Meza'xin (3.5e Race)

Meza'xin

Personality

The Meza'xin may be thought of as the "warrior" caste. It is more accurate, however, to call them the "infantry" caste. They work as guards and law enforcement during peacetime, and skirmishers and archers during wartime. The Meza'xin are an aggressive people, seeking to celebrate life. The Meza'xin view honor as the only thing that cannot be taken, only surrendered. Those who "surrender" their honor "live the life of the dead," a strange expression meaning the dishonored one is an outcast until his or her honor is restored in the eyes of the individual's brethren. This is rare, as outcasts are rarely tolerated.

They are ambitious and aggressive, and are the most likely to take upon themselves a career in adventuring.

Physical Description

The Meza'xin range between 4'10" - 5'6" (females) and 5'0" - 5'10" (males). Their frame is small and wiry, hiding any signs of their high strength. Their skin is usually pale in color. Eyes range from deep brown to a hazel, with bright gold eyes exceptionally rare, but possible.

Relations

The Mesha'xin view other races as inferior, and prefer to avoid contact. However, should a war be started with the Meza'xin, they will seek to eradicate the transgressor without mercy. An old Meza'xin expression speaks best to the view of this caste: "The battlefield is our sanctuary, and blood is our wine. We seek to drink our fill and enjoy the comforts of home."

Alignment

Most are lawful or true neutral; a rare few are chaotic neutral. The concepts of good and evil are foreign to them, and chaos tends to react poorly with a caste system. The "chaotic" element is primarily due to individuality, and lust for life and battle. Regardless of alignment, honor is the biggest asset a Meza'xin has.

Lands

The Meza'xin live with the other three castes ( Mela'xin, Mesha'xin and Mena'xin) in secluded areas, often in volcanic regions where obsidian (the preferred building material for weapons) is readily available.

Religion

The Meza'xin firmly believe in the inevitability of fate. Though the Meza'xin caste has no spiritual leaders (the spiritual leaders are the Mela'xin) The religion is that of a cycle of life, death and rebirth. Death is not feared, but accepted as a temporary destination, a moment of respite in that cycle.

As combat plays a significant role in this cycle, all Meza'xin are expected to have some adequacy in combat before being allowed to leave the homeland.

The Mesha'xin worship "Xinora", one of the first of the Mesha'xin. She is worshipped exclusively, but as she is not a god, she does not grant spells.

Xinora is an ancient lich, and represents to all four castes of the Mesha'xin culture perfection. This is not in spite of their hatred of the undead (see below), but the cause of it. She is the epitome of their cycle, one who surrendered her life to step briefly into death, and now exists in a state of both. They consider all other undead to be inferior mockeries of Xinora.

Language

Mesha'xin, Common is NOT an automatic language for them.

Names

Names are acquired during the Rite of Awakening, in which the individual leaves for the crater of a volcano (see preferred lands) and during the rite, chooses their caste. Those who choose the Meza'xin caste are given a name by his/her parents. Surnames, as an individual family is relatively unimportant, consist of "al'"(for males) or "dal'" (for females), then the caste (ie "al'Meza). First names are similar to human given names.

Racial Traits

• +4 Str, +2 Dex: This caste relies on strength and speed in combat, and such changes are engineered during the Rite of Awakening
• -2 Cha: Battle scarred warriors, they mostly tend to view interaction outside their race as frivolous and pointless.
• Humanoid (Mesha'xin): They are humanoid, as the predecessors of the elves and humans, they are neither; hence the subtype.
• Aberration (Meza'xin): The Rite of Awakening has physically changed a Mesha'xin into something far more combat-ready. They bear only minor resemblance to the man or woman they were, though the personality remains intact.
• Medium
• Meza'xin base land speed is 30 feet
• Favored enemy(undead)(Ex): Same as the ranger special ability on page 47 of the PHB, though it does not improve with level. A Meza'xin ranger may still choose undead as a favored enemy, and the bonuses will stack. The dogma of their religion teaches hatred of the undead, and the martial aspect of the culture demands each of its followers to be able to adequately combat such a threat.
• -2 on Diplomacy when dealing with those not of the Mesha'xin subtype: Despite their zest for life and comraderie with one another, their interaction with other races falls under "does not play well with others".
• May NOT take levels in Cleric: Xinora is not a god, and as such cannot grant spells. Clerics of other gods are generally viewed as misguided heathens.
• CANNOT cast spells, regardless of class: The ability to harness magic is not part of the Meza'xin evolution. Having ignored magic in the caste for so long has resulted in a physiological change preventing the harnessing of magical energies, regardless of type.
• SR 10+ Character Level: Magic cannot be harnessed by this caste, but the same physiological change that disabled magic provides a resistance against it. NOTE: This applies to all magic, beneficial or not; This SR cannot be willingly lowered to allow for magical healing, regardless of need, desire, or level of consciousness.
• Automatic Languages: Mesha'xin (Common is NOT automatic). Bonus Languages: Common, Elven, Ignan.
• Favored Class: Meza'xin Warblade (Scout can be used in a pinch, if Warblade is disallowed).

Vital Statistics

Table: Meza'xin Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex
16 years	+d4	+d6	+d8

Table: Meza'xin Aging Effects

Middle Age^1	Old^2	Venerable^3	Maximum Age
75 years	150 years	300 years	+4d12 years
At middle age, −1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At old age, −2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At venerable age, −3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha.

Table: Random Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	4' 10"	+2d6	90 lb.	× (d4) lb.
Female	4' 8"	+2d4	75 lb.	× (d4) lb.

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