Bomok

"THEY SAY YOU CAN'T TEACH AN OLD Bomok new tricks, but I've never met one who'd need it."

These canine humanoids create close, familial bonds with those who prove themselves worthy of loyalty. They will unflinchingly protect those with which they have pledged loyalty, putting the lives of their family over their own. Any Bomok who forsakes a bond is cast out by others of their kind and considered a traitor to the very race. Blessed with sturdy builds and finely honed senses, these canines are well suited to becoming guards, watchmen, or any number of other protective professions.

Bonds of the Bomok

Loyalty is perhaps the most important thing to a Bomok, and their culture heavily revolves around that ideal. Bomok form tight bonds of loyalty to those they grow closest to, whether that be their family, ruler, or even members oeir own adventuring party. It is a rare and almost unheard of phenomena for any Bomok to be decietful and unfaithful in practically any way. As much as they stay true to their friends, they also stay true to their enemies. There is never a question as to when you have invoked the ire of a Bomok. They will let you know.

Earning the trust of a Bomok is a rare and challenging thing to do. It is an immense honor and it signals one's own valor and worth to those around you. Once you have one on your side, they will never willingly leave you, going so far as to put your own safety over their own, and as such are almost infallibly reliable in a pinch.

Loyalty has such a huge influence on Bomok culture that it is even used to convey social status amongst other members of the species. The most well respected Bomok are the ones that have formed the strongest bonds, some of which can even last generations. Conversely, Bomok deplore any and all acts of betrayal and treachery, viewing them as acts against their very way of life. Any Bomok found commiting such heinous acts are forever cast out in the eyes of others, and such exile is usually accompanied by the cropping of the traitor's right ear.

Fierce Guardians

The Bomok have been blessed with astounding senses and awareness. Their highly tuned ears and noses make them very capable at sensing danger, tracking prey, or finding things that have been lost. Bomok will often put these talents to use as guards or watchmen, protecting others and keeping watch over important locations and people. If their charge ever does come under threat, there can be no doubt that a Bomok will defend it to their last breath.

On constant vigil, a Bomok is rarely, if ever caught off-guard, even in casual settings. They have their heads ever on a swivel, searching for signs of danger or threat. They have uncanny awareness of their surroundings, and even older Bomok, whose hearing may be fraying, still retain their astounding sense of smell. Hardly anything can escape the notice of a watchful Bomok.

Aptitude for Learning

One of the most endearing but lesser known things about the Bomok is their aptitude for learning. Most people view Bomok as a harsh and standoffish race, but they are as eager and curious as any, perhaps more so than most. They take to new skills very swiftly, and have been known to master trades and skills in half the time it normally takes others. Because of this, Bomok are able to excel in a wide variety of things, and can often be found with multiple skills or talents honed to excellence.

Some Bomok will even take to following around an individual who possesses a skill they are interested in and begin to learn the skill simply by watching the other perform it. Such tendencies make Bomok exceptional apprentices and pupils in all sorts of areas, from blacksmithing to wizardry, and everything in between. As artisans, this aptitude allows them to excel in a wide variety of crafts, rather than focus on just one, and many a Bomok trader can be expected to know half a dozen languages or more.