Visk

Visk

Visk are a race of peoples from Viskrea, an unexplored archipelago to the south of Kai'Rin. Visk who come directly from Viskrea often refer to each other as Eld. They are deeply reclusive and rarely leave their island home, nor do they permit any others to enter. Some Visk traders come up to Kai'Rin to trade supplies, but they tend to disappear southwards just as quickly. A handful of Visk exist throughout the known world, and ignorance about the race sometimes results in reports of Athielien sightings when they stroll into town. They are primarily descendents of cast-aways or slaves taken by pirates on the Sea of Songs. They do not recall their home or culture, but they yearn to find that place where they are meant to fit in.
The Eld, in particular, do not follow the standard pantheon. They hold close to a monotheistic religion which they refer to as the Revelation. The Eld do not divulge information about this religion to outsiders, and knowledge of it does not tend to survive among the Visk who are generations-removed from their home.

General Information

Rarity: Rare. (You may play this race only after consulting with the DM. There may be limits on the number of players able to play races of this category in a single party.)
Physical Description: While no outsider has stepped foot upon Viskrea and lived to tell the tale, legends speak of a land of isles where sand and snow blow in equal presence. The biology of the Visk seems to indicate this is true. The Visk have long eyelashes to protect their eyes, cloven feet which permit them to stand upon both frost and heat, and extended ears which can pick up on sounds even in the most noisy of environments. They are thinly-furred creatures, though they also sport distinct hairs across their bodies. Male Visk can grow facial hair, and they have a venom spur which protects their lengthy legs from grappling. Many Visk seem to have a capability to spray a vapor from their pores, and they release it when surprised or startled. This spray is mostly vestigial, but it is mildly aggravating to Mortals. Some still maintain higher levels of toxicity in this spray.
Family Structure: The family structure of Visk from Viskrea is, of course, unknown. It's believed they have extremely tight bonds with extended familial groups, which leads to their insularity and their protective attitude. Visk found throughout Eashavar's known world tend to be deeply protective of their own kind, treating all other Eld as their family, though the sheer rarity of the race makes it difficult to judge whether they treat immediate family any differently. Visk do, however, seem to have a strong desire to reproduce and keep their people alive, even when they are far from home. They'll eagerly seek out partners across races if no other Visk are around, though they often insist on parenting alone and are very non-committal to any actual relationship (outside of with other Visk). Such offspring tend to have their Visk features dominate, up to the point that they are indistinguishable from full Visk. Often, the drive to have offspring subsides after a Visk has a couple of children, and they will be content with raising them to carry on their legacy in their place.
Attitude Toward Society: Visk often find themselves as outcasts in the known world. People often assume they are Faun, or other Fey, which doesn't help them earn any favor. Still, they maintain a yearning to fit in, and in the back of their heads they know there is a place where they do fit in. Many Visk who were born beyond Viskrea have dreamy illusions of their ancestral homeland, tending to believe that if they found their way back they live in utopian harmony with the rest of their people. Visk who were born in Viskrea but ended up stuck in the known world seemingly share this attitude, and it is almost unheard of for one to adapt to their new life, always yearning to return back home.
Attitude Toward Gender: The Eld are known to have rigid conceptions of gender, but these rarely survive among Visk in the known world. When Eld come to the markets of Kai'Rin, their crews are mixed about equally between a gender binary, though only the male crew is permitted to leave the ship. Reports have existed, from time to time, of female Eld leaving their ship and being harshly punished by the rest of the crew. Contrary to implications of machismo, it is also known that male Eld are disproportionately represented amongst slavers, and pirates who have encountered Eld ships tell stories of how harshly their women fight to the death. Moreover, according to sailor's accounts, women typically speak for and captain Eld ships. The details of their gender roles remain yet unknown. Visk who live in the known world tend to quickly abandon whatever these roles might be, however, and adapt to the societies around them to survive.
Attitude Toward Relationships: Visk have great difficulty in forming relationships with other races, but take quickly to other Visk they may meet. Even when a Visk is best of friends with another race, they will still tend to compare the relationship to the ideal of perfection which lingers in the back of their mind. Back home, there would be even better friends! This makes romantic relationships nearly impossible. Sexual relationships, however, are another thing; Visk's deep desire to have children means they tend to be fairly promiscuous. While attitudes among Eld towards homosexuality are unknown, Visk can be romantically inclined towards any gender, and they often treat sex-for-reproduction as distinct from any legitimate intimacy when no other Visk are around to start a relationship with.

Race (5e)

Placeholder.

Ancestry (Pathfinder 2e)

Visk feats emphasize their place as outsiders within the known world, their ancestral knowledge, and their complex physiology which allows them to release vapor from their pores and resist the elements.

Visk

Hit Points

8

Size

Medium

Speed

25

Ability Boosts

Dexterity, Wisdom, Free

Ability Flaw

Charisma

Traits

Humanoid, Mortal, Visk

Languages

Human Common, additional languages equal to 1 + your Intelligence modifier (if it's positive)

Special Abilities

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Low-Light Vision: You can see in dim light as though it were bright light, so you ignore the concealed condition due to dim light.
Longer Lashes: If you are a female Visk, you have exceptionally long eyelashes. You automatically succeed at the flat check to target a concealed creature if that creature is concealed only by sandstorms, blizzards, or other similar non-magical hazards at the DM's discretion. Whenever you become dazzled or blinded for at least 2 rounds, you can reduce the duration by 1 round.
Venom Spur: If you are a male Visk, you have vestigial venom spurs. Once per day, you may drain the venom from your spurs and apply it to a piercing or slashing weapon. If your next Strike with that weapon before the end of your next turn hits and deals damage, you deal persistent poison damage equal to your level to the target.

Heritages

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Polyglot Visk: Many Visk who find themselves beyond their homes prefer to spend their lives traveling. Young Visk raised in such families often grow up as bi- or even trilingual, and languages come easily to them. You learn two new languages. If you select the Multilingual feat, you learn three new languages instead of two.
Scavenger Visk: Your family had to scrounge to survive, and you can keep yourself alive even in the harshest of circumstances. You are trained in Survival. You gain the Forager skill feat as a bonus feat. Your thoroughness when gathering food provides you a +1 circumstance bonus to Survival checks to Subsist.
Seaswimmer Visk: Viskrea is a series of small isles, and the Visk have historically been scattered around them. Many Visk - including your family - have acclimated to swimming as a result of this. You gain a 15-foot swim speed.
Noxious Visk: You are among the Visk who can expel a toxin through the vapor in their pores. Once per day when you are hit with by an attacker who is adjacent to you, you deal 1d8 poison damage to the triggering creature (basic Fortitude save using your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher). On a critical failure, the creature also takes 1d4 persistent poison damage as your toxins linger in their lungs. At 3rd level, and every 2 levels thereafter, this damage increases by 1d8 and the persistent poison damage increases by 1.

Ancestry Feats

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Name	Traits	Level	Prerequisites	Benefits	Details
Ancestral Ascetic	Visk	1	-	You are so in tune with your ancestors that you have mastered hunger and breath itself.	Show spoiler You are so in tune with your ancestors that you have mastered hunger and breath itself. You need only a single serving of food and water each week to avoid starvation or dehydration. You can hold your breath for an additional 5 rounds before running out of air.
Cure Toxin	Visk	1	-	Your body is naturally resistant to poison.	Show spoiler Your body is naturally resistant to poison. Each time you succeed at a Fortitude save against an ongoing poison, you reduce its stage by 2, or by 1 against a virulent poison. Each critical success you achieve against an ongoing poison reduces its stage by 3, or by 2 against a virulent poison.
Eldic Insight	Visk	1	-	You have familial knowledge of your ancestors' origins.	Show spoiler You have familial knowledge of your ancestors' origins. You gain the trained proficiency in both the Religion skill and Eld Lore. If you roll a critical failure on Eld roll check, or a Religion check pertaining to the Revelation, you get a failure instead.
Message Runners	Visk	1	-	Your ancestors served as runners and messengers between distant tribes of Eld.	Show spoiler Your ancestors served as runners and messengers between distant tribes of Eld. Your Speed increases by 5 feet.
Tuned In	Visk	1	-	You have always been out-of-place in the world, and you know the kinds of glances people give when there are signs of trouble.	Show spoiler You have always been out-of-place in the world, and you know the kinds of glances people give when there are signs of trouble. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to your Perception DC against attempts to Lie to you and your Perception checks to Sense Motive. Furthermore, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy checks to convince others you speak the truth when you are telling the truth, and you take a –4 circumstance penalty to Lie and to your Deception DC against Sense Motive.
Visk Weapon Familiarity	Visk	1	-	You are familiar with the weapons of your ancestors.	Show spoiler You are trained with falchions, ranseurs, scimitars and tridents. In addition, you gain access to the gill hook, boarding axe, wish blade and wish knife. For the purpose of determining your proficiency, these weapons are simple weapons.
Wisdom of the Eld	Visk	1	You can recall the wisdom of the Eld, passed on through generations, and act upon it.	Show spoiler You can recall the wisdom of the Eld, passed on through generations, and act upon it. Once per hour, as a reaction when you attempt a skill check requiring 3 actions or fewer, you gain a +2 status bonus on the triggering skill check.
Cautious Empathy	Visk, Divination, Divine	5	-	Due to the closely communal upbringings of your Eld ancestors, you can sense the life force of those around you.	Show spoiler Due to the closely communal upbringings of your Eld ancestors, you can sense the life force of those around you. You gain lifesense as an imprecise sense with a range of 10 feet. This allows you to sense the life force within living creatures and its counterforce that animates the undead, though you can't distinguish between the two.
Noxious Haze	Visk	5	Noxious Visk heritage	You have learned to release the vapor in your pores in large enough volume to create a haze, though this dilutes any toxicity it may have.	Show spoiler You have learned to release the vapor in your pores in large enough volume to create a haze, though this dilutes any toxicity it may have. Once per day, you become concealed, though you can't use this concealment to Hide or Sneak, as normal for concealment where your position is still obvious. The gas is constantly released and moves with you, dissipating quickly when you leave a space, and lasts for a number of rounds equal to half your level.
Calm and Serenity	Visk	5	-	You are gifted at calming a situation before it gets out of hand.	Show spoiler You are gifted at calming a situation before it gets out of hand. You can cast either calm emotions or sanctuary as an innate occult spell heightened to half your level rounded up, once per day.
Ocean Diver	Visk	5	Seaswimmer Visk heritage	You swim faster than most Visk.	Show spoiler You swim faster than most Visk. Your swim Speed increases to 25 feet. Special: If you have the Message Runners feat, your swim Speed increases to 30 feet.
Viskrean Shield	Visk	5	-	You have a natural resistance to elemental damage.	Show spoiler You have a natural resistance to elemental damage. When an enemy is about to damage you with cold, electricity, or fire, or with a spell that has the air, earth, fire, or water trait, you gain resistance 5 against the triggering damage.
Visk Weapon Aptitude	Visk	5	Visk Weapon Familiarity	You become an expert with the weapons of your ancestors.	Show spoiler Whenever you critically hit using a weapon listed in Visk Weapon Familiarity, you apply the weapon's critical specialization effect.
Absorb Toxin	Visk	9	Cure Toxin	Your skin readily absorbs poison and can consciously draw toxins into your body to spare others.	Show spoiler Your skin readily absorbs poison and can consciously draw toxins into your body to spare others. When you attempt a saving throw against a disease or poison effect that affects an area, attempt a counteract check against the triggering effect; your counteract level equals half your level (rounded up), and for the roll use either your class DC –10 or your spellcasting ability modifier plus your spellcasting proficiency bonus. If you counteract the triggering effect, you end the effect for all other creatures in the area; however, you must still save against the effect with a –2 penalty to the initial save.
Haze Spray	Visk	9	Noxious Visk heritage	You can force the toxins out of your pores and direct them in a specific direction.	Show spoiler Once per day, you can force the toxins out of your pores and direct them in a specific direction. You spray your toxins in a 30-foot cone, dealing 5d8 poison damage. Each creature in the area must attempt a basic saving throw against the higher of your class DC or spell DC. On a critical failure, a creature also takes 5 persistent poison damage. At 11th level and every even level thereafter, the poison damage increases by 1d8 and the persistent poison damage increases by 1.
Mental Purity	Visk	9	-	Your mind is unusually resilient and resistant to influence.	Show spoiler Your mind is unusually resilient and resistant to influence. When you would gain the fascinated or stupefied condition, you can attempt a DC 17 flat check. On a success, you don't gain the fascinated or stupefied condition.
Shield Synchrony	Visk	9	Viskrean Shield	Being treated as an outsider has made you develop a profound compassion for your friends, such that their resistances can become synchronous with yours.	Show spoiler Being treated as an outsider has made you develop a profound compassion for your friends, such that their resistances can become synchronous with yours. You can cast Resist Energy and Shield Other each once per day as 2nd-level divine innate spells.
Unrestrainable	Visk	9	-	You have an irrepressible fighter's spirit, and you do not submit until you die.	Show spoiler You have an irrepressible fighter's spirit, and you do not submit until you die. You gain a +2 status bonus to checks to escape when you are grabbed or restrained. This bonus lasts until either you're no longer grabbed or restrained, or you fall unconscious.
Eldic Bulwark	Visk	13	Viskrean Shield	You gain resistance 10 from Viskrean Shield instead of 5.	Show spoiler You gain resistance 10 from Viskrean Shield instead of 5.
Reveal Purpose	Visk	13	-	The Revelation still has a purpose for you in life, and this knowledge pushes you to exceed the limitations of your physical body.	Show spoiler The Revelation still has a purpose for you in life, and this knowledge pushes you to exceed the limitations of your physical body. Once per day, even if you're otherwise unable to act, when you have the dying condition and are about to attempt a recovery check, you can restore yourself to 1 hit point, lose the dying and unconscious conditions, and act normally on this turn. You gain or increase the wounded condition as normal for losing the dying condition.
Visk Weapon Expertise	Visk	13	Visk Weapon Familiarity	Your mastery with the weapons of your ancestors is unmatched.	Show spoiler Whenever you gain a class feature that grants you expert or greater proficiency in certain weapons, you also gain that proficiency in falchions, ranseurs, scimitars, tridents, gill hooks, boarding axes, wish blades and wish knives.

by Peter Lin

You Might...

• Hesitate to make friends with other races.
• Long to find others of your kind; feel a bond to the sea beyond which your homeland lies.
• Hold tight to the stories and legends passed down by your family.

Others Probably...

• Do not know what to make of you. They may walk on eggshells around you, or openly offend.
• Find your reclusiveness off-putting; or, perhaps, relatable.
• Demonstrate a fascination towards you and your people.