Luxo (14 RP)

Luxo, are a monastic race of elephant-like humanoids, who demonstrate patient strength and discipline in all they do. They are believed to be forged from the light of the stars, pieced together in the cosmos of the heavens. Those who chance upon them outside their sacred mountain homes find they are gentle giants, caring and generous to a fault. They have found an inner peace that few individuals can ever hope to obtain, let alone an entire race. To some they might seem slow, but they are possessed of a deep wisdom. Like the stars themselves they are quiet, yet resolute. But, when they choose to speak or act, it’s hard to ignore them.

Appearance

Luxo look like humanoid elephants, usually standing between 7 and 8 feet tall and weighing in around 900 to 1,000 lbs. They have thick, wrinkled, sparsely haired skin that ranges from pale white to deep black, with grey and tan being the most common colorations. Their eyes are generally a soft, long lashed brown, though blue and green eyes do occur. A luxo’s arms are thick and muscular, with three fingers and a thumb on each hand. They have broad legs with flat feet, a short trunk, large ears, and a pair of sharp ivory tusks. Luxo cap their tusks with blunt metal baubles or plating. They favor simple clothing when traveling, but tend to adorn them-selves with ornate decorations, often making extensive use of jewelry.

Society

Being mountain dwellers, Luxo practice terrace farming as their primary source of agriculture. Though their diets consist heavily of vegetation, they do actively fish and raise yaks for consumption. Luxo society and structure is heavily decided by unique deity stars and the courses they chart. A luxo born under a deity star of harvest, means they will apprentice in the field, while those born under the deity star of the oracle are destined to become star seers. Such luxo may eventually become High Star Seer, the highest place of honor and ruler in luxo society. Perhaps one of the most unique qualities of their culture is that they are communal. Once a luxo is born, (usually to a breeder, designated by the deity star of fertility) and their path divined, they are sent to live with and be raised by their respective commune. On rare occasions, those born under the the deity star of creation are destined to become vorpal knights, with the express task of cleansing and returning souls to their believed source, the cauldron of stars.

Relations

The luxo have always been a secluded people, tucked away in hard to reach mountainous valleys. Though, they do not reject outsiders should they find themselves at the luxo’s doorstep. Quite the contrary, they will greet them with open arms, and will even ensure their guests are fed and well supplied before seeing them on their way. Such has always been their custom. Despite this though, they do feel a great majority of the other races’ strife stems from a lack of purpose and unity.

Alignment & Religion

Luxo are surprisingly egalitarian in their worship practices. Each deity has a star in the astral sea, and therefore each plays its part in their society. So long as it does not upset the path which a luxo is destined for, it is quite normal for them to follow any number of deities. No matter a luxo’s path, when they come of age, they may choose to undergo a trial to claim an aurora stone. It is a precious metal, that only exists at the peak of mountains, where the aurora borealis passes over the cliff tops. Such stones are usually fashioned into some form of jewelry as a testament to their strength and will. When a luxo knows their time is coming, they will often embark on a holy pilgrimage. a designated path known as “The Pilgrims Way.” It’s a one way trip, that bar-ring death from outside forces, leads the luxo to their ceremonial burial grounds, where they claim their final resting place in the elephant’s graveyard. In general, luxo are lawful good by default, bound to the structure of their society, and the good nature they show to everyone.

Adventurers

Although rare, luxo do venture out of their mountain home on holy pilgrimages, or because they’ve been exiled from the commune. When a luxo comes of age, if they successfully complete their right of passage, they may choose to leave the commune and break the chains of fate. Doing so is a form of exile, which guarantees they will never return. It’s also viewed as a kind of social death in their community, whereby such luxo are referred to in the past tense; as if they had made their final journey to their resting place. Because of their sheer physical stature, luxo usually become monks, or fighters, rarer still, oracles or clerics. Though perhaps the most auspicious leave on holy pilgrimages to quell the corrupt souls of the land as vorpal knights, scions of the stars.

Names

Male Names: Buucha, Ganosh, Banu, Ganoa, Macha, Ganesha, Lano.

Female Names: Vishni, Haatani, Cena, Musha, Lanlea, Ginnea, Meltoa.

Luxo Racial Traits (14RP)

• Ability Score Modifiers (+2 Strength, +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, -2 Dexterity; 4 RP): Luxo are disciplined in body and mind, as well as hardy, but usually a little slower to react
• Natural Armor (3 RP): Luxo’s thick leathery skin grants them a natural armor bonus of +2.
• Size (Medium; 0 RP): Luxo are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Languages (0 RP): Luxo begin play speaking Common and Giant. Luxo with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Elven, Dwarven, Orc, and Terran.
• Speed (Slow and Steady; -1 RP): Luxo have a base speed of 20 ft., but their speed is never modified by armor or encumbrance.
• Senses (Low-Light Vision; 1 RP): Luxo can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torch-light, and similar conditions of dim light.
• Hardy (3 RP): Luxo receive a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison, spells, and spell like abilities.
• Lightbringer (2 RP): Because of their closeness to the stars, luxo are immune to light-based blindness and dazzle effects, and are treated as one level higher when determining the effect of any light-based spells or effects they cast (including spell-like and supernatural abilities). If they have an intelligence of 10 or higher, they may take light at will as a spell-like ability.
• Mountaineer (1 RP): Luxo are immune to altitude sickness and do not lose their Dex bonus to armor worn when making climb checks or acrobatics checks to cross narrow or slippery surfaces.
• Stability (1 RP): Luxo receive a +4 racial bonus to their CMD when resisting bull rush or trip attempts when standing on the ground.

Alternate Racial Traits

The following racial traits replace existing Luxo racial traits. Consult your GM before selecting any of these options.

• Mountainous: Some luxo grow to be much larger in size, reaching heights and weights that double that of their kin. Though this additional might is usually coupled with a diminished fortitude as well as an inability to channel the light of the stars. A luxo with this trait becomes size Large, receiving a +2 bonus to Strength, a -2 penalty to Dexterity, a 10 foot reach, as well as appropriate changes to all size based combat modifiers. This trait replaces hardy and lightbringer.
• Fearsome Tusks: Though usually too short to be used as a weapon, some luxo’s tusks can be fearsome in size. Such luxo are more likely to charge an enemy in lieu of waiting for them to attack. A luxo with this trait gains a gore attack that deals 1d6 points of piercing damage. This ability replaces stability.
• Nimble Trunk: Some luxo have incredibly long trunks capable of grabbing and holding items and foes. Though they tend to be more prone to altitude sickness than the rest of their kind. luxo with this trait gain a prehensile trunk, which can grab stowed items. While you cannot wield weapons with your trunk, you can use it to retrieve small, stowed objects carried on your person as a swift action. They also gain a +5 circumstance bonus when grappling to their CMB. This ability replaces mountaineer (Ex).

Favored Class Options

Instead of receiving an additional skill rank or hit point whenever they gain a level in a favored class, luxo have the option of choosing from a number of other bonuses, depending upon their favored classes. The following options are available to all luxo who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the listed favored class reward.

• Barbarian: Add 1 to the luxo’s base speed. In combat this has no effect unless the luxo has selected this reward 5 times (or another increment of 5); a speed of 34 feet is effectively the same as a speed of 30 feet, for example. This bonus stacks with a class’s fast movement feature and applies only under the same conditions as that ability.
• Bard: Add +1 to the luxo’s CMD when resisting a disarm or sunder attempt.
• Cavalier: Add +1 hit point to the cavalier’s mount. If the luxo ever replaces his mount, the new mount gains these bonus hit points. These bonuses only apply to a single mount gained as part of the cavalier’s class.
• Cleric: Select one domain power granted at 1st level that is normally usable for a number of times per day equal to 3 + the cleric’s Wisdom modifier. The cleric adds 1/2 to the number of uses per day of that domain power.
• Oracle: Reduce the non-proficient penalty for one weapon by 1. When the non-proficient penalty for a weapon becomes 0 because of this ability, the oracle is treated as having the appropriate Martial or Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat with that weapon.
• Paladin: Add a +1 bonus on concentration checks when casting paladin spells.
• Ranger: Add a +1/2 bonus on wild empathy checks to influence animals and magical beasts that live underground.
• Vorpal Knight: Add a + 1/4 bonus to attack rolls made against creatures targeted with the mark soul class feature.
• Wizard: Select one arcane school power at 1st level that is normally usable a number of times per day equal to 3 + the wizard’s Intelligence modifier. The wizard adds +1/2 to the number of uses per day of that arcane school power.