Chthonic Vampyre (5e Race)

Chthonic Vampyre

“	From stygian depths we were sired, now we walk along halls of cold stone around a hearth that forever preserves us.	”
—Unknown

Physical Description

Image Created By: Blake Henriksen

Chthonic vampyres are typically lean or toned individuals who stand slightly shorter than a typical humanoid. Their skin tends to vary slightly in tone, ranging from deep grays to near off-white. Facially these beings are oft considered repulsive to one unfamiliar with the typical appearance of grotesque hellish beings. The eyes of these beings tend to resemble glowing orbs due to the fact that they are one color throughout, usually a variety of reds, yellows, or simply an off-white. Standing out however among these single colored orbs is a web of thin lightning-scar-like coloring that is typically a pure black in color.

These beings are always hairless from head to toe, their skin is slightly rough when touched, and is bound quite tightly around the body. A chthonic vampyre's ears exist as one of the most visible points of the creature, for they are considerably larger than one might expect, coming to a sharp point that shifts almost perfectly upwards rather than back. Within the being's mouth, one would find two rows of sharp and jagged teeth complementing four rather imposing fangs, two atop and two below jutting out betwixt the two rows.

The creature's arms are surprisingly long for their height, falling to just above their knees. While this is commonplace for a chthonic vampyre, it is not always the case, although a rarity - these beings have been found to almost perfectly resemble a typical humanoid in stature and gait. However, the final defining feature of these creatures resides on their hands, fingers slightly thinner and elongated, sharp and short claws residing where one's fingernails would normally be.

History

Chthonic vampyres are a timeless race which has populated the depths of the nine hells for as long as creation is believed to have persisted. Rumored to be born within the darkest depths of the Hells, the exact location unknown, these vampyres originated in a place said to be barren and abandoned, where pools of black dot the ground among scorched earth and those most unwelcome are sent to eternally wander. These pools are believed to be the residue of all those who perished timelessly in the hells, only to be forced back to life, leaving behind their materialized resentments and negativity. It is when souls exiled here seek to walk no longer that they find no other option but to delve into the pools about them, seeking something new among the unending nihilism. There, they are changed by the dark negative energies in the liquids, which permeate and horribly warp their every being. Their minds are restructured and their form is endlessly torn apart and reassembled. Many are known never to resurface, forever swallowed by the weight of darkness. Those who survive are cocooned in the liquid as they gestate and have their minds wiped clean and bodies rebuilt. Hours pass before the survivors are known to emerge from within the depths. Yet, as they walk forth they are unlike they once were, twisted and changed into the creatures we know as chthonic vampyres. Given a new chance with their memories removed, they are born anew as a creature of the barren wastes.

Society

The society of chthonic vampyres is a complex thing indeed, varying from existence to existence. However, it tends to still adhere to a typical theme revolving around a being whose reality is debatable. Little is known regarding the truth. However, it seems to be that there exists an unnamed abomination, who is revered as a creator and protector of these hated and feral individuals, that binds the societies of these vampyres. Known as the 'Church within the Grey Wastes', this eye-catching cathedral rests in an oft unreachable location further into the outer lands of the hells, beyond this typically-labelled 'endless barren abyss'. It would seem that the transformation and rebirth that is a chthonic vampyre grants an innate sense to find the hidden location. This church is the center of chthonic vampyre society in their civilization of the Hells.

Here, one finds the gathering, where the ousted find refuge with their equally damned kin. Upon a dais of black stone rests a pool so like those of the endless wastes, yet its waters are endless when taken from. Here, an individual seen as an arch-priest of sorts dips a silver chalice into the liquids. Consuming it is rumored to grant the drinker visions from their god, promises of protection, and rare quests, which their deity demands as service in exchange for keeping their home here safe from the outsiders. From time to time, however, a chthonic vampyre may arise from the pools unlike his/her rather mindless kin, their sense of individuality and freedom preserved. It is these twisted beings that walk towards the surface, their memories of the past erased all the same, yet their absolute self-awareness kept safe during the transformation. For reasoning unknown, they find themselves not with their kin, but upon the surface, cast out for their differences to roam the surface lands until they one day perish from the world which rejects them.

Names

Names taken by these creatures range across all cultures adopted often from the first individuals they meet, or the first given names they hear.

Male: Man Bat, Gorus, Lazarus

Female: Ariane, Lys, Olive

Chthonic Vampyre Traits

Twisted and cast from the infernal wastes to wander the surface lands.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Constitution score increases by 1.
Age. Chthonic Vampyres are ageless, their reborn form allowing them to never die of old age.
Alignment. Chthonic Vampyre's do not adhere to any particular alignment. While their memories are purged through rebirth, their personality remains, and therefore is different for each individual.
Size. Chthonic Vampyres are oft shorter than typical humans, their height ranging from 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 feet, weight ranging from 90 to 140 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Infernal Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 120 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.
Vampyric Nature. You require sustenance in the form of blood to sustain your fiendish existence. You do not need to eat or sleep, but you can ingest food and drink if you wish, though this food is always bland and stale to you. If you go for longer then seven days without drinking blood as per your Feed trait, you suffer one level of exhaustion on the midnight of that day, which can only be removed by drinking blood. After consuming blood, you recover all levels of exhaustion. If you reach six levels of exhaustion due to this trait, you die.
Stygian Birth. A rebirth by foreign and infernal nature means you are resistant to fire damage.
Feed. Chthonic vampyres are savage bloodsuckers. When you grapple a creature, as a bonus action, you may bite them, dealing 1d8 piercing damage and drinking their blood as per your Vampyric Nature trait.
Fiendish. Your creature type is fiend instead of humanoid for the purposes of spells and effects. You are vulnerable to radiant damage.
Languages. You can speak, read and write Common and Infernal.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
4′ 6''	+1d12	90 lb.	× (3) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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