Altmer (Asylon Supplement)
Althier
Tall, regal, golden-skinned elves, this race inhabits the plains in the center of Aina. They are a race practically obsessed with the knowledge and display of magical power, and look at other races as unfortunate primitives.
Personality
Althier are a race more advanced in the ways of magic than any other in Aina, and they have no trouble reminding others. Althier characteristically consider other races to range from "sadly primitive" to "vulgar" and "beyond help." Their long life spans help them to keep a broad perspective on events, but it also causes them to keep the more short-lived races at somewhat of a distance. In the opinion of the Althier, why put energy into a real friendship that's only going to last for a few hundred years at most? They devote themselves almost entirely to the scholarly pursuit of a school of magic of their choosing, which makes them at once stoic and insatiably curious. Rather than gold or jewels, an Althier will study ancient scrolls and runes with rapt attention during a dungeon raid. Althier are polite but aloof toward other races, and often take measure to point out their relative sophisication and culture. They are not often roused to either great anger or great joy (preferring instead to control their "base emotions"), but nevertheless such displays happen on occasion, and can be hard to avoid or easily forget.
Physical Description
Althier are tall and slight, usually between 6 and 7 feet tall and ranging from 130lbs. to 180lbs., with the males the same height and only slightly heavier than the females. They have skin that is usually a shade of yellow or gold, and hair that is almost always a shade of blonde, brown, or red, fading to grey with old age. Beyond this, Althier age very little over the course of their very long lives, and most members of other races cannot tell an Althier's age simply by looking at them. Althier age slowly, coming to physical maturity at around age 80, and some Althier have been known to live for over 800 years. An Althier's eyes are usually either green or brown, and the males can occasionally grow facial hair.
Like all elves, Althier are more elegant and have finer features than other races, and they do not sleep. Instead, they meditate in a deep trance for 4 hours each day. An elf resting in this fashion gains the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep. While meditating, an elf dreams, though these dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. The common word for an elf's meditation is "trance" as in "4 hours of trance."
Relations
Althier are proud and aloof. When dealing with each other they are cordial and careful not to offend each other's sensibilities; when dealing with any other race they are polite, although oftentimes gently condescending or even deprecating. They are aware of and have a respect for social and political hierarchy, but are no strangers to maneuvering through these systems to accomplish their myriad goals.
Alignment
Althier most often devote their lives to the scholarly pursuit of knowledge about the various schools of magic and the nature of Aether itself, and are thus usually lawful. That said, magic is a tenuous, convoluted force, and has been known to have gentle chaotic effects on those who practice it in any form. Althier are most often neutral or good, but those Althier that are evil are almost always such as the result of exposure to raw magical energies.
Lands
Lilandor is a golden jewel under the radiance of the sun, set in the middle of Ainan grasslands. There are few trees and no true forests on the rolling plains, but most creatures find shelter either in numbers or in the many intricate cave systems and rocky outcroppings in the land. The Althier live in comfort in many great cities that dot the plains, and most are powered or influenced by magic in one way or another. These cities are autonomous and sovereign for the most part, but each city elects a representative (usually a powerful or wise wizard from the community) to serve on the Althier Grand Council in the capital city of Aether's Gate. Althier--whether it be individuals or whole populations--rarely fight with each other, so the Grand Council is more for the purposes of the Althier as a people remaining competitive and involved with the many lands and peoples of Aina than for any sort of internal Althieri stability. Racial pride binds them into a nation, and takes first consideration in legal or interkingdom affairs.
Religion
Althier worship the Anuaic pantheon of deities as a race, but individuals have been known to revere padomaic deities as well. Above all they revere Moiar, who was the architect of Asylon, and the first conduit of magic from Aether into the world of Aina. Chaotic Althier often worship Asipta, Draenic Prince of dawn, dusk, and magic, or Simtu Pasiru, Prince of Knowledge, though alignment does not inform an Althier's religious devotion as much as it might with other races.
Language
Althieri is a language that is said to be most closely related to the ancient, now-ineffable tongue of the Therans. It has many similarities with Draconic, being often long and lyrical, and has a power that can almost be felt in the uttering. Characters that speak Althieri may take a +1 on a caster check for audible spells a numbers of times equal to their caster level per day.
Names
Althier are given names by their parents at birth, much the same as human children. Some Althier have surnames, and a child only very rarely bears the same surname as either parent. Rather, these names are given to the child when they reach adulthood, and typically reflect (always in a poetic fashion) something meaningful about the Althier's life. These surnames are most often in Common.
Boys: Adeipho, Doron, Esidor, Ganymede, Orestes, Priam
Girls: Alcina, Cynara, Galatea, Ianthe, Kynthia, Nyssa, Zenobia
Surnames: Jewelshine, Starmere, Scrollward, Crystalsong, Aethergem, Silversword
Adventurers
An Althier is likely to take to adventuring in pursuit of magical knowledge. Especially considering that some of the most powerful magical secrets in Aina lie hidden in Vethier and Virran lands, and considering that it is illegal for Althier to set foot in Hikipale and dangerous for them to journey into Virrah alone, it is often beneficial for an Althier, laden with spellbooks, historical notes or what have you to journey with a party of other adventurers. They can often serve as tacticians for the group, providing insight on monsters, traps, and artifacts.
Roleplaying Flavor
Elves don't sleep. Everyone knows this, of course, but most people don't appreciate just how bizarre the concept of sleep seems to members of these races. During Trance, an Althier's mind wanders the Ethereal plane, Dothier explore the plane of Shadow, and Vethier walk the Green Ways, but these 'dream' journeys are fully lucid, not too dissimilar from how such a journey would feel while awake and corporeal. Dreaming, as members of other races do, is quite a foreign concept.
Most Althier find unconsciousness utterly terrifying. This strange state of non-control is not something the Althier mind is equipped to deal with. It can't even be said to resemble death, for at least the departing soul of a dead Althier is still self-aware as it journeys to the Ethereal Plane and then Beyond. It's like death would be if your very soul was also destroyed. And true dreaming, random and uncontrolled and nonsensical (not even following the odd 'rules' of the Ethereal Plane, which are not so odd to an Althier, after all) is likewise a profoundly unsettling experience. Althier never lose control of their minds' wanderings (even the apparent insanity of some of the most ancient noble Althier is, fundamentally, a personal choice to appear insane) so being unable to control where one goes and what one experiences in a dream is like being possessed by some malevolent force. Most Althier who experience true unconsciousness are deeply traumatized by the experience.
Althier have a low sex drive, which compensates for their extremely long lifespan. To an Althier, sex is something that marks special occasions and turning points in ones life, celebrating major resolutions and developments in the relationship between lovers. Althier mate for life, and go into a period of mourning lasting for years after the death of a lover, until the end of which they cannot (or at least will not) take another.
Racial Traits
For Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 edition
- +2 Intelligence, −2 Constitution.: Althier are vastly intelligent, but at the expense of physical hardiness.
- Humanoid (Elf):
- Medium: As Medium creatures, Althier have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Althier base land speed is 30 feet
- Immunity to magic sleep effects.
- +2 Listen, Spot, Search, Use Magic Device, Concentration
- Automatic Languages: Common and Althieri. Bonus Languages: Any. Althier often choose Draconic as a bonus language, as well as any of the languages of their friends and enemies.
- Favored Class: Wizard.
For Pathfinder RPG
- +2 Int, +2 Dex, -2 Con
- Medium
- Speed: 30 feet
- +1 Perception, +2 Use Magic Device
- Immune to Sleep
- Althier Magic: Althier receive a +2 racial bonus on caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance. In addition, elves receive a +2 racial bonus on Spellcraft checks made to identify the properties of magic items.
- Lanuages: Common, Althieri
Vital Statistics
| Adulthood | Simple | Moderate | Complex |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 years | +5d6 | +7d6 | +12d6 |
| Middle Age1 | Old2 | Venerable3 | Maximum Age | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 years | 450 years | 600 years | +4d% years | |
| ||||
| Gender | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 5' 10" | +2d8 | 130 lb. | × (1d4) lb. |
| Female | 5' 10" | +2d8 | 125 lb. | × (1d4) lb. |
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Campaign Settings → Asylon