Sometimes, while still gestating in its mother’s womb, a human child will come under attack by wandering spirits. Usually, this ends with the child being stillborn, but every once in a while the child manages to overcome the malevolent spirit, and their souls become bound together. Usually, these enigmatic beings are seen as demons or zombies, regardless of their actual morals, and abandoned by their parents.

Personality: Spirit-bound are ambiguous creatures, and their personality is at best a hybrid between the human and the malevolent spirit. Because of this, spirit-bound, from birth, basically have the minds of fully-matured adults. However, even the most pure-hearted spirit-bound occasionally gets powerful violent or destructive urges from their bound spirit. For this reason, some find it hard to trust the spirit-bound.

Physical Description: Spirit-bound are essentially human, though they stop growing physically after they reach about 5 years of age. This leaves them about 3-1/2 to just under 4 feet tall and 35 to 50 pounds in weight. Though nearly indistinguishable from a human child, a spirit-bound does show some supernatural aspects, such as an occasional bluish glow from the eyes and slight manifestations of their bound spirit’s hands or face.

Alignment: Spirit-bound do not tend toward any alignment, but even the staunchest defender of good among the spirit-bound occasionally has bouts of malevolence when the bound spirit manages to gain dominance.

Religion: Of all divine presences, spirit-bound find themselves keenly aware of the influence of the Ghost Lords, the ethereal remains of the first gods of Ralsenna. While they may pay homage to other deities, nearly all of them see the Ghost Lords as their true gods.

Language: Spirit-bound have the same penchant for linguistics exhibited by their human brethren.

Names: Born of human parents, spirit-bound have human names. However, it is not uncommon for a spirit-bound to choose a new name once it realizes that it is different than other humans, which can range from a new human name they feel fits them better or an adjective or object that describes one of its defining features or quirks.

Adventurers: Spirit-bound are not often seen as adventurers, but they often end up living the lifestyle. They have natural talents that lend themselves to adventuring, and this combined with their nature as outcasts makes adventuring almost unavoidable. As long as they can find allies who can get past their childlike features, they can excel in this capacity.

• +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, –2 Strength: Spirit-bound are supernaturally quick and their childlike features make them likeable, but their small forms are physically weak.
• Small: Spirit-bound are Small creatures, and gain a +1 size bonus to their AC, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, a –1 penalty to their Combat Maneuver Bonus and Combat Maneuver Defense, and a +4 size bonus on Stealth checks.
• Slow Speed: Spirit-bound have a base speed of 20 feet.
• Darkvision: Spirit-bound can see in the dark up to 60 feet. While using this ability, the spirit-bound’s eyes glow with an ethereal blue or purple light.
• Spirit Walk: Once per hour, a spirit-bound can spend a move action to move up to 30 feet, plus an additional 5 feet per 5 character levels the spirit-bound attains, during which time the spirit-bound is incorporeal. This is a supernatural ability.
• Soul Ward: Spirit-bound receive a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against mind-effecting effects and death effects.
• Spirit’s Alacrity: A spirit-bound rolls for initiative normally, and may choose to act on that initiative or an initiative of 10 lower than the rolled initiative, or split her actions between these two initiatives.
• Languages: Spirit-bound begin play speaking Common. Spirit-bound with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except magical or secret languages).