Celestial (Greyhawk Action)

Greyhawk Action!

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Celestials are a race of humans living to the east of the Dry Steppes and only connected to the Flanaess by tenuous caravan routes.

Attributes and Schticks

Body: 5-10
Mind: 5-10
Reflexes: 5-10
Move: 5

Hybrid Race

Inherent

Select one Race other than human. You are a hybrid of human and the selected race. The GM might not allow hybrids with all races, check before making your selection. Someone with this feat is often called a half-X, where the X stands for the selected race.

• You look like a hybrid between a human and your selected race and might be mistaken for either.
• You can purchase the racial schticks of the selected race.
• Note which attribute has the highest racial maximum for the selected race; you get to pick one if there is a tie. Your racial maximum for this attribute becomes 11.

Obsession

Inherent

You are obsessed with a specific craft, task or ability. Your obsession is a goal in itself, sometimes to your peril. You spend much time learning every variation and nuisance of this single ability. Obsession is prized in craftsmen and artists, and objects thus made sometimes even display wondrous magical enchantments, as appropriate to their nature.

Chose an area of specialization. This can be a skill, but also an area related to a part of several skills. Examples include gems, gardening, playing the lyre, explosives, rocketry, and so on.

When working in this field, after making a die roll, you can spend a Fortune point and roll 1d6 and add this to your Outcome. This additional die is not open-ended.

Throwback

Inherent

Select one Race Schtick; you learn this schtick. You do not become a halfbreed or otherwise have your looks or physical form changed except as required for the schtick to work.

You cannot take this schtick go learn a schtick you already know a second time, nor can you pick Throwback multiple times.

Description

Fantasy Chinese. The Celestial Empire, home to the Celestial race of humans, lies to the west of the Dry Steppes and was only connected to the Flanaess by tenuous caravan routes. This changed with the opening of sea routes across the Pearl Sea, and today a small trickle of people and goods pass between the Celestial Empire and the central Flaness.

Appearance

Shorter than the average Oerdian or Suel and commonly with an epicanthic fold, dark brown eyes, and tan skin. Because of the emphasis on the color yellow in the Celestial Empire, Celestials are often said to have yellow skin, which is an exaggeration but also a compliment as yellow is the imperial color.

Role

Celestial people are very industrious and devoted to learning and skill. Any task worth doing is worth doing well. The Celestial Empire is a merciless meritocracy, where those that fail are left in positions of little power and esteem. There are numerous esoteric schools that teach all manner of odd skills and power, and these schools are fiercely competitive. This makes it hard, but far from impossible, to learn the secrets of several schools, so Celestials tend to stick to the teachings and groups they have been brought up in.

Politics

The Celestial Empire was at one time directly governed by Angels, who rebelled against the previous Dragon Empire in the same spot. Every year, people who display the traits of Angels are rounded up and put into schools to teach them Celestial classics and ethos. The best of these students become mandarins, the ruling class, and make up the highest ranks of the bureaucracy of the Celestial Empire.

Many of these children never display supernatural traits, or display traits of an unwanted nature. Unless their parents have influence enough to gain their child back, such children are made into eunuchs and, together with officials punished for their failure, make up a second power block within the bureaucracy, often acting directly under the emperor or a governor or king.

But there are also other bloodlines that are considered prestigious, mostly that of the Dragons that ruled in the past. Members of this bloodline often become military men and mages, and make up both the greatest heroes and villains of celestial history. The respect for learning makes celestial revere elders, and those in power are often elderly or under the influence of older advisors.

Integration

Somewhat judgmental of the perceived inferiority of other races, individual Celestials who travel in foreign lands often stay a bit aloof. This is especially true if they are of a special bloodline. Celestials in any number tend to form their own communities, which can become ghettos. Still, the industriousness and forthrightness of Celestials make them popular and liked among other peoples.

Family

The family patterns among Celestials vary by social class. Celestials that display gifted bloodlines are heavily courted, and can have their pick of mates, with rich men keeping a harem. Ordinary Celestial live in monogamous families, often under the thumb of the groom's parents and especially the mother-in-law.

Vices

Celestials have a very pragmatic view of vice. To a rich celestial without responsibilities, basically anything is permitted. What trouble Celestials is not vice per se, but when indulging in vices makes a person neglect other responsibilities. Considering how hard-working Celestials are, when they do take a break from work, it is no great surprise that they party hard when they finally do take a break.

Power Use

The major traditions are alchemy, daoism, kung fu, and Wuxia, but the many schools of the Celestial Empire insure that there are many and varied users of power. Almost every school has some relation to the three great traditions, but this relationship can be negative or even hostile.

Celestial alchemy , also known as Celestial medicine, is ultimately a way to personal perfection and eternal life. Acupuncture, herbalism, meditation, astrology, and geomancy are common methods employed. The most learned and most prestigious of the major traditions, alchemy is related to Magic and the mandarin chass.

Daoism or folk medicine is a tradition deeply rooted in tradition and belief in gods and spirits. Often envisioned as a path, daoist seeks a balance between conflicting forces. By knowing ones place in the universe, a daoist can spread this balance and lead the word to perfection. Associated with the emperor and the eunuch caste and the Spiritual form.

Kung Fu is the most common of Celestial magic traditions. Kung fu uses intense practice of both martial and civic skills to bring out the inner power of students in the control of Chi.

Wuxia Numerous supernatural creatures have left their mark on the Celestial people, and when put under stress, some of them display fantastic powers. These Wuxia, or "flying people" use Gifts to become great heroes or villains, often in opposition to the other traditions.

Pantheon

While numerous gods and spirits are honored as a part of Daoism, few gods are universally honored in the great realm. Daoism puts an emphasis on living in harmony with the entire spiritual world, not with individual deities.