Immortuos (5e Race)

Immortuos

You bargained for their life. I gave you just that. Look upon your child and you will see what life is worth when all the rest has gone. - Unknown

Physical Description

An immortuos resembles the race they once belonged to. At second glance one will find there is something off about them - their eyes are dull and glazed over, their skin pale and pulled taut over their skeletal frame. Most immortuos are children whose parents could not afford the magic to cure or resurrect their children and saw no other option but to turn to a darker force. The influence of the occult has left them twisted, with long, sharp fingernails and teeth. The palms and soles of their hands and feet are tattooed with unearthly designs as part of the ritual that has brought them back.

Not all rituals are equally successful in restoring the body back to its former state. Long-term illness, violent death or leaving the corpse too long before restoration may have a profound effect on the physical appearance of the body. Permanent scars, bruises or a noticeable limp are not uncommon. The problem with prolonged death is its effect on the brain. The brain is the first organ to start decomposing after death. This process starts in the top of the brain due to a lack of oxygenated blood and results in a loss of memory and language. Restoring these intricate connections in the brain through the ritual that is employed is often unsuccessful.

Immortuos are undead and as such the body does not grow older. Once their natural lifespan has run its course, their bodies rapidly degrade before disintegrating, their ashes scattering to the wind.

History

Immortuos are corpses restored to life through a dark pact. These deals are closed by casters with ill intent, more often than not a night hag who seek personal gain. Though done with the best intentions, grieving loved ones are often tricked into giving something valuable up when entering this pact. In exchange, the caster will restore their deceased back to life, but only in the bare minimum way. While their bodies are restored, their memories are fragmented and their touch with death has left them forever changed.

Society

The social implications of making a deal with such an evil being and defying death often cause a family to be stigmatized if found out. This, combined with the fact that many immortuos are unable to adapt to their former life, often causes them to leave their loved ones behind. Without their memories or a full understanding of the language, many struggle to find a place in society and end up shying away from it. Those who rely on their feral instincts are detached from society as a whole, living on the outskirts or in the wild.

Personality

Immortuos, newly revived ones, in particular, are driven by instinct and are skittish and slow to trust. It is entirely possible for an individual to have suffered enough brain damage to the prefrontal cortex to render them unable to feel or express emotion properly. These immortuos are often impulsive and unable to make proper decisions. Adopting one into an adventuring party may prove to be difficult, though rewarding as their sharp teeth, claws and a strong sense of self-preservation make them formidable fighters until the very end. Having massive gaps in your memories of the past sends many immortuos into an identity crisis. If left unresolved, this can be devastating for their psyche. Some immortuos choose to adopt a new identity entirely which is often stolen from someone else or made up from stories they have heard after their revival. It is also argued that a soul being ripped away from the afterlife to be put back into its old body may prove to be traumatic to the immortuos.

Immortuos Names

Immortuos rarely maintain their given name, instead opting to bestow upon themselves a name of their choosing. Children are more likely to choose a name dramatic flair (think "Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All") A party member giving them a nickname often causes annoyance.

Male: Drax, destroyer of worlds and lover of pies; Paul, avenger of the playhouses; Peter, the end of the long road; Darren, The doom fist of fate;

Female: Anna, her magnificence most naughty; She who dances through the rivers of blood; Susie Doomfang;

Immortuos Traits

A humanoid whose loved ones were unable to bring them back from death fully, resulting in a twisted creature.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.
Age. Immortuos live the average lifespan of their origin creature, however, the apparent age at the time of creation does not change. Instead, when they reach the end of their natural lifespan, their body disintegrates, turning them to ash that is scattered with the next breeze.
Alignment. Immortuos are often of a chaotic alignment; they are very rarely lawful.
Size. Your size depends on your subrace. Children are Small whereas adults are Medium.
Speed. Despite their short legs, they are nimble and quick, with a base walking speed of 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.
Undead. You are only considered alive in the most basic definition of the word. Your creature type is humanoid and undead.
Languages. The languages you know are determined by your subrace.
Subrace. Choose between Child or Adult.

Child

An immortuos who was brought back when they were only a child. Children are smaller, nimble and find it easier to find sympathy with other humanoids. They are stuck with a child-like mind for the rest of their unnatural life. In addition, they are often mistaken for a child and treated accordingly: Bar owners refuse to serve you strong drinks, guards may arrest you and put you into an orphanage if left unattended and you will be unable to get married, for example.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
Size. You are a child from a Medium sized humanoid race. Your size is Small.
Innocence. You have disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) and Charisma (Intimidation) checks that rely on you being taken seriously, but you have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) and Charisma (Deception) checks to appear innocent.
Tantrum. As an action, you can enter a tantrum for 1 minute. While in a tantrum, when you make a melee weapon attack you may add your proficiency bonus to the damage roll, but you are unable to cast or concentrate on spells. The tantrum ends early if you are knocked unconscious or if your turn ends and you haven't attacked a hostile creature since your last turn or taken damage since then. You can not end your tantrum earlier. You must finish a long rest before using this feature again.
Languages. You can speak, but not read and write, Common and one other language of your choice.

Adult

Adult immortuos may find it harder to cope with the loss of identity. Despite this, they have managed to turn the unfortunate circumstances of their resurrection around, realizing that the loss of memories and past emotions means they have also lost some of their past weaknesses.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Size. You are an adult from a Medium sized humanoid race. Your size is Medium.
Calm Mind. You have been granted a second chance at life and you use this gift to inspire those around you in times of need. As an action you stand tall in the face of adversity, bolstering the resolve of allies in a 30 foot radius, granting them temporary hitpoints equal to your level. After you use Calm Mind, you can't use it again until you complete a long rest.
Unburdened. The fear of death no longer weighs you down. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Languages. You can speak, read and write Common and one other language of your choice.

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