Ōkami (5e Race)

Ōkami

Physical Description

A white Ōkami by Canidae

Ōkami are similar to anthrolupes in that they are anthropomorphic canids. Their faces are still very much canine, though their eyes are more human. They have prehensile hands but their feet and legs remain like that of a beasts. Most notable are the marks on their fur. Most ōkami have fur that is tints of white to black, with some having grey. White ōkami have red markings on their fur like that of the sun's flames. Black ōkami have blue marks like the ocean's waves. Grey ōkami have a mix of these motifs. Ōkami males commonly wear little clothing, preferring to show off their markings with scant jewelry instead. Females, however, often deck themselves in layered robes.

History

Ōkami are beings hailing from the continent of Kara-Tur, specifically from the island nation of Wa and the archipelago of Kozakura. There, they lived among the variable other anthropomorphic animals of the hengeyokai race. Because of their appearance, ōkami are commonly mistaken to be of the inugami subrace from the daiyokai variety. They are in fact powerful creatures that claim lineage from creation by two of the Nine Immortals of the Celestial Empire pantheon.

As their history goes, the white ōkami are said to have been fashioned by Ai Ch'ing and the black ōkami by Chan Cheng. The two gods were originally in a feud over whose role was more prominent in the Celestial Bureaucracy. At some point, Chan drove Ai into hiding by having his ōkami commit a bloody massacre of several of her creations. The other immortals were just as appalled as her withdrawal resulted in the withering of populations due to the goddess of love no longer sharing her gift with the world. The Celestial Emperor dispatched Fa Kuan, immortal of justice, to broker peace between the two.

Fa, with the help of the other immortals, pressured Chan into apologizing. He allegedly snapped his favorite sword, Yung Kan, in two as a sign of repentance. Fa presented the shards of the blade to Ai in her seclusion. It is said she cried for Chan having lost his favored weapon despite his wrongdoing against her. Her tears fell upon the shards and thus the grey ōkami were born. Ai came out to grace the nations once more, and she and Chan reconciled their differences.

Society

Back during the feuding times between Ai and Chan, the black and white ōkami were heavily divided and constantly in battle. After the gods reconciled, their relations have mended, and they have come to accept the grey ōkami as proof of peace over differences. The ōkami are not as spread out as the hengeyokai over Kara-Tur, staying mainly on the islands. Their communities are similarly isolated like the korobokuru, staying away from the overly rigid castes of Kozakura and Wa. They live in simple yet elegant villages usually hidden from outsiders. Ōkami marry for life, and they are fiercely loyal beings. They all strive to follow the Path of Enlightenment in religion.

In an ōkami village, there is usually a village chief. There is then a cleric and warrior group which work collaboratively with the chief to oversee and protect the populace. Artisans and practitioners of magic and scholarship are predominantly ōkami of the white variety, where as the warriors are usually of the black fur kind. Grey ōkami have the best of both worlds, having no overt propensity for either. While outsiders are looked down upon, ōkami are known to travel about the world themselves, particularly merchants.

Ōkami Names

Ōkami usually use Wa-an for their names, which are written in Shou script.

Male: Susanoo, Yorumaru, Hiro, Kusano, Narutsuki

Female: Amaterasu, Shirayuki, Ooima, Suigintou, Barasuishou

Ōkami Traits

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2.
Age. Ōkami have rather long lifespans, but they mature quickly, at around 8 years of age. They can live up to around 250 years.
Alignment. They tend to be lawful due to their religion. Given their god's history, they are not proponents of violence, using force only when threatened.
Size. Ōkami vary in height and build, from 4 and a half feet to 5 and a half feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Scent Picker. You have advantage in Wisdom (Perception) and (Survival) checks using your sense of smell.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Wa-an, which uses the Shou script.
Subrace. Choose either the black, white, or grey subrace.

Black

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Warrior Type. Chan's warrior-like tendencies course through you. You are proficient in two weapons of your choice.
War Howl. You can rally allies with a vicious howl. As an action, you give a loud call to rouse allies. Creatures friendly to you within 60 feet of you that can hear and are not deafened have advantage on attack rolls until the end of their next turn. You must finish a long rest to use this trait again.
Roiling Waves. The markings on your skin attest to your power. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

White

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.
Artisans. You are proficient in a tool of your choice.
Ai's Gift. The flames on your fur are not just for show. You are resistant to fire damage.
Scholar. Choose one of the following options:

• You know one cantrip of your choice from the wizard spell list. Charisma is your spellcasting modifier for this spell.
• You are proficient in one Intelligence and one Wisdom skill of your choice.
• You know three additional languages of your choice.
  

Grey

Ability Score Increase. One ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Shards. Chan's sword which birthed the gray Ōkami was named bravery. You have it coursing through your being. You are immune to being frightened.
Pliable Skills. You are proficient in one skill of your choice.
Pliable Strength. You are proficient in one weapon of your choice.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
4′ 6''	+1d12	120 lb.	× (1d6) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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