Uplifted (3.5e Race)

Uplifted
graha, the uplifted have made contract with their phantasmal allies and play host to them as a new composite creature.]] The graha have possession of a great deal of unusual technology and forbidden knowledge and use this technology in a strange ritual which transforms the body "into an uplifted being" capable of psionic powers and abilities. The graha claim it is benevolence that they offer this transformation to beings, though some may suggest the graha have ulterior motives to their actions.

Personality
An uplifted is a strange thing, as they are the fused minds of a humanoid and a graha personality. In the ritual their minds syncronize and become one, a sort of permenant possession where the lines of who is who blur. As a result one could say the uplifted has a new personality of their own, if clearly based on their parent personalities. Also as a result, an uplifted can possess as many personality traits as their base creatures do.

In general the graha are mysterious and cryptic, interested in ancient ruins and technologies, forbidden secrets, and strange magics. They are generally non-offensive, through they usually have a disconnection to the whims of the rest of the world in face of their dedication to whatever cause they choose to champion. Those that speak with them usually run into a social "uncanny valley". They look and sound humanoid, but there is always something... off.

Physical Description
An uplifted's original body changes during the process of being converted. They resemble their base species but their bodies are completely hairless and smoothed out, their foreheads often larger, and their irises dark and large, sometimes filling the entirety of the visible eye and making their eyes look black and glossy. Their eyes in general are slightly larger than normal, with small noses and mouths, and long thin bodies (either tall or short) for their race. Skin colors vary, though colors tend to be washed out or some shade of green.

An uplifted can continue to move around in their society and possibly pass as a bald member of their original race. There is always something off about them, however.

Uplifted are made, not born. The children of uplifted and members of their original race are rare as uplifted are often infertile, but they are always as a member of their original race. With that said, the children have a far higher than normal incidence of psionic potential than most.

Relations
Because of the rare nature of graha encounters, much less graha encounters where they result in the creation of an uplifted, the uplifted tend to be alone and in solitude. They mix in with their own as they always have, and in the rare case that two should ever meet they often wax on about strange subjects of long dead civilizations and psionic lore.

In general, uplifted simply wish to become unnoticed from others. Attention tends to be negative attention after all.

Alignment
An uplifted can be any alignment, as graha are as varied as humans when it comes to personality, and humans are often used as a base creature as well.

Lands
Uplifted can come from any land with humanoids.

Religion
Uplifted generally do not worship, largely because the graha do not and their focus tends to be on psionic might than divine right.

Language
Uplifted speak the language of their original race, and learn either Abyssal, Celestial, or Infernal from their graha side.

Names
Uplifted keep the names of their original selves, as they are made from other races rather than born naturally.

Racial Traits
Uplifted are a unique race which are partialy a template, much like DragonbornRotD. Details can be found below under The Astral Uplifting.

The Astral Uplifting
The exact nature of the creation of an uplifted is shrouded in mystery, for it involves the ancient machines and mysterious powers of graha technology. When a graha finds a suitable creature it has strong synergy with, it may offer the opportunity to join together permenantly as an uplifted. Graha prefer to uplift creatures which have decent mental abilities but are not already psionic. They prefer using humanoids though it is technically possible on other races, possibly because of incidents where instead of an uplifted, a horrible unspeakable creature is created instead.

The ritual usually involves mysterious alien pods to contain the body, as well as several strange psionically charged crystals. When the rite begins the subject strips naked and enters the pod, which fills with a curious ectoplasm-like ichor which can be breathed safely. The subject falls into a coma, and the ectoplasm hardens into a solid, opaque cocoon which hides the transformation. Breaking the cocoon releases a toxic slurry and kills the creature inside. After a full day the creature is released, and the ectoplasm evaporates away.

The creature must be a being accepted by a graha with an intelligence of at least 3, and the transformation takes 24 hours. It requires 100 gp in strange alchemical agents and various random crystals.

The following information describes how to mechanically achieve the transformation.

Type, Subtype, and Race: You become an aberration, but retain your original subtypes as well as gaining the psionic and xenoblooded subtypes. You count as a member of your original race when beneficial.

Racial Hit Dice: You retain your original racial HD as well as all benefits gained therefrom (such as BAB, saves, and hp).

Ability Modifiers: You retain your original racial ability modifiers and gain the ability modifiers of the uplifted race.

Size: You retain your original size. If your original race had powerful or slight build, this is also retained.

Speed: You retain your original speeds, including any additional movement modes (such as flight). Other racial traits related to speed or movement, such as a dwarf's ability to move in heavy armor, are lost.

Languages: You retain any languages you already know, and learn either Abyssal, Celestial, or Infernal.

Level Adjustment: You retain your original level adjustment.

Other Racial Traits: You lose all other racial traits of your original race, including bonus feats, skill bonuses, attack bonuses, save bonuses, spell-like abilities, and so forth. There are two exceptions: If your original race grants you a non-specific bonus feat (such as the human bonus feat) any feat can be lost as long as it is not a pre-requisite to another feat. If your original race granted bonus skill points, you should deduct an appropriate amount of skill points from your current skill ranks. Where the deduction occurs is up to you.