Skrylin Race

by Adam Frank and Tim Wallace

Populating the city world of Corind are small flightless avians. They exist in all corners of the world. The skrylins thrive in cities and around the hustle and bustle of other creatures. They are most at home in a crowd or lending their aid to a team, often the larger the better. The rumor is that they see everything. In all of recent memory the best information brokers and investigators have been the skrylins, able to find anything if given enough time. Some think that these bird-men may be linked psychically when in actuality they just apply their ability to work with others to finding out the information they are looking for.

Physical Description: Small wingless avians with yellow, red, orange and white feathers adorning their bodies, the skrylins populate every corner of Corind. They are lightweight and short, generally never larger than a halfling and oftentimes lighter in weight. All skrylins have large front facing eyes either yellow, green, or black and a beak that stretches from cheek to cheek that makes them look like they are always happily inquisitive, which the skrylins often are. They adorn themselves with beads, paint their feathers, and very wear colorful, loose-fitting clothing appropriate for running and climbing as, despite being wingless, they often travel from rooftop to rooftop or windowsill to windowsill. While looking up in Corind you are just as likely to see a skrylin as a flock of pigeons or crows.

Society: As they are so prevalent, the skrylins are happy to live with any species who will give them leave to do so. Generally friendly and always observant, the skrylins will form clutches of 10 to 15 and live together, traveling around a city and sleeping where they may. From time to time a skrylin Matriarch will own a dwelling or shop. If she does, there is no question that at least two clutches will call it home and any other clutches that are passing through will be invited for trade, discussion and a meal. The other popular living places of the skrylins are aboard some of the large skyships of Corind. These skyships will sometimes have three or four clutches that consistently work the ship, making repairs as it is moving and hovering a mile above the ground.

Relations: The skrylins are generally seen as helpful, friendly, and useful to have around if you need to know something. As they tend to restrict themselves to higher altitudes, they don't tend to get too much in the way. From time to time a skyrlin's inquisitive nature may grate on someone’s nerves or make them worry about losing a guarded secret. The second fear is well founded for it is a skrylin saying, “If it happened, my sister knows it, if my sister knows it, my mother knows it, if my mother knows it, the clutch knows it, and if the clutch knows it, the world can buy it.” This has caused some strained relations between skrylins and those with secrets to hide.

Alignment & Religion: The skrylins tend to lean more towards the chaotic end of the alignment spectrum, living their nomadic lives as they do. Their gods are Arinda, the goddess of air, Shayna, the goddess of buildings and work, and Thim, god of secrets and hidden things. The skrylins tend to shy away from the organized religion the empire of Corind has brought in. Their philosophy is: if the emperor is unknown to the masses and unseen to his people, as he is, he doesn't exist. If he doesn't exist he can't be the god-king the government states he is.

Adventurers: Skrylins make great adventurers and will often leave their clutch to seek fame and fortune, or to learn a precious new secret. Their tendency to find important information makes them invaluable to other adventurers and their willingness and excellence when it comes to teamwork makes them ideal party members. They tend to be bards, rogues, sorcerers, arcanists and summoners.

Skrylin Racial Traits (12 RP)

+2 Int, +2 Wis, –2 Con (1 RP): Skrylins are more suited to academia than to athletics.

Humanoid (Skrylin): Skrylins are humanoids with the skrylin subtype.

Small: Skrylins are Small creatures and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their CMB and CMD, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.

Normal Speed: Skrylins have a base speed of 30 feet.

Low-Light Vision (1 RP): Skrylins can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Adaptablity (2 RP): Skrylins gains Skill Focus as a bonus feat at 1st level.

Bird’s Eye (4 RP): Skrylins receive a +4 racial bonus on Perception skill checks.

Enduring Climber (2 RP): Skrylins receive a +2 racial bonus on Climb skill checks.

Skrylin Immunities (2 RP): Skrylins are immune to diseases, except for magical diseases (such as mummy rot).

Urban Bond (2 RP): Skrylins receive a +2 dodge bonus to AC when in an urban environment.

City Slicker (–2 RP): Upon leaving an urban environment, a skrylin is frightened for 1 round; on subsequent rounds, they are dazzled until they enter a hamlet or larger settlement.

Languages: Skrylins begin play speaking Common and Tengu. Skrylins with high Intelligence can choose bonus languages from the following: Elven, Goblin, Gnome, Halfling, and Sylvan.

Alternate Skrylin Racial Traits

The following racial traits may be selected instead of existing skrylin racial traits. Consult your GM before selecting any of these new options.

Clutch Synergy: A skrylin with this trait gains a bonus teamwork feat at 1st level. This trait replaces adaptability.

Mile-High Native: A skrylin with this trait is immune to altitude sickness and does not lose their Dexterity bonus to AC when making Climb skill checks or Acrobatics skill checks to cross narrow or slippery surfaces. In addition, they gain a +2 racial bonus on Acrobatics skill checks. This trait replaces adaptability, urban bond, and city slicker.

Natural-Born Climber: A skrylin with this trait have climb speed of 30 feet, and gains the +8 racial bonus on Climb checks that a climb speed normally grants. This trait replaces enduring climber and urban bond.

Night Eye: A skrylin with this trait gains darkvision out to 60 feet and is dazzled as long as they remain in an area of bright light. This trait replaces low-light vision.

Studious: A skryline with this trait only receives a +2 racial bonus on Perception skill checks. However, they gain a +4 bonus on Diplomacy skill checks to gather information, and Knowledge (history) and Knowledge (local) become class skills for them. If they choose a class that has either of these Knowledge skills as class skills, they gain a +2 racial bonus on those skills instead. This trait alters bird’s eye and replaces adaptability.

Skrylin Feat

Skrylins have access to the following feat.

Cramped Combat (Combat, Teamwork)

Your stature allows you to share the same space as a similarly sized ally.

Prerequisites: Dex 13, Small size or smaller, base attack bonus +1.

Benefit: You can share the same square as a Small or smaller ally who also has this feat. If you and that ally attack the same foe, you are considered to be flanking that foe as if you were in two opposite squares.