Aasimar

Overview
Aasimar are mortals who experience the influence of a divine outsider on their ancestry, at their birth, or during their time in the womb. The average aasimar cannot lay claim to their parentage, as it is too distant or indirect in their family tree to trace or truly tell, but some have the signs of their divine influence readily displayed in their features and mannerisms. All aasimar are expected to be drawn into the service of one god or another, and many indeed find themselves at home within temples, cathedrals, or within the Inquisition's halls, but those who are clearly marked often have their life planned out for them before it's even begun.

Aasimar are divided into further categories, based on the nature of their divine heritage.

Heritages
Idyllkin (Agathion): Descendants of Agathon's servitor race, these aasimar have an innate affinity with the natural world, and are expected to share a compassionate, selfless nature with their patron, although only the former is consistently true. The latter results in stereotypes of this heritage as saintly healers, easily-manipulated mashochists, or even bitter cynicists all too aware of life's suffering.

Angelkin (Angel): Descendants of Vicenta Salcedo's servitor race, these aasimar are irrepressibly unique, their personalities chafing when under any sort of imposed conformity. They are expected to be outspoken, innately talented artists that can draw on universal inspiration, resulting in stereotypes of this heritage as future cultural leaders and icons, community-destroying rabble-rousers, or annoying distractions from more important matters.

Lawbringers (Archon): Descendants of Kétar Mozog's servitor race, these aasimar inherit the interpersonal awareness of their divine patron, and are expected to overflow with civic responsibility and duty to their communities. Although never socially inept, the feeling of duty may be present or lacking in any given individual. The stereotypes of this heritage include honorable pillars of dedication, two-faced sycophants, and diehard utilitarians.

Musetouched (Azata): Descendants of Basang Ba's servitor race, these aasimar tend to have childlike glee that comes to the fore in chaotic or overwhelming situations. They are expected to reject the trappings and soft comforts of civilization, and those of their kind who don't meet this expectation are looked down upon moreso than other Aasimar who break the mold. The resultant stereotypes about this heritage include mindless savages, eternally innocent and simple folk, or even saboteurs that will inevitably betray the settlements they live in.

Plumekith (Garuda): Descendants of a servitor race belonging to a dead god, these aasimar find their bodies, emotions, and spirits moving faster than others can keep up with, and are expected to persecute liars and schemers at every opportunity. While only the former is accurate, they do often feel uncomfortable around those with scaled bodies or serpent-like mannerisms, giving rise to stereotypes of this heritage as peerless crusaders and activists, self-righteous racists, and blundering fools who rarely think their actions through, if at all.

Emberkin (Peri): Descendants of a servitor race belonging to a forgotten god, these aasimar are burdened with forbidden knowledge in the form of visions and dreams that are often disturbing to the point of madness. They are expected to either give in to their ancestry and go fully mad, or utilize their insight to fight against great disasters - although many find their lives too mundane and their knowledge too distant to truly do either. Stereotypes about this heritage paint them as unpredictable and gibbering, terror-fueled arsonists, or hidden saviors.

Mechanics

 * Ability Score Modifiers: By default, Aasimar gain +2 Wisdom and +2 Charisma, but take a -2 penalty to Strength. This may change based on the Aasimar's heritage.
 * Agathion: +2 Constitution and Charisma, but -2 Intelligence
 * Angel: +2 Strength and Charisma, but -2 Constitution
 * Archon: +2 Constitution and Wisdom, but -2 Dexterity
 * Azata: +2 Dexterity and Charisma, but -2 Strength
 * Garuda: +2 Dexterity and Wisdom, but -2 Intelligence
 * Peri: +2 Intelligence and Charisma, but -2 Constitution
 * Type: Aasimar are outsiders with the native subtype.
 * Size: Aasimar are Medium sized creatures and thus have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
 * Base Speed: Aasimars have a base speed of 30 feet.
 * Languages: Aasimars begin play able to speak Celestial. With a high Intelligence score, Aasimars are also able to begin play knowing additional languages from the following list: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Halfling, and Sylvan.

Defense Racial Traits


 * Celestial Resistance: Aasimars have acid resistance 5, cold resistance 5, and electricity resistance 5.

Feat and Skill Racial Traits


 * Skilled: Aasimar have a +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Perception checks

Magical Racial Traits


 * Spell-Like Ability (Sp): Aasimars can use the daylight spell once per day as a spell-like ability (caster level equal to the aasimar's class level).

Senses Racial Traits


 * Darkvision: Aasimar have darkvision 60 ft. (they can see perfectly in the dark up to 60 feet.)

Society
As native outsiders, aasimar tend to only breed true with others of their race, so it's rare to find settlements with significant numbers of aasimar. As such, they most often take on the culture and social mannerisms of the groups they grow up with, finding themselves pushed towards some kind of divine service regardless of their personal opinion on the matter. Asides from emberkin, the reputation of aasimar tends to paint them as generally reliable and good-natured, so life for those who can and choose to fulfill that reputation is relatively easy. Those who can't, especially angelkin, tend to find themselves leaving their place of birth and seeking out a place where they can belong while being true to themselves, although given the numerous tales of aasimar do-gooders and heroes of different heritages, actually happening upon a place where they aren't pushed into a certain lifestyle is less likely than spending their days wandering.

Religion
Due to their inborn tendencies and the social approval associated with them, most aasimar do end up taking on a religious bent, either in a public role, by swearing a personal oath, or by merely observing their faith privately. Those who can discern their heritage clearly usually end up following the patron deity of their forebears.

Those who can't choose gods befitting their nature and goals, although tend to avoid Alessandra Juntoso and Nothing Left of Quibatus, as those deities conflict with the base instincts and wishes that most Aasimar feel that propel them towards a better world.

Relations
As native outsiders descended from deific servitors, aasimar feel a kinship with aphorites, tieflings, and ganzi, who experience similar pressures to devote their lives to greater divine forces - assuming that they have not chosen to serve an opposing god, which creates an enmity on a deeper level than mortals can know.

Even with other native outisders, Aasimar can share a feeling of estrangement from more mortal races who live their lives at a seemingly breakneck pace, although fetchlings, ifrit, oreads, suli, sylph, and undine often end up distancing themselves from aasimar, as their stereotypes are less generous than those placed on aasimar and relationships can easily blossom into feelings of inferiority or unfairness.

On the bright side, most mortal races can get along well with well-adapted aasimar, including parmans, dwarves, elves, grippli, nagaji, ratfolk, tengu, and vanara - for such races, a shared culture tends to be more important than any racial divide, and the birth of an aasimar only heralds an exemplar of those cultural values. However, drow and duergar tend to feel uncomfortable around the alien aasimar, whose divine parentage isn't well-known underground.

Drelmans and orcs often dismiss aasimar as relying too much on inborn gifts rather than hard work and earned skills, and lizardfolk and kobolds are wary around them for the opposite reason - the appearance of an aasimar often heralds unexpected and unwanted change from their life's efforts.

Changelings and dhampir have no patience for aasimar, who seem to mock them with every mention they hear of an aasimar's supposed inborn kindness.

Ghorans and gnomes usually find aasimar quite interesting, as they are both otherworldly and natural, and the interplay of the two forces is philosophically and phenomenologically intriguing.

Kitsune and vishkanya tend to enjoy the presence and involvement of aasimar, although this is most often due to the ease with which aasimar can be manipulated, preyed upon, or pranked.

Most halflings are divided on the subject of aasimar, appreciating their charm and talents, but having difficulty dealing with their obedience to disruptive divine commands or sudden and intense moral crusades.

Hobgoblins and goblins, for their part, find aasimar to be wonderful for the intensity and the rigor with which they live their life, which can create a larger-than-life persona that is ripe for inspiring others or inspiring legends.