The isle dwellers were once similar to the draconic in the forgotten time before the intensification. Isolated away from the mainland for many years, the powerful brio of the Holy Arbiters granted them an accelerated pace of specialisation, adapting them to their megathermal continent of savannahs and rainforests. With burning fire in their hearts and sleek fur over their skin, they incorporate the wild power of Pramath just as they subjugate the wilds themselves to their technological whims.
The mega-island Pramath, their ancestral home, has slowly become overrun with the churning iron cities of the isle dwellers' invention. Ticking monuments to the power of their advanced culture, they reflect the simultaneous power and eccentricity of their power, demonstrating how fully they've subdued their own environment. Rich in ores and foliage, yet poor in defensibility and with powerful predators, their tools are all their ancestors grew to love - and love them they so very much have.
Inventors of the rewound and of the family guards of the aquan, one might expect the isle dwellers to be proud of their invention; instead, their inventors ever hunger for more, subject to a burning, all-consuming passion that they call the Burning Genius. Respected and feared for their terrifying intellect, the innovative Geniuses of the isle dwellers invent eccentric and magnificent works, turning Pramath into an artistic, gargantuan machine of intricate mechanism.
It was this mechanism which drove many of the isle dwellers from Pramath. Though the island itself has lost most of its hostility, the cities have also lost their hospitality; from overcrowded city centres with quickly depleting resources, the isle dwellers flee to the mainland, visitors in a strange world ready for their shaping. The Empire is falling, they realise, and something or someone needs to take its place.
Personality
Age and Weight
Traits
Size. The ancestors of the isle dwellers are of the same line as the draconic, and while not quite as sturdy, are still considered Medium size.
Racial type. The isle dwellers are furred people who take after animal shapes, and have the humanoid (isle dweller) creature type.
Base speed. Isle dwellers have a steady base speed of 30 feet.
Languages. All isle dwellers begin with the languages Common and Pramath. Isle dwellers with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Aquan, Draconic, Giant, Goblin, Ignan, Orc, Tengu.
Basic Features
+2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom. Although physically flexible and mentally acute, they tend to be narrowly focused on the task at hand.
Special Features
Clever (Ex). Though overly focused in any particular moment, the isle dwellers have a wide variety of interests and gain 1 additional skill point per level.
Heart of Fire (Su). The heart of the isle dwellers burns with a spark of the eternal passion of Arbiter Freedom. They gain an additional 2 Conviction points every day.
Padded Feet (Ex). Isle dwellers reduce the penalty to use Stealth while moving at full speed by 5 and on the Stealth snipe action by 10.
Strong Legs (Ex). Isle dwellers receive a +10 racial bonus to their movement speed in a charge, run, or withdraw.
Warm Breath (Su). Isle dwellers gain a breath weapon usable once per day that deals 2d6 fire damage plus 1d6 per two character levels in a 30' cone (maximum 5d6, Reflex DC 10 + 1/2 character level + Constitution modifier halves). At 6th level, this becomes a 60' cone.
With their breadth of interests and overwhelming belief in the power of invention, the isle dwellers express their racial affiliation in many ways.
Breath of Mettle
Rather than invent or follow, some isle dwellers choose to lead. Even this is flavoured by their steely gaze, however, and the Burning Genius which looks upon the advance guard of their armies knows that they too live to be improved. These isle dwellers have the following modifications:
Ability score modifiers change to +2 Strength, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma.
Isle dwellers of the breath of mettle lose the padded feet, strong legs, and clever racial features.
Isle dwellers of the breath of mettle gain the iron crusader and laden breath racial features, as follows.
Iron Crusader. An isle dweller of the breath of mettle gains a +2 racial bonus on damage rolls with shields, gauntlets, unarmed attacks, and natural weapons, a +2 racial bonus to CMB and CMD, and an additional +2 racial bonus to CMB on sunder attempts.
Laden Breath. An isle dweller of the breath of mettle is empowered by consuming mettle on a weekly basis. Mettle is an invented concoction that does not spoil, with price 2cp for 1 dose or 5sp for 52 doses, available in any city with a presence of isle dwellers of the Burning Genius (including most small cities and larger, and all settlements on Pramath). Failure to consume mettle on time causes 2 points of attribute damage to all mental attributes per week which cannot be recovered until 1 hour after consuming mettle.
Burning Genius
The culture of the isle dwellers is based on industry and innovation. Though most isle dwellers serve industry in a more regimental manner, many isle dwellers suffer the Burning Genius, leading the innovative processes of their world. These isle dwellers have the following modifications:
Ability score modifiers change to +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Constitution.
Isle dwellers of the Burning Genius lose the warm breath racial feature.
Isle dwellers of the Burning Genius gain the Burning Genius racial feature, as follows.
Burning Genius (Su). Twice per day, pick one: Reroll any Appraise, Craft, Knowledge, or Spellcraft check you just failed; or force a single opponent to reroll a saving throw they just succeeded on against a spell you cast; or reroll any Will save you just failed.
The Spark
Some isle dwellers exhibit traits of a different dragon bloodline. Choose electricity or sonic damage; your breath attack granted by warm breath deals this damage type instead of fire damage. If you chose sonic, you roll d4s in place of d6s for damage dealt.