Clan Cannid

The Cannid were once the archer corps of Matrig Galphane's army—clever, adaptive, and impossible to command in any straightforward manner. Their natural cunning made them invaluable in battle, but also the first among the Genet to question the necessity of their servitude. After the Diaspora, the Cannid found themselves on equal footing with all other races for the first time, and they have taken to Thaedros with eager, unshackled curiosity. They are hunters, scouts, and survivalists, thriving in the untamed reaches of the new world, always searching for the next opportunity, the next challenge, and the next game to play.

Of all the Genet, the Cannid were the most difficult to command. Not because they were disobedient—far from it—but because they followed orders in ways that Galphane had never quite anticipated. Clever, swift, and endlessly adaptive, Clan Cannid had a talent for obeying the exact words of an order while subtly subverting its intent. They were not rebels, not at first, but their cunning nature made them masters of finding loopholes, testing boundaries, and bending commands to their own interpretations. In the early years of Galphane's rule, this trait made them invaluable. They engaged the enemy in ways that no conventional army had ever considered, striking from unpredictable angles, using the terrain to their advantage, and developing tactics that were as much psychological warfare as physical combat. A regiment of Cannid archers could break an enemy line before the fighting had even begun, their arrows raining down from unseen vantage points while eerie, yipping laughter echoed through the battlefield.

But clever minds are never content with simple obedience. Over the decades, the Cannid became the first of the Genet to ask dangerous questions. Why must they obey Galphane's heirs, long after the alchemist himself had died? What debt did they truly owe Kestrim, a nation that had exiled them the moment they were freed? Among the Genet, it was the Cannid who first whispered of leaving, of forging a new path beyond the frozen south. They were the first to chafe against the weight of old debts, the first to suggest that perhaps their people had repaid their creation in full.

On Thaedros, the Cannid have embraced the new world with open arms. They have always been hunters, pathfinders, and survivors, and in a land of the unknown, these skills have made them indispensable. With the other Genet, they scouted the lands of Arakol, their sharp eyes and sharper wits helping their people establish footholds in a wilderness untouched by any of the old world's rules.

Yet, even in their new home, the Cannid remain true to their nature. They are not leaders by choice, but they are always found where decisions are being made. They are not lawbreakers, but they never fully trust the law. They thrive on the edge of the wild, where the rules are unwritten and survival is a matter of instinct. If a Cannid gives you their word, they will keep it—but only as precisely as they meant it in the moment it was given.

For the Cannid, Thaedros is not just a second chance—it is a game, a puzzle to be solved, a challenge to be met with a grin and a quick hand. And if anyone is going to come out ahead in this strange new world, it will be them.

Racial Traits

Special Abilities

Clever Instincts You have proficiency in Deception and Survival. If you already have proficiency in one of these skills, you may instead choose Insight or Stealth.

Keen Senses Your heightened senses grant you advantage on Perception checks relying on hearing or smell.

Agile Build Your speed is 35 feet, and you have proficiency in Dexterity saving throws.

Natural Opportunist Once per turn, when you make an attack against a creature that has already been attacked by an ally this round, you can add an additional 1d6 damage to the attack.

Darkvision You can see in dim light within 60 feet as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Basic Traits

Languages You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.

Size Cannid stand between 5 and 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed Your base walking speed is 35 feet.

Backgrounds

Wilderness Trickster

You have spent your life surviving in the wilderness, using traps, cunning, and quick thinking to outmaneuver predators and prey alike. Whether you make your living as a hunter, a scout, or something less reputable, you thrive in the places where civilization's grip is weakest.

• Skill Proficiencies: Stealth, Survival
• Tool Proficiencies: Thieves' Tools, Herbalism Kit
• Languages: One of your choice
• Feature: Adaptable Camouflage - You can spend one minute blending into natural terrain. While hidden in this way, creatures have disadvantage on Perception checks to detect you unless they have Keen Smell or a similar trait.
• Ability Score Increases: +2 Dexterity, +1 Wisdom

Silver-Tongued Opportunist

You've made your way in the world by saying the right thing at the right time, making the right friends (or at least, making sure your enemies were someone else's problem). Whether you were a trader, a diplomat, or simply someone who always found the best angle, you learned long ago that a quick tongue can open just as many doors as a quick blade.

• Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Persuasion
• Tool Proficiencies: Disguise Kit, Gaming Set (any)
• Languages: One of your choice
• Feature: Hustler's Insight - Once per long rest, you can make a Charisma (Deception or Persuasion) check contested by another creature's Wisdom (Insight). On a success, you learn one personal detail about them—such as a fear, a lie they've told, or a hidden motivation.
• Ability Score Increases: +2 Charisma, +1 Dexterity

Ambush Specialist

You were trained in precision strikes and sudden, overwhelming assaults. Whether as part of a military unit, a mercenary band, or simply out of necessity in the wild, you've learned how to strike first, strike fast, and disappear before the enemy knows what hit them.

• Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Perception
• Tool Proficiencies: Poisoner's Kit, Cartographer's Tools
• Languages: One of your choice
• Feature: Tactical Advantage - You have advantage on initiative rolls. Once per long rest, you may take the Ready action as a bonus action on your turn.
• Ability Score Increases: +2 Dexterity, +1 Intelligence