THE DARKARALOME

Darkaralome (IPA: dɑːˈkɑɹəloə̆m, sometimes spelled as Da'karalohm) have a great reputation for sculpture, fire magic and sagely knowledge, but only among those that know of their existence. Though they are well known in many dwarven and elvish lands, they are a mystery to most humans, if not completely unknown. Past wars with kingdoms who mistook them for demonic beings have heightened their secretive natures. They rarely venture from their volcanic mountain homes these days.

Physical Description: Darkaralome vary in height, ranging from as little as 4½ feet to 6 feet. Their physiques are smaller than one might expect, only weighing in between 95 lbs to 135 lbs on average. However, these light, wiry frames are deceptive; if dwarves are stout wooden clubs, then darkaralome are slim iron bars, full of an unyielding strength. Females may be slightly shorter and lighter than the males, though there is overall little sexual dimorphism. Their skin ranges from dark mahogany to ebony black to navy blue, with hair the same shade as their skin. They do not have facial or body hair. Their eyes can be nearly any color imaginable; brown, black, blue, yellow, red, green, violet and orange are equally represented in the population, plus many shades in between. White eyes are rare, and are associated with rare celestial bloodlines. Their faces remind most people of the elves, but their ears set them apart. Darkaralome have no fleshy lobes; instead, their ears are entirely cartilage, coming to a point both at the top and the bottom.

Their bodies are reistant to scars, normal tattoos and decorative piercings. Unless magical in nature, blemishes tend to fade away within six months, and piercings will migrate out of the body in mere weeks. Given this resistance, Darkaralome jewelry takes few forms. Rings, necklaces and such are common, as are rings braided into long hair. Their most unique item is the earchain, which is a set of two rings linked by a short chain. The ear is bent slightly as the rings are slipped on both sides, then released. The upper ring and the chain, which can be behind or in front of the ear, keep the lower ring from coming off. Earchains usually have to be sized by a jeweler for a perfect, comfortable fit.

Society: Darkaralome are both guarded and garrolous. Among friends, they can be quite fun and easygoing, and to some extent they do this with outsiders. However, a darkaralome is always careful as to how much they reveal of themselves to people they don't know. Their homelands are near volcanoes, but rarely do they live in active ones themselves. They prefer subterranean lairs close to the surface world, beneath forests in valleys, plains or mountainsides. Society is broken up into various "guilds" such as Artisan, Farmer, Religious, Mason, and Hunter. Numerous others exist, including several monk orders and magical traditions, but those core five are found in nearly every settlement. Guilds tend to have elders who shepherd their members, and the most senior elders serve in a ruling council for a settlement. Individual darkaralome are not bound to a guild for any length of time, and it is extremely rare for a guild to eject a member involuntarily. Some darkaralome jump from guild to guild, looking for a good fit for their skills and ambitions. Some do not ever join a guild, preferring an ascetic life, or one without annoying oversight.

Relations: Darkaralome get along very well with dwarves, the only race whose stonecraft surpasses their own. They have acceptable relations with elves, woodsprites, halflings and gnomes, though they view the latter race as a bit too flighty for their own good. Darkaralome tend to avoid human and half-orcish contact.

Alignment and Religion: Darkaralome tend away from chaotic behavior, as their secretive nature tends to be at odds with it. As a society, they tend towards the good end of the spectrum. However, adventurers can be of any stripe. The chief darkaralome god is Lo'hemeh, the Obsidian Flame, though they are also known to worship gods of fire, stone, magic and knowledge.

Adventurers: Adventurers are usually guildless, whose personalities chafe under the overly lawful society around them. Others wish to gather new knowledge from faraway lands, while many more are simply struck by wanderlust.

Names: Upon birth, a darkaralome is given three names by their parents. The first is their usual name, what they go by for the rest of their lives. The name of her mother or father (or, less frequently, an honored ancestor or family friend) is used as a base for the child's second name. A suffix is added, -mai for daughters, -pai for sons. So, a girl might become Lilka Dorotamai (Lilka, Dorota's daughter), and a son in the same family might be Jas Kaziopai (Jas, Kazio's son). Their final name is a secret, "true" name that the darkaralome might never reveal to anyone else. Telling someone else your truename is a sign of your solemn trust for that person. Typically, spouses share these names on their wedding day (and sometimes later with their grown children), clerics share theirs with their high priest, lieges share theirs with their lord, and soldiers share theirs with their captain. Giving out the truename of someone else is a grievous insult. A darkaralome may change her common name, but can never change her truename.

Male Names: Aurek, Garek, Heniek, Jas, Kazio, Koby, Liuz, Marke, Olus, Pawel, Rufin, and Slawek.

Female Names: Bryga, Dorota, Elka, Halina, Jasia, Lechsinska, Lilka, Magda, Tola, Waleria, Wisia, and Zytka.

Truenames: These can literally be anything. A second common name is often used (Tola, or Marke), but some parents go nuts and use made-up, unpronouncable names (Ykkwpomnnbetzxz), strings of numbers (25388301), or whole paragraphs (It Was A Dark And Stormy Night When I Was Born And Mother Wanted More Ice So Father Left And By The Time He Returned He Had Missed My Birth And Was Very Surprised).

Darkaralome Racial Traits:

• Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma: Darkaralome are hardy, headstrong creatures, but they lack the fine grace of their sylvan kin.
• Type: Darkaralome are humanoid creatures with the darkaralome subtype.
• Size: Darkaralome are Medium creatures, and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Base Speed: Darkaralome base speed is 30 feet.
• Languages: Darkaralome begin play speaking Darkaralome and Common. Darkaralome with high Intelligence scpres may choose to learn Dwarven, Goblin, Ignan, Orc, Sylvan, and Undercommon.
• Clockworker: Darkaralome are trained to work on the various clockwork gadgetry used in their settlements. They gain a +2 racial bonus on all Craft (mechanical) checks and all Craft or Profession checks to create objects made of metal.
• Healthy: Darkaralome receive a +4 bonus on Fortitude saves vs all diseases and poisons.
• Hold Breath: Darkaralome can hold their breath for 4 rounds per point of Constitution before suffering any drowning or suffocation effects.
• Volcanic Magic: Darkaralome are treated as +1 level higher when casting spells with the fire descriptor, using granted powers of the Fire domain, using fire elemental bloodline powers, using the revelations of the Oracle flame mystery, and determining the damage of alchemist bombs that deal fire damage. They gain the following spell-like abilities: 1/day - Dancing Lights, Dark Light, Flare, Produce Flame, Spark. (Caster level is equal to their character level.)
• Weapon Familiarity: Darkaralome are proficient with picks (including the 'Lomepick below), and treat any weapon with "Darkaralome" in its name as a martial weapon.
• Low-Light Vision: Darkaralome can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Alternate Racial Traits:

• Cave Dweller: Some Darkaralome are more interested in exploring than in crafting. They receive a +1 bonus to Knowledge (dungeoneering) and Survival checks made underground. This replaces Clockworker.
• Dark Fighter: Some Darkaralome eschew magical training in favor of gaining greater fighting skills. They gain Blind-Fight as a bonus feat, and are proficient with Two-Bladed Swords and Bastard Swords. This replaces Volcanic Magic. Weapon Familiarity cannot be replaced by a different racial trait if this trait is taken.
• Deep Dweller: Some Darkaralome delve deep into the earth and have adapted to the dark. They have Darkvision out to 120 feet, and have spell resistance of 6 + their character level. This replaces Low-Light Vision and Volcanic Magic.
• Deep Magic: Some Darkaralome eschew physical training in favor of increasing their magical powers. They gain a +2 racial bonus on caster level checks made to overcome spell resistance and a +2 racial bonus on dispel checks. checks. This replaces Healthy, Hold Breath, and Weapon Familiarity. Volcanic Magic cannot be replaced by a different racial trait if this trait is taken.
• Fire Summoner: Some Darakaralome use their own inner strength to cross dimensional barriers more easily. When they summon a creature with the Fire descriptor, the spell's duration is increased by 2 rounds. This replaces Healthy.
• Scout: Years of torment from other races (due to being mistaken for demons and the like) have created a need for... a less-obvious presence. Some Darkaralome have trained to tap into their old Fey lineage and channel their inner magic into a new supernatural power. They can assume the appearance of a single form of a single humanoid race of Medium size. The form is static and cannot be changed. They gain a +10 racial bonus to Disguise checks when trying to appear as the other race. Changing shape is a standard action, and functions as the spell Alter Self, except no ability score adjustments are made. In addition, they add +1 to the caster level of any abjuration spells they cast, and gain the following spell-like abilities: Nondetection (constant), Faerie Fire (1/day), Obscure Object (1/day) and Sanctuary (1/day). Their caster level is equal to their character level. This replaces Volcanic Magic and Clockworker.
• Stoneskin: Some Darkaralome seem to have been carved from the volcanic rocks they live in. They gain a +1 natural armor bonus to AC. This replaces Healthy.

Darkaralome Archetype: Innate Magus

The inborn magical talent of some Darkaralome lends itself well to the art of spell combat.

• An Innate Magus casts arcane spells drawn from the magus spell list. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time. To learn or cast a spell, an Innate Magus must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell's level. The DC for a saving throw against an Innate Magus's spell is 10 + the spell's level + the Innate Magus's Charisma modifier. An Innate Magus can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is the same as a bard of the same level. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score.
  An Innate Magus's selection of spells is limited. He has the same number of spells known as a bard of the same level, and can choose new spells to replace old ones at 5th level and every 3 class levels after that, just as a bard does. He can cast cantrips at no cost as long as he has at least 1 point left in his arcane pool.
  Any spell or magus arcana that an Innate Magus learns uses his Charisma bonus instead of his Intelligence bonus. An Innate Magus with Volcanic Magic gains Dancing Lights, Dark Light, Flare and Spark as bonus spells, and may choose Produce Flame as one of his 1st-level spells. An Innate Magus with Scout gains Faerie Fire and Sanctuary as bonus spells, and can choose Obscure Object as a 2nd-level spell and Nondetection as a 3rd-level spell. This modifies the magus's spells class feature and Magus Arcana.
• An Innate Magus's Arcane Pool has a number of points equal to 1/2 his magus level (minimum 1) + his Charisma modifier. This modifies Arcane Pool.
• Spell Refresh: At 4th level, an Innate Magus can use his arcane pool to regain spell slots he has already used. As a swift action, he can spend an amount of points equal to the level of the spell slot he wishes to regain. He must cast a spell with that slot within two rounds or the slot is lost again. This ability replaces Spell Recall.
• Improved Spell Refresh: At 11th level, an Innate Magus's ability to regain spell slots improves. Whenever he uses Spell Refresh, he only needs to spend an amount of points equal to 1/2 the spell's level (minimum 1). This ability replaces Improved Spell Recall.
• Arcane Heritage: At 7th level, an Innate Magus gains two new 0-level spells chosen from the wizard's spell list. Each level thereafter until his 19th level, he gains a bonus wizard spell according to the table below. Once chosen, these spells cannot be changed or replaced.

  Levels	Spell Level Learned
  8th and 9th	1st level
  10th and 11th	2nd level
  12th and 13th	3rd level
  14th and 15th	4th level
  16th and 17th	5th level
  18th and 19th	6th level

  This ability replaces Knowledge Pool and Greater Spell Access.

Darkaralome Race Traits

Thick Skinned

You feel connected to the element of Earth. Your body is resilent when it comes to corrosive materials.

You gain Acid Resistance 2.

Hot Blooded

You feel a strange kinship with fire, and have little fear of it.

You gain Fire Resistance 2.

Lava Dancer

You and your friends used to play near the magma fields, and you became adept at dodging the occasional pyroclastic flare.

You have a +1 trait bonus to Reflex saves.

Social Traits (For Other Races)

Darkaralome-Raised

You grew up among Darkaralome, and either they taught you some of their magic or you learned it on the sly.

You can learn Darkaralome-only racial spells.

Lo'hemeh (loh-heh-meh), The Obsidian Flame.

Legend says that he separated the darkaralome from the rest of the fey folk and sent them to the volcanoes. His clerics promote the gathering of knowledge and careful respect of stone and flame. He is neutral good, and he grants access to the domains of Community, Earth, Fire, Good, Knowledge, and Protection and the subdomains Agathion, Caves, Defense, Friendship, Home, and Thought. His favored weapon is the 'Lomepick (explained below), and his home is in Nirvana. His symbol is a flame made of stone.

Although he is the patron of the darkaralome race, Lo'hemeh accepts followers of other races. These rare worshippers are often knowledge-seekers who find other gods too evil or too detatched for their tastes. His clerics can be of any alignment except evil.

Most temples to Lo'hemeh are underground, close to the surface, and near volcanic regions. Temples are often dug directly into or built on top of extinct volcanoes.