Tengu

“It is the stinginess of humans, believing that the world and its blossoms are only theirs to enjoy. Where we could walk together and become friends enjoying the flowers, they are born from a mind bent on its own pleasure. And when you think only about your own pleasure, you will not think twice about how you harm others. In the end, you will create perversity, generate evil, and destroy your soul.”

-- Excerpt from The Tengu's Sermon





The avian humanoid strides forward, his stiff posture and unbreakable grimace as cold as the steel held in his weathered, human hands. With a tut, his eyelids glide over his predatory glaze, bringing vibrancy to the once dull amber eyes. No foe would escape his gaze nor hidden blade find purchase today. With an implosion of silk, the tengu dashed forward, his body distorting as the monk robes whip violently like the banner of the foreign knights.

Togo Igawa as Tengu Lord in "47 Ronin"





Cloistered Monks

Devoted to martial and spiritual arts, the bird-like Tengu is a skilled warrior and vengeful sage, prone to punishing the arrogant and vainglorious before delivering a fatal blow through word or blade. In bygone days, they were known to train Yueshi warriors seeking revenge that aligned with their ideals and desires to see those that abuse their positions of power.

However, as centuries have passed, most Tengu see no discernable difference in the spectrum of humanity's ethos, judging them all as braggarts that need to be brought low and corrupters of divine law.





Mystical Warriors

Supernatural humanoids with avian facial features such as enlarged eyes and external oval nares, the tengu are wiry and wise. Most tengu have incredible vision, which coupled with their philosophical insights has led to myths that they can see directly into the soul of all living creatures.

The gait of a tengu is very controlled, often limitng their range of motion when not engaged in combat. When walking, the upper body is often completely still, with all perceptible movement coming just from their legs. This even extends to their eyes, often not blinking while moving and blinking only once locomotion has stopped. As such, the tengu are seen as having a serene but threateningly intense demeanor.

Distrust of Humanity

Tengu dedicate their long lives to discovering the harmony between soul and steel. They see life as a series of inevitable conflict with hatred- both the one they harbor for the creatures that have stupidly charged forth with conquest and technology and the hatred of others who see their existence as aberrant.

As part of this balance, tengu acknowledge that peace is the better option to existing in contemplation but brook no threats to themselves, their allies or their sacred spaces. In practice, this means tengu will premptively address a target they think will become a problem, with the nature of that interdiction often tied to their alignment's thoughts on the right to exist.

Slayers of Vanity

The adventuring life for the tengu is often that of an inquisitor, avenger, or otherwise zealous warrior who seeks to right the imbalance caused by the perverse races of Seronia. They see themselves as leechers of poison, drawing out and eliminating toxins that could fester the wounds of a world constantly embattled and harvested for technological progression.

Not all are virtous. More than a few tengu are convinced that they are the wind that should separate wheat from chaff, while a tengu frustrated by the rigid philosophies of her nest might drift away to make the first attempt at coexisting with the larger world. Young tengu are taught to see Seronia as a trampled garden, with the world's beauty and old races are withering flowers in the shade of the giant of heartless human progression.

Tengu Names

Tengu names are given at their first century, with an emphasis on short vocalizations: non-vocal sounds are associated with older tengu, and are rare even then. As they are raised in cloistered communities, tengu have no family names.

Tengu Names: Ankank, Awiteo, Chebek, Chiva, Deeta, Dtzee, Eolay, Fitzbew, Jeee, Keeyer, Kidik, Krick, P'chee, Quawlk, Raddika, Sisisee, Skelp, Toree, Tzee, Veer, Wheeta, Zaaaah, Zree