Chiromin This
pale, hairless humanoid is the size of a human child. Its eyes bulge from its
face and its ears are long and triangular. It bares its needle-like claws and
teeth as it flaps about on bat-like wings growing from its back.
Chiromin,
called “bat-kin” by some, are small blood-feeding humanoids with bat-like
features. They are mistaken for vampires by the ignorant, but chiromin are very
much alive. Nocturnal creatures, they prefer to feed on the blood of sleeping
prey, stalking up to it unawares and inflicting a shallow bite. The saliva of
the chiromin contains a potent anticoagulant and a painkiller, causing blood to
flow from the wound without waking the victim. Rather than sucking blood,
chiromin instead lap it up with long, tubular tongues. Chiromin prefer the
blood of large animals, such as deer, wild cattle and livestock, although they
do occasionally feed on humanoids. Although they do not echolocate like real
bats do, their senses are keen enough to find ample prey in the dark.
Chiromin
live in caves or in hollow trees and often share their homes with bats of all
types and sizes. Although the chiromin do not have any way of controlling the
bats, they find them comforting. Chiromin do not have much in the way of a
material culture—weapons are limited to the occasional spear and clothing is
practically unheard of. They do appreciate the treasures of man and may collect
such baubles, although they rarely have much of an idea of their value or
purpose. The family is the most important social unit to the chiromin, and a
chiromin will gladly sacrifice its life to save that of its kin.
Chiromin
vary in alignment the same way humans do, although they tend towards evil more
often than not due to the influence of wicked cults and other subterranean
humanoids. Good chiromin may keep livestock of their own, such as keeping near
their cave a small flock of semi-feral sheep to feed on. The average chiromin
stands three and a half feet tall and weighs only twenty pounds due to their
lightweight bone structure.
Chiromin are recorded in the jungles of Gladia, where they tend to isolate themselves from other humanoids. They are considered sacred to cultists of Camazotz, who occasionally raise them into that faith. This association unfortunately lead to persecution by the Kingdom of Kown-Dam, and they are still rare in the modern day.
Shores of Swords 