After the crash its taken me a bit to get back in the swing of developement. Here is another piece of my homebrew collection. This is one of the small group of races that players can choose for the game.
I realize most of what is posted here is fluff and you can ignore that of course. I am mainly interested in the balance of the race. The exile fill the space normaly reserved for elves, which don't exsist in the campaign world. So have at it.
Exile
Quick and nimble the exiles are newcomers to Isankur. They are chaos born just as men are but their history is virtually unknown and as a people they are loath to speak of it. Exiles are a somber people rarely smiling and slow to laugh, they will usually help those in need if they feel they are in serious trouble. They are ruled by a strong magocratic aristocracy called The Pure, most exiles are violently anti-magic often seeing mages as an affront to their own semi-deified rulers. Exiles are also known for their strong militaristic traditions especially the kenji. They are also highly regarded as master craftsmen and artisans even by the proud dwarves and though expensive their wares are highly sought after through out Isankur.
Personality: Exiles are a rather melancholy race; a strange sadness seems to permeate their highly stratified society. They are also rather xenophobic almost unsure of how to mingle with other races. Many people of the civilized races find the exiles treat them rather coolly and mages find that most exiles are openly hostile and even violent. If one can gain the trust of an exile however you can never hope to find a friend who will do more for you, as the exile saying goes “friends and lives together”. Usually warriors and artists find the easiest acceptance when dealing with exiles. Exiles that adventure however are usually ones that didn’t quite fit in with societal norms.
Physical Description: Pale and thin most exiles stand between 5’ and 5’6” women are only somewhat more slender than the men are and most exiles weigh somewhere between 100 and 150 lbs. With their light complexion most exiles countenances are off set by strikingly dark hair usually ranging in tone from dark brown and black to more exotic colors such as blue, purple or on the rare occasion pink or even pale blonde. Exiles are fast and their sleek look shows this, with slim features and swept back slightly pointed ears most humans find the looks of the exiles quite alluring. Dressing in dark somber tones the exiles wear little ostentatious jewelry preferring to showcase their status through their homes which can often times be rather flamboyant, even gaudy. Kenji warriors also carry heavy facial tattoos that mark their house affiliation. Exiles have a similar lifespan to humans.
Relations: Exiles as a whole don’t get along well with anyone who is not an exile. This is not an innate inability to function with others. It is merely a problem with coming from a highly stratified, xenophobic and magiphobic society. Exiles that do however leave their home and travel Isankur soon learn that to be so closed mined generally ends in an altercation. Despite past differences most exiles find that most humans, especially merchants, are willing to put the past in the past. Though with the past being only a slight fifty years dealing with humans could also turn ugly fast. Dwarves and exiles are usually indifferent to each other, as long as the dwarf in mention isn’t mage the two races can get on pretty well, unless one or the other happens to open their mouth. The reclusive oghrim rarely meet any of the new comers so it is unsure how they might act, though with the southern oghrim there is a odd respect between the two races, who both suffer under the oppressive yoke of the Shesherim empire.
Alignment: With their peoples highly stratified society many exiles have a lawful bent, allowing them to keep the status quo, though chaotic tendencies are not uncommon either especially among adventuring types. As to good and evil exiles have little predisposition to either and the best and worst can be numbered among them.
Exile Lands: Exiles only have a small kingdom to call their own though it is situated on the extremely fertile Eagean peninsula (once a highly contested region) laying between Keldreal and Shesherim. Most exiles can be found toiling in this area at the behest of their ruling class, The Pure. Outside of these lands most exiles can be found within in the Empire of Shesh. Small groups can also be found wandering in the north as well, but few make permanent homes outside of Eagea.
Language: Exiles speak their own language, Essyrian, which uses its own script and characters that is as beautiful as it is complex. Exiles found outside of Eagea most likely also speak either Isan or Sheshen.
Names: Exiles have long names that usually contain a list of their ancestors and sometimes even their deeds. An exiles name also ends with the house in which the exile belongs and many houses bring with them a sense of honor and pride.
Sample name: Ren son of Lurong, son of Banwei, of the house of Raven’s Flight.
Exile Racial Traits
+2 dexterity: Exiles are much nimbler than other races.
-2 penalty to bluff and diplomacy when dealing with non exiles. This reflects the exile's xenophobic nature.
Medium: as medium creatures, exiles have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Exile base land speed is 40 feet. Exiles are exceedingly fast.
+2 racial bonus on listen, spot and search checks due to exiles keen senses.
+2 racial bonus to any single craft or perform skill: this shows the exiles devotion to perfection.
Favored Class: Any
I realize most of what is posted here is fluff and you can ignore that of course. I am mainly interested in the balance of the race. The exile fill the space normaly reserved for elves, which don't exsist in the campaign world. So have at it.
Exile
Quick and nimble the exiles are newcomers to Isankur. They are chaos born just as men are but their history is virtually unknown and as a people they are loath to speak of it. Exiles are a somber people rarely smiling and slow to laugh, they will usually help those in need if they feel they are in serious trouble. They are ruled by a strong magocratic aristocracy called The Pure, most exiles are violently anti-magic often seeing mages as an affront to their own semi-deified rulers. Exiles are also known for their strong militaristic traditions especially the kenji. They are also highly regarded as master craftsmen and artisans even by the proud dwarves and though expensive their wares are highly sought after through out Isankur.
Personality: Exiles are a rather melancholy race; a strange sadness seems to permeate their highly stratified society. They are also rather xenophobic almost unsure of how to mingle with other races. Many people of the civilized races find the exiles treat them rather coolly and mages find that most exiles are openly hostile and even violent. If one can gain the trust of an exile however you can never hope to find a friend who will do more for you, as the exile saying goes “friends and lives together”. Usually warriors and artists find the easiest acceptance when dealing with exiles. Exiles that adventure however are usually ones that didn’t quite fit in with societal norms.
Physical Description: Pale and thin most exiles stand between 5’ and 5’6” women are only somewhat more slender than the men are and most exiles weigh somewhere between 100 and 150 lbs. With their light complexion most exiles countenances are off set by strikingly dark hair usually ranging in tone from dark brown and black to more exotic colors such as blue, purple or on the rare occasion pink or even pale blonde. Exiles are fast and their sleek look shows this, with slim features and swept back slightly pointed ears most humans find the looks of the exiles quite alluring. Dressing in dark somber tones the exiles wear little ostentatious jewelry preferring to showcase their status through their homes which can often times be rather flamboyant, even gaudy. Kenji warriors also carry heavy facial tattoos that mark their house affiliation. Exiles have a similar lifespan to humans.
Relations: Exiles as a whole don’t get along well with anyone who is not an exile. This is not an innate inability to function with others. It is merely a problem with coming from a highly stratified, xenophobic and magiphobic society. Exiles that do however leave their home and travel Isankur soon learn that to be so closed mined generally ends in an altercation. Despite past differences most exiles find that most humans, especially merchants, are willing to put the past in the past. Though with the past being only a slight fifty years dealing with humans could also turn ugly fast. Dwarves and exiles are usually indifferent to each other, as long as the dwarf in mention isn’t mage the two races can get on pretty well, unless one or the other happens to open their mouth. The reclusive oghrim rarely meet any of the new comers so it is unsure how they might act, though with the southern oghrim there is a odd respect between the two races, who both suffer under the oppressive yoke of the Shesherim empire.
Alignment: With their peoples highly stratified society many exiles have a lawful bent, allowing them to keep the status quo, though chaotic tendencies are not uncommon either especially among adventuring types. As to good and evil exiles have little predisposition to either and the best and worst can be numbered among them.
Exile Lands: Exiles only have a small kingdom to call their own though it is situated on the extremely fertile Eagean peninsula (once a highly contested region) laying between Keldreal and Shesherim. Most exiles can be found toiling in this area at the behest of their ruling class, The Pure. Outside of these lands most exiles can be found within in the Empire of Shesh. Small groups can also be found wandering in the north as well, but few make permanent homes outside of Eagea.
Language: Exiles speak their own language, Essyrian, which uses its own script and characters that is as beautiful as it is complex. Exiles found outside of Eagea most likely also speak either Isan or Sheshen.
Names: Exiles have long names that usually contain a list of their ancestors and sometimes even their deeds. An exiles name also ends with the house in which the exile belongs and many houses bring with them a sense of honor and pride.
Sample name: Ren son of Lurong, son of Banwei, of the house of Raven’s Flight.
Exile Racial Traits
+2 dexterity: Exiles are much nimbler than other races.
-2 penalty to bluff and diplomacy when dealing with non exiles. This reflects the exile's xenophobic nature.
Medium: as medium creatures, exiles have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Exile base land speed is 40 feet. Exiles are exceedingly fast.
+2 racial bonus on listen, spot and search checks due to exiles keen senses.
+2 racial bonus to any single craft or perform skill: this shows the exiles devotion to perfection.
Favored Class: Any
I know how it feels to try to type up all that stuff again (it sucks) but I've been trying to get back what I lost. Thus far, I am too lacking in drive thanks to the crash killing 900 of my posts...
On the flip side of things, if you DON'T want to change their appearance, then perhaps you may want to consider presenting them as your own personal type of Elves. I strongly suspect that if you don't change their appearance, then players will think of them as "Somber Elves" anyway, whether you want them to or not. 
The cultural concept of "overweight" is definitely a moving target as well. From Rennaissance women to 1980's "twiggy-style" women is a shocking range of acceptable body weight.
