9.) Underkin-Specific Ability Choices

=====Subraces:=====

(Underkin choose one subrace)

====Aghaia====

**Info:**

Although most humans kidnapped by the Underkin become breeding stock, some are actually adopted into the Underkin society. Then again, they are now fathers and mothers to the newest generation of Underkin. Those who manage to become accepted are, indeed, well-loved by the Underkin. Once freed from the shackles of bondage, the Aghaia almost invariably stay with their captors, though nobody really knows why. On rare occasions, they leave the Underground and return to human society, however. Those who choose to stay are full citizens of the Underground, and not particularly considered "lesser" than their peers.

**Abilities**

Due to their proximity to the Underkin, and time spent in the Underground, they heal much faster than a normal human. Aghaia develop the ability to speak both forms of Underkin, and can, in time, also learn magic, though casting takes them one round longer than most. Aghaia are the most trusted of all Underkin races, and their lies are undetectable even by magical means.

====Draikana====

**Info:**

It is believed by some that not only did the Fae hold humans hostage beneath the Earth, but some of their more...volatile and dangerous pets and captives as well. Among these captives was Draikon the Black, a treaty-hostage traded to the Fae for one of their Princesses. A young and small dragon, only a few hundred years old, Draikon fell in love with an Erzheka woman. Their many children eventually became the beginnings of the Draikana, a race of small dragons. Small enough to maneuver the tunnels of the Underground, they range in size from a small dog to as tall as humans. It is believed that the Draikana grow in proportion to their habitat, so it is likely that once they leave the underground, they may begin to grow again, and their now-useless wings may develop the power of flight. As a people, however, the Draikana are known to be wise and perceptive, but also a bit kleptomaniacal. Usually, items that are taken will be returned if one asks nicely, but demands or threats are seen as a justification to keep the items. The Fae are particularly violent towards the Draikana, and tend to slaughter them on sight. There was long an edict by Queen Mab that captured Underkin may be enslaved, save for the Draikana, which must always be exterminated on sight. It's generally believed that Mab feared the Draikana eventually making an alliance with their Dragon ancestors, thus turning the tides of the war.

**Abilities**

Draikana can breathe fire. They often worked in duergar forges, stoking the magical fires. They can, additionally, bite through almost anything, including metal, wood, and rock.

====Drow====

**Info:**

Darkly beautiful, the magic of the Drow rivals that of modern Fae. Living in the darkest parts of the Underground, their skin is often black as midnight, or a very dark shade of green, purple, or blue. Drow almost always have white hair, and take pride in their white hair. Drow without white hair are usually considered cursed. The society of the Drow is matriarchal, organized by ancient houses serving various functions, each led by a single matriarch. Jointly, the houses are ruled by the High Priestess of the goddess known as "Serendi", often personified as a midnight-black spider. Males are given few opportunities among the drow, but can achieve respect by becoming a Kaithnar, elite house warrior, though the path to becoming one is dangerous and difficult. Many noblewomen did not marry, but kept "Vethnar", caged males they used for mating purposes. Or they did, at least, until the Red Haze. Vethnar tend to be mostly ornamental pets now, or are forced to breed with captive human women. Noblewomen will not become impregnated by captive humans, but will occasionally do so by loyal Aghaia. The capital city of the Drow is Hlothlien, and the 'deep drow' accent of Hlothlien is said to be hard to understand by many underkin.

UPDATE: As of December 2024, the rights of male drow to not be slaves has been recognized by the Senate. However, in many drow communities they are still largely second class citizens and are prevented from voting by having to vote "separate" from the women, usually with much fewer booths and in more difficult to reach locations. Additionally, many male drow will be fired from employment for missing work for voting.

**Abilities**

The drow have the ability to call upon their goddess, Serendi, to ask her protection. Doing so hardens shadow around their bodies, giving them a strong on-demand armor against casted magics. It will decay as magic destroys it. They can cast no magic of their own while this armor is in place.

====Duergar====

**Info:**

Known by many as 'grey dwarves', the duergar are the heart of commerce and construction within the Underkin. When the Fae abandoned the Underground, it was the duergar who upkept the tunnels and structures the Underkin called their home. This was a somewhat natural progression for them, for it believed that many of them are descended from the original workers used to build those structures anyway. However, most of the Duergar believe themselves the descendants of a fallen version of Vulcan, god of metalworking and volcanoes. Their home city, Vulcanar, was built within a long dormant volcano, but was destroyed by the Fae during the days of the Red Haze. Since then, they've mostly congregated in their many mining outposts across the world. Almost invariably, if a human mine ever caved in, it's because it was found by the duergar and "reclaimed". The duergar are a proud people, and their ability at craftsmanship nigh-unparalleled on Earth.

**Abilities**

The duergar are completely immune to fire and heat based attacks. They also have the ability to harden their skin like metal, armoring themselves against physical attacks, though not against magical ones. Like with the drow ability, this shielding will eventually crack and become useless the more it is pounded. Re-casting takes several combat rounds.

====Erzheka====

**Info:**

Long have their been rumors of "lizard people" who live beneath the Earth. The Erzheka are these people. Claiming that they originated on a different planet entirely, one destroyed by the ravages of war, a single ship of Erzheka crashed on Earth. The planet's face proved too cold for them in the winter, and so they sought out the warmth their ship's sensors detected at the core of the planet. No species lives deeper within the Earth than the Erzheka, not even the drow, and it is postulated by some that they were already there when the Fae began constructing their tunnels. As such, the Erzheka are credited as being the catalyst for the initial revolt against the Fae, and providing shelter for the refugees. The Erzheka tend to be covered from head to toe in scales, colors vary, and have long tongues which are slightly prehensile. As a people they are credited with a love of the sciences as well as invention, and though their ship has long been lost to time, many dream of returning to the stars. More than any other Underkin race, the Erzheka have taken to the Aghaia, enjoying the advancements in technology that their new brethren have revealed. The Erzheka dislike cold environments and can become disoriented in the cold. Additionally, their children, as well as the children of the Draikana and Lamia, are born from eggs.

**Abilities**

Erzheka have prehensile tongues, can secrete a tacky substance from their hands and feet, allowing them to climb walls like geckos, and can additionally change their scale color to camouflage themselves. For this reason, most Erzheka are naked under their glamour when posing as humans. Erzhekan technology is highly advanced and unique from any other sort in our game setting. ((For more information on Erzhekan technology please look here)) As such Erzheka may pick any technological skill at mastery and are immune to the Underkin racial weakness of knowing little about technology. They may take Ancient Engineering to start, but must spend skill points to do so. Lastly, the Erzheka may, with earned XP, gain Cyborg Augmentations for Cost + 2xp. These are not Vecratek versions, but Erzheka-built versions compatible only with Erzheka biology.

====Imps====

**Info:**

The Imps are one of the few Underkin races that do admit that they were once the prisoners of the Fae. One of the very first races to be imprisoned in the tunnels below the earth, the imps claim to be descended from demons - more specifically, they are the children of the Fel Ahzel. Legend goes that long ago, during the formation of demonic society, a group of ideological independents called the Fel Ahzel were cast out of Hell. Taking this as an opportunity to set up their own society, they attacked and subjugated the Fae city of Lealchaine. The Fel Ahzel slaughtered the Fae citizens and held Lealchaine as their own for over a century. But, the Fae do not soon forget such slights, and they took back Lealchaine, killing over half of the Fel Ahzel. The other half were imprisoned and brought to the newly constructed prison beneath the earth. Magical tortures were performed on the Fel Ahzel, some say in retaliation, but others say that the Fae were attempting to find the source of their Infernal power. After many generations the creatures, now stripped of Infernal power and instead infused with Fae magics by proximity, became the Imps. When the Underkin drove out their enemies from the tunnels, the Imps gladly joined their ranks. Retaining some demonic features such as horns and tails, but never wings, imps are seen as friendly, but extraordinarily mischievous. They tend to be short of stature, but come in many colorations -- though they almost always have very wild, untamable hair. Most hold absolutely no allegiance to their demonic origins, and are in fact some of the most stalwart opponents of the Infernals, claiming that they were ejected from the demonic ranks because they would not 'behave' and 'follow the will of power-mad tyrants'. The more democratic society of the Underkin suits most Imps fine. However, since the end of the Celestial War, there has been an increasing movement by a number of Imps to find ways to reconcile with the Nephilim and find a route to restoring their Infernal powers.

**Abilities**

Imps tend to be very untrustworthy. Because of this, they have excelled at the art of Pactcrafting, creating magical and binding contracts both for themselves, and for other parties. One should always be careful in signing an Imp Pact, however. Tricksters that they are, they like to put loopholes and impossible scenarios in them in order to get what they want. Imp Pacts are only valid if they are signed by a sentient being of their own volition, without duress. Imps may choose not to take Pactcrafting and instead choose Minimate, which is the ability to shrink their true form to a size of only 1 foot tall. They do not, however, get the ability to fly, even if they have wings.

====Lamia====

**Info:**

The story goes that Lamia, a queen of extraordinary beauty, once caught the eye of Zeus himself. In jealousy, she was cursed by Hera to live a life as half-woman, half-serpent. Horrified by this, she fled, looking for a place to hide in her shame. What she found was a cave, and she quickly became lost in it...and eventually arrived in the Underground. Although most outsiders tended to be killed on sight, the Underkin were taken by Lamia's story. They gave her refuge, and promised the refuge for any descendants she might have. Since that time, the Lamia have become a critical part of the Underkin. Oddly, they found a niche in the entertainment industry. Most of the Underkin are quite serious creatures, not given to laughter, or letting their hair down, but the taverns, brothels, and theaters of the Lamia soon became famous for getting even the most grizzled old duergar to let his beard down, so to speak. Lamia are trusted confidants, their ethical code being strict about keeping the secrets of their customers, but are known for their terrible wrath if betrayed. In recent years, disguised Lamia have been tasked with being the ones who go to the surface to abduct humans as breeding stock. This is usually done via seduction, but not always. Like the Erzheka, the Lamia are susceptible to cold, and are known to need an exceptional amount of food compared to most races. There are rumors that they will even eat their own young if denied food long enough. (Though they will probably eat YOUR young first.)

**Abilities**

The Lamia give off an aura of trustworthiness. A Lamia's gaze is hypnotic, and makes people susceptible to the Lamia's suggestion. The target does not have to look directly into the Lamia's eyes. It's enough for the Lamia to look at /you/. This hypnotic power is known not to work on Wraiths, who have an exceptional amount of willpower.

====Merfolk====

**Info:**

The Merfolk are nothing like the Disney versions we so often see today. The Merfolk tell the tale of a pleasure palace city within a cave. Those who dwelt there were kept as sex slaves, forced to pleasure a hideous and cruel queen. They cried so many tears that their sorrow overwhelmed the underground lake at the edge of the city, and their songs of hopelessness traveled through underwater caves into the sea. There, Neptune, god of the sea, heard the songs and was moved. He filled the cave with water, drowning the abusive queen and her army. But he saved the captives, giving them the abilities they would need to make the sea their new home. Although the Merfolk tend to live in underwater caves, they do often take to open sea. Among the Underkin, the Merfolk are known for being providers of food. The staples of the Underkin diet are roots, mushrooms and fish.

**Abilities**

Mer can, of course, breathe underwater, and swim rapidly. They can bestow these abilities temporarily on others with a kiss. If a Mer can reach an open body of water, they can enact a "fair escape" clause, to escape any danger. They also have enchanted voices which can manipulate emotions subtly, but quite powerfully when they sing. A mermaid's tears, applied to a weapon, will cause intense depression in the victim.