Mena'xin (3.5e Race)
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Mena'xin
Personality
Stoic and calm, they have an air of the stereotypical "strong, silent type". They are a warrior caste, but they are different than the Meza'lin entirely. The love life no less, but instead of revelry, they prefer solitude and asceticism. They are the artisans of the culture, creating works of art unlike any other race. This uniqueness comes from their ability to fly. They revel alone in this, and their wings are, bar none, their pride and joy. This has led to a mild pyrophobia, as fire will destroy the wings easily and quickly.
Physical Description
The Mena'xin are pale, almost ivory in color. Hairstyles tend towards shoulder-length hair for both genders, usually tied back. Hair is usually platinum to sandy blonde. Eyes are pale blue almost exclusively, but some have green rings. Deep green eyes are possible, but not common.
Relations
Even among other Mesha'xin, the Mena'xin tend to isolate themselves in small orders; they are similar to monks in this practice. When not amongst the Mesha'xin, they tend to be loners or simply choose to pretend the non-Mesha'xin don't exist. Barring this, they are cold, aloof and distant to other races.
Alignment
Most are lawful neutral; some are true neutral. The concepts of good and evil are foreign to them, and chaos tends to react poorly with a caste system. What little "chaotic" element exists is primarily due to individuality.
Lands
The Mena'xin live with the other three castes ( Mela'xin, Mesha'xin and Meza'xin) in secluded areas, often in volcanic regions where obsidian (the preferred building material for weapons) is readily available.
Religion
The Mena'xin firmly believe in the inevitability of fate. The religion is that of a cycle of life, death and rebirth. Death is not feared, but accepted as a temporary destination, a moment of respite in that cycle. As combat plays a significant role in this cycle, all Mena'xin are expected to have some adequacy in magical combat before being allowed to leave the homeland. The Mena'xin worship "Xinora", one of the first of the Mesha'xin. She is worshipped exclusively, but as she is not a god, she does not grant spells. Xinora is an ancient lich, and represents perfection to all four castes of Mesha'xin culture. This is not in spite of their hatred of the undead(see below), but the cause of it. She is the epitome of their cycle, one who surrendered her life to step briefly into death, and now exists in a state of both. They consider all other undead to be inferior mockeries of Xinora.
Language
Mesha'xin, Common is NOT an automatic language for them.
Names
Names are acquired during the Rite of Awakening, in which the individual leaves for the crater of a volcano (see preferred lands) and during the rite, chooses their caste. Those who choose the Mena'xin. Surnames, as an individual family is relatively unimportant, consist of "al'"(for males) or "dal'" (for females), then the caste (ie "al'Mena). First names are similar to winged elven (avariel) given names.
Racial Traits
- +2 Strength, +4 Dexterity, -4 Constitution: Increased musculature has evolved alongside the ability to fly. This is for strenght and heavy lifting, and even more importantly, the precision movements required to maintain and stabilize flight. Hollow bones lessen weight, but are far more fragile.
- Humanoid (Mesha'xin)
- Aberration (Mena'xin): The result of physical changes brought about by the Rite of Awakening restructure the body and, to a smaller degree, the mind.
- Large: -1 Size Modifier, - 4 Hide, +4 Grapple
- Mena'xin base land speed is 40 feet: Flying Speed 80 feet (average)
- -2 Diplomacy: The quiet, observant demeanor tends to make others nervous.
- +2 Spot: The facial structure opens their field of view more than normal.
- Burning Wings: If AoE fire damage (such as a fireball) is dealt, the Mena'xin must make a Fortitude save with a DC equal to amount of damage taken. If this save is failed, the wings cannot be used for a number of days equivalent to how long it would take to heal that damage naturally. Feathers must be regrown; wings must recover from the burns.
- Favored enemy(undead)(Ex): Same as the ranger special ability on page 47 of the PHB, though it does not improve with level. A Mena'xin ranger may still choose undead as a favored enemy, and the bonuses will stack. The dogma of their religion teaches hatred of the undead, and the martial aspect of the culture demands each of its followers to be able to adequately combat such a threat.
- May NOT take levels in Cleric: Xinora is not a god, and as such cannot grant spells. Clerics of other gods are generally viewed as misguided heathens.
- Automatic Languages: Mesha'xin. Bonus Languages: Common, Elven, Ignan.
- Favored Class: Mena'xin Skyblade (Paladin can be used instead, but use the Druid Spell list instead. Required alignment changes to lawful neutral.)
Vital Statistics
Adulthood | Simple | Moderate | Complex |
---|---|---|---|
16 years | +d4 | +d6 | +d8 |
Middle Age1 | Old2 | Venerable3 | Maximum Age | |
---|---|---|---|---|
75 years | 150 years | 300 years | +4d12 years | |
|
Gender | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
---|---|---|---|---|
Male | 4' 8" | +2d4 | 70 lb. | × (d4) lb. |
Female | 4' 4" | +d6+1 | 50 lb. | × (d4) lb. |
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