Boshaari

The Boshaari are a bipedal, humanoid species currently living on Aistanar ,in Tau Elpis but hailing from the Pyxis Globula. They are characterized by pointed ears, silk-like hair and silvery eyes. They are a lithe and athletic species, generally considered attractive, that boasts a large variety of xenotypes reflected through skin colour and overall builds. Boshaari are a long-lived species that grow quickly, but once past the age of 20, they age extremely slowly, remaining youthful and healthy into old age.    The ancestral Boshaari homeworld was rich in thaumium , which predisposed its inhabitants to feats of Spellweaving and arcanic glory. Nowadays, only a lucky few can emulate the magic feats of their ancestors.  

Origins

  The Boshaari hail from Kalim, an ancient temperate world thrice ruined and thrice rebuilt, hidden in the depths of the Pyxis Globula. For millenia, they were split between different squabbling magocracies and nation-states based on cultural heritage. Some greater unity was only achieved when Kalim achieved space travel, roughly two thousand cycles ago, as their nascent society coalesced around two entities : the Empire of Sixteen, whose noble Houses kept an iron hold on any life-bearing worlds they could colonize; and the Republic, a small but growing gaggle of free-thinkers, who eschewed political intrigue for meditative harmony. The Republic's tireless work towards the arts of spellweaving and astrogating earned them respect; but the Empire was hedonistic, expansionist, and far more powerful - and having made the Republic vassal in all but name, it soon came to conflict with their nearest neighbours, the Hhrot . A hard-won war led to a millenia of Imperial stagnation and gradual decline. Despite rallying its citizens around the banners of war, the Oberon Incursion made short work of the Empire, but the Ark they secretly nursed back to life proved to be the key to cheating fate and have a shot at survival, even in another galaxy...  

Mindset

  No two Boshaari are truly the same, but they are generally seen as a refined, artful people. They are respected for their excellent, bespoke style of craftsmanship, as well as for their mastery of spellweaving. Emotion flows freely among the Boshaari folk, but must always be cloaked in decorum, and refined through poetry and song. Their aloof, haughty attitude is often mistaken for arrogance, though Boshaari generally find boasting distasteful.   Their long lives give the Boshaari a different relationship to the concept of time. They tend to take long-term views of the world around them, sometimes at the cost of short-term decision-making. There are those, of course, who ponder that this patience stems not from the virtue of a slow, long-lived existence, but really as a carefully cultivated shield - for a Boshaari's trust does not grow quickly, especially in cultures where one's true face is best saved for home.  

Culture

  A majority of Boshaari live industrious, tradition-bound lives in the ornate cities of brass of the Boshaari Council, the most prominent Boshaari colony-state in Tau Elpis . Their culture is split between the urban and cosmopolitan culture of the ara'balai, who live in Council-held areas of Aistanar , and the rugged neni'balai, who live on the Aistanar frontier or in Council colonies off-world.   However, many Boshaari live outside of the Council's reach entirely, generally elsewhere on Aistanar, organized in smaller colonies, syndicates and secret societies, each with their own culture and ethos.   Most Boshaari tend to be religious, with many following Fallanism or the Aeonic Way.  

Xenotypes

 

Baseline Boshaari

  Baseline Boshaari are generally olive- or pale-skinned, as the descendants of Esareian or Luvalunan lineages.  

Huldrefolk

  The Huldre are dark-skinned Boshaari, the descendants of subterranean people from before the Great Jump. They are wiry, athletic, and deceptively strong. They are, however, hypersensitive to light. Whilst this allows the Huldre to see in the dark more easily, this also cripples their ability to live on planets. They are most commonly found living in the lowest layers of cities across Council territory, or as spacers.  

Impids

  The Impids are red-skinned Boshaari hailing from the ancient city-state of Heaven's Fall. Historically, they were desert people, unbothered by scorching heat or grating sands. Life on Aistanar is difficult for Impids, who have not adapted to its humid atmosphere. As a result, many Impids live on the desert moon Yanta or in nomad tribes, in desert areas outside of Boshaari Council territory alltogether.  

Orcneas

  The Orcneas are a hardy, stooped xenotype of Boshaari, the descendants of a lost xenotype corrupted by a disaster plaguing their homeworld some 10 millenia ago. They grow body hair, unlike most, and their appearance trades lithe gracefulness for rugged endurance. Whilst Orcneas are generally considered unattractive to the rest of Boshaari society, they remain one of its pillars, especially in the Council Navy. Nevertheless, the Orcneas often refer to themselves as a folk without a home, for most live outside of Council space, as spacers or regulars on Embassy Ark.  

Fae-Touched

  The Fae-Touched are a powerful subset of the Boshaari species, culturally and biologically characterized by their ability to perform Spellweaving. Unlike most, they are known - and sometimes feared - for their innate attunement to Arcanic Energy and their deep, black eyes. Thus, of the 15% of Boshaari that can cast magic, all will be Fae-Touched (though other species and cultures often assume that all Boshaari can).   Their skin is also generally of more unnatural, wispy colours; they also seem surrounded by ethereal faery spots that constantly move and glimmer about their bodies. They age even slower than normal Boshaari, and less visibly. They emit a strong psionic field - the most powerful Fae-Touched are known to be able to directly interact with magitech using thought alone. Evidence suggests that the Fae-Touched are the result of an ancestral but usually dormant recessive strand of DNA present amongst all Boshaari, which explains their somewhat sporadic and random appearances across society.   Fae-touched often develop strange skills and obsessions despite not being able to explain why. There is a widespread belief that every Fae-Touched is given a purpose by the Void, albeit never explicitly; therefore, the quirks and oddities they develop over the years must subconsciously build towards the realization of their divine fate. The Chantry of the Void holds that Fae-Touched are borne out of a spiritual bond with a local Æsimar. As such, they are usually taken away to be trained as powerful mages and telepaths.  

Statblock

                                         

Size	Medium
Lifespan	130-160 (stays relatively fit and youthful until 120, at which point health starts to degrade)
Magic Ability	15-18% of the population are called Fae-Touched, meaning they are able to perform Spellweaving. Most Boshaari have a rough understanding of the outline of Arcana, even if they cannot perform it themselves.
Crownworld	Aistanar
Major Faction(s)	Boshaari Council
Language	Aisnaya
Average height	5′4″‒6′0″ (1.63‒1.8 m)
Average weight	130‒170 lb (59‒77 kg)
Skin colour	Lightly tanned to dark brown, often with ethereal or iridescent features
Hair colour	Dark brown, autumn orange, mossy green, deep gold
Eye colour	Blue, violet, green, with a general silvery hue

 

Racial Bonus

  All Boshaari except those with any Orcneas blood gain +1 CHA by default. In addition :   Baseliner Boshaari gain +2 DEX,   Huldrefolk gain +2 STR   Impids gain +2 CON   Orcneas gain +2 STR, +2 CON (but never get the +1 CHA of other subtypes)   Fae-Touched gain +2 WIS, +2 INT or CHA (pick at character generation)   Hybrids can gain one of their parent lineage's stats. There are no half-Fae Boshaari; the Fae-Touched xenotype always dominates.  

Racial Foci

 

Petty Sorceries (Fae-Touched only)

All Fae-Touched Boshaari are capable of producing minor effects in line with their general style of magic: phantom sounds, small and obvious illusions, non-damaging puffs of energy or light, minor physical transformations, or any other trifling magical effect that fits with their tradition and isn’t so powerful as to cause damage or directly affect an unwilling target. The caster can invoke these abilities freely for flavor and role-playing style, but they can only be concretely useful in play once per game session. The GM decides whether or not the concrete use proposed for an effect is appropriate in scale.  

Feylore Ancestry

Boshaari receive a +1 level bonus to Know Magic, Notice and Perform. In addition, even arcane-deaf common Boshaari can work out what a specific piece of magitek or spell does.  

Names

  Boshaari names are varied. They are usually composed of two, if not three names, at least one of them is a given name. Names are typically descended from the maternal lineage.  

Male Names

  Samblar Quisatra   Mythanar Umevyre   Giullis Elaxidor   Yalathanil Xyrfina   Illianaro Ravasalor   Lyari Wranrora  

Female Names

  Arilon Nerikian   Ikeshia Yesbalar   Aelynthi Helewenys   Ysildea Olotris   Enania Trazorwyn   Sana Caiyra  

Adventuring

  There are a few reasons for Boshaari to wander far from the Ark.   ...they may be exiled from the Ark for political or common crimes (Wayward)   ...they may have forsaken or distanced themselves from the Chantry and the authoritarian and traditionalist rule of the Hierarch and of the Runewarden.   ...they may be Fae-Touched or Wayward, made to feel unwelcome within the Ark and its colonies.   ...they may seek to learn from an entirely unknown galaxy, full of magic and wonders   ...they may seek to spread their faith of the Void Mother and/or discover more natural and artificial wonders, and more alien races, worthy of being the Void Mother’s divine creation   ...in rarer cases, they may have never even seen the Ark, being the children or grandchildren of colonists who left the Ark for reasons above and having never been part of the Hyporian community.