Marai: The Long Dark

Once, the Dwarves of Marai were a unified force within the world whose Empire stretched across two continents. But the arrival of the Orcashir Legion put an end to that, fracturing the Empire in two. After a thousand years, the two races were so dissimilar that an attempt of reunification failed, falling into a horrific civil war. While the two are now at peace, tensions often flare.

When one speaks of the Kanko, they are often in awe of the invention and artistry produced by them. Most of the modern advances in engineering can be witnessed here, as they combine modern arcane philosophy with the tinkering ingenuity of the Pakiri. Ruled by the twelve Gearlords in the stronghold known as Kanko Torus, the dwarves plan and plot ways to improve their lives and ease the burden of the constant mining required for their industry. Umbatar, Elemental Lord of Earth, is the patron of Kanko, though the faith of Kydus has begun to grow as well.

Everything changed for the Dwarves of Kanko during the aftermath of the Long Dark, however. A strange curse was unleashed upon them which caused their bodies to slowly transmute into solid iron, with the exception of the eyes and internal organs. They were, essentially, metallic statues who could only watch as their eyes were pecked by birds, and Harbinger looters hacked at their bodies and destroyed their homes.

The iron curse was eventually counted by the actions of a group of adventurers, but the resulting effect wiped them of anything resembling typical dwarves. Now, they appear more as stocky clockwork men, made of metal and requiring maintenance rather than food. Most have taken to etching patterns on their new forms to denote family and clan, though there is currently no known method of reproduction for those who have survived.

Kanko Racial Traits:

• Living Construct Subtype (Ex):* Kanko are constructs with the living construct subtype. A living construct is a created being given sentience and free will through powerful and complex creation enchantments. Kanko are living constructs who combine aspects of both constructs and living creatures, as detailed below. As a living construct, a Kanko has the following features.
• A Kanko derives its Hit Dice, base attack bonus progression, saving throws, and skill points from the class it selects.
• Unlike other constructs, a Kanko has a Constitution score.
• Unlike other constructs, a Kanko does not have low-light vision or darkvision.
• Unlike other constructs, a Kanko is not immune to mind-affecting spells and abilities.
• Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, disease, nausea, fatigue, exhaustion,effects that cause the sickened condition, and energy drain.
• A Kanko cannot heal lethal damage naturally.
• Unlike other constructs, Kanko are subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, stunning, ability damage, ability drain, death effects, and necromancy effects.
• As living constructs, Kanko can be affected by spells that target living creatures as well as by those that target constructs. Damage dealt to a Kanko can be healed by a cure light wounds spell or a repair light damage spell, for example, and a Kanko is vulnerable to disable construct and harm. However, spells from the healing subschool and supernatural abilities that cure hit point damage or ability damage provide only half their normal effects to a Kanko.
• The unusual physical attributes of Kanko makes them vulnerable to certain spells and effects that normally don’t affect living creatures. A Kanko takes damage from heat metal and chill metal as if he were wearing metal armor. Likewise, a Kanko is affected by repel metal or stone as if he were wearing metal armor. The iron in the body of a Kanko makes him vulnerable to rusting grasp, taking 2d6 points of damage from the spell (Reflex half; save DC 14 + caster’s ability modifier). A Kanko takes the same damage from a rust monster’s touch (Reflex DC 17 half).
• A Kanko responds slightly differently from other living creatures when reduced to 0 hit points. A Kanko with 0 hit points is disabled, as with a living creature. He can take only a single move action or standard action in each round, but strenuous activity does not risk further injury. When his hit points are less than 0 and greater than –10, a Kanko is inert. He is unconscious and helpless, and cannot perform any actions. An inert Kanko does not lose additional hit points unless more damage is dealt to him, however, as with a living creature that has become stable.
• As a living construct, a Kanko can be raised or resurrected.
• A Kanko does not need to eat, sleep, or breathe, but he can still benefit from the effects of consumable spells and magic items such as heroes’ feast and potions.
• Although living constructs do not need to sleep, a Kanko spellcaster must rest for 8 hours before preparing spells.

Ability Scores +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma: Kanko are resilient and powerful, but their strange new appearance often makes it difficult to relate to other creatures.

Size: Medium

Speed: 20 feet. However, they can move at this speed even when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load (unlike other creatures, whose speed is reduced in such situations).

Iron Body: The Iron Body of the Dwarves of Kanko provide a +2 natural armor bonus. Unlike most natural armor, however, the Iron Body provides a 5% arcane spell failure chance, similar to the penalty for wearing light armor. Any class ability that allows a Kanko to ignore the arcane spell failure chance for light armor lets him ignore this penalty as well.

Light Fortification (Ex): When a critical hit or sneak attack is scored on a Kanko, there is a 25% chance that the critical hit or sneak attack is negated and damage is instead rolled normally.

Automatic Languages: Shadree, Dwarven. Bonus Languages: Pakiri

Favored Class: Rogue