| Climate/Terrain: | Tropical, subtropical, and temperate/Plains, forests, swamps, jungles, hills, and mountains |
|---|---|
| Frequency: | Very rare |
| Organization: | Family |
| Activity Cycle: | Any |
| Diet: | Herbivore |
| Intelligence: | Varies (5-20) |
| Treasure: | Individual: L,M; Family: Q×5,F |
| Alignment: | Varies, but usually neutral or lawful good |
| No. Appearing: | 1-10 |
| Armor Class: | 8 (10) |
| Movement: | 6 |
| Hit Dice: | 4+1 |
| THAC0: | 17 |
| No. of Attacks: | 1 |
| Damage/Attack: | 1-10 (weapon) |
| Special Attacks: | +2 to damage |
| Special Defenses: | See below |
| Magic Resistance: | See below |
| Size: | M (6' tall) |
| Morale: | Steady (12) |
| XP Value: | Varies |
Once the Mischta were the great Irda, the First Born, among the noblest and most powerful of all of the humanoid races. But pride caused the Cataclysm to strike against them, and now they are Twilight Irda.
In appearance, the Mischta are almost identical to Irda - they are tall, slender creatures, averaging six feet in height and weighing 150 pounds. Females tend to be as tall and as heavy as the males. Although slender, they are quite strong, as evidenced by their firm muscles. Their skin tones range from midnight blue to a deep sea green; midnight blue is most common. Their hair is usually black, but it can be silver or white.
The Mischta are known for their fluid, graceful movements and for their song-like voices.
Combat: Mischta hate fighting; when they do engage in combat, they suffer a -1 penalty to their attack rolls.
The Mischta have developed two special weapons: bolas and cluster bombs. Bolas are thrown up to a 25-yard range. They inflict 1d4 points of damage, and the victim must free himself (must roll a successful Dexterity check with a -2 penalty) before he can take any other action. Cluster bombs are hollowed-out eggs that contain combinations of natural herbs and poisons. These bombs, when dropped, affect all targets in a ten-foot radius and force them to roll successful saving throws vs. poison or fall victim to one of the following effects: sleep, paralysis, or blindness (depending on the type of bomb). These effects last 2d4 rounds.
The Mischta feel awkward in armor, and thus they wear it only in extreme circumstances. They prefer the lightest armor (padded) and never wear armor made from animals, such as leather.
The Mischta's relatively low Constitution makes them vulnerable to the effects of poison (-1 penalty to their saving throws).
Habitat/Society: The Mischta are ruled by a king who is descended from the great Igrane himself. The current king is the granddaughter of the king who was killed in the Cataclysm. A king retires at the age of 300, leaving his oldest offspring (either male or female) to become the new king.
Almost all the Mischta live in the tropical paradise of Selasia, though a few of them searched for lost Anaiatha and ended up settling on other islands. On Selasia, they live in intricate structures created from straw, bamboo, and palm fronds. In spite of their dwellings' elaborate designs, the Mischta will occasionally relocate when the spirit moves them.
All Mischta master the art of shapechanging by age 20, enabling them to disguise themselves as humans. A Mischta with an 18 Intelligence can learn to become a Changer Adept once he reaches the age of 100.
Learning to be a Changer Adept takes 20 years, but once the training is mastered, a Changer Adept can shapechange, as per the 9th-level wizard spell, up to three times per day.
Ecology: The Mischta try to live in perfect harmony with nature. They never intentionally harm a living creature except in self-defense. They are strict vegetarians.