Erahthi

Born of verdant and ancient forests, the erahthi are at once both plant-like and elemental creatures. Erahthi are born from massive, translucent fruit grown from ancient miles-tall trees and are engineered by lifebending alchemists and psychics before their birth to serve pre-determined castes of their society. Erahthi are masters of symbiotic technology, growing and animating plant material for nearly every purpose, from personal equipment to entire cities of living wood.

Physical Description: Erahthi are medium-sized bipedal humanoids. Their skin is tough and inflexible, often with a visible grain pattern or areas of rough bark. They lack a nose, external ears, or facial hair. Some erahthi exhibit patches of plant or fungal material or have tendrils of vine hanging from their skin (which can be fashioned to resemble traditional humanoid hair if desired). Erahthi eyes are a single solid color but have distinct irises and pupils. These eyes are highly light-sensitive and quick to adapt to changes in illumination.

Erahthi do not sleep in a manner familiar to most other humanoids, but do require rest to avoid fatigue, and eat like most humanoids. Erahthi “sleep” is a state of conscious stasis in which their minds are relaxed and their bodies inert, but they remain fully aware of their surroundings. An erahthi cannot take actions, even mental ones, while thus resting, but they are still capable of attempting Perception checks to notice changes in their environment while sleeping. While erahthi require oxygen, they absorb it through the surface of their skin rather than through lungs. This allows an erahthi to use any portion of their body to take in oxygen when deprived by their environment, such as keeping one hand above water to breathe while swimming.

In spite of their seemingly plant-like nature, erahthi still possess a full skeletal system, with bones formed of ossified amalgamations of plant fiber and calcium. Likewise, erahthi have internal organs similar to most humanoid species, though in unconventional alignment (such as their lungs).

Though some erahthi choose to present themselves as one or more genders relative to human conceptions of the notion, they—as a species—lack the distinction. Erahthi physiological morphology is strictly dictated by the castes responsible for their birth.

Society: Erahthi society is a rigid system of castes, with every member of the species grown for a specific role. An erahthi’s physical body is grown in a massive, translucent fruit that grows on a miles-tall tree. Nascent erahthi are tended by specialized castes of farmers who ensure each body develops as required. When an erahthi body is only a seedling, divinations predetermine what caste the erahthi will be best suited for; this defines the methods used to bring the body to full maturation. Once a body is mature, it is inhabited by a soul drawn from the aetheric currents by the tree; this is considered the “birth” of an erahthi individual. Despite the body being fully formed at this birth, erahthi still require several years to mentally and physically mature and become accustomed to their form and the caste they were born into. A newborn erahthi is usually half of the height and weight of a fully-matured erahthi, and this transition to adulthood takes around 40 years to complete. Typical erahthi live for more than 200 years. The erahthi reproductive cycle means that they do not have gender in the same way as most other species and are incapable of reproduction outside of their home planet. Some erahthi who explore beyond their home world often take on the customs of other species and may choose to present one or more genders based on personal preference.

Adventurers: Most erahthi remain in their castes and never leave their homeworld, working in quiet contemplation for the betterment of their species. Erahthi scholars search the primordial forests for clues to their history, while others leave their homeworld to visit those of their recent enemies. Individual erahthi may petition to join the seeker caste if so inclined, and these make up the bulk of erahthi seen by other species. Other erahthi found offworld are war veterans who refused to return home, often times for tragic reasons.

Names: Erahthi names are generally chosen during divinations before birth, and many believe that their name influences what soul is called to inhabit the body grown for them. Erahthi names often grow as time goes on, with the owner adding new names to honor friends or events in their personal history. Common first names for members of the knowledge-based castes are Seph, Quooth, Zenne, Leth, and Hyaam; those of the more physically-oriented castes are given names with harder initial consonants such as Keth, Girin, Nald, and Dourm. Erahthi take on a portion of the name of the Heartwood grove where they were born as a suffix to their birth name. So Seph born from the Heartwood of Akithval might be Seph-Val or Seph-Akith.

Racial Traits

• Ability Score Modifiers +2 Con, +2 to one other ability score: Erahthi are very hardy and grown for specific roles.
• Type: Erahthi are outsiders with the erahthi and native subtypes.
• Size: Erahthi are Medium creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Speed: Erahthi have a base speed of 30 feet.
• Senses: Erahthi can see in darkness up to 60 feet.
• Languages: Erahthi begin play speaking Erahthi and Common. Erahthi with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following languages: Aklo, Aquan, Auran, Sylvan, Terran, Treant, and Zahaj-el.
• Dermal Breathing: Erahthi breathe through their skin and any exposed portion of their body can be used to breathe, such as keeping one hand above water to avoid drowning. However, this leaves erahthi susceptible to inhaled toxins; they suffer a –2 penalty on all saves to resist inhaled fumes, poisons, smoke, or other such effects.
• Camouflage: An erahthi blends in among trees and underbrush, gaining a +4 racial bonus on Stealth checks while within forest terrain.
• Tree Skin: Erahthi gain a +1 bonus to natural armor due to their tough skin.
• Treespeech (Sp): Erahthi with a Charisma score of 11 or higher can use speak with plants once per day as a spell-like ability to communicate with trees and other plants.
• Wood-Infused: For the purposes of effects targeting creatures by type (such as bane weapons or a ranger’s favored enemy ability), erahthi count as both native outsiders and plants. Erahthi gain a +4 racial bonus on all saving throws against mind-affecting effects, paralysis, poison, and stun effects, and are immune to sleep effects.
• Woodland Passage (Su): An erahthi can move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at up to half their normal speed without taking damage or suffering other impairment. Thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that have been magically manipulated to impede motion, however, still affect an erahthi. An erahthi that moves at more than half their speed suffers the normal effects of any undergrowth.

Favored Class Options

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

• Barbarian: Add +1/6 to the barbarian’s natural armor bonus to AC.
• Druid: Add a +1/2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) checks relating to plants and plant creatures.
• Monk: Add +1/2 point to the monk’s ki pool.
• Shaman: Add one spell from the druid spell list that isn’t on the shaman spell list to the list of spells the shaman knows. This spell must be at least 1 level below the highest spell level the shaman can cast.
• Slayer: Gain a +1/3 bonus on Knowledge (nature) checks and on Survival checks when in forested terrain. If the slayer has a +1 bonus on Knowledge (nature) checks from this ability, the slayer is also considered trained in that skill.