CasglwyrThe third of the three races with some position of power in the realms of Marleath, the Casglwyr have always been regardeded with some suspicion by the others. Doubtless useful, their strange prediliction for body modification and grafting, especially to their own living forms, has caused the Hegni and the Gollwyd to view them with some suspicion. But the Casglwyr do not appear particularly interested in the politics or the power struggles, and as such are mostly left alone to pursue what strange desires they wish. Their mastery has come at a price, however, and Casglwyr have degenerated in body and mind. Casglwyr have paid the price gladly, as it has allowed them to carefully craft their own destiny on an individual basis.
PersonalityCasglwyr are extremely unsettling due to uncanny reserves of patience and focus, benefits that are balanced with unstable and uncertain minds. Casglwyr are sometimes encountered deep in the middle of an internal dialogue, except they seem to be speaking for both sides. Other times, they may burst out in an intense and sudden display of rage, despair, fear, or any number of other emotions, seemingly for no reason at all. Other Casglwyr are capable of coming across as completely sane and normal, though one may yet wonder if their mental instability is merely hidden away. The only common trait is that they are, one and all, obsessed with the process of changing their forms.
Physical DescriptionCasglwyr come in all shapes and sizes, with many of their physical features having been replaced with a variety of grafts from other creatures, or altered through magic. An unaltered Casglwyr ranges in height between Hanian averages to slightly larger. Their skin is naturally a pale shade of violet with their darker veins providing a contrast not entirely unlike marble stone, and their wispy hair comes in shades of white. Their eyes are solid orbs of white, with no discernable pupil or iris, though this has no effect on their vision.
RelationsThe attitude of the ruling races of Marleath, the Hegni and the Gollwyd, is that it is best to leave the Casglwyr to their unnatural researches. While keeping a weather eye on them, of course. The Boncyff, often the target of their experiments, are terrified by what the Casglwyr are able to do to them, and avoid the vivisectors at any and all costs. The races of the surface have not yet met the Casglwyr, but when they do, their reactions will be one of horror.
ReligionCasglwyr are aware of the Gods and their imminent war, but are far too busy fine-tuning their craft to care much beyond a nodding worship in the direction of Lledrith. The other gods they worship as the need arises, a mercenary attitude that has not endeared them to any of the pantheon.
LanguageCasglwyr speak Marletan. They occasionally learn to speak other languages, mostly to speak to any creatures captured from the surface.
AdventurersCasglwyr are seen as useful freaks, which gives them more freedom within the constraints of Marletan society than any other race possesses. Casglwyr are free to set out on long expeditions to hunt down artefacts, unusual creatures for grafting, or all other manner of treasure, and as long as they are not disruptive, Ve Angau and his servants are entirely unconcerned.
Casglwyr Racial Traits- +2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma: Casglwyr have spent ages perfecting their necromantic grafting talents, at the expense of their sanity and their self-knowledge.
- Medium: As Medium creatures, Casglwyr have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
- Grafted Form: Upon character creation, the Casglwyr may choose one undead graft of 1st or 2nd level, and gains the benefits and penalties of that graft.
- Flesh Heritor: Casglwyr start with one bonus corpuscle available to them at character creation.
- Grotesque Countenance: With any creature who is not necromantic or undead, Casglwyr take a -4 penalty on all charisma-based skill checks.
- Graft Familiarity: Casglwyr gain a +4 bonus to Knowledge checks to identify grafts and their abilities, and may make such skill checks untrained. They also receive a +2 bonus on all Heal checks related to grafts.
- Automatic Languages: Marletan. Bonus Languages: TBD
- Favored Class: Vivisector
Casglwyr have spent centuries mastering the fine art of grafting the flesh of the undead to that of the living. Such skill has come at a price, however, and Casglwyr have degenerated in body and mind. Casglwyr have paid the price gladly, as it has allowed them to carefully craft their own destiny on an individual basis.
Personality
Casglwyr are extremely unsettling due to their uncanny reserves of patience and focus. In fact, Casglwyr have been known to be capable of standing perfectly still for hours, not wavering for a moment. Some have even nicknamed them 'living statues.' This eerily stable exterior, however, hides an unstable mind. Casglwyr are sometimes encountered deep in the middle of an internal dialogue, except they seem to be speaking for both sides. Other times, they may burst out in an intense and sudden display of rage, despair, fear, or any number of other emotions, seemingly for no reason at all. Other Casglwyr are capable of coming across as completely sane and normal, though one may yet wonder if their mental instability is merely hidden away.
Physical Description
Casglwyr come in all shapes and sizes, with many of their physical features having been replaced with a variety of grafts from other creatures, or altered through magic. An unaltered Casglwyr ranges in height between human averages to slightly larger. Their skin is naturally a pale shade of violet with their darker veins providing a contrast not entirely unlike marble stone, and their wispy hair comes in shades of white. Their eyes are solid orbs of white, with no discernable pupil or iris, though this has no effect on their vision.
Relations
Most races are disgusted at the work that Casglwyr do, utterly mortified at the prospect. In some cases, however, Casglwyr are seen as gifted surgeons, and though residents of these communities are hesitant to let one operate on them, they usually overlook the Casglwyr's stranger crafts for the health and good of their people. The majority of Casglwyr live among the dregs of society, shunned or feared for their talents. Those Casglwyr don't mind, as it allows them the privacy to augment their bodies or experiment on the riff-raff who no one will notice are missing.
Religion
Casglwyr are aware of the Gods and their imminent war, and are far too busy fine-tuning their craft to pick sides. Most Casglwyr who become religious favor Lledrith as his goals and motives align with their own. Some others who have transformed their bodies into instruments of brute power take up Hannhangnefedd's call to battle.
Language
Casglwyr speak Trade Common and their own language, and usually a variety of other languages.
Adventurers
Casglwyr might be seen as bottom-feeders, but they prefer to think of themselves as opportunists. A Casglwr might set out on adventures to seek out more powerful undead creatures to extract grafts from, or long-forgotten artifacts from which they can steal secrets and magic in order to augment themselves beyond their limited forms.