DAELKYR HALF-BLOODS

Despite being sealed away under the earth, a daelkyr can reproduce, after a fashion. A daelkyr's corporeal incarceration constantly leaks the virulence of its corrupting spirit. The unborn are especially vulnerable to this influence, and those innocents growing in the wombs of their mothers within the sphere of this beastly influence are born as daelkyr half-bloods.

Daelkyr half-bloods are born of pregnant mothers who were either influenced by close proximity to a daelkyr confinement cylinder or infected by a breed leech. Transformed in the womb from the natural creature they might have otherwise become, half-bloods are instead born as aberrations, the knowledge of which each new daelkyr half-blood can embrace or reject as its own true nature becomes clear. When a daelkyr half-blood birth occurs spontaneously due to proximity to a daelkyr confinement cylinder, that daelkyr half-blood typically goes on to serve daelkyr goals. On the other hand, if a daelkyr half-blood is born after its mother's unfortunate contact with a breed leech, the resultant creature's nature is not predetermined - indeed, many go on to fight their own kind. However, the birth of a daelkyr half-blood is always accompanied by the afterbirth of a symbiont, twin to the daelkyr half-blood, if different in form and ability. Child and symbiont share an unnatural attraction, despite the horror of parents who might be tempted to cast out both. Such hard-luck half-bloods, shunned by their parents, might be more drawn to daelkyr ideals than those of their biological forebears.

Personality: Half-bloods born in captivity within Khyber-encompassing fortresses are as mad and insane as the daelkyr they serve. Half-bloods born on the surface and raised in civilized societies are more akin to humans in their personality. However, half-bloods are given to melancholy, anguish, and fits of extreme anger. More than most creatures, half-bloods can be of two minds on a particular subject, almost as if they indeed possessed two physical minds, and not just one like most creatures.

Half-bloods tend to avoid the spotlight, especially in urban environments where their true nature might be revealed through too much exposure to common folk. As such, they prefer dark corners, night, and sidestreets.

Physical Description: Anguish burns in the eyes of daelkyr half-bloods, because their spirits are always in conflict. The most obvious outward sign that a creature has been "womb-warped" is the natural symbiont that is first birthed with a daelkyr half-blood (the symbiont is sometimes mistaken for a disfigured twin or gruesome afterbirth), then later befriended, worn, and utilized by the adult half-blood.

Daelkyr half-bloods are most often born of human mothers, and as such share almost all physical features in common with humans. A daelkyr half-blood stands between 5 and 6 feet tall and rarely weighs more than 170 pounds.

Relations: Daelkyr-loyal half-bloods are anathema to all other creatures, except the aberrations that also serve the Lords of Xoriat. Half-bloods living in other societies generally manage to coexist with other races so long as they do not openly reveal their symbionts, which tend to horrify and terrify average citizens of Khorvaire. Lucky half-bloods befriend those who look past their symbiont dependency, and are able to see the person beneath.

Alignment: Half-bloods are far more often evil than good, but nothing predetermines the eventual alignment of a daelkyr half-blood - only the manner in which the half-blood is raised.

Daelkyr Half-Blood Lands: Half-bloods can be said to have lands only insofar as the daelkyr can claim the same. Large sections of Khyber are overrun with aberrations who serve one or another daelkyr, and among those aberrations are many half-bloods. However, nonsubjugated half-bloods would shudder to "return" to these deep places in the earth, choosing instead to seek their way in the light above the ground.

As a general rule, daelkyr half-bloods distrust one another. They do not usually live together, but among regular humans. Some half-bloods become impure princes, automatically almost qualifying for membership through possession of their own personal symbionts.

Religion: No single religion dominates among the disparate half-bloods.

Language: Daelkyr half-bloods speak Common. Some half-bloods learn to speak Daelkyr.

Names: Daelkyr half-blood names tend to depend wholly on the culture in which a given half-blood is raised.

Adventurers: Adventuring halfbloods feel a restlessness that stems from the distrust normal people feel upon learning of a half-blood's symbiont. Discovery and adventure are a great anodyne to being shunned.

DAELKYR HALF-BLOOD RACIAL TRAITS

  • Aberration Type: Daelkyr half-bloods are creatures with the aberration type. As aberrations, daelkyr half-bloods have darkvision out to 60 feet. They are proficient with all simple weapons and any weaponlike symbionts they use, as well as with whatever types of armor (light, medium, or heavy) that their classes allow. Daelkyr half-bloods eat, sleep, and breathe.

  • Medium: As Medium creatures, daelkyr half-bloods have no special bonuses or penalties due to size.

  • Daelkyr half-blood base land speed is 30 feet.

  • Personal Symbiont (Ex): All half-bloods begin play with one personal symbiont that they can pick from the following list: breed leech, crawling gauntlet, or throwing scarab. If a personal symbiont is lost, a daelkyr half-blood can grow a replacement from his own flesh over a period of 2d4 days. A daelkyr half-blood can't grow or regrow symbionts that he has gained in any other manner, nor can a daelkyr half-blood grow a replacement for a symbiont if the original symbiont yet lives.

    As a daelkyr half-blood advances in level, he can grow a new personal symbiont as indicated on the table below. Any new personal symbiont grown replaces the old symbiont. A daelkyr half-blood can choose additional symbionts from the list provided above, as well as from new choices as they become available, as indicated on the table.

    Minimum
    Level    		 Symbionts
    1st Breed leech, crawling gauntlet, throwing scarab
    5th Stormstalk, winter cyst
    10th Spellwurm, tentacle whip
    15th Tongue worm

  • Symbiont Mastery: A daelkyr half-blood gains the Symbiont Mastery feat as a bonus feat.

  • Symbiont Dependency (Ex): Daelkyr half-bloods' facility with symbiont usage comes at a price. Without daily contact with at least one symbiont, a daelkyr half-blood begins to die. If a daelkyr half-blood has no contact with a symbiont for 24 hours, he takes 1 point of Constitution damage. He takes this damage every 24 hours until contact is restored, and Constitution damage sustained in this fashion cannot be restored by any means as long as the daelkyr half-blood remains separated from symbionts.

  • Unbalanced Mind (Ex): The minds of daelkyr half-bloods are in constant self revolt, reflecting their daelkyr "parents" mixed with the more standard mindset of their biological mothers. Any creature that attempts to read the thoughts of a daelkyr half-blood, or otherwise study his mind, must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 half-blood's level + Cha modifier) or be dazed for 1 round.

  • Automatic Language: Common. Bonus Language: Daelkyr.

  • Favored Class: Rogue.

PSIFORGED

A new breed of warforged has emerged, one that excels at focusing and channeling psionic energy. The first of these warforged, built with psionically resonant deep crystals as integral parts of their bodies, came from the Mournland; since then most have emerged from deep within the bowels of Sharn. Although these warforged are the same race as other warforged, they have come to be known by a singular appellation that sets them apart. These new warforged, known for their psionic power, are called the psiforged.

Psiforged are constructed much like other warforged, although shards of crystal are visible beneath their exoskeletons. In truth, psiforged are simply warforged who have taken the Psiforged Body feat at 1st level. The crystals that grow in their bodies as a result of taking this feat help the psiforged focus the psionic energy that courses through all living creatures. Merrix D'Cannith claims to have had nothing to do with the original creation of these warforged; however, despite the Treaty of Thronehold, Merrix continues to experiment with the warforged creation process and is likely responsible for many of those that followed.

Personality: Psiforged are innately curious, always seeking answers to questions. When they find those answers, they seek more questions. More than other warforged, the psiforged desire to know "Why?" In the mind of a psiforged, every question has an answer, and understanding these answers leads to greater wisdom. Psiforged are also more likely to insist on being addressed as a sentient creature, not as an object or automaton. In most circumstances, they are calculating, pausing to contemplate the outcomes of their actions and not taking unnecessary risks.

Despite their intellect and drive, psiforged are still young creatures; few are older than a year or two. While they endeavor to solve problems, they do not do so with the benefit of experience. But they recognize this as a problem, and in an effort to solve it, they do their best to learn from every encounter and apply that experience to future situations.

Physical Description: Like any other warforged, psiforged look like humanoids molded from a composite of obsidian, iron, stone, darkwood, silver, and organic material, but a significant amount of crystal is incorporated into their bodies. Dragonshards, quartz, deep crystal, amethyst, and other crystals are visible within a psiforged's frame or embedded within the composite plating of the torso or head. Psiforged have no physical distinction of gender; like all warforged, they have a sexless body shape. Psiforged, however, are more likely than other warforged to present themselves as a specific gender, as well as use gender behaviors that exist within the local culture.

The structure of psiforged means they do not age naturally, though their bodies will slowly decay over time while their minds continue to grow through learning and experience.

Relations: Psiforged are more apt than most warforged to reach out to the other races, in an attempt to understand the hostility that still exists toward warforged. This behavior is not so much an attempt to convince other races that warforged belong, but more to discover the motivation behind the racism.

In general, other races' relations are as strained with psiforged as they are with warforged, though the psiforged are less reserved and more likely to open the doors to communication.

Alignment: Psiforged have no innate predisposition toward good or evil, and they are usually neutral in that regard. They seek to understand and classify their experiences, which results in a tendency toward lawful over chaotic behavior.

Psiforged Lands: The first mysterious psiforged came from the Mournland. However, Merrix d'Cannith created the psiforged that now roam Khorvaire, and they have since been set free by their Cannith builders. Because they were not mass produced for the war effort, they are not likely to be found within the masses of warforged slaves or indentured servants in Thrane or Karrnath. Some have migrated to the Mournland, joining the Lord of Blades in his cause.

Psiforged do not settle together as a race, and are instead found wandering the world. Despite their wanderlust, psiforged might adopt a city or town as a home. Some have found a place with groups of other warforged in many of the larger cities of Breland and Karrnath, and those allied with the Lord of Blades would be based out of the ruins of the Mournland.

Most psiforged do not feel motivated to lead, though some might be seen as leaders as they try to free other warforged from oppressed conditions. Psiforged can be found within the ranks of the Lord of Blades, and many others are allied with House Cannith. Some even share both allegiances. Psiforged that have perfected their psionic abilities are held in high regard, especially psions and wilders.

Religion: Religion holds little sway over the hearts and minds of psiforged, in the same way that warforged are not religiously inclined. Perhaps it is an artifact of the creation process, and the fact that many psiforged have met their maker, Merrix D'Cannith. That said, psiforged are more likely to become clerics than their less-enlightened brethren, choosing Onatar if they focus on one deity of the Sovereign Host. They are just as likely to follow the Path of Light, if a kalashtar companion introduces them to it, because it helps them understand their psionic powers. Other psiforged might join the cause of the Lord of Blades, seeking camaraderie from their less emotive cousins. Regardless of the direction they take, psiforged believe themselves to be important components in some larger scheme.

Language: Psiforged delight in expanding their vocabulary, but sometimes go overboard and forget to speak only one language at a time.

Names: Like all warforged, psiforged are new to the concept of names and still sometimes struggle with the idea. Some accept whatever name is given, while others struggle to find the perfect name.

Adventurers: Most psiforged were let loose into the world with little direction, but an enormous curiosity. As a result, most psiforged have become adventurers in one way or another. A psiforged might plumb the depths of ruins in Xen'drik or indulge in deductive reasoning as an investigator in Sharn. Psiforged are drawn toward any circumstance that involves mystery, seeking answers yet to be uncovered.

Other psiforged might view themselves as enlightened, and discover a desire to protect other warforged or similarly persecuted groups. These psiforged might be involved in freeing enslaved warforged, or they might be found fighting against the Inspired alongside the kalashtar of Adar. Psiforged see other adventurers as kindred spirits. The wandering lifestyle and constant discoveries perfectly align with the psiforged way of life.