Darkaralome (3.5e Race)
This material is published under the OGL 1.0a. |
Darkaralome[edit]
Darkaralome (IPA: dɑːˈkɑɹəloə̆m, sometimes spelled as Da'karalohm) have a great reputation for sculpture, fire magic and sagely knowledge, but only among those that know of their existence. Though they are well known in many dwarven and elvish lands, they are a mystery to most humans, if not completely unknown. Past wars with kingdoms who mistook them for Drow have heightened their secretive natures. They rarely venture from their volcanic mountain homes these days.
Personality[edit]
Darkaralome are both guarded and garrolous. Among friends, they can be quite fun and easygoing, and to some extent they do this with outsiders. However, a darkaralome is always careful as to how much they reveal of themselves to people they don't know.
Physical Description[edit]
Darkaralome vary in height, ranging from as little as 4½ feet to 6 feet, and from 95 lbs to 135 lbs. Females are usually slightly shorter and lighter than the males. Darkaralome tend to be strong without being bulky, with wiry frames being the norm. Their skin ranges from ebony black to navy blue, with hair the same shade. They do not have facial or body hair. Their eyes can be nearly any color imaginable; brown, black, blue, yellow, red, green, violet and orange are equally represented in the population, plus many shades in between. Their faces remind most people of the elves, but their ears set them apart. Darkaralome have no lobes; instead, their ears are entirely cartilage, coming to a point both at the top and the bottom.
Given their resistance to decorative piercings (see racial traits below), Darkaralome jewelry takes few forms. Rings, necklaces and such are common, as are rings braided into long hair. Their most unique item is the earchain, which is a set of two rings linked by a short chain. The ear is bent slightly as the rings are slipped on both sides, then released. The upper ring and the chain, which can be behind or in front of the ear, keep the lower ring from coming off. Earchains usually have to be sized by a jeweler for a perfect, comfortable fit.
Relations[edit]
Darkaralome get along very well with dwarves, the only race whose stonecraft surpasses their own. They have acceptable relations with elves, half-elves, woodsprites, half-sprites, halflings and gnomes, though they view the latter race as a bit too flighty for their own good. Darkaralome tend to avoid human and half-orcish contact, as they are often mistaken for Drow by the unobservant, but they have no problem associating with the less ignorant members of those races.
Alignment[edit]
Darkaralome tend away from chaotic behavior, as their secretive nature tends to be at odds with it. As a society, they tend towards the good end of the spectrum. However, adventurers can be of any stripe.
Darkaralome Lands[edit]
Darkaralome live near volcanoes, but rarely in active ones themselves. They prefer subterranean lairs close to the surface world, beneath forests in valleys, plains or mountainsides.
Religion[edit]
The chief darkaralome god is Lo'hemeh, the Obsidian Flame.
Language[edit]
The Darkaralome language uses the Elvish script, but is more akin to Sylvan in style and grammar. Scholars sometimes learn Darkaralome in order to peruse the few books that have made their way out of the guarded hands of the darkaralome people. However, due to the secrecy of the race, the language is sometimes misidentified as "Ancient Elvish" or "Dark Elvish".
Automatic languages
Common and Darkaralome.
Bonus languages
Dwarven, Goblin, Ignan, Orc, Sylvan, and Undercommon. Darkaralome tend to learn the languages of their friends and enemies in their volcanic homes, as well as the ancient Sylvan tongue.
Names[edit]
Upon birth, a darkaralome is given three names by their parents. The first is their usual name, what they go by for the rest of their lives. The name of her mother or father (or, less frequently, an honored ancestor or family friend) is used as a base for the child's second name. A suffix is added, -mai for daughters, -pai for sons. So, a girl might become Lilka Dorotamai (Lilka, Dorota's daughter), and a son in the same family might be Jas Kaziopai (Jas, Kazio's son). Their final name is a secret, "true" name that the darkaralome might never reveal to anyone else. Telling someone else your truename is a sign of your solemn trust for that person. Typically, spouses share these names on their wedding day (and sometimes later with their grown children), clerics share theirs with their high priest, lieges share theirs with their lord, and soldiers share theirs with their captain. Giving out the truename of someone else is a grievous insult. A darkaralome may change her common name, but can never change her truename.
Male Names
Aurek, Garek, Heniek, Jas, Kazio, Koby, Liuz, Marke, Olus, Pawel, Rufin, and Slawek.
Female Names
Bryga, Dorota, Elka, Halina, Jasia, Lechsinska, Lilka, Magda, Tola, Waleria, Wisia, and Zytka.
Truenames
These can literally be anything. A second common name is often used (Tola, or Marke), but some parents go nuts and use made-up, unpronouncable names (Ykkwpomnnbetzxz), strings of numbers (25388301), or whole paragraphs (It Was A Dark And Stormy Night When I Was Born And Mother Wanted More Ice So Father Left And By The Time He Returned He Had Missed My Birth And Was Very Surprised).
Adventurers[edit]
Adventurers are often those whose personalities chafe under the overly lawful society around them. Others wish to gather new knowledge from faraway lands, while many more are simply struck by wanderlust.
Darkaralome Racial Traits[edit]
- Humanoid.
- +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity: Darkaralome are hardy creatures, but they lack the fine grace of their sylvan kin.
- Medium-size: As medium-size creatures, darkaralome have no special bonuses or penalties due to size.
- Darkaralome base land speed is 30 feet.
- Low-Light Vision: Darkaralome can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
- Weapon Familiarity: Darkaralome treat Lomepicks as martial rather than exotic weapons.
- Slow Regeneration: Darkaralome strongly resist the marring of their natural form. With enough time, scars fade, foreign objects migrate out of the body, and severed limbs regrow anew. Piercings migrate out of the body in 1d3 months. Tattoos and scars fade away in 1d6 months (psionic tattoos resist this effect). Even magical scars will disappear, unless there's some magic constantly renewing the scar. A severed hand can grow back in 1d10 + 15 months. An arm can take up to a decade (1d6 + 4 years), and a leg will take longer (1d6 + 10 years). Severed limbs, if uncauterized and bound to the stump within ten minutes of the injury, will fully reattach themselves in 1d4 + 4 days.
- +2 racial bonus on saves vs. disease and gaseous attacks. The physiology of the darkaralome strongly resists illness, as well as the corrosive gases that sometimes spew from their volcanic homes.
- +2 dodge bonus vs. spells, spell-like abilities and supernatural abilities with the fire descriptor. All darkaralome are familiar with the volcanic magics of their homes.
- +20 racial bonus vs. any effect that would cause the darkaralome to reveal the truename of herself or anyone else she knows. The secrecy of a truename is firmly engrained into a darkaralome's mind, body and spirit. They do not part with these secrets lightly.
- Spell-like Abilities: Darkaralome with Charisma scores of 10 or higher have the following spell-like abilities: 1/day-Ray of Heat, Dark Light, Globe of Sparks . Caster level 1st; save DC 10 + Charisma modifier + spell level.
- Favored class: Sorcerer. A multiclass darkaralome's sorcerer class does not count when determining whether he suffer an XP penalty for multiclassing. Magic runs strong in every darkaralome's blood.
Vital Statistics[edit]
Adulthood | Simple | Moderate | Complex |
---|---|---|---|
50 years | +3d8 | +5d8 | +8d8 |
Middle Age1 | Old2 | Venerable3 | Maximum Age | |
---|---|---|---|---|
150 years | 225 years | 300 years | +3d% years | |
|
Gender | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
---|---|---|---|---|
Male | 4' 6" | +3d6 | 100 lb. | × (1d2) lb. |
Female | 4' 5" | +3d6 | 95 lb. | × (1d2) lb. |
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