High Human
The original form of Humanity whose cities once soared through the skies, now gone and seemingly extinct
Base Racial Traits
Ability Score Modifiers: (+2 to any three scores): High Humans have unlocked the secrets of manipulating their very makeup, and can bring out their fullest potential in many categories. Size: High Humans are medium sized creatures, and gain no penalties or benefits because of their size. Type: High humans are creatures of the humanoid type with the Human and Aurelian subtypes. Speed: High Humans have a base land speed of 30ft. Languages: High Humans are incredibly varied, and start play with Common and Aurelian(Also Known as High Human). A High Human with high INT can choose from any non-secret language as a bonus language. Palm Sensors: With special sensory suites built into synth-skin shockplates in their palms, High Humans can, by spending one minute in contact with an object or structure, determine its overall chemical and structural composition, its overall health, and the status of any technical systems within it(though firewalls or other miscellaneous technical barriers might prevent a full readout of a structure's technical aspects, GM Discretion). When used on a living creature, it allows them a readout of the creature's current HP total and overall physical health and wellbeing, and a simple readout of any mundane diseases or ailments they are suffering from. The High Human must make any knowledge checks to identify other such ailments or effects they are suffering from, otherwise they return as "Unknown Effects". This does not grant them insight into a creature's type, subtype, or whether their anatomy is unusual - just the overall health of said anatomy. However, a GM may, at their discretion, allow an investigating High Human a skill check of some kind to identify a disguised creature based on a readout of their body. They may also use this racial trait to determine the atmospheric composition of their current environment by spending one minute concentrating. Terrain Specialization: High Humans, with bodies once adjusted by their ancient Shaper Caste Techsmiths, often specialize in traversing a certain type of terrain and gain benefits appropriately:Internal Nanites: Their bodies filled with self-replicating nanite colonies, High Humans gain a +4 on all saving throws versus Poisons and Diseases and automatically gain information about any poison, disease, or magical effect that targets them as if they had succeeded on a Knowledge check with the best possible result whether they succeed or fail the save against it. While suffering from any effect that allows for subsequent saves to save out of the effect, they have a 50% chance to outright remove the effect with each save made after the initial failure - this roll is made before the save required by the effect. Cerebral Support Chip: High Humans, with special magitech equipment grafted onto their brains, are unnaturally quick to learn new skills and improve existing ones - they gain an additional skill rank every level, and gain Skill Focus as a bonus feat in a skill of their choice at 1st, 8th, and 16th level. Additionally, they gain any two skills of their choice as class skills. Memory Backups: With brains linked to ancient off-world data centers, High Humans are entirely immune to any memory-altering effects as they can, in an instant, recall their memories from untainted backups in distant server racks. This also grants them the ability to roll twice and take the higher result on all flat intelligence checks, such as the checks made to escape the maze spell. Atlen-Enabled Cardiograft: With advanced magitech biomonitors fused with their hearts, High Humans are immersed in the flow of magic in ways few other beings can fathom - they are under the constant effects of Arcane Sight as an extraordinary ability and may 1/day add a metamagic feat they have onto a spell they are about to cast without affecting the casting time or the level of the spell. Overclocked Implants: Though their magitech-enhanced bodies were designed for longevity, any surviving High Humans have found their biology decaying over time - in times of crisis, they can release the bioelectric energy stored within their internal implants for a variety of purposes(Described below). Once used, this racial trait cannot be used again for 1d4+1 rounds.
- Air: Gain an extraordinary fly speed equal to your base land speed at perfect maneuverability.
- Ground: Your base land speed improves by 10ft and you ignore non-magical difficult terrain.
- Sea: Gain a swim speed equal to your base land speed.
- Underground: Gain a burrow speed equal to your base land speed.
Linguistic Algorithms: High Humans automatically know what languages they are hearing are, but not what the creatures speaking them are saying. They can flawlessly reproduce a written copy of audio they hear so long as it is done within 24 hours of hearing it(Though they do not gain any special insight into the writing or audio's meaning), and gain a bonus language for each skill rank put into the Linguistics skill. Aurelian Supremacy: You may select the racial trait of any species on the Corexian, Zheng-Kitaran, or Numiastran Continents and gain it in place of this trait. This does not allow you to take the alternate racial traits for that racial trait, though you do count as that species for the purposes of feats. One Final Wish: High Humans always succeed on checks to identify Necromancy Effects and cannot be raised as undead creatures by any means available to creatures that exist within Nine-Tier casting systems. If a High Human possessed 10 or more HD in life, their corpse emits a supernatural 10ft aura that blocks negative energy from affecting any within it, and inhibits the casting of all spells of the necromancy schools within its radius - forcing any who attempt to cast such spells to make a concentration check equal to DC (25 + 2x Spell's Level) or lose the spell. This aura becomes a permanent effect of the terrain that stacks exponentially with other nearby High Human corpses if the corpse naturally decays into dust, but vanishes if the corpse is decayed or destroyed abnormally quickly.
- Defensive Shock: A High Human can, as an immediate action, release a burst of electric energy when hit for damage by a melee strike or in reaction to a grapple check made against them. This may only be used against reach melee attacks if the attacker is using a metal weapon or a natural attack. When used, the attacker or grappler takes an amount of Electric damage equal to the High Human's HD that bypasses resistance and immunity.
- Weapon Enhancement: A High Human can inject this latent bioelectric energy into a weapon they wield as a standard action - granting it the shocking weapon special quality for 1 minute. At 8th level, this becomes Shocking Burst instead.
- Electric Jolt: A High Human can, as a move action, fire a jolt of electricity from their fingertips to a target of their choice within 60ft as a ranged touch attack - on a successful hit, the target takes 2d4 electricity damage and has their movement speeds halved for 1 round.
- Recharge: A High Human can, as a full-round action, restore a number of charges to failing high tech equipment equal to 1/2 their own HD rounding up - though once used, this ability shuts down for 24 hours instead of 1d4+1 rounds.
Race Lore
Said to be the original form of humanity, this race is believed extinct in the current world. In the legends, they were said to have risen to dominance in a land devoid of predators or enemy races, and were said to have conquered the skies as their own, even bending the very forces of reality to their will to create great cities of stone that floated in the sky. The countless ruins that dot the land are said to have been theirs, knocked out of the sky by the gods, wrathful that one of their creations dared to reach into their domain. However, perhaps some still skulk in the shadows of the world, their long lifespans and identical appearance to humanity letting them blend in…Basic Information
Anatomy
High Humans had two Limbs and two Legs. They possessed Muscular and Skeletal structures twice the strength and flexibility of most other races on Ea, and they walked on two legs.
Biological Traits
High Humans had primarily two genders: Male and Female. Rarely, High Humans could be born with the reproductive organs of both or, incredibly rarely, neither sex. These births were often a consequence of the races' obsession with genetic modification.
Genetics and Reproduction
High Humans reproduced through Sexual Reproduction. Their children come to term within the mother and were born in 3-6 months.
Growth Rate & Stages
High Humans had an average lifespan of 800 standard years. Maximum lifespans could sometimes exceed 2,000+ years with extensive genetic modification.
They had multiple common stages to their growth and lifespans, noted below:
From birth to about 150 years of age is considered childhood and young adult years.
From 150 years of age to around the 450 year mark is considered adulthood. Within this period, High Humans often wander and travel or otherwise seek to expand their knowledge or understanding of the world and its fundamental principles.
From 450 years of age to around the 600 mark is middle age. Within this period, High Humans often begin to cease their nomadic, scholarly lifestyles and begin to settle down, often starting families while continuing their studies in a calm, collected environment.
From 600 years of age onwards is old age for a High Human. During this period they often settled down and took on a more advisory role within their society and began to instruct the next generation in the ways of their times. In the latter years of their empire, those of old age had their minds scanned so their personalities and memories could be stored forever.
Ecology and Habitats
High Humans possess exceptional drive and a great capacity to endure and expand, and as such are capable of surviving and indeed thriving in almost any environment in the Planes. Thanks to their own natural predilection for adaptability and drive to expand as well as extensive genetic modifications, High Humans are often capable and can be found anywhere ranging from the most blistering volcano to the most frigid tundra.
Wheresoever they go, High Humans are often times a tyrannical force that takes the area by storm...and often, they settle in a new area and expand at the cost of their neighbors, displacing them and forcing them out of their homes unless they accept absorption into the newly established High Human settlement. Though there are plenty of examples of High Humans dominating whichever environment they set foot into, they have also been known to slowly and insidiously worm their way into a region over time thanks to their long lifespans, which allow them to subtly tear down existing societies within the places they deem suitable for habitation...thus in time do they tear down those settled there and build upon what remains.
Altogether, when they arrive in an area they do so powerfully and with great fanfare, giving existing societies nearby the chance to become a vassal or ally of theirs or else face destruction or relocation. It is precisely this domineering, Imperialistic Approach to expansion combined with their genuine desire to care for and protect those who served or allied with them and the supreme capability to destroy threats with overwhelming force that sent them spiraling into becoming the dominant race on Ea.
Dietary Needs and Habits
High Humans can feast on a wide range of foods, but often choose to subsist on the flesh of animals or other beasts, plants, or crops.
Biological Cycle
Over time, High Humans find their skin growling more wrinkled, their organs begin to falter and fail, and their minds begin to decay, which leads to memory lost and many other mental issues in extreme late age.
Additional Information
Social Structure
High Humans ascribed themselves to rigid caste system that was divided into roughly five tiers. Though the tiers often determined how one was treated in society, they were unique in that when matters arose that pertained to a certain caste, members OF that caste had ultimate authority over members of other castes even if they would not normally(Such as the Warrior Caste superseding the Builder Caste in times of war), though this right did not include the Ruler Caste unless extreme emergencies arose, as the Ruler Caste ALWAYS was atop the caste system.
1st: Ruler Caste - Leaders of the Empire. Members of the ruling council.
2nd: Builder/Shaper Caste - The Scientists, Engineers, Mages and Scholars focused on building or research, or other intellectuals that were the backbone of the High Human technological genius. Foremost power beneath the Ruler Caste and enjoyed almost limitless rank and power.
3rd: Warrior Caste - Members of the army or any other martial or martial-adjacent groups within the empire, including any Mages who served in a martial aspect. With the High Human cultural emphasis on discipline, control, and martial might, warriors enjoyed a high rank and great authority.
4th: Civilian Caste - The average, everyday citizens of the High Human empire. They enjoyed many basic luxuries and wanted for several things, but did by no means live in poverty or poor conditions.
5th: Slave Caste - The bottom of the barrel of High Human society. Slaves, while they could be lucky enough to be owned by a kind master, had no rights themselves. However, there were many laws in place that mandated slaves be treated a certain way to ensure their lives were not wasted or put to misuse.
Facial characteristics
High Humans often had prominent, sharp jawlines and facial bone structures, but otherwise were incredibly varied in their makeup.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
All over the world
Average Intelligence
Incredibly intelligent and capable of extremely abstract thought.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
High Humans had standard vision, hearing, and senses. They could see, hear, taste, smell, and feel as normal.
They were able to constantly feel and detect the flow and types of magic in the vicinity.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
High human names can be as varied, wild, and spread out as human names of the modern day, but High Humans names have a slight inclination towards Roman, latin, and rarely Germanic names and Linguistic Styles.
Male: Caius, Andronikus, Gaius, Weissman, Julius, Augustus, Ruckus, Haxtus, Agrippa, etc...
Female: Adriana, Beatrix, Aurora, Cadria, Cille, Digna, Flavia, etc…
Beauty Ideals
High Humans had a beauty ideal that focused on the mind just as much as it did on the body. The body, to them was merely a canvas that could be changed, grow old, and die but could indeed be beautiful and thus should be kept healthy, but the mind was a thing they loved just as much. The mind was a thing that could never grow old, a thing that could be stored and saved, and thus they considered even those of ugly physical makeup beautiful if their minds were bright and smart.
Courtship Ideals
High Humans preferred to get to know those they courted first, enjoying their company on countless dates and excursions together for sometimes even years before they truly became partners. They enjoyed getting to know their partner and the "honeymoon" period before they committed to be a great golden era for their relationships.
Relationship Ideals
High Humans, when they entered into relationships, considered the ideal relationship to not get in the way of any work either partner might be doing, to not expose or require the reveal of secrets either partner wanted to keep, but also to be faithful to each other no matter what may come. Relationships across castes were not uncommon because of this acceptance of secrets each partner could hold.
Average Technological Level
High Humans achieved countless technological wonders in their time, many of which have been lost to the ages, but these included the fusing of Magic and Technology to create magitech, spaceflight, Genetics, Robotics, Circuitry, Artificial Intelligence, Faster Than Light travel (FTL), Laser/Plasma technology, Railgun Technology, Infrared/Radar/Sonar, Artificial Gravity, Nanotech, Bioweaponry, Nuclear Power, and countless other marvels.
Common Dress Code
High Humans often wrapped themselves in thick, sturdy armor in times of danger and even at home sometimes, but otherwise wore simple and flexible clothing made of advanced materials such as denim, silk, and others. They considered the act of showing skin acceptable, but too much being shown was considered indecent.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Though they were Imperial and Domineering, High Humans had no inherent distaste for other races unless they proved themselves barbaric or unwilling to cooperate in a civilized manner. Otherwise, High Humans, while they often mated or befriended those of their species, often and frequently visited and befriended creatures of all walks of life, and could often mate with them as well and produce couplings.
Alternate Racial Trait List: No longer accurate to the base racial block. Undergoing rework. High Human Alternate Racial Traits
Racial Feat List: No longer accurate to the base racial block. Undergoing rework. High Human Racial Feats
Genetic Descendants
Scientific Name
Homo sapiens primus
Lifespan
800 Years, 2000+ with extensive Genetic Modification
Average Height
1.6 - 2.6 Meters
Average Weight
55 - 105 Kilograms
Average Physique
Tall and stocky on average. High Humans could reasonable run the length from skinny and lanky to heavyset and obese depending on lifestyle choice.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
High Humans, owing to their massive diversity, could come from any walk of life and thus had no set skin color, but often ran the range from white to dark black. Their culture had no set traditions for marking or coloring their skin, but many often tattooed themselves extensively as a hobby or form of turning themselves into a form of artpiece.
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