View source for Hat (3.5e Race)

===Lands===


{{quote|I wanna hear your fire burning loud,<br/>and I wanna see you stand up proud,<br/>as we go were the sunlight is gold and warm...
|orig=Veinsbad, hat bard
}}

Hats have long established themselves a stronghold of civilization in the desert where they make their homes. Among the endless grains of sand and the scorching heat of the sun, hats build great cities of towering glass that shimmer in the rays of golden sunlight. Among the multi-hued towers of glass, hats bustle about below in the sandy streets, going about their lives and conducting business. Near the edges of their cities, they build great walls of stone, held together by molten glass. Well-to-do cities might even pump liquid lava through the wall as it is built to ensure a solid barrier down to the bedrock below the desert floor. 

Hats are experts at controlling the flow of lava. Their mines nearly rely on it. Hat miners burrow down in great columns until they reach the fiery earth below, which channels up, bringing valuable gemstones and molten metals for collecting. These venting vertical mine-shafts can be seen for miles as they occasionally belch ash into the air, much like miniature volcanoes. Hats often tunnel out side chambers of lava to outposts beneath the sands as a form of defensive barrier to be unleashed in emergencies. It also makes attacking a hat city from underground an even more dangerous prospect, as going down a wrong tunnel might unleash a drowning flow of molten rock.

It is even said that hats are so in-tune with their homelands, that they have begun to tune their homelands to themselves. Whatever the case may be, their homes are elementally-aligned to them. The very nature of the magic in the area is just slightly different.

As hats are hardly human-like, the matters at hand in their cities are carried out with a few differences. Their libraries contain scrolls and records written upon gossamer scrolls. Their city murals are painted with finely powdered pigmented minerals mixed with molten glass and glazed onto walls. Hat smiths often use their bodies for smelting furnaces and forges. It would not be uncommon for a hat to drop a large ingot of glass, steel, silver, gold or lead into his mouth to heat it or melt it before working with it. Though, they must resist the temptation to eat such things if they are to turn a profit for their business. Hat farmers tend to firebrats, a sort of elemental insect-like creature that spins one of the silks necessary in crafting gossamer. Firebrats come in a variety of sizes, and the smallest are often kept as pets (or even familiars).

Hat cities are ruled by an Aldmin, a sort of elder king who is chosen by the previous Aldmin from among his High Council (typically a group of 13-37 individuals). The Aldmin, being unendingly ageless, may rule for centuries before he is either killed, retires (possibly returning to the High Council) and passes on his title, or is ousted by the council itself, which then must unanimously pick a successor. Additionally, there is a Low Council that consists of many more members (depending on the population of the city) and is responsible for hearing the voice of the city folk and relaying that to the business of the High Council. Some Low Council members may also function as judges and barristers. Since hats don't really need money unless they desire to own property and possessions, there isn't a ruling class of nobles, and all hats are considered equal class. They consider council positions as "just another job to perform". The Aldmin, though equal, is well known and thus often respected above his peers (if he does a good job).

The Aldmin is responsible for establishing laws and the systems for which they are to be upheld by. His High Council plead their views and may overrule the Aldmin on a unanimous vote. Rarely, an Aldmin may choose to name a successor not of the High Council, though he may not name any non-hat to his position, nor may any non-hat hold any council position as other folk are never considered citizens, despite any residency or service to the city. Hats recognize other folk, but due to their differences, never think of them as equals (at least in terms of civil rights granted by the city).

Cities favor large numbers of hats to safely raise their young and fend off those who once hunted them (that they now trade with). Perhaps it is their long lives and an inability to forgive (and never forget the past), that has caused them to be wary of other folk in modern times.

As for their young, female hats of a child-bearing age mate and and quickly lay stone-like eggs that hatch shortly after birth, within a day or two. The hatching egg immolates, becoming molten and reforming into a young hat. This process is often done near or in pools of lava. If lava is unavailable, a kiln or strong fire suffices. Young born in such away tend to bear smother features, as their bodies readily form before settling into a shape. This is a practice taken in modern times as it assures a more pleasing appearance, which is helpful for interacting with other races who may still fear them in other lands.

While hats are comfortable in arid lands where the sun shines down a warming radiation, hats are uncomfortable in cold lands and of course, most hats avoid water. While water doesn't hurt them, hats in general find it too chilling and off-putting as it is an element foreign to their composition. Their stoney exterior protects their fiery core from being smothered in water.
Author	Ganteka Future +
Effective Character Level	1 +
Favored Class	Any +
Identifier	3.5e Race +
Level Adjustment	0 +
Racial Ability Adjustments	None +
Rating	Undiscussed +
Size	Medium +
Subtype	Earth + and Fire +
Summary	"Be wary of the desert, young one, for it is inhabited by hats." +
Title	Hat +
Type	Elemental +