© Square Enix, Final Fantasy XIV
Most races know of the ones known as Ascians. A secret society of black-robed individuals, able to take the bodies of anyone to further their agenda of destroying the world. In truth, these are only the goals of the “Greater” Ascians and their servants. Unbeknownst to most, they are actually dwarfed in number by the so-called “Lesser” Ascians. Though they share many abilities with their greater brethren, most lesser ascians are more concerned with their day-to-day existence than the Rejoining. While the souls of lesser ascians are reincarnated into the mortal bodies of the normal races like other ascians, lesser ascians do not retain the memory of their past lives, meaning that unlike Greater Ascians, they cannot make use of any information they learned before their death.
Physical Description: Ascians are difficult to describe as a “true race”, but what little is known about them come from ancient legends and rumors. Legends speak of a singular, nearly immortal race; armed with the power of Creation Magicks. While the stereotypical ascian are the black robed Paragons or Bringers of Darkness, ascian souls possess the bodies of the normal races, meaning that they can appear as any race, though the vast majority possess Human bodies. While ascians did, at one point, possess a “true” form, most modern ascians do not know of it, treating their “host” body as their true form.
Ascians can appear of any race, but the majority of them prefer human bodies, as the ubiquity of the human race provides ascians with ample opportunity to further their own goals. Most lesser ascians have little knowledge of their identity when they are young, but as they age, they instinctively come to terms with their true nature.
Society: Lesser ascians can broadly be divided into two groups: Aligned and Unaligned. Aligned Ascians are those who have devoted their lives either to Zodiark, and His mission to destroy all worlds to bring about the Rejoining, or to Hydaelyn, and Her mission to preserve the worlds as they are. Aligned Ascians are almost single-minded in their devotion to their goals, thinking nothing of sacrificing their lives, knowing that they will be born again, to (hopefully) serve their chosen God in the next life. For ascians, all ascians, this choice affects their very essence, as Zodiark aligned ascians cast no shadow and are harmed by light, while Hydaelyn aligned ascians cast shadows even when they shouldn’t and are stung far deeper by darkness. While the devotion does not survive the reincarnation process, the change in essence does. An unaligned lesser ascian could cast no shadow and be harmed by light because they chose to serve Zodiark in a past life.
Most lesser ascians, however, are Unaligned, having far more immediate goals like “surviving” to particularly care one way or the other about the battle between Zodiark and Hydaelyn. Most Unaligned simply try to keep their heads down and avoid drawing attention to themselves, though settlements of just the Unaligned can be found if you know where to look. Generally speaking, though, most Unaligned simply integrate themselves into the society they were born into and consider themselves citizens thereof. That said, more than a few lesser ascians have let their guard down and allowed people to discover their secret, which in most cases leads either to exile or death.
Relations: Unaligned ascians are no different from those of the race they appear to be. However, the ascians affiliated with Hydaelyn and Zodiark are more occupied with achieving their agendas than maintaining a proper rapport, thus creating mistrust within other races. Of all the races, Garleans have the closest affinity to ascians; strange considering the sheer lack of magic in the Garlean race.
While most people would, understandably, negatively react to an ascian presence (Especially if they knew how present the ascians truly were), adventuring types are some of the few who are at least willing to hear out an unaligned lesser ascian. More than a few Free Companies have secretly harboured and fought alongside a lesser ascian, their abilities coming in useful in the right situation.
Alignment and Religion: Ascians technically can hold any alignment or religion. However, the two most common gods are Zodiark and Hydaelyn.
Though evil by mortal standards, Zodiark-aligned ascians tend to be quite lawful; their personal code and goal guiding them in their pursuits, but there are some exceptions to the rule who merely want to see the Star burn. It is not unknown for a Zodiark-aligned ascian to join forces with groups should their exploits potentially lead to the Rejoining, but a betrayal is often around the corner if failure is a potentiality.
A Hydaelyn-aligned ascian, however, would be considered good by mortal standards. Like their Zodiark-aligned brethren, they also have a bent towards being lawful. They are often responsible for the upholding of the Star’s current status and preventing the Rejoining. Stereotypically, they are gallant Warriors of Light, adventurers, scholars and agents who seek to defeat evil where it is found, and banish the darkness.
Adventurers: Most Unaligned lesser ascians who turn to adventuring do so as a way to stay on the move, either because someone noticed their secret or in the hopes of discovering a place where their secret does not matter.
Aligned lesser ascians, on the other hand, adventure for a very specific reason: To further the goals of their chosen god. Zodiark-aligned do so as a way to spread chaos and destruction, to further bring about the Rejoining, while Hydaelyn-aligned do so to protect people from the evil that the Zodiark-aligned do.
Naming Conventions: Lesser ascians do not have a specific naming convention, instead simply using the name of whatever race they appear to be.
Table: Starting Adulthood Ranges
| Adulthood | Intuitive | Self-Taught | Trained |
| After 17 Years | +1d3 years (18 - 20 Years) | +1d4 years (18 - 21 Years) | +2d4 years (19 - 25 Years) |
| Gender | Base Height | Height Modifier | Base Weight | Weight Modifier |
| Male | 5 ft. 0 in. | +2d10 in. (5 ft. 2 in. - 6 ft. 8 in.) | 120 lbs. | +2d10x5 lbs (130 - 220) |
| Female | 4 ft. 9 in. | +2d10 in. (4 ft. 11 in. - 6 ft. 5 in.) | 95 lbs. | +2d10x5 lbs (105 - 195) |
Standard Racial Traits
Ability Score Modifier: Lesser ascians are as versatile and varied as the humans they appear to be, gaining a +2 to one ability score of their choice
Size: Ascians are Medium creatures and thus receive no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Type: Ascians are Humanoid creatures with the human, ascian and shapechanger subtypes.
Base Speed: Ascians have a base speed of 30 feet
Languages: Ascians begin play speaking Common and a single language of their choosing. Ascians with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Druidic). See the Linguistics skill page for more information about these languages.
Feat and Skill Racial Traits
Ancient Echos: All ascians can tap into a power known as the Echo, but lesser ascians do not have anywhere near the same ability to do so as their ancient kin. All lesser ascians gain Echo’s Whisper as a bonus feat.
Magical Racial Traits
Minor Change Shape (Su): Greater ascians can sculpt the flesh of the body they are currently possessing, changing them to a more desired appearance. Lesser ascians have a similar ability, but unlike greater ascians, lesser ascians do possess a “natural” form. Lesser ascians can alter their appearance as though using a disguise self spell that affects their bodies but not their possessions. This ability is not an illusory effect but a minor physical alteration of a lesser ascian's facial features, skin color and texture, and size, within the limits described for the spell. A lesser ascian can use this ability at will, and the alteration lasts until he changes shape again. A lesser ascian reverts to his natural form when killed. A true seeing spell reveals his natural form. When using this ability to create a disguise, a lesser ascian receives a +10 circumstance bonus on Disguise checks. Using this ability is a full-round action.
Share Memory (Sp): A lesser ascian may use Share Memory as a spell-like ability once per hour. (Caster level equal to the ascian’s character level). If the ascian can cast spells, use that class’ ability score to determine the saving throw DC. Otherwise the lesser ascian uses his Charisma score.
Dimension Slide (Sp): A lesser ascian may use Dimension Slide once per day as a spell like ability.
Other Racial Traits
Human Born: Lesser ascians are considered both humans and ascians for any effects related to race. For example an ascian can take feats or archetypes that require him to be a human.
Former Life: A lesser ascian chooses whether he served Zodiark or Hydaelyn in a former life. This does not necessarily represent their previous life, rather almost all lesser ascians have at least one incarnation that served one of the two gods, which has changed their essence ever since, which affects how certain racial abilities function
If a lesser ascian should become a divine servant of either Zodiark or Hydaelyn, then their racial abilities based on this choice change appropriately. (A divine servant is a broad term, but generally speaking a lesser ascian who devoutly worships one of the two gods or is a divine spellcaster who draws their spells from one of them would count.)
Elemental Focus: Whenever a lesser ascian casts a shadow (If they chose Zodiark, see Former Life) or holy (If they chose Hydaelyn) elemental spell or uses a shadow/holy elemental ability, they treat their caster or class level (Whichever would be appropriate) as 1 higher. This ability does not allow a lesser ascian to cast spells/passive augmentations or use abilities he otherwise couldn’t, it merely improves spells or abilities he can already cast or use.
Weakness Racial Traits
Peculiar Shadow: Lesser ascians who choose Zodiark cast a very weak or even no shadow at all, while lesser ascians who choose Hydaelyn cast a second shadow, or are able to cast a shadow even when there is no light source to do so. Noticing this peculiarity requires a DC 30 perception check, reduced by an amount equal to the lesser ascian’s character level.
Aspected Scourge: When subject to holy damage (if they chose Zodiark) or shadow damage (if they chose Hydaelyn), lesser ascians take 1 extra point of damage per die from the effect. In addition, they suffer a -2 penalty to saving throws against effects with the associated descriptor.
Alternate Racial Traits
Less than Lesser: Some lesser ascians, either due to weakness in their essence or simply being one of the rare few who have never had an incarnation choose Zodiark or Hydaelyn, lack the teleportation abilities of other lesser ascians. But at the same time, they can also hide far more effectively, since they also lack the tell-tale shadow. Ascians with this racial trait lose their dimensional slide, former life and elemental focus racial traits but they also lose their peculiar shadow and aspected scourge weakness traits. If an ascian with this racial trait should become a divine servant of Zodiark or Hydaelyn, then they lose this trait, gaining those other racial traits back.
Non-Human Host: While most lesser ascians use humans as hosts, in reality any humanoid race can host the soul of an ascian. Choose a humanoid race other than human. You use that race’s ability score modifiers (Or the modifiers of one of its subraces), size, base speed and languages instead of the ones listed here and you gain that race’s subtype, as well as the ascian and shapechanger subtypes, rather than human and count as that race and ascian for any effects related to race, rather than human and ascian. If the chosen race has a racial trait that grants a movement mode either directly or indirectly you also gain that trait. You also use the chosen race’s height, weight and age categories as well as their favoured class bonuses. This racial trait may replace the lesser asican’s standard ability score modifiers, size, base speed, languages, subtype and the human born racial trait.
Racial Feats
Favoured Class Bonuses
Bard: Add +1/4th to the morale bonus provided by battle tempo.
Beastmaster: Add +1 hit point to the beastmaster's animal companions. This applies to all creatures in their menagerie.
Black Belt: Increase the number of times per day the black belt can use martial flexibility by +1/4.
Black Mage: Add +1 to the Black Mage’s Aetheric Reservoir capacity. This can be taken before the Black Mage gains the class feature, but does not do anything until then.
Dark Knight: Add an additional +1/2 point to the damage dealt by destroy.
Knight: Gain DR 1/4 /- when taking damage in place of an ally
Monk: Gain +1/6 of a bonus style feat or wildcard slot. The monk does not need to meet the prerequisites for this style feat.
Mystic Knight: Gain +1/6 of an additional mysticism.
Paladin: Gain +1/3 of a daily use of Sanctity.
Ranger: Choose one favoured enemy type. Add +1/4 to the ranger's favoured enemy bonus against that enemy. This has no effect if the ranger does not currently have that enemy as one of his current favoured enemies. The ranger may choose a different enemy each time he selects this bonus.
Red Mage: Add +1/4 point to the red mage's arcane pool points.
Samurai: Add +1/4 to the samurai's touch AC.
Thief: Gain +1/2 on the Disguise bonus from dual identity or on disguise checks when using a thief talent in their social identity.
Warrior: Add +1/2 to the warrior's attack roll when performing a battle reading.
White Mage: Add +1 to the White Mage’s Aetheric Reservoir capacity. This can be taken before the White Mage gains the class feature, but does not do anything until then.
