Corivilus (5e Race)

Corivilus

By Ben Wootten

In the heat of battle, all looks to be lost. You look around, your comrades have fallen, the enemy is steadily marching towards you, and you know your time has come. Suddenly they stop, mouths open wide, staring into the distance. You turn your head as best you can and see a great black figure flying through the sky, soaring towards you. The figure lands and begins to swipe at the enemies forces. Blowing them left and right, slamming them into each other. Those who are not defeated retreat from the monster that has saved you. It looks to the sky and bellows a ferocious battle cry.

In a small mountain hut, a large black creature is huddled over a book that looks tiny in its hands. It smiles and grabs a wand to it's right. Waving the wand and speaking the magic words a bolt of lightning erupts from the tip of the wand. The creature laughs and closes the book.

Walking down the streets of your town you see a great figure. It looks like an ape, but stands over three meters tall. It walks like a man who has lost everything. it is depressed with tears welling it's eyes. As it passes you, you see two great scars down it's back, almost as if something was cut from it's hide.

These great beasts originate from the Elemental Plane of Air but abandoned it for the Material Plane after the events of the Great Tragedy.

Physical Description

The Corivilus resemble the great silver-back gorillas of Earth, but have one distinct difference; They possess two large wings, situated on their back. Standing at over nine feet tall, with a wingspan of twenty feet on average, this race is a force to be reckoned with. They have two short arm like legs at the bottom of their torso and two long arms at the top. They have two hands and two feet on the ends of their limbs, all of which have opposable thumbs. They have a distinctive apelike face and head. Unlike other apes, but like humans, the Corivilus can choose to shave their face, or to grow a beard, mustache, sideburns, or all of the above. The entirety of their bodies is covered in thick black hair, except for their hands, face and stomach, though their wings are covered in feathers. Because of their thick fur and their thick skin they wear minimal clothing, even in the coldest of environments. They always wear a loin-cloth, or kilt, to cover their genitals, but mostly wear utility-belt-like garments for holding tools and weapons. Females wear a top to cover their breasts, but only in the presence of other races. A foreigner visiting a Corivilus village would find a village filled with topless women.

History

The Corivilus once lived in the Elemental Plane of Air, but they abandoned their home after The Great Tragedy, where thousands of Corivilus were slaughtered by armies of Gargoyles. Since then, they have escaped unto the Material Plane, where they inhabit mountains and arid areas, high up above the ground. They strive to find a place that reminds them of their original home. Though they have now been in the Material Plane for a few centuries and some are beginning to forget their heritage.

Society

The Corivilus live in small to medium sized villages ruled by a tribe leader. Because of their chosen location, they have very few farms and must rely on hunting and foraging. Since the Great Tragedy, they have become very distrusting and in some cases extremely violent towards other races. This fact aided in their choice of habitat, as many other races can not make their way to the tops of mountains. Unlike other societies, Corivilus young are raised by their grandparents, instead of their parents. It is the parents job to hunt, gather and protect, while it is the grandparents job to teach the young the ways of the Corivilus.

Corivilus young reach adulthood after completing the rite of passage at the age of 10. In this rite of passage, the young Corivilus must fly to the highest mountain in the region and retrieve a flower which grows from a bushel, planted by the elders. If they retrieve the flower, it is then made into a paste which is used as the ink for a tattoo all Corivilus possess. This tattoo varies in size, shape and style depending on which tribe a Corvilius may come from, but it always has a hand print incorporated into the design, to symbolize the hands on the elders supporting the newly matured Corivilus.

The Corivilus are as stern as they are strong, and betrayal cannot be excused. When a Corivilus is banished from their tribe, it is the greatest dishonor imaginable. Part of this is because the tribesman will sever the wings from the banished Corivilus. The Corivilus is then banished to the ground, never again allowed to fly or reunite with their kin. Their return would mean certain death.

Corivilus Names

Male: Ayanda, Chakide, Dingane, Fuzo, Gania, Jabulani, Kosan, Mvelo, Nkany, S'bu, Thantu, Ukuza

Female: Anelisa, Bongiwe, Damzo, Ethulo, Futhi, Indlovu, Kwanelle, Mbali, Nkon, Sandile, Thulani, Zula

Family Name: Amukelani, Bhekimuzi, Chakijane, Felokwakhe, Godlumthakathi, Kuhlekonke, Londisizwe, Mandlakhe, Nkosinathi, Siphosethu, Thembeka, Uluthando

Corivilus Traits

The Corivilus are a flying ape-like creature originally from the Elemental Plane of Air.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2 and your Constitution score by 1.
Age. Corivilus generally live to the age of 100.
Alignment. Corvilivus tend to lean towards chaotic at a young age and lawful at an elderly age. However, with everything there are always exceptions.
Size. You stand over nine feet tall and have a massive wingspan. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 35 feet. Your flying speed is 30 feet.
Blade Proficiency. Your race uses blades as their main weapon of choice. You are proficient with the shortsword, rapier, longsword, scimitar and greatsword
Mountainborn. You have advantage on Wisdom (Nature) and Wisdom (Survival) checks while in mountainous terrain. This does not include underground or mountain caves.
Wings. You have a flying speed of 30 feet. If you are wearing armor you are not proficient in or any Medium or Heavy armor, you may not fly.
Big Belly. Because of your great size, you must eat and drink twice as much as a human or else suffer from the effects of exhaustion.
Thick Furred. You are almost completely covered with thick black fur and you're acclimated to high altitude, including elevations above 20,000 feet. This thick fur makes you naturally adapted to cold climates, as described in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide.
Languages. You speak, read and write common and Auran

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
7′ 6''	+1d12 inches	150 lb.	× (1d4+1) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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