Petralacra

The petralacra are the rarest sapient race of Hollo, and were originally created by reveniens to act as miners and labourers. Essentially artificial earth elementals augmented with metal parts, the petralacra were originally not intelligent. However, after extended periods in the earth individual personalities and free will began to emerge, and after a very brief period of revolution, the petralacra claimed their independence and made the mines they had worked in their home. Those that had not yet gained sapience were reclaimed from their prior masters and taken deep into the earth to be awakened.

As they do not reproduce in the traditional sense, they are not particularly common. They are, however, capable of creating more of their own kind, though this is treated with much greater reverence than most biological beings grant it. While it is easy for a more xenophobic petralacrum ti see their ability to create others like themselves at will as a way to overcome the biological races of the world, it is the precise origin of this enmity that prevents them from doing so; they were once treated as tools, and refuse to treat their progeny similarly.

Physical Description: First generation petralacra – those created by reveniens – are largely identical in appearance. They are hulking figures hewn chiefly of granite, with solid, top-heavy bodies and squat, dome-like heads, easily dwarfing most reveniens at 6 foot in height. Their limbs are reinforced with iron, and certain areas plated with it for protective purposes.

Second generation petralacra and beyond are much more varied, as they have been crafted by their parents with the notion of an individual in mind. While some still closely resemble their great barrel-chested parents, others are slim, curving, even sharp and jagged or feminine. There is a limit, however, to the forms they can be carved in, and they still retain the slow, restricted movement of their forebears.

The physical quality shared by all petralacra is their eyes, which appear to be simple round depressions in the front of their head, which logic dictates cannot extend more than a few inches, as they do not reach all the way through the head. When one looks directly into them, though, the darkness inside gives the impression of stretching on for quite some time.

Society: Petralacra are a terse and solemn people by nature, though this should not be mistaken for a lack of feeling or passion. Though they give the appearance of having and desiring little to do with each other, as they rarely socialize outside of co-operating in some kind of task or mission, and can usually be observed in their underground homes quietly going about their own business, they care deeply about their friends and “family”. All first generation petralacra consider each other siblings of a sort, and in that way are all extended family. The parental bond between creator and progeny, however, is just as strong as it is in other races, if not stronger for the personal attachment of having both crafted the young with intention and toil and done it alone – although collaborative procreation is not unheard of.

Relations: The petralacra are extremely insular and protective of their homes. While they tolerate visitors and generally hold no particular ill will towards other races, the deeper parts of their mines are strictly off limits to other races, and treated as a sacred site. As a young race, though, they are usually quite happy to learn of others' culture and listen to their wisdom, and many petralacra seek out such experiences. Their relationship with the reveniens is tense but nonviolent – many modern reveniens feel a vague sense of guilt over the period when awakened petralacra were still in service to revenien masters, and are happy to welcome the race to the world of sapience.

Alignment and Religion: As a young race, perfectly aware of its artificial nature, unsure of its identity, the petralacra have no predisposition towards any alignment. They are, generally, open to new experiences, protective of individual rights, and creative, and so tend slightly more towards chaos than law. They hold the Deep Dark in reverence, as the origin of their intelligence. Their general reluctance to worship other gods is not, however, out of loyalty, but out of uncertainty that the gods of organic beings would welcome their worship.

Standard Racial Traits:

Ability Score Racial Traits: Petralacra are mighty and smart, though do not possess great range of movement or speed. They receive +2 Strength, +2 Intelligence, and -2 Dexterity.
Size: Petralacra are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Type: Petralacra are outsiders with the native and half-construct subtypes
Base Speed: Petralacra have a base speed of 30 feet
Languages: Petralacra begin play speaking Common and Revenien.

Defense Racial Traits:

Inorganic Lifeform: Petralacra gain a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against disease, mind-affecting effects, poison, and effects that cause either exhaustion or fatigue. Petralacra do not breathe, eat, or sleep, unless they want to gain some beneficial effect from one of these activities. This means that a petralacrum can drink potions to benefit from their effects and can sleep in order to regain spells, but neither of these activities is required for the petralacrum to survive or stay in good health.

Protective Plating: Petralacra gain a +1 armor bonus to AC.

Offense Racial Traits:

Weapon Familiarity: Petralacra are proficient with pickaxes and heavy picks.

Senses Racial Traits:

Darkvision: Petralacra can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.