Synads

Synads seem unsocial to the naive. In truth, each synad is a group unto himself, composed of three fully independent minds that are fused into a cooperating whole. While most races suffer the crushing loneliness of a wholly closed-off mind, synads reap the benefits of combined thought, cooperative planning, and multiple viewpoints on each new task or topic.

Personality: While synads have wildly varying personalities, their threefold minds give the race recognizable personality traits.

A synad’s threefold mind is composed of parts that are often referred to as the overmind, the collective, and the oracle. In most activities, the overmind controls the synad’s actions. However, sometimes the collective or the oracle⁠—​the parts known as the submind⁠—​rises to the surface, either bypassing the overmind or mentally advising it on topics the submind is more suited to understand.

Physical Description: In the bright light of day, a synad passes for a tall, slim human. In dim light, however, out of the corner of an observer’s eye, a synad sometimes appears as a humanoid with three heads. The normal head appears bracketed by two ghostly heads completely devoid of hair, eyes, ears, mouth, or nose. This happens only if the synad has exhausted all its power points for the day. For this reason, most synads avoid draining their power point reserve, lest their true nature be revealed.

Synads typically stand just over 6 feet tall and weigh about 170 pounds, with males somewhat taller and heavier than females. Synads are typically hairless. They have pale skin, large, dark eyes, and long, expressive fingers. They dress commonly but enjoy impressive, flamboyant headwear.

Relations: Synads mix with members of other races, especially humans. Sometimes those relations change suddenly when another creature gains insight into a synad’s true nature, so synads try to avoid dim light when possible, or else they prepare their comrades by revealing the truth about their heritage.

Alignment: Synads do not tend toward any particular alignment. The best and the worst are found among them.

Synad Lands: Synads hail from a parallel world accessible through the Plane of Shadow. The few who dwell on the Material Plane prefer to forget their world of origin, claiming that monstrosities of the mind roam there unhindered.

Religion: Synads often worship Fharlanghn, drawn to his aspect as a traveler. Those who have escaped their homeworld give credit to the deity for showing them a way through.

Language: Synads speak Common and their own unique language.

Names: Synad names vary greatly, mainly because synads have thrown off their original ways and adopted human culture. They draw their names from the names of humans in the area where they have settled. Synads who mate and produce children often name them after local heroes or great leaders.

Adventurers: Synad adventurers are akin to humans in their daring and ambition. Because a synad’s threefold mind can withstand mental effects (such as charm person and dominate person) that might leave another creature drooling or subservient, the race has a reputation for great toughness of mind.