Gimfen
Amethyst-Gimfen.jpg

No one is sure how the gimfen broke off from the fey. They possess a natural curiosity of the world around them. They have a flare for fine food, good tobacco, and comfortable clothes. Gimfen love dances from every culture but never developed a unique one of their own. They embraced many human dances when relationships blossomed between the two species. Gimfen are one of the most common nonhuman species seen in exclusively human communities.

The curiosity of gimfen eventually spread to technology. They love inventing and they love creating. Fey races stumble into an impasse when encountering human techa machinery, except for the gimfen. While other echan races disrupt technology by simply touching them, the gimfen do not.

The gimfen broke from the damaskan originally. Their desire to pursue technology in an age where machinery often didn't work almost turned into an fixation. They obsessed about discovering a way to allow machinery to operate in a realm of magic. Many eventually turned into masterful technicians, engineers, alchemists, and inventors. They enjoy a natural curiosity about the world but believe it can always be improved upon. Some pursue basic carpentry and metalwork but many push further. What they lack are significant spell casters. Though they exist, gimfen by large, are not as adept with magic in comparison to their chaparran and laudenian ancestors. They offset this deficiency with their consuming curiosity for the mechanical world.

Although many gave up on high technology, others found a happy medium with minor gadgets and tools to improve their life. Many a gimfen's home would be adorned with dozens of inventions never used. The gimfen changed when they returned to Earth. They were one of the first species to contact humans. Many modern gimfen don't resemble the old ancient ones due to the involvement with the "monkeymen."

When gimfen first appeared, the first bastions were barely comprised of a few buildings. They grew slowly. A few under constant attack from monsters needed to develop faster. Such was the case with the eastern Canam city of York, under barrage from evil dragons and pagus. The bastion turned to a nearby growing civilization of gimfen for assistance. They were welcomed into the libraries to learn everything they could about human technology, sciences of the body, machine, and atom. Soon, with the help of the resourceful and inventive gimfen, York grew in size, making itself a less tasty target to predators. This agreement with a race from echa existed purely under the table and the gimfen were not allowed to live within the population nor enter through the main gates. After their usefulness expired, the gimfen were kicked out, leaving only a few behind to solve the extremely complicated problems with the new gimfen machinery. The neighboring gimfen town, Gnimfall, accepted back its pilgrims and the nation flourished. Only the new technologically adept remained in control and in power for centuries. Currently, more than 3 million gimfen dot the planet in various communities. Not all are addicted to technology and a few, like the nation of Salvabrooke, adopted a more laid back, agrarian society.

Personality: Gimfen are curious, inquisitive, and extremely impulsive. They love to see the world and often feel other cultures should be gifted with the odd knowledge gimfen alone possess. Gimfen come close to developing addicting personalities. They are happy to try new things. They will try any dance. They adore trying food from exotic cultures. Their iron fortitude allows them to stomach virtually anything they swallow. Their unending curiosity makes them open to anything. They adore plucked string instruments like the lute and sitar.

Physical Description: Gimfen are the shortest of the major fey races. They feature thin, almost Asian-like eyes of bright green and blue tones. Their hair is often vibrantly colored and their ears taper straight back instead of up. The tips stretch sometimes as much as an inch from the back of their head. Their skin is often lightly colored. Because they love to adopt other cultures, anything goes when it comes to their attire and whatever else they want to do to their bodies. Gimfen enjoy their sense of humor as well as a desire to possess shiny objects. Their connection with nature fell by the wayside in favor of the new knowledge of man they became blessed with. They carry an obsessive fascination with human technology.

Gimfen look as pubescent children through the majority of their lives. This makes many humans uncomfortable when dealing with gimfen adults. They only break from that in their final years, when their age rushes upon them, growing wrinkles and spots, aging decades in days.

Relations: Gimfen still get along with narros, especially the more advanced miners in the Finer Fire Pits whom utilize many new machines developed by gimfen. Their relations with normal elves have been strained since many elves believe gimfen turned away from their roots. The exceptions are the ones from Limshau that respect and admire their allies. Gimfen from Gnimfall hold no ill will to the humans of York and still believe humans blessed them with precious knowledge. As a result, they often welcome humans, especially ones with a new toy.

Alignment: Gimfen are most often good. In this regard, they are still identical to their other kin.

Locations: Gnimfall is subterranean. A few gargantuan towers of steel poke up to signify their presence in the world. These hold few people, reserving their purpose for defense as well as cooling and heating for the city below. The gimfen "Grind" towers are oddities and stand obviously because of mutated technology. They don't look human but stem from a technology derived from mankind. Gnimfall, the largest collection of towers, is itself not an open-air city, but rather hundreds of levels stretching for more than a mile underground. The levels are a mixed lot of housing and factories and processing plants so jumbled and seemingly disorganized that any tourist is sure to get lost without a guide. A new level is dug every five years and is full of rooms and machinery by the sixth. The current levels expand out as well, causing the erection of a new tower every 10 years. Beyond the capital, several other towns and grind towers dot the globe. No all have embraced the way of technology and some prefer to keep a balance between nature and the machine. In contrast, gimfen communities like Salvabrooke feature very little technology.

Religion: Most of gimfen worship "Mecha," which they believe allows them and only them, to operate machinery in the presence of magic. Mecha's symbol of faith lies in the gimfen's tools, which he prays to every morning. Mecha, or Machine god, is responsible for all the devices they make. More traditional gimfen worship Erufu or Attricana.

Language: They speak their own language of gimfen but a resounding majority of them know at least one human language (usually Common or English).

Names: Like the damaskans, gimfen adopt a human first name either at birth or when leaving an all-fey community; but unlike the damaskans, they intentionally use names spelled wrong. They also change them every 100 years. Family lineage means nothing to them. They care less about their history than even damaskans. They change their last names usually to reflect their personality. Because of this constant variation, some outside critics grow concerned with potential gimfen inbreeding. Gimfen respond simply by declaring that they just don't worry about it. Laudenians and tenenbri blame the gimfen flamboyant hair colors on inbreeding. Their names sometimes reflect the cultures they integrate in, adopting narros and or human names. Like damaskans, native gimfen names sound somewhat Asian human in origin. They also often, but not always, use alliterations.

Examples: Xris Jiggadaxion, Kimma Kutaming, Malachi Boomfellow, Maris Nippentuck.

Adventures: All gimfen leave their village at some point in their lives but seldom take root outside. Eventually, they do return to their home. Gimfen leave for a variety of reasons including adventure or the acquisition of treasure or wealth. For them, adventuring is more of a career than an opportunity.

RACIAL TRAITS

  • +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength. Like the narros, gimfen are tough, but they are small and therefore not as strong as larger Humanoids.
  • Small: As Small creatures, gimfen gain a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks, but they must use smaller weapons than humans use, and their lifting and carrying limits are threequarters of those of medium-sized creatures.
  • Low-Light Vision: Gimfen can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish colors and detail under these conditions
  • Builder: A gimfen can pick two of the following skills: Craft (electronic), Craft (mechanical), Craft (Power Armor), Craft (Techan Armor), Craft (vehicles), Craft (Techan Weapons). These skills become class skills and the character gets a +2 bonus on all checks with these skills.
  • Gimfen do not disrupt technology if held like all other echan races.
  • Weapon Proficiency: Gimfen receive the Martial Weapon Proficiency feats for all crossbows.
  • Automatic Languages: English and Gimfen.
  • Gimfen do not possess the increased difficulty of paying for Cross Culture Techa Skills. They can purchase them as regular Cross Class Skills.
  • Favored Class: Rogue. A multiclass gimfen's rogue class does not count when determining whether he takes an experience point penalty.
  • Avoided Class: Barbarian. Gimfen consider the barbarian primitive and seldom chose the class.
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