GoCorral

Physical Description

Outsiders have no unifying physical characteristics. While many of them are humanoid in appearance, others take wildly different shapes. The subraces of outsiders are unified by ideology rather than biology. Thus, within an outsider subrace there can be drastic differences in appearance and physical capability.

Outsiders do have some uniformity in their magical powers. All outsiders can see in the dark. All outsiders have the magical ability to communicate with any other creature, either through speech or telepathy. All outsiders have strong skin that protects them from physical and magical attacks. All outsiders are immortal and gain strength as they age. Magical powers associated with the identity of the subraces are also common. In addition to more thematic magic, many outsiders can shape shift, teleport, or summon others of their subrace. The most powerful outsiders of a particular subrace can also fly, either with wings or due to magical power.

Culture

The culture of outsiders varies dramatically between the different subraces with even further variations within the subraces. If there is one thing that unifies outsiders it is a disdain for food. Outsiders do not need to eat or drink, so they have no cultural traditions associated with food. They do appreciate art and music in various ways. Angels and beings of law love manufactured beauty. Elementals love natural beauty and representations of it. Demons love destroying beautiful things of all kinds in the same way mortals love consuming delicious food.

The attitude towards food extends to other industries as well. Outsiders have little need for any manufactured goods. Their magical nature coupled with the infused magic of their home planes allows outsiders to create almost anything they might need from thin air. Without any physical needs to fulfill, outsiders focus on spiritual needs. There are three main activities for outsiders, creating or appreciating art as already stated, engaging with mortals, and playing games.

Engaging with mortals is the job of outsiders within the divine hierarchy. The divine hierarchy is organized by physical and magical strength. This power goes hand-in-hand with age, thus outsiders indirectly have a hierarchy based on age, with the gods themselves at the top of the hierarchy. Those at the bottom serve the needs, desires, and duties of those above them. They answer prayers sent to the gods, reward the just, and punish the wicked. Many outsiders also use their superior power to sadistically oppress mortals.

Outsiders enjoy playing games against each other when they aren’t performing their duties for mortals. Angels play board games of competitive strategy and also ones that involve cooperation with difficult moral choices. Demons enjoy games focused around battle and destruction, either board games, card games, or physical sports. Elementals enjoy games structured around slow growth of set of cards or other objects collected during play. Beings of law prefer puzzles and riddles, where learning the answer sets the world to an ordered state. Each of the subraces of outsiders feels their style of game is best as it models their vision of the true nature of reality. Victories in these contests are often taken as small but meaningful proofs that their philosophy is cosmically correct.