Killoren

## Origin Myths

There exists no record of Killoren before The Raising. This either means they appeared in the world at the time of The Raising, or they had no contact with the Vela’haar Empire before then. The Killoren say that they were first created by the great tree spirit Sheala in response to the destruction of the natural world. Their written accounts of their time in Jord is scattered and very seldomly goes back more than a few hundred years. Killoren tend to leave little trace of their time spent in any location, and see no real reason to keep record of their history.

## Physical Description

Physically the Killoren most resemble half-elves in appearance, though there is only a mild resemblance. They have longer and more slender bodies when compared to humans and elves. Their skin has the texture of a newly budded leaf and is typically some shade of green, though they can have any color you would find in a leaf. The families that live in frozen regions are usually a dark brown or green. Their “hair” appears more as thick grass or long leaves and it is typically a similar shade to their skin, though something entirely different is not uncommon. Their eye color is normally a very light green, but both their hair and eye color change if they are manifesting an aspect of nature. When Killoren reach their twilight years they begin to acquire a more wooden texture and color to their skin. If the Killoren was a particularly powerful druid or cleric of nature they can potentially become rooted to the ground as they die and actually transform into a tree. These trees are referred to as Elder Oaks (though they can take the shape of any number of trees). Any Killoren can immediately recognize an Elder Oak for what it is, and others can do it with a successful Knowledge (Nature) check of DC 15. Elder Oaks are highly respected as founts of knowledge and wisdom (though they do not actually speak or communicate). The wilds surrounding the Althane Ruins is filled with Elder Oaks and is considered the holiest of sites for the Killoren people. Destroying an Elder Oak is the greatest insult a person can make towards the Killoren people.

## Lands

The Killoren claim no lands of their own. Families live in temporary camps and move about a region constantly. While they will not claim the right to any lands Killoren do consider the area an Elder Oak stands as sacred ground and will not abide the destruction of these areas. The only recognized Killoren “city” if it can be called that, is the Emerald Forest that surround the Althane Ruins. There are hundreds of Elder Oaks in this forest and the Oakheart family that travels this forest is the largest Killoren group in all of Jord.

## Society

Killoren live in small family groups and are pretty evenly scattered throughout all of the land. They can survive in nearly any climate so they are found everywhere. The largest family group is the Oakwell family that lives in the forests surrounding the Althane Ruins. Family groups are usually named after things in nature. Example names: Oakheart, Springtwig, Rosethorn, Blackwood, Snowfeather, Sandstream, Moonpool, etc. Killoren do not distinguish between those born into a family and those that join it later, whether it be a wanderer adopted in or a mate to a current family member. Killoren usually stick with the same family for their entire lives. The most common reason to change families is when a wanderlust driven young adult decides to settle in with another family, usually because of a love interest. Changing families is not seen as a negative thing and a Killoren that has changed families will still be well received by his former family, so long as he did not leave on bad terms.

## Philosophy

Most humanoid races tend to be somewhat anthropocentric, valuing traits that they boast such as intelligence or strength. However due to deep connection Killoren have with nature they are inclined to respect and cherish all living species. One result of this is that Killoren have a habit of drawing analogies from the natural world far more frequently than from their own society (for instance, where humans refer to their land as their "kingdom," a male's puberty as "entering manhood," or aiding one another as "lending a hand," Killoren use the comparable phrases "the wilds," "budding," or the idiom "split the stream," respectively).

A prime example of this is the Killoren philosophy of the Great Forest, representing the experiences one has during one's life.

## Killoren and other races

Contact between the Killoren and others tends to be a rather bipolar situation. Usually the Killoren are content to remain in their wild homes only occasionally leaving to hunt down unnatural intruders (undead, constructs, aberrations, etc.). They will approach traveling merchants to trade for supplies (Killoren usually use handmade goods to trade for items that cannot be easily made in the wild), but for the most part they are completely invisible to the local communities. But encroachment on their lands, especially unnecessary expansion, can illicit a fevered response from them. For the most part the truly wild regions of the world have been kept that way for this reason. Though they are few in number, the Killoren are a frightening enemy to face. Elves get along the best with the Killoren and some even revere them as servants of the Gods. Killoren see the Elves as misguided but well-intentioned. Killoren view humans with a bit of fear and a lot of prejudice. This is mainly because humans are the least content with the status quo and are constantly expanding into the wild regions around their cities. Goliaths are not seen as a threat, but the Killoren are concerned that they will one day begin to build cities much like humans do, especially the groups that are more closely allied with the Falhast.

## Racial Traits

* +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom: Killoren possess a keen insight and hardy build. (2)
* Fey: Killoren are Fey creatures (2).
* Medium: Killoren are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
* Normal Speed: Killoren have a base speed of 30 feet.
* Languages: Killoren begin play speaking Common and Sylvan. Killoren with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aquan, Auran, Goblin, Ignan, Orc, Terran. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.

Defense Racial Traits

* Fey Immunities: Killoren are immune to magic sleep effects and gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws made against enchantment spells and effects. (2)

Feat and Skill Racial Traits

* Natural Ties: Killoren receive a +2 racial bonus on Handle Animal and Survival checks. (4)

Offense and Racial Traits

* Weapon Familiarity: Killoren are proficient with scythes and treat any weapon with the word “killoren” in its name as a martial weapon. (1)

Senses Racial Traits

* Low-Light Vision: Killoren can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light. (Free with type)

Weakness Racial Traits

* Cold Iron Anathema (Su): Killoren have a difficult time wielding weapons made of cold iron. Killoren take a —2 penalty on any attack roll they make with a cold iron weapon or a weapon made only partially out of cold iron, such as a cold iron spear or a bow firing cold iron arrows. (-1 RP)

Other Racial Traits

* Manifest Nature's Might (Su): Killoren are forever bound to the raw forces of nature itself, manifesting this bond even in their physical form. A killoren can only manifest one aspect of nature’s might at a time. Each morning as the sun rises, a killoren spends 10 minutes in quiet meditation, filling her spirit with the aspect of nature that is most needed for her current tasks. Once a killoren chooses an aspect, she manifests that aspect until the next morning, when she chooses again which aspect to manifest. Many killoren favor one aspect over the others and rarely choose to manifest one of the other two aspects. (7 RP)
	+ Aspect of the Ancient: While manifesting the aspect of the ancient, a killoren embodies the deep and ancient secrets of nature itself. With this bond to nature’s secret lore, a killoren gains a racial bonus on Knowledge (nature) checks equal to her Hit Dice and gains an additional +2 bonus on saving throws against enchantment effects. This bonus stacks with the killoren’s normal racial bonus on saving throws against enchantment effects. While a killoren manifests the aspect of the ancient, her hair turns white and her eyes turn to the color of a blue summer sky.
	+ Aspect of the Destroyer: Many races revere nature for its power to destroy, but none more so than a killoren manifesting the aspect of the destroyer. Once per day, the killoren may, as a swift action, choose one target within sight that is one of the following creature types: aberration, construct, humanoid, ooze, outsider without the elemental subtype, and undead. If the target is of the appropriate creature type, the killoren may perform a Destroyer's Smite on the target, adding her Charisma bonus (if any) to her attack rolls and adds her character level to all damage rolls made against the target. Destroyer's Smite attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess. If the target of the Destroyer's Smite is an aberration, a construct, or an undead creature, the bonus to damage on the first successful attack during the Destroyer's Smite increases to 2 points of damage per character level. The Destroyer's Smite effect remains on the target until it is dead or the next time the killoren rests and manifests her aspect of nature's might (even if she chooses the aspect of the destroyer again). If a killoren accidentally attempts a Destroyer's Smite on a creature that is not one of the creature types listed above, the ability has no effect, but the use of it still counts against the total uses per day. While a killoren manifests the aspect of the destroyer, she gains a +2 racial bonus on Intimidate checks and takes a -2 penalty to Diplomacy checks, as her eyes turn a deep lusterless black and her gaze becomes highly disturbing.
	+ Aspect of the Hunter: The hunt affects nearly every aspect of nature and claims a place of great prominence and importance in the cycle of life. A killoren manifesting the aspect of the hunt is bound to nature’s ancient tradition of the hunt, and her senses sharpen to an amazing degree. While manifesting the aspect of the hunt, a killoren gains a +2 racial bonus on Perception and Stealth checks, and a +2 racial bonus on initiative checks. While a killoren manifests the aspect of the hunter, her hair and eyes turn a deep forest green, and her skin tone becomes a deeper brown than when manifesting one of the other aspects.

## Favored Class Options

The following favored class options are available to all characters of this race who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.

* Barbarian: Add +1/2 on critical hit confirmation rolls for attacks made against aberrations, outsiders without the elemental subtype, and undead (maximum bonus of +4). This bonus does not stack with Critical Focus.
* Druid: Select one cleric domain power granted at 1st level that is normally usable for a number of times per day equal to 3 + the druid's Wisdom modifier. The druid adds 1/2 to the number of uses per day of that domain power. Alternatively, add +1/3 to the druid's natural armor bonus when using wild shape.
* Ranger: Choose a weapon from the following list: longbow, scythe, sickle, or any weapon with “killoren” in its name. Add a +1/2 circumstance bonus on critical hit confirmation rolls with that weapon (maximum bonus of +4). This bonus does not stack with Critical Focus.

## Killoren words

* auhlia- Young one, fresh leaf bud. Term for young killoren.
* ehlaa- A female druid in training that is heir to head the family as the next ehniah.
* ehniah- Female leader of a family group.
* ehkal- Male leader of a family group.
* kyla sha’lai- A battle cry.
* oldra- Brother, the killoren language usually does not differentiate between birth siblings and close friend, preferring to call them all brother.