Editing Tsochar (section)

==Tsochar Society==
Tsochari are spiteful, ambitious, avaricious, and self-centered. They would likely entertain all sorts of murderous schemes against one another, except for the fact that a tsochar is not well equipped to inflict serious harm on one of its fellows. They can’t poison or inhabit each other, and their hard flesh is difficult to damage with their own natural weapons. Two tsochari can fight all day long and not do much harm to each other.

Since they are so resistant to each other’s physical attacks, tsochari naturally limit their competitions to battles of intrigue, status, and prestige. Tsochar society is organized into a number of rival castes, each constantly jockeying for power and wealth. The five most important castes are the nobles, the priests, the arcanists, the soldiers, and the merchants. Other castes might have more members than these, but they rarely interact with creatures of other races.

Nobles are the rulers of the tsochari, consisting of a meritocratic group of especially strong, old, cruel, and manipulative individuals. No tsochar is favored by its birth position; the creatures have no sense of family or hereditary posts. Instead, any tsochar that demonstrates that it is capable, clever, and ruthless can slowly worm its way into the ranks of the nobles. High-ranking individuals in other castes frequently work toward achieving enough status and wealth to abandon their old castes and become nobles.

Priests belong to perhaps the most powerful caste. Tsochari are fervently devoted to their sinister deities, and the cult of [[Mak Thuum Ngatha]] is the single most influential organization within tsochari society. Even the nobles must pay heed to the priests’ proclamations of divine will. Priests view the plundering and sacrifice of otherworld races (such as humans) as a holy mandate, and constantly seek to bring the worship of the Nine-Tongued Worm to new spheres.

The arcanist tsochari assimilate and study stolen magical lore from other races. All tsochari are fascinated by arcane magic, but the arcanists actually take levels in sorcerer or wizard classes. Tsochari plots to subvert human wizards’ guilds arise in the black halls of the arcanists.

Soldier tsochari serve the dictates of the leader castes. They do the bidding of nobles, priests, and arcanists. Soldiers strive to ascend to nobility through useful service, demonstrated successes, and a certain ruthless streak. The soldiers balance the rivalry between noble and priest by following noble dictates and priestly mandates as they deem advisable.

Tsochari merchants are not really merchants at all, since no tsochari would offer payment for the things it desires unless no other option is available. They work as far-ranging explorers, raiders, slavers, and spies in search of opportunities to enrich themselves at the expense of less-capable races.

===Language===
Tsochari speak their own language, Tsochar. Much of it consists of complex raspings and buzzings created by rubbing strands together. While humanoids could conceivably learn to understand tsochar speech, actually speaking the language would be difficult indeed. Because tsochari are telepathic, the Tsochar language is relatively simple, with a broad vocabulary of technical terms and concepts but no syntax to speak of. It exists primarily to serve as a written form of tsochar telepathy. Tsochari rarely use the languages of other races, again relying on their telepathy. Typically, a tsochar speaks Tsochar, Common, and one additional language useful in its dealings with specific races, such as [[Dragon|Draconic]], [[Giant]], [[Goblin]], [[Orc]], or [[Underdark|Undercommon]]. Tsochari understand these languages much better than they speak them, since their vocal apparatus is nothing like a humanoid throat. When they do speak aloud in humanoid languages, their voices are tinny and high-pitched, and buzz abominably. A tsochar inhabiting or animating the body of a humanoid is much more intelligible, since it can use the existing vocal arrangements.

===Religion===
The tsochari are one of the most religious aberration races. The cult of [[Mak Thuum Ngatha]] comprises an elite priestly caste within tsochar society, even more powerful and influential than the noble caste. The Nine-Tongued Worm embodies the opening of infinite knowledge, the destruction of barriers, and the spanning of space and time, all things that the tsochari deeply revere. In turn, Mak Thuum Ngatha regards the tsochari as its favored servants and agents (as much as it favors anyone or anything), and entrusts tsochar priests with tasks it deems important.

Since Mak Thuum Ngatha already holds sway over the tsochari, its commands to its priests involve spreading its worship, and the dark and perilous lore it brings, to other races and lands. All too often, this means humanoid realms in the mundane world. Tsochari priests therefore serve as emissaries or messengers from the Nine-Tongued Worm to humanoids foolish or reckless enough to be tempted by the power the tsochari offer. More than one human cultist has gained the services of tsochari spies and assassins by promising to perform awful sacrifices and summonings at the behest of tsochari priests.

===Leaders===
Tsochari constantly fight for status, looking for opportunities to prove that they have the personal competence, ambition, and intelligence to merit acceptance in the noble caste. In practice, merchants and soldiers most often advance in this fashion. Arcanists care little for the schemes of their fellows and concentrate on amassing magical power, while priests enjoy so much influence and station that it’s more expedient to advance within the priestly caste than to seek acceptance as a minor noble.

Because the noble caste chooses new members from the other castes, the nobles can count on at least a modicum of loyalty and faithfulness from other tsochari. Angering a noble by failing to comply with its directives is a good way to ensure that one will never be selected for that exalted class, after all. Lower-caste tsochari that determine disobedience is not likely to be noticed or punished frequently do as they please, ignoring the orders of their superiors. The race would doubtless collapse into eternal infighting and warfare if not for two unifying factors: the racial hunger for arcane magic, and the racial devotion to the great powers of the [[Far Realm]].

Within the noble ranks, age, personal power, and cunning establish a pecking order of sorts. Newly elevated nobles seek the patronage of older, more powerful tsochari, and work to advance their elders’ purposes. High nobles can command the allegiance of some number of minor nobles. Great nobles are rare indeed, each the satrap of a whole city or region. In tsochari society, birth plays no role in achieving power; the great nobles represent a circle of equals, each of whom holds its position for centuries until some ambitious underling finds a way to unseat it.

===Relations with Other Races===
The tsochari are contemptuous of most other forms of life. They recognize other powerful [[aberration]]s as kindred of a sort, and maintain cool relations with monsters such as [[neogi]] or [[Illithid|mind flayers]] if conditions permit. While tsochari are far-ranging travelers with the ability and inclination to trade with other elder races, they dislike the fact that many other aberration races hold deities in little regard. Tsochari willingly ally with [[cloaker]]s, which share their goals.

Humanoids are little better than steeds, mounts to be used and discarded at will. Humanoids exist to provide tsochari with wealth, magic, and ready sacrifices to the glory of beings such as [[Mak Thuum Ngatha]]. Tsochari look forward to the day when they can launch a truly massive incursion, seizing the bodies of high mages and great priests alike and establishing themselves as the eternal and secret masters of enslaved humanity.

[[Category: Dungeons & Dragons]] [[Category: Monsters]] [[Category: Aberrations]]