FERAL FERALS

History:
The feral are the youngest of the major races of Aabahran. In the year 368,
the aristocracy of Miruvhor executed a massive cleanup of the city. The main
goal of this cleanup was to purge the city of filth, namely the lowest class
of homeless, unemployed, and various other unwanted people in the city. These
people were given an option. They could either be thrown into the Dragon Sea
with the rest of the trash or they could try to make their livelihood in the
Forsaken Lands. While many choose the quicker death by drowning, most of the
soon-to-be refugees opted to be forcibly relocated into the most dangerous
place in Aabahran.
 
After that, history is not very clear. What is clear is that all the non-
humans, along with some humans, died upon the first night. Somehow, the
surviving humans found a way to make a kind of rugged village in the sands.
The village was not meant to last for long. With each passing day, the effects
of the chaos energy inherent in the Forsaken Lands became more and more
apparent upon the humans. They began to physically transform into chaotic,
half-mammal monsters. Losing most of their humanity, they willfully left their
village and vanished into the sands.
 
Months later, rumors of feral wandering the Dragon Teeth Road began to
circulate in the taverns of Miruvhor and Maelbrim. Soon, many people had
spotted feral in the cities and their existence was confirmed. They began to
come from the Forsaken Lands in greater numbers than their original numbers
would have suggested. A second cleanup was ordered; a joint monster-hunting
expedition manned by the Maelbrimese and Miruvhorian armies was quickly formed
and sent out. 
 
It was a slaughter. The mostly human expedition was no match for the demonic
speed and sheer force of fury these new feral brought from the Forsaken Lands.
Even lone feral are incredibly hard to spot and catch, and if cornered, are
more than a match for a handful of ill-equipped regulars. It was only at the
Great Wall of Aabahran, where it was discovered that feral have a weakness to
fire, that the feral were driven back. A line of defense could be manned and
held, but it was impossible to ever take the fight to the feral themselves. It
is in this status quo that the feral find themselves alive in today.
 
Usual Height:
Feral are slightly taller and leaner than humans, but the extra height is lost
due to their heavily curved spine. Even with the extra height, feral weigh
about the same as humans.
 
Hometown:
Maelbrim, Val Miran, Miruvhor
 
Religion:
A few feral feel drawn to the various faiths. Chaos, Discord, Scourge, and
Cycle are the most common. Very rarely, a feral may seek salvation in Nature.
Religiously empowered feral are noted for being extreme zealots, even more
fanatic and aggressive than their counterparts in the other major races.
Having nothing in the way of formal education, the feral are not known to be
skilled at using advanced magic. They do have the intelligence and capability,
but it is rarely developed beyond basic cantrips.
 
Physical Features:
The feral are omnivores with an extremely efficient digestive system, able to
break down bones, plant matter, and other things that most of the other races
would find indigestible. Like most other scavengers, the feral are not very
picky about what they eat, and are very adept at conserving energy, patiently
waiting for the environment to kill their prey. They have been known to be
cannibalistic when forced through desperation. It is not understood how feral
find enough water to sustain their roving colonies. 
 
Humans and feral may not reproduce by normal means. An unusually high
percentage of feral are sterile or barren, but when impregnated, the feral
usually give birth to three or four children at a time after a gestation
period of about seven months. Interestingly, some feral mothers are not able
to produce milk and instead feed their young with their own blood. Child
mortality is very high, with about three-fourths of all feral dying before
being becoming full grown at the age of 12. They are able to reproduce at
about the age of eight. Women generally lose their fertility at around the
age of 30, and any feral over the age of 50 is far into her senior years. 
 
SEE ALSO: HELP FERAL2