Commission done by amaet.
Solidifying the bat motif redesign for the Derro. I decided long tongues would also be a feature as its just really cool. Beyond her inclination for self-destructive earrings (which certainly painfully backfire but this she intends). This piece also shows another gimmick of Derro culture I touched on earlier. Spirals!
LORE BREAK BELOW:
Spirals are so often associated with the mind: hypnotism and madness, a staple of horror. What a fitting theme to add for the race whose hat is mental illness. Everything the Derro build displaying an aversion to symmetry or orderliness. You can picture it: no matter where you look in a Derro community, whether its buildings or whats etched and painted on them gaze too long and it will make your head spin. Consequently your constant guard against this wears away your own ability to focus and your head spins anyway. For Vide specifically we get to see a nice image of eyes and a maw woven into the clothing.
I think the makeshift land disheveled look of Derro should be maintained but I have a little something more to add. Whether its the repeating crossbow, gilded cage, or whatever mad device the savants create I think the Tolkien saying on orcs is perfect: “They create no beautiful things, but many clever ones.”
Dwarf/Gnome-like: with their constant schemes I think the archetype of Mad Scientist fits perfectly. Traditionally “Savant” has been restricted to sorcerers/psychics/ and clerics as leaders of Derro through magic awe. This concept obviously pulling from “Savant Syndrome” I.E phenomenal skill in one thing usually at the expense development in other areas. To that end having Derro society function with “Autistic/Idiot Savants” being the craftsman attracts me. People who maddeningly obsesses over one thing, nothing looks pretty due to lack of material, proper training, and focus yet the feats they can accomplish are staggering. Whether they be leaders or mad Igor-like slaves varying. Another point of development:
Derro are universally psychic.
Its just a logic step in a races whom, like the Deugar, make home with Mind flayers and more importantly to any general setting, are protected from insanity effects because they’re already insane. So why not throw a dog a bone that if their all about the brain & leaders are powerful psionics, Derro of any calling possess minor psychic powers. Minor being a key word. They don’t all hover and communicate mind-to-mind but each Derro can manifest what equates to a cantrip-like psionic power.
Its going to be obvious that any Derro player will want to elaborate on their character’s manifestation of mental illness (maybe some people on Tumblr should just get into D&D?), it could also coincide with a handy once-a-day psychic power. Speak to animals, premonition, pyro & telekinesis, etc. Usually followed by a mental breakdown.
Thematicly speaking, Vide’s a Yandere at heart, but I don’t want to give her the power to hypnotize her infatuation, as appropriate as that would be. Bit on the nose and unfair.
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