Ambis (5e Race)

Ambis

Physical Description

By MsPhoenix

Ambis are humanoids evolved from amoebas. They are translucent and tend towards unsaturated blues and greens for skin hue. They have several pseudopods for hair, and lack any and all facial features, save for a single large floating eye in the core of their head. Other bits of organelles drift around in their open circulation body. This eye doubles as their brain, and is an ambis' weakest point. As such, ambis tend to not wear much body armor, but have elaborate defensive headgear. Ambis are mute and communicate through telepathic touch. Ambis remain in good health in their old age; their bodies only begin to fail them mere days before their death. The only sign of an ambis' age is their size, which steadily increases with every passing year.

History

The history of ambis society has been lost to time, but it's often rumored that they've been around since long before the birth of humanity. They are direct descendants of ancient amoebas, and to this day are still single-celled organisms. They are extremely large cells however, bigger than many macrocellular organisms, which they have evolved to be able to feed off of. There is a theory that the universe is one giant organism which the amoebas inhabit, the scale of which makes them insignificantly microscopic.

Society

Ambis are an immensely secretive society, who build deep and elaborate (but also wet and dimly lit) cities in underground aquifers, with very well hidden entrances. While travellers are not forbidden from entering an ambis city, they are never invited, and are always regarded with suspicion. Every known ambis city is ancient, each one at least several thousand years old.

Ambis society is almost hive-mind like in nature, fuelled by constant interaction between civilians to form something greater than the sum of its parts. News and gossip spreads through an ambis city like a plague: one ambis will catch wind of anything from visiting travellers, an invading force, or even just a pothole, and this rumor will then spread through the entire population in a very short period of time. This is all thanks to the nature of ambis: they communicate not through sound but through telepathically transmitting concepts with a touch. One ambis will simple brush arms with another, and in doing so, exchange every piece of daily gossip they know. As such, an ambis city can be very disconcerting to travellers. Entire crowds of ambis will wander through city streets but make barely any sound.

Due to the constant sharing of information, ambis are extremely effective at dividing up labor and assigning tasks. When food is low, an ambis city can quickly mobilize hunters, gatherers, farmers, or traders to fulfill that need. When a threat arises, many ambis will volunteer as militia and undergo silent training regimes. While many ambis have specialties, most will learn to perform any number of jobs, from shopkeepers, soldiers, record keepers, and schoolteachers. However, ambis society is incredibly vulnerable to false rumors: starting one is a crime punishable by exile!

Ambis do not have traditional families, due to their unique method of reproduction. Ambis reproduce asexually, through mitosis: when they reach the end of their natural lifespan, they divide into several young ambis children. Some ambis will take on much younger (adult) romantic partners they trust to raise their children after they're gone, so large age gaps are not considered weird in their society. Other ambis may even form polyamorous families to communally raise any children that arise. Though still, many ambis die alone, leaving orphaned children who are quickly adopted by others.

Ambis have a written language, but it is rarely used in active communication; they much prefer to telepathically communicate without language. It is mostly used for record keeping, and never for any form of art.

Ambis Names

Ambis are asexual and have no cultural distinction between gender. As ambis also do not have a spoken language, they do not have pronounceable names. If their written name is a word in the written Ambis language, they may refer to themselves by the common translation of that word. Otherwise, they name themselves, or receive one or more nicknames from members of other races. If an ambis is raised outside of their culture, they may or may not adopt a gender identity and presentation.

Translated Names: Perseverance, Shallow Pool, Column, Peace, Pride

Nicknames: Drip, Slimy, Turbo, Sparky, Hero, Mr. Blobby, any Common name, any name from any other language, or even multiple nicknames; one from each person or group of people.

Ambis Traits

Mute humanoid slimefolk who communicate through touch
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2 and your Constitution increases by 1.
Age. Ambis mature fairly quickly, at the age of 15, as they are born with the equivalent development of a toddler. However, they live to be around 240 years old.
Alignment. Ambis society tends not to show much emotion. Most ambis tend towards true neutral.
Size. The height of an ambis depends on its age. A young adult ambis is rarely much over 5 feet tall, but an ambis near the end of its lifespan approaches 8 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Mute. Ambis are all mute and incapable of speaking. You can cast spells without using a vocal component.
Telepathic Touch. You are capable of telepathically transmitting your thoughts to any creature you touch, so long as you understand its language. If you do not speak its language, you are at least capable of transmitting wordless concepts.
Gelatinous. Your body, save for your vulnerable nucleus, is made up of gelatinous slime that resists physical harm. Bludgeoning and piercing damage you take is reduced by your proficiency bonus.
Amphibious. You can breathe in both air and water.
Languages. You understand Common, but cannot speak it. You are able to read Written Ambis. Written Ambis is a confusing language as no characters represent any spoken syllables.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
4′ 8''	+2d20	90 lb.	× (2) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

Suggested Characteristics

When creating an ambis character, you can use the following table) of traits, ideals, bonds and flaws to help flesh out your character. Use these tables in addition to or in place of your background's characteristics.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I have no filter. I'll talk about anything without hesitation.
2	I dislike the noise and light of the surface, preferring the calm of my home city.
3	The texture and warmth of fleshy species fascinates me and i hold their hands much too long.
4	The slow, useless, blabbering mouths and disorganized lives of non-ambis grate on me.
5	I can't stand being on my own and without something to do.
6	I am eager to help others, just like i helped at my home.
7	I make it my business to be informed of even the smallest gossip in town.
8	I find the emotion the fleshy ones call "love" deeply disconcerting. Hopefully, it's not infectious!

d6	Ideal
1	Truth: constructing falsities is a great crime! (Lawful)
2	Greater Good: It is my honor and duty to die for the sake of others. (Good)
3	Knowledge: The world is full of wonders, secrets and stories, all waiting to be learned. (Any)
4	Legacy: All my life is a preparation for the ambis that will come after me. (Neutral)
5	Secrets: The one who knows all while the rest knows nothing is fit to rule. (Evil)
6	Independence: I will make my own identity and my own name, to prove i am something different from the rest of my kind. (Chaotic)

d6	Bond
1	I was not born in an ambis city and want to find one.
2	I would do anything for the sake of my city.
3	The people are whom I strive to help.
4	We are all one in this grand body of universe.
5	People, I feel, should look up to me.
6	I like to put myself in someone else's shoes to see their point of view.

d6	Flaw
1	I keep too many secrets, even things that don't need to be.
2	I tend to isolate myself from other people and shoulder everything. Or try to.
3	I can be a bit naive when it comes to other natures.
4	Other minds will forever remain opaque to me. Therefore, I must be suspicious always.
5	People dislike my sloppy eating habits.
6	I can be bit pompous.

5.00

(3 votes)

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