Clayën (5e Race)

Clayën

“	You think just because you have your weapon drawn I'm in danger? Honey, I could draw my weapon, kill you and your entire party, and make some nice jambalaya before you could even say "jambalaya." Is anyone else hungry for jambalaya?	”
—Khërefi Lingobba, the Black Sand Bandit

Physical Description

The Clayën appear like humanoid mantis shrimps. They have a head, containing eyes, antenna, mouth and mouthparts, and antennal scales. They actually have a defined broadening of the shoulders, but no neck. From there, they have a pair of human like arms, though these are covered in their exoskeleton. From the shoulderblades also emerge their raptorial appendages. These have a massive musculature in the first segment, which curves back over the bicep and rest over the chest. the second segment, or propus, descends, forming a bulb like shape, which ends in the dactyl. In Peacock Clayën, this curves back upwards, merging with the propus to form a club. Zebra Clayën, this extends outwards to form a claw.

Beneath these arms, they have a series of less defined pereiopods on the chest, before the fuzzy pleopods on the belly, which are barely even "arms" anymore. The abdomen ends in an enormous telson, a fan shaped tail emerging from the back of a Clayëns waist, which also bears a pair of humanoid legs. They actually lack the entire "tail" found on a normal mantis shrimp, but that's because that isn't a tail—the digestive tract, and many other internal organs still extend through the pleon, only ending right before the telson, so this "tail" is actually homologous to the belly, while only the final segment is a true tail. But you don't need to hear that.

A Clayën is, of course, surrounded by a tough exoskeleton that protects them from the sun and physical damage. In Peacock Clayën, this advertises their fierce danger, and is in a vibrant rainbow of colors ranging from red to green to blue. They have enormous antennal scales, and their multifaceted eyes stick out above their head. Zebra Clayën are much more discreet, with and able to blend in with the sand, with an off-white shell with some black segments. Their antenna and scales are slimmer, and their eyes poke out less.

History

As with most things, the origin of the Clayën is unclear. They seem to enjoy blending in, and only appearing when necessary. The Clayën dwell in the harshest part of the Lovar desert, by the gulf of Rangar, and the territory in which they lived was thought to be uninhabited before Hamangia-Adamott declared its dominion over the Lovar. Most of the Lovar accepted this, knowing that the Empire had no interest in *actually* governing the day to day activities of a few cactus farmers.

The Clayën accepted this too, so to speak. They never went out of their way to attack Hamangian-Adamotian caravans. They would have attacked anyone. But it's certainly true that even before hostility rose in the Lovar, land inhabited by the Clayën was avoided. And eventually, hostility would rise. By now, we all know the story of the Lovar: Hamangia-Adamott invaded south into Askria, opening trade routes through the Lovar desert to connect the two halves of the empire. Tax collectors through the desert saw an opportunity to fabricate losses and pocket the extra money.

The people of the Lovar were willing to get in on the action (though none more enthusiastically than the cancroids), helping stage robberies and taking credit for them in exchange for a cut of the profits. The Clayën also joined in, though not entirely in the same spirit, as they were more likely to rob the entire caravan and perhaps even kill the tax collectors. Once again, the homeland of the Clayën became a no-man's-land, helpfully marked on maps to be avoided. They never got to partake in the riches that came from the spending of those unscrupulous tax collectors.

Of course, Hamangia-Adamott noticed the losses, and heard the excuses of bandits in the Lovar. The earth-shaking war of the Lovar began. The Clayën chose to support their brethren in the Lovar, and united into a single nation: Hohënwald Kingdom, or "the empty desert." Hohënwald was the pioneer in what would become the dreaded "Drifting Cities," gigantic fortresses floating across the desert on monstrous treads. Although any of these could obliterate an encampment and escape before reinforcements could track them down, Shen Ellenvien, or fortress black sand, looted the most cities, and became the wealthiest, being named the capital of Hohënwald Kingdom after independence was won.

Society

Shen Ellenvien doesn't move anymore, and has settled on the coast where it can become a center of trade in the gulf of Rangar. Most of the greatest drifting cities grew up suburbs in their final resting place, and are now too surrounded by urban sprawl to move, even if they could get their engines running again. This has divided the nation into two clear factions: those living on the coast are now well intertwined with merchant culture, and acquainted with their trading partners of Leimfatt and Hamangia. They maintain their opportunistic nature, but are mixed with the superstitions and independent ways of the north. In general, a Clayën living on the coast still thinks about what they can get out of someone, but in more complex methods.

Clayën that live inwards, on an oasis town, or on any of the still-operating drifting cities, have a much more nomadic and raider-y perception of life. Food and water are scarce, and need to be taken when possible. Familial and clan connections are strong, nearly unbreakable, but outsiders are greeted with only hostility. This has allowed them to scoop up the coveted position at the base of the slave trade in southern Cursa, capturing poor souls before they are shipped out across the continent. They raid rarely enough that the government sees them as a nuisance, not a threat, but when the grinding of the treads sounds on the horizon, those who hear it can only pray.

Clayën Names

Hohënwarian is spoken by a group of creatures with no tongue. They can still pronounce sounds made only with the back of the tongue, and this is still largely intelligible in other species, though it creates a very distinctive accent. R and L are both guttural sounds, pronounced like a french or german R, and a more L-like version of a W with unrounded lips.

Clayën names contain two parts, one short name and a longer name.

Male: Ägïj, Aghmuch, Apükh, Chäkh, Exhïhh, Hhäxh, Ighokh, Mwrix, Owrep, Ükakh, Uqhik, Uxekh, Whnähh, Xhakh

Female: Äghïjh, Aghmugh, Apür, Chär, Exhïh, Hhärw, Ighor, Mwrijh, Owreb, Ükar, Uqhig, Uxer, Whnäh, Xhar

Second Male: Ahhwhuqhïhhwhuch, Ëmokwrumowhx, Gihigibhg, Ikhüxokhülhh, Ilughalungh, Ïnuxanuqh, Jjabhwhijjawhch, Jjeghüjjer, Kngïjhwhokngïp, Nïkbhanïngk, Ülukhwhëlugg, Uqhuggwheqhumb, Üxakëxalh, Xhbhumwhaxhbhuq

Second Female: Akïxakïngb, Angongïngoxh, Bhegäbhep, Bhïggäbhïngjj, Enüggonük, Ewrïrwmäwrïmx, Gngüngägngügh, Häggehär, Ïxüwhmexüg, Lijhlälirw, Mäjjomälx, Ugïghügïnkh, Xhichuxhiqh, Xlewhbhexlep

Clayën Traits

A humanoid mantis shrimp, who, as you might expect, has a propensity for ambushes.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Age. Clayën reach maturity at around age 12, and only live to around 60. Although as life expectancy increases in cities, this estimate could increase.
Alignment. Clayën are typically looking for self-gain, and tend towards neutral or even evil, but society wouldn't stick together without mostly lawful alignments.
Size. You're relatively small, at only around 5 feet tall, though this isn't counting your eyes which can potentially stick out several inches. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Myriachromatic Vision. Your mechanism for determining color is located in the eyes, not the brain. You have proficiency in Investigation, and you can use your Wisdom score in place of Intelligence when determining your Investigation modifier.
Polarized Eyes. You have advantage on saving throws and ability checks against illusions. Additionally, you can tell whether light is generated by the sun, a light source, or a magic source just by looking at it.
Pereiopod. You have a wealth of additional limbs emerging from your torso. Although these are too inarticulate to effectively use weapons or tools, they can open or close a door or container, pick up or set down a Tiny object, or hold a weapon at the ready so that it costs you no actions to draw or stow a weapon.
Raptorial Appendage. Your forearms have been modified to serve as ambush weapons, though they function by releasing stored energy. This weapon requires one action to prepare, and then as a reaction before your next turn you can make a melee attack against a creature withing 5 feet of you. The damage and attack modifier of this attack is determined by your subrace.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Hohenwarian and one other language of your choice.
Subrace. Like the mantis shrimps you evolve from, your basic biology can only determine so much—whether your dreaded raptorial appendages are stabbing or punching is what really shapes your lifestyle and combat.

Zebra Clayën

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
Raptorial Claw. Your Raptorial Appendage uses Dexterity to determine its attack, and deals 2d6 piercing damage, plus an amount equal to your Dexterity modifier.
Sand Ambusher. You have proficiency in Stealth.
Extended Dactyl. When you make a melee attack on your turn, your reach for it is 5 feet greater than normal.
Toothed Claw. When you hit a creature with your Raptorial Appendage attack, you can cause spines on your claw to dig into it. It takes an additional 1d6 piercing damage and is immediately grappled by you. While grappled in this way, it is restrained, and you can't use your Raptorial Appendage attack. Once a creature escapes from this grapple, or you end it, you can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Peacock Clayën

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.
Raptorial Hammer. Your Raptorial Appendage uses Strength to determine its attack, and deals 2d6 bludgeoning damage, plus an amount equal to your Strength modifier.
Siege Specialist. Your attacks deal double damage to objects and structures.
Flee-on. Although you're not in water, you can still flick your pleon backwards to escape. You gain an additional 5 feet of movement, which doesn't provoke opportunity attacks.
Cavitation. When you hit a creature with your Raptorial Appendage attack, you can use your speed to boil small amounts of water withing them. It takes an additional 1d6 fire damage, and is immediately stunned until the start of its next turn. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
4′ 10''	+1d8	115 lb.	× (2d6) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

0.00

(0 votes)

---

Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Races