Balareion (3.5e Race)

Balareion
Summary::Balareions are beings similar to a male medusa, but have much in common with the avian cockatrice instead of serpents. They are believed to have been created through some curse or arcane experiment, but now breed true. They are entirely male, with their female counterparts being known as gorgoneion, and for that reason there has been question on if balareions have more in common with basilisks and cockatrice than the species medusa, for where the gorgoneion could be mistaken for a medusa, the balareion most certainly could not.

Personality
Balareions are beings of persistance and focus, be it good or ill, and often take up a land, a people, or a cause to support and maintain. It may be an attempt to ensure trust with others and for simple pride to endure what others cannot, something they must do often given their frightening and unsettling presence. Unlike the gorgoneions, balareions reign in their emotions and are stoic and stubborn, though such traits do fuel occasional bursts of hotblood and righteous anger. In spite of their monstrous appearance, they are not inherently evil or especially violent. However they are often shunned as monsters and they tend to be hardheaded and unchanging, resulting in cultural clashes. This often results in grudges which are difficult to heal, or xenophobia as they mistrust outsiders.

Physical Description
A balareion looks dramatically different from their gorgoneion kin, being very large, nearly giants, and at the same time often wiry and gaunt. Their heads have crests similar to roosters and their scaled bodies are intermingled with patches of brightly colored feathers. Their legs and arms have talons at the end, and a long lizard tail curls behind them. Their eyes visibly glow with some eldritch energy boiling within, betraying the nature of their potent gaze attacks. Their noses tend to be hawkish and pointed, and small useless wings are sometimes found on their back. They have been compared to more humanoid vrocks. They walk typically with a hunched over gait with slightly digitigrade legs. Their ability to turn other creatures into stone is a strange aspect, one which seems to serve a biological function. If a balareion does not petrify at least the equal mass of 1 medium creature a week, they begin to experience symptoms as if they were petrifying themselves, eventually turning into naught more than a stone statue. Whatever supernatural mechanics operate their stone gaze must need release every so often lest it builds up as a toxin. Fortunately, most any organic mass will do, allowing more ethically minded balareions to petrify plants rather than people. A place where a balareion has taken roost is often a garden (sometimes literally) of stone.

Relations
Due to their monstrous appearance, they often have poor relations with other races. If a balareion does not give into malice and grudges, they can be quite pleasent to be around. They are strong and loyal and protective of those they consider friends, and never give up when defeated. They work best with lawful races, finding accepting humans, loyal dwarves, and dutiful warforged to be their most likely allies. Oddly enough amongst themselves, they tend to be loners. While they gladly work with other balareions when needed, they view as each balareion as being able to take care of themselves, and so show little need to stay around if it needn't be required. They don't even keep much company of gorgoneions, though this is more due to the flighty nature of the gorgoneions. They are best off in a society which they can protect and manage.

Alignment
Their stubborn and serious views tends to lawful alignments.

Lands
The balareions are a species without a land to call their own, too few in number and often buried in their own affairs. They do not wander the land as often as gorgoneions unless they are seeking something. Instead they usually carve out a small area to call their own, which they fiercely protect. It is often in remote or rural areas where their appearance won't draw the attention of others seeking to "slay the vrock", or in the other extreme, cities so packed that a tarrasque could walk down the street and few would blink an eye, taking of locations that none care for. Many end up as adventurers when what they guarded has been taken or destroyed, and so they set out in search for new purpose.

Religion
Unlike the gorgoneions, balareions do have their own religion in the form of the god Colocolo. Not quite a creator deity, the god did "adopt" the race as his own, and it is through him the balareions are "blessed" with the great power which comes from their eyes. It promotes the pride of the balareion people, and aids them in protecting their species. Beyond that, other balareions seek lawful dieties of protection and power.

Language
Balareions speak Common.

Names
Balareion names tend to "Celtic" names and names with with strong vowel endings, such as Nuada, Lugh, Bres, Ogma, and Dalbaeth.

Racial Traits

 * , : While gaunt, balareions are very strong and very large for their size, but they are not as sharp as the average human.
 * (Subtype::Reptilian): Radically different from the female of their species, they are much more monstrous physically and mentally.
 * : As a medium race, balareions have no special penalties or bonuses.
 * Balareion base land speed is 30 feet.
 * Balareions have a two claws as primary natural attacks, dealing 1d4 + their Strength modifier in damage.
 * Balareions are immune to petrification and poison.
 * Death Gaze (Su): The glare of a balareion is more powerful than a gorgoneion, allowing them to not merely turn people to stone via Stone gaze but also blast them with deadly force. They can project a blast of energy out to 30 feet which deals 1d6+1 points of damage per character level, at will.  As they level, the beam takes on additional properties.  At 4 HD, the balareion may cause the beam to cause sickened status on the creature for 1 round with a Will save to negate, DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Charisma.  At 8 HD, the balareion may cause the creature to be staggered instead.  At 12 HD, the duration of the effects rises to 3 rounds.  At 16 HD, a balareion may duplicate the effects of slay living up to their Charisma modifier per day (minimum 1) but a creature may only be affected by the ability once per 24 hours, regardless of succeess of failure.  At 20 HD, the balareion may employ his gaze as a swift action.  Death Gaze visibly manifests, often appearing as red optic blasts of energy.
 * Stone Gaze (Su): With a cold stare, balareions can slowly cause the bodies of their opponents to harden and turn to stone.  As a standard action, a balareion may glare at any target which can see her within 30 feet and cause their movement rate to be cut in half for 3 rounds if they fail a Will save, DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Charisma, save negates.  At 4 HD, the gaze attack has additional effects, causing the victim to take 1d4 Dex penalty.  At 8 HD, this becomes Dex damage.  At 12 HD, the Dex damage rises to 1d6.  At 16 HD, a balareion may duplicate the effects of flesh to stone up to their Charisma modifier per day (minimum 1).  At 20 HD, the balareion may employ his gaze as a sswift action.  If a creature is reduced to 0 Dex by the dexterity damage, they are petrified.
 * Vestigal Wings (Ex): While unsuitable for flight, the small wings of a balareion allow it to ignore up to 10 feet of falling damage per level, and a +8 bonus to Jump checks.
 * Weaselphobic (Ex): For unknown reasons, weasels are immune to the stone gaze effect, and the balareion takes a -1 morale penalty on all attack rolls, skill checks, and saving throws against weasels.
 * Automatic Languages: Common.
 * Bonus Languages: Draconic, Elven, Gnome, Halfling, and Terran.
 * Favored Class:
 * Level Adjustment: +Level Adjustment::0
 * Effective Character Level: Effective Character Level::1