Shan sao

Shan sao were a race of small humanoids native to Kara-Tur.

Description
Shan sao were short, stocky humanoids. Their ears were slightly pointed and they had wide noses. Their eyes were large for their face and had a distinct feline shape to them. Their clothing was usually just a kimono made from cotton. It was often too large for their body and the bottoms of it would drag in the dirt.

Personality
Shan sao were confident and private creatures.

Combat
Despite their size, shan sao were skillful fighters. They were able to take and deliver blows in kind. If an opponent retreated, they were ruthlessly pursued. Shan sao attacked any trespassers in their territory. They were able to summon tigers to come to their aid. They were able to use weapons and were commonly seen wielding darts, short swords and uchi-ne.

Abilities
Shan sao had the innate ability to duplicate the effects of a polymorph spell at will, transforming into a bird, usually a crow or raven. They were able to summon up to three tigers to their location once a day. The tigers answered the summons from as far as away. Some shan sao had the ability to cast arcane spells. Sahn sao had a natural immunity to fear and fear-based spells.

Society
Shan sao villages normally held up to 80 individuals. A common shan sao village was comprised of simple thatched huts with bamboo walls, placed in a circle around a communal cooking area. Villages had a symbiotic relationship with local tigers.

As male shan sao were responsible for hunting, nearly all encounters with a shan sao outside their village was with a male. Males and females shared in the defense of their villages.

A village was ruled by an appointed king. Once a year, the village summoned several tiger allies to discuss the king's year of rule. The tigers decided if the king had a competent rule that year or not. If they determined the king had ruled inadequately, they nominated a new king from the village, with the old king stepping down with grace. Shan sao never questioned the decision made by their tiger allies.

Diet
Shan sao were omnivores and had a varied diet. They foraged or harvested fruit, grains and vegetables. They were famous more creating a unique stew, made from fruits and meats and a special blend of herbs and spices. This stew continuously cooked in the communal cooking area at the center of their village. It was extremely nourishing and it could satisfy the appetite and strengthen a full-grown human for an entire day.

This special stew made by shan sao was sought after by many in Kara-Tur and a small flask of it could fetch up to 1,000 ch'ien in markets.

Homelands
Shan sao lived deep in woodland hills, settling in bamboo groves. Up to 300 shan sao, living in 15 separate settlements, were found in the Valley of the Shan Sao, an isolated deep within the Kun-Yen Shan mountain range in the Hordelands.

Notable Shan sao

 * Bai Tso-bo, a shan sao that lived in the Valley of Wings.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Dungeon #8, "The Flowers of Flame" • Swords of the Daimyo • Test of the Samurai