Couatl (5e Race)

Couatl

Named after their namesake origin, the couatls are walkers among mortals descended from couatls. Also called neouatls, to avoid confusion, they are similarly minded to the good couatls made by the god Jazirian. After the god was killed by a dark shard of the World Serpent, the neouatls remain, as an aide to the couatls driven to hide in Maztica.

Physical Description

By Yanied

Couatls resemble humanoids with scaly skin, likening them often to yuan-ti, particularly purebloods. Snake scales cover the sides of their human face and spread to the rest of their body Their eyes are reptilian and they have slits for noses, making a smooth, flattened face. One of their most prominent features, and one that differentiates them very well from yuan-ti, is a crown of feathers that encircles their heads. This crown is actually a pair of wings from the back of their heads that wraps around. They also have a patch of feathers on their back, which grow into wings when a couatl has grown to appropriate age and strength.

History

When Jazirian fell, the couatls who followed the light of the World Serpent were thrown into disarray as the darker parts of the serpentine creatures, including many yuan-ti forces who followed Merrshaulk, moved upon them to destroy what light was left from the good shard. The couatls fled to Maztica, where they have largely resided to this day. Whilst they hid, they were not idle. Certain natives of the land around were avid believers in the couatl, and enshrined them in colorful stone ziggurat temples. Among these natives, couatl chose some who showed utmost devotion and granted them some of their power, making them reptilian humanoids similar to yuan-ti. They were allowed to bear the name of the couatls and were sent out to the world to find ways to defeat Merrshaulk.

Personality

These new couatl are like missionaries connected back to the original serpents. They venture outside Maztica to the rest of the world in search of ways to aide against the dark shard of the World Serpent. As such, their central community lies with the couatl worshipers of Maztica and pretty much nowhere else. They are typically wanderers around the world, looking for secrets and sympathizers. While couatls are usually good, as are the subjects of their worship and source of power, they are ultimately not the original lawful good serpents. These couatls are capable of being corrupted or driven astray from their purpose, even tempted by Merrshaulk himself. Some couatls are too rigid in their methods and so become cruel, believing that their search to revive Jazirian and defeat the dark snakes is an end to justify all means.

Couatl Names

Neouatls often keep facets of their original name from before their transformation by couatls. These names follow Maztica culture. Converts from other cultures adopt parts of this naming convention when they adopt couatls as their cause. Male names usually end in -t, -n, or -c. Females end in -i, -l and -m, and both sexes can end in -a.

Male: Maitzetetlocan, Quetezlocatoca, Oloatcat, Tlac

Female: Acuitzli, Xuma, Retetzolapocam, Huitl

Couatl Traits

Also called neouatls, these are humanoids blessed by couatls to carry their heritage.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1 and one other score of your choice increases by 1.
Age. Neouatls are not immortal like real couatls. They do have longer lifespans and protections against certain harms, but they usually die after about 200 years.
Alignment. These couatls can be swayed off the path of good, even if they ultimately mean well.
Size. Couatls of this sort are the same size as normal humans. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Jazirian's Blessing. Like couatls, neouatls are hardy in terms of mental fortitude. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened, and you have resistance against psychic damage.
Wings. Starting at 5th level, your wings mature with your growth and you gain a flying speed of 30 feet. You may not use this speed while wearing medium or heavy armor.
Telepathy. You have the magical ability to communicate mentally with any number of willing creatures you can see within 120 feet of you. A contacted creature doesn’t need to share a language with you, but it must be able to understand at least one language. Your telepathic link to a creature is broken if you and the creature move more than 120 feet apart, if either of you is incapacitated, or if either of you mentally breaks the contact (no action required).
Learned Devotee. Not just anyone can be blessed by the couatls. Only those with select devotion and skill to their cause are deserving. You are proficient in Arcana and Religion.
Defy Venom. The greatest enemy to couatls and neouatls are the hordes of yuan-ti and their evil gods like Merrshaulk and Sseth. To combat them, couatls and neouatls alike have countermeasures against the poisons their enemies love to utilize. You can cast the protection from poison spell once, at lowest level. You can use this trait once, regaining use once you finish a long rest.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
4′ 9''	+2d12	145 lb.	× (2d6) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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