Special Qualities

Alter Self (Su): A fomor can assume the shape of any Medium or Large-sized humanoid. This works like the spell alter self as if cast by a 16th level Sorcerer but the fomor can remain in the chosen form indefinitely. The form is least stable at the hour of sunrise and sunset; a Will save is needed (DC 10) to retain the chosen form at this time; failure bars the fomor from using this ability again until a full half-hour after the next sunrise or sunset. (Note: This ability give +10 to Disguise checks.)

Darkvision (Ex): Fomor can use darkvision to see up to 100 feet.

Domnu's Sleep (Su): Fomor can go into hibernation by diving to the sea floor and curling up; in short order, they appear as large stones, covered in seaweed. This power acts to hide the fomor as the screen spell cast by an 16th level sorcerer. Hibernating fomori do not age, and if disturbance doesn't waken them prematurely, they arise at a predetermined point (usually a year and a day, a hundred years, etc).

Water Breathing (Ex): A fomor can breath underwater indefinitely, and can freely use all abilities when submerged.

FOMOR SOCIETY

In ancient times, the fomor shared power with the sidhe, holding dominion over the land in the dark winter months, to relinquish power during the bright summer days. Then the cycle was broken: when the High King of the sidhe died suspiciously, the fomor king quickly stepped it to claim the fallen crown. A bitter and terrible war ensued, destroying castle and city and leaving scars on the earth — some of which are still apparent centuries later. In a final great battle, the fomor were defeated, and those who were not slaughtered scattered to the winds. Though few, if any, have been seen by the fae in over 500 years, these implacable foes still haunt the dreams of even the bravest sidhe warriors.

Balor, king of the fomor, was grievously wounded by the champion of the sidhe, but though his keep was leveled his body was never recovered. The survivors hid themselves in lake and sea, and slept in their secret lairs for decades.

Some still sleep, but about a hundred years after man built Iconium upon the ashes of Balor's city, they began to awaken. . .

Fomor society was very similar to sidhe societal structure, being based on a clan system. With only a fraction of the race still alive, such distinctions have become far less important; a more enduring bond is the shared desire to crush the sidhe for all time. Currently, most fomor live and work singly or in small groups. As time goes on, they are gradually finding each other, forming larger groups and establishing lines of communication.

Fomor typically stay underground or underwater, coming out at night to hunt or raid settlements. A few move among humans in humanoid guise to spy or make contacts.

Commoners live to be 200 or so, although the nobles of the race may live far longer than their peers, up to a thousand years.

Fomor have their own gods (See below) , and treat them much the same way that the sidhe do. A few fomori clerics have allied themselves with (or posed as adherents of) Atavis, the devil figure of the Iconian church.

Fomor speak Gaelic, Common, Giant.

COMBAT

Some might mistake fomor for dumb hill giants due to their ugly appearance. That is a big mistake. Fomor relish smashing their foes into pulp, but they rarely charge into combat. Instead they soften their foes up with volley upon volley of javelins. (Fomor javelins have a range increment of 110 feet) and each warrior normally carries 2d4 javelins. If the first volley does not break their foes, fomor leaders tend to identify the weaker member of their foes and concentrate fire upon them.

They enjoy provoking their foes into charging and will space themselves out to cover one another and allow the most number of attacks of opportunity as their foes rush to meet them. If their foes live to close, they drop their spears, draw their huge, single-edged swords.

Vengeful Right (Ex): Fomorian have an overdeveloped sense of vengeance, gaining a +1 to all skill, attack and damage rolls versus someone that has aroused their ire. When a means of exacting vengeance against a foe is reasonably within his reach, a fomor must make a Will Save (DC 15) to do something else.

Just about any sidhe can qualify as a bitter foe worthy of a fomor's vengeful right, but they do not seek vengeance for any little slight. Cheating a fomor, humilating them, thwarting their goals, insulting their gods, ect. will draw a fomor's ire. When aroused, a fomor's anger burns hot as a forge flame or cold as the winter stars, but it burns consumingly. A young warrior may forsake other oaths to track down and slay his foe, while an old wizard may spend decades perfecting a plan to take away all her victim holds dear; either way, vengeance is served.

Commoner Fomor

Commoner f omor are misshapen giants and among the most unseelie of fae. Fomor are generally about 10' tall and quite misshapen, with hunchbacks or mismatched limbs, boils or bulging eyes. As a rule, they have stringy black hair and green- or grey-tinged dark skin. Their fingers and toes are slightly webbed.

Though not especially intelligent, they are exceptionally cunning. Most advance as fighters.

Noble Fomor

Noble fomor can be as hideous as common folk, but even in these cases they radiate intelligence, malevolence and power. Some are often quite beautiful, except for one gross deformity — a birdlike foot, a cyclopean eye, or a withered breast. In unaltered form they are usually about 10' tall, with dark hair and black eyes. (Although their appearance varies greatly.)

Fomor nobles, such as Balor, almost always have levels as ollaves, sorcerers or wizards. Yes, wizard.

Dungeon Master Information

Balor awoke the vanguard of his race centuries ago to begin his plans to destroy the sidhe. Over the last decade or so, the other remnants of the race have begun to awaken. Gradually, they slipped from their hiding places to discover this new race in their old lands. Many humans have been maneuvered into becoming agents of the Unseelie; others have birthed half-fomor children who will one day be told of their birthright and the power that will come to them for their loyal service to their fell ancestors.

Deep beneath the palace at Iconium lies a pool of salt water, where rests Balor, the oldest, largest and mightiest of his kind. The priest who discovered him was turned to his bidding through sweet words. He was the first of many who, knowingly or otherwise, serve the Lord of the Deep in his quest for power. The ultimate goal in his black heart is to kill or enslave the proud sidhe, to see them grovel in chains before him, and to lay all they love to waste. Becoming masters of all creation is nice too, but secondary.

Half-Fomor Characters

The magical nature of fomor allows them to crossbreed with virtually any humanoid. These half-breeds manifest their sire's Unseelie (and ugly) nature with major and minor deformities - a limp, mismatched eyes, an extra finger or toe (or three). To most they appear as the other parent's race in every respect. They are, however almost invariably evil in nature. All may become sorcerers due to their fae blood, but many are wizards.

Half-fomor gain no bonuses to Attributes, but do gain the following:

• Water Breathing (Ex): The character can breathe underwater for an hour per point of Con modifier per day (if the modifier is negative or zero, they can stay underwater for an hour).
• Darkvision (Ex): The character can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
• AC: Natural armor class improves by +1.
• Vengeful (Ex): - When wronged, the character will go to great lengths to claim revenge. When a means of exacting vengeance against a foe is reasonably within his reach, the half-fomor must make a Will Save (DC 15) to do something else. They gain a +1 to all skill, attack and damage rolls versus someone that has aroused their ire.
• ECL +2
  

The Gods of the Fomori

These are the gods worshiped, for the most part, solely by fomorians. Some fomorians worship other Unseelie deities, and some even follow Atavis.

Cethlion ("Crooked Teeth") — Goddess of the Fomorian who prophesied the fall of her people to the Tuatha De Danann (the sidhe).

Domnu ("the deep") — Domnu saved her children by granting them haven in the sea and raised Balor to the status of godhood after his defeat. She is a secretive goddess who seems distant at times, but has never failed to succor her children.

Lot — Goddess of war. Lot has lips on her breasts and four eyes on her back. She often led the Fomorian into battle.

Quote
— Atrribution