Elves, Kirin (3.5e Race)

Kiri

Plural: Kirin, meaning "cast off".

This elven subrace is the direct result of a devastating battle with humanity, which not only destroyed the elven empire, it also killed their gods.

Kiri are what remain of the elven people that fell beneath humanity. When humanity arrived from the stars, the elves held majority over the Mittelhelm's other native species (the others being dwarves, goblins, and ogres) and were not accepting of the human's industrial ways and war broke out. In typical elven fashion when the war started to turn their way, they became overconfident and pressed for victory. Humanity had a different idea of how the first so-called Inhuman War would turn out.

Detonating a device jury-rigged from the engine cores of the worldship which bore them, humanity obliterated the elves nation and set about a geological event that re-shaped the entire planet. The world broke, the oceans fell away and a continental ridge nearly 24 miles tall cut the continent in two, leaving nothing by a barren, broken landscape. In the long winter to follow, humanity finalized their conquest and enslaved the ancient fore-fathers of the Kirin people. When finally the darkness receded, the world that the elves knew was gone and they found that they, themselves were no longer truly what they once were. They had become Kiri, slaves of mankind.

It wasn’t until the 3rd century, in the afterglow of a terrible war that a rather noble and wise King named Theomund Saxon emancipated the Kirin and granted them the freedom to find their own way in the world of the Mittelhelm. They were given an isolated corner of the Imperium; the verdant and untamed valley of Jokokan. Kirin rarely leave their valley home and if they do they often travel with dwarves as their valley is within half a hundred leagues of Father Forge. Kirin have come to rely on the dwarves for many things, including black powder firearms and advanced medical technologies. In more recent times the Kirin elves have pledged themselves to the support of Loken Frost and the Breed nation in return for Loken’s heroic actions during the Rebellion.

Kiri are arguably the most psionically active species on the Mittelhelm (the Githyanki and Illithid, of course are not of the Mittelhelm), and a psionic character is considered a blessing. There are no known Kirin Breed. Kirin have all but lost their fabled elven lifespan. Maturing relatively quickly and living only a couple of hundred years.

Physical Description

Kirin as with all elves are attractive, fair and graceful. Kiri have slight builds and rarely stand taller than 5 feet. Their eyes are solid, vibrant colors, lacking an iris or pupil. Translucent hair is not uncommon. Their four-fingered hands and four-toed feet are tipped in black talons, they typically file these to razor-sharp points and paint them. Their footwear is always open-toed.

Lands

Nestled between the Stormkettle and Earthshear mountain ranges is a long and verdant valley called Jokokan. Here amidst the trees, the Kirin elves have made their new home. They build their villages atop the trees, connecting individual buildings with suspended walkways and bridges. By the same treaty that emancipated them from slavery, the Kirin lands are forbidden to the trespasses of humanity. They govern themselves as a meritocracy, allowing only the most competent among them to rule as Vatic.

Religion

The Kiri are in the process of rediscovering their own faith and pantheon. All regardless of disposition towards the gods revile the Celestial Triad whom they hold partly responsible for the thousand years of slavery the race had to endure.

Racial Traits

• −2 Strength +2 Dexterity, −2 Constitution, +2 Charisma: Kiri are dexterous, lithe and stunningly beautiful, however they are not very hardy or strong.
• Medium: As Medium creatures, you have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Slight: Their physical stature of lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category smaller. Whenever they are subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as Hide), they are treated as one size smaller if doing so is advantageous for them. They are also considered to be one size smaller when "squeezing" through a restrictive space. They can use weapons designed for a creature one size smaller without penalty. However, the space and reach remains the same for those of a creature of their actual size.
• Natural Weapons: A Kiri can make claw attacks, inflicting 1d3 points of slashing damage. A Kiri’s unarmed attacks are considered armed, and it can inflict non-lethal or lethal damages as she chooses. A Kiri can attack with its weapon at its normal attack and then make a claw attack as a secondary attack albeit with a –5 penalty on the attack roll.
• Kirin base land speed is 30 feet (6 squares).
• Elven Hertitage: Immunity to sleep effects and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects. Despite all their differences, Kirin are still elves. Thus Kirin can use or create elvish weapons and arcane items or technologies with kirin-specific properties.
• Trackless Step: A kiri leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. She may choose to leave a trail if so desired.
• Low-Light Vision: The Kirin can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
• Keen Senses: +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. If you merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door you are entitled to a Search check to notice it as if you were actively looking for it.
• Climb Bonus: Because of their clawed hands and feet, Kiri enjoy a +4 bonus to all Climb checks. This bonus is reduced to +2 if the Kiri wears any kind of closed-toe footwear or gloves. If both footwear and gloves are worn, this bonus is negated.
• Automatic Languages: Common. They have no language of their own.

Vital Statistics

Table: Kiri Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex
31 years	+1d6	+2d6	+3d6

Table: Kiri Aging Effects

Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
110 years	200 years	280 years	+1d% years
At middle age, −1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At old age, −2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At venerable age, −3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

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