Aphorite

Aphorites are a race of native outsiders created by the axiomites as mortal proxies to facilitate their interaction with mortals.

Appearance

The first aphorites nearly uniform physical appearances, but they have diversified after generations spent on the Material Plane. Modern aphorites have flickering, coruscating golden skin, sparkling crystalline dust, and metallic eyes and hair, but can appear as any appropriately-sized humanoid. Bigger and smaller aphorites are rare due to the lawful influence of Axis, but have become increasingly less uncommon.

Personality

Aphorites are smart, strong but somewhat stiff, and their ordered and structured personalities can conflict with chaotic races like elves, and build strong bonds with lawful races, especially dwarves, who enjoy their company and welcome aphorite births due to their intuitive understanding of dwarven craft.

Aphorites can recognize the difference between good and evil, but they find this dichotomy less clear cut and less influential than that between law and chaos.

History

The original aphorites were forged in Axis by axiomites as intermediaries between themselves and mortals: being creatures of law, the axiomites find it difficult to deal with creatures with the free will to choose their own destinies and to interpret or ignore laws. The aphorites were a fusion of the axiomites’ lawful perfection with the unpredictability of mortals.

Unlike aasimars or tieflings, aphorites are born to aphorite parents and are not the results of unions between outsiders and mortals. If an aphorite interbreeds with a humanoid race, the offspring is either an aphorite or the other parent’s race.

Habitat and society

Aphorites are rare on most Material Plane worlds. The first aphorites sought to integrate into established societies to help guide the formation of laws and bolster interactions with Axis. However, being mortals with free will, many aphorites became intrigued by these societies, and some embraced chaos: those who do are considered outcasts by other aphorites. Chaotic aphorites tend to be loners and have little interest in aphorite traditions, preferring to seek out other societies.

The rare aphorites in Axis tend to be utterly forgettable or legendary, having chosen to live there out of complacency or after incredible exploits.

Smart and strong, aphorites are as likely to become the focus of attention and admiration as they are the victims of jealousy and hatred. Their ordered and structured personalities often cause strained relations with more capricious or mischievous neighbors and can be a source of conflict with cultures who highly value individual expression of thought, such as that of the elves. Races with stronger tendencies toward law typically build stronger bonds with aphorites. Dwarves in particular enjoy the company of aphorites and find the birth of an aphorite among their own kind a welcome event, as aphorites have an intuitive understanding of the crafting so integral to dwarven society.

While not all aphorites are inherently lawful, most relish structure and order in their lives. Ideas of morality, however, are less clear cut to aphorites. While most can appreciate scholarly studies of the philosophy of good and evil and recognize the differences between them, this divide does not influence them to the same extent that the structure of law versus the disorganized madness of chaos does. Consequently, most aphorites are lawful neutral. Typically, aphorites drawn to theology choose lawful gods as patrons, with the worship of Abadar in particular resonating with their inherent desires and goals of building a perfect society.

When an aphorite embraces chaos, other aphorites often treat their wayward kin with a mix of curiosity, horror, and pity. Chaotic aphorites themselves tend to be loners and have little interest in the traditions of their own kind, instead seeking out other societies to join.

Most aphorites, no matter the culture they are raised in, eventually experience a longing to see the world beyond the boundaries of their birthplace. Be it by choice or chance, aphorites seem predisposed to the life of an adventurer.

Always seeking to better understand not only the world, but themselves as well, aphorites excel when they are placed in situations where their intellects might shine. Being both cunning of mind and naturally strong, aphorites gravitate toward classes which blend the arts of spellcasting and combat, such as magus or warpriest.

Aphorite names typically reflect the society they are raised in, so an aphorite raised among humans would have a name befitting a human child, while an aphorite raised by dwarves would have a name drawn from dwarven heritage.

Created by infusing mortal bodies with the ordered essence of Axis, aphorites were forged to serve as an interface between the Perfect City’s axiomite inhabitants and its visitors.

Though aphorites were originally nearly identical in form and function to their creators, the spark of free will that defines them meant that they soon came to diversify and integrate with the mortal societies they were meant to guide. Having an inclination towards law tempered with an individuality not present in their creators, aphorites have spread from their origin city of Axis across the Material Plane, where they seek their own paths.

Aphorite Racial Traits

Aphorites are defined by their class levels—they do not have racial Hit Dice. All aphorites have the following racial traits.

• Ability Score Modifiers Aphorites are strong and intelligent, but move and react somewhat stiffly. They gain +2 Strength and Intelligence but suffer –2 Dexterity
• Size: Aphorites are Medium creatures and have no bonuses of penalties due to their size.
• Speed: Aphorites have a base speed of 30 feet.
• Senses Aphorites have darkvision 60 feet.
• Languages: Aphorites speak Common and either Celestial or Infernal. An aphorite with a high Intelligence score can choose from the following as bonus languages: Abyssal, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Ignan, Infernal, or Terran.
• Skilled: Aphorites gain a +2 racial bonus on checks with a single Craft skill of their choice.
• Spell-Like Abilities: Aphorites can use protection from chaos once per day as a spell-like ability (caster level equal to the aphorite’s class level).

Aphorite Resistances (Ex)

Aphorites have electricity resistance 5 and a +2 bonus on saves versus poison and mind-affecting effects.

Crystalline Dust (Su)

An aphorite can manifest a haze of crystalline dust that forms into indistinct runes and glyphs surrounding its body. This effect grants the aphorite a 20% miss chance against melee and ranged attacks. Activating this dust is a move action, but it can be maintained each round as a free action. The effect cannot be disrupted, but it ends immediately if the aphorite is killed, paralyzed, stunned, knocked unconscious, or otherwise prevented from taking a free action to maintain it each round. An aphorite can use this ability a number of rounds per day equal to its Hit Dice, but the rounds do not need to be consecutive.

Alternate Racial Traits

The following racial traits can be selected instead of existing aphorite racial traits.

• Eternal Smith: Some aphorites retain knowledge of the techniques axiomites used to create arms to defend Axis. Aphorites with this racial trait choose either Craft (armor), Craft (bows), or Craft (weapons). When crafting items with the chosen skill, aphorites with this racial trait use the item’s gp value as its sp value when determining crafting progress (they do not multiply the item’s gp cost by 10 to determine its sp cost). This racial trait replaces the spell-like ability racial trait.
• Planar Envoy: Reflecting their original role as translators and intermediaries, some aphorites are especially skilled at communication. Aphorites with this racial trait begin play speaking Common and either Abyssal, Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Ignan, Infernal, or Terran. Aphorites with this racial trait and a high Intelligence score can choose any languages at character creation (except for secret languages, such as Druidic). They learn two languages rather than one each time they gain a rank in Linguistics. This racial trait modifies languages and replaces skilled.
• Share Knowledge: Certain aphorites have a sliver of their creators’ ability to combine their collective intellect and solve problems they could not solve on their own. When an aphorite with this racial trait successfully uses the aid another action to aid a character on a Knowledge check the aphorite is trained in, the character receives a +4 bonus instead of the normal +2 bonus. As a result of this increased openness, aphorites with this racial trait don’t receive a +2 bonus on saves against mind-affecting effects. This racial trait modifies aphorite resistances.
• Urban Memories: With vague memories of the Perfect City resting somewhere deep in their minds, aphorites with this racial trait gain a +2 racial bonus on Knowledge (local) checks and can cast urban grace once per day as a spell-like ability (caster level equal to the aphorite’s character level). This racial trait replaces the spell-like ability racial trait.

Favored Class Options

• Alchemist: Add 1 foot to the range increment of the alchemist’s thrown splash weapons (including the alchemist’s bombs). This option has no effect unless the alchemist has selected it 5 times (or another increment of 5).
• Cleric: Add a +1/2 bonus on Knowledge (planes) checks relating to Axis and creatures with the lawful subtype.
• Fighter: Add 1 to the fighter’s CMD when resisting disarm or trip attempts.
• Investigator: Gain a +1/4 bonus on damage rolls for critical hits made while using studied combat.
• Inquisitor: Add 1/4 to the number of times per day the inquisitor can change her most recent teamwork feat.
• Magus: Add one spell from the magus spell list to the magus’s spellbook. This spell must be at least 1 level below the highest spell level he can cast.
• Ranger: Add 1 foot to the range of the ranger’s hunter’s bond ability when granting a bonus to allies. This option has no effect unless the ranger has selected it 5 times (or another increment of 5).
• Rogue: Add a +1 bonus on Disable Device and Use Magic Device checks related to glyphs, scrolls, symbols, and other magical writings.
• Warpriest: Add 1/2 to the number of times per day the warpriest can use blessings, but he can use these additional blessings on only those from the Artifice, Community, Knowledge, Law, Magic, or Rune domains.
• Witch: The witch gains 1/6 of a new witch hex.
• Wizard: Add 1/3 to the wizard’s caster level when casting spells with the lawful descriptor or spells that create magical glyphs, runes, or symbols.