Source Interstellar Species pg. 104
Quorlus are a quadrupedal species with three arms. Their limbs are long and flexible, as are their three eyestalks. Quorlus' silicon-based flesh is pliable, rough, and extremely warm. A rocky shell protects their body but not as much as the species' internal heat and elemental nature. Quorlus are newcomers on the galactic scene, but their culture leads them to be gregarious and curious as well as peace-loving and accepting of change. Since using Drift travel to leave their world, quorlus have become well known as explorers, prospectors, engineers, and performers; many other sapient creatures find quorlu singing enjoyable.
Ability Modifiers +2 Con, +2 Cha, –2 Dex
Hit Points 6Size and TypeQuorlus are Medium monstrous humanoids.
EndothermicA quorlu has resistance 5 to fire that stacks with one other source of fire resistance.
LithicQuorlus gain a +2 racial bonus to saving throws against bleed, disease, and poison effects, and they can’t benefit from drugs, medicinals, or similar nonmagical substances. In addition, quorlus don’t breathe or suffer the normal environmental effects of being in a vacuum.
Multiarmed (3)The creature has the number of arms listed. This allows it to wield and hold up to that many hands’ worth of weapons and equipment. While this increases the number of items it can have at the ready, it doesn’t increase the number of attacks it can make during combat.
PonderousQuorlus have a land speed of 25 feet.
StableA quorlu gains a +4 racial bonus to AC against combat maneuvers to bull rush, reposition, or trip.
Quorlu SensesQuorlus have darkvision with a range of 60 feet and lowlight vision.
Susceptible to ColdWhen a quorlu takes cold damage, it becomes fatigued for 1 round. This effect doesn’t cause a fatigued quorlu to become exhausted.
TunnelerA quorlu can dig through soil at a rate of 5 feet per minute. A quorlu can use this ability combined with its internal heat to dig through stone at a rate of 1 foot per minute. When it digs, a quorlu can leave a tunnel behind.
UnflankableFlanking the creature does not grant any bonuses, and abilities that function only against a creature that is flanked do not function against it.About the QuorluPhysical DescriptionQuorlus evolved on a planet of restless geology with a thin and toxic atmosphere. They're compact and roughly ovoid beings, only slightly taller at 4-1/2 feet than they are wide. This body belies their mass, which can approach 400 pounds. The bulk of their bodies is a roundish central mass from which 10 appendages radiate. Quorlus use four of these tentacular limbs for mobility and three for manipulation. Three others near the top of the body end in gemlike orbs, the color of any agate but commonly red-orange to gold, that quorlus use for vision. Limbs other than the eyestalks taper to a blunt tip. Quorlus can shape and divide this point into articulating digits, which act much like human fingers. They can have several digits on any limb, but only the three central limbs are dexterous enough for fine manipulation, while “toes” on their lower limbs help with stability. The malleability of these limbs makes it easier for quorlus to fit into gear intended for other species.
Quorlus, however, are unlike many other beings. Their silicon-based physiology makes them akin to living rocks, explaining their mass. Their skin—which they use to hear, smell, taste, and touch—is made up of crystalline elements, and the harder rear shell is similar to a crust of cooled magma. Quorlus' shell and skin can be a variety of colors and textures, depending on environmental influences, especially the minerals they consume for sustenance. Most resemble igneous rocks. One quorlu might show the featureless grays and blacks of basalt, while another has the speckled characteristic of gabbro, and yet another has the crystalline aspect of granite.
Internally, quorlu physiology is more uniform with predictably placed internal structures. This internal structure requires raw material in the form of minerals quorlus consume as food, but it requires no air. Intense cold slows these hot internal reactions, which burn up toxins and non-magical medicinals alike. Plasma within quorlu bodies supports, nourishes, and protects crystal structures analogous to vital organs in carbon-based life-forms; it also contains molecule chains similar to the DNA of carbon-based creatures. Quorlus have no clear biological sex. They reproduce by sharing plasma, each would-be parent extruding nodules that develop into young quorlus.
Home WorldQuorlus' home planet, Quorlosh, is a rocky, terrestrial world in the Vast. Quorlosh is the second planet (of six) from the system's star, a white star larger than the Pact Worlds sun called Quyna. Quyna's habitable zone for common galactic species begins just beyond Quorlosh's orbit; its proximity to their sun makes the surface too hot for liquid water. This scorching crust is only one of the hostilities that quorlus have endured for millennia. Quorlosh has a thin atmosphere composed mostly of volcanic gases spewed from the planet's interior. The world spins rapidly, and its tectonics and volcanism can be violent. Magma forms the rivers and seas on this planet. Quorlosh is inhospitable to many forms of life and deadly to the most common expressions of carbon-based biology.
Quorlus evolved in Quorlosh's subterranean reaches, migrating with the ebb and flow of the world's tenuous habitability. Although the planet supports non-sapient, silicon-based life, quorlus are the only sapient species, and they don't rely on other living creatures for food. Where minerals are rich, quorlus can survive and thrive.
Few quorlu settlements are entirely permanent and historically endured for no more than a few centuries. Magic, modern engineering, and advanced materials have enabled quorlus to build newer, more stable areas on Quorlosh. Their largest city is the underground metropolis of Zrielta, served by the Zrielta Station spaceport in geosynchronous orbit. Accommodations for non-quorlu sapient creatures are easiest to come by on the station, but the city has facilities for breathing species as well. Quorlus in Zrielta take pride in the array of cultural experiences the city offers, from historical archives to modern artistic displays and musical performances.
From Zrielta, air or magical transport are the primary means for travel to other parts of the planet, but other locations on Quorlosh aren't as welcoming to visitors. Quorlus are no less hospitable in other settlements, but such places tend to offer fewer accommodations for non-quorlus. Only a few spots of natural wonder—from the Pole Plumes, volcanic geysers that spew hot subterranean water into the sky, to Vrolata, an active supervolcano and tallest point on the planet—have amenities for tourists.
Society and AlignmentQuorlus have adapted to Quorlosh's harsh nature with a society that embraces impermanence. Philosophically, quorlus place little emphasis on material wealth or ancestral lands that other cultures value. Instead, quorlus esteem peace, emotional connection, creativity, pleasure, and resilience. They take a practical view toward misfortune and disaster. Destruction calls for rescue, reassessment, and—if possible and sensible—restoration.
Buildings and other installations are pragmatic, built to endure upheaval and plain in design, while portable and magical decoration is fancier and changes often. Quorlus like to explore possibilities and make work and play uplifting experiences. They value relationships and experiential but temporary forms of expression; their monuments and great works of art tend to be stories and songs passed from generation to generation.
Sharing these aspects of being is important to quorlus, so communal groups called kindreds make up quorlu society. Kindreds form based on mutual values and, to a lesser extent, professional skills. A quorlu is born into a kindred, but they foster numerous others. Juvenile quorlus explore these relationships to find the right kindred, a home for the soul. Kindred affiliation can be as transient as a particular quorlu desires. Quorlus cherish personal growth and acknowledge that such development can create the need for new surroundings and relations. A quorlu might stay with a kindred all their life, or they might join numerous chosen families over the years. Quorlus rejoice at another's choices for change, rather than having hard feelings, since these changes can foster new, positive relationships among individuals and kindreds that couldn't have existed before.
Quorlus' high valuation of connection and seeking common ground makes them great explorers and diplomats. They also seek belonging, always searching for would-be kindred mates among other peoples. Although it's rare for non-quorlus to join quorlu kindreds, it's common for quorlus outside their society to form kindred-like ties. However, quorlus give their private ideals high priority and are unlikely to remain in relationships that force them to compromise their beliefs too often.
When it comes to personal expression, quorlus are open, curious, and communal while simultaneously elevating individual inclinations. Quorlus often decorate their portable possessions as well as their bodies, tailoring their diet of minerals, crystals, and salts to gain an excess of a substance to use for bodily expression. They can also extrude minerals to change their skin and shell color over a long period of time. They love music, holographic or illusory art, and other artistic experiences, especially fleeting ones. Growing Up Quorlu Quorlus reproduce and rear children communally. Quorlus who wish to give birth mingle their internal plasma with kindred mates and other beloved quorlus to create egg-like nodules that contain the silicon genetic material from several quorlus. Exact parentage is irrelevant in quorlu culture, but quorlus still note heritage for historic and medical reasons. Kindreds have communal nurseries, where caretakers watch over nodules until they hatch, after which kindred members take in the infant for rearing. Quorlu children Ancestral Spirits Spirituality among quorlus focuses on ancestral spirits, some of which resemble known deities elsewhere in the galaxy, and reincarnation. Sudden death and loss were common in developing quorlu society. Belief in transmigration of the soul from life to life developed from there, as did a belief that a soul can transcend the mortal plane, becoming one with the principles the deceased quorlu personified. Quorlus revere spirits of friendship, peace, justice, magical and earthly mystery, history, fate, adaptation, evolution, and rebirth. Among quorlus, spirits of these virtues have numerous names. Living quorlus, especially mystics, can be elevated to saintlike positions for embodying such ideals, thought of as reincarnations of virtuous ancestors.
Modern quorlus recognize the gods as further embodiments of quorlu spiritualism. Quorlu mystics and spiritualists sometimes connect deities to their ancestor reverence, finding common ground with religious figures in other cultures. Divinities quorlus recognize most often include Eloritu, Hylax, Oras, Pharasma, and Yaraesa. Despite the violent phenomena on Quorlosh, quorlus don't link the planet with any evil deities. They see their planet as a fickle and elemental force, neither good nor evil. Quorlosh gives and takes without conscience or volition. It's worthy of respect but isn't a spiritual influence. Good Vibrations For a people who lack any fixed orifices and don't breathe, quorlus have remarkable “voices.” They eat and excrete through openings they create as needed in their skin. Using similar methods, quorlus create sounds with multiple sound-release vents and vibrations in their internal organs and skin. They speak and sing this way, creating pleasant tonal vibrations. Quorlus who invest time in training to use their voices can become incredible singers, negotiators, or both. A quorlu chorale can be a transporting experience, moving the body, mind, and spirit. Iterative Society Quorlus learned long ago to adapt quickly. Their scientific and magical practices have been refined in the same crucible as their society—the harshness of Quorlosh. A pragmatic streak in quorlu culture derives from survival needs, but their desire for joy gives life to artistic expression. Traditions endure among quorlus only if they present a benefit in an environment of rapid change or foment pleasure. Quick to discard anything that doesn't serve such purposes, quorlus readily try new solutions for difficult-to-solve problems. Quorlus are also frank, honest, and willing to admit they're wrong, especially when sticking to a falsehood is dangerous. Their magic and technology emphasize all these ideals. Entry into galactic society hasn't tempered this cultural trait, but has opened a world of possibilities for what's practical and enjoyable. An example of innovation due to leaving Quorlosh is quorlu heat-amp gauntlets, the most common of which are nearly useless against quorlu targets but work fine in combat against many other species.
Quorlu MagicThe existence of myriad possibilities, fates, and realities is a touchstone of quorlu culture. Quorlu magic has long included the manipulation of reality with the idea that it isn't fixed. Everything is change. Magic is merely a manifestation of this principle, and beings can create even unlikely change with the application of practiced will.
Traditional quorlu mystics channel ancestral spirits, sing change into existence, and oversee the cycle of life and death. Common connections include akashic, empath, healer, melophile, shaper, and trailblazer. Quorlus have a natural talent for the flamewalker connection, although few pursue this talent on Quorlosh.
Quorlus are too pragmatic to fret about any philosophical space between magic and technology. The idea of magic as a tool alongside science appeals to quorlu sensibilities. Technomancers among quorlus tame the forces of creation to bend or defy the laws of science. When magic or tech can't handle a problem alone, blending the two comes naturally to them.
The belief that reality and possibility are malleable also comes easily to quorlus. Quorlu witchwarpers change what is to what could or should be, to what it needs to be. Many witchwarpers focus on using magic to hinder and harm foes, but quorlus are more likely to bend reality to protect and help their allies.
This belief in possibility encompasses the concept of time and its malleability; quorlus see time as an unfixed agent of change.
NamesQuorlu names start as short phrases that distinguish a child. As a quorlu grows, more syllables join the initial string. These sounds hint at a quorlu's habits and deeds. The sounds that make up a quorlu's true name, as with the quorlu language, can be impossible for some species to replicate without aid.
Among only quorlus, names signify identity in complex ways determined by personal preferences and individual conduct. Quorlus favor using names or shortened versions of names in place of pronouns, and their language has only two third-person pronouns—one singular and one plural.
A quorlu also has several nicknames. These monikers are often specific terms of endearment or shortened versions of a quorlu's true name. Since quorlu names can be long and impossible for other species to say, a quorlu often gives a shortened, Commonized version of their name or a favorite nickname to other species (as in the samples below). Sample Names Asada, Boomer, Dulcet, Gunif, Kaden, Laugher, Lork, Minni, Punam, Schmu, Tranquil, Vivar, Zaqui.
Vital StatsAverage Height 4-5 ft.
Average Weight 300-400 lbs.
Age of Maturity 22 years
Maximum Age 150+3d20 years
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