Kasatha

Kasathas were technologically advanced when humanity was still huddling in caves, yet they long ago plateaued socially and technologically, learning the importance of stability and balance after a series of near-apocalyptic disasters. In kasathan culture, the answer to any question lies somewhere in the past. The fact that their home world’s records extend further back than most worlds only encourages their veneration of history. This leads to a culture steeped in customs that can seem bizarre to outsiders, from the common requirement to hide one’s mouth around all but one’s most intimate companions to an ironclad belief in the superior dignity of wielding melee weapons over projectile or energy weapons.
Kasathan society is generally matriarchal and had been historically nomadic, organized into myriad “great families,” clans, and subclans, with individuals and family units roaming as the whim takes them. Their conviction that most other races don’t truly understand the importance of personal dignity means kasathas rarely bother to teach their customs to outside races, which leads to their reputation as being mysterious, standoffish, wise, or all three. Each kasatha follows a unique set of traditions, combining common rituals with new ones she creates. She gains more and more traditions over a lifetime, so that the oldest kasathas spend much of their time honoring the past. This accumulation of personal customs begins during the Tempering, a yearlong walkabout all kasathas undergo at the end of adolescence. During this time, young kasathas are encouraged to test their limits, learn from other cultures, and engage in normally improper behavior in hopes of coming to appreciate the value of tradition.
Kasathas are gray-skinned humanoids with four arms and pure black eyes. Lacking a protruding nose, a kasatha’s head is smooth and elongated, with skin stretched tight to a skull extending backward far beyond the edge of the neck. While lean compared to humans, kasathas have more advanced muscle fibers that grant them surprising strength. Physical differences between kasatha genders are slight and easily overlooked by other races.

Traits and Abilities

Ability Score Modifiers +2 Str, +2 Wis, -2 Int
Hit Points 4 HP
Size & Type Kasathas are Medium Humanoids with the kasatha subtype.

Vital Statistics

Average Height or Length 6-7 ft.
Average Weight 120-200 lbs.
Age of Maturity 25 years.
Maximum Age 100+2d20 years

Racial Traits

Desert Stride: Kasathas can move through nonmagical difficult terrain in deserts, hills, and mountains at their normal speed.
Four-Armed: Kasathas have four arms, which allows them to wield and hold up to four hands’ worth of weapons and equipment. While their multiple arms increase the number of items they can have at the ready, it doesn't increase the number of attacks they can make during combat.
Historian: Due to their in-depth historical training and the wide-ranging academic background knowledge they possess, kasathas receive a +2 racial bonus to Culture checks.
Natural Grace: Kasathas receive a +2 racial bonus to Acrobatics and Athletics checks.