Jörmungandr-barn (5e Race)

Jörmungandr-barn

Among the chaos that served as a prelude to the end of days, many newborns became corrupted in appearance. Spouting fangs, red, scaly skin, and piercing yellow eyes that could frighten even most fearless of mothers and fathers.

Physical Description

Credit to Paizo

While it can be difficult to say precisely what a standard jörmungandr-barn looks like, the vast majority of them can be identified by similar features. They all lack legs, instead having a serpent's tail. Their heads are shaped to be draconic. Most jörmungandr-barn have bright yellow eyes and shiny red scales. Less often, jörmungandr-barn can have other colors for scales, with the next most common ones being orange or yellow. However, stories of strikingly blue and purple Jörmungandr-barn are in circulation. They also tend to be the changed offspring of humans, and so they average 5-6 feet tall when they when "standing up." From nose to tail, they are roughly 10-11 ft. long.

History

Jörmungandr-barn are a unique race for the fact that they arose over night. In the final days before Ragnarrök, many people were physically changed by the looming presence of Jörmungandr, the great serpent. It was mostly the infants and children weak of mind. Countless thousands of children were abandoned at doorsteps, ones that weren't devoured their relatives. These children would likely perish when left to their own devices, but the rarer adult jörmungandr-barn would collect these changed youth and care for them in the towns left abandoned when the chaos began. Of course, their changed state left them in a rather heartless and ravenous nature, so occasionally some adults and children would end up missing and meanwhile bones are being happened upon. This acceptance of murder and limited value of life impacted these small communities of their kind. The leader of the community was essentially leader until someone killed him; it was not a question of if, but when. This incessant murder and devour pattern severely limited their ability to establish long lasting communities and remain in one place.

After 15 years of this nomadic and murderous lifestyle, an ex-adventurer who had undergone the transformation into a jörmungandr-barn had created a military force out of others he came across, sweeping over abandoned lands and kidnapping every jörmungandr-barn he could find, returning them to his city. Once there they were trained to be soldiers and to restrain their murderous nature. To survive and avoid extinction, they had to band together and avoid killing one another. This ex-adventurer supposedly reigned very long, having ended the trend of regicide. Under him, the jörmungandr-barn grew to a respectable number without cannibalizing themselves. They came to be a feared force with their tempered appetite for violence and blood.

Society

While jörmungandr-barn history held an omen of extinction, the race has resisted it. They were certainly bloodthirsty savages before but they now have learned to hone this instinct skillfully. Jörmungandr-barn do not praise violence. They rather see it as necessary. Under the new regime, they have learned to use their violence as a deterrent from more violence. The military is considered the best place for a jörmungandr-barn, as it hammers discipline into them. Jörmungandr-barn today occupy only the city of their current king, who is the ex-adventurer that united their race. They hold a daily meet-and-greet with their king where they are reminded of their duties as a unified race.

Jörmungandr-barn Names

Names for this race often come of Draconic and Common tongue.

Male: Karifwald, Caesinkill, Juanthfang

Female: Nuashindcal, Tilekbrood, Cha'Sid

Jörmungandr-barn Traits

Frightful reptilian naga creatures
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Strength score increases by 1.
Age. These creatures have longevity if not killed, living as long as 500 years.
Alignment. Jörmungandr-barn are usually chaotic in nature with their changed minds.
Size. Jörmungandr-barn usually are almost 6 feet tall standing. Their tail half is longer. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 40 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.
Bite. Your jaws can rip all flesh apart. Your mouth, willed with pointed teeth, is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Poison Sac. The original Jörmungandr had venom able to poison the tree which held the world. You have some of that potential. As a bonus action, you can make a special attack with your bite. If the attack hits, it deals its normal damage, plus poison damage equal to your proficiency bonus. You can't use this trait again until you finish a short or long rest.
Slither. Your serpentine build makes you difficult to grab. When a creature makes a Strength (Athletics) check to grapple you, they have disadvantage on their check.
Languages. You can read, write, and speak in Common and Draconic.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
5′ 0''	+2d6	140 lb.	× (1d4) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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