Ashlang (5e Race)
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Ashlang[edit]
| “ | What is better than to see the world bleed? Twist its limbs, crack its bones, feed on the marrow and sorrow, lick its pretty face, melt its eyeballs and feed on it's tongue. | ” |
| —Drysantilla, First Ashlang Queen | ||
Born in decadent places and condemned to darkness, this beings thrive against all odds and fight for every kernel in their existance. Permanently hungry and with extreme passion for pain, Ashlangs are manipulative and violent, mighty undead that have simple desires: To corrupt what they can and to destroy what they can't.
Physical Description[edit]
Ashlangs are tall, lanky creatures, with beautiful features, skin as pale as snow and long, silky blood red hair. Their eyes are a feral yellow-orange that gleam in the darkness with an outworldy hunger. All Ashlangs are extremely skinny, with their rib cages showing, and each of their hands and toes end with sharp black talons. They are always extremely hungry for fresh flesh and blood, and lust over any carnal display. They are also just as greedy as dragons, and love flaunting their belongings, often by wearing nothing but the riches they have piled over the years.
Ashlangs are mostly made by one of them corrupting a humanoid with her venom, but on a few rare occasions, there has been a couple of Ashlangs who were bred. As male & female Ashlang cannot reproduce together, they seek other mates to fulfill that need, if it ever arises. Success in mating with an Ashlang is extremely rare, as they are not compatible with most other creatures. If mating with an Ashlang occurs, roll 1d100. On a 1, the non-Ashlang creature must make a Con Save equal to the Ashlang's Con or be poisoned. On a 100, the female becomes pregnant.
A female pregnant must do a successful CON save (DC 23) to be able to survive child-birth, as the child will grow fast, and will claw, tear and bite it's way out of the uterus. The newborn, who will immediately leave it's mother to live it's own life, will be considered Ashlang.
The rare mothers who survive childbirth are veneered as leaders of the communities, or Matriarchs. Surviving childbirth gives an Ashlang renown, a title and respect; but it is an eventuality that is so rare that most of them wouldn't even attempt to.
Ashlang grow extremly fast; almost 5x faster than humans. Within 2 months the child is fully formed inside the pregnant female's uterus, and by age 3, it is considered to be adult.
They seldom grow older than 40, but most of them do not even reach that point in their lives, usually killed either by other Ashlangs or by humanoids they have wronged.
History[edit]
Most of the oldest texts come from just after the Third Great Draconic War, although the differences on the description of them makes historians think that either they are not the same Ashlangs than described or that some other creatures get confused as one, like arborials, vampire spawn or maybe even hags.
Although apparently their origin is from the Abyss or the nine hells, no one can say for sure, as there are no texts refering to their origin and Ashlangs don't remember or just refuse to talk about it. Although they are in aspect demonic, alchemical and medical studies refer to them more like an undead, like a vampire or a zombie. The Ashlang have mostly all evolved their behaviour into a slightly less aggressive version of the one refered in historical texts. Only the Pure Bloods, or Gray Cloaks, retain those feral habits.
Society[edit]
Most ancient texts refer to them as a solid Matriarchy that had about 20 members; and this tends to be true in most of the oldest Ashlang refuges, but in modern times they tend to have a pseudofeudal system of government with the leaders being the Great Cloaks, who can be of any gender, but tend to be male. This groups are usually formed by groups of up to 5 Ashlangs that share the same space, related by blood or not, while the cloaks govern them all. Only some of the most modernly formed groups have been able to be leaded by a monarch. The Queen that was able to subjugate them to her rule is called Drysantilla, and rules fiercely and without remorse, bringing the old feared power of the original Ashlangs back into play. Ashlangs outside of any system, especially the Half-Bloods, are seen as lesser than nothing and roam the slums of big cities, eating others and each other in starvation and deprivation. Although the matriarchies and the Cloak governed tend to be isolationists, with little to no interest into other races besides forming new members by force; the Kingdom ones are slightly more interested in other races, not only as a way to get more members, but also as a way to recruit stronger ones, as they can only be created by using willing creatures, either from a humanoid willingly becoming a Silverblood by getting bitten by the Queen herself, being transformed into a Pureblood by getting your blood exchanged in a terryfying ritual or being killed and resurrected as a Newblood in another ritual.
Ashlang Names[edit]
Ashlang tend to take names that sound imperious or important. Males names often end in "Us" or "O", like latin terminology, while females usually end in "Ia".
Male: Lucius, Victus, Nero, Magnus, Imperiun, Magno, Unium
Female: Ellysia, Caesina, Valora, Euphemia, Mesalinia, Cassioppea, Juno
Ashlang Traits[edit]
Undead creatures who indulge in the idea of domination over any other being.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution or your Charisma score increases by 2
Age. Ashlang are mostly ritualistically made, not born. But for the rare ones who do get birthed, they age incredibly fast, walking and eating meat within the few hours of being born. Ashlangs, born or made, due to reckless lives, do not live long, and most do not reach half a century. Some purebloods have been reported to have lived 600 years, but it is unconfirmed.
Alignment. Most of them are Chaotic Evil. There have been examples of Neutral or even good Ashlangs, but they are extremely rare.
Size. You are around 6 to 7 feet tall and weight around 100 pounds. Your size is medium.
Speed. Your base speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. As a mostly nocturnal predator, 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.
Careful Manipulation. You may channel your ancestor's aura and gain advantage on either a Deception or Persuasion check. You can declare you are using it after doing the roll, but before the DM declares if you succeed or failed. You can use this again after a long rest.
Natural poison. You have glands situated under your tongue that secrete a special poison. Every time you do an unarmed attack using a bite you can also inject this poison in your target. One dose is enough to affect one medium sized target, or can be used to coat a weapon. If placed on a weapon or object, the toxin dries within a minute of being applied and it is no longer toxic.
On a bite, or hit with the toxin, it deals 1d4 acid damage. The target must then do a CON save equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + Your CON modifier to resist the poisonous effect. On a fail the target takes an extra 1d4 poison damage per turn for 10 minutes. Target may try a new save every 30 seconds, stopping the effect in a success. On a successful save the target only takes the initial acid damage and isn't affected by the poison. If a target's hp is reduced to 0 while taking poison damage, it is knocked down as normal and it rolls death saves as usual. In a success, it is considered infected and turns into an Half-blood Ashlang within 1d10 days. A DC of 15 medicine (wisdom) is needed to notice the infection, and only a remove curse before the character turns into an ashlang can cure it, after that only a Wish spell or Divine intervention. The damage from the bite and the poison increases to 2d4 at the 6th level, 3d4 at the 11th level and 4d4 at the 16th level.
Languages. You speak and write Ashlang, Draconic and Common. Ashlang, for the layman, sounds like a combination of high pitched screams, screechs and discordant sounds, with very few consonants. It is written with the draconic script.
Subrace. Choose one between Silverblood, Pureblood and Newblood. If you were converted by a bite or a wound you are a half-blood and your ratial traits change to adjust your new race.
Silverblood Ashlang (The Ageless Ones)[edit]
The Silverbloods are some of the oldest Ashlangs, as they can manipulate their age and death doesn't scare them. They are some of the biggest, tankiest amongst them and are hellbent on slaughtering all foes, specially dragons. Your endless blood red mane sports multiple silvery strands and your eyes glow like a pale, cloudless moonlight. Your talons are short, curved, like clawed gauntlets.
Ability Score Increase. Increase your Wisdom or Strength score by 1.
Ancient knowledge. You have advantage in Wisdom related saves and checks.
Rejuvenation. When you drop to 0hp but not immediately killed, you can decide to immediately roll a death save. In a success you get immediately stabilized and you get petrified for 1d12 hours. After that, you regain all your health back and can decide to reduce your age by 1d10 years, but you can't gain the benefits of a short or long rest for the next 24 hours. In a failure, you roll your death saves as usual. You can use this trait again only after 7 days have passed.
Pure Blood Ashlang (The Angered Ones)[edit]
Pure Bloods are rarely found, and are powerful and devilish creatures even amongst the Ashlang. With their golden strings of hair amongst the red, this creatures are often feared leaders and/or tormentors of the lesser Ashlang. They have monstrous, fiendish faces that they sometimes they just accentuate to look even more beastly, or illusion spells to look even more powerful. They are adept and fierce warriors. With their elongated claws and fangs, they charge into battle with a furious, gory hunger, devouring all.
Ability Score Increase. Increase your Dexterity or Strength score by 1
Blood Rage. After a turn where you hurt physically at least 1 creature, you can use your bonus action to get in blood rage until the ending of your next turn. Covered in blood and gore, you lose absolutely all defensive abilities in exchange of becoming a bringer of pain. You can use this ability again after a long rest. You can't combine this trait with other similar class traits, and if so you choose which one to apply.
* Your equipment is just limiting your anger: If you are using a shield or weapons, you drop or sheathe them, losing all benefits of them for this turn.
* Your claws grow to be extremely long and sharp, glowing menacingly: You gain advantage on every attack and attack of opportunity as long as they are done with your unarmed strikes. Your claw attack can also apply your natural poison trait only for this turn.
* You feel nothing but a deep, dark hunger: You can roll additional attacks and attacks of opportunity equal to your CON modifier.
Hunger. When you are in your Blood Rage, if you do one of the attacks of opportunity with your bite, you gain temporary HP equal to half the amount of damage dealt with it, including poison effects.
New Blood Ashlang (The Alluring Ones)[edit]
New Bloods are the newly mutated "basic" Ashlang. They have learned how to blend in to not attract attention, or to attract it, but in the best way possible. They are careful, cunning creatures and predators. Genetically, they are curvier than other Ashlang, carrying more "defined" bodies, and beautiful faces with plump lips and bright, shinny eyes. They are mostly females, and sport short, sharp talons, and a double canine mouth. They talk in a melodic voice that seems to entrance anyone who hears it.
Ability Score Increase. Increase your Intelligence or Wisdom score by 1
Beautiful Distraction. When you fail a persuasion or deception check, you may choose to reformulate your words, with a nice smile, playful shove or wink, and re-roll. You must take the new roll. If rolling at advantage, you may choose to re-roll only one of the d20. You can use this trait once per short or long rest.
Sweet Scent. You may choose to exude pheromones by dabbing some of your venom on your neck. When you shroud yourself in your pheromones every creature that can smell in a 10 feet radius sphere of you have disadvantage on charisma related checks made against you for one minute.
Half-Blood Ashlang (The Cinder Ones)[edit]
Slaves to their passions and the natural anger of their heritage, half-bloods are little more than cannon fodder for the rest of their race. Involved in causing pain to other creatures and even themselves and forgeting slowly who they used to be, this are sneaky creatures who live most of their short lives in slums and decrepit towns. They are smaller and skinnier than other Ashlangs, with their eyes, their skin and talons being dull grays. Their numbers tend to be their strength: One of them dying is immediately replaced and their attacks will go with renewed power.
Ability Score Increase. Increase your Strength or Dexterity score by 1
Superior Darkvision. Your darkvision range is 120 feet.
Numerical tactics. You have advantage on a melee Attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 ft. of the creature and the ally isn't Incapacitated.
Random Height and Weight[edit]
| Base Height |
Height Modifier* |
Base Weight |
Weight Modifier** |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5′ 11'' | +3d4 | 88 lb. | × (1d2) lb. |
|
*Height = base height + height modifier | |||
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