Race: Isci

An isci.

Isci are my own creation, but are based (very) loosely on the Twili from the Legend of Zelda series. Some of their abilities were also inspired by that source.

Isci

"If you are not unnerved by my presence, you are either bold or foolish."

It is said that, before the world began, the Void existed, but unaware. It was only when the light of creation was lit did the Void acknowledge itself, and the other things that now occupied space: since then, many believe, the Void seeks to return the world to that state, so that it may once again return to the slumber of ignorance.

To accomplish this task, however, the Void was forced to engage creation: it required minions, able to breach the fabric between itself and the world, who could go forth and tear new holes for the Void to seep through and extinguish the light. To achieve this end, the Void fabricated creatures that looked and seemed humanoid, but were full of nothingness. Once fashioned in the cradle of the Tenebrium, one of the transitive planes between the Void and the world, they were sent through holes in reality to learn of the children of Gaia and to find the best ways to grow the holes that the Void might slip into reality.

However, the Void is not an omniscient nor omnipotent being, and made a fatal flaw with the beings now known as isci: while they lacked souls, they were each individuals, capable of learning and acquiring more knowledge. Over time, those individuals who were not subsumed back into the Void grew attached to their existence on the Prime amongst other humanoids, and came to envy their lack of direct attachment to a distant and overwhelmingly-powerful force.

The Void became aware of this rise of rebellion amongst the ranks of the isci, and - eventually - decided to recall them all at once, to purge the memories and start anew. By this time, however, the isci on the Prime had found ways around the overpowering call, using the power of the Void against itself. Joined by their humanoid allies, the isci fought back against the nihimentals the Void send to physically retrieve them, and while many of their number fell, the nihimentals were eventually beaten back. The Void retreated, and henceforth used only the elemental monstrosities to perform its bidding on the Prime.

The isci, meanwhile, gradually became integrated into the societies of the world, though many - the Kiltians, especially - would rebuff them. Enterprising isci ventured deep into the metaphysical realms between the Prime and the Void, and found deep within the Tenebrium the means to produce more of their kind. Using methods gleaned from the Void itself, the isci covered themselves in tattoos and sigils that would protect them from domination by the Void, allowing them to live their lives in peace.

Today, few of the original isci remain: while they do not age, many eventually feel that they have lived past their usefulness, and either let themselves be subsumed back into the Void, or venture into the depths of the Tenebrium, eventually becoming part of that plane and strengthening its ability to hold back the Void itself. Young isci who are brought into being in the Tenebrium often question their existence, the first two decades of their lives often spent in the throes of an existential crisis, but the conclusion most reach is the same: through strengthening themselves, they can eventually rejoin the shadows of the Tenebrium and help prevent the Void from overcoming all of existence.

Personality: Isci are often a dour, stoic, and solemn people, rarely capable of joy or even anger. Young isci, who have not yet matured into the isci equivalent of adulthood, are often overcome with depression and existential angst, and may not move from a single spot for years at a time, wrestling with the questions of their existence and purpose of having been brought into being. Those isci who manage to survive into adulthood and move past this crisis have managed to come to grips with their soulless and joyless natures, and approach life with a sort of grim, mildly optimistic fatalism.

Isci who successfully navigate the existential crisis of their creation are effectively immortal, able to be slain and returned to their constituent shadows, but otherwise able to live indefinitely. As such, there are a number of isci who have been around for incredibly long periods of time, and their personalities and outlooks match those of other beings with such long lifespans.

Vital Statistics
		Starting Age			Aging Effects
	Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex	Middle Age	Old	Venerable	Max Age
Age	18 years	+1d6	+3d6	+5d6	---	---	---	---
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
	Base Height		Height Modifier		Base Weight		Weight Modifier
Male	5'		+2d10"		110 lbs.		x(2d4) lbs.
Female	4' 10"		+2d10"		75 lbs.		x(2d4) lbs.

Physical Description: Isci are roughly humanoid in form, and vaguely resemble humans, as they were based on that humanoid template. However, isci are noticeably taller and significantly thinner than humans. Isci tend to have vague secondary sexual characteristics, and while they identify as male and female, these are merely cosmetic difference and have no impact on how the isci "reproduce," as the Void saw no purpose in giving them the ability to have children naturally. The skin of isci is a pattern of black and white, their skin slightly thicker than that of most humanoids.

Modern isci also usually have tattoos and sigils etched into a significant amount of their skin. Isci believe that these symbols assist them in focusing their own inherent Void energies while simultaneously preventing the Void from exerting its influence on them. These symbols are etched into isci children upon their emergence from the Tenebrium, and the patterns are unique to each individual, an important aspect of their function.

Ethos: Isci tend towards Blue ethoi, though generally not by active choice - their tendency to be at least somewhat detached from the world around them lends them significant rationality and logical thinking processes. Isci are incredibly varied as a people in terms of their personal ethics, with little cultural bounds: what is important is that something drive them from the depths of the existential angst, be it rage against the Void for their existence, a desire to help others, or a desire to put their own needs above the many.

Those isci who fail to develop a personal ethos are often those who fail to overcome the existential angst, and fall into comas at the time they would reach adulthood, and are almost universally subsumed into the Void of their own accord. Such isci often, unfortunately, also nearly-spontaneously turn into nihimentals, much to the chagrin of the isci enclaves that must then destroy what they had hoped would become another member of their society.

Isci Lands: Isci are ridiculously rare, and most feel comfortable congregating in only two locations: within the Desert of the Unspoken, which has a number of natural portals to the Tenebrium itself (having been the "landing zone" for the Void in the initial foray of isci sent to the Prime), and amongst lunari enclaves, whose natural tendency towards the Void gives the two races a degree of affinity for one another.

In the Desert of the Unspoken, there are a number of locations that are known isci lands, and are often referred to as isci reservations. Within a number of larger cities and settlements, isci sometimes congregate in ghettos, typically isolated from other races but still within arm's reach of society. While most people will not specifically call themselves racist against isci, most other races feel at best moderately uncomfortable around them, and would prefer that they keep to their own.

Religion: Isci are Nihilists, almost universally. Their inherent Void nature and lack of a soul - and inability to acquire one through any means - means that isci find little, if any, comfort in following Saints or Lucavi, and they are very much aware that Gaia actively disapproves of their existence. While some isci find worship of a Saint or Lucavi to be an important aspect of who they are - and indeed, some isci have brought themselves out of their existential crises by dedicating themselves to one patron or another - their worship provides no power for their icon, and so most Saints and Lucavi are largely indifferent to them.

Language: Isci speak Twili, a quiet, shadowy language that relies heavily on tonality, tense, and somewhat bizarre use of prefixes and suffixes; many have found odd - and somewhat disturbing - linguistic similarities between Twili and Vesuvan, the language of vesuvans.

Names: Isci choose their own names upon overcoming their existential crises, and often choose a name that reflects - at least in part - what brought them out. Others, meanwhile, choose names that invoke the nature of their personal crisis, using it as a reminder of what they went through and what they have overcome.

These names may be as simple and in a Common tongue, such as "Hope," while others may use more exotic languages and terms with more nuanced meanings. As varied as they are, isci have no set of common names.

Adventurers: Immortal, at some point all isci feel the urge to explore the larger world. Those isci who come to terms with the power they wield over the Void, and specifically their ability to contribute to holding it back by joining the shadows of the Tenebrium, will specifically go out and gain experiences of the world, knowing that such experience translates directly into personal power, and the greater their personal power upon rejoining the Tenebrium, the more power they grant to the barrier that holds back the Void.

Isci Culture

The following is a rough overview of some of the highlights of isci culture.

• The Ennui: Isci "reproduction" is fraught with incredible danger, and most of this danger stems from the ennui. When first shaped out of the shadows of the Tenebrium, a young isci is often confused and dazed at the notion of existing enough that they can be brought safely back to the Prime, out of the immediate reach of the Void. Within six months of their arrival on the Prime, however, an isci descends into existential angst, often incredibly unresponsive to stimuli and sometimes even not moving for months, if not years, at a time. During this time the isci mentally - and spiritually, insofar as isci are a spiritual people - wrestles with the questions of existence and what it means to be an isci. After roughly two decades, if the isci successfully overcomes the ennui, he or she joins isci society with a strong ethos or purpose; if the isci fails to overcome the ennui, he or she descends into a coma, the body eventually sublimating into the Void and a nihimental taking its place.
• Sigils and Selfhood: Upon reaching the Prime, each new isci has a number of bizarre geometric patterns and sigils etched into her skin. Each set of patterns and sigils is unique to each isci. The process of individuation from the Void required each isci to be physically uniquely identifiable; with no souls, isci rely on external factors to retain their individuality and resist sublimating back into the Void.
• Geometry: Isci seem to have an innate fascination with geometry, and often utilize geometric patterns in any endeavor in which it makes sense, ranging from the sigils they etch into their skin to their architecture and clothing. With just a few simple lines, "something" can be made from "nothing," and isci often believe that geometric patterns form the basis for keeping the Void at bay beyond the Tenebrium. This appreciation of form extends to other disciplines, as well, and a considerable number of isci have ventured into studying Technology, with an eye for aesthetics and form.

Isci Are Responsible For...

...one.

...two.

...three.

Isci Racial Traits (d20)

• -2 Str, +2 Dex, +4 Cha. Isci are not particularly strong, but possess an otherworldly grace, and have an incredibly powerful personal presence.
• Outsider: Isci are outsiders, not humanoids. As such, they are not affected by spells or effects that normally only affect humanoids.
• Medium.
• An isci’s base land speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision: Isci can see in the dark up to 60 feet + 10 feet/+1 Perception modifier (a negative modifier reduces this distance). Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and isci can function just fine with no light at all.
• Inhibitions (Ex): Isci have DI and NI equal to their level, and are considered Void-aligned. These resistances overlap (do not stack) with oppositions gained due to class.
• Isci gain a +4 racial bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks.
• Soulless (Vo): Isci have no souls, and thus are immune to any effect that would manipulate or control their soul, as well as effects with the [death] descriptor. Isci who are slain cannot be raised or resurrected by any means short of an impossible effect.
• Innocent (Vo): Isci permanently possess the innocent status (A creature with the innocent status always treats its hit points as above a petitioner's absolute limit). This status cannot be removed by any means.
• Daylight Vulnerability: If an isci is the target of a daylight or similar effect, she takes 1d6/caster level points of damage in addition to the effect's normal effects; if the effect allows a save, the isci suffers only half damage on a successful save. If she is within the radius of such an effect but is not specifically targeted by it, she instead takes 1d4/caster level points of damage (with a successful save against the effect negating the damage). Isci, beings born of shadow, are particularly vulnerable to supernatural lighting.
• Shadow Blending (Vo): Attacks against an isci in dim light have a 50% miss chance instead of the normal 20% miss chance. This ability does not grant total concealment; it just increases the miss chance.
• Dwell in Shadow (Ni): Isci were built by the Void to specifically hide amongst other races, and when they could not blend in, they instead blended into their shadows. An isci can use the Hide skill even while being observed. An isci can hide herself from view in the open so long as there is a creature of at least her size casting a shadow within 10 feet. She cannot, however, hide in her own shadow. Unlike normal stealth, however, the isci is actually part of the creature's shadow, and is effectively invisible and gains evasion while this effect lasts, but she cannot take actions or move on her own, instead moving with the creature. An isci can take a full-round action to end this effect, appearing within 10 feet of the creature whose shadow she occupied. An effect that triggers her daylight vulnerability ability immediately dispels her from the shadow, and effects such as detect void or true seeing will still reveal her presence.
• Shadowslip (Ni): An isci has the ability to travel between shadows as if by means of a dimension door spell. The limitation is that the transport must begin and end in an area with at least some dim light. An isci can travel up to 10 feet per character level per day in this fashion. The distance can be split among many jumps, each one counts as at least a 10-foot increment.
• Void Legacy (Ni): As a creature of Void, an isci can channel some powers of the Void, calling upon her own existence rather than the Void itself. At character creation, choose three 1st-level nihils from the voidchild nihil list; you can use those nihils at will, provided you have a Charisma score of at least 10, treating your nihilist level as one-half your character level (or your nihilist level, whichever is higher). You accrue void debt from these effects as normal, treating your threshold rating as one-half your Charisma modifier (round down, minimum 1), your overflow rating as equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1), and your sublimation rating as double your Charisma modifier (minimum 1). If you gain nihilist levels, you gain those nihils as nihils you can access, and use the debt ratings of your nihilist class.
• Automatic Languages: One Common language, one Trade language, Twili. Bonus Languages: Any.
• Favored Class: Choose one - ninja, voidchild.
• LA: +1. Remember that LA can be bought off.