Elali

A powerful psychic species—elali have long cultivated a reputation as benevolent shepherds of the multiverse.

Ages ago, they evolved on a lush, mountainous world with vicious predators, forced to rely on cunning and intellect to survive. As a result, they also prefer to remain in the shadows of interplanetary affairs, often shaping events on other worlds through proxies and intermediaries until native species are ready to accept their presence. The true agenda of the elali is sustain the master plans and prophecies of the ascended Patrons, moving the multiverse towards a similar enlightenment and joint commonality.

Capable of channeling their psychic talents in impressive displays of mental dominance and deception, the elali are loathe to use their powers on the unwilling.

This self-imposed ban on the unethical abuse of their abilities—as well as their dwindling population and slow reproductive cycle—is all that keeps them from becoming a conquering force in the universe; a well-known fact by other species. Only marginally shorter in stature than an average-sized human, elali commonly stand 5-1/2 feet tall and weigh around 120 pounds.

Relations: The peaceful elali abhor war even when it proves absolutely necessary. Capable of extending psychic energy into the very weapons they wield, only a handful embrace martial traditions because of their aversion to violence. Instead, most use deception to avoid combat or turn enemies against one another. This prevents them from inflicting lasting harm on others, as they believe the mind is always far more important than the flesh. Because of this, elali particularly guard against psychic enemies.

Elali almost always live among the societies of other worlds, appearing as a member of the native species while manipulating events until a situation warrants their direct hand. From this position, they work to influence important leaders and improve the lives and advancement of their adopted species. When discovered or confronted about their presence, the elali use more invasive psychic powers to carefully alter memories and disappear, cultivating new identities and new relationships to continue their work. Because of this activity, members of the Hegemony often paint the elali as master manipulators, meddling in the affairs of lesser species for nefarious reasons, and the elali are then forced to repair and defend their reputation once revealed.

Racial Traits

• Ability Score Modifiers +8 Intelligence, +6 Wisdom, +6 Charisma, +6 Dexterity, +4 Constitution, -2 Strength: Elali have towering intellects, indomitable wills, and potent psyches, and while not physically imposing they are hardy and incredibly graceful.
• Type: Elali are humanoids with the aether and human subtypes.
• Size: Elali are Medium creatures and receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Speed: Elali have a base speed of 30 feet.

Psychic Enhancement (Su)

Any weapon wielded by an elali receives a fraction of its psychic might. As a swift action, an elali can grant a weapon in hand a +1 enhancement bonus, increasing by 1 for every 5 Hit Dice the elali has to a maximum of +5 at 20th level. This bonus persists for 1 round.

Mental Paralysis (Su)

Elali can assail the minds of lesser creatures with waves of psychic energy to temporarily restrict conscious control of their bodies. As a standard action, an elali may use this ability to target a single creature within 30 feet as a mind-affecting effect. As long as the creature has an Intelligence of 3 or greater, but still less than that of the elali itself, it must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the elali’s Hit Dice + her Charisma modifier) or become paralyzed for 1d4+1 rounds. Each round, on its turn, an affected creature may attempt a new saving throw to end the effect, but this requires a 168 full-round action which does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Once targeted by this ability (whether successful or not), a creature is immune to further mental paralysis from that elali for the next 24 hours. An elali may only maintain one instance of mental paralysis at a time. The save DC is Charisma-based.

• Spell Resistance: Elali possess spell resistance equal to 10 + their Hit Dice, including both racial Hit Dice and class levels.
• Spell-like Abilities: When an elali gains 4 or more class levels (in any combination), it gains two spell-like abilities usable once per day: dominate person and nondetection. When an elali gains 9 or more class levels (in any combination), it gains two additional spell-like abilities, each usable once per day: mass suggestion and teleport. Its caster level for these spell-like abilities is equal to its total Hit Dice, and the save DC against them is Charisma-based.