Karvaskjar (5e Race)

Karvaskjar

“

Of the might from the Spine doch we cometh in hordes to taken us what be'in our names.

”

Physical Description

The karvaskjar are big, muscular, hulking humanoids with bulging physique and roiling knots of muscles. They have black skin, almost like a coal color. Their heads are typically bald with some hair behind their slightly pointed ears. The face of a karvaskjar seems strangely orcish, with squashed nostrils, small eyes, and drooping lips around teeth that curl out like tusks. Karvaskjar grow fibers on their skin which varies in three ways. Some have fur, others have stiff hairs, and the last variety has feather-like spurs. These fibers signify what kind of creature the karvaskjar can take the form of. When they change forms, they usually retain a black color pelt and skin.

History

The karvaskjar supposedly were humans who used to live in the mountains by the Spine. Their lore recalls that, at around the time when orcs arrived to the Material Plane, they had to start fighting more than just nature for their survival. To better protect themselves, the karvaskjar consulted ancient and forbidden magics, bargaining with dark forces for power. As a result, their bodies gained great inhuman strength and they ceased to be human altogether. The name karvaskjar is a vestige from their original human tribe. The ritual made them not only strong, but also gave them the power to transform into certain animals. As a price, they were bound to the mountains and had to forever serve the forces which had given them this power.

Battle Cry

True to their warrior heritage, the karvaskjar are organized primarily around battle. After their transformation, this remains true. Now, they were bound to their home mountains as a race, and have become all the stricter for it. The chief of the race is a shaman capable of communing with their contracted forces, and the chief dictates the yearly rituals necessary to keep their patrons happy. Sometimes this means a sacrifice, while other times it could mean a rite of blades. Strength to karvaskjar means no fear, and the weak are often discarded and killed. Fair amounts of karvaskjar work is divvied up not only to warriors, but also druids to support the shaman, and foregemasters who make their weapons of stone and bone.

People regard the karvaskjar as similar to orcs. Their territories in the mountains are inhospitable and to be avoided unless a traveler was feeling lucky. However, as most karvaskjar are bound to their location, they do not have a reputation as conquerors like orcs. They remain a threat known similar as folk wisdom. However, some karvaskjar have been known to be born with less affinity from the dark nature patrons. These are usually cast out or escape their societies to wander elsewhere.

Karvaskjar Traits

Hulking practitioners of dark nature magic
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, your Wisdom increases by 1.
Age. They become adults around the age of 20 and can live for another 5 or 6 centuries.
Alignment. A karvaskjar ends strongly towards the laws of their society and nature. Outside that, they are more wild.
Size. The average height of a karvaskjar is about 7 feet, with plenty of muscle in build. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Coal Skin. Your dark skin helps you blend with dark backgrounds. You have advantage in Dexterity (Stealth) checks in darkness.
Nature's Servant. You are proficient in the Nature skill.
Powerful Physique. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift. You're also acclimated to high altitude, including elevations above 20,000 feet.
Mountain Weapon Training. You are proficient with greataxes, longbows and mauls.
Animal Shift. As an action, you may polymorph into an animal form, and you may change back into your true form as a bonus action. In your animal form, you retain your mental ability scores. When you reach 0 hit points in this form, you revert back to your true form. Any damage you take in your changed form carries into your true form's hit points. Choose either the black bear, raven or giant rat. You choose this form upon making your character, and you cannot change it once you do.
Languages. You can read, write and speak Common.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
6′ 5''	+2d12	180 lb.	× (1d8) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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