Pangolin katanga

Pangolin katanga were an uncommon race of katanga found in the lush jungles of the Malatran Plateau in Kara-Tur.

Description
Katanga were intelligent animal shapechangers who could take on the shape of a beast as well as appear in a hybrid form. Pangolin katanga could transform into a wild pangolin, a small tropical beast with natural armor. Just like the beasts, pangolin katanga had powerful prehensile tails allowing them to hang off tree branches with ease. Their hands and paws ended in long claws used for burrowing and climbing. Their tales were highly sensitive, similar to the fingers of humans, and they hads long tongues, almost as long as the creatures' bodies, which they used to catch insects.

In their human form, pangolin katanga retained some of the features of their animal form, making their race obvious. They appeared to be short Shou with tell-tale scale-like plates that covered the tops of their heads and ran down their necks and along their backs. In their bipedal hybrid form, they appeared to be a blend of a human and a pangolin, retaining the ability to use hands to manipulate objects, while the animal shape was that of a mundane pangolin.

One notable feature of all katanga, regardless of the form they took, was that the shadow they cast was always that of the animal.

Abilities
Just like normal pangolins, katanga could roll their bodies into a well-armored ball. While curled up, a pangolin katanga's shell was hard to penetrate; however, the increased defense came at the price of movement. In their uncurled state, pangolin katanga were surprisingly fast.

Despite similarities with werebeasts, katanga were not lycanthropes and did not share their strengths or vulnerabilities. When detected or examined via magic, all katanga appeared to be ordinary natural animals. In their animal form, pangolin katanga could only communicate with others of their kin and rendered themselves unable to use magic.

Katanga could change their shape a limited number of times per day, depending on their experience and strength.

Personality
They were shy and skittish creatures. They preferred escape to direct confrontation, and pangolin katanga felt intimidated by bigger creatures. Pangolin katanga were a foraging society. They collected food on the ground and atop jungle trees. When threatened or tired, they scaled trees where pangolins rested or hid from many jungle predators.

Combat
When not rolling into a ball or retreating, animal-shape pangolins could spray their opponents with foul-smelling secretions three times per day.

Society
Most travelers of the Living Jungle only met solitary pangolin katanga or small groups not bigger than six individuals. They rarely joined human or demihuman communities. They spoke Malatran Common and the Pangolin language, unique to their kin that consisted of grunts and whistles.

Pangolin katanga were usually safe while rolled into an armored ball, but big and strong predators, such as great cats and large garuda could force the creatures open and consume them. Being prey in the Living Jjungle, pangolins were mostly herbivorous creatures, feeding on plants as well as insects and larvae. When they took a humanoid shape, their diet consisted mostly of vegetables and very small amounts of meat.

Habitats
Pangolin katanga inhabited the lush jungles and blistering savannas of the Malatran Plateau but rarely ventured into the Living Jungle's mountainous regions. They built their homes on the edge of the jungle and savanna. They lived underground in large burrowed lairs; each was inhabited by a family of four to eight pangolin katanga.

Professions
Like most other katanga, adventuring pangolins most often took on the art of warrior-craft, wizardry, thievery, or a cleric's mantle. However, the most popular profession what that of a witch doctor.

History
As of the late 14 century DR, seeming spell fetishes were crafted in the shape of a small pangolin katanga statuette.

Notable Pangolin Katanga

 * Baluu, a male sorcerer pangolin katanga who joined the heroes of the Tribe of the Wise Ones against the malicious spider katanga, Mother of a Thousand Young, in the late 14 century DR.
 * Menari, an elderly pangolin katanga woman who aided those hurt by the earthquakes around the Kaltra village in the late 14 century DR.

Appearances

 * Licensed Adventures & Organized Play
 * The Curse of Fire Mountain &bull; An Army of One Thousand &bull; Trembling Village
 * Necromancer's Stone
 * Necromancer's Stone