Race: Drecna

The drecna are an intelligent humanoid race standing only slightly taller than humans on average, with skin that ranges from a deep gray to a very light greenish-yellow. Their skin tends to be wrinkly and rough, and they possess sharp teeth. Their ears are not prominent nor pointed. Generations of storms and salt-spray have made the drecna a hardy people, and they tend towards lanky physiques which are suited for scrambling up the rigging of the ships they call home as often as any city.

For race attributes and other build info, click here.

The drecna are a people in exile, as their true homelands on the continent of Liria were overrun by orcs many hundreds of years ago. There were three main migratory groups that fled the homeland at different times, and these groups form the basis for the modern drecnan nations.

Ragouti

The nation of Ragouti is comprised of the descendents of those who abandoned their homeland the earliest and settled upon the nearby island of Hith. The civilization they built is the largest and most prosperous of the drecnan nations; Ragouti merchants can be found in every major city in the world.

Gadra

The founders of Gadra were the second group to leave their homes. They share the mighty island of Hith with the Ragouti, and having arrived second were forced to settle upon the lesser share. This has given them a powerful wanderlust and Gadran sailors are some of the most daring explorers Eldreon has ever known. Due to the knowledge gained in these travels, the capital city of Gadra is home to the greatest library of alchemical knowledge in the world - and thus to the greatest alchemists.

Utenvar

The third and final group to flee the invading orcish tribes, the drecna of Utenvar are descended entirely of the ancestral nobility and their retainers. As their desperate last stands gave the other drecna the time needed to assemble their households and flee, the Utenvar were granted a mighty fortress home by the Ragouti when they first arrived upon the shores of Hith. This gratitude soon wore thin, however, and now the Utenvar are often looked down upon by their wealthier kin. Possessed of a grim hatred for the orcs, the Utenvar are the most militaristic of the drecnan nations, and still dream of the day when they might reclaim the lands they once ruled.

Languages

In the old Drecnan Republic, there were two languages: Common Drecnan and Court Drecnan, also known as Natcheda and Creeunthir respectively. Nearly all drecna speak Natcheda, whereas only the Utenvarrians stubbornly keep Creeunthir alive.

Culture and Government

Ancient drecna was a republic with a hereditary military aristocracy. Civil authority could only derive from an election, and this belief is so ingrained in the drecna that there was never a historically successful coup attempt by the martial class. This republic survives in various forms amongst the three nations: In Ragouti a vote must be purchased for each election and any single person may only have one, and thus large "sponsored" voting blocks backed by wealthy merchants are the norm. In Gadra votes may also be purchased, but any ship's captain with a crew of at least ten also possesses a vote by right. In Utenvar every blooded warrior can vote, but certain forms of hereditary right also exist.

Once in the past the Ragouti nation attempted to lay claim to the overlordship over all drecna, but an unusual alliance between Gadra and Utenvar put a quick end to that. The Utenvar were angry at the attempted usurpation of what had been their ancestral position in the Republic - the Gadra simply had no wish to bow to anyone's authority. In the treaty that followed, all three nations agreed that the past was dead, and that no nation or family could lay claim to the authority of the Old Republic until their homeland had been reclaimed.

Racial Attributes

Race-Wide Traits:
All drecna, regardless of nation, possess these traits

Ability Score Racial Traits: Drecna are hardy and dextrous, but are often fractious and have quick tempers. They gain +2 CON, +2 DEX, and -2 WIS.
Size: Drecna are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Type: Drecna are humanoids with the drecna subtype.
Base Speed: Drecna have a base speed of 30 feet.

Offensive Racial Traits: 
Weapon Familiarity: Drecna are proficient with all light weapons and any weapon with "boarding" in the name.
Defensive Racial Traits:
Toxin Resistant: Drecna gain a +2 Fort save bonus to checks made against diseases and poisons.
Up the Rigging: Drecna gain a +2 racial bonus to climb checks.
Feat and Skill Racial Traits:
Born Mariners: Drecna gain a +2 racial bonus to Profession(Sailor) checks.


Cultural Traits
Drecnan characters choose one nation they originated from and receive the corresponding traits.

Ragouti:
Eye for a Deal: Ragouti drecna recieve a +2 racial bonus to all Appraise checks, and appraise is always a class skill for them.
Industrius: Ragouti recive an extra skill point at character creation. This skill point must be spent on a Profession skill.

Gadra:
Sailor's Stories: Gadran drecna get a +2 racial bonus to Knowledge(Geography) and Knowledge(Nature) checks and these skills are always class skills for them.

Utenvar:
Mandatory Training: Utenvari drecna gain EITHER the Improved Unarmed Strike OR the Weapon Focus feat at level one. If they choose Weapon Focus, they start with whatever weapon they have chosen free of cost.
Payback: Utenvari drecna gain a +1 racial bonus to attack and damage rolls against any creature with the orc subtype.
Poverty: Utenvari start with only half the usual amount of gold for characters of their class.