d20 Silven Publishing Races of Twilight The Sarkuvans.pdf

Races of Twilight

The Sarkuvans

About the the Editor

Synonyms for the word Dana include variegated, multifarious, or perhaps

convoluted. Dana has a variety of diferent interests including reading,

writing, environmentalism , and playing RPGs. She is the Chief Editor

of Silven Publishing since its inception and was the Editor-in-Chief

of the Silven Trumpeter for two years. She wrote Libem Liborium:

he Complete d20 Guide to Books and has a host of editing credits

within the RPG industry. She is currently a PhD student in Rhetoric &

Composition and holds a masters degree in linguistics, a bachelors degree

in literature, and minors in women’s studies and information systems.

Credits

Content Editor: Dana Lynn Driscoll

Mechanics Editor: Eytan Bernstein

Artwork: Dominika

Layout: Kosala Ubayasekara

< http://www.silven.com/>

About the the Author

Michael hompson is a computer engineer and IT manager by trade,

but a dreamer and idea man at heart. He is a veteran of 25+ years of

RPG gaming, including D&D, World of Darkness, GURPS, Villains

& Vigilantes, and too many others to list. In addition to writing, he is

currently a D20 Mechanics Editor for Silven Publishing and a forum

moderator at the company’s website.

About the the Mechanics Editor

Eytan Bernstein is a game designer from Long Island, New York. While

designing games, he has been teaching English and history in several

countries, including Korea and Canada. He is also an avid musician,

ilm buf, and animal enthusiast. Eytan hopes that gamers will enjoy his

contributions to Silven’s products because he has truly enjoyed writing

them.

Mike lives in Norton, Massachusetts, a small town 15 minutes north of

Providence, RI.

Races of Twilight

The Sarkuvans

Requires the use of the Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook , hird Edition, published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. his product utilizes updated

material from the v.3.5 revision.

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book is copyright as listed in section 15 of the Open Game License at the end of this book. he mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a

challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned. Races of Twilight: he Lutrins is created under version 1.0a, 6.0, and/or draft versions of the Open Game License, the d20

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Designation of Open Game Content: All mechanics and descriptions are to be considered Open Game Content.

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with the Open Game License. he original purchaser may print or photocopy copies for his or her own personal use only. his document is a work of iction. Any similarity to

actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental.

Sernett.

Contents

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW

Physical Description

Personality

Relations

Alignment

Sarkuvan Lands

Religion

Language

Names

Adventurers

SARKUVAN RACIAL TRAITS

CHAPTER 2: SARKUVAN SOCIETY

Life Cycle of a Sarkuvan

Life in a Sarkuvan Community

CHAPTER 3: RELIGION AND GODS

CHAPTER 4: SARKUVANS AND

THE CORE CLASSES

CHAPTER 5: SKILLS AND FEATS

Skills

Feats

CHAPTER 6: Prestige Classes

LIVING WEAPON

MIMIC

MORPHIC MAGE

CHAPTER 7: SPELLS

Spell Descriptions

CHAPTER 8: EqUIPMENT AND

MAGIC ITEMS

New Weapons

New Equipment

Magic Items

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Races of Twilight: Sarkuvans , the third in a series of d20

race supplements utilizing the 3.5 rules set. Not simply a collection

of elf and dwarf variants, the Races of Twilight series provides

detailed information on unique and original player races that can

be incorporated into any fantasy campaign. While intended for the

experienced gamer who enjoys deep characterization and role-playing

over one-dimensional heroics and “roll-playing,” Races of Twilight can

be used by anyone who likes unusual characters.

Why is it called Races of Twilight? Each of the races presented are

in some way approaching the inal phase of their cultural, political,

or physiological development and are slowly fading from the world.

Some have fallen into decadence and apathy for the rest of the world;

others have lost their dominance and position in a world of multiracial

empires; still others have been crushed by disease, overpopulation, or

magical travails. Whether each races dies and is forgotten or overcomes

its diiculties and thrives is in the hands of players and DMs.

While each book provides numerous details on a new race, plenty of

room is left for DMs to develop a unique background and role for that

race in his campaign world.

his book presents the sarkuvans, a race of shape-changers created by

evil magic as servants and assassins, now hunted down for their past

deeds. With no ability for procreation, every member of the race that

is lost brings them closer to extinction.

Chapter one provides an overview of the sarkuvans, describing their

appearance, personality, and general philosophy. It also provides the

game mechanics for creating a sarkuvan character.

Chapter two describes sarkuvan society, from their life cycle to the the

details of their communities.

Chapter three goes into depth on sarkuvan religion.

Chapter four explains how the sarkuvans work within the structure of

the core PC and NPC classes.

Chapter ive lists a number of new feats available to sarkuvan

characters.

Chapter six details three new prestige classes including the living

weapon, mimic, and morphic mage.

Chapter seven lists a number of new spells available to players,

including a two new cleric domains.

Chapter eight closes out the book with a listing of weapons and

equipment, both magical and mundane, that are commonly created

and used by the sarkuvans.

Enter now into the realm of the races of twilight!

every Morphic Society wizard that was brought to her. his turned out

to be the dark wizards’ downfall, as an unexpected lood of powerful

warriors, wizards, and divine soldiers swept into the empire from

across the land. Although it took years, the Morphic Society was

eventually laid low by the constant attacks, and ultimately they were

destroyed.

CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW

“The solid races hate and fear us. They hunt us down and

destroy us without question. We hide in the shadows for now,

striking at the time and place of our choosing. But there will

come a reckoning, a day when we are strong enough to strike

back and bring forth a new Morphic Society. On that day , all

the pathetic solids will bow before us and despair!”

he sarkuvans were not so easily vanquished. With the ability to

change form they were much harder to track down, but a hatred of the

foul oozes had grown throughout the land. Wherever they were found

they were destroyed mercilessly, and within another decade it seemed

that they had inally been wiped out. he empire was free again.

--Glorid,MorphicMage

Long ago, in the days of the First Immerian Empire, a cabal of wizards

and sorcerers called the Morphic Society rose to power. Specializing in

transmutation magic, they believed they possessed the power and the

right to shape the world to their liking. While this sounded noble on

the surface, it soon became very clear that the society was evil to the

core. hey worshiped dark gods that waited beyond our dimension to

subjugate the world. he Empire, and its neighbors of good intent,

opposed the machination of the Morphic Society and drove its

members from their lands.

he sarkuvans had survived the culling, though, by escaping into the

dark places of the earth. here they hid and tended their wounds,

dreaming of the day they could avenge their masters. Many cysts were

discovered untouched, and occasionally they would release a new

sarkuvan unaided by Morphic magic. he surviving sarkuvans became

tenders to their dormant brethren and bided their time in secret. One

day, they would ind a way to rebuild their numbers, and then they

would be the masters.

Physical Description

In their natural form, sarkuvans appear as a large mass of ooze. heir

luid bodies measure about ive feet across and 2 feet thick when at

rest. Coloration varies from dark red to putrid yellow. hey generally

weigh between 150 and 200 pounds.

he wizards were rebuked but not defeated. he Morphic Society was

scattered across the world and forced to establish new strongholds

in underground caverns and ruins, but their magic allowed them to

communicate still. hey were determined to avenge themselves against

the short-sighted nations, but realized that force of arms was not their

strength. hey considered a mercenary army, but they also wanted

a force that could be easily controlled and shaped to their needs. A

common army of humanoids would never do. In their arrogance they

decided to create their own servitor race, and so began the twisted

experiments to create the sarkuvans (an ancient Immerian word

meaning “changing body”).

In humanoid form, sarkuvans can look like a typical member of almost

any humanoid species. hey master one unique humanoid form to the

point where that form is completely indistinguishable from a natural

subject. he magic that created them gives them the extraordinary

ability to generate functioning sensory organs. Unfortunately, while

they can duplicate the appearance of any humanoid race, their shifting

ability only allows them to gain the equivalent sensory powers of a

human. hey are incapable of low-light vision, darkvision, or other

sensory abilities without additional magical aid.

he wizards found the oozes and puddings that dwelled in the

Underearth to be plentiful and easily contained, and they were pleased

by the amorphous quality of the things . hey soon determined that

the oozes would make for the most adaptable and controllable servitors

and set to work. Years passed, but eventually they perfected the process

of transforming a simple, mindless ooze into an intelligent creature

capable of morphing itself into a solid, humanoid form.

Although their outer skin and sensory organs look and feel completely

normal, their insides are still luid. In this way they are somewhat more

like insects than vertebrates. hey are capable of digesting any organic

food (plant or animal) by enveloping it in its ooze form and releasing

a digestive acid that dissolves the item. he same process occurs when

in humanoid form, but it can mimic the act of eating so as to disguise

its true nature.

he sarkuvans were created with an inherent hatred for other races,

but also with a compulsion to obey the members of the Society. Each

was given a role to serve and were trained accordingly. Some became

stealthy warriors and bodyguards, some developed into eicient

assassins, and others learned the arcane and divine magical arts. In

time, the Morphic Society wizards were ready to strike.

Personality

Behind the false smiling faces and pleasant words of shapeshifted

sarkuvans hides ruthless schemers whose every move is targeted at

revenge. hey are capable of great charm and friendliness with others,

but in virtually every case these are false emotions. Sarkuvans are

master chameleons and can weasel their way into any group, from

farmers and serfs to nobles and courtiers.

he wizards and their sarkuvan servants emerged in many parts of the

Immerian Empire at once, striking at nobles, key wealthy merchants,

temples, and key military features. hey wreaked havoc for many

months, and ultimately secured several strongholds in the Empire.

heir sarkuvan spies were successfully implanted in other areas, and it

seemed that the Morphic Society was set to usurp all power.

On rare occasions—perhaps four or ive times in the history of the

race—a sarkuvan has gone against its magicked indoctrination and

genuinely acted for the betterment of all races. hese individuals rarely

live long, for even if they are able to decieve their fellow changers, they

still must deal with the unsympathetic hatred of humanoids towards

them.

he empress had not been killed, however, and she was enraged by

the chaos brought on by the Society’s attacks. No longer able to rely

on her military and magical advisors from fear of spies, she put out

a call for aid to all adventurers, promising bounties for the heads of

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