Dem'Fe (5e Race)

Dem'Fe

“

I've never known such horrific grace. In a single instance she lopped off both the bandit's arms and crushed his skull between her palms. The cutthroat's companions must have also felt that same fear as they fled in the opposite direction.

”

Physical Description

Descendant race of desert dwelling elvish humanoids, the dem'fe are easily distinguishable by their almost infernal features. Both men and women of the race sport a set of branching horns that protrude from either side of the head. The horns seem to have no functional purpose, and come in a variety of shapes, but are often indicators of age as older individuals have more branches. In addition, members of the race have an additional pair of fully functional arms that lie slightly behind and below their normal shoulders. Dem'fe traditionally have darker complexions, but settlements of lower latitudes have been known to have fairer skin and blonde hair, distinct from their northern cousins. This may be due in part to the slightly cooler and wetter climate, or perhaps interracial communication is much more prevalent for these settlements. Individuals commonly decorate their bodies with images that immortalize their most profound hunts. Both men and women of the dem'fe decorate their horns by painting them vivid colors or adorning them with festive straps or cloth. One can often distinguish which settlement a particular dem'fe is from, or what they celebrate, by the way they dress up their horns. Horns aside, the dem'fe share physical traits of other elves, down to the shape of their cheeks and the points of their ears.

History

The origins of the dem'fe are quite mysterious, but scholars who have taken it upon themselves to research these people have turned up evidence that supports the theory that dem'fe are indeed the result of elvish and demonic crossbreeding. In particular, ancient stories of the dem'fe share common themes between settlements: They speak about being blessed by goddesses who have the bodies of snakes and multiple arms. The prime suspect for the identity of these so-called "goddesses" to the educated world would be the marilith. One theory states that perhaps an ancestral race of forest dwelling elves were forced to make a dramatic migration from their home due to some unknown event. As the elves traveled through the desert canyons they eventually encountered the marilith. This goddess gave them hope of continuing their lineage ... in a nonconventional way.

Dem'fe means 'demonic fey.' Since their appearance can be quite alarming, many unfamiliar travelers have taken to calling the race the 'infernal elves'. The dem'fe themselves, however, scoff at this notion. To them, the dem'fe are a proud race of warriors carved from the very canyons they call home, given breath by the many-armed serpent. To suggest that they are the spawns of demons, or that their goddess was a vile monster, is a great insult of the most horrendous kind. The wisest visitors to their lands know to hold their tongues about such matters, especially if you want safe passage through the desert.

Society

The dem'fe people live in isolated settlements inside the canyons that litter the desert wasteland. Society surrounds the oasis's that form from the remnants of the rivers that carved those very canyons. While each society is functionally independent from each other, they all pay their respects to the largest and most affluent of the tribes, the Ormo. Having been living in a dry and harsh environment the dem'fe have lost the deep connection to the fey and the ethereal plane that their traditional elvish cousins boast. Dem'Fe live roughly 400-500 years in length and often do not possess much skill in magic. The usual exception to this rule are individuals who come from high ranking families, in which the most common magics found are fire based.

Dem'Fe are primarily warriors. Both men and women hunt the desert dwelling beasts that roam the sands. Hunting takes place usually right before dusk, as to avoid the heat and cold as best as possible. Aside from hunting, the dem'fe also produce some of the finest metal workings in the world. They have perfected techniques to extract ores from the surrounding canyons, and produce such intricate and delicate designs in their work that those who observe it describe it as though they use the ether itself as their tools. The lucky merchant who has the honor of acquiring a dem'fe weapon or good can sell it for a fortune. It's not uncommon for dem'fe warriors to raid passing desert caravans, but these events only become more notable during times of hardship and famine. Traders often hire guides and protection through the desert to avoid dem'fe bandits. In actuality, some Dem'Fe who leave their settlements will intermingle with outsiders and even offer their own services to navigate the dunes.

Being relatively isolated from the rest of civilization, the dem'fe do not oft appear in the history of the world. But every once in a while, a story will pop up among travelers and soldiers about a fierce warrior able to slay six men in a single stroke, whose movement made it appear is if they had multiple arms, attesting to a master warrior race of the dunes. These occurrences pop up in sprinklings of local lore.

All actions are measured by its benefit to the home clan. Even when visiting distant lands, the values of one's settlement are best kept in mind during all aspects of life. Sometimes this does lead to trouble if the values of the tribe are contradictory to the laws of a particular region. Thus, the dem'fe who travel the greater world are typically either in and out of incarceration frequently, or have put their home and its beliefs behind them entirely.

While the dem'fe are relatively lax in their religious beliefs, they do honor the many armed serpent as their creator and the sun as her home. Many festivals are celebratory occasions that started as religious worships. The dem'fe decorate their horns with bright red and orange ribbons and paints for the events, harkening to the colors of the sun.

Dem'Fe Names

Dem'Fe names have influence from both the Elvish language and the Infernal language.

Male: Mav'Ris, Valeyar, Ameiros

Female: Halasyn, Or'Lei, Yorala

Dem'Fe Traits

Strength doesn't come from the arms that carry your weapons, but actions you do in the name of your tribe. A race of 4-armed desert dwelling elvish-folk that favor might to magic.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2. Your Dexterity increases by 1.
Age. Dem'Fe age at a rate similar to their elvish relatives, but live roughly to be 400 years old.
Alignment. The dem'fe are cautious when it comes to the other races, but often harbor no ill-will towards them. The tribe is central to life, and actions are usually done on the behalf of the society even when traveling afar. As such, dem'fe aren't particularly good nor evil, but their demonic origins lead them to waver in chaos.
Size. Dem'Fe height often varies between 6'6" and 8' tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Ambidextrous. With multiple arms you carry exceptional skill with melee weaponry. You have proficiency in all types of martial or simple melee weapons.
Serpent's Hold. You have advantage on attempts to grapple Medium or smaller creatures.
Four Arms. Your four arms allow you to hold onto four items at once. You can also wield two one-handed weapons, and have your other two hands free for a shield or other items. You cannot wield two two-handed weapons at once.
Languages. You can speak, read and write in Common, Elvish, and Infernal.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
6′ 6''	+1d12 in.	150 lb.	× (2d8) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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