Loran

Lorans claim both the ancient patrons of the Accord and the undine race as their progenitors. When the Patrons foresaw a need for disciplined, loyal aquatic allies, they enlisted undine volunteers to help shape a new race of agents to guard against the return of their nemeses. The Accord experimented with the creation of other races, sprinkling them throughout the cosmos to prepare for the revival of interplanetary war.

While not every loran chooses to pursue a monastic lifestyle, those remaining where the Patrons had sent them endured centuries guarding the memories and relics of their antediluvian progenitors and seeing the evolution of their worlds in the ages to come.

Their discipline as unyielding as the coral ruins they live in, their mission controlled their culture, including career, lifespan, mating, and reproduction. They meditated on the history and teachings of the Patrons, passing principle down from generation to generation. They also maintained constant readiness from outside threats, knowing one day an enemy would come to shatter their walls and lives in search of galactic domination.

Physical Description: Lorans display a wide variation of skin tones, ranging from pale turquoise to deep blue to sea green. Their hair is often straight and thick, in some cases of a similar hue to their skin but for others in contrasting red or white. Many lorans have eyes that are milky white or pale yellow, with several tiny pinpoint pupils that are hard for others to see unless closely examined. Their hands and feet are webbed.

Society: Lorans define themselves as a unique race apart from their undine forebears, though they retain some elements of undine society such as their naming traditions. While capable of interbreeding with undines and even with humans, the insularity of their communities tends to keep relations close within carefully chosen genetic lines. A typical loran community lives under the guidance of a small council comprising officials appointed by consensus. Council positions can be held indefinitely, though ineffective leaders or those that lead the community astray from their obligations may be removed.

Alignment and Religion: Most lorans are lawful, focused on handing down of tradition and discharge of duty, both to the welfare of their own people and for the tasks set upon them at the inception of their race. Lorans tend to be insular but are not xenophobic, being willing to deal with anyone but always with a keen eye for infiltrators and spies into the sacred wards they guard. Not all lorans are religious, but most carry a strong spiritual connection to both their supernatural progenitors and to water itself. Those who pursue nonsecular paths almost always worship the gods of their ancestors or gods whose portfolios feature some aspect of water.

Adventurers: On occasion, lorans leave their people to seek out a life of adventure. Some do so as outcasts and exiles, abandoning the traditions of their elders to strike out on their own or cast out for other reasons and having no welcome awaiting them at home seek out opportunity wherever it may be found. Others seek a more proactive defense of that entrusted to them and their kind, ranging across the universe to gather intelligence and allies to discover plots and threats before they manifest. Lorans are talented spellcasters, but many wandering lorans are more martially inclined.

Male Names: Aven, Dharak, Ghiv, Jamash, Maakor, Ondir, Radid, Shiradahz.

Female Names: Afzara, Baarah, Calah, Iryani, Maarin, Nylgune, Pari, Radabeh, Urdahna.

Racial Traits

Ability Adjustments: +2 Wis, +2 Dex, –2 Int.

Hit Points: 5

Size and Type: Lorans are Medium outsiders with the aquatic and loran subtypes.

Amphibious: Lorans are able to breathe both water and air normally.

Darkvision: Lorans tend to live in underwater environments and have eyes adapted to seeing in dim or even lightless environments. They have darkvision out to 60 feet.

Subspecies: Lorans have a mixed heritage and as such have developed subspecies:

Deep Sea Lorans

Typically found on dark planets and in the lightless depths, these loran have adapted to the lightless regions.

Cold Resistance: Deep sea lorans have cold resistance 5.

Deepsight: The eyes of deep sea lorans have adjusted to the sightless depths of the oceans, but not to air-filled environments. Deep sea lorans have darkvision 120 feet when underwater, but otherwise has no darkvision at all.

Loran Movement: Lorans of this subspecies have a base speed of 20 feet and a swim speed of 40 feet.

Strong-Blooded Lorans

Some lorans are particularly in touch with the components of their mixed bloodline.

Flesh Chameleon: Strong-blooded lorans can change their coloration to match human skin tones. As a standard action, these lorans can change their natural blue hue to match any normal human skin tone, granting a +4 racial bonus on Disguise checks to appear human. Reverting to the natural skin tone does not require an action.

Hydrated Vitality: Strong-blooded lorans also have a particularly strong connection to the elemental component of their ancestry. Whenever they are submerged completely within a body of natural saltwater, fresh water or brackish water, they can spend their reaction to gain fast healing 2 for 1 round. Polluted, stagnant, poisoned or radioactive water, or water that has been trapped without proper filtration and circulation does not suffice to activate this ability. The loran can heal up to 2 hit points per level or CR per day with this ability, after which it ceases to function.

Water Singers

A breed of loran is particularly in tune with the subaqueous environments.

Terrain Chameleon: The lorans colloquially called water singers can change their coloration to blend in with underwater terrain, mixing browns, grays, and greens to resemble kelp or other natural water plants. As a standard action, these lorans can change their coloration, gaining a +4 racial bonus on Stealth checks in underwater environments. Reverting to the natural skin tone does not require an action.

Water Sense: Water singer lorans can sense vibrations in water, granting them blindsense (vibration) 30 feet against creatures in contact with the same body of water as the water singer. This blindsense does not extend beyond the body of water.

Loran Subtype Graft

This graft is applied to lorans and creatures related to lorans.

Traits: Most creatures with this subtype gain the aquatic subtype; if the creature already can breathe water, it also gains the amphibious special ability; if the NPC is of the loran race, it also gains a subspecies’ benefits.