Vanara - Space Monkeys

[Amanojyaku]

Vanaras are intelligent, simian humanoids who live in deep forests and jungles. They are both agile and clever, but saddled with a boundless curiosity and a love of competition that, while normally harmless, hinders ingratiation with those they encounter. They do, however, have an instinctive affinity for most technologies that lead some - humans, especially - to overlook their more incorrigible tendencies.

Vanara mechanics are in high demand across the Wheel, such that it's rare to see a ship of any origin without at least one simian mate. For all the respect given their mechanical aptitude, however, they have little to no representation on the Council, or at least, none of their own. Rather, they're treated in much the same light as humans, and what decisions are made with regard to one are generally taken to apply to the other as well.

Physical Characteristics
Average Height: 1.3-1.8m
Average Weight: 45-84kg
Languages: Trade, Simian
Common Personality Traits: Curious, creative, reckless, spirited, clever
Common Physical Traits: Light build, light-fingered, soft fur, nimble, prehensile tail
Example Names: Hanuman, Wukong, Tarble, Brakas, Kong

Racial Statistics
Characteristic Bonus: +1 to Strength or Dexterity
Skill Bonus: +1 to Brawl and Tech-Use
Power: Monkey Business: Use Acrobatics instead of Athletics to climb, and move your full Speed instead of half on a successful Test when climbing. Your tail can also carry small objects.
Size: 3

Racial Feats

All Fours [Rakasta, Vanara]
Some xenos races are closer to their feral origins than others. As long as your hands and feet are free, you add your Dexterity once more to your Speed.

Grease Monkey [Vanara]
Some cutters take pride in knowing how to make things work. For you, it's almost an instinct. Add your Wisdom as a bonus on Tech-Use tests and on Crafts tests when repairing Prometheans, vehicles, or complex weapons and armor. This bonus only applies to items whose complexity comes primarily from technology; a power field generator is well within your ken to tinker with, but an ensorcelled blade isn't.

Stone Egg [Vanara]
The blood of the legendary Monkey King himself marches through your veins... or so you claim, anyway. Just like the Monkey King was, you're immune to damage from being on fire... and in fact, being on fire just bakes you harder for a bit, giving you +1 Resilience for the rest of the scene.

Whitecape [Vanara, Paragon]
A mane longer and stiffer than other vanaras is a point of pride among warriors... one that takes on a silvery white color is the mark of a born fighter, one whose skill in combat borders on the legendary. Choose any sword school. You gain one free rank in this sword school, and can purchase ranks in it as if it appeared in your class progression. You can use your unarmed strike with any special attack, and add your martial adept level to the damage and penetration of your unarmed strikes.

Zenkai [Vanara]
Like any animal, getting hurt gets your blood up. Unlike most animals, it just tends to pike you off. When you use the Healing Surge action in combat, the indicated bonus also applies to your Brawl or Weaponry attacks. If your Hit Points were at 0 or lower before taking the Healing Surge action, you also gain a +10 bonus to damage rolls with those attacks.

Physical Qualities

Vanaras are intelligent, monkeylike humanoids, standing slightly shorter and weighing slightly less than a typical human, though more of their weight is lean muscle. A vanara's body is covered in a thin coat of soft fur, and individuals with chestnut, ebony, and even golden coats are common. Despite their fur, vanaras can grow lengthy hair on their head just as humans can, and both male and female vanaras take pains to wear elaborate hairstyles for important social functions. The hair on a vanara's head generally matches the color of its fur.

All vanaras have long, prehensile tails. A vanara's tail is a vanity; while curious hands grabbing and squeezing it is painful, a vanara will never cover it up if at all possible. Fighting vanaras typically wrap it tightly around their waist when joining battle, to prevent an opponent from getting an easy hold on it. Docking the tail is generally not considered to be an option, except in the most dire of circumstances.

Vanaras favor light, loose clothing that allows freedom of movement, usually leaving hands and feet bare. They usually disdain the use of heavy armor, relying on agility to avoid harm.

Playing a Vanara

For all that they are most decidedly not related to the more recently uplifted race (and in fact their native crystal sphere is on the opposite end of the Wheel), vanaras are surprisingly similar to most races' stereotype of humans: brash, boisterous, and overly enthusiastic in response to the phrase "prove it." Vanaras pride themselves on perfectionism, from cleverness of pranks or machine design to the rhythm of their martial arts. Whatever activity a vanara takes a liking to, he will jump into wholeheartedly as he strives for that perfection.

One trait that all vanaras share, however, is an incorrigible curiosity; leave one alone with an interesting device, and expect to return to the device in pieces. This even extends to obvious traps... the vanara will almost always be the first to stick his hand in that hole in the wall. Especially if he has reason to believe that there's a switch or something good inside. Most vanaras thus gravitate toward fields that teach at least rudimentary mechanical skills, so that they can dismantle and/or repair whatever interesting things they come across in the field.

Among themselves, vanaras seem to have an almost tribal community, with each individual contributing to the group however he can. Vanara leaders are determined by something almost, but not quite, entirely unlike trial by combat; cheating is not only acceptable, but encouraged, as guile is as valuable as strength. Elders are afforded a good degree of respect, and the previous leader of the tribe - should he or she still be alive - often remains as an adviser to the new.

Vanara Heroes

Vali is an oddity, a white-furred ape with delusions of grandeur. He thinks he's the Monkey King reborn. But that's not the strange part. No, what's strange is that Bahamut made this odd monkey one of his champions anyway. Maybe there's something to his ranting after all.

Anjana recently returned from her communion with Luna, her chestnut fur shot through with glowing silver that warns of her ability to transform into a gigantic ape-beast. She destroys responsibly, however... well, she takes pains not to transform indoors, anyway.

Vanara legends speak of a silver-maned warrior of obscene power. A legendary "Super Vanara," whose rage shattered entire crystal spheres and consumed him entirely in the process.

[Amanojyaku]

Whitecape was bugging me. Made the secondary benefit less dumb.