Kalo

Core Racial Traits

Trait	Effect
Cold Resistance	Kalos are used to swimming in icy water and have cold resistance 5.
Kalo Movement	Kalos have a base speed of 20 feet and a swim speed of 30 feet.
Kalo Vision	Kalos’ innate sonar grants them blindsight (sound) 60 ft., while their specialized eyes grant them low light vision.
Stealthy Swimmers	Kalos gain a +4 bonus to Stealth checks when in water.
Water Breathing	Kalos have the water breathing universal creature rule.

Cold Resistance

Kalos are used to swimming in icy water and have cold resistance 5.

Kalo Movement

Kalos have a base speed of 20 feet and a swim speed of 30 feet.

Kalo Vision

Kalos’ innate sonar grants them blindsight (sound) 60 ft., while their specialized eyes grant them low-light vision.

Stealthy Swimmers

Kalos gain a +4 bonus to Stealth checks when in water.

Water Breathing

Kalos have the water breathing universal creature rule.

Vital Stats

Stat	Value
Average Height	5–6 ft.
Average Weight	75–125 lbs.
Age of Maturity	18 years
Maximum Age	100+3d10 years

!
Kalos resemble humans covered in tiny scales with bulbous glowing eyes and large fins running down their flanks to connect their arms and legs. They evolved close to the seafloor of the icy Brethedan moon Kalo-Mahoi, clustering around the moon's life-giving geothermal vents. Since the adaptation of Drift travel, kalos have built their cities into fabulous spectacles as a way of welcoming other species to their home. Those kalos who travel abroad often thrive as artists or as mercenaries specialized in underwater and zero-g combat.

Kalos evolved for life in the deep ocean where sunlight doesn't reach. They can't naturally breathe air, so they require breathing apparatus or body augmentation to explore outside of water. Only small pockets of water closest to Kalo-Mahoi's glowing seafloor vents are warm, so kalos developed a hardy resistance to the prevalent, near-freezing water that comprise most of their habitat to travel from geothermal oasis to oasis. Away from the vents and surface, there's also no light, forcing kalos to rely on their innate sonar to hunt and navigate, which is roughly as sharp as a human's sight out to several dozen feet. Kalo scales tend toward shades of blue or green, though pale pink coloration can also appear.
The long, winglike fins that connect kalos' arms and legs are thin enough to be translucent, and their undulating movement helps kalos glide silently through the water while hunting. Kalo eyes are large and able to move and focus independently to sense predators and prey alike. Each eye also possesses a faint and independently controlled form of bioluminescence that kalos use to visually signal each other.
The lower half of a kalo's face is covered by sensory tendrils, and they have large mouths full of small, needlelike teeth. These tendrils might resemble beards in the eyes of hair-growing species, but having long and healthy tendrils is generally an attractive quality for kalos of any gender. Each kalo also has a unique array of decorative spines, which are generally viewed as a human might view hair, running from their forehead down the center ridge of their skull.
Kalos on average range from five to six feet tall and generally weigh less than humans of the same size, averaging around 100 pounds. This stems in part from kalos' mostly cartilaginous skeletons and relatively lean frames. Their physiology makes kalos slightly frailer than humans, and they tend to tire quickly on land, where their fins—developed for gliding on deep ocean currents to conserve energy—don't assist mobility. Water isn't just important for support and locomotion; their gills can't breathe air, so kalos typically wear fluid-filled helmets, respirators, or environment suits. What's more, kalo scales require periodic immersion in water, and they gradually dry out and flake painfully if not doused.

In ancient times, kalos lived in small groups near the ocean floor and relied on stealth to evade predators, the greatest of which were mighty linnorms. Many communities swore allegiance to a linnorm and offered it tribute in food, art, and other treasures in exchange for protection. In this way, Ragadahn's faith spread amongst the kalos as they prayed jointly for protection and mercy from him and his fearsome children.
A years-long conflict marked the point that kalos mounted a war against the linnorms to claim the moon's oceans for themselves, pushing the dragons to deep trenches or the ice crust. What followed was relative peace and a long period of invention, growth, and rapid industrialization. Kalo artists and innovators could dedicate their talents for the community rather than linnorm overlords, and they used that freedom to create elaborate architectural testaments to kalo civilization—full of colorful, shining spires and winding streets that were bright beacons against the sunless oceans. This was a message: the kalos weren't afraid to make themselves known. Kalo cities are massive art installations, built with the philosophy that beauty is always just as important as functionality in design. A design is a failure if it can't excel at its function while being aesthetically pleasing.
Today, most kalos live in large cities built near geothermal vents dimly illuminated by phosphorescent life. A smaller portion of the population lives in small towns and villages closer to the water's surface. Many of these towns are industrial installations built to manage a particular factory or trade, not host visitors, so they usually lack widespread air-breathing infrastructure. Kalos that live offworld often find it difficult to integrate with other species unless that species is also aquatic, and they most often form their own watery, close-knit enclaves.
Kalos often view their distant history with a mixture of pain and pride, and they preserve many cultural touchstones of their more warlike past. Many contemporary positions take their titles from archaic roles, such as the sharkhunters and mantariders—today names of elite military units. However, actual Mahoi mantas have long since been replaced by technological vehicles, and mantas themselves have been relegated to pets and beloved cultural icons. Deepspeakers, who once served as fearsome spellcasters and liaisons for their communities' patron linnorms, now function primarily as historians, advisors, and curators of cultural artifacts.