Camelfolk (5e Race)

Camelfolk

“	The desert has the ultimate treasure: the indomitable peace of its silence. It also has the ultimate torture: the indomitable horror of its silence. The difference is just in what situation you are.	”
—Nemmer Sandcastle, camelfolk merchant

Have you ever fallen unconscious in the desert, then wake up in shelter or at an oasis? It might have been these desert faring beastfolk having found you and brought you to the area you woke up at. Wise and resilient, this race of merchants live for one reason: to sell fares where no one can sell them and to travel through places that no one can cross.

Physical Description

A Camelfolk mercenary (credit goes to enjoliquej)

Camelfolk are tall, hairy creatures, but never taller than 9 feet tall, although they are really heavy and sturdy. Their elongated snout have nasal openings that not only regulate their breathing but can permeate the sand easily. Their big eyes and second eyelid give them a goofy appearance and their long, strong neck make them even taller. They rarely get beards or mustaches.

The most notorious characteristic is their humps: They usually have 2 humps like a Bactrian camel despite having more in common with dromedary camels, but it is not unusual for them to have only one hump.

They are bipedal, with 3 enormous fingers and one thumb on their hands, so they actually require weaponry specially adapted for them to be used, and normal camel hooves as their feet. They have a thick layer of fur, generally golden or brown, although black has been reported in extraordinary cases.

History

A strange and semi-seclusive beastfolk species that prefer to keep to themselves. The time of when they showed up, according to them anyways, predates gods, though most scholars don't believe this as it would make no chronological sense.

Even with those claims, in reality, their origin can be traced, at most, to the last 1000 years. According to some texts found in remote oasis and forgotten structures from ancient civilizations, their origin can be linked to the merchants guild "Eye of Selethor", famous at their time for transporting most of the merchandises that had to cross the inhospitable desserts at the time. One day, besides each of the camel transporting merchandises at full, the first ever group of camelfolks were protecting these camels and carrying their masters. The exact origin is not known, but magic is almost certain to be the cause.

Their might, power and resilience soon were confronted with the reality that their masters didn't care about them, but about their utility as workers, so they revolted during one of such caravans, killed their masters, freed both camels and themselves and stole the goods they protected. As going into the desserts without any camels would have meant certain death and camels were helping the camelfolk, no mercenary would give chase to them. They built their home in the first oasis they found. Time passed and camelfolk started trading with other societies. This commerce is what still keeps their world alive and their burning surrounding desserts surrounding them is what protects them from other races.

Society

Their society is based on both compassion and resilience. Despite their reclusive nature they have been known to help out those who have fallen unconscious in the deserts, usually leaving them outside villages in the desert for others to take care of, or leaving them by an oasis, usually, the furthest away possible from the one where they live. They rarely ever leave the desert unless they are into exotic merchandise.

Population in their cities is homogenously made out of camelfolk: Few creatures of other races get into these cities and even fewer can live there.

Although they have many camelfolk cities, all of them with their own oasis, they are completely autonomous and rarely communicate with each other unless they are allied and getting attacked or sickness is spreading. Each city's government is feudal, with each city having its own king and territory, with most of the common folk being farmers or merchants. Although they have a compassionate heart, when magic is involved they will show no mercy. Magicians are heavily regulated and must report directly to the king or queen. The slightest suspicion on their work is enough for the magician to get either exiled or executed.

The family is as changing as the sands: Weddings are exceptionally rare, stable partners are uncommon and it is not rare for a female or male to have multiple partners and families, each knowing each other. The exception of this is the royal family, which is monogamic and can only marry other royal members. These marriages are mainly for public relations and to close deals or alliances with other cities.

As they are natural merchants, their trade is always exotic, although rarely magic: perfumes, fine weaponry and armors, specialized (and usually expensive) weaponry for races that can't use the normal ones like themselves or Scorpion-kin, luxorious clothes, dried fruits, art, jewelry... They may sell magic objects, but persuading them into telling they have them is almost impossible. They may buy magic objects, but they will do it if the object is rare or if the price is really low.

Camelfolk Names

They are typically named after ancient desert rulers, although females may be named after elements of the desert or simply fruits. Other races names are appropriate for families that have been merchants most of their life.

Male: Apparo, Claptom, Fernes, Hornem, Narmer, Menes, Tut , Nemnsis, Osiris.

Female: Ahnesis, Cleopatra, Mist, Nehbi, Papaya, Quirian, Rain, Rehnis, Sandstorm.

Camelfolk Traits

A reclusive race of bipedal camels.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.
Age. Camelfolk are considered mature at 5 years old and most live up to 50 years. reaching up to 80 years old has been reported, but extremely rare.
Alignment. They are merchants that don't want any trouble, so they are normally lawful neutral. Variations are common.
Size. Your size can range from 7 to 9 feet tall while weighing more than 350 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet
Acclimated Sight. 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.
Beastial origins. Your creature type is both humanoid and beast.
Food Storage. You are able to store fat into your humps to keep yourself from suffering fatigue from not eating or drinking. You can go a number of days without food equal to your Constitution score and can survive without water for half as long.
Strong Carrier. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push or drag.
Desertborn. You are proficient in the Survival skill and you are acclimated to extreme heat, as described in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
6′ 5''	+3d10	350 lbs lb.	× (1d4) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

5.00

(2 votes)

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