudge with equal dedication. Maenadi are particularly taken with the various elven races, their general lightness of spirit (depending on the breed, of course) being a balm to the maenad’s soul.

   Alignment

Maenadi know that self-control is their best method of living a fulfilling life. Thus they lean strongly toward law. Generally, they value and protect others’ self-control as well as their own, and so are more often good than not.

   Maenad Racial Traits