IOUN The long-lived Ioun are children of ancient magic, similar in many superficial ways to human or elven creatures, though with key differences. Iouns seek to live in balance with their world and understand it better than most other mortals. Some of this understanding is mystical, but an equal part comes from the Ioun's long lifespans, which in turn gives them long-ranging outlooks. Iouns reside primarily in their great bejeweled cities deep in the deserts.

The Ioun are unique in that they are born of pure magic, as an Ioun reaches the end of their lifespan they sacrifice their core so that it may be reborn into the next Ioun. This process while it severely limits their numbers, grants a form of genetic memory as the Ioun has an imprint of their former life. The core protrudes from their sternum, and is roughly the size of a human fist.

Ioun value their privacy and traditions, and while they are often slow to make friends at both the personal and national levels, once an outsider is accepted as a comrade, the resulting alliances can last for generations. Iouns take great joy in forging alliances with races that share or exceed their long lifetimes, and often work to befriend elves, dragons, and fey. Rarely, do Ioun spend their lives among the short-lived races for fear that greed may lead them to lose their core.

Physical Description: Generally taller than humans, Iouns possess a graceful, slender physique. It is a mistake, however, to consider them weak or feeble, as the thin limbs of an Ioun can contain surprising power. Their eyes are filled with large, vibrantly colored pupils. The coloration of an Iouns eyes and hair is directly linked to their core.

Ioun clothing often plays off the beauty of the environment around them, and is often tailored with an opening for their core.

Society: Many Iouns feel a bond with one another, and tend to gather together in their bejeweled cities. They use their innate magic to create an oasis in which they can thrive in peace. They typically avoid the short-lived races, as many spellcasters have taken to steal Ioun cores for their magical energywhich in turn reduces the Ioun trust of those races significantly.

Iouns have an innate gift for craftsmanship and artistry, especially when working in glass, gemstones, and silk. Most, however, find war and battle to be distasteful, and prefer to avoid forging any type of weapons aside from those used for hunting.

Iouns also have an appreciation for the written word, magic, and painstaking research. Their naturally keen minds and senses, combined with their inborn patience, make them particularly suited to magic. Divine research and accomplishment are seen as both practical goals, in line with being an artisan or architect, and artistic endeavors as great as poetry or sculpture. Within Ioun society, clerics are held in extremely high regard as masters of an art both powerful and aesthetically valued. Other spellcasters are not disdained, but do not gain the praise lavished upon Ioun clerics.

Relations: Ioun are prone to distrusting other races, as they themselves are born with a clear weakness, yet on an individual level, they are excellent judges of character. In many cases an Ioun will come to value a specific member of another race, seeing that individual as deserving and respectable, while still dismissing or distrusting the race as a whole. If called on this behavior, the Ioun often doesn't understand why his "special friend" is upset the Ioun has noticed the friend is "so much better than the rest of his kind." Even Iouns who see such prejudice for what it is must constantly watch themselves to prevent such views from coloring their thinking.

Alignment and Religion: Iouns are emotional and capricious, yet value kindness and beauty. Most Ioun are neutral good, wishing all creatures to be safe and happy, but unwilling to sacrifice personal freedom or choice to accomplish such goals. serving as an example of personal artistry and freedom of expressions, rather than seeking some base physical gratification.

Adventurers: Many Iouns embark on adventures out of a desire to recover lost Ioun cores or just to explore the world outside their gilded cage, or search out lost kingdoms established millennia ago by their ancestors. This need to see a wider world is generally accepted by their societies so long as they are careful or have a Ioun Knight accompany them.

Iouns generally eschew melee because of their relative frailty, preferring instead to engage enemies at range. Most see combat as unpleasant even when needful, and prefer it be done as quickly as possible, preferably without getting close enough to their foes to realize they are Ioun. This preference for making war at a distance, coupled with their natural accuracy and grasp of the arcane, encourages Iouns to pursue classes such as wizards and rangers.

Male Names: Elazul, Ruben, Clarius.

Female Names: Esmeralda, Pearl, Diana.

IOUN RACIAL TRAITS +2 Charisma, +2 Intelligence, 2 Constitution: Iouns are nimble, both in body and mind, but their form is frail. Medium: Iouns are Medium creatures and receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size. Normal Speed: Iouns have a base speed of 30 feet. Ioun Immunities: Iouns are immune to magic sleep effects. Core Senses: Iouns can sense other nearby Iouns within 150ft, as though using the scent ability. Shards of the Past: Ioun are reborn from their cores and as such, have past lives that grant them two particular Knowledge skills. Choose two Knowledge skills. You gain a +2 racial bonus on both of these skills, and those skills are treated as class skills regardless of what class you actually take. Suspicious: Living in a world where they can be killed and harvested just for existing, has forced the Ioun to become a very suspicious race. They receive a +2 racial bonus to Sense Motive checks, as well as a +2 Racial Bonus on saving throws against illusion spells and effects. Weapon Familiarity: Iouns are proficient with longbows (including composite longbows), longswords, rapiers, and shortbows (including composite shortbows), and treat any weapon made with the Crystalline special material as proficient. Languages: Iouns begin play speaking Common, Elvish, and Ioun. Iouns with high Intelligence scores can choose from the following: Celestial, Draconic, Aquan, Auran, Terran, Ignan, and Sylvan.

RACIAL CORE RULES Ioun, by their very nature, are a race imbued with magical cores, each with a wide variety of traits and features. The following rules represent some of those varied aspects, one MUST be chosen. All cores sustain the Ioun allowing them to go without Food and Water. A critical hit against an Ioun may be confirmed a second time, to target the Core specifically.

Cores themselves have 24 AC, 10 HP, and DR 5/sonic, and should they be destroyed or removed the character is instantly petrified.

Pearl Core: A sign amongst the Ioun that marks you as a healer. You innately regenerate 1 HP every 10 minutes. You also gain Mending at will. Required for Tears of the Ioun.

Emerald Core: Possessed by the majority of Ioun Stewards. You gain a +1 competence bonus to attack rolls, saves, skill checks, and ability checks.

Sapphire Core: Characteristic of the Ioun Diplomats. Gain Feat: Persuasive.

Ruby Core: Possessed by the more aggressive Ioun, bestows one combat feat.

Onyx Core: Normally possessed by the Ioun Knights, you have +2 natural armor.

Lapis Core: Iouns with these cores typically find themselves drawn towards protecting other Ioun. It grants +2 Constitution, +1 insight bonus to AC.

Topaz Core: These Ioun tend to be extremely lucky, as such they receive a +1 luck bonus to all saving throws. And gain the ability to re-roll any one roll, once per week.

Amethyst Core: While Clerics are better known amongst the Ioun, Wizards are plentiful as well. Both have a large number of these cores among their ranks. +2 bonus to concentration and spellcraft checks.

Diamond Core: The most ancient of all of the cores, and as such the most sought after by outsiders. You gain DR 5/sonic, blunt. Required for Tears of the Ioun.

Black Pearl Core: Rare among the Ioun, and a sign of misfortune, shunned by other Ioun. The Black Pearl grants you +2 to Strength, -2 Charisma, +1 natural armour, and regenerates 1 HP every 10 minutes.

Favored Class Options The following options are available to all Iouns who have the listed favored class, and unless otherwise stated, the bonus applies each time you select the class reward.

Alchemist: Add one extract formula from the alchemist's list to his formula book. This formula must be at least one level lower than the highest-level formula the alchemist can create.

Bard: Add +1 to the bard's CMD when resisting a disarm or sunder attempt.

Cleric: Select one domain power granted at 1st level that is normally usable a number of times per day equal to 3 + the cleric's Wisdom modifier. The cleric adds +1/2 to the number of uses per day of that domain power.

Fighter: Add +1 to the fighter's CMD when resisting a disarm or sunder attempt.

Inquisitor: Add one spell known from the inquisitor's spell list. This spell must be at least one level below the highest-level spell the inquisitor can cast.

Magus: The magus gains 1/6 of a new magus arcana.

Paladin: You may use your lay on hands to heal Ioun cores; including your own.

Ranger: Choose a weapon from the following list: longbow, longsword, rapier, shortbow, short sword, or any weapon with "Ioun" in its name. Add +1/2 on critical hit confirmation rolls made while using that weapon (maximum bonus of +4). This bonus does not stack with Critical Focus.

Rogue: Add +1/3 bonus to Diplomancy and Bluff.

Sorcerer: Select one bloodline power at 1st level that is normally usable a number of times per day equal to 3 + the sorcerer's Charisma modifier. The sorcerer adds +1/2 to the number of uses per day of that bloodline power.

Summoner: The amount of time the summoner must spend to summon his eidolon is reduced by 1 round, to a minimum of 1 round.

Wizard: Select one arcane school power at 1st level that is normally usable a number of times per day equal to 3 + the wizard's Intelligence modifier. The wizard adds +1/2 to the number of uses per day of that arcane school power.

RACIAL ARCHETYPES The following racial archetypes are available to Ioun.

Ioun Knight (Paladin) While serving as more of a separate Caste of the Ioun people, Knights are among the most common Ioun seen adventuring as they often serve as protectors of other Ioun, and in rarer cases other species. Their ancestral crystalline forms are also closer to the surface.

Corestrike (Su): Once per day per paladin level, an Ioun Knight can draw upon the power of their core. As a swift action, she treats her melee attacks until the beginning of her next turn (whether armed or unarmed) as magical and adamantine, including ignoring hardness up to twice her paladin level, with a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls, as well as on combat maneuver checks. This bonus also applies to her CMD if she or her target is touching the ground or a crystal structure. This bonus increases by +1 at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter. This ability replaces smite evil.

Heartstone (Ex): At 2nd level, an Ioun Knights flesh becomes progressively more crystalline. She gains a +1 natural armor bonus to AC and DR/adamantine equal to 1/2 her paladin level. The natural armor bonus increases by +1 at 6th level, and every four levels thereafter, to a maximum of +5 at 18th level. This ability replaces divine grace.

Gemblood (Ex): At 3rd level, an Ioun Knights vitals begin to crystalize and her blood transforms into liquid silver. She adds her paladin level on checks to stabilize at negative hit points and gains a 25% chance to ignore a critical hit or precision damage. This does not stack with fortification armor or similar effects. At 9th level, this chance increases to 50% and she becomes immune to petrification (unless her core is destroyed or removed). At 15th level, this chance increases to 75% and she

becomes immune to bleed and blood drain effects. This ability replaces divine health and her mercies gained at 3rd, 9th, and 15th level.

Defensive Stance (Ex): At 4th level, an Ioun Knight gains the defensive stance ability, as a stalwart defender (Advanced Player's Guide 277), and may select one defensive power at 8th level and every four levels thereafter. Levels of stalwart defender stack with her paladin levels when determining the total number of rounds that she can maintain her defensive stance per day. An Ioun Knight does not gain any spells or spellcasting abilities, does not have a caster level, and cannot use spell trigger or spell completion magic items.

Earth Channel (Su): At 4th level, an Ioun Knight gains Elemental Channel (earth) as a bonus feat, which she may activate by spending two uses of her lay on hands ability, using her paladin level as her effective cleric level. This ability replaces channel positive energy.

Stone Servant (Su): At 5th level, an Ioun Knight may call a Small earth elemental to her side, as a paladin calls her mount. This earth elemental is Lawful Good in alignment and possesses the celestial template, and it increases in size as the Ioun Knight gains levels, becoming Medium at 8th level, Large at 11th level, Huge at 14th level, Greater at 17th level, and Elder at 20th level. This ability replaces divine bond.

Aura of Healing (Su): At 11th level, an Ioun Knight can expend one use of her channel positive energy ability to emit a 30-foot aura of healing for a number of rounds equal to her paladin level. Allies in this aura (including the Ioun Knight) automatically stabilize if below 0 hit points and are immune to bleed damage. In addition, allies (including the paladin) that spend at least 1 full round inside the aura are healed an amount of damage equal to their total number of Hit Dice and may make a saving throw against any afflictions they are suffering from, such as a curse, disease, or poison. This saving throw only counts toward curing the affliction and does not impose any penalty on a failed save. Allies can only be healed once by a use of this ability and they can only attempt additional saving throws once per day, even if they are exposed to this aura multiple times. This ability replaces aura of justice.

Phase Strike (Su): At 12th level, an Ioun Knight's corestrike may pass through crystal, stone, and metal as if they weren't there. By spending 2 uses of her corestrike ability, she may ignore any cover less than total cover provided by crystal, stone, or metal, and she ignores any AC bonus from crystal, stone, or metal armor or shields as if wielding a brilliant energy weapon. A phase strike cannot damage constructs, objects, or creatures with the earth subtype, but unlike a brilliant energy weapon, it can harm undead. This ability replaces her 12th-level mercy.

Mobile Defense (Ex): At 18th level, an Ioun Knight can make one 5-foot step per round while maintaining her defensive stance. This ability replaces her 18th-level mercy.

Crystalline Body (Ex): At 20th level, an Ioun Knight's body transforms into living crystal. She no longer needs to eat, drink, breathe, or sleep, and she becomes immune to paralysis, poison, and stunning. She is also no longer subject to critical hits or precision-based damage. In additional, as a free action once every 1d4 rounds, she can maneuver to enhance her resistance to magic for 1 round. During this time, they reflect spells as if under the effect of a spell turning spell. This ability replaces holy champion.

Ioun Equipment Iouns have access to the following special materials.

Crystalline Using precious stones to line the edge of bladed weapons, crystalline weapons are capable of slicing through the toughest of hides. A weapon edged in crystal ignores half of the armor bonus granted by armor (rounded up). Against magical armor, this applies only to the armor, but not the enhancement bonus of the armor. This also applies to shields.

Weapons: Light and one-handed melee weapons, as well as two-handed weapons that deal slashing or piercing damage only, can be crafted from Crystalline. Hafted two-handed weapons such as spears can be crafted with Crystalline tips, as can arrowheads. Other two-handed weapons cannot be constructed of Crystalline.

Crystalline weapons have half the hardness of their base weapons and have the fragile weapon quality. They are all considered to by Masterwork Weapons.

Brooch Guard A piece of Crystalline Armor, which resembles a brooch, placed over your core. It offers an additional DR 5/Sonic against attacks directed at your core.

Ioun Feats Iouns have access to the following feats.

HARMONIOUS CORE You share a strong mystic connection with other Iouns.

Prerequisite: Ioun.

Benefit: In addition to your Core Senses ability, you may also communicate telepathically with any Ioun Cores within range.

IOUN DEFENSIVE TRAINING (COMBAT) You have been specially trained to defend against attacks directed towards your core.

Prerequisites: Ioun.

Benefit: Your training has made you overly aware of your vulnerabilities. You may add your intelligence bonus to your dodge against attacks directly targeting your core.

IOUN BATTLE TRAINING (COMBAT) You have been specially trained to wield a variety of traditional Ioun weapons.

Prerequisites: Ioun Defensive Training, Base attack bonus +1, Ioun.

Benefit: You have received special training with traditional Ioun weapons (longbows, composite longbows, longswords, rapiers, shortbows, composite shortbows, and any weapon with the word "Ioun" in its name). You receive a +2 bonus to your CMD against disarm and sunder maneuvers directed at one of these weapons you are wielding. In addition, if you are wielding one of these melee weapons, you may make an additional attack of opportunity each round (this bonus stacks with Combat Reflexes).

TEARS OF THE IOUN Your mystic connection with one type of wilderness has grown even stronger.

Prerequisites: Past Life, Pearl or Diamond Core, Ioun.

Benefit: Your tears may act as either a potion of greater restoration or potion of cure serious wounds, both using your Caster Level. You can generate enough tears for one potion, once every 3 days. Each time you use this, you suffer a -2 Charisma penalty for 1d4 days.