Not Currently A PC Race

Touched at birth by the mysteries of the arcane, many believe the pevishan – quite literally – have magic in their blood. Stories of generations past suggest that the pevishan were born in the image of the god of magic, a chosen people who could truly master and control the arcane powers. Pevishan roam freely in the world of humans and with their outgoing demeanor, always seem to make friends and allies easily. Pevishan are most well known for their natural talents in the mystic arts, but if a friend or ally stands in harm’s way, a pevishan will do whatever is necessary to aid them. Whether using spellcraft, swordplay, or fisticuffs, the pevishan can be fierce combatants.

Since entering the Dragon Empire, pevishan have found new opportunities opening up before them, particularly in the Legions or as personal assistants to the aristocracy. However, because of the favor shown to them, some of the other races look upon them with jealousy.

Personality: Pevishan are more likely to be friendly than hostile. Charismatic by nature, pevishan have a particular flare for diffusing hostile situations with words and subtle spellcraft as opposed to sharp tongues and destructive magic. Most pevishan are naturally curious when it comes to a new field of magical study, but tend to favor their birth-schools above all others. When faced with fear or prejudice toward their unique appearance and abilities, most pevishan simply smile and make a serious effort to diffuse any hostile or fearful feelings with honesty and charm. This natural charm has served them well in the Empire, allowing them to smoothly integrate themselves into the power structure.

Physical Description: Pevishan are medium-size humanoids who typically stand between 5.5 and 6.5 feet tall and weigh between 100 and 250 lbs. On average, male pevishan tend to stand slightly taller and weigh more than females. Pevishan are very similar to humans in terms of physical description and musculature, though there are a few notable differences.

The most obvious difference is that pevishan are beings of magic; they were forged from it, and they live through it. At birth, all pevishan children have a series of birthmarks that resemble magical inscriptions from a particular school of magic (Evocation, Necromancy, etc.). Along with these markings, pevishan hair color also coincides with their “birth-school”, as these castes are called. And finally, a pevishan’s eyes have no irises (except for the necromancers) and have a faint glow that also coincides with his birth-school. Below are the colors for each birth-school and a brief description of how it might affect a pevishan’s appearance and behavior.

Abjuration (Silver): A pevishan of this birth-school typically has silver-white hair and silver markings on his body. His eyes also glow with a silver sheen that can have a powerful effect on others.

Conjuration (Gold): Pevishan of this birth-school typically have no hair at all. Many of the other pevishan are somewhat envious of the conjurer’s beautiful gold birthmarks and deep golden eyes.

Divination (White): Sometimes mistaken for the abjuration birth-school, the children of divination find that their white hair and hauntingly white eyes tend to make them look a little older than they are. Their birthmarks are barely noticeable.

Enchantment (Blue): A child of the enchantment birth-school is often the center of attention, as his blue hair, blue eyes, and radiant blue markings draw attention wherever he goes.

Evocation (Red): With fiery red hair and deep, crimson eyes the children of evocation often favor combat over rational discussion. The evoker wears his red markings like a barbarian might wear the war paint of a proud clan.

Illusion (Purple): With soft, subdued shared of purple, a pevishan illusionist prefers to blend into a crowd rather than show her true self, many times choosing to cover her lilac markings, hair, and eyes with long sleeves or hooded robes.

Necromancy (Gray and Black): The necromancers are sometimes the subjects of a certain amount of scrutiny and distrust because of their birth-school. With black hair streaked with gray, members of this birth-school have coal-black eyes with gray irises.

Transmutation (Green): With deep green hair, birthmarks, and eyes, the children of transmutation change their looks often, whether it be hair-styles or clothing. Always changing, a child of transmutation is often characterized by extreme mood swings.

Pevishan reach adulthood at 22 years of age and typically live into their 50’s, but some pevishan can live to be even older. Though strong in the arcane arts, pevishan life spans are very short. Only through magical means can a pevishan exceed his natural life span.

Relations: Most pevishan tend to blend into human societies well. With such a strong affinity for the arcane arts, pevishan tend to have close relations with members of the gnomish races. On the whole, pevishan view elves as a bit haughty (as many of the races do), dwarves as too serious, halflings as amusing, and humans as good allies. Since joining the Dragon Empire, pevishan have found half-dragons to be eager employers, although orcs, half-orcs, and drow view them with jealousy for the ease with which they move through society. As for soulmechs, many were created by pevishan, so they look upon the race with great respect. In general, a pevishan can get along with anyone until given a reason not to.

Alignment: Pevishan characters can cover the spectrum of alignments, from good to evil, chaotic to lawful. They magic that ruins through the veins of the pevishan can have a strong influence on the psychology and actions, however. The alignment that each birth-school favors is listed below. As with any race, there are exceptions to the rules.

Abjuration – Lawful
Conjuration – Neutral
Divination – Lawful
Enchantment – Chaotic
Evocation – Any
Illusion – Chaotic
Necromancy – Lawful
Transmutation – Chaotic

Pevishan Lands: Almost all pevishan migrate to areas of high magical activity or centers of arcane study. Often, they are drawn to planets near unusual stellar phenomenon, such as black holes. Most prefer to live in large cities within the comfort of warm, clean homes with a datapad full of arcane knowledge. As a race, the pevishan are hindered by an inability to function as a collective society over extended periods of time. Though most pevishan have a mutual respect for one another, their differing magical influences cause many disagreements in their communities.. While they are of a single race, the birth-schools are too different from one another to truly unify. This, there are no planets dominated by pevishan, though they are found on many worlds.

Religion: As with their spectrum of alignments, pevishan religion tends to be equally diverse. Most pevishan worship a deity of magic or knowledge, who they believe to be their creator. Others adopt the religious customs of the lands in which they reside. Since joining the Empire, many pevishan have embraced the Unification Church, often worshipping the Magus. There are even a few Dualists among the pevishan, and they worship either the Adversary or the Creator, as their alignment dictates.

Language: Common is the chosen language of pevishan, but many also know Draconic and Gnome, particularly now that they often find employment working for half-dragons. Rumors persist that at one time the pevishan spoke an arcane language all their own, but centuries of wandering and interracial marriage have caused the ancient tongue to become lost, possibly forever.

Names: As with many of the facets of pevishan society, pevishan names tend to be widely diverse. Generations of travel and exploration have marked the pevishan in many ways. But the process of choosing names is probably the most heavily influenced, depending on the child’s birth-school. For example, the children of transmutation have historically favored the elven races, and these pevishan tend to choose their own names when reaching maturity (as do most elves). The children of enchantment tend to favor more extravagant names that reflect the child’s personality. Children of necromancy might opt for a simple, one-word name (something that can be easily forgotten, as they prefer not to draw attention to themselves).

Male Names: Monzel, Tret, Tazen-Ro, Jerrel, Viskin, and Flattizel.
Female Names: Kalia, Eliza, Ralla, Halie-Sun, Quizna, and Illia.

Adventurers: Pevishan adventurers can be motivated by several callings: exploration, love of excitement, lust for power, greed, or self-discovery. Many explore the lands looking for some understanding and mastery of their powers or perhaps the origins of their race. Some pevishan feel the call of heroism and choose to wander evil or enslaved lands, working against the opposing forces as a hero of the people. Equally, many evil pevishan use their unique abilities to corrupt or enslave populations for their own sinister purposes. It is rumored that some of these latter pevishan have been offered high positions in the ISPD, much to the disgust of their drow subordinates.

---

Return to Playable Races
Return to Nuts and Bolts
Return to Wiki Index