Races of Wild

CHAPTER 3RAPTORANS68Some raptoran flocks tend herds of bison, deer, or elk neartheir communities, taking some of the livestock each seasonfor food.Religion: The goddess Tuilviel Glithien, the Queen of Airand Night, is the raptorans’ primary deity. The raptorans callher Lady of the Silent Wings or simply The Lady. Tuilvielcherishes and protects all nocturnal birds. She is the patronof the hunt and of the family.Because many raptorans are druids, generalized nature worshipis common among members of the race. Some raptorans,especially arcane spellcasters, venerate powerful elementalsfrom the Elemental Plane of Air.Language: Raptorans speak a fluid and lyrical tongue theycall Tuilvilanuue. Ultimately derived from Elven but quitedistinct in its development, Tuilvilanuue has many long,tongue-twisting words but simple grammar, relying on inflectionto convey much of its meaning. Written Tuilvilanuueuses a simple form of the Elven script.Most raptorans have a practical mind-set, so they confinetheir writing to messages. Many raptoran songs, poems, andhistories exist, but the raptorans prefer memorizing theseto writing them down. “Memories are lighter to carry thanbooks,” a raptoran saying goes.Names: A raptoran child receives a birth name from herparents, which serves to identify the child as she grows up.Sometime after the child reaches adolescence she acquiresa nickname—occasionally from a flock elder but often asobriquet that just seems to stick. As a matter of practice,only members of a raptoran’s flock may refer to her byher nickname, and even then they only do so when nostrangers are present. Close friends and family membersoften continue to use a raptoran’s birth name as a markof affection.A raptoran may reveal her flock nickname to someoneoutside the flock if she wishes, but no one else may do so.Sharing one’s flock nickname with an outsider is a mark ofdeep respect, trust, or affection.When a raptoran gains the ability to fly under her ownpower, she chooses an adult name for herself. In addition, araptoran has a family name, which is often a compound ofseveral descriptive Tuilvilanuue words.For more on raptoran names, see page 82.RAPTORAN RACIAL TRAITS• Raptoran base land speed is 30 feet.• Medium: As Medium creatures, raptorans have no specialbonuses or penalties due to their size.• Wing-Aided Movement: Raptorans can use their wings tohelp with movement even if they can’t fly yet. The extralift from her wings gives a raptoran a +10 racial bonus onJump checks.• Gliding (Ex): A raptoran can use her wings to glide, negatingdamage from a fall of any height and allowing 20 feet offorward travel for every 5 feet of descent. Raptorans glideat a speed of 40 feet (average maneuverability). Even if araptoran’s maneuverability improves, she can’t hover whilegliding. A raptoran can’t glide while carrying a mediumor heavy load.If a raptoran becomes unconscious or helpless whilein midair, her wings naturally unfurl and powerful ligamentsstiffen the wings. The raptoran descends in a tightcorkscrew and takes only 1d6 points of falling damage, nomatter what the actual distance of the fall.• Flight (Ex): When a raptoran reaches 5 Hit Dice, she becomesable to fly at a speed of 40 feet (average maneuverability). Araptoran can’t fly while carrying a medium or heavy loador while fatigued or exhausted.Raptorans can safely fly for a number of roundsequal to their Constitution modifier (minimum 1round). They can exert themselves to fly for up to twiceas long, but then they’re fatigued at the end of the flight.Raptorans are likewise fatigued after spending a total ofmore than 10 minutes per day flying. Because raptoranscan glide before, after, and between rounds of actualflight, they can remain aloft for extended periods (evenif they can only use flight for 1 round at a time withoutbecoming fatigued).When they reach 10 Hit Dice, raptorans have enoughstamina and prowess to fly for longer periods. They can flyat a speed of 40 feet (average maneuverability), and flyingrequires no more exertion than walking or running.A raptoran with flight can make a dive attack. A diveattack works like a charge, but the raptoran must move aminimum of 30 feet and descend at least 10 feet. A raptorancan make a dive attack only when wielding a piercingweapon; if the attack hits, it deals double damage.A raptoran with flight can use the run action whileflying, provided she flies in a straight line.• Pact with Wind Lords: Because of the ancient bargainraptorans made with powerful air elementals, raptoranspellcasters cast spells with the air descriptor at +1caster level.• Unerring Direction: Raptorans have an instinctive sense ofwhich direction is north, even when they are undergroundor otherwise unable to see the sky or other visual cues.Beyond the Material Plane, this ability doesn’t function.• Low-Light Vision: A raptoran can see twice as far as a humanin starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditionsof poor illumination. A raptoran retains the ability todistinguish color and detail under these conditions.• Weapon Familiarity: Raptorans treat the footbow as amartial weapon rather than as an exotic weapon.• +2 racial bonus on Climb and Spot checks. Raptorans havestrong grips with both hands and feet, and their eyes areunusually keen.• Automatic Languages: Common and Tuilvilanuue.• Bonus Languages: Draconic, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Orc,and Sylvan.• Favored Class: Cleric. A multiclass raptoran’s cleric classdoes not count when determining whether she takes anexperience point penalty.