Akalish (Aw-kul-ish)

The akalish are a species of anuran humanoids who live mostly in the swamps and riverlands of Southern Corsu. They are of the dragonborn, though they do not participate in the larger dragonborn collective that existed until their conquest at the hands of the Tyrennhian Imperium

Physical Description

Akalish are typically shorter than humans, but stand taller than dwarves. They have squat, rounded bodies with frog or toad heads and protruding gullets. Their legs and hips are much broader and densely muscled than most humanoids of their size, their hands and feet are also distinctively large. Like other dragonborn, Akalish have four digits on their hands and feet. Akalish fingers are toes are webbed. Female akalish are typically larger and heavier than males.
Akalish are hairless though many have ridges, horns and warts, often where hair would be on a human. Their leathery skin typically ranges between shades of green and yellow, though browns and grays are common. Some Akalish have skin with bold and vibrant coloration, vivid reds or deep violets or anything in between, and can have distinctive patterns of contrasting spots. Akalish eyes are often a metallic brown or gold color, though many have vivid red or green eyes.

Akalish clothing is typically self-made, as they have a seemingly innate distrust of things made by others (or at least others the do not know, such as people from outside their tribe). It is usually drab and functional, and often leaves their arms and legs exposed. Jewelry is rare, and typically consists of simple anklets or bracelets. Male akalish will wear makeup, though the vivacity of color makes it more akin to facepaint than makeup.

In Society

Like other dragonborn, the akalish are a people whose civilization has long since fallen from the glory days of the second age. They abandoned the Dragonborn Council well before its collapse and conquest, choosing instead to spread along the unclaimed wilds of southern Corsu. They instead faced conquest and displacement at the hands of the Atvar Confederacy.
The aklish have always been a tribal people with a deep appreciation for nature, but their fall from glory has turned them into nomadic hunter-gatherer society. They scrape out a living on the edges of human civilizations. They maintain a strong antipathy for humans and human civilizations, but are not savage or inherently destructive. They are distrustful of outsiders, and are slow to form friendships or lasting alliances, even with other akalish tribes.
Akalish place a deep value on self-reliance, and often will develop a broad and shallow set of skills, rather than relying on an expert hunter, an expert bowyer, an expert healer and so on.
The akalish find themselves as outcast in most civilized societies. Humans especially the Atvarans, tend to see the akalish as poor, untrustworthy savages, little different from goblins. The dwarves, shi'ruul and yelin share a similarly disdainful view of the aklish. Sprigins find akalish to be too dour and closed-minded for their liking, but don't think of their simplified civilization as "backwards" in any way.
Halflings, aldarwa and erume tend to be the most charitable in their outlook. Halfings empathize with the akalish fight for survival, and can understand their distrust of other races. The erume identify strongly with the akalish tribal culture, and their cultural emphasis on self-reliance. The aldarwa appreciate them for their crude but genuine respect for nature.

Relations

The aklish people have few friends in the world, even among their own kind. Other dragonborn see the akalish as having abandoned their kind, and humans have been actively displacing their tribes at every opportunity. Aklish tribes rarely cooperate, and the separation of tribes caused by the spread of the Avtar Confederacy has only exacerbated this matter.
Akalish tend to be distrustful of others. They have specific resentment towards humans, given their history with the Atvaran people, but the notion of humanoid civilization in general seems dubious to most akalish. Civilized folk tend to be incapable of doing much of anything, outside of one seemingly isolated skill. Such people also seem to be willing to live in dwellings they didn't make themselves, an trust their lives to be defended by people they hardly know who wield weapons which came from who knows where. It all sounds like a deathtrap, and most akalish would not want to expose themselves to it, and could not trust people who are reckless enough to engage in such behavior.

Alignment and Religion

Akalish tend to value self-reliance and independence. While they are disdainful and distrustful of others, they are not sadistic or cruel. Akalish tend towards chaotic alignments, but do not have a strong tenancy towards good or evil. Akalish typically worship the dragon gods, but are not particularly evangelistic about it. Knowledge of the faith is simply one of the many skills needed to survive in the world, and they would not defer this to a preacher any more than they would use a spear made by a stranger.

Adventures

Few akalish leave their tribe on a life of adventure. Those who do are typically outcasts or misfits that find life within the tribe untenable. To these, life among the civilized people of the wider world is no less alien than the idea of settling in with a different akalish tribe. The akalish mindset and physical skills lend themselves most readily to rangers, rogues and druids, while the legacy of their draconic origin makes sorcerers and oracles fairly common among Akalish adventurers.

Naming Traditions

Akalish names, like other dragonborn, are sourced from the Draconic language, and descriptive of one's physical characteristics. One would never translate their name into the common tongue, as the translation would end up being insultingly non-specific or inaccurate. Similarly, akalish will accept shorted versions of their names from their friends (like calling Rak'el'zurik "Rak" or "Elz") but would be indignant at being called "Red" or "Spike."
Akalish don't use family names (as the context inherent in their given name also speaks to their family ties), but they will refer to their tribe is speaking among outsiders. Those who are outcast from their tribe would still refer to themselves as of that tribe, but with the "-na" suffix. So, Rak'el'zurik of Xath would be Rak'el'zurik of Xath'na if he permanently left the tribe.
Male Names: Ky'lnn'yx of Thal'ash, Zarz'Ynd'as of Shu'za'na, V'kax'tor of Gly'm
Female Names: Rak'el'zurik of Xath, Y'var of Thal'ash'na, Gazn'eth'ak of Kt'ynn

Racial Traits (9 RP)

Standard Racial Traits

• Ability Score Modifiers: Akalish are athletic and crafty, but their distrustful tendencies make it hard to connect with others. They gain +2 Strength, +2 Intelligence, and –4 Charisma.
• Size: Akalish are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Type: Akalish are Humanoids with the aquatic and dragonborn subtype.
• Base Speed: Akalish have a base speed of 20 feet, a swim speed of 20 feet and a climb speed of 20 feet. Akalish base speed is not affected by wearing medium or heavy armor.
• Languages: Akalish begin play speaking Common and Draconic. Akalish with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aquan, Goblin, Sylvan and any human language. See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.

Feat and Skill Racial Traits

• Camouflage: Akalish gain a +4 racial bonus on Stealth checks while within bogs or swamps.
• Motion Sense: Akalish receive a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks made to see other creatures attempting to hide with Stealth.
• Powerful Legs: Akalish are always considered to have a running start when making Acrobatics checks to jump, and receive a +2 racial bonus such checks. Additionally, akalish can elect to use their Strength modifier instead of their Dexterity modifier when making Acrobatics checks to jump.

Movement Racial Traits

• Swamp Stride: Akalish can move through natural difficult terrain at their normal speed while within bogs or swamps. Magically altered terrain affects them normally.

Senses Racial Traits

• Low-light Vision: Akalish can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Weakness Racial Traits

• Excessive Thirst: Akalish require twice as much water as a normal humanoid of their size to survive. They also suffer a –4 penalty to saves against nonlethal damage caused by hot conditions or thirst.
• Poison vulnerability: Akalish take a –2 penalty on fortitude saves against ingested or inhaled poisons.

Other Racial Traits

• Amphibious: Akalish can breathe both water and air.
• Genetic Divergence: The dragonborn, unlike most races, were the creation of mortal beings. As such, their creation was imperfect, and they are born with wildly different traits and abilities. Any small or medium or large sized anuran humanoid or monstrous humanoid who advances by class is considered a akalish. This includes (but is not necessarily limited to) boggards, bullywugs, grippli and tsathar. Such creatures retain all their normal traits and abilities, but their type is changed to humanoid and they gain the dragonborn subtype.

Alternate Racial Traits

• Sticky Tongue: Akalish can make melee attacks with their long, sticky tongues. This is a secondary attack. A creature hit by this attack cannot move more than 10 feet away from the attacker and takes a –2 penalty to AC as long as the tongue is attached (this penalty does not stack if multiple tongues are attached). The tongue can be removed by the target or an adjacent ally by making an opposed Strength check against the attacking creature as a standard action or by dealing 2 points of damage to the tongue (AC 11, damage does not reduce the sticky-tongued creature’s hit points). A member of this race cannot move more than 10 feet away from a creature stuck to its tongue, but it can release its tongue from the target as a free action. A member of this race can only have one creature attached to its tongue at a time. This trait replaces of powerful legs.
• Toxic: A number of times per day equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum 1/day), an aklish can release a toxin into the thin coating of mucus that covers their skin. Doing so is a swift action. When they do so, the next creature that uses a bite attack or the swallow whole ability on them are affected with the poison. The toxic mucus persists until the start of the Akalish's next turn. Aklish Mucus (Ingested; save Fort DC 10 + the 1/2 user’s Hit Dice + the user’s Constitution modifier; frequency 1/round for 6 rounds; effect 1d2 Dex; cure 1 save.) This trait replaces camouflage.

Favored Class Options

The following favored class options are available to all characters of this race who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the favored class reward.

Racial Feats

The following feats are available to a akalish character who meets the prerequisites.