Krashe
Background
Krashe like gillmen are descended from humans. Mallina ago aboleths captured humans and muted them to survive underwater. Most were transformed into gillmen though a few into the lesser-known aquatic race krashe. The gillmen’s and krashe ancestors were thus saved from extinction, but at a terrible cost: for centuries, they served the aboleths, physically and mentally twisted into the perfect tools of that ancient race.
In time, the aboleths abandoned their fleshwarped servants. Despite their freedom, krashe still bear the psychic scars of their race’s captivity. They face the distrust of others, who often suspect krashe the same way they suspect gillmen of ulterior agendas.
Physical Description
Krashe have a roughly human outline at first glance with agile but muscular builds, however, the gills on their neck, their vibrant skin tones, long tentacle hair. and diverse eye colors give them away instantly. Krashe have soft, delicate skin, displaying a wide variation of skin tones, ranging from pale turquoise, deep blue, sea green, shades of brown, russet, and coral tones. Their hands and feet webbed, further, their hands possess small fine suckers on the palms and undersides of the fingers. Krashe are also prone to a larger than normal proportion of intersex births, an unusual trait to most races. Krashe often decorate their bodies with tattoos. Krashe tattoo artists are valued members of a krashe community and create colorful pigments from cephalopod ink, sea plants, and tropical fish. Krashe will at times also visit coastal settlements and hail passing ships to trade for tattoo services; a krashe sporting a “land drawn” tattoo earns respect and admiration from her peers. Most krashe favor swooping, abstract tattoos reminiscent of ocean currents, though some memorialize their adventures or significant life experiences with symbolic images. Krashe are physically bound to the sea; they must submerge themselves in water at least once a day or their skin dries and cracks, their organs begin to fail, and they eventually die.
Society
Krashe Society typically appears into one of two camps either nomadic groups or small to medium-sized settlements. Krashe rarely form truly large settlements. A typical krashe community lives under the guidance of a small council comprising officials appointed by consensus. Council positions can be held indefinitely, though a community unhappy with the performance of a council member can call for her resignation.
Intermarriage in krashe communities is common, with children raised communally. A fair amount of regional diversity exists in krashe culture, as influenced by the specific ancestry of independent settlements. It should also be noted that not all krashe in a single settlement claim the same ancestry, as undines may marry other undines from outside their own communities.
Krashe tend to settle in water away from the prying eyes of outsiders, usually in warmer climates. Though aquatic, krashe do spend enough time on land to not be afraid of it. though it becomes more a bubbling curiosity about the differences between the water and the land with their normally short sojourns on land. Scavenging ruins and shipwrecks near coastlines, and trading their finds with nearby land dwellers.
Due to the prejudices, they face krashe are an insular and guarded race. Valuing their privacy and are more likely to react to surfacers with aggression than with friendship or passion. Krashe communities guard their territories ruthlessly. They may warn away ships and travelers who seem nonthreatening or genuinely lost, but if trespassers appear hostile, kashe attack first for fear of being driven out or eradicated. While they might work with non-Krashe on occasion, only rarely do they trust these allies fully.
Most krashe dress sparsely, wearing only enough clothing to protect themselves from the elements when on land, and few wear shoes. though they do understand wearing armor for battle to protect themselves. Krashe tend to prefer light armors. Further krashe love wearing jewelry, though tend to avoid wearing too much around their necks this prevents objects from becoming a distraction or hindrance while swimming. Similarly, krashe pursuing martial classes typically choose weapons that they can wield efficiently on land as well as in water.
Relations
When associating with others, krashe prefer the company of their own kind, though they sometimes consort with humans, merfolk, or other aquatic races, usually as traders, messengers, or hunters.
The krashe are a proud race and show little outward fear. While good-natured and somewhat playful among their own settlements, they behave with slightly more reserve and seriousness in the company of non-krashe. Even to the point, they view allies warily, wondering if they, too, want only to use the krashe for their own purposes. Krashe today are leery of everyone—even of their own kind. As if in spite of this treatment krashe search for every bit of enjoyment they can draw from life. They take pleasure in new experiences, from trying new land fare to exploring unknown waters and places. Krashe have excellent emotional control and can edge their tempers from calm to raging and back again within a few minutes. While some might dub their behavior erratic, krashe are simply a bit more outwardly melodramatic than most races. Certainly, they are not moody and do not become angered, excited, or otherwise emotional without provocation. Though they do anger quickly if they suspect someone is talking down to them. Overly flowery language or flattery can likewise insult them; krashe respect those who speak plainly, even if what they have to say is unpleasant. As close friends, some find them overly possessive, though they are also extremely protective of those they care about.
Rumors persist that some krashe still serve aboleth masters willingly, moving among coastal regions as spies and saboteurs. The discovery of these agents perpetuates the pervasive belief that all krashe and gillmen are—knowingly or unknowingly—thralls to aboleth masters.
Alignment and Religion
Krashe can breathe air freely but move on dry land only with difficulty, and rarely spend long periods out of water. As a race, krashe are insular and distrustful of strangers, but individuals, especially adventuring krashe, break the mold and can be quite garrulous. Krashe concern themselves more with nature, the martial pursuits, and have a strong inclination toward neutral with good and chaotic streaks to their alignments. Their principal interests lie in the welfare of their people, and thus their moral concerns focus upon the community and upon themselves. While not deeply religious, krashe possess a strong spiritual connection to water itself. Those who pursue nonsecular paths almost always worship the gods of their ancestors or gods whose portfolios feature some aspect of water.
Adventurers
Though small Krashe communities exist underwater, most krashe operate independently or in small family groups. They share no overreaching racial goals or desires, banding together solely for survival. Each krashe has unique experiences and motivations that may lead to an adventuring life. Although krashe are slow to make friends with other races, they are nonetheless a stable addition to any group of adventurers.
The notorious krashe pride stems from a conviction that they were in open rebellion against their aboleth masters at the time of their abandonment. Though most evidence has been worn away by time and the waves over thousands of years, krashe firmly believe they are descended from ancestors with powerful enough wills to rebel and resit aboleths. Krashe also consider any artifacts of their lost time of unity—or artifacts they simply suspect might be from their time of unity—to be their belongings. Word of krashe treasures in the hands of others, particularly evil races such as sahuagin and especially aboleths, inflames them with anger. Krashe may take extraordinary risks to retrieve such items from their enemies.
Like water itself, some krashe simply feel compelled to move, and adventuring gives them an ample excuse for living on the road. Others adventure for less wholesome reasons, and exile is a common punishment for crimes within krashe society. With few other options, most exiles turn to adventuring hoping to find a new place in the world.
Sahuagin and other evil aquatic races clash frequently with krashe, and these races have been known to destroy entire krashe colonies, taking the few survivors as prisoners. A krashe who escapes this fate may be left alone in the world, her friends and family dead or captured. Some of these unfortunates leave their former territory, suppressing their painful memories, and caring little where their travels take them. Other krashe leave their homes only as a means to protect their own: to rescue loved ones captured by aquatic slavers, to recover powerful magic items to defend their lands, or to seek a cure for a disease or curse.
On rare occasions, a krashe community may exile a krashe who has broken the trust of his neighbors. Exiled krashe feel great shame and often lie about their origins to their fellow travelers. Some of these adventurers seek a way to regain the good graces of their community, such as by performing a great service, killing a ferocious predator, or finding a lost treasure to bring home with them.
Some krashe are unable to let go of their race’s past.
These adventurers follow rumors of aboleth activity and seek out villains that serve the deep-sea masters. They also pursue powerful allies and artifacts to aid them against the aboleth menace. Krashe adventurers quest for information on why the aboleths first created the Krashe, what purpose the krashe were intended to fulfill, and why the aboleths gave up their thralls. These krashe hope to ascertain their history so that it can be put to rest, allowing their people to begin building a unified future.
Names
A good rule of thumb for names is to pick ether old Babylonian or Sumerian style names. Or to use other aquatic races as a base. For example, undine works quite well for names as shown below.
Male Names: Aven, Dharak, Ghiv, Jamash, Maakor, Ondir, Radid, Shiradahz.
Female Names: Afzara, Baarah, Calah, Iryani, Maarin, Nylgune, Pari, Radabeh, Urdahna.
|
Adulthood |
Intuitive1 |
Self-Taught2 |
Trained3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 years | +4d6 years
(64 – 84 years) |
+6d6 years
(66 – 96 years) |
+8d6 years
(68 – 108 years) |
- 1 This category includes barbarians, oracles, rogues, and sorcerers.
- 2 This category includes bards, cavaliers, fighters, gunslingers, paladins, rangers, summoners, and witches.
- 3 This category includes alchemists, clerics, druids, inquisitors, magi, monks, and wizards.
|
Gender |
Base Height |
Height Modifier |
Base Weight |
Weight Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 5 ft. 0 in. | +2d10 in.
(5 ft. – 2 ft. 6 ft. 8 in.) |
120 lbs. | +(2d10×5 lbs.)
(130 – 220 lbs.) |
| Female | 4 ft. 7 in. | +2d10 in.
(4 ft. 9 in. – 6 ft. 3 in.) |
85 lbs. | +(2d10×5 lbs.)
(95 – 185 lbs.) |
Racial Traits (17/15 RP)
Ability Scores: +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, –2 Intelligence: Krashe are nimble and have a canny insight, but they tend to be flighty. (Cost 0)
Size: Krashe are Medium creatures, and they have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Type: Krashe are Humanoid’s with the aquatic subtype. Krashe are amphibious and can breathe both air and water. (cost 0 Humanoid, amphibious 2)
Languages: Krashe begin play speaking Aquan and Common. Krashe with a high Intelligence score can choose from the following: Aklo, Aboleth, Draconic, Elven, Cyclops, Grippli, and Celestial. (Cost 0)
Movement & Movement Abilities
Normal Speed: Krashe have no trouble moving about on land using their tentacles and have a base speed of 30 feet. (Cost 0)
Swim Speed: Krashe have a swim speed of 40 feet. (Cost 3)
Senses
- Deepsight: Krashe are specially adapted to the lightless depths of the oceans, but not to air-filled environments. They can see in the dark up to 120 feet while underwater, but do not gain this benefit out of water. (Cost 2)
- Low-Light Vision: Krashe can see twice as far in conditions of dim light. (Cost 1)
- Tentacle Sense (4 RP): While swimming and not grappled or grappling, a Krashe can spread her long and agile head tentacles wide to form a sensory net around herself as a swift action. This grants blindsight to a range of 30 feet and lasts as long as the Krashe concentrates or until the Krashe attacks with a tentacle or moves. In addition, a Krashe Can use their tentacles to hold small items and can attempt Sleight of Hand checks with her tentacles rather than her hands but with a –4 penalty (Cost 4)
Defensive Abilities
- Energy Resistance: Krashe have cold resistance 5. (cost 1 RP)
- Terrain Chameleon: Krashe can change their coloration to blend in with underwater terrain, mixing browns, grays, and greens to resemble kelp or other natural water plants. As a standard action, a Krashe can change her coloration, gaining a +4 bonus on Stealth checks in underwater environments. She can return to normal as a free action. (Cost 1)
- Enchantment Resistance: Krashe gain a +2 racial bonus to saving throws against non-aboleth enchantment spells and effects, but take a –2 penalty on such saving throws against aboleth sources. (Cost 1)
- Venomkissed: Krashe display an innate resistance to the toxic creatures of the deep. Some Krashe take on the dangerous task of domesticating jellyfish, octopuses, sea snakes, and other venomous creatures. Solitary Krashe make their homes near beds of poisonous coral and anemones, using the creatures as natural defense. Krashe gain a +2 racial saving throw bonus against poison. (Cost 1)
Offensive Abilities
- Tentacle Attacks (3 RP): Krashe have two tentacle attacks that deal 1d4 points of damage. These attacks are primary natural attacks and have a reach of 10 feet. This extended reach only applies to the Krashe tentacle attacks and not to any other attacks she makes. (Cost 3)
Weakness Racial Traits
- Water Dependent: A Krashe body requires constant submersion in fresh or saltwater. Krashe who spend more than one day without fully submerging themselves in water risk internal organ failure, painful cracking of the skin, and death within 4d6 hours. (Cost -2)
Alternate Racial Traits
The following racial traits may be selected instead of the standard Krashe racial traits.
- Submerged: Krashe who live in deep water are accustomed to the gloom of the depths. Though these Krashe can venture onto land, they are uncomfortable doing so and must return to the ocean sooner than other Krashe. Krashe with this racial trait must submerge themselves in water every 12 hours or die within 2d4 hours. This modifies their water dependent racial trait. (Cost -4)
- Slimehunter: Krashe with this trait are from lineages that have fought against aboleths since the aberrations rescued their human ancestors. They receive a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against aboleth spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities. This racial trait replaces enchantment resistance. (Cost 1)
