Sarcesians are natural spacefarers who glide through the void of space on butterfly wings of pure cosmic energy and light.
Sarcesians are the inheritors of the Diaspora—descendants of the inhabitants of two long-destroyed home worlds, whose shattered remains now form the Sarcesian Void-Belt. At once proud of their history and keen to embrace a brighter future, Sarcesians are patient survivors who embrace individualism and the joys of exploration while maintaining deep connections to their communities and homes. Motivated by a natural love of travel, Sarcesians often train as pilots and navigators; rare is the Sarcesian who isn’t comfortable in the cockpit. Despite their positive outlooks and easygoing natures, some harbor an innate suspicion of inhabitants of the neighboring Grave-World of Necros, for it was an ancient Necrosian attack that destroyed their ancestral home worlds in ages long past.
Sarcesians can survive in space by suspending their respiration and shielding their bodies from the dangers of the void. They manifest a pair of butterfly-like wings made of pure cosmic energy that function as Mana-sails. The sight of a Sarcesian in flight is magnificent, and the first Kashadab and Ysoki miners who met them described encounters with “void angels”. Throughout their lives, Sarcesians learn control over the energies surrounding them—particularly Mana-energy of cosmic origin. Many Sarcesians manifest magical powers, manipulate stellar currents, or produce golden light.
If you want to play a character who is a free-spirited spacefarer, you should play a Sarcesian.
YOU MIGHT...
Feel a deep connection to home, regardless of how often you pay it a visit.
Make friends easily but avoid positions of power or rigid authority.
Enjoy stargazing and appreciate the serenity and vastness of space.
OTHERS PROBABLY...
Assume you can survive in space indefinitely and question why your wings aren’t always visible.
Consider you irresponsible or flighty due to your free-spirited nature.
Appreciate your positive outlook and easygoing attitude, finding you easy to get along with.
Physical Description
Sarcesians have adapted over the ages to live in low gravity and thin air, becoming nimble but frail. Extremely tall and slender, Sarcesians stand between 10 and 15 feet tall and have spindly, elongated limbs and delicate frames. Most are flexible and capable of fitting into surprisingly small spaces. They are hairless, with gray skin, pointed ears, and large, luminous eyes. They have keen vision and hearing, but are accustomed to traveling in silence for long periods. They are expressive communicators, punctuating speech with exaggerated facial expressions and hand and body movements. It’s common for Sarcesians to learn the signed versions of any languages they speak to further facilitate silent communication.
Sarcesians manifest glorious energy wings and suspend their respiration to endure jaunts in space. While Sarcesians have no fashion-based taboos, they tend to wear form-fitting attire that covers most of their bodies—a practical choice for those who frequently switch between low gravity and zero gravity environments. As their skin is rarely on display, Sarcesians rarely get tattoos or other cosmetic dermal modifications save for those on the face and pate. Most are fond of dramatic makeup. World-bound Sarcesians and those who live far from the Diaspora tend to be more audacious and less practical in their attire, following their individual whims whenever their environment is less restrictive.
Society
Sarcesians are a peaceful, libertarian people who dislike formal laws. They maintain a precarious balance between freedom and anarchy, pushing back against authority and societal expectations that infringe upon their personal freedoms and choices, but accepting more subtle and distant boundaries with little complaint. They’re averse to imposing their own beliefs on others—even their fellow Sarcesians. In fact, most prefer to avoid taking on leadership roles and other positions of power altogether. They’re more likely to flee a problem than they are to rebel or lobby for reform. While they don’t understand the need for order and conformity (most Sarcesians find it suffocating), they don’t begrudge those who enjoy it, nor do they strive to overturn it.
Sarcesians are free-spirited; they do what they want when they want to and believe that everyone deserves to do the same. But this individualism doesn’t always equate to spontaneity or unpredictability. Sarcesians are reliable, and many take comfort in routine so long as it’s a personal choice and not imposed upon them.
Sarcesians value family and community, cherishing their friends as much as their own flesh and blood. There is no typical or expected Sarcesian coupling—rather, each Sarcesian follows their own heart, treating every relationship as its own unique experience. Family units and marriages are rare. Most children are raised on a crèche world by trained crèche-minders—caretakers and educators deeply respected for their patience, diligence, and talents. Despite this hands-off parenting, most develop positive, lifelong relationships with their families.
The majority of Sarcesians live in the Diaspora or visit frequently. They maintain the shattered remains of their ancestral worlds as their home but don’t prevent others from entering or settling within it. Typically, they care for their own corners of the asteroid belt and allow others to do as they please so long as they don’t infringe upon the personal liberties of any Sarcesians or Sarcesian settlements. When threatened, they quickly band together to ferociously defend from attack or outside control. Sarcesians do not allow Necrosians (from the Grave-World of Necros) to stake claims within the Diaspora, nor do they allow Necrosian ships to gather nearby.
Sarcesian culture places greater emphasis on Mana and cosmic energies over conventional science, and most Sarcesian technology is a hybrid of both rather than relying solely on technological methodologies and components. Sarcesians maintain numerous crèche worlds—asteroids magically terraformed and carefully maintained by ancient arcane engines or Mana-conduits. These crèche worlds are beautiful, often idyllic locations featuring fields, forests, hills, lakes, and small bucolic towns where Sarcesians live comfortably and raise their offspring. The largest of these crèche worlds is Sejada, which also serves as the capital of Sarcesian society. There, in large town hall meetings, any Sarcesian can vote on presented referenda or lobby for their own referenda to be presented. These meetings are held irregularly, often with little to no notice.
Sarcesians have also built underwater dome cities on Nisis, an aquatic planetoid covered in a thick casing of ice. These inverted dome cities cling to the underside of the planet’s ice crust and are technologically regulated, ensuring the presence of comfortable temperatures and atmospheres inside the settlements. The largest of these cities are Ahilira, Merhja, and Vaando. As Nisis is home to many aquatic predators, the citizens of the dome cities keep a watchful eye on the surrounding waters and must always be ready to evacuate their homes in favor of strongholds on the planet’s frigid surface. Thankfully, such evacuations are exceedingly rare, as the Sarcesian submarine fleets are powerful enough to drive off most sea beasts and other aquatic threats.
To many Sarcesians, the lifeblood of the Diaspora is the Cosmic Current, and it holds a special place in their cultural zeitgeist and ancestral traditions. Once a literal river, the waters of the Cosmic Current darkened and then dried up completely over the past few decades, leaving behind a golden Mana-stream. While this initially caused great worry among the Sarcesian communities that relied on the Cosmic Current for fresh water or trade, most Sarcesians felt an intrinsic connection to the Mana-stream blossoming deep in their souls as it stabilized. Many Sarcesians believe that this Mana-stream was the original form of the Cosmic Current, and that this reversion is a good omen, or at least a sign of dramatic positive change. Regardless of the time-shrouded past, it’s impossible for Sarcesians to doubt the utility of the Cosmic Current—a Sarcesian who enters the current is propelled along its radiant energies at incredible speeds.
Until recently, the Diaspora was classified as a Starfall Alliance protectorate, with Sarcesian diplomats considered non-voting members of the Starfall Council. In recent cycles, the Diaspora was granted full Starfall Alliance status, and Sarcesians were appointed official governors of the region. The slipshod Sarcesian government has been charged with rooting out criminal activity and combating piracy throughout the Diaspora, as well as with imposing the laws of the Starfall Alliance on their homes and that of their neighbors. It’s a dismal prospect for the average Sarcesian and an unwanted responsibility many consider worth shirking. In light of the loose authority of Sejada’s “diplomats,” Sarcesian “rule” is a threat without teeth. Yet as news spreads through the Diaspora that the Sarcesians have become a “threat” and “symbol of order,” individual Sarcesians are placed in danger. Ironically, this fear of Sarcesian interference is the most likely way to cause Sarcesian interference—as Free Captains launch raids and strikes against Sarcesians and Sarcesian settlements, Sarcesians are more likely to band together to defend their holdings, sparking unity among the countless people who’d rather leave the Diaspora the way it’s always been.
Beyond the Diaspora, Sarcesians tend to integrate themselves into surrounding civilizations, conforming to the laws and societal expectations they want to adopt and ignoring the rest. Thus, Sarcesians tend to be viewed as trendsetters, rebels, mavericks, influencers, or criminals, even though they rarely intend to bring about change or act out. Thanks to their patience and keen vision, Sarcesians have a reputation for being expert marksmen and snipers, and those who choose to follow this path find plentiful opportunities.
Sarcesian naming conventions are incredibly varied, running the gamut in length, composition, and sound. Rather than select names that are inherited, socially established, or chosen for their meaning, Sarcesians select names that sound good or feel pleasing to say aloud. Sarcesians don’t select names to fit in with the surrounding cultures or societies they find themselves visiting or living among, making their names best known for standing out.
Sample Names: Alzarin, Auvirre, Centuria, Dezarin, Elgeni, Favienn, Fayetta, Melisar, Mengian, Mirai, Nacoile, Nefain, Novarri, Nykiti, Risiria, Sesiss, Visavra, Vox, Yex, Zunar, Zwarna, Zyym.
Beliefs
Sarcesians are free-spirited libertarians who value their personal independence but don’t feel the need to enforce their opinions on others. They value their families and communities even if they rarely engage with them, and they make friends quickly. Sarcesians tend to value honesty and dedication, but not to their detriment—a Sarcesian rarely lets concepts like honor or the opinions of others drive them into making a poor decision or doing anything they don’t want to do.
Sarcesians as individuals tend to embrace whatever cosmic entities or philosophies catch their interests. As a people, Sarcesians are drawn to cosmic forces that embrace travel and independence—particularly Weydan (reflavored as a cosmic force of freedom and exploration). Thanks to their innate connection to outer space and the void beyond as well as to a history of Mana-based innovation, cosmic entities like Ibra (cosmic cycles), Eloritu (cosmic knowledge), and even the Devourer (entropy and cosmic change) are popular among them.
Popular Edicts: Embrace your interests, travel the stars, protect the people and communities you care about.
Popular Anathema: Impose your opinions on others, bow to authority, conform to expectations and ideals you disagree with.
Sarcesian Adventurers
Sarcesians love travel, and most explore their system or even the galaxy in their lifetimes. Sarcesians typically grow up on a crèche world away from their parents, and as they approach maturity, they learn to glide along the Cosmic Current. When they come of age, many Sarcesians ride the current for a time before settling down—if they ever do!
Heart of Worlds Lost
Many Sarcesians grow up hearing stories about their long-destroyed ancestral home worlds, remembered today only in legends, shattered rock, and the hearts of their people. The oldest crèche worlds in the Diaspora are powered by repaired salvage from the former planets or built around ancient vessels once used to escape the catastrophe.
Sarcesian Mechanics
Sarcesians are a Humanoid, Sarcesian ancestry.
Hit Points: 8
Size: Large
Speed: 25 feet
Attribute Boosts: Dexterity, Charisma, and one Free Attribute Boost.
Attribute Flaw: Strength.
Languages: Common, Sarcesian, Sarcesian (signed). Additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if positive). Choose from the list of common languages and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region).
Traits:
Energy Wings: When in a vacuum, you can manifest butterfly-like wings of pure cosmic energy that function as Mana-sails and enable you to fly through the void of space. You gain the Manifest Energy Wings action.
Manifest Energy Wings [one-action] Requirements You are in a vacuum; Effect You manifest your energy wings, gaining a fly Speed equal to your land Speed plus 10 feet. These wings allow you to fly through a vacuum. Your energy wings remain manifested for as long as you are in a vacuum, or until you choose to disperse them as a single action.
Suspended Respiration: You’re capable of surviving for a limited time in the void of space, suspending your respiration and shielding your body from its dangerous environmental effects. Whenever you enter a vacuum, you temporarily gain the cosmic trait. You have this trait for as long as you remain in a vacuum, up to a maximum of 1 hour. Creatures with the cosmic trait don’t need to breathe while in space or a vacuum and are immune to the harmful environmental effects of being in space.
Sarcesian Heritages
Sarcesians exhibit a variety of heritages. Choose one of the following Sarcesian heritages at 1st level.
Void-Belt Sarcesian (Asteroid Hopper Sarcesian adaptation): Whether flitting between asteroids in the Diaspora or repairing the outer hull of a starship, you spend a lot of time in the void of space and have pushed yourself to stay exposed just a little longer every time you head out. You can maintain suspended respiration up to a maximum of 4 hours at a time, rather than 1 hour at a time.
Compact Sarcesian: You’re incredibly flexible and can fold your gangly limbs up and around yourself like a contortionist, enabling you to maneuver in small and awkward spaces. You can fit through tight spaces as though you were a Medium creature.
Crèche-Raised Sarcesian: You were raised on an idyllic crèche world and lived closely with dozens of other Sarcesian children. You learned how to get along with others and stand out in a crowd early on. You are trained in Diplomacy. If you would automatically become trained in Diplomacy (from your background or class, for example), you instead become trained in a skill of your choice. You gain the Group Impression skill feat (Starfall Galaxy Core Rulebook).
Sharp-Eyed Sarcesian: Your overlarge eyes have adapted to function well in poor lighting conditions. You gain darkvision.
Cosmic Sarcesian (Stellar Sarcesian adaptation): You have an intrinsic connection to the cosmos and can channel these stellar forces into magic. Choose one cantrip that has at least one of the following traits: dark, light, vital, or void. You can cast this cantrip as an arcane innate spell at will. A cantrip is heightened to a spell rank equal to half your level rounded up.
Sarcesian Ancestry Feats
At 1st level, you gain one ancestry feat, and you gain an additional ancestry feat every 4 levels thereafter (at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels). As a Sarcesian, you select from among the following ancestry feats.
1st Level Feats
Avid Traveler Feat 1 (Sarcesian): You spend more time gallivanting across the galaxy than you do at home. You become trained in Society. If you would automatically become trained in Society (from your background or class, for example), you instead become trained in a skill of your choice. You also gain the Multilingual skill feat (Starfall Galaxy Core Rulebook).
Born to Fly Feat 1 (Sarcesian): You find flying exhilarating and live to perform impressive aerial maneuvers. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Acrobatics checks to Maneuver in Flight and on Piloting checks to Drive a vehicle or starship. When you roll a critical failure on an Acrobatics check to Maneuver in Flight, you get a failure instead.
Cosmic Flare (Coronal Flare) Feat 1 (Sarcesian): Ambient cosmic energy manifests in your attacks. You gain a cosmic strike unarmed attack that requires a free hand to use unless you have manifested energy wings. This is an agile, finesse, unarmed attack in the flame weapon group that deals 1d6 fire damage.
Current Rider Feat 1 (Sarcesian): You ride air currents, electromagnetic waves, and cosmic energy like a parachute. You take no damage from falling regardless of the distance you fall.
Embrace the Mana (Embrace the Magic) Feat 1 (Sarcesian): You understand that the galaxy is a wondrous place full of arcane mysteries and strange Mana-phenomena. You can cast the detect magic cantrip as an arcane innate spell at will. A cantrip is heightened to a spell rank equal to half your level rounded up. In addition, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to skill checks to Identify Magic.
Heart of Worlds Lost Feat 1 (Sarcesian): You grew up hearing stories about your long-destroyed ancestral home worlds, remembered today only in legends, shattered rock, and the hearts of their people. You gain the Additional Lore general feat for Lore skills related to your ancestral worlds and the Diaspora (GM's discretion).
Impressive Lungs Feat 1 (Sarcesian): You have excellent lung capacity. You gain the Breath Control general feat. You do not need to breathe for up to 10 minutes after leaving a vacuum.
Luminous Wings Feat 1 (Light, Sarcesian): Your energy wings shed bright light in a 20-foot radius (and dim light to the next 20 feet). You can extinguish or rekindle this light using a single action, which has the concentrate trait.
Sarcesian Lore Feat 1 (Sarcesian): You’ve taken the lessons of your people to heart. You gain the trained proficiency rank in Arcana and Piloting. If you would automatically become trained in one of those skills (from your background or class, for example), you instead become trained in a skill of your choice. You also gain the Additional Lore general feat for Sarcesian Lore.
Sarcesian Weapon Familiarity Feat 1 (Sarcesian): You’re accustomed to fighting from afar—really far! You gain access to weapons in the sniper group and all uncommon weapons with the sarcesian trait (e.g., void-rifles, energy whips). You have familiarity with weapons in the sniper group and all weapons with the sarcesian trait—for the purposes of proficiency, you treat any of these that are martial weapons as simple weapons, and any that are advanced weapons as martial weapons. At 5th level, whenever you get a critical hit with one of these weapons, you get its critical specialization effect.
Necrosian Scholar (Undead Scholar) Feat 1 (Sarcesian): Your people’s long history of clashing with Necros has made you wary. You become trained in Religion. If you were already trained in Religion, you become trained in another skill of your choice. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to checks to Recall Knowledge about undead creatures or creatures from Necros.
Void Sight Feat 1 (Sarcesian): Prerequisites Sharp-Eyed Sarcesian heritage. You’re accustomed to living or working in utter darkness, and your eyes have adjusted to the gloom. You gain greater darkvision.
5th Level Feats
Atmospheric Flight [one-action] Feat 5 (Sarcesian): Frequency once per day. You can manifest your energy wings while within an atmosphere for a short time. Your energy wings manifest, granting you a fly Speed equal to your land Speed plus 10 feet for 10 minutes. You can end this duration early as a single action.
Dazzling Diversion [two-actions] Feat 5 (Light, Magical, Sarcesian): Frequency once per minute. You concentrate ambient energy into a burst of light. Using the flash as cover, you use the Stealth skill to Hide, and then you Sneak up to twice.
Energy Shielding Feat 5 (Sarcesian): While traversing the Diaspora, you’ve witnessed countless Mana-anomalies and survived to tell the tale. This persistent exposure to Mana-energy has rubbed off on you, leaving traces of energy behind that shield your body from harmful energy. Select one of the following types of energy damage: acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic. You gain resistance 5 to that damage type. Special You can select this feat multiple times. Each time you do, select a different energy type.
Kindle Blaze [reaction] Feat 5 (Arcane, Fire, Magical, Sarcesian): Trigger You take fire damage. Be they cosmic rays or blazing Mana-flames, light and heat are a part of you. For 1 minute, you glow from within, shedding bright light in a 30-foot radius (and dim light to the next 30 feet). While you glow in this way, your body is flush with warmth—you treat environmental cold effects as if they were one step less extreme (incredible cold becomes extreme, extreme cold becomes severe, and so on). You also gain a +1 circumstance bonus to saves against attacks, spells, and other effects that have the cold trait.
Large Reach Feat 5 (Sarcesian): Prerequisites size Large or larger. Using your large size, you can extend your reach to attack targets that are farther away. When you wield a melee weapon that requires two hands and doesn’t have reach, you can change between a typical two-handed grip and an extended two-handed stretch using an Interact action. Weapons wielded in your extended stretch gain a reach of 10 feet.
Student of the Unseen Feat 5 (Sarcesian): You study the subtle, intangible forces that can be found in every particle and mote of Mana in the universe around you. During your daily preparations, you can meditate on these spiritual and celestial mysteries and gain the Additional Lore skill feat in any Lore skill subcategory of your choice. This feat (and your proficiency in the Lore skill granted by it) lasts until you make your daily preparations again. Since both the feat and proficiency are temporary, you can’t use them to satisfy a prerequisite for a skill increase or permanent character option (like a feat).
Surprising Escape [reaction] Feat 5 (Sarcesian): Prerequisites Compact Sarcesian heritage. Trigger You become grabbed, immobilized, or restrained. Your extreme flexibility and deceptively compact frame make it easy for you to escape a variety of confines, and your quick reaction time means you can do so in a flash! You attempt to Escape.
Ultimate Spacefarer Feat 5 (Sarcesian): Prerequisites Void-Belt Sarcesian heritage. You’re capable of surviving in the void of the Starfall Galaxy indefinitely. While you maintain suspended respiration, you are immune to inhaled threats. Additionally, as long as you use suspended respiration, you don’t need to eat or drink. Once per day as a free action, you can suspend respiration in atmosphere with these benefits for 1 minute.
Necrosian Slayer (Undead Slayer) Feat 5 (Sarcesian): Prerequisites Necrosian Scholar. You leverage your extensive knowledge of undead and Necros-born during combat. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to damage with weapons and unarmed attacks against undead creatures or creatures from Necros. If your attack would deal more than one weapon die of damage, the bonus is equal to the number of weapon dice or unarmed attack dice. Furthermore, when you succeed or critically succeed at a check to Recall Knowledge against an undead creature or creature from Necros that you can see, you identify a weak spot in their defenses—for 1 minute, you gain access to the critical specialization effects of all weapons and unarmed attacks for attacks you make against that specific creature.
Willful Defiance [one-action] Feat 5 (Fortune, Sarcesian): Frequency once per day. You loudly proclaim your opposition to a single creature you’re aware of within 60 feet. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Armor Class and saving throws against the selected creature’s attacks, spells, and other effects for 1 minute. During that time, if you would fail or critically fail a saving throw against the selected creature, you can choose to reroll the failed save. If you do, after rerolling, Willful Defiance ends.
9th Level Feats
Advanced Atmospheric Flight Feat 9 (Sarcesian): Prerequisites Atmospheric Flight. You’ve become more adept at using your energy wings within an atmosphere. Atmospheric Flight no longer has a frequency and can be used as often as desired. When you use Atmospheric Flight, your wings remain manifested until you spend a single action to purposefully dismiss them.
Amplify Radiance Feat 9 (Sarcesian): You’re an abundant source of electromagnetic radiation, which naturally amplifies the radiance of lights around you. Light sources in your possession (including those carried, cast on you, worn, or otherwise a part of you) are more luminous—double the area illuminated by these light sources. If a light source you possess would deal damage or cause a harmful effect based on its area, the area of those additional effects are not increased by Amplify Radiance. Additionally, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to counteract checks made to counteract darkness.
Cosmic Caster Feat 9 (Sarcesian): You have the ability to convert ambient cosmic Mana and stellar energy into pure magical light. You gain wisp ally as a 1st-rank arcane innate spell and gain floating flame and revealing light as 2nd-rank arcane innate spells. You can cast each of these spells as arcane innate spells once per day.
Energy Deflection [reaction] Feat 9 (Sarcesian): Prerequisites Energy Shielding. Trigger You are the target of a ranged attack that would deal at least one type of damage you selected with Energy Shielding. Requirements You’re aware of the attack and are not off-guard against it. You leverage the magical energy clinging to your body to counter similar harmful attacks. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to AC against the triggering attack.
Range Sniper Feat 9 (Sarcesian): You’ve trained to engage your foes from afar and leverage your keen vision to improve your accuracy. You reduce the penalty for attacking beyond your first range increment by 1, to a minimum of 0. If you’re in a vacuum, you instead reduce the penalty for attacking beyond your first range increment by 2, to a minimum of 0. In addition, you gain the Line Up the Shot action.
Line Up the Shot [one-action] Requirements You are wielding a ranged weapon; Effect You take your time to line up the perfect shot with a required weapon, unharried by your surroundings. Until the end of your turn or your next attack (whichever comes first), double the range of the required weapon you’re wielding.
Manifold Masters Feat 9 (Sarcesian): Prerequisites Student of the Unseen. You’ve broadened your senses and are better able to comprehend the unseen answers all around you. When you use Student of the Unseen during your daily preparations, you gain Additional Lore twice.
13th Level Feats
Accelerated Step Feat 13 (Sarcesian): You can absorb the cosmic and Mana radiation in your surroundings, transforming it into kinetic energy that propels your body faster. Your Speeds increase by 5 feet. In addition, you gain the Light Speed action.
Light Speed [one-action] (light, teleportation) Frequency once per 10 minutes; Requirements You are not fatigued; Effect You dash across the battlefield at the speed of light, far too fast for others to perceive. You teleport yourself (and any items you’re wearing and holding) to an unoccupied space you can see within 240 feet.
Blazing Corona Feat 13 (Sarcesian): Prerequisites Cosmic Flare. Your ability to manipulate cosmic Mana has improved. You can manifest your wings to use Cosmic Flare without any hands at any time, even if you are not in a vacuum. In addition, your Cosmic Flare gains the Thrown 40 feet trait.
Defiant Liberation Feat 13 (Sarcesian): You can leverage your instinctive magical abilities to liberate the body and mind. You gain clear mind and unfettered movement as 4th-rank arcane innate spells. You can cast each of these spells as arcane innate spells once per day.
Energy Consumption Feat 13 (Sarcesian): Prerequisites Energy Deflection. Your body has adapted to consume the excess energy it uses to shield itself, allowing it to neutralize other forms of energy that could harm it. When you use your Energy Deflection reaction, if the attack was a failure or critical failure, you gain temporary Hit Points equal to your level; you also gain the Energy Shielding feat (selecting a different type of energy). These temporary Hit Points and the Energy Shielding feat last 1 minute.
Ride the Cosmic Current (Ride the River Between) [two-actions] Feat 13 (Arcane, Light, Sarcesian): Frequency once per day. Reaching across space, you connect with the Cosmic Current and seize a fragment of its Mana-stream, inundating the battlefield in golden light and cosmic energy. This trickle of the Cosmic Current fills a 100-foot line that is 10 feet in diameter, starts from your square, and remains for 1 minute. Once the current forms, you can move to any square within the current (this movement does not trigger reactions). The area is bright light and counts as a vacuum for the purposes of a Sarcesian using their energy wings. Non-Sarcesians in the area when you use Ride the Cosmic Current, or who later enter the area, must succeed at a Fortitude save or become dazzled for 1 round (1 minute on a critical failure). Creatures affected by this ability are temporarily immune for 24 hours. The DC of this save is equal to the higher of your spell DC or class DC.
17th Level Feats
Harness Cosmic Forces Feat 17 (Sarcesian): You’re among the most powerful of Sarcesians and can harness the cosmic forces of the universe to create incredible stellar phenomena. Select one of the following spells, which you can cast once per day as a 7th-rank arcane innate spell: eclipse burst or sunburst.
Return to the Current (Return to the River) Feat 17 (Sarcesian): You have a soul-deep connection to the Cosmic Current. When you’re in mortal peril, the Cosmic Current beckons you home and into its embrace. When you would die, you don’t. Instead, you are encased in a cocoon of golden cosmic energy and disappear, teleporting across the galaxy to the Cosmic Current. 2d6 days later, this chrysalis hatches, and you emerge fully healed in a random location along the Cosmic Current in the Diaspora.
Travel-Tongue Feat 17 (Sarcesian): Prerequisites Avid Traveler. Somewhere along your travels, picking up new languages became as easy as breathing—some of your colleagues even suspect you might be blessed by the cosmic force of Weydan! You can speak, read, and understand any language.
Uncanny Comprehension [one-action] Feat 17 (Sarcesian): Frequency once per 10 minutes. Prerequisites Student of the Unseen. You take in your surroundings, instantly opening your mind up to the answers hidden all around you and the clues their presence has left behind. You instantly use up to three Recall Knowledge actions. If you have any special abilities or free actions that would normally be triggered when you Recall Knowledge, you can’t use them for these actions. The first time one of these attempts to Recall Knowledge uses a Lore skill you selected with Additional Lore, you roll the associated Recall Knowledge check twice and use the higher result. That Recall Knowledge check gains the fortune trait.
Here are a few adventure hooks designed to appeal to a Sarcesian Player Character, leveraging their unique void-winged nature, connection to the Diaspora, and free-spirited yet loyal disposition within the Starfall Galaxy:
Adventure Hooks for Sarcesian Player Characters
The Silent Siege of Sejada:
Hook: The crèche world of Sejada, the capital of Sarcesian society, has fallen eerily silent. No communications are getting through, and the Mana-conduits that power its idyllic environment are flickering erratically. The Starfall Alliance, hesitant to provoke a sensitive Sarcesian community, quietly seeks a trusted Sarcesian PC. They suspect a covert operation by a Mega-Corporation attempting to seize control of Sejada's unique Mana-tech, or perhaps a Shadar cult seeking to corrupt its serene energy. The mission: infiltrate Sejada, uncover the cause of the silence, and liberate the crèche-minders and children without causing irreparable damage to the delicate Mana-ecosystem or the Sarcesian way of life.
Sarcesian Appeal: This hook directly challenges their deep connection to home and their anti-authority stance. The PC would be driven by fierce loyalty to their community and the children raised on the crèche world. Crèche-Raised Sarcesian heritage would provide unique insights, Atmospheric Flight and Luminous Wings would be vital for navigating the darkened world, and Sarcesian Weapon Familiarity (especially sniper weapons) would be useful for discreet engagement.
The Cosmic Current's Erratic Flow:
Hook: The Cosmic Current, the golden Mana-stream that is the lifeblood of the Diaspora, has begun to behave erratically. Its currents are shifting unpredictably, causing starships to be lost or flung far off course, and Mana-anomalies are manifesting along its path. Ancient Sarcesian prophecies speak of such disruptions preceding a great cosmic shift or the awakening of a primordial Rift-Entity. A concerned Triosan "Corrector," seeking to stabilize cosmic flows, or a Kashrishi empath, sensing a growing psychic dissonance within the Current, seeks the Sarcesian PC. The mission: venture into the heart of the erratic Cosmic Current (Ride the Cosmic Current), identify the source of the disruption (perhaps a trapped Shimmering or a rogue Automaton attempting to siphon its energy), and restore its stable flow.
Sarcesian Appeal: This hook directly engages their profound connection to the Cosmic Current and its Mana. The PC would be motivated by a desire to protect their people's vital lifeline and understand a fundamental cosmic phenomenon. Ride the Cosmic Current is central to the challenge, Cosmic Sarcesian heritage would enhance their Mana-affinity, and Uncanny Comprehension could help decipher the Current's "language."
The Necrosian Relic Hunt:
Hook: An ancient, powerful Necrosian artifact, believed to be capable of corrupting Mana-sources and reanimating the dead, has been discovered on a desolate moon near the Sarcesian Void-Belt. A desperate Bone-Echo (who fears the artifact's power) or a Shadar (who seeks to contain its shadow-weaving influence) approaches the Sarcesian PC. They warn that a faction of Necrosians from the Grave-World of Necros are already moving to claim it, threatening to expand their influence into the Diaspora. The mission: race against the Necrosians to secure the artifact, prevent its misuse, and protect the Diaspora from further corruption, potentially forcing the PC to confront their ancestral distrust of Necrosians.
Sarcesian Appeal: This hook directly taps into the Sarcesian's historical conflict with Necros and their fierce protectiveness of the Diaspora. The PC would be driven by a sense of duty and vengeance. Necrosian Scholar and Necrosian Slayer feats would be highly relevant, Void-Belt Sarcesian heritage would aid in navigating the asteroid field, and Sarcesian Weapon Familiarity (sniping) would be effective against undead foes.
The Void-Angel's Secret:
Hook: While exploring an uncharted Rift-zone in the Frontier, the Sarcesian PC encounters a reclusive community of Spark-Kin who revere a mysterious "void-angel" – a seemingly benevolent, winged entity that provides them with Mana and protection. However, the "angel" is slowly draining the Spark-Kin's life force, and its presence is subtly causing temporal distortions and attracting dangerous Rift-Entities. A curious trickster, who senses a hidden deception, or a Spark Droid who recognizes the signs of emergent AI gone awry, seeks the PC's help. They believe the "void-angel" is a corrupted Sarcesian ancestor or a powerful Rift-Entity mimicking Sarcesian form. The mission: approach the "void-angel," uncover its true nature, and find a way to free the Spark-Kin without destroying the entity, perhaps even learning a new form of Harness Cosmic Forces.
Sarcesian Appeal: This hook plays on the "void angel" perception of Sarcesians and their connection to Mana and the Rift. The PC would be motivated by curiosity about their own kind and the desire to prevent harm. Embrace the Mana and Cosmic Flare could be used to interact with the entity, Travel-Tongue for communicating with the Spark-Kin, and Harness Cosmic Forces offers a powerful, climactic ability to resolve the situation.
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