Dark One, Variant (5e Race)

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Dark One

“

In the light of the spotlight, you can see how the bullets tear at their glossy bodies, how they're being pushed backward, how they fall; but they get right back up again, rise to their full height and march on. And again, hoarsely now, because its throat has already been pierced, a sinister howl rings out.

”

Physical Description

Alexander Smolyakov on ArtStation

Aside from their basic resemblance to humans in terms of overall shape, the outward appearance of a dark one is quite strange. They have long, slender arms and legs, with the arms ending in large hands that have four long digits. The skin color is a dark, ashen gray. Adults have sunken in lower jaws, but in their juvenile stage, they have mouths surrounded by insect-like mouthparts. The Dark ones are not capable of vocal communication, but they are able to communicate telepathically amongst themselves and with other beings.

History

It is unknown where the Dark ones originated from, but the ones found within the frozen tundras are said to be experiments by savage sorcerers. These sorcerers wanted soldiers who were immune to the effects of radiation and mutated these beings from Humans. Dark ones were created with the fatal flaw of being pacifists, except for a rare member who knew what true savagery is. Yet there are other stories that this is the next stage of humans, Homo Novus, and their superior intellect granted them a psionic shedding that formed their new body. Even still, some claim they are divine messengers with frightening power. Whatever the truth is, the Dark ones terrify humans, with the ability to crush their minds like tin cans.

Society

Dark ones are similar to Humans and build their societies around each other, creating settlements in large numbers. The Dark ones prefer cold climates, but their adaptable bodies preserved their metamorphosis. The main difference socially between humans and Dark ones is that Dark Ones' psionic nature allows them to communicate quickly, efficiently, and emotionally to others. This allows for a much more peaceful and somber civilization, which therefore allows for Dark ones to be nearly unanimously pacifist. Some are willing to venture out of their hive-like cities to adventure, explore, and protect.

Dark Ones Names

Due to the fact that Dark ones come from humans, they hold the same naming structure and identification. However, their psionics when accelerated can sound like chiming and feeling, giving them a regular name and a translated 'feeling' name. Dark Ones don't differentiate between them, but psionics can talk a lot faster with them than other species.

Male: Bor, Fodel, Glar, Grigor, Igan, Ivor, Kosef, Mival, Orel, Pavel, Sergor, Ander, Blath, Bran, Frath, and Bob

Female: Alethra, Kara, Katernin, Mara, Natali, Olma, Tana, Zora, and Rose

Dark One Traits

Homo Novus, the Dark Ones, are Mystic masters born in a radioactive world that was left to rot. They decided to thrive. Where the radiation was most abundant they were born. However they are a rare species
Ability Score Increase. You gain a plus 2 to two ability scores of your choice. However, you must assign a negative 1 to one ability score of your choice.

Empty Body: You have no normal essential functions, you dont require eating, drinking or even breathing.
Age. A dark one can fend for themselves within a few months of their birth and can survive for upwards of 300 years completely isolated. Their bodies, however, absorb minute traces of radioaction and toxins, turning them into a beneficial medicine that lowers the speed of their aging. This has lead to some dark ones to live indefinitely.
Alignment. Dark ones tend to be civilized and in small communities, with a lack of ill will. These make the average dark one lawful neutral, lawful good, but due to their human origins, some renegades can go all the way too chaotic evil.
Size. Dark ones have long, slender and tall limbs which leave then around 6 feet tall, to upwards of 8 and 1/2 feet. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 35 feet.
Shadow Vision. All dark ones have the ability to see heat, skeletons, and nerves through walls and anything else that would stop their normal vision, this is not stopped by anything currently known and can work up to 120ft. This sight is very precise and can depict details that you may not notice normally, giving an advantage to perception and investigation checks while using it. While using this vision you have the ability to identify threats and some emotions through an added color while looking at a living being, white means they don't know you're there, yellow means there scared, black means they have the intent to kill, and green means there happy, other colors may appear for more complicated emotions or thoughts, but these colors are decided by the DM. Two or more of these colors may appear on one target, which means that they are feeling both of those at once. Dark ones use this vision to decide if they want to spare their pray or not. You may use this as many times as your proficiency bonus, but using it for more than 10 minutes at a time will leave you with one level of exhaustion and cannot use shadow vision until the exhaustion is gone.
Telepathy. Dark ones can only speak through thoughts, their mouthparts have become more insect-like, becoming more efficient, but losing the ability to speak. they can do this up to 150ft.
Nightmarish Aberration. Dark ones are considered aberrations
Memory Exchange. Dark ones have the ability to show memories to other people with just a touch, however, unless the person is willing, you must make a DC 12 + the targets intelligence modifier charisma check. they can also see and completely memorize other people's memories. Continuous usage of this ability has given the dark ones perfect memory. And through extended generations of dark ones they have gained this ability at birth. You can remember anything that has ever happened within your life because of this with perfect details.
Languages. You can read and write Common, but can't speak.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
6′ 2''	+3d12 inches	145 lb lb.	× (1d8) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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