Ghidalri (5e Race)

Ghidalri

“

We- squawk -ahem, so sorry. Now, where did you say you prefer to be perforated again?

”

Physical Description

By Micha Hoelyaerts

Ghidalri are grotesque humanoids with the vague head of a bird, beak and all. However, they do not have a shred of plumage on them, being all skin. As one looks down their body, it becomes obvious they are not normal bird creatures. Their torsos are very lean and muscular, showing little fat. Some may even say it looks chiseled. Their arms and legs resemble that of constructs, with knobs for attachment, artificial sinew, and muscle. Their body overall is very hard. The feet are avian enough, and the hands are talons. Their eyes, however, are like a spiders: small, shiny, and black. They have six eyes, three on each side of their face. Their skull features a plate-like protrusion of the forehead that is solid and harder than the rest of their body.

History

Like something out of a nest of eldritch being, the ghidalri resemble monstrous beings that flesh seemed to give form to. They are suspected to be abominable creatures created by Orcus, similar to things like the devourers. In truth, they are more like the twisted aberrations that the drowic deity Ghaunadur produced, like gibbering mouthers. However, they were supposedly discarded from the creation table before being assembled and finished. Eventually, they were thrown out wholly, landing in the bowels of the Underdark amid piles of bodies.

They had eyes that were rather sensitive to light, which shrunk in darkness from disuse. Ghidalri developed excellent senses of touch due to the sensitivity of their exposed body parts where it had not been refined in creation. Eventually, they came to be exposed to the surface. The sunlight burned them at first due to their skin. However, they, who had never revered anything or felt any warmth, now could see properly with their eyes. And they were taken by the world of light. Some remained in the upper areas of the Underdark, but many fled to the glens above, where they came to scare everybody with their horrid appearances.

Society

Ghidalri are surprisingly coherent creatures. They live in a society similar to bonobos, having a matriarchy. As their form is large and very disconcerting to the eye, they tend not be well taken to at first glance. However, they are well-equipped as scouts and often do skirt about nearby cities to gauge the inhabitants before ultimately reaching for an amicable coexistence. This sometimes just results in being chased out by a mob. As they are somewhat avian, they do lay eggs. Their young are raised by a few chosen wet nurses within a traveling group called a flock.

Personality

Despite their form, ghidalri's observance of people shows in their mannerisms and speech, which are courteous and refined in tone. They tend to be quite peaceful, preferring words to fisticuffs. When angered, they are known to throw horrific tantrums that sound like the war cries of many men. Most of the time, they are docile, minding their own. Enamored with the light, they find most, if not all, things beautiful in the world.

Ghidalri Names

Ghidalri have names that sound odd or abrupt due to the use of clucking and chirping sounds.

Male: Fruckkyr, Lreeph, Cyurr, Terruck

Female: Mikchee, Peepti, Gibtwee, Xidirp

Ghidalri Traits

Weird looking humanoids with vague bird faces
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2 and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Age. Ghidalri can live to nearly 100 years, but usually die young, at around 70.
Alignment. As courteous people who see beauty in most things, they tend to be neutral.
Size. Ghidalri are rarely shorter than 7 feet in height. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Photoreceptive. Your eyes are heightened by the presence of light. When in bright light, you have advantage in Wisdom (Perception) checks.
Hard Skin. Your entire body is made of hard material, both biological and artificial. While unarmored, your Armor Class is equal to 12 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.
Sensitive Touch. Because parts of your nerves are quite exposed, you can use them to sense for movements even when you cannot see. As an action, you touch and feel for vibrations in the ground and atmosphere around you. You gain 20 feet of tremorsense until the end of your next turn. You must finish a short or long rest to use this trait again.
Mad Tantrum. Ghidalri are good-natured normally. But even they have limits. When you are hit by an attack from a creature within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to give a series of hysterical, terrifying shrieks as a tantrum, tantamount to a declaration of war, screaming in the attackers face. The target's next attack roll is with disadvantage. You must finish a long rest to use this trait again.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
7′ 2''	+1d8	200 lb.	× (1d4) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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