Prodigal Sun
ethn_chiropteran, bat-beastman, blood bat, fangs, long tongue, wing-arms, feet-talons, large ears, aztec influence
THE BLOOD BATS The jungles of the Southeast hold a rare chiropteran breed that drinks blood. They find human blood just as palatable as the blood of domestic or wild animals. Fortu- nately, these blood-drinkers almost never go outside of these jungles. The largest tribe of blood-drinking chiropterans lives in a large tainted land 300 miles northeast of the ruined city of Rathess. Here, in a dense and occasionally animate jungle, several thousand of these beastmen rule over more than 10,000 human slaves who serve as both their laborers and their blood supply. The chiropterans avoid killing the humans they feed from, but make certain to drain unruly and rebellious subjects enough to leave them perpetually weak and anemic. The priests of the blood bats are skilled shamans with enlightened Essence. They regularly deal with powerful elementals. Because of ancient breeding experiments by their Lunar creator, blood bats occasionally Exalt as Air-, Fire-, or Wood-aspected Terrestrial Exalted. Such Dragon-Blooded bat-folk form their ruling council. These long-lived priest kings feel the same contempt for ordinary Dragon-Blooded as they show for all humans and regard their blood as a particularly potent and heady meal. Based on distorted legends of the ancient Dragon Kings, these blood bats worship a debased version of the Unconquered Sun. Their legends say that if the Sun’s hunger for human blood is not sated near the end of every day, the Sun might never set and its heat will burn Creation to a lifeless cinder. The blood bats force their slaves to raise huge stone pyramids as temples to the Ever-Hungry Sun. Here, every afternoon, the priests of the blood bats sacrifice one human captive and offer his blood to the Sun. Blood bat war parties regularly fly out in search of humans to capture. They sometimes hunt in Rathess, since the ruins often contain many well-nourished mortals filled with especially rich blood. If the priests fail to obtain sufficient captives for the sacrifices, the priests sacrifice one of their human slaves. To prevent this from occurring, slaves often work with blood bat hunting parties by making duplicitous appeals for aid from travelers they encounter and then leading their would-be saviors into the waiting arms of the blood bats. BLOOD BAT WAR PARTY Description: This band of warriors serves one of the priest-lords. The war party consists of a medium-sized team of flying blood bat warriors wearing leather breastplates (equal in protection to chain shirts), and armed with short swords, short spears and javelins. They think of ordinary humans as food and hunt them for sport. Commanding Officer: Klast Swiftwing, an Emerald Dragon blood bat Armor Color: Crimson leather breastplates Motto: “Blood for the Sun!” General Makeup: 50 flying light infantry with javelins and short spears, supported by 20 slingers and 10 archers. Overall Quality: Excellent Magnitude: 3 Drill: 2 Close Combat Attack: 2 Close Combat Damage: 3 Ranged Attack: 3 Ranged Attack Damage: 2 Endurance: 5 Might: 2 Armor: 1 Morale: 3 Special Characters: Klast Swiftwing, a Dragon-Blooded blood bat who is also one of the rulers of the blood bats. Formation: When not out raiding, the troops are quartered in the bloodstained Temple of the Ever-Hungry Sun in the blood bat’s city. They fight in skirmishing formation.