Human/Subspecies

Although humanity, with its historical connection to the Alamo Empire and an increasingly globalized take on magic, has long intermingled and intermarried amongst itself, some distinct subspecies of humanity still exist in the modern-day, typically on the vestiges of more isolated societies.
==Peaktouched==
: Main article: Peaktouched
The peaktouched of northern Raljikka dwelled primarily in the mountains, living among snow and spirits among the highest peaks. Though they are scarce in number, the peaktouched that still remain are among the most devoted shamans that Ealdremen has ever seen. Those who heed the call of the mountains can be granted great powers and spiritual understanding that they can never find in the arcane schools that the peaktouched condemn.
===Alternate Racial Traits (D&D 3.5e/Pathfinder)===
Peaktouched characters, instead of the default human racial statistics, may choose either +2 Wisdom and -2 Intelligence or +2 Charisma and -2 Intelligence to be applied to their starting statistics. The modern-day peaktouched favor the force of will and one's own spirit, decrying modern-day academia for how it stifles a connection to spirits; when they practice arcane magic, they only view it as legitimate if it comes from the soul rather than the mind.
The peaktouched of the mountains rebuke the fascination for arcane magic that many humans now have. They may choose to instead follow the path of the shaman, even if they themselves are not shamans by trade or by lineage. At character level 1st, the peaktouched gains Nature Soul as a bonus feat. At character level 4th, they gain an animal companion, as in the Animal Ally feat, but this animal companion cannot advance in levels and is considered level 1 unless the peaktouched takes the Spirit's Gift feat to unlock their animal companion's true potential. After taking Spirit's Gift, the animal companion advances according to the rules provided by the Animal Ally feat as normal. If the peaktouched already has an animal companion on reaching character level 4th, they receive Spirit's Gift as a bonus feat. This racial ability replaces the default human racial Arcane Affinity.
Peaktouched characters are often raised knowing that the studies of modern-day arcane magic destroyed the reverence that humanity once held for shamanism, and they instead favor the lessons of the spirit world and the wilds. They may choose to have a +2 racial bonus to Knowledge (Nature) and Knowledge (Religion), but a -2 racial penalty to Knowledge (Arcana). This racial ability replaces the default human racial Magic Scholar.
Category:Ealdremen Subspecies