Outsider

With limbs of shadow and eyes of stone, the Outsiders shall follow you home. With claws of metal and souls of lust, let there be no one you can trust. - Alienis, Numen of the Eldritch

Physical Description

Outsiders, in their true forms, are humanoid creatures of an almost eldritch nature. They are slender and frail, with gangly limbs and almost skeletal features. The flesh of an outsider is dark, and in a way, mimics rocks. Outsider flesh is different from figure to figure, varying from stone and mud tones to greens, blues and even rusts or dark golds. An Outsider's large, bulging eyes are a variety of different colors, and are often glassy, often being mistaken for gemstones. Their appearance is deceiving even when an Outsider is in its true form. They are hardy, with a natural agility not in keeping with their frail appearance.

History

Outsiders are rumored to be born of the rock, residing in caves and chasms long before the touch of man brought them to the light. When the different races began to explore downwards, however, Outsiders were forced to adapt. Some fled, using the concentration of arcane energy in the atmosphere to push themselves into new caves, where they continued to feast on ores and gemstones. The others hid among their new found friends, using their energy to warp and twist their forms to blend in the humans and dwarves that broke through their walls.

Society

Outsiders live in groups known as "swarms", and sizes of swarms vary drastically. Outsiders living in the cities will often have smaller swarms, while uncivilized, cave-dwelling Outsiders will have much larger swarms. Roughly 1% of a kingdom's population will consist of Outsiders, both Doppelganger and Gemstone.

Outsiders are known for their thieving nature, as not many of them have grasped the concept of ownership or law. Those that have, however, learn to bend, twist or even break the law, some becoming guards while others become members of cults and gangs.

Gemstone Outsiders aren't as common as their Doppelganger brothers in civilized spaces, but they are there. A pair of luminous eyes from a nearby bush might not be a cat or a raccoon, but an Outsider silently watching.

Outsider Names

Gemstone Outsiders are named after the gems their eyes represent. Doppelganger Outsiders give themselves names related to the race that they disguise as, such as human or elf names.

Artwork has been provided by an anonymous third party.

Outsider Traits