Vlaka

• Identify people and their emotions by scent.
• Listen more than speak.
• Go out of your way to help others.

• Depend on you for guidance and mediation.
• Assume you'll agree to help them whenever they ask.
• Try to exploit your kindness, generosity, or helpfulness.

Vlakas look similar to bipedal wolves, from their bushy, wagging tail to their canine snout and teeth. They have thick fur that keeps them warm in the arctic climate of their home world Lajok, which serves them just as well in the cool starship corridors that many nomadic vlakas call home. Their fur is usually white with large patches of pale blue, gray, or black. Many shed it after spending generations in warmer climates and grow a sleek summer coat that leans toward shades of white or cream with pale brown patches. Vlakas usually have blue, gray, or white eyes.

Vlakas are tall and athletic, averaging between 5-1/2 to 6-1/2 feet tall and 175 to 250 lbs. The two senses that nearly all vlakas share are touch and an incredibly keen sense of smell. More than two thirds of all vlakas are born blind, deaf, or deafblind, with the remainder born hearing/sighted. Vlakas consider scent a crucial form of non-verbal communication and infuse smells into everything from everyday objects and locations to social interactions and entertainment. The strength and precision of a vlaka's sense of smell (and their ability to interpret olfactory inputs) varies between individuals. While most learn to identify familiar people and places by scent and can track a potent scent, the truly gifted can detect emotions by changes in pheromones and even sense their surroundings by smell.

Frozen Lajok distantly orbits the dying star Sota. Life is barely sustainable there, and it's long been known that the planet will only be able to sustain its ecosphere for a few more centuries. While this prospect would cause many societies to collapse and many people to fall to despair, vlakas remain optimistic in the face of encroaching doom.

Just as Lajok revolves around Sota, vlaka society revolves around survival—both of their people and of their world. Vlakas value a rigorous education, creative thinking, and innovative solutions, and they invest heavily in a variety of fields, from science and technology to magic and mysticism. Astronomy, physics, ecology, biology, and terraforming are all of particular importance.

Sota prominently features in stories and legends, and many of the oldest vlakas attempt to explain the cause of Sota's premature death. Most believe an ancient culture used Sota as a fuel source, draining it to the point of imminent collapse before moving on to drain other stars and continue the cycle. Though perhaps outlandish, this theory is at least partially supported by scientific evidence—Sota's collapse is premature by all accounts, and the ruins of an ancient, technologically advanced culture litter Lajok's surface to this day. Most of these sites are in very poor condition; vlakas pilfered heavily from them, using the scraps and technologies they excavated to create their own starships. Though the vlaka people agree that it's an unfortunate loss of history, the act propelled them into space and the wider galaxy beyond, effectively saving their people, and they don't regret the sacrifice. Yet ruins remain that might hold answers, both buried beneath Lajok's ice sheets as well as orbiting the planet.

In the past hundred years, vlakas have launched thousands of space caravans to the distant reaches of the galaxy. Some settled on other worlds, but many prefer to travel, visiting world after world in their endless quest to save Lajok, or simply because they enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of new places. Nomads often harvest supplies from uninhabited worlds to share with other communities they meet on their endless journeys, and this has earned vlakas a reputation as traders, suppliers, and rescuers. Some are pirates, however, such as the infamous corsair Metzari Angelfang and her Drifters. Vlaka lawbreakers tend to avoid targeting the weak, defenseless, or needy, instead focusing on corrupt, violent, or ultra-wealthy targets.

A large community thrives on Lajok, and its members refuse to leave or give up their hope for the future. Most nomads still consider Lajok home, maintaining tight connections to its populace and returning to visit whenever they can.

Vlakas believe it takes community and interdependence to survive, flourish, and find joy. Treating all people with respect and kindness is central to vlaka culture. Most vlakas believe the greatest treasure—and one's greatest strength—is a circle of loyal companions. Vlakas make excellent diplomats, go-betweens, negotiators, and leaders, although their open and trusting nature means that some people try to take advantage of them or take their aid for granted.

Vlakas value the ability to listen, empathize, and understand. They consider impatience, jumping to conclusions, and selfishness all childish traits—the acts of those who have yet to learn better. Likewise, they strongly frown upon being overly proud, boisterous, underhanded, greedy, or power hungry. Vlakas emphasize, but not always prioritize,the well-being of the group over that of the individual. They're charitable with their time and wealth, often going out of their way to aid others.

Vlaka governments tend to uphold these same values, dutifully working for their community's benefit and faithfully advocating for the will of their constituents. Leadership is a duty akin to taking on a life of service, not a route to power or fame.

Vlaka settlements tend to be concentric and formulaic. An outer ring of tall buildings or walls around the perimeter protects against the cold, wind, and bad weather as well as conserves heat. The innermost ring, where it's the most sheltered, is reserved for agriculture and public green spaces like parks. The rest of the city is divided into rings or wedges and arranged by area of interest or profession, such as entertainment, science, governance, or residential. Each district has a distinct scent and textured pavement, enabling vlakas from anywhere and with any array of senses to determine their general location within a city. When a district is full, the city tends to build down, rather than broach district boundaries.

Like much of vlaka society, communication is shaped by diverse sensory experiences. Vlakas communicate with multiple senses whenever possible, including scent, and nearly all of them know how to communicate with both kinds of Vlaka sign language—one visual and one tactile—and sign while speaking. Vlaka text is grooved, so it can be read by sight and touch, with modern technological devices also integrating audio descriptions and smells as appropriate alongside their haptic touchscreens.

Recently, the vlakas on Lajok witnessed a miracle: the rebirth of their sun, Sota, which was suddenly rekindled and rejuvenated. Officially, the cause is mystical in nature, cited as “thanks to a miracle of the Cycle.” Rumors circulate that vlaka mystics performed a sacred ritual to revive their sun, while others claim the ritual was pulled from the ancient ruins that litter their world and that its successful execution would've surely required great sacrifice. Some believe divine intervention from Desna or some other god was the true cause, leading to a religious renaissance on Lajok. Many who witnessed this miraculous event have starburst markings on their fur or star-shaped blotches in their eyes; the same extends to those born under the light of this rekindled sun, who additionally possess unusual potential similar to that of solarians—these vlakas' powers, however, dwindle when not in proximity to a powerful star like Sota. Whatever the true cause of Sota's rebirth, now is a time for celebration on Lajok, though the full ramifications and cultural changes brought about by this event have yet to be felt.

Traditional vlaka folktales and legends extol altruism, heroism, and charitable acts. They have no ancestral gods; instead, they traditionally live by the Cycle of death and rebirth, and many incorporate the Cycle into their beliefs. Otherwise, vlakas tend to worship gods who share their community-centered values, such as Hylax, Lambatuin, and Talavet. Nomadic vlakas often worship Weydan, while those who strive to save their planet—or who wonder at Sota's rekindling—favor gods who share their methodologies of choice, such as Ibra, Eloritu, or Yaraesa. Some worship stellar gods like Desna and Sarenrae.

Popular Edicts consider other viewpoints and opinions before making important decisions, embrace diversity, treat others with kindness, work to find the middle ground in disputes
Popular Anathema put your desires above others' needs, refuse to compromise, suppress alternative viewpoints

Aeru, Alaza, Alelell, Aufenren, Bargai, Berilt, Berkal, Breyul, Carok, Daran, Delevana, Jikant, Jilavo, Kalvek, Kapleth, Lycos, Metzari, Parva, Poskari, Renvir, Ritta, Tarnat, Torrik, Vaudil, Wirath, Wirgara, Yormin

Sample Circle Names: Angelfang, Aruul, Grand Plateau, Salvation, Sanctum of the Ten Trees, Silver Wings, Snow Skaters, Tak

6

Medium

Wisdom, Charisma, Free

Dexterity

Additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if it's positive). Choose from the list of common languages and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent on your home world).

All vlakas have a keen sense of smell, gaining imprecise scent with a range of 60 feet. This means you can use your sense of smell to determine a creature's location. The GM might double the range if you're downwind from the creature or halve the range if you're upwind.

In addition, each vlaka is born with one of the following sensory arrays: blind, deaf, deafblind, or hearing/sighted. Select one of these sensory arrays, and gain the associated senses or feats.

Blind: You're blind. You gain hearing as a precise sense with a range of 90 feet.
Deaf: You're deaf. You gain the Read Lips skill feat (even if you don't meet the feat's prerequisites).
Deafblind: You're blind and deaf. Your scent becomes a precise sense with a range of 90 feet, rather than an imprecise sense with a range of 60 feet.
Hearing/Sighted: You don't gain any additional senses.

You gain the Sign Language skill feat, even if you don't meet the feat's prerequisites. If a language you know has a tactile version, you also learn the tactile version of those languages. This means that you know the spoken, signed, and tactile languages associated with all languages you know.