Drentouk (Dren-two-k)

Commonly referred to as the Drowned Ones, the Drentouk are sad creatures. In the Oceans of Vatenrelm, there exists a flesh eating algae known as tektslirs. These algae commonly attach themselves to floating corpses of drowned sailors, breaking them down to only their bones. However, rarely, a strange phenomenon happens, in which once a tektslir has absorbed the bones of a corpse into its mass, it somehow absorbs the essence and memories of that corpse. This causes the algae to coalesce into a humanoid shape, utilizing the bones of the deceased for greater mobility, and becomes a Drentouk. Initially believing themselves to be the same person as the consumed corpse, a newly formed Drentouk generally seeks out its friends and loved ones, only to be chased away due to their horrific appearance and the confirmation that the original loved one is dead beyond hope. Thus, after facing persecution, the Drentouk often band together and form pirate gangs who raid the living, attracting more tektslirs and continuing the cycle.

Basic Information

Anatomy

While at a distance they may resemble a normal humanoid race, closer inspection reveals that a Drentouk's body is in fact an slimy coating covering the floating bones used to move the body around. The mobility these bones grant are much less than in life, and a Drentouk who doesn't consume meat regularly will start to break down these bones, further reducing their mobility.

Genetics and Reproduction

The Drentouk are incapable of reproduction normally, and must rely on the tektslirs to create more Drentouk. Some evil or spiteful Drentouk crews cultivate tektslir and become vicious pirates, attacking sallors and tossing their corpses to the tektslir in hopes of building their company.

Growth Rate & Stages

All Drentouk begin their life as a mass of tektslir, and grow into the Drentouk after assimilating the bones of unfortunate soul. Thus, they are "born" fully formed and with many of the memories of the base creature. Drentouk that spawn from the bones of children become very confused when they don't age traditionally. While they don't age like a typical creature, all Drentouk will eventually regress back into the tektslir that they originated from as those original bones are digested away over the course of years.

Ecology and Habitats

The tektslir thrive in the tropical climate of the Northern Vaten Sea, The Lawless Surf. Thus the Drentouk mostly stick to warmer areas.

Dietary Needs and Habits

A Drentouk needs to consume meat and bones in order to stave off the decompositions of their carried bones. Drentouks that fail to eat properlly slowly begin reconsuming their own bones, degenerating back into tektslir.

Behaviour

The Drentouk have two states "Newborn" and "Awakened". A Newborn Drentouk fully believes that it is the creature whose bones that the Drentouk carry, while an Awakened Drentouk has realized their true nature. The Newborn have a psychologic block, ignoring obvious signs of their different nature, such as their changed appearance; such blocks are usually only overcome by a direct confrontation with a loved one or close friend of the deceased.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Some unscrupulous businessmen utilize newborn Drentouk for their increased stamina, attempting to keep the truth from them to continue exploiting their workers, even in death.

Average Intelligence

The Drentouk gain their Intelligence from the memories of their carried bones, but often have those memories be jumbled or confused, and thus often get things that most would know as common knowledge as wrong.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

While most oozes are blind, the Drentouk's body forms proto-eyes to help it see as its supposed to. Despite this, the Drentouk lacks whatever advanced sensory capabilities the base creature had in life. This itself can cause a "newborn" Drentouk confusion, but it often chalks up its reduced vision as a byproduct of its "accident".

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

The Drentouk takes the name of the person whose bones it carries, but may often misremember how it is spelled, or even purposefully misspell it to distinguish themselves once they discover the truth of their nature.

Major Organizations

Many Drentouk join bands of roving pirates made up entirely of Drentouk. Such Drentouk usually hold no allegiances to any other crew, even other pirates in the Pirate Coalition, due to many of them holding the bones of former pirates. The most dangerous ship on the seas, the undead ship Broken Depths, has many evil Drentouk serving on it, as its constant attacking of living ships both attracts and feeds the tektslirs.

Beauty Ideals

Most Drentouk attempt to cover up their bones and strange features, trying to pass off as a member of their "original" race. However, in private or in groups of Awakened, many Drentouk love to admire their bones and the bones of others.

Gender Ideals

The Drentouk inherit the ideals of their base creature, but are quick to abandon them once awoken if it becomes essential to their survival.

Courtship Ideals

Since they can't reproduce, the Drentouk have little in the way of courtships once they realize their true nature. Many Drentouk born from the bones of sailors often travel to that sailors home and partner, believing they are returning home to a loving family after a harrowing journey at sea, only to be turned away and driven out. Rarely, some of these partners prefer to keep them around, using the Drentouk as a way to gain closure from the death of their loved one.

Relationship Ideals

The Drentouk struggle to make any positive relationships once they awaken, as they are often stuck with confusion, anger, and guilt. Some family members accept the Drentouk as a second chance to reconnect with a lost loved one, but most blame the Drentouk for their death and drive them away. However, once a creature earns the trust of a Drentouk, they gain an incredible ally, as a Drentouk can use its incredible stamina to fight for their loved ones far beyond what the original creature could.

Average Technological Level

Due to the deaths of the sailors they are born from, the Drentouk have inherited a love of ship-building and sailing, and thus have much nautical knowledge.

Major Language Groups and Dialects

Due to a majority of Dretouk rising from Vala sailors, most speak Vlatya Common.

Common Etiquette Rules

It is very rude to stare at a Drentouks bones, and they become very uncomfortable when others point out those bones are not truly "theirs". Accusing them of being an undead monster or similar insults are a quick way to have ones own body fed to the tektslirs.

Common Dress Code

Newborn Drentouk will seek out whatever clothes the base creature worn in life, but will often confuse a specific detail. Awakened Drentouk try to cover up their nature with large coats, hoping to conceal their inner bones until people are up close.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Most Awakened Drentouk who travel together often humor the newborns they themselves create, pretending to have rescued them from a disaster at sea, and facilitating their return home with an offer to help them in a time of need. This leaves the newborn unprepared for they shock and rejection they typically encounter, quickly driving them back to the Drentouk's ship to continue the cycle.

Common Taboos

The Drentouk initially pick up the same taboos and dislikes of the creature whose bones they carry, but often lose those restraints once they become Awakened and realize what they have become. Many become spiteful and cruel, embracing things that the original creature would never have done, but some also take this as a second chance to fix their mistakes and turn what remains of their life around.

History

While the exact origins of the tektslirs and the Drentouk are unclear, it is believed that a great battle took place in the Age of Conflict that resulted in countless casualties. The sludge from this conflict became the first tektslir algae. Some speculate that the demigod Grimm was also somehow involved.

Common Myths and Legends

Many Drentouk turn away from religion once they awaken, but some turn to worshiping Grimm, the god of undeath, or Nilbi,, the god of piracy. Some others even embrace their ooze nature and venerate the ancient ooze Albanor. Some believe that the Jelliods are also somehow involved in the creation of the Drentouk, or at least a byproduct of them. Those speculate that the Jelliods form from the unattached souls of the drowned, while the Drentouk are the bodies that are left behind when the souls are swept away, and are seeking to reunite with their soul or "purpose"

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

The Drentouk have little positive relationships with any other races, as they can only be born by the deaths of others. The Eleyaw view them as abomonations to be hunted, and the Vala and Vataman fear them as unholy spirits. The Alba get along with them due to their shared ooze-like nature.

Racial Table - Drentouk: Hit Dice: D8; Class Skills: Same as base creature (See Carried Bones ability Skill Ranks Per Level: 2 + Intelligence modifier; Weapon Proficiency: Same as base creature; Armor Proficenecy: One step lower than base creature.

Level	BAB	Fort	Reflex	Will	Abilities
1st	+0	+0	+0	+0	Half-Ooze, Carried Bones, Unfinished Buisness, Undead Vulnerabilities
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+0	Consume Bodies
3rd	+2	+1	+1	+1	Consume Essence
4th	+3	+1	+1	+1	Consume Apperance; +2 Constitution, +2 Charisma
5th	+3	+1	+1	+1	Necro-Life Body

Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Intuitive¹	Self-Taught²	Trained⁴
1 year (physically born at the same age as base creature)	+1d4 years (2 - 5)	+1d6 years (2 - 7)	+1d8 years (2 - 9)

^{1This category includes armigers, barbarians, bloodragers, imbuers, kineticists, leaches, oracles, psychics, ravelers, realmstriders, rogues, sorcerers, and spiritualists} ^{2This category includes antipaladins, arcanist, armorsmiths, bards, brawler, cavaliers, fighters, gamblers, gunslingers, hunters, mediums, mesmerist, paladins, pantheists, rangers, samurai, shamans, skalds, slayers, spellthiefs, summoners, swashbucklers, tricksters, vigilantes, wardens, weaponsmiths, and witches.} ^{3This category includes alchemists, clerics, druids, explorers, inquisitors, investigators, jewelers, magi, monks, mortalists, ninjas, occultists, painters, travelers, tinkerers, warpriests, wizards and zealots.}

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Same as base creature	Same as base creature	1/2 of base creature	+(3d4 lbs.)

Drentouk Aging Table

Middle Age (-1 to Str, Dex, and Con, +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha)	Old (-2 to Str, Dex, and Con, +2 to Int, Wis, and Cha)	Venerable (-3 to Str, Dex, and Con, +3 to Int, Wis, and Cha)	Maximum Age (GM secretly decides maximum age)
18 years	24 years	36 years	36 + 1d12 years (37 - 48 years)

For Drentouk families and homelands, roll on the tables for the base creature for that creatures original family and memories of their original home (although a disaster that killed the base creature may have also killed some of their family)

Lifespan

24 - 48 years

Geographic Distribution

Vatenrelm

Drentouk

Type Ooze

Ability Score Modifier +2 Constitution, +2 Charisma, -2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom; Drentouk are hardy and intimidating, but have poor mobility and are mentally confused.

Size medium

Speed A medium sized Drentouk has a speed of 20 feet, while a small sized Drentouk has a speed of 10 feet.

Language A Drentouk begins play speaking any one language the creature whose bones it carries spoke in life (See Carried Bones ability below), typically Common (Vlatyan). A Drentouk with a high Intelligence score can select from any languages that creature knew in life as its bonus languages.

Materil: Drentouk are intrinsically tied to the Water Materil, and must become Waveshifters

Half-Ooze: A Drentouk is an ooze creature, although they lack the mindless trait of most oozes, but they gain a +2 racial bonus against mind effects. A Drentouk is immune to bleed, poison, and paralysis effects, but is not immune to sleep or stunning effects. They do roll twice and take the greater result on saving throws that would cause them to be put to sleep or stunned. A Drentouk is subject to critical hits and flanking, but take only 1.5x damage from a critical hit and always takes half damage when taking precision damage.

Carried Bones: A Drentouk is born from the bones of a deceased creature. A Drentouk resembles that creature, although now a greenish or brown color. At character creation, choose a base small or medium race. The Drentouk is the same size category as that creature and gains a +2 racial bonus on Intimidate checks on creatures of that subtype. Due to the bones of that person being in the Drentouk's body, that person cannot usually be raised from the dead, though if magic that doesn't need a body to restore life is used, there is no negative effect on the Drentouk. A Drentouk can't be created from a creature that lacks bones.

Unfinished Business: Nearly all Drentouk have lingering desires from the bones they carry, and can draw on those desires in times of needs. A Drentouk gains a +4 bonus on Constitution checks to stabilize, and don't die until they reach a negative hit point total equal to 5 + their Constitution score. When a Drentouk fails its saving throw against a death effect (with the exception of when it finishes its business), for each racial level the Drentouk possesses, it can push that effect off 1 round. The following round, they must make the save again. If they succeed, they are staggered but push off the effect as if they succeeded the initial save. If they fail again, they either push it off 1 more round if they have not yet exceeded their racial levels; otherwise they then are affected as normal by the full effect. A Drentouk is compelled to finish their business if confronted with it, and should a Drentouk completely fulfill all unfinished business they carry, they are immediately affected as if they had failed a save against a Slay Living spell, with their hit dice as the caster level. A Drentouk that survives this effect loses this ability, but gains a morale bonus on all saving throws equal to their racial levels.

Undead Vulnerabilities: Due to their energy stemming from the essence of drowned bones, the Drentouk have some undead traits. A Drentouk is harmed by both positive and negative energy, thus can typically heal only through natural rest. A Drentouk counts as an undead for the purpose of being targeted by a spell that interacts with a skeleton or with bones specifically, but otherwise counts as a living creature for the purposes of spells.

Consume Bodies: Starting at 2nd racial level, a Drentouk can replenish itself by consuming more corpses. As a full-round action, a Drentouk can touch an adjacent corpse and destroy it, healing 1d8+1 per hit dice the corpse had in life. A Drentouk can heal more from a corpse by completely consuming it. Doing this takes 10 minutes and leaves the Drentouk helpless while doing so. Consuming a corpse this way heals the Drentouk an amount of hit points equal to 1/2 the total amount of it points the creature had in life. A terribly decayed corpse (such as one from an undead), heals only 1/2 as much hit points.

Consume Essence: Starting at 3rd racial level, a Drentouk can peer into some of the memories of a consumed creature. 1/day per racial level, when utilizing their Consume Bodies ability, they can attempt to gain knowledge from the body as if casting the Harvest Knowledge spell, treating their total hit dice as their caster level.

Consume Appearance: Starting at 4th racial level, a Drentouk can take the form of those it consumes. As a full-round action, a Drentouk can take on the full appearance of the creature of the bones it carries, granting it a +20 bonus on Disguise checks to appear as that creature. 1/day, while utilizing their Consume Bodies abilities, a Drentouk can store the memory of that creature in its bones, allowing it to take on the appearance of that creature as the spell Greater Assume Appearance, using their total hit dice as their caster level. Once the total duration of the effect is over, the memory fades and the effect ends. A Drentouk can only have one memory stored this way at a time; gaining a new one causes it to forget any previously held memory.

Neco-life Body: At 5th racial level, a Drentouk's body becomes a true fusion of life and death. The Drentouk is now healed by both positive and negative energy. Whenever they are targeted by a spell that only targets either a living creature or an undead creature, they can choose to be counted as either one.

Alternate Racial Traits

Driven: Some Drentouk are more driven to find their Unfinished Business than others. Such Drentouk act as if under a constant Lesser Geas/Quest spell to finish their business, but gain a bonus on all skill checks related to finish their business equal to their racial level, such as on a Diplomacy check to reconnect with a loved on or an Intimidate check to frighten their murderer. These Drentouk don't gain the +2 racial bonus on against mind-effects. This trait alters the Half-Ooze and Unfinished Business traits.

Half-Plant: Some Drentouk retain more of their original algae and are closer to plants than oozes. They are subject to critical hits and sneak attacks normally, but are immune to all mind-affecting effects. This trait replaces the Half-Ooze trait.

Half-Undead: Some Drentouk draw even more on necrotic powers then others. These Drentouk are healed fully by negative energy, gain darkvision of 60 feet, gain a +2 racial bonus against disease and mind effects, and take no penalties from negative levels (although they still die if they accrue more negative levels then their hit dice. This trait replaces Half-Ooze.