BLACK DRAGON STUDIOS
Shikelf
General Information
Shikelven Biology
Medium sized humanoid averaging five to six feet in height with greenish, forest colored scales covering most of their body. They feature elven like build, slender with pointed ears. Though they are humanoid and a breed of elves, they have more in common with felines than humans. The layout of most of their scales is the same for both males and females. Most of the scales are medium to small sized depending on how flexible the area has to be for movement. They have a large scale, which covers almost the entire back of their hands. This scale can be very dangerous when they backhand someone. They have a set of six large scales covering their lower arms. These scales are as long as their lower arms and can be used to block or deflect bladed (non magical) weapons. They have similar scales covering their lower legs. Large scales over their shoulder blades and slightly smaller scales covering their spine running down their back in a strait row. Covering their shoulders, knees and elbows are scales, which are like football pads. The males have a pair of huge scales covering their breasts while the females have no scales on their breasts. All of their scales are greenish, forest colored. They do not have facial hair. Their hair is usually black, brown, or forest green. Shikelves fancy tight, close fitting clothes that allow them to move and will not get cot on things such as branches or thorns. The dominant colors for their outfits are shades greens and browns to match the forest.
Nervous System
Shikelves have more in common with felines than with any other race. Their nervous system is more sensitive than the human nervous system able to move information at much greater speeds. All five of the basic senses are heightened with the addition of a sixth sense. Their sixth sense utilizes small nerves just under their scales which allow them to sense electrical currents in the air. This gives them a subconscious feeling of the electromagnetic fields in the area around them. This also gives them a heightened weather sense as they are able to feel electrical charges in the air increasing with the approach of a storm.
Shikelves have a greater hearing range than humans, able to hear a wider range of frequencies as well as hear long distances and low sounds. The Shikelven audio frequency is between 10 and 50,000 Hertz.
Their eyes are keen with more visual receptors in a single eye than humans. They can see just as well in moonlight as they can during the day. Their vision is just as keen under starlight, though they may not see as well. They still see better on a moonless night than humans do at night.
Shikelves sense of smell, taste and touch are also heightened. They are able to feel the air about them and its movements. Under normal conditions their scales are loose allowing air to freely flow around their scales and reach the skin below. Dew to the heightened nervous system, in part, Shikelves have very quick reactions and equally fast reflexes. Their brains and minds are complex; they are constantly processing information, making them exceptionally alert. Their bodies and nervous system are equipped with an array of automatic defenses and reactions to hostile or dangerous conditions. This allows a Shikelf to react to dangerous situations or conditions almost without conscious thought.
Physical Attributes
Shikelven bodies are built to take punishment while being as light as possible. Their muscular system are more complex than a Human muscular system with more muscle fibers and denser muscles than human muscles. This helps facilitate their quick reflexes as well as their precise control of almost every muscle. A Shikelf is almost twice as strong in any given muscle as a human of equal size and development. Their leg muscles are incredibly powerful, with great stamina allowing a shikelf to run at great speeds and for long periods of time. The fastest recorded land speed of a Shikelf was 80.4 kilometers per hour. They are able to jump up to 3 times their body height in any direction in an instant. They are able to cover almost 5 times their body height in a running jump.
Their bones are dense, not easily broken, yet hollow like a bird bones. They have more bones in their bodies than humans do. Notably, they have a single bone at the ends of their jaw connecting them together. They have 3 bones in their lower arms and legs. They have cross bracing bones in their ribs.
Their scales form a layer of natural armor above the skin. They are very hard and resistant to damage. The scales covering the lower arms, lower legs, chest and the back of the hands are particularly thick and sturdy. Shikelven scales are even resilient against most common blades. They often use the scales covering the lower arms as shields, the scales covering the back of the hands as weapons. Their scales are made up of 2 layers connected to muscles on the skin. The top layer of the scale is one of the greatest electrical conductors ever found while the lower layers is an insulator. Under normal conditions the scales sit loose on the skin allowing the Shikelf to move freely without hindering any movement. When hazardous conditions are sensed the muscles attached to the skin tense causing the scales to close over the skin tightly. The most common case of this is during electrical strikes, where the tightness of the scales allow electricity to freely flow over the scales but not through the body.
Shikelves have a number of additional physical features. They have prehensile toes, meaning they are able to grip materials with their feet. This is done in part dew to an additional joint between their toes and their ankle. They have as much control and dexterity in their feet as they do of their hands. Their toes are also equipped with retractable cat-like claws. Their fingers are also equipped with these claws. Their claws are of sufficient hardness and strength to dig into stone allowing Shikelves to climb the shear cliffs bordering the forests they live. By nature, Shikelves are a tree dwelling race. The hardness of their claws stems from their biological connections to Shikarins and the amount of time they do spend in the mountains.
Chemical and Digestive Systems
The Shikelven immune system is quite efficient along with their bodily filtration systems making them very resilient against biological contaminants and poisons. Their digestive system is very powerful allowing them to metabolize most animal and plant proteins and destroy most forms of bacteria and contaminates which may be ingested in their diets.
Shikelven biology is a bit strange in that their hyperactive metabolism requires a certain amount of animal proteins in their diet. Without this their system begins to break down and fail. For this reason there are no Shikelven vegetarians. A Shikelf can go up to 3 weeks without any meat before they begin to feel the effects which would have similar symptoms to mal-nutrition. Their bodies also use a certain amount of salt in their systems, though it is not completely clear what the salt is used for. Their digestive system is equipped to process salt found in liquids and their foods. It is believed this is in part dew to the large quantity of salt found in the mountains and the water system of the continent where they developed. Shikelves regularly drink salt-water in their normal diets. Fresh water tastes bland and unappealing to Shikelven taste buds.
Shikelven Psychology
Shikelves are and outgoing yet violent race. Unlike their cousins they do not outwardly show their violent natures, keeping their inner beats under tight control. They are quick to laugh and slow to hold grudges. They live life to the fullest. Shikelves are always watchful, their eyes always moving looking for the next attack, identifying every escape rout and every possible approach. They are light sleepers preferring to sleep in the trees and off the ground.
Relations: Shikelves don't get along, nor do they not, not get along with other races. They have no set opinions about any race save one; Vinorins. Several times in the past vinorins have tried to invade the Shikara continent and every time it was the Shikarins and the Shikelves who fended them off. This has naturally tainted Shikelves views of vinorins.
Names: Shikelven names are usually hard sounding starting with a K, V, T, or D and having the "SH" sound somewhere in the name. All shikelven names are spelled as they sound and there are no silent letters in shikelven names as the shikarin alphabet as no silent letters.
Adventurers: Shikelves do adventure from their homes but they almost never leave their native land of Shikara. Shikelves have never developed much technology much less anything to leave the Shikara continent such as boats. Since better contact with other races and the establishment of 2 human shipping villages on the beaches of Shikara some shikelves have ventured to other lands booking passage on human shipping boats.
Basics and Instincts
Shikelves are a forest, tree dwelling race by nature having evolved in the dangerous forests of the Shiklesh continent. As such, they are well adapted to living and moving effortlessly and silently through a forest. They instinctively know how and where to place their hands, feet and body when in a forest. Because of this a Shikelf is able to effectively disappear once in a forest as a moments notice. Even when not trying to hide, they instinctively move silently which can unnerve people around them who are not use to their silence. They are so intone to the rhythms, sounds and feel of a forest, they are apart of it, apart of the nature of the forest, a predator who belongs there just as much as any other predator in the woods.
Instincts combined with claws and strong bodies help to make Shikelves natural born climbers, weather they are climbing a tree, a cliff face or the sides of buildings. They are also exceptional jumpers having the feline’s ability to judge distance and grace in the air though they do not have a tail. Shikelves are also known to land on their feet given enough time to correct themselves in a fall. Relying on all six of their basic senses along with a strong sense of balance they are constantly aware of their body’s position and movement at all times. Shikelves do not like falling, unless it is intentional. If near a wall they will instinctively attempt to impale their claws into the wall to arrest their fall. Even if sleeping above the ground, if they begin to fall off the object they are sleeping in their brains and nervous system will react to grab the object they are sleeping on before they fall clear of it. This happens in an instant before they fully regain consciousness.
Most Powerful and Ancient Instincts
Deshclovel (Demon rage)
Shikelves have an inner beast just like shikarins within them. This beast is the cause of shikelf's inherent violentness, but it also provides them with the strength to live in the land of Shikara. Shikelves normally have strict control of their inner beast and have it locked up. When a shikelf rages a little bit of this beast is allowed to escape boosting the shikelf's strength and fighting ability at the same time causing their violent natures to run out of control.
Rage is caused when a shikelf gets extremely mad (eye glowing deep red) and even then there is only a 25% chance of raging. A shikelf can trigger rage, but this is extremely difficult. First they must be mad at something. This cannot a trifle little thing, it must be something the character would really get mad at. The shikelf then concentrates to increase his anger (Their eyes will glow more and more red if successful). This takes several seconds. He must make a successful willpower check. Rage can only be force triggered for the defense of another.
Things that will inherently make a shikelf mad;
* The harming of children (Must be neutral or good alignments)
* The harming of a loved one or close friend.
Effects of Raging (This is Temp);
* Their strength and constitution are increated.
* Their dexterity is doubled.
* There eyes stop glowing. The edge of the colored area of their eyes turns blood red and the color turns to white. The shikarin gets a meaner look and aura bout him. While raging the shikarin or shikarin elf can only focus on killing and the next target. They cannot use any skills or abilities that require patience and or concentration, such as moving silently or casting spells.
* An enforced rage lasts for several Minutes after which the Shikelf is out cold for 8 hours. If the rage was not triggered by the character, but was brought on by a serious event (see chart below) then the rage lasts until the elf's anger or Key Target is resolved. If it was triggered by a person killing another person and is based on revenge, then the rage will not end until one of 3 things happen; 1, The person the elf thought killed shows up alive. 2, The Key Target is killed. Or 3, the elf is killed.
Percent to Rage Chart
Incident Modifier Percent
Wife, strong love, murdered. Marriage of convenience does not count. +50%
Wife to be, strong love, murdered. +45%
Family brutally wiped out in a day. +40%
Home Village wiped out. +35%
Close sibling murdered. +30%
Mother or father murdered. +20%
Girl friend murdered. +15%
Best friend or soul brother/sister murdered. +10%
Young child murdered in cold blood for the fun of it. +5%
In all cases the one who ordered the murder at the top
of the command chain is the Key Target.
Dragnophobia
Hidden deep within their being, Shikelves have a deep and powerful instinctive fear of dragons. This is a survival instinct that ALL Shikelves have. To a dragon, shikelf is a delicacy and dragons constantly hunt and look for Shikelves who have left themselves vulnerable to attack.
If a shikelf perceives a threat of a dragon (visually or verbally) they must concentrate their willpower on not succumbing to the fear or go into a split second panic fleeing the source of the threat.
If a shikelf smells a dragon, it is harder to not succumb to the fear, if they succumb their instinct will kick in and the elf will refuse to go any further toward the source of the smell. If they succeed then they can keep moving on but they will be very nervous, their senses become even more heightened.
If a shikelf runs into a sleeping dragon they will instantly stop in their tracks and be as silent and still as possible. If the Shikelf fails to overcome the fear they will instinctively execute a slow and silent retreat from the dragon. If the dragon wakes up, they will instantly panic vanishing from the scene as fast, as silently as possible without being seen by any one in the area. This may occur though a rapid retreat from the area or the Shikelf hiding someplace nearby. In either case, to most people, the shikelf would appear to be suddenly gone.
Fear of Absolute Darkness
Shikelves have a problem in complete absolute darkness, they brains are not able to function normally. If they do not perceive some kind of ambient light they will freak out and try to escape the "Unnatural" darkness. They loss all self control and will not stop trying to escape until they reach light or loss consciousness. A Shikelf in this state is extremely violent, unpredictable and almost unstoppable. This of course makes them very dangerous. There is no reasoning with a shikelf in this state as their conscious mind has retreated within themselves and they are running on pure instinct.
For this reason, any Shikelf traveling aboard spacecraft, or entering an area where artificial light sources are the only source of light in the area wear a small button which is constantly emitting a faint light which is not perceivable to human eyes. Even Shikelves are unable to see the emitted light under normal conditions. The light is only visible in darkness, providing the Shikelf with an ambient light source they can perceive in absolute darkness which may occur if a ship looses power and emergency lights are not functioning.
