Tamlin, canvasses of the gods.

 

“We were the first, all the skins you are, we wore first.  The Shaper made as as the canvas on which elves, dwarves, humans, all were painted.  We remain hidden among you.  You divide, segregate yourselves, but from our hidden places, you are all the same.” Ayava, tamlin oracle.

Tamlin claim to be the first race, their natural shapeshifting the result of the gods using them as the template to make the thinking races from.  Few tamlin communities exist on Davirc, as they integrate into other societies as water flows into the cracks in the earth.  To most, the tamlin are a myth, or a fairy tale of stolen babies and changelings.  They live among human, gnome, dwarf, elf and the other races, wearing their skins and engaging in their own agendas.

Physical Description: Tamlin, in their natural forms, are a tall slender race, standing as tall as humans, but with much thinner bodies than humans.  Naturally hairless, tamlin skin color varies from light blue to dark grey, with solid colored eyes ranging the full spectrum. Tamlin of mixed heritage often reflect their non-tamlin parent, slightly pointed ears from an elven ancestry, or broader facial features from an orc ancestry.  Tamlin fashion is simple and utilitarian in tamlin communities, but they dress to fit the fashions of the societies they inhabit.

Society: Most Tamlin live among other societies, temporarily or long term.  Tamlin tend to blend in and adopt the mannerisms of the society they live in. Tamlin can produce offspring with any humanoid, their offspring initially are for all purposes their mother’s race/assumed race and do not have the shapeshifter subtype.  As they reach maturity, less than half will develop into Tamlin, the remainder remain their mother’s race/assumed race. (The child of a tamlin father and human mother will be tamlin or human on reaching maturity.) Most tamlin in the world adopt one shape, or a few similar shapes and interact with the world in those forms.   Human, orc, and halfling populations appeal the most to tamlin, as their lifespans and cultures best allow their integration. The longer lives of dwarves, gnomes and especially elves keep them from building lasting relationships with these cultures.  Tamlin towns are often small and isolated from others, though freer than most.  There they can assume their natural forms and are, to non-tamlin, surprisingly blunt and honest.  Tamlin judge others solely by how they perceive their actions and intentions, not by appearance. 

Relations: Tamlin generally try to judge the individual, not the race.  While they do have stereotypes for the races, their desire to see individuals can blind them to the flaws of that individual.  A person who can hide their flaws well enough to fool a tamlin will find in her a fierce defender, even when evidence comes to light.  Tamlin see dwarves as stratified, elves as isolationist hedonists, humans as self-centered and greedy, halflings as noble savages, gnomes as vagabonds, and orcs as savages.

Alignment and Religion: Tamlin are secretive but can be fiercely loyal.  They tend to hold to their own code and loyalties and are often lawful neutral. They worship their own remote deity, the Shaper, but pay homage to the Eight, seeing them as simply different skins worn by the Shaper.  Some small few worship the Void. Calling themselves the faceless, they seek to erase all records of their own identity, and their victims. 

Adventurers: Tamlin tend to not form deep relationships, for fear that revealing their true forms to those they grow close to will result in the fracturing of those relationships. The desire to find those worthy and accepting of their true selves can drive tamlin to amazing, and heroic lengths. 

Tamlin racial traits

+2 Constitution, +2 Charisma, -2 Wisdom Tamlin have durable bodies despite their slight frames, and forceful personalities, but often get distracted or lost in details.

Medium: Tamlin are Medium creatures and have no bonuses or penalties due to their size their natural form.

Normal Speed: Tamlin have a base speed of 30 feet in their natural form.

Blended Insight: Tamlin quickly adapt to blending in to their social environment. They gain a +2 bonus on Disguise and Sense Motive checks.

Low Light Vision: Tamlin can see twice as far as humans in conditions of dim light.

Shaper’s Gift:   Tamlin can assume the appearance of a Small or Medium humanoid as the alter self spell, save that it does not adjust its ability scores. Tamlin can maintain the form indefinitely, even if sleeping or affected by magical sleep effects,  but revert to their normal form if rendered unconscious due to reaching 0 HP.

Languages: Tamlin begin play speaking Common and Elven. Tamlin with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic).