Ellemi`Tialrie, the Painted Warrior

The Ellemi`Tialrie is a member of the church of Eilistraee who follows pursuits other than those of the priestess. Generations ago, a male noble of the house K'Bael was sent on a journey inspired by a vision of the matron mother of that time. Her name was Suuliene,and she had found the wonder of worship in the Drow goddess Eilistraee. The lone noble spent many years wandering lost in the underdark before stumbling onto a portal that lead to long forgotten temples in the mountains of Myraletch, where he discovered the secrets of tattoo magic buried away and forgotten. He spent decades studying these lost scrolls and saw its potential as a secret weapon against the darkness of the worshipers of the evil drow gods. Armed with this new knowledge he made his way back home. He spent more years learning the intricacies of the tattoo magic, and finding ways to combine it with the unarmed martial discipline he'd been taught in his youth - The style of combat which had been preferred by the men of house K'Bael since its inception. Soon he was able to meld the two arts into one, and began to select and train others of his house, and the house gained the weapon which would be key to its survival through the trials of the coming years, as well as the Goddess gaining a new force of goodness to counter the growing evil of the other drow.

Ellemi`Tialrie or Painted Men as these warriors are often called, are the recipients of many magic tattoos. Elves, although genetically similar to Thrall, can receive and use magic tattoos. However, the process is far more painful, and can cause other problems. Few elves willingly subject themselves to this debilitating magic. For this reason the Ellemi`Tialrie is taken from their parents at a young age, and given the magic tattoos while they are young and more apt to heal quickly though it is stall a very painful process. They are then trained in the use of the tattoos over a number of years , as well as recieve intense physical, combat and espionage training. These warriors are hidden from other Drow and the secret of Tattoo Magic is closely guarded and known only to specific family members. Only 25% of the Ellemi`Tialrie are female. When females are selected, the most physically powerful are selected due to the taxing nature of the tattoos.

As stated, the process of receiving the tattoo is extremely painful and can cause psychological and physical damage. Children and teenagers are the most resilient and suffer the least (half the usual damage). The Ellemi`Tialrie, are trained from an early age to accept the pain as a warrior and actually learn a sort of meditation process that puts them into a trance that deadens the pain.

Each simple weapon and animal tattoo inflicts 2D6 S.D.C./H.P. damage and causes a throbbing numbness around the tattoo. The recipient suffers from a terrible headache, loses one melee action and is -1 to strike, parry and dodge for 1D4 days. The Ellemi`Tialrie eventually heals and there is no lasting damage or penalties.
Each magic weapon and monster tattoo inflicts 4D6 S,D.C./H.P. damage and causes a terrible shooting pain and numbness around the tattoo. The entire body tingles and aches with every movement. The Ellemi`Tialrie loses half his melee actions/attacks, speed is half and all bonuses are half for ID4+ I days. The Ellemi`Tialrie eventually heals and there is no lasting damage or penalties.
Each power tattoo inflicts 6D6 S.D.C./H.P. damage and causes the body to convulse with stabbing pain. The first 24 hours are the worst, after which the Ellemi`Tialrie will slowly recover. The Ellemi`Tialrie cannot hold down food, the body is racked with constant nausea and weakness (can barely walk), speed is reduced to 3, loses all but one melee action/attack and has NO bonuses of any kind for 24 hours. By the second day the stabbing pain has subsided into a dull throb and only hurts when he moves. The Ellemi`Tialrie regains half his melee actions/attacks, speed is only half and all bonuses are at half for 1D4 +3 days. The Ellemi`Tialrie eventually heals and there is no lasting damage or penalties.

No other forms of magic — tattoos only

Most practitioners of magic can syphon P.P.E. from other living creatures, as well as the increased P.P.E. released at the moment of a creature's death. Ellemi`Tialrie cannot. However, they can draw on mystic energy from ley lines and ley line nexus points to supplement their own impressive amount of P.P.E. points.
Likewise, while most practitioners of magic can cast spells, make circles and perform magic rituals, Ellemi`Tialrie cannot. The vast majority (98%) know absolutely nothing about other forms of magic! Nor can they learn to cast spells or perform rituals, and most don't even understand how magic works. All of their powers are derived from the tattoos. Spellcasting is involved only in the creation of the tattoos. The handful of Ellemi`Tialrie who know any details about magic were once practitioners of magic themselves, but have lost those abilities when they became Ellemi`Tialrie. Wizards who receive magic tattoos are in jeopardy of losing all their other mystic powers.
As many as six magic tattoos can be received without negatively effecting their spellcasting abilities. In such an instance, the magic user retains all of his or her mystic abilities and can use the tattoos as an additional weapon in his or her arsenal of magic. Important Note: The only difference is that the character must expend two times the number of P.P.E. points to activate the tattoo.
Seven or more tattoos totally destroys a practitioner of magic's other mystic powers, i.e., spellcasting, circle making, summoning, rituals, and all other magic abilities! The only things they retain from their mystic past is the knowledge of how magic works and basic skills like recognizing enchantment, reading scrolls and magic symbols, and recognizing magic circles and rituals; all other O.C.C. and magic creating abilities are lost forever. The character is no longer a spellcasting sorcerer and can NEVER remove the tattoos and regain his powers unless the actual limb with the tattoos is removed. Removing layers of skin does not work as the tattoos are linked to the potential psychic energy and essence of the individual and only reappear.
If a practitioner of magic is transformed into a Tattooed Man, his powers are changed and he starts as a first level Ellemi`Tialrie. However, the character keeps all of his original O.C.C. skills/education, but not special abilities. These old skills are frozen at the level at which the transformation to Ellemi`Tialrie occurred. When he reaches the same level as a Ellemi`Tialrie, those skills are unfrozen and continue to increase with each subsequent level of experience.

The Magic Powers of the Ellemi`Tialrie

S.D.C. transformation. Each tattoo above six instills the Ellemi`Tialrie with 20 physical S.D.C. points. Note: One to six tattoos do not change the physical structure.
P.P.E.: Base P.P.E. is at 10D6+8 for the transformation. in addition add 10 P.P.E. points for each level of experience and six P.P.E. points for each tattoo. Thus a typical first level, Ellemi`Tialrie will start with approximately 95 to 130 points, Remember, the character can also draw energy from ley lines and nexus points.
Increased P.P.E. Recovery: The Ellemi`Tialrie's expended P.P.E. replenishes itself at the rate of 10 points for every hour of rest or sleep, twice as fast as normal.
Bonuses: + 10 S.D.C., +2 to save vs magic of all kinds (in addition to P.E. bonuses), +6 to save vs horror factor, Attribute bonuses from physical training and magic: +2 to M.E., +2 to P.E., +1 to P.S., and +6 to spd.

Magic Tattoos: The typical Ellemi`Tialrie will start with 12 tattoos. Make the following selections:

Two simple weapons
Two magic weapons
Two animals
Two monsters
Two powers

With each new level of experience (starting at level two), the Ellemi`Tialrie's master, will add two more simple tattoos (animal or simple weapon) or one major tattoo (power, monster, or magic weapon). The number of tattoos any Ellemi`Tialrie, can get at any one time is two (2). There must be at least six months between the acquisition of another pair of tattoos.

Note: Tattoo Masters in the ancient kingdom of Myraletch, while able to create these tattos, have lost the knowlegde and understanding of the magics the tattoos can conjure. So while the Thrall are covered from head to foot in tattos, many of which are indeed magical and could concievably be used by the Thrall, this race of Tattooed warriors do not know of the secret or the magical nature of their tattoos.

Ellemi`Tialrie, the Painted Warrior

No other forms of magic — tattoos only

The Magic Powers of the Ellemi`Tialrie

Ellemi`Tialrie O.C.C.