LEGACY PF.2e Ashborn Ancestry

Ashborn, often likened to skeletons or undead creatures, possess unique traits that set them apart from typical fantasy races. These beings were reborn through the enigmatic powers of Ryu-jin, the god of stars and nature. Instead of being powered by necromantic energy, Ashborn are brought back to life from the remains of other species like humans, elves, and more. Ryu-jin's elemental flame infuses their bodies with elemental ash, restoring them to life and granting them their previous traits.
Similar to the stoicism of dwarves, Ashborn often carry an air of quiet contemplation. Their nature as reborn beings has imbued them with a profound sense of introspection, and they approach their pursuits with meticulous attention to detail, valuing quality over quantity. To outsiders, they may appear reserved and enigmatic, but to those they consider friends and family, Ashborn are warm and caring, their homes resonating with laughter and the soft echoes of their elemental nature.

Common Traits

Resilient Resolve: Ashborn exhibit an unwavering determination in the face of adversity. Their rebirth and connection to elemental forces have instilled a deep resilience within them. They approach challenges with stoic determination, often pressing forward against overwhelming odds.
Enigmatic Contemplation: Ashborn are known for their deep introspection and contemplative nature. They frequently spend time in quiet reflection, pondering the mysteries of life, death, and the elemental forces that define their existence. This enigmatic contemplation often leads to profound insights and unique perspectives on the world.
Mysterious Allure: Ashborn possess an undeniable mystique that draws the curiosity of those around them. Their elemental rebirth and connection to otherworldly forces make them captivating figures in the eyes of other races.

Potential Traits

Obsessive Pursuit: Ashborn are known for their single-minded determination when it comes to achieving their goals.
Guarded Stoicism: Ashborn tend to keep their emotions tightly controlled and rarely reveal their innermost feelings.
Inscrutable Wisdom: Ashborn possess a deep well of wisdom and knowledge accumulated from their many lifetimes. Their experiences have granted them insights that are often shrouded in cryptic language and symbolism. They are known for speaking in riddles and offering guidance that may be difficult for others to decipher.

Physical Description

Ashborn are distinct in appearance, bearing an ethereal and somewhat eerie visage that sets them apart from other races. Their bodies are formed from fine, ash-gray matter that resembles bone, and they often appear skeletal in nature. Despite this, they possess an otherworldly grace and a tall, slender physique that stands between 170 to 200 centimeters in height. Altougth some keep their former lives appearance, Ashborn are both androgynous and ageless, with a timeless quality that belies their rebirth. Their most striking feature is their eyes, which radiate with the inner light of elemental energy. These eyes come in various hues, ranging from smoldering embers of crimson to the cool, calming shades of aquamarine, each reflecting the elemental nature of their rebirth.
At the core of every Ashborn lies their Elemental Heart, a mystical organ forged from the same elemental ash as their bodies. This heart pulses with an inner light, its intensity and color directly linked to the Ashborn's emotions and state of being. When at rest, it emits a soft, steady glow, but in moments of intense emotion or danger, it can blaze with fiery brilliance or shimmer with a serene luminescence. The Elemental Heart serves as the wellspring of their life force, granting them their unique abilities and anchoring their connection to the elemental forces that gave them life. Ashborn often adorn themselves with jewelry and talismans that accentuate the beauty and significance of their Elemental Hearts, treating them as both a source of power and a symbol of their rebirth.

Society Development

Ashborn society is characterized by solitude and quiet observation. They are often loners, rarely engaging in extensive conversations, yet their presence holds significant meaning. When an Ashborn is spotted in an area, it signifies that a momentous event or change is on the horizon. These enigmatic beings are seen as silent witnesses to history, their very existence a harbinger of transformation, and they are consulted by other races when seeking insight into the mysteries of the world or the unfolding of destiny. Though they may choose to remain distant, Ashborn are regarded with a mixture of respect, awe, and curiosity for their role as silent observers of the ever-evolving tapestry of existence.

Alignment And Religion

Ashborn exhibit diverse alignments and religious beliefs, with each individual's perspective shaped by their unique experiences and outlook on life. Unlike many other races, Ashborn do not adhere to a single, universally shared religion, but rather, they embrace a variety of belief systems. One common thread among Ashborn is their reverence for Ryu-jin, the god of stars and nature, who plays a pivotal role in their rebirth and existence. Some Ashborn consider Ryu-jin to be their primary deity, attributing their elemental rebirth to this celestial force. Others view Ryu-jin as a benevolent, cosmic entity with whom they have had occasional interactions, more akin to a friendly encounter with a powerful being rather than an object of worship.
Beyond Ryu-jin, Ashborn often adopt the belief systems of the cultures they were reborn from in their previous lives. This diversity results in Ashborn aligning with various gods and religions, each reflecting their past experiences and values. Some may follow deities associated with their original species, while others might be drawn to gods aligned with elemental forces or natural elements. This eclectic blend of beliefs among Ashborn highlights their adaptability and capacity to embrace a multitude of spiritual perspectives.

Name

Ashborn naming conventions are a unique aspect of their culture, reflecting their rebirth and the significant role played by their resurrector, Ryu-jin. Each Ashborn is given a clear and profound name at the moment of their elemental rebirth, a name that encapsulates a specific goal or aspiration they wish to achieve during their new life. These names are deeply personal and often remain a closely guarded secret, shared only with those who have earned an Ashborn's trust.
As a result, Ashborn frequently adopt alternative names or aliases to interact with others in the world. These chosen names may be entirely unrelated to their true goals and ambitions, serving as a protective measure to safeguard the secrecy of their elemental names. This practice allows Ashborn to navigate social interactions without revealing their deepest desires and vulnerabilities, preserving a sense of mystique and personal privacy while they strive to fulfill their elemental destinies.
Examples for Real Names: Abysswalker, Crestfallen, Dark stalker, Everlasting, Dusk, Hawkeye, Maneater Examples for Aliases: Lautrec, Mildred, Oscar, Patches, Quelena, Rhea

Ancestry Mechanics

Hit Points: 6
Size: Medium
Speed: 25 feet
Ability Boosts: Wisdom & Intelligence
Ability Flaws: Charisma
Languages: 1 Language from their Former life, Empyrean & Necril
Additional Languages: equal to your Intelligence modifier.
Choose from Anglo, Feé, Gnomish, Oalk, Tsmok, Zwerg
Undeath: You have the basic undead benefits, including Low-Light Vision. For your undead hunger, you don't eat flesh like ghouls or drink blood like vampires, but you do collect bones you can use to help yourself mend.

Reborn Heritages

HeritageTypes	Folk Heartige Ability/Trait
Compact Body	For tasks that require a lighter touch, gnome, goblin, and halfling remains are more suitable than a larger creature’s. These smaller, nimbler reborn fit well in a traveling chest, can be forced through tight spaces, and more easily avoid detection. Your size is Small instead of Medium. You gain the Quick Squeeze feat, even if you aren’t trained in Acrobatics. Tight spaces not tight enough to require the Squeeze activity aren’t difficult terrain for you.
Fodder Body	Humans, and those who are physically closest to them, are the favored material of gods to reanimate. They are readily available, and their physiology has been studied the most extensively, so these skeletons can be easily mass-produced. You have a base Speed of 30 feet, instead of 25 feet.
Monstrous Body	Inhuman reborns are often deadly physical attackers and their terrifying warriors. Beasts and monstrous humanoids with the strangest skeletons tend to be the centerpiece of the collection of a collectors skilled enough to raise one. You gain a claw, horn, tail, or wing unarmed attack that deals 1d6 damage. A claw deals slashing damage, a horn deals piercing damage, and a tail or wing deals bludgeoning damage. This unarmed attack is in the brawling group and has the finesse and unarmed traits.
Sturdy Body	Certain conditions are not suitable for the average reborn, so a a god might choose to reanimate the bones of a dwarf, orc, or other creature with a reputation for sturdiness. You have 10 Hit Points instead of 6 and gain the Diehard feat.

1st-Level Ancestry Feats

AncestryFeat	Prerequisites	Featureability
As in Life, so be it again	none	Specific memories of your old life are hard to hold onto, but you know things without remembering why. You gain the Adopted Ancestry feat. You can choose any ancestry, but it is likely to be one that matches both your skeleton heritage and who you were in life. As long as your body is completely covered by armor or clothing, you do not have to attempt Deception checks against a creature's Perception DC to successfully Impersonate yourself as a member of that ancestry. This is a non-magical disguise that doesn't protect against divination. This disguise doesn't provide any benefit against a creature actively attempting a Perception check against you.
Undead Empahy	none	Your relationship with undeath gives you a stronger bond with other undead. You can use Diplomacy to Make an Impression on mindless undead or make simple requests of them. As long as there aren't living creatures nearby, they usually let you speak. If the undead creature currently is in the thrall of a creature whose level is higher than yours, you typically need a critical success on your Diplomacy skill check.
Catch the details	none	You are quick at recognizing broad details about people and things around you. You are trained in Society and gain the Eye for Numbers skill feat. If you would automatically become trained in Society (from your background or class, for example), you instead become trained in a skill of your choice.

5th-Level Ancestry Feats

AncestryFeat	Prerequisites	Featureability
Reborn from Nature	none	You've lived among trees for so long they recognize your presence and seek to protect you from harm. You can cast protector tree as a primal innate spell once per day.
Former Warrior	none	You are graceful and efficient in the use of weapons from your past. Whenever you critically hit using a weapon that you had used in your previous life, you apply the weapon's critical specialization effect.
Reborn Fangs	none	Fangs You were born with a natural means for hunting and self-defense. You gain a fangs unarmed attack that deals 1d6 piercing damage. Your fangs are in the brawling group and have the finesse and unarmed traits.

9th-Level Ancestry Feats

AncestryFeat	Prerequisites	Featureability
Fortified Mind	none	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.
Telekinetic Slip	none	You gain a +2 status bonus to checks to Escape from whatever has you grabbed or restrained. This bonus lasts until either you're no longer grabbed or restrained, or you fall unconscious.
Skeletal Resistance	none	Your body becomes resistant, your hardened bones deflecting weapons and other forms of damage. You gain resistance 2 to cold, electricity, fire, piercing, and slashing damage. This resistance increases to 3 at 13th level and 4 at 17th level.

13th-Level Ancestry Feats

AncestryFeat	Prerequisites	Featureability
Bone Rearangement	none	You rearrange your bones into a bestial shape. Once per day, you can cast animal form as a divine innate spell. When you cast it, you choose the spell's level: 3rd, 4th, or 5th. Your battle form looks like a skeletal version of the animal. In this form, you retain the benefits of any skeleton feats that do not require the use of hands or the ability to communicate.
Skeleton Commander	none	You gain the ability to summon your own skeletal minions. You learn the create undead rituals (Core Rulebook 411) to create three types of undead for which you meet the prerequisites. These undead must have the skeleton trait or be other skeletal undead the GM agrees to. You can't teach these rituals to anyone else, and you can't participate in either ritual while allowing someone else to serve as the primary caster unless they also know the ritual. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Religion checks for create undead rituals. You can also perform the ritual without the aid of a secondary caster; in this case, you attempt the secondary check normally performed by that caster.

17th-Level Ancestry Feats

AncestryFeat	Prerequisites	Featureability
Necrotic power	none	Your affinity for negative energy spills outward and grants you a refilling well of necromantic essence. Once per hour, you can cast harm as a 6th-level divine innate spell.
Bone Swarm	none	Frequency once per day You scatter your body and transform into a whirling storm of bones for up to 1 minute or until you spend a single action to return to your normal shape. You become Huge, gain the swarm trait, and gain a fly Speed of 40 feet. As a swarm, you have the following characteristics. • You are immune to the grappled, prone, and restrained conditions. • You have weakness 5 to area and splash damage. • You can occupy the same space as other creatures and must do so to use your damaging ability. • As a 2-action activity, you can deal 10d6 bludgeoning damage to all creatures sharing your space (basic Reflex save with a DC equal to your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher). • You can't speak, Cast Spells, use manipulate actions requiring your hands, Activate magic items, or make any Strikes with your normal body. • You don't gain the swarm mind ability, so you are still affected normally by mental effects. You also retain the benefits of skeleton feats that don't require communication or the use of hands.
Bone Dragon	none	You rerange your bones in the shape of a dragons wings. You gain a fly Speed of 15 feet.
Reborn Healing	none	You've learned how to cure even the most terrible tears and wounds together. You can cast regenerate as a 7th-level arcane innate spell once per day.