Natureborn (3.5e Race)

Natureborn
Summary::If dragonborn are beings reborn in the image of a dragon, then the natureborn are born in the image of the spirit of nature itself. Through a mysterious ritual a creature transforms into a being of elemental and floral power.

Personality
Natureborn must be dedicated to nature, and so many come off much like druids (if they aren't already druids). For the most part they being themselves neutrality in all its states, from comforting to careless, amoral to generous, dangerous to a source of health and security. However they go about it, natureborn rarely fit in with urban society. They are beings of the wild.

Physical Description
Like dragonborn, natureborn are not a breeding species. They are reborn from pre-existing races and take the appearance and mannerisms from their base race. Instead of scales and claws, the natureborn replaces their flesh and bone with aspects of nature. Their skin is like soil, their scales like stone, their hair becomes grass and leaves, and their blood becomes sap. A blend of animal, plant, and minerals of the earth, the natureborn seem familiar and yet are strange and mythical beings. Depending on where the natureborn is reborn, they may take on specific environmental aspects such as sandstone from being born of the desert, or seaweed hair from being born of the sea.

Relations
The natureborn get along with any who respect nature, and so their relations vary. Industrial cultures often clash, and quiet cultures are embraced. Most often they find themselves at odds with dwarves and humans and synchronize well with elves and halflings, but it ultimately varies.

Alignment
Natureborn usually have at least one neutral aspect to their alignment.

Lands
Natureborn are born in and live in "the wild" in all its aspects. Indeed, natureborn cannot be created in urban environments at all.

Religion
Natureborn worship nature deities or nature itself. Many are druids or rangers.

Language
Natureborn speak their base race's languages, and learn Sylven as part of becoming a natureborn.

Names
Natureborn retain the names of their base race.

Racial Traits
Natureborn, like Dragonborn, is a sort-of template sort-of race. While it is presented as a race, it is applied similar to a template to a pre-existing race which replaces most of the original race traits.

Egg of Nature Ritual
The Egg of Nature Ritual transforms a character into a dedicated servant of the natural world known as natureborn.

Becoming a natureborn isn't undertaken lightly. It is a long process full of self-reflection and commitment. Those supplicants raised in the ways of their original race must carefully consider what they're giving up. While a human might be content to give up her natural versatility, it's rare for someone heavily invested in her racial identity to forfeit that race's abilities.

When the rite begins, the supplicant lays aside all her equipment and possessions for the duration of the ceremony. Without any trappings of civilization, they spend a full day and night fasting and meditating upon their choice. Their mind fills with all the things they are giving up, reminding them they must forgo much of herself to become a natureborn.

When dawn comes, the prospective natureborn settles onto the ground upon a bedding of blessed leaves or other debis (see Cost), summoning the flora and fauna of the terrain to them. Insects, animals, and plants crawl over them carrying bits of the surrounding terrain appropriate for the area: sand in a desert, leaves in a forest, stone in the mountains. They form an egg-shaped cocoon sealed together with strange threads of ectoplasm that seem to grow from the particulate material as they are shaped. The natureborn falls into a deep slumber for the last time in their original form. When the next dawn arrives, she is transformed into a natureborn. After awakening inside the egg, they break out as a child of nature.

Prerequisites: In order to be accepted as a suitable candidate, the supplicant must have at least one neutral aspect and have an Intelligence score of at least 3.

Benefit: A natureborn loses many of her original racial traits and gains the racial traits of the natureborn race (see above).

You retain your type, subtype, and still count as a member of your original race. You retain any racial hit die and LA, and ability modifiers. You retain your base speed and any movement modes, but lose aspects which augment your speeds such as the dwarven ability to move in heavy armor. You retain your original size and languages, and gain Sylven as a language.

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. If you lose a feat or skill points, you are able to choose where you lose them and re-select as appropriate.

Time: The Rite of Rebirth requires 24 hours of meditation and fasting followed by 24 hours of sleep. If the ceremony is interrupted, the prospective child of nature must start the rite from the beginning.

Cost: The symbolic bedding crafted by the prospective natureborn costs 100 gp to create, and requires a handful of seeds from local plants.