Oreads are humans whose ancestry includes the touch of an elemental being of earth somewhere along the line, often that of a shaitan genie. Stoic and contemplative, oreads are a people not easily moved, yet almost unstoppable when spurred to action. They remain a mystery to most of the world thanks to their reclusive nature, but those who seek them out in their secluded mountain hideaways find oreads to be quiet, dependable, and protective of their friends.
Male Names: Andanan, Jeydavu, Mentys, Oret, Sithundan, Urtar.
Female Names: Besthana, Echane, Ghatiyara, Irice, Nysene, Pashe.
Oreads are strong and solidly built, with skin and hair colored stony shades of black, brown, gray, or white. While all oreads appear vaguely earthy, a few bear more pronounced signs of their elemental heritage—skin that shines like polished onyx, rocky outcroppings protruding from their flesh, glowing gemstones for eyes, or hair like crystalline spikes. They often dress in earthy tones, wearing practical clothing well suited to vigorous physical activity and preferring fresh flowers, simple gemstones, and other natural accents to complex manufactured jewelry.
As a minor offshoot of the human people, oreads have no real established society of their own. Instead, most oreads grow up in human communities learning the customs of their parents. Adult oreads have a well-deserved reputation among other people for being hermits and loners. Few take well to the bustle of city life, preferring instead to spend their days in quiet contemplation atop some remote mountain peak or deep below the earth in a secluded cavern.
Oreads with a greater tolerance for life among humans often join the city watch, or find some other way to serve their community in a position of responsibility.
Oreads are, perhaps above all else, set in their ways, and any disruption of their routine is met with quiet disapproval. Oreads are fiercely protective of their friends, but don’t seem particularly concerned with the well-being of those outside their small circle of acquaintances.
Oreads feel comfortable in the company of dwarves, with whom they have much in common. They find gnomes too strange and many halflings far too brash, and so avoid these people in general. Oreads gladly associate with half-orcs and half-elves, feeling a sense of kinship with the other part-human ancestries despite inevitable personality conflicts. Among the elemental-touched species, oreads have few friends but no true enemies.
Religious life comes easily to the earth-touched. They appreciate the quiet, contemplative life of the monastic order, and most dedicate themselves to the worship of earth- or nature-related deities.
Oreads are initially hesitant adventurers. They dislike leaving their homes and don’t handle the shock of new experiences well. Usually it takes some outside force to rouse oreads into action, often by threatening their homes, lives, or friends. Once the initial threat is dealt with, however, oreads often find they’ve grown accustomed to the adventuring life, and continue to pursue it through the rest of their days. Oreads make good monks and fighters thanks to their prodigious strength and self-discipline.
Languages: Common and Terran.
Darkvision: Oread eyes are able to pierce the darkness. They ignore penalties for Illumination up to 10” (20 yards).
Elemental Sorcery: Oread sorcerers with the Elemental (earth) Bloodline reduce the Rank Requirement for Advanced Bloodline to Veteran.
Granite Skin: Rocky growths cover the skin of oreads. They gain +2 Armor.
Innate Power: Bolt (Spirit to cast, 1/day, (magic stone)). This cannot include any Power Modifiers.
Native Outsider: An oread's Type is Outsider rather than Humanoid.
Reduced Pace: Decrease the character’s Pace by 1 and reduce the running die by one die type.
Strong: Oreads are strong, solid, stable, and stoic. They start with a d6 in Strength instead of a d4. This increases maximum Strength to d12+1.
Ferrous Growth: These oreads learn how to mimic the magic of their shaitan ancestors. Once per day, this oread can cause a touched piece of nonmagical iron or steel to grow into an object up to 10 lbs in weight (sword, crowbar, etc.). It remains in this form for 10 minutes or until broken, at which point it returns to its original form. This replaces Innate Power.
Stone in the Blood (Fast): Some oreads mimic the healing abilities of the mephits. This oread gains Fast Regeneration for two rounds whenever she is Shaken or Wounded by acid. Only two Wounds can be recovered this way per day. This replaces Strong and cannot be taken with Stone in the Blood (Slow).
Stone in the Blood (Slow): Some oreads mimic the healing abilities of the mephits. This oread gains Slow Regeneration whenever she is Shaken or Wounded by acid. This replaces Elemental Sorcery and cannot be taken with Stone in the Blood (Fast).
Treacherous Earth: Once per day, this oread can will the earth to rumble and shift, transforming a Large Blast Template patch of earth, unworked stone, or sand in Range Smarts into an area of Difficult Ground. The duration of this is a number of minutes dependent on the oread's Rank. Novice 1, Seasoned 2, Veteran 3, Heroic 4, Legendary 5. This replaces Granite Skin.