Twili, Variant (4e Race)

Twili

Fearsome beasts and noble people who mastered the art of the shadows

Racial Traits

Average Height: 5'7" - 6'4"

Average Weight: 110 - 186 lbs.

Ability Scores: +2 Intelligence, +2 Dexterity or Strength

Size: Medium

Speed: 6 squares

Vision: Darkvision

Languages: Common, choice of one other

Skill Bonuses: +2 Arcana, +2 Stealth

Become Shadow: You gain the Become Shadow racial power.

Forbidden Knowledge: You gain a +2 bonus to monster knowledge checks made to gather information on shadow or aberrant creatures.

Shadow Origin: Your ancestors were banished to the Twilight Realm, so you are considered a Shadow creature for the purpose of effects that relate to creature origin.

Twilight's Concealment: While you are in a square with dim light, you are considered heavily obscured rather than lightly obscured.

Become Shadow	Twili Racial Power
You merge with someone's shadow, becoming no more than a trick of light
Encounter
Minor Action	Personal
Effect: You merge with the shadow of an adjacent willing ally. Until the beginning of your next turn, you occupy the same square as the ally and move together with him. While in this form, you cannot take any actions and cannot be targeted by attacks or abilities. When this effect ends, you reappear in the closest unoccupied square to the chosen ally.

Many eras ago, a tribe of powerful mages known as the Dark Interlopers tried to claim the power of the gods using their shadow magic. However, they failed, and were banished to the Twilight Realm to live in isolation. The Dark Interlopers slowly adapted to the shadows, both physically and mentally.

Physical Qualities

Twili have a black and light blue-gray skin, the light part usually covering the abdomen and face while the black covers everything else. Most Twili have red or orange hair, its length varying between every person. A Twili's eyes are either red, orange or yellow eyes, and for most the whole eye is colored. The Twili also have glowing cyan markings across their body, a scar from the Dark Interlopers' forbidden magic. No two Twili have the same mark. A Twili's complexion is very crude, and most are either tall and slender or short and chubby. Some Twili have unnaturally long limbs or fingers, reaching their knees when standing.

A Twili's life is about as long as a human's, and they age about as quickly. Twili retain their sharp senses until they are about 70 years old, at which point their body starts darkening until eventually becoming nothing but shadow.

Rulers of the Twilight Realm by VanEvil, on DeviantArt

Attitudes and Beliefs

Most Twili have accepted the life in the Twilight realm and view it as home. They are accustomed to living in isolation and are very distrusting of strangers, should they ever meet one in their world. The Twili view magic as a generic part of their life, even though most are not as powerful as the Dark Interlopers were and some can't use it at all.

The Twili still hold a grudge against the creatures of the light for banishing them, though there are societies of Twili who accept the punishment their ancestors were given and take the life in the shadow realm as a gift rather than a curse.

Religious Twili are generally unheard of, as the Twili are afraid of the gods since they brought to the Interlopers' banishing. However, some Twili see religion as a means to reach the gods in a way the Dark Interlopers could not. The gods don't tend to pay much attention to the Twili, though.

Twili Communities

Twili live in small communities, governed by a Clan Head. A community can be led by either a male or a female, depending on who is smarter and more powerful. All Twili pay allegiance to the Twilight Queen or King, and consider them the topmost authority in regards to all subjects. The title of Twilight King or Queen is passed down to the firstborn of their family, but can be challenged in a test of power and wits. Such events, while rare, did happen, and are accepted by the Twili community as a way to put a stronger monarch on the throne.

Twili Adventurers

Twili don't tend to go to the natural world. In order to open a road back, powerful rituals must be cast and a lot of power must be spent, and this is considered a waste of energy and time. Some Twili do want to go explore the "forbidden" world of light and try opening the way back by themselves. Those who do so and go adventuring are shunned by the community and are unspoken of, yet attract a lot of interest from the people they meet on the natural world.

Wizard: Twili are natural wizards. Their ancestors passed down their powerful magic to them, and Twili who go adventuring tend to be attracted to learning how to unleash their arcane potential into the world and show their forbidden magic to its people.

Swordmage: Some Twili trust their arm as much as their brains, and decide the best way to channel their dark powers is through the swing of a blade. More physically-oriented Twili might consider this path rather than the Wizard's life of study.

Warlord: There are Twili who do not view magic as the correct way to display their prowess, but through their wits in combat and tactical thinking. The Twili enjoy commanding others on the battlefield, after having lived in isolation for so long, and want to use their innate power to help others and not only themselves.

Three sample Twili adventurers are described below.

Dasc is a Twili Warlord. He comes from a community of Twili who disagreed with the common way of distrusting the creatures of the natural world and instead actively sought after ways to communicate and go to the world of light. One day, a group of people from the natural world created a portal into Dasc's village and entered it, baffled with their new discovery. Dasc realized these were people from the world of light, told them about the Twili culture and asked them to join in on their adventure. While the adventurers disagreed at first, Dasc showed them his intricately drawn maps of the area and his brilliant strategic mind, and they agreed to take him and show him their world. Dasc still carries the original maps of his village, dreaming about the day he will return to his people and tell them tales of this strange, new world.

Laila is a Twili Wizard. She was born to a family of courtiers at the Twilight Queen's palace, and studied from the court wizard. She always dreamt of becoming the next court wizard and showing the royal family her amazing spells and skill. However, her dreams were shattered when one day her parents disappeared through a rift between dimensions, captured by hunters fascinated by the strange Twili. Together, the court wizard and Laila performed a ritual and opened a road to the world of light, where Laila now wanders, searching for a clue of her parents.

Zant is a Twili Swordmage, a madman in melee and genius in spellcasting. He was sent through an opening to the natural world by his village elders, who feared his madness will bring ruin to their world. Zant has learned how to use his wrath to fuel his arcane power, and is now a feared champion of destruction and shadow, stopping at no one, with his only goal to return to the world of Twilight, to rain vengeance and ruin on his village.

Twili Characteristics: Clever, Distrusting, Forbidden, Mysterious, Quick, Vengeful

Twili Male Names: Arn, Dasc, Ghem, Jhat, Karrt, Nask, Rizt, Tred, Val, Zant

Twili Female Names: Dema, Eue, Gishra, Laila, Mala, Midna, Nosi, Ratae, Yorua

Twili Racial Options

Paragon Paths: Twilight's Emissary, Twilight Dancer

Twili Feats

Heroic Tier Racial Feats

Name	Description
Conjured Frenzy	Twili Frenzy becomes an area power.
Forceful Frenzy	Knock prone with Twili Frenzy
Frenzied Momentum	Shift when using your Twili Frenzy power.
Interloper's Hatred	Bonus to attacks against immortals, gain radiant resistance
Protective Shadow	+1 to ally Reflex and Will on Shadow Form
Twili Frenzy	You gain the Twili Frenzy power.
Twilight Shifting	Move through difficult terrain, do not provoke opportunity attacks in dim light
Twilit Madness	+2 to Psychic damage rolls, -5 to enemy save against your fear effects

Paragon Tier Racial Feats

Name	Description
Shadow Tactician	+1 Reflex and AC to allies in dim or darker light
Twilight Hunter	Combat advantage after Shadow Form

Epic Tier Racial Feats

Name	Description

Twili Utility Powers

When your Twili character gains a class utility power after 1st level, you can forgo taking a power granted to you by your class. Instead you gain a Twili utility power of the same level or lower.

Shadow Step	Twili Utility 2
You evaporate into twilight and reappear nearby, mocking the enemy's failed attempt at your life.
Encounter  Teleportation
Immediate Reaction	Personal
Trigger: You are missed by an attack.
Effect: The triggering attack doesn't deal damage to you. You teleport a number of squares equal to your speed.

Twilight Beast's Stance	Twili Utility 6
You become a beacon of darkness and dread, making your enemies flee in fear.
Daily  Fear, Stance
Minor Action	Personal
Effect: You assume the stance of the Twilight Beast. Until the stance ends, you are immune to fear and gain a +2 power bonus to AC and Will. In addition, whenever an enemy misses you with an attack, that enemy moves its speed away from you as a free action.

Invigorating Cry	Twili Utility 10
You give off a loud sound, a horrible screech to your enemies and a soothing whistle to your allies, making them realize the battle's not over yet.
Daily  Healing
Immediate Reaction	Close burst 5
Trigger: An ally within 5 squares of you is reduced to 0 or less hit points.
Target: The triggering ally
Effect: The target may spend a healing surge. If the target does, you and each other ally in the burst regain hit points equal to your level.

---

Back to Main Page → 4e Homebrew → Races