Warning: This is an extremely challenging and dark race to play. Not recommended for new players.
Ghost-pale, life-draining creatures of Chaos who burn in sunlight, the mysterious Muatana-al are whispered of in terror and spoken of only in the dark.
The Muatana-al are one of the most feared and misunderstood races in all of Aradath. They are creatures of the night, sustained by the life force of others, and cursed to burn beneath the sun's rays. Most folk pray they never encounter one, and those who have rarely live to tell the tale.
Background
The origins of the Muatana-al are shrouded in mystery and dark legend. Some scholars claim they were once a noble race cursed by ancient magics; others insist they were created by the Chaos Lords as instruments of terror. Whatever their genesis, the Muatana-al now dwell in the darkest corners of the world—ancient crypts, lightless caves, and the deepest shadows of Muldavia's forests.
They are most strongly associated with the Isle of Muldavia, where they hold dominion over the San Elves and maintain a harsh power structure. The Muatana-al Lord of the Dernath Woods is whispered to have made dark pacts with Dragons and Wyverns alike, offering them sanctuary in exchange for services unknown.
Muatana-al are solitary by nature, coming together only when their dark purposes align. They speak in whispers and move like shadows, leaving only drained corpses and terrified survivors in their wake.
Appearance
Height
6'0" to 7'0"
Build
Tall and gaunt, with unnaturally pale flesh that seems to glow faintly in darkness
Weight
200-400 lbs (deceptively heavy despite their gaunt appearance)
Distinctive Features
Ghost-pale skin with glowing crimson veins visible beneath the surface
Temperament
Cold, calculating, and utterly without mercy. The Muatana-al view other living creatures as little more than vessels of sustenance. They are patient hunters, capable of stalking prey for weeks before striking. Despite their predatory nature, they are not mindless beasts—they are intelligent, sophisticated, and terrifyingly efficient.
Most Muatana-al have long since abandoned any semblance of compassion or empathy. The endless hunger and the curse of sunlight have stripped away much of their former selves, leaving only the predator behind.
Tendencies
Muatana-al are strictly nocturnal, as sunlight causes them excruciating pain and will eventually destroy them. They must feed on the life force of living creatures to survive, making them eternal predators. They prefer to hunt alone, using stealth, deception, and their life-draining abilities to overwhelm victims.
Despite their fearsome reputation, Muatana-al are capable of forming alliances when it serves their purposes. They have been known to work with other Chaos-aligned races, particularly in Muldavia where they hold positions of dark authority.
Traits
Advantages: Life-draining abilities, superior night vision, enhanced strength and agility in darkness, natural stealth, resistance to poison and disease.
Hindrances: Vulnerable to sunlight (will burn and take damage), must feed on life force regularly or weaken, universally feared and hunted, severe social penalties with non-Chaos races.
Abilities: Life drain attacks, ability to see perfectly in total darkness, enhanced regeneration when feeding, natural predatory instincts.
All Muatana-al share the distinctive ghost-pale complexion, but the pattern and color of their visible veins varies:
Skin pale as grave-mist with faint crimson veins glowing like dying embers beneath
Ghost-white flesh with veins pulsing slow, cold blue like frozen blood
Corpse-pale hide with crimson veins forming spiderweb cracks across the chest
Moon-bleached skin with veins glowing soft necrotic green in total darkness
Death-fog white with veins burning faint violet, visible only when feeding
Frost-pale flesh with crimson veins frozen into jagged lightning patterns
Ash-white skin with veins glowing dull red like coals under ash
Perfect grave-pale with no visible veins—the glow comes from within the bones
Life Force and Feeding
The Muatana-al's curse requires them to regularly drain the life force of living creatures. This is not merely a matter of preference—it is survival. A Muatana-al who does not feed will grow progressively weaker, losing strength, vitality, and eventually their sanity before finally perishing.
The act of feeding is both intimate and terrible. The Muatana-al must make physical contact with their victim, and the life force flows from prey to predator, leaving the victim weakened, aged, or—if the Muatana-al feeds fully—a desiccated corpse.
Most Muatana-al feel no guilt about this necessity. It is simply the way of their existence, no different than a Leuian hunting prey in the wild.
The Sunlight Curse
Sunlight is anathema to the Muatana-al. Even brief exposure causes searing pain, burning their pale flesh like acid. Prolonged exposure will kill them. For this reason, Muatana-al are strictly creatures of the night, emerging only after sunset and retreating to their dark sanctuaries before dawn.
This curse has shaped every aspect of Muatana-al society. Their homes are lightless tombs, their gathering places are deep underground or in the thickest forests where no sunlight penetrates, and their very culture revolves around the eternal cycle of night and day.
Cultural Notes
Muldavia: The Isle of Muldavia is the closest thing the Muatana-al have to a homeland. Here they rule over the San Elves with an iron fist, maintaining a brutal hierarchy where might and cunning determine one's place.
The Dernath Woods: The Muatana-al Lord of the Dernath Woods is a figure of legend and terror, said to have made pacts with Dragons and Wyverns. Few know the details of these agreements, but the fact that such powerful creatures would negotiate with a Muatana-al speaks to their formidable nature.
Relations with Other Races: Most races fear and despise the Muatana-al. Only other Chaos-aligned creatures will deal with them openly, and even then, cautiously. The Muatana-al are pragmatic about this—they neither seek nor desire acceptance from those they view as prey.
Role-Play Considerations
This is an extremely dark and challenging race—ensure your RP respects other players
You are a predator, but you are also intelligent and sophisticated
The hunger is constant, but you can control how you satisfy it
Sunlight is your eternal enemy—plan every action around this constraint
You are feared and hunted—expect consequences for revealing your nature
Consider the psychological cost of your curse—are you still "human" inside?
Your alliances will be tenuous and based on mutual benefit, not trust
Remember: you are playing a monster, but that doesn't mean you must be monstrous in every interaction
