Kh’bon are a type of dwarf, more correctly, a crossbreed of dwarf and human. Unlike the elves, dwarves are not as splintered, there being only two sub-races of dwarf, plus the kh’bon, compared to five sub-races of elf, plus the half-elf. In spite of this, there is no great unification among dwarves and the sub-race divisions are predominantly along the line of “focused and largely indifferent to anything beyond my obsession” versus “evil, yeah, you heard it, evil”. The elves, by comparison, at least have some semblance of cultural diversity among their groupings.

Sterile crossbreeds of humans and dwarves, kh’bon have great stamina. Accordingly, the noble families and merchant houses of The Unification breed them as slaves. Many of the same attributes that make them effective labourers serve them well in gladiator arenas.

   Personality

Kh'bon often have gruff, taciturn personalities, seen as a sort of social defence mechanism in the slave pits most call home. Many lash out in spite whenever they can avoid the consequences, having never known a friend or companion. Those kh’bon who have escaped the toil of the typical slave (usually by excelling as a gladiator) handle social situations better, but most remain wary of strangers and anyone who hasn’t proven their trustworthiness.

   Physical Description

Kh'bon have a fast metabolism, so most of them are squat and muscular, with broad shoulders and very little body fat. Were it not for their pronounced brow ridges, slightly pointed ears, and lack of body hair, they could pass for human. Being a crossbreed of dwarf and human, they retain the height and cunning of their human parent, plus the durability of their dwarven heritage. A full-grown kh’bon stands 6 to 6½ feet tall and weighs 240-300 pounds. They are fair skinned, sometimes tending toward a copperish colouration. Their dwarven ancestry gives them a well-muscled frame and an incredible constitution – kh’bon labourers can perform heavy work for days at a time without stopping. Kh'bon have stern facial features.

   Relations

Kh'bon are somewhat antisocial, but they don’t have a particular enmity for any race. They get along slightly better with their forebears (humans and dwarves) than other races, but not to any appreciable degree. They tend to relate well to and get on with other slaves better than they do with free-men.

   Alignment

The taskmaster’s whip has instilled a lawful attitude in most kh’bon, although those who have fled from slavery are usually chaotic (ex-slaves almost always have a hard time with authority figures). Kh’bon slaves who are treated poorly – which are almost all of them – can nurture such hatred and spite in their hearts that they become evil.

   Kh'bon Racial Traits

• +2 Strength, +4 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma. Kh'bon are strong and known for their great stamina, but lack the social skills of other races and suffer a reduction to Intelligence due to the mixture of their heritages.
• Medium: As Medium creatures, kh’bon have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Kh’bon base land speed is 30 feet.
• Hardy: Kh'bon need only half as much rest to eliminate the effects of fatigue and exhaustion.
• Faster Natural Healing: Kh'bon heal damage at twice the normal rate, recovering 2 vitality points per hour per character level under normal circumstances and, with a full night's rest, 2 wound points per character level per day, or double that amount with complete bed rest for 24 hours. At 10th level, they gain Fast Healing 1 (which heals 1 vitality point per round), and at 15th level, they gain Fast Healing 3 (which heals 3 vitality points per round).
• Inborn Power: Kh'bon gain 3 extra power points at first level, regardless of whether they choose a psionic class or not. They can use the power points provided to manifest their offensive prescience power. If the kh’bon takes levels in a class that offers a repertoire of psionic powers, simply add the 3 power points to the power point total available, and add the inborn power to the list of powers known. Kh'bon use their inborn power at a manifester level equal to their ECL. They use Charisma to set the DC unless they have a psionic class such as psion or psychic warrior that uses a different ability score to set the save DC.
• Darkvision: Kh'bon can see in the dark up to 60 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight, and kh’bon can function just fine with no light at all.
• Level Adjustment: +1.