Lashuntas

Idealized by many other humanoid races and gifted with innate psychic abilities, lashuntas are at once consummate scholars and enlightened warriors, naturally divided into two specialized subraces with different abilities and societal roles.
Physical Description
The telepathic humanoids called lashuntas evolved adaptive genetics that allow children to develop into one of two subspecies, depending on the stresses they endure at puberty: either the tall, intellectual, and adaptable damaya—who make up most of their race’s political leaders and ambassadors—or the short, burly, headstrong korasha, who excel as warriors and explorers. Both feature short forehead antennae that focus their natural telepathy, as well as colorful swirls and raised markings on their faces unique to each individual. Due to natural pheromones and lashuntas’ almost perfect physical symmetry, most humanoid races find lashuntas of both subspecies subconsciously (and sometimes unnervingly) attractive.
Both clades of the species bear the same genetics, allowing them to intermarry and have children. While all lashunta children inherit complexions and certain distinguishing features from their parents, their subspecies is not one of them. Through psychic ritual and force of will techniques applied at puberty, modern lashuntas have mastered the ability to determine what subspecies a child will grow into, activating certain epigenetics and shutting down others. While some lashunta city-states attempt to steer children in particular directions, such as via government-run aptitude tests, most lashuntas believe passionately in a child’s right to choose. In ancient lashunta history, their starkly divided gender roles led to subspecies almost universally correlated with gender, but as lashunta culture has grown more egalitarian, gender balance between the two subspecies has become roughly equal.
Society and Alignment
Though lashunta societies usually characterize themselves as meritocracies, their leaders have traditionally been women and are usually damaya except in times of war. Both damaya and korasha lashuntas see education as one of the highest callings, making lashunta scholars renowned across the solar system. Military service is also valued, since their home world’s dangerous ecosystem and lack of overarching governments mean that settlements need warriors to protect them from jungle monsters.
On the whole, lashuntas’ focus on self-improvement, honor, and communal defense leads them toward good alignments, with damaya tending to be more lawful and korasha more chaotic.
Relations
Lashuntas believe that every culture has something to teach, and thanks to the legendary prowess of lashunta diplomats, most other races respect them and consider them allies, or at least reasonable associates. Vesk admire their warriors, androids and kasathas value their logic and learning, and humans respect their scholarship but risk embarrassing themselves trying to deal with lashuntas’ disconcerting attractiveness. Shirrens are the main exception to this pattern of mutual respect—though lashuntas’ millennia of warfare with the insectile formians has finally ended, many lashuntas are still uncomfortable interacting with similar races and worry that “the bugs” may one day unite against them.
Adventurers
When a lashunta leaves home, it’s often to grow—in knowledge, prowess, or simple enlightenment. Experience is the best teacher, and the thrill of discovery means that a lashunta adventurer is as likely to be drawn to a new world by a rumor of lost lore as by the promise of wealth. Of course, this quest for wisdom sounds less noble once it’s understood that the prestige associated with bringing significant new knowledge home all but assures a lashunta the finest creature comforts for the rest of his life as a corporate consultant or professor at a university. Lashunta adventurers are most frequently envoys, technomancers, and mechanics, but soldiers and operatives are also common, the latter being trained and employed by the numerous powerful lashunta-owned corporations that have surpassed many city-states as the primary political powers on their home world and beyond.
Names
Lashunta naming conventions vary widely among city-states, but often tend toward soft sounds with tonal elements that make them sound musical and elegant to other races. Some sample lashunta names are Domash, Hesori, Kima, Kopalo, Maenala, Nomae, Oraeus, Raia, Shess, Soryn, Taeon, and Varikuara.

Ability Score Modifiers See Details Hit Points 4 HP
Size & Type Lashuntas are Medium Humanoids with the lashunta subtype.
VITAL STATISTICS
Average Height or Length : 5-7 ft.; Average Weight : 140-180 lbs.
Age of Maturity : 20 years; Maximum Age : 80+2d20 years
RACIAL TRAITS
Dimorphic 

• All lashuntas gain +2 Charisma at character creation. 
• Korasha lashuntas are muscular (+2 Strength at character creation) but often brash and unobservant (–2 Wisdom at character creation). 
• Damaya lashuntas are typically clever and well-spoken (+2 Intelligence at character creation) but somewhat delicate (–2 Constitution at character creation).

Lashunta Magic Lashuntas gain the following spell-like abilities:
At will: daze, psychokinetic hand
1/day: detect thoughts
The caster level for these effects is equal to the lashunta's level.
Limited Telepathy Lashuntas can mentally communicate with any creatures within 30 feet with whom they share a language. Conversing telepathically with multiple creatures simultaneously is just as difficult as listening to multiple people speaking.
Student Lashuntas love to learn, and they receive a +2 racial bonus to any two skills of their choice.