The obsidimen are something of an enigma to the other Namegivers of Barsaive - sexless creatures of living stone, born from "Liferocks", stone features that contain living spirits of earth rather than from the wombs of other obsidimen. The obsidimen feel similar puzzlement at the situations of other races, and they constantly explore the world in the hopes of adding more knowledge of it to the collective pool of obsidimen knowledge.
Obsidimen appear to be made of stone, and indeed, their flesh is tough and unyielding. But it is flesh, and can be bruised, cut, and bleed just like other races (albeit with more difficulty). Their stony skin is colored like rocks, with a variety of patterns that resemble mineral veins or patches of precious gems. Obsidimen from the same Liferock resemble each other and the Liferock itself. They are tall and broad, standing more than 7 feet tall, typically; despite this height, from a distance or without perspective, their extreme breadth makes them seem almost squat. They usually weigh over 900 lbs. Obsidimen are almost hairless, and their ears are completely internal, covered by a thin layer of skin.
The personalities of obsidimen are a strange combination of boundless curiosity about the world, and an unwillingness to rush into any situation without first considering all the implications and possibilities. They are always seeking to learn something new, always hunting some new secret of nature or the society of other Namegivers. But they never leap into things, always taking the time to decide what the best course of action is, and what its ultimate purpose and results will be. This combination makes obsidimen poor diplomats - they are often pushy in asking members of other races about various facets of their lives, and their concern and irritation at what they perceive as other Namegivers' "hastiness" usually shows through. Still, if others can overlook these traits, obsidimen make good friends and companions.
The obsidimen's culture and society revolves around their Liferocks, the elementally-imbued stones that they emerge from, and ultimately wish to return to. Obsidimen go out into the world to learn more about it, but they always try to return to the Liferock to share what they have learned with the spirit of the stone and their brethern. An obsidiman will go to great lengths to protect their Liferock or the other obsidimen who come from it, who form their "Brotherhood", the nearest thing they have to a biological family.
50 points.
Attribute Modifiers: ST +6 (Size Modifier +1, -10%) [54]; DX -1 [-20]; HT +1 [10].
Secondary Characteristic Modifiers: HP +3 [6]; Per -1 [-5]; Basic Speed -1.00 [-20].
Advantages: Damage Resistance 3 (Can't Wear Armor (Accessibility: Only "non-living" armor, -50%), -20%; Tough Skin, -40%) [6]; Extended Lifespan 2 (X4 to aging thresholds) [4]; Metabolism Control 10 (Hibernation, -60%)*; Reduced Consumption 2 [4]; Subsonic Speech [10]
Perks: Special Rapport, only with other obsidimen in Dreaming [1].
Disadvantages: Compulsive Contemplation (12 or less) [-5]†; Curious (12 or less) [-5]; Sense of Duty (Liferock and Liferock brethern) [-5].
Quirks: Bulky Frame [-1]; Cannot Float [-1]; Dull [-1]; Obsession: Return to Liferock periodically [-1]; Poor high-frequency hearing [-1]‡.
Features: SM +1.
*Trigger for hibernation is spending 1d weeks near their own Liferock, or the passage of 1d years anywhere.
†Compulsive Contemplation: Before you undertake any new course of action that might affect your life, you must take at least some time to think about it. Make a self-control roll, and if you fail, you must think before you act. The contemplation time required depends on how significant the action is, and is always equal to your margin of failure on the control roll: minutes if the decision is fairly minor (deciding on a new place to eat or choice of tailor), hours if the decision is important (where your next journey will be to, whether to trust a newly-met potential ally), or days if the decision is truly life-changing (choosing which city you will make your new home in, deciding to adopt a new Discipline). If circumstances force you to rush into a course of action without time to think about it, you function as if you had Bad Temper, at the same self-control roll as your Compulsive Contemplation, until you have time to sit down and do the required thought.
‡: Poor high-frequency hearing gives -1 to Hearing rolls when there is significant background noise or many people talking, and even in quiet environments to hear the sounds of small animals, squeaky equipment, etc.
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