"Long ago, fetchlings were humans exiled to the Shadow Plane, but that plane's persistent umbra has transformed them into a race apart. These creatures have developed an ability to meld into the shadows and have a natural affinity for shadow magic. Fetchlings—who call themselves kayal—often serve as emissaries between the inhabitants of the Shadow Plane and the Material Plane."
Fetchlings are known as the Children of the Shadows, a race of humanoids
thought to be descended from ancient Azlanti from the Time of the Age of Darkness. Fetchlings are beings of great emotion. They are a prideful race who have a long martial tradition. In fact many serve as mercenaries for armies across the Great Beyond. Fetchlings resemble humans with either dusky gray or ghostly white skin. Thei hair is often dyed in wild hues or shaved completely. Elaborate braids, bound or loose, are common hairstlyes. Fetchlings also regular adapt extreme body modifications such as brands, scarring, piercings, and tattoos, many magical in nature. Fetchlings favor all manner of blades and bladed objects. Punching daggers, kukris, sickles, scythes, spears, spiked chaines, armor spikes, spiked shields, and rapiers are all popular choices. Descended from humans trapped on the Shadow Plane, fetchlings are creatures
of darkness and light intertwined. Generations of contact with that strange plane and its denizens have made fetchlings a race apart from humanity. While fetchlings acknowledge their origins, they exhibit little physical or cultural resemblance to their ancestors on the Material Plane, and are often insulted when compared to humans. Some members of the race also take offense at the name fetchling, as it was given to them by humans who saw them as little more than fetchers of rare materials from the Shadow Plane. Most fetchlings instead prefer to be called kayal, a word borrowed from Aklo that roughly translates to "shadow people" or "dusk dwellers." Infused with the essence of the Shadow Plane and possessing human blood commingled with that of the Shadow Plane's natives, fetchlings have developed traits and abilities that complement their native plane's bleak and colorless terrain. Though most fetchlings treat the Shadow Plane as home, they often trade and deal with creatures of the Material Plane. Some fetchlings go so far as to create enclaves on the Material Plane in order to establish alliances and trade routes in areas where the boundary between the two planes is less distinct. These fetchlings often serve as merchants, middlemen, and guides for races on both sides of the planar boundary. Physical Description: Superficially, fetchlings resemble unnaturally lithe—bordering on fragile—humans. Their adopted home has drained their skin and hair of bright colors. Their complexion ranges from stark white to deep black, and includes all the various shades of gray between those two extremes. Their eyes are pupilless and pronounced, and they typically glow a luminescent shade of yellow or greenish yellow, though rare individuals possess blue-green eyes. While their hair tends to be stark white or pale gray, many fetchlings dye their hair black. Some members of higher station or those who dwell on the Material Plane dye their hair with more striking colors, often favoring deep shades of violet, blue, and crimson. Society: Fetchling are adaptable creatures, and as such display no singular preference for moral philosophy or the rule of law. Most mimic the cultural norms and governmental structures of those they live near or the creatures they serve. While fetchlings are arguably the most populous race on the Shadow Plane, they rarely rule over their own kind; most serve as vassals or subjects to the great umbral dragons of their homeland, or the bizarre nihiloi who dwell in the deeper darkness. Above all, fetchlings are survivors. Their tenacity, versatility, and devious pragmatism have helped them survive the harsh environs of the Shadow Plane and plots of the powerful creatures dwelling within it. On the Material Plane, especially if unable to return to their home plane at will, fetchlings tend to cluster in small, insular communities of their own kind, mimicking the cultural norms and political structures of those they trade with. Relations: Because of their shared ancestry, fetchlings interact most easily with humans, though they also find kinship with gnomes and other races that were cut off from their home planes or are not native to the Material Plane. Their pragmatism and adaptable nature put them at odds with warlike or destructive races, and when they do have to deal with orcs, goblinoids, or other savage cultures, fetchlings will often play the part of the fawning sycophant, a tactic learned from serving umbral dragons and one they see as key to their race's survival. Strangely, their relationship with dwarves and elves are rather strained. Dwarves find fetchlings duplicitous and creepy, while the tension with elves is so subtle and inexplicable that both races find it difficult to explain. Alignment and Religion: Fetchlings—especially those living outside the Shadow Plane—worship a wide variety of gods. A smaller number of evil fetchlings worship demon lords of darkness and lust. Adventurers: The Shadow Plane's ever-present hazards pose great danger to fetchling adventurers, but also great opportunity. Because of their servile status on their home plane, however, most fetchlings prefer to adventure on the Material Plane, which often offers more freedom and trading opportunities between the two planes. Fetchlings make excellent ninjas, oracles, rangers, rogues, and summoners. Male Names: Arim, Drosil, Jegan, Somar, Yetar, Zoka. Female Names: Acera, Amelisce, Inva, Renza, Zaitherin. Fetchling Racial Traits +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, –2 Wisdom: Fetchlings are quick and forceful, but often strange and easily distracted by errant thoughts. Native Outsider: Fetchlings are outsiders with the native subtype. Medium: Fetchlings are Medium creatures and receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size. Normal Speed: Fetchlings have a base speed of 30 feet. Darkvision: Fetchlings can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Low-Light Vision: Fetchlings can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light. Skilled: Fetchlings have a +2 racial bonus on Knowledge (planes) and Stealth checks. Shadow Blending (Su): Attacks against a fetchling 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. Shadowy Resistance: Fetchlings have cold resistance 5 and electricity resistance 5. Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): A fetchling can use disguise self once per day as a spell-like ability. He can assume the form of any humanoid creature using this spell-like ability. When a fetchling reaches 9th level in any combination of classes, he gains shadow walk (self only) as a spell-like ability usable once per day, and at 13th level, he gains plane shift (self only, to the Shadow Plane or the Material Plane only) usable once per day. A fetchling's caster level is equal to his total Hit Dice. Languages: Fetchlings begin play speaking Common. Fetchlings with a high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aklo, Aquan, Auran, Draconic, D'ziriak (understanding only, cannot speak), Ignan, Terran, and any regional human tongue. Shadow Creature (CR +1) Creatures with the shadow creature template dwell on the Shadow Plane, only rarely venturing onto other, brighter planes, and can be summoned by shadow callers. A shadow creature's CR increases by +1. A shadow creature's quick and rebuild rules are the same. |
Flechlings |