In the original core boxed set, page thirteen under the Humam heading, the text mentions that humans have been twisted by magic. In the rules book, it mentions that this twisting changes human's appearance, but has no additional effect. While this does allow for a variety of strangeness, I thought it might be interesting to explore these mutations further.
I recently introduced a tribe of humans with burnt orange skin. This skin is a harmless mutation due to the magical contamination of the drinking water. So, if a human lives off of this source of water for an extended period of time, their skin will eventually become orange.
I thought it might be helpful to create a chart of random visual mutations that humans, or a human group, may possess. These mutations do not provide any game rule changes, they only change a character's appearance and make them more unique. Encountering a group of humans with green robes and blue keffiyehs is interesting, but it might make your players think twice if they all also have pale violet eyes.
DM's should feel free to roll 1d100 to determine random aspects of a human, or human group. Fell free to roll as many times as you wish and alter any mutations as you see fit. In addition, player character's may manifest a mutation if damaged in an area of twisted magic.
Please note that white and black indicate ranges of color beyond the spectrum of normal human skin tones.
After being free for so long, the hurrums of the scrub plains grew tired of governing themselves. They had too much freedom, they complained, and it had spoiled them. They didn't have enough food, because no one wanted to work. They would just lounge around all day and hum about how bored they were. They wanted a government who could organize them and make the lazy among them work. So, they cried out to *Badna to send them a king.
Badna knew that the hurrums were foolish creatures, so Badna sent them a large block of obsidian. The block fell from the sky and the hurrums thought it was a fearful thing and hid themselves. However, they soon discovered that their king was peaceable and tame. The younger hurrums would climb and glide from their king and the older hurrums would hold meetings atop it.
They hurrum became even more spoiled and lazy. They would not get food to feed each other, or defend themselves from the easiest of predators. All the hurrums did was complain about their lackluster king. Badna saw this and decided to show the hurrums mercy.
Badna knew the hurrums could not care for themselves, so Badna instead sent them a Z'tal for their king. The Z'tal was cruel and occasionally devoured one of the hurrum, but the z'tal was a much better king. He organized the hurrums into a proper civilization and forced them all to work, which provided food for everyone. The hurrums were much happier with this new king and thanked Badna, for they knew they could not rule themselves.
*The deity in question differs based upon the city-state where the fable is being told. For example, Badna is used in Raam, the Oba in Gulg, Tectuktitlay in Draj, etc.
This fable is promoted by the sorcerer monarchs of every city-state.
Note: For those unfamiliar with Dark Sun, psionics are called the Will for wild talents and the Way for trained psionicists.
Vashti, Julius, Shade, and Kiara finished packing up their camp and began walking through the scrub plain. As the evening grew close, they could see the rocky badlands close by. Shade and Vashti stopped them and whispered to the rest of the group that a group of bandits were waiting to attack them on some of the cliffs above the ground.
They moved a bit closer, with their weapons drawn. As the got close enough, Julius used the way and made the rocks beneath the bandits explode. The bandits tumbled to the rock strewn ground. As the bandits started to rise, the group could see that they were people with the features of rats.
The rat folk rushed toward the group, with bone tipped spears, bone machetes, bone longswords, or bone battle axes. One of the rat folk stayed back and started chittering loudly, like a battle cry. The attacking rat folk swarmed Shade, Vashti, and Julius.
Two giant rats and three rat swarms came rushing from the rocks in the canyon. Julius used the way to explode the ground and kill most of the normal rats. The rat folk were very confident, at first, but the battle quickly turned against them.
The group killed the giant rats, normal rats, and most of the rat folk. Two of the rat folk dropped their weapons, dropped to all fours and fled deeper into the canyon. The group found a couple of nets among the rubble of the rockslide, that Julius caused. The group decided that the rat folk may have wanted to capture them alive and keep them as slaves.
Thinking they might have slaves in their settlement, they decided to track the rat folk back to wherever they called home. Shade agreed to track the rat folk. Suddenly, the lord of arms started screaming at Shade and telling him that he was extremely offended that Shade doesn't care about the purpose of the lord of arms existence, but will go help some slaves at the drop of a bit. Shade brushed off the lord of arms complaints, which made the lord of arms even more angry.
Meanwhile, Jessel had returned to the elemental plane of earth and was sent with Riv back into the ethereal plane. Their goal was to find a misty curtain to the Gray, find Kwala, and bring him back to the plane of earth. Jessel wanted to find Kalino and Alaxander too, but the forces of earth did not care too much about them.
Riv and Jessel found a misty curtain, after a few hours, and they both felt that it lead to the Gray. Jessel passed through the curtain and found himself in the Gray. He closed his eyes and began feeling for life energy. Upon feeling a pin prick of life, he flew toward it. The feeling grew stronger and, after a couple of hours, he saw Kwala, Alaxander, and Kalino floating in the Gray mists.
Alaxander and Kalino were thrilled to have been found, as they were having difficulty navigating the plan of the dead. Jessel explained to them how to feel for the energy they are seeking for and Alaxander thought he could feel Riv calling out to them. Jessel and Kalino felt nothing and Kwala was still unconscious, so they followed Alaxander's lead.
A few hours of floating through the Gray and Alaxander could feel Riv near them. He reached into the gray mists and pushed them aside, revealing the ethereal plane. They passed through and saw Riv waiting for them. Riv greeted them warmly and took Kwala into his arms. Riv began leading them back to the plane of earth.
Upon arriving in the plane of earth, Kwala awoke. He was weak, but was able to use his magic to help Jessel, Kalino, and Alaxander breath. Kwala and Riv used their magic to shape the earth around them and walk through the plane of earth.
A few hours later, they arrived back near the front and they reported to the dao Gaul. Gaul thanked Jessel, Alaxander, and Kalino. He asked them what was their wish. Jessel didn't know what to wish for, so Gaul gave him a smooth, flat, black stone. He said that when they knew what they wanted to wish for, to speak it to the stone. Jessel thanked him and he lead Alaxander and Kalino back into the hall.
Jessel then asked Riv if he could get them food, water, and a place to rest. Riv agreed and lead them to small room, where there was bland tasting bread and water with a lot of minerals. Riv then retrieved some cushions for the group to rest among.
Riv gave Jessel a bag or rich soil. Alaxander asked Riv for a gem that he could store mental strength inside. Riv pried a ruby from his sword's crossguard and gave it to Alaxander. Alaxander thanked him profusely. Jessel, Alaxander, and Kalino then took a nap.
