#khizar

When folks think of sapient species living on Castrovel, they probably think Lashunta or Formian, with a handful more thinking of the insular elves. However, they are not the only sapient beings living on the jungle world.

Indeed, deep in the jungles of Castrovel dwells a race of humanoid plants that have dwelled for a long time on the remote continent of Ukulam, evolving from carrion-eating plants that developed the ability to seek out new cadavers and food sources, slowly becoming fully-fledged sapient and civilized beings, which eventually reached out to the rest of civilized life on Castrovel, and have reached the stars, most notably colonizing many of the ice wells of the neighboring planet Aballon.

Curiously, in the rules of the game, khizar count as plant-like humanoids, rather than as plants, even though other plant creatures would become playable races later on. This can be chocked up to general early-development nervousness about giving full plant immunities to a playable race. Future races would either follow suit or allow them to be plants but strip them of most of those immunities.

In any case, the khizar resemble viney humanoids with two arms and legs, as well as an extra set of vine tendrils protruding from their backs which are mostly vestigial, able to support the actual arms, but not handle items on their own. Most prominent, however, is their “head”, which is not a head at all, but rather a seedpod, most closely resembling Earth’s “Chinese-Lantern” or Bladder Cherry seedpod during winter when it loses most of the skin leaving a lattice of veins, with a large round fruit or seed in the center. This seedpod glows from within, communicating the khizar’s emotional state, which is ironic because the khizar are blind, sensing the world through vibration and the ability to sense life. (Perhaps this shifting glow evolved to signal to pollinators in the distant past?)

Deeply individual, the so-called lanternfolk are eager to wander far afield in search of new experiences, and among their own kind do not compete for anything other than food sources. However, they have a deep appreciation for the balance of nature, and will fight viciously to defend it from being despoiled, something that has guaranteed a large membership in the Xenowardens.

Without any real interest in an economy as a species, as well as the protected nature of their continent of origin, khizar are mostly ignored on the galactic stage, but they are eager to learn and understand other peoples, finding fascination on the perspectives of other living things.

 Khizar are durable and open to new things, but their bodies are not the most agile.

No matter what their creature type is in the rules, they do photosynthesize, and can even provide oxygen to other species in situations where that is relevant.

The blurred lines between plant and animal with the khizar does mean they are still vulnerable to effects that target either, but their plant physiology does grant them appropriate resistances. Their photosynthesis allows them to go longer without direct nutrient intake too.

Like many other species on Castrovel, the lanternfolk are capable of limited telepathy, communicating with those that can understand them.

That detail is important, as the khizar are otherwise mute, as well as blind, only able to perceive their surroundings through sensing vibrations and a supernatural life-sight, as well as a sense of taste in their hands.

Their telepathy can also communicate with other plant creatures that have some measure of intelligence, and gives them insight into the wants and needs of the biosphere around them, as well as how to survive in it.

 Khizar seek to understand, so naturally they make good intuitive biohackers and mystics. Their eagerness to explore and learn makes them a natural pick for the envoy class as well. Khizar may have difficulty using and understanding advanced technology without adapting it to their senses, making mechanics and technomancers less common, but not impossible. Their high constitution makes them well suited for nanocytes and vanguards, as well as tanky soldiers and solarians. However, their dexterity penalty makes operatives and ranged builds somewhat difficult. Witchwarpers perhaps represent the most extreme instance of the species’ exploratory nature, as not only do they wish to understand the universe as it is, but also how it might be. In any case, lanternfolk can be the basis for deeply curious explorers that are quite different from most of their compatriots, while also having motivations rooted in ecological preservation.

Kereku is a khizar (green plant-folk with glowing, multi-colored seedpod heads) mystic with the star shaman connection and the solar disciple theme, so I imagine her colors would be green, yellow, and perhaps red.

Kereku, like all plant life, has an intrinsic connection to sunlight, and has a deep fascination with the stars, however, they tend to view celestial phenomena the same way that others may view the outer planes of existence, invisible from the material world, but subtly affecting it.

The reason for that association being that they, like all of their race, have no eyes, relying on vibration and the ability to sense living things nearby.

This biological short-sightedness doesn’t bother Kereku though, and it makes them all the more eager to experience what aspects of the stars and nebulae that they can, bathing in the light of far-away stars, feeling the soil of planets and moons, and so on.

---