Kalithid

The mighty lion centaur Kalithids once roamed the plains. After a century of war against the Caliphate they were pushed first out of their peninsula and then out of the Isthmus. Fearing total extinction, the gathered tribes sued for peace, and the Caliph in his wisdom and mercy, granted it. Today they are starting to expand. The Kalithid’s numbers are growing and they have been rewarded by the princes for their loyalty during the rebellion.

Leonine

The Kalithid are sometimes called lion centaurs, though this is not strictly the case. Their torsos are humanoid, but their heads are distinctly feline with short muzzles, rounded ears, and fanged mouths. Males have a long mane of hair that forms a cloud around their head and trails down their backs, while females have thicker hair similar to the pelt on their lower bodies that extends from their scalps to cover their backs. Coarse hair covers the humanoid torso. The torso ends at a pair of hip like structures where it meets the lower leonine body. This lower body is much like that of a large leonine with four legs that end in clawed paws, and a short tail.

Long Oppressed

For centuries the Kalithid fought against the Caliphate for possession of their ancestral lands. Defeated, they accepted forced removal to a reservation, but even then their suffering did not come to an end. The officials appointed to see to their needs, providing cattle, seed, and goods as part of the treaty, skimmed what they could and embezzled the rest. The result has been centuries of a squalid life properly protected. These changes were continued under the prince’s twin children. When the Twin Princes revolted against the corrupt Caliphate the Kalithid sided with their benefactor’s children, and following the rebellion’s victory were awarded with greater freedom, more land, and improved treaty goods. This has led to two generations of growth and the Kalithid are now more populous than any time since they were defeated.

Wanderers

The Kalithid had long been nomads, following game and their herds of cattle great distances. When they were defeated and confined to a reservation on poor land, these nomadic ways were curtailed. A tradition began where young Kalithid approaching adulthood would travel the reservation, a pale simulacrum of the great migrations their ancestors once enjoyed. With their reservation expanded and their numbers increasing, many youths have left the reservation to see the greater world. Many of these have been dispatched by their elders to find an unclaimed piece of land big enough for the entire race, or if not unclaimed at least easily taken.

Standard Racial Traits

• Ability Score Increase. Your strength score increase by 2 and your Wisdom score increase by 1.
• Age. Kalithid grow slowly, reaching adulthood at around twenty years of age, and can expect to see ninety years before their bodies give out.
• Alignment. Kalithid society is highly structured and based around close family ties between prides and clans. A great deal of ritual has developed to balance interactions between relatives and non-relatives, as well as Kalithids and other races. They also place an emphasis on the common good as opposed to personal power or gain. These two factors combine to form a tendency towards both lawful and good alignments.
• Size. You are 5-6 feet tall and 6-8 feet long. You weigh upwards of 200 lbs. You are medium sized.
• Speed. Your base speed is 35 feet.
• Claws. Your limbs have sharp retractable claws. You may use these claws to make an unarmed attack, inflicting 1d6 + Strength modifier slashing damage. You may make a claw attack as a bonus attack, using either your hands or paws, but if you do so you may not add your Strength modifier to the damage.
• Herders. Your people herd cattle and hunt other wild game. You are proficient with Animal Handling and Survival.
• Keen Senses. You are proficient with the Perception skill.
• Pounce and Maul. As an action, you may leap up to 20 feet laterally and five feet vertically to attack a target. When you do so you may make up to 3 claw attacks, or 2 claw attacks and an attack with a weapon in your hands. Doing so leaves you vulnerable, and all attacks against you until the start of your next turn gain advantage. You may do this once and regain use following a long rest.
• Sprinter. You can move quickly over short distances. As a bonus action you may use the Dash action. You may do this once and regain use of this trait following a short rest.
• Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Kalithid. Kalithid is a language of low growls, mews, and high-pitched vowels. Its written form is relatively new and did not develop until after the Kalithid were forced on to their reservation, and uses the same script as Caliphate.