Shardworld/Races
The Continent is home to a diverse array of races. Most frequent are humans, and the seven human sub-races known as Shardborn, those touched by the energies of another shard. The Dragonics are descendants of the clan most favored by the Wyrm when he walked the Earth, a long-lived race of nomads and warriors. Minotaurs are native to the isle of Bas Ata, formidable in both body and mind. Finally, the exceedingly rare fungaloid Myclings have wandered the Continent bereft of purpose since their elven creators vanished.
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Humans
+2 to one ability score.
Humans gain a bonus feat at 1st level.
Racial Power: Quick to Fight
At the start of each battle, roll initiative twice and choose the result you want
Champion Feat: If you roll a natural 19 or 20 for initiative, increase the escalation die by 1 (usually from 0 to 1 since it's the start of the battle). This increase doesn't stack- if there are multiple humans in the party, settling on one to get this feat is wise.
Epic Feat: Increase the escalation die on a 17+ for initiative, and gain a +2 to your first attack of a battle.
Humans are the majority on the Continent, having spread across the land long ago and propagated since. Humans are key to history, and their determination and adaptability marks them out as arguably the most influential mortal race. All the races except Minotaurs and Myclings can trace their lineage back to humanity. Humans exhibit a diverse range of culture and ethnicities, from the hardy scavengers of the southern badlands to the civilized folk of the cities around the Diamond Sea. Beyond that, they're humans- you know the drill.
Shardborn
The Shardborn are born irregularly among humans. The blood of beings of other shards that lies dormant in the blood of humans occasionally flares up, and a Shardborn is born to mortal parents. Approximately 1 in 100 human births result in one touched by the energies of another reality, and the child of a Shardborn is more likely to be Shardborn than a child of two humans. Lineages aren't always consistent- the child of two ifrit is more likely to be an ifrit than an oread, but it's not a sure thing. The Shardborn races that most commonly birth their own kind are Undines and Twists. The Shardborn are divided into the four types of genasi, the two races descended from the goddess Selanna, and the Twists, corrupted by the demons of the Abyss.
Genasi
Genasi is the general term given for any Shardborn with an elemental nature. Ifrits are touched by fire, Sylphs air, Oreads earth, and Undines air. Each type of genasi have their own shared physical quirks and behavioral inclinations, but these are just the commonly observed patterns, not definite by any means. Thus, suggestions about the personality of each kind of genasi are just that, suggestions- reserved and emotionally stable ifrit or warm, loving sylphs aren't uncommon on the Continent.
Ifrit
+2 to Strength or Charisma
Resist fire 2+
Racial Power: Fiery Outburst
Once per battle, double your bonus to attack granted by the escalation die for one attack, granting the same bonus to the damage of that attack, hit or miss.
Champion Feat: You also deal (3xLevel) ongoing fire damage to enemies targeted by fiery outburst.
Epic Feat: You also gain temporary hit points equal to half the damage inflicted by your fiery outburst attack.
Ifrit are also known as flame-kissed. Physically, their skin tone is generally a shade of red or orange, occasionally charcoal black or auburn. Their eyes tend to be warm shades of brown or yellow. Ifrit don't tend towards any one build, but most build muscle easier than humans. Beyond that, ifrit are the most variable of genasi. Physical quirks exhibited by ifrit include, but aren't limited to:
-Flame-like hair that flickers like a torch even in the absence of breeze, and becomes brighter as the ifrit becomes angrier
-Teeth or nails of gleaming brass
-Constantly exhaling faint clouds of smoke
-Having a tendency to strengthen fires around them
-Translucent, combustible blood
-Pupils that glow blue like the center of a flame
Behaviorally, ifrits mostly disregard law and order, acting as their whims guide them. They are prone to rapid and extreme swings of emotion, changing from jubilant to somber at a moment's notice, but usually don't take long to switch back to their usual high spirits. Ifrit have a reputation for being capricious or disloyal, but an ifrit accused of such things will probably tell you they were just doing what seemed to be most interesting. Ifrit are seen more the closer one gets to centers of population, generally preferring the fast pace of city life. Despite this, many are stricken by wanderlust, and an ifrit is the most common kind of genasi to be found in an adventuring party. Crossing an ifrit is regarded as unwise: when angered, they seethe with the rage of the inferno that birthed them, and won't stop until the target of their ire is completely annihilated, or their rage causes them to burn themselves out.
Sylphs
+2 to Dexterity or Intelligence
Resist lightning 2+
Racial Power: Swift as the Wind
Once per battle, you can pop free from a number of enemies equal to the escalation die, then move as a quick action.
Champion Feat: The enemies you pop free from also have to make a normal save; on a failure, they're knocked prone by a gust of wind.
Epic Feat: Upon activating this power, you gain flight until the end of your turn.
Sylphs are touched by the element of air, and move and fight with the grace of wind and the fury of the storm. They're the most likely of the genasi to be able to pass for human, with frail builds, fair skin, and hair in light shades of blond, grey, and blue. Their eyes are pale shades of any human color, occasionally lacking any color at all. All sylphs seem to be followed by a slight breeze which they must focus to suppress, and that grows stronger during extremes of emotion. Other quirks observed in sylphs are:
-Birthmarks that mimic the scars inflicted by lightning strikes
-The ability to perfectly predict the weather
-A constant static charge that shocks anyone they touch
-Walking on a centimeters thick cushion of air, never actually touching the ground
-Whorls of color that pass across their eyes like clouds
-A slight echo to their voice
Sylphs are regarded as the most aloof of the genasi, with good reason. Most sylphs see no reason to make friends purely for the sake of having them, preferring to be detached from all but a few close friends. They hold little reverence for laws and conventions, motivated mostly by an insatiable curiosity. Sylphs have been known to willingly place themselves in danger just to figure out a piece of information their curiosity has latched onto. They have little regard for privacy, and have turned eavesdropping into an art form. Sylphs are most drawn to careers in scholarship or art. Some sylphs are also drawn to the criminal world, and sylphs are regarded as naturals at second-story work.
Oread
+2 to Constitution or Wisdom
Resist acid 2+
Racial Power: Immovable Object
Once per battle, gain resist physical 16+ until the beginning of your next turn as a quick action. Until then, you can't be moved if you don't want to be.
Champion Feat: The Oread gains permanent +1 PD, increased to +2 while immovable object is active.
Epic Feat: At the beginning of the turn the effect ends, roll a normal save. On a success, immovable object continues.
In the creation myths of most cultures, Oread are regarded as the first genasi to appear, dragging themselves from the earth. Physically, they are sturdily built, and have skin tones mimicking rocky shades of grey, brown, and infrequently green. Their eyes are deep hues of brown, grey, and emerald, and their hair, if they have any, is thick and grows slowly. Every Oread has a gemstone jutting from their skin over their heart, the source of many cultural traditions and superstitions. Many also reflect other elements of the earth that birthed them, such as:
-Faceted, gem-like eyes
-Crystal outcroppings that mimic hair
-Mottled, thick skin the color of granite
-Teeth and nails of obsidian
-Ridges and indents in their skin that create geometric patterns
-Keen sensitivity to the vibrations of the ground
Oread are renowned as loyal, dependable, and possessing a strong sense of community. They are the least outwardly expressive of the genasi, which is not to say that they don't feel- they just don't show their emotional state as strongly as an ifrit or undine, races that many oread consider flighty and unreliable. While oread can be integrated in human cities, the majority flock to small villages and enclaves mostly composed of oread. They naturally adhere to laws and traditions, and are inclined to develop their own unique moral code. Each oread settlement has a different ideology, and this tends to no small deal of conflict between separate groups of oread. An oread is the most common genasi to be found among the ranks of religion, with many settling in and around Temple.
Undine
+2 Dexterity or Charisma
Aquatic: Undines gain a +5 bonus to any background check involving swimming, and can hold their breath for a number of hours equal to their level.
Racial Power: Flowing Strike
Once per battle, you can use a standard action to make a basic attack or attack power at any point during your move action. You can't be intercepted and don't provoke opportunity attacks for this combined attack-move.
Champion Feat: You gain a +2 bonus to the attack made during the flowing tide movement.
Epic Feat: Any enemy you move next to during the flowing tide movement must roll a normal save or be dazed.
Undines are said to "bleed saltwater", due to their being influenced by the element of water. Their skin ranges between the many shades of water, from the sea green of the coast to the murky brown of the swamp. Their irises are universally clear blue, and their hair if they have it is generally wavy or curly, and a slightly lighter or darker shade than their skin. Perhaps the most otherworldly aspect of the undines is their finned ears and webbed hands and feet. Undine generally possess the lithe build of one who spends much time in the water. Beyond that, their physical characteristics vary depending on the body of water they were born closest to, and they can exhibit diverse traits such as:
-Rows of pointed shark teeth
-Voices layered with the faint noise of a babbling brook or the waves of the ocean
-Seaweed or coral outcroppings where hair would grow
-Actually bleeding saltwater
-A second set of translucent eyelids that shuts horizontally
-Swirling, wave-like markings that gently flow across their bodies
Undines are the most variable of the genasi. Aside from their shared physical characteristics, the only common factor shared by most undines is their being born with the innate ability to swim. Undines are divided into a plethora of sub-types too numerous to codify, generally reflecting the characteristics of one body of water and its natural flora and fauna. Undines of the Diamond Sea, for example, are stately and collected natural diplomats, while the Undines of of the glacial north are nomadic and superstitious, and their cold demeanor masks the wild savagery of the icy gale.
Children of Selanna
Legend states that the god Selanna gave birth to these races at the end of the 1st age, creating the first of them over the course of an entire day. Those born in the light of the sun became Dawnborn, and those born under the gaze of the moon became Duskborn. While the two races appear to be exact opposites, beneath the surface all children of Selanna possess many similarities.
Dawnborn
+2 Wisdom or Charisma
Resist holy 8+
Sacred Vitality: Dawnborn characters gain an extra recovery.
Racial Power: Daybreak
Once per battle, make a daybreak attack as a quick action using your highest ability score against one nearby enemy's MD. On a hit, the attack deals 1d4 holy damage per level and they are dazed. On a miss, deal holy damage equal to your level.
Champion Feat: Your daybreak attack targets 1d3 nearby enemies instead.
Epic Feat: Targets hit by daybreak are also stunned.
The Dawnborn appear as humans, except for skin that shines with a faint luminescence and glowing eyes with no pupils in pale shades of gold and yellow. Their hair varies from rich gold to white-blonde, and their every action seems to exude an otherworldly elegance. The Dawnborn hold a special place in the culture of the greater human race, frequently appearing as the central figure of stories ranging from the epics passed down through word of mouth among the western nomads to love poems recited in the halls of high society. They thrive in positions important to the social or spiritual well-being of those around them, born diplomats and oracles. A smaller portion of Dawnborn are drawn to the arts, and many famed creators of art from every age were Dawnborn. They are found most frequently wherever other people congregate, from the coastal metropolises to the trade caravans winding across the realm. Dawnborn who take to lives of adventure frequently become bards and clerics, roles their mystical and social aptitude make them well suited for. Dawnborn also do well as commanders, and it is said that Dawnborn generals are capable of leading their men to near-suicidal feats of bravery.
This is not to say that the Dawnborn are all charm and grace- even the brightest sun casts shadows. Dawnborn who fall prey to their darker sides are narcissists and manipulators, many of whom discover a natural talent with darker magicks. While stories of villainous Dawnborn are less common, they are all the more terrifying for it. Tales of the Daykiller haunt the nightmares of every child in Temple, and the Minotaurs of Bas Ata still refuse to speak the name of the Dawnborn warleader who nearly conquered their ancient empire. Indeed, it seems that none of the mortal races are capable of going quite as bad as the Dawnborn, for those that fall from the light still command the same reverence those that walk in the sun's rays do. One should be wary when around Dawnborn, for many of the shining ones are destined for some kind of greatness- pray that you don't end up in the way.
Duskborn
+2 Dexterity or Intelligence
Resist negative energy 8+
Lurkers in the Dark: Duskborn can see perfectly in the dark, and gain a +3 to any background check involving stealth.
Racial Power: Extinguish
Once per battle, make an extinguish attack as a quick action with your highest ability score against the enemy with the highest MD. On a hit, you cause fear as a monster of your level until the end of your next turn. On a miss, deal negative energy damage equal to your level. In addition, darkness shrouds the nearby area around you. It's not normally enough to cause penalties, but it is very menacing.
Champion Feat: Gain a +4 bonus to attacks against enemies with HP below your fear threshold while extinguish' is active.
Epic Feat: When you make an extinguish attack, you can also teleport to any shadowy area before or after the attack.
Physically, Duskborn resemble humans drained of pigment. Their skin ranges from ash white to charcoal, with most Duskborn falling in the middle of the spectrum. Their hair can be a wide variety of dark and washed-out colors, from midnight blue to stark white. Like the Dawnborn, their eyes lack pupils or irises, glowing in soft shades of white, silver, and pale blue. They tend toward svelte and fragile builds, and the average Duskborn height is several inches below the human norm. Duskborn also possess flawless night vision and a racial affinity for stealth, making them naturally suited to underground environments. Duskborn tend to unnerve others, seeming to awaken the primal fear of the dark lurking in the minds of the races of the light. As a result, Duskborn flock to the fringes of civilization- the poor and dangerous districts and the caves and wilds outside the walls. There are a number of predominantly Duskborn settlements scattered throughout the light-less places of the world, places that tend to shun outsiders. In the cities, Duskborn's unique racial traits makes them naturally adapted to careers on the wrong side of the law, giving them a reputation as a race of criminals. This discrimination causes many to treat Duskborn with suspicion, driving them further away from mainstream society, a vicious cycle of discrimination.
This is not to say that Duskborn haven't contributed to the world. Many of the shadow-dwellers are intellectually gifted, and they are renowned inventors, both mundane and magical. They make excellent scouts and spies, defenders of the people outside the public eye whose deeds go unnoticed. Supposedly, it was a Duskborn mage who created the basic invisibility spell long ago. As adventurers, they gravitate toward positions as rogues, rangers, and wizards, where their talents for stealth and magic thrive. A subset of Duskborn find themselves drawn to the priesthood, seeking acceptance in religion.
