Kor, Variant (5e Race)

Kor, Variant

"In the rocky canyon above us hung a city of ropes. Barely clinging to the rock face, the elven city swayed gently in the breeze, seemingly held in place in part by the magic of the elves themselves. Slender and graceful, the grey-toned elves appeared to almost fly between the jutting buildings and float across the slim rope bridges that stretch from cliff to cliff."

Physical Description

Image of Kor woman with bow, courtesy of minifishcakes.

Kor elves have light and wiry builds, and legend has it that their bones are hollow like a bird’s. They have the beauty, agility and pointed ears of all elves, but have a gray, blue-gray or ivory skin tone that helps them blend in to their rocky surroundings. Their hair is light, with colors ranging from ash blonde to pure white. Their eye color always exactly matches the type of rock nearest to them when they are born, and many say that their eyes are as hard and unforgiving as stone. The Kor tend to wear their hair in intricate braids to keep it out of the way whilst scaling cliffs, and usually wear tight, no-frills clothing that is conducive to rock climbing.

History

According the the Kor themselves, the Kor were originally a group of high elves who became fascinated with druidism. They left the major elven cities and centers of learning thousands of years ago to forge a stronger connection with nature in order to better study it. These first elves found themselves drawn to the rocky mountains and the canyons and passes therein. At first unfit for traveling through and living on rough terrain, the Kor soon adapted to their hard stone environment.

The Kor built their first city where they felt the forces of nature were strongest, in a wide rocky pass saturated with magic. They built their city into and out of the rock face, stringing rickety rope bridges between the two sides and leaving behind much of the high elf decadence and style. Yet the Kor were still high elves at heart, interested in becoming academic experts on the theory of nature magic, and began collecting tome after tome on various beliefs about such magic across the land.

In modern times, the Kor are a somewhat forgotten subrace. They are mostly known for welcoming tourists to their whimsical, unique cities. Adventurous tourists of all races love to view the Kors’ feats of engineering, but few stay longer than a day or two because of they lack the rope and climbing skills necessary to live amongst the Kor.

Society

Many outsiders assume that the Kor are a type of wood elf, but the Kor have never thought of themselves as such. They have always defined themselves by their keen mind, quick thinking, and academic pursuits. Yet, despite their dedication to rationality and analysis, Kor have a casual acceptance of the dangers of living on the edge and, like all elves, live freely and expressively. All Kor know at least a bit of low-level magic, especially small spells to secure or tie ropes. Good luck charms and blessings are incredibly common in Kor society because, no matter how skilled a climber is, luck must always be on their side.

The Kor have always kept detailed historical records and written liberally about magic and lore. However, in recent years, the Kor have begun to forget some of their fascination with the study of nature magic, letting much of their large collection of tomes sit untouched for the past decade. The old ways of the Kor are changing as more and more non-Kor visit and some Kor leave swaying ropes in favor of stable cities. Still, some Kor discover the value of being scholars first and foremost and hope to revive the Kor culture that has recently begun to deteriorate.

Kor Names

Kor names do not differ from those of any other elf. The Kor are elves first and foremost, and have never forgotten the most essential elven traditions.

Male: Thelamin, Luric, Erfir, Leodan, Norven, Elaris

Female: Thalia, Enfiel, Ennala, Faralei, Yllana, Keyrie

Kor Traits

A rock climbing race of elves known for their quick minds and feet.
Ability Score Increase. You have the base abilities of all elves. Your Intelligence score increases by 1, due to your keen and scholarly mind. Your Constitution score increases by 1 because of the endurance required to live and survive on the cliffs.
Age. Kor have a typical elf lifespan, typically claiming adulthood at around the age of 100 and living to be 750 years old.
Alignment. Kor crave a certain amount of freedom and self-expression, as most elves tend to. They are rarely lawful, unless pushed to be so by unique circumstances.
Size. Kor are the size of a normal elf, ranging from under 5 feet to more than 6 feet tall, with slender builds. They also tend to have long arms and legs, and smaller feet, to better reach and balance on rock faces. Because of their precarious and physically demanding lifestyle, they are necessarily physically fit. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Your climbing speed equals your walking speed.
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.
Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put you to sleep.
Trance. Elves don't need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.
Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
Circle of the Mountain. Many Kor elves who become adventurers are druids. You know one cantrip of your choice from the druid spell list. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for it.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvish.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
4′ 10''	++2d6	90 lb.	× (1d6) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

Suggested Characteristics

When creating a Kor character, you can use the following table of traits, ideals, bonds and flaws to help flesh out your character. Use these tables in addition to or in place of your background's characteristics.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I believe that everything worth doing is worth doing right. I can't help it-- I'm a perfectionist.
2	I have a lesson for every situation, drawn from observing nature.
3	I get bored easily. When am I going to get on with my destiny.
4	Sarcasm and insults are my weapons of choice.
5	I feel far more comfortable around animals than people.
6	I've lost too many friends, and I'm slow to make new ones.
7	Nobody stays angry at me or around me for long, since I can defuse any amount of tension.
8	The leader of my community has something wise to say on every topic, and I am eager to share that wisdom.

d6	Ideal
1	Greater Good. It is each person's responsibility to make the most happiness for the whole community. (Good)
2	Change. Life is like the seasons, in constant change, and we must change with it. (Chaotic)
3	Loved Ones. I'm loyal to my friends, not to any ideals, and everyone else can jump off a cliff. (Neutral)
4	Power. Solitude and contemplation are paths toward mystical or magical power. (Evil)
5	Independence. I am a free spirit-- no one tells me what to do. (Chaotic)
6	Aspiration. I seek to prove my self worthy of my god's favor by matching my actions against his or her teachings. (Any)

d6	Bond
1	I work to preserve the ancient tomes and scrolls held in my city's temple.
2	I would die to recover an ancient artifact of my faith that was lost long ago.
3	My isolation gave me great insight into a great evil that only I can destroy.
4	I wish my childhood sweetheart had come with me to pursue my destiny.
5	I will face any challenge to win the approval of my family.
6	I suffer awful visions of a coming disaster and will do anything to prevent it.

d6	Flaw
1	There's no room for caution in a life lived to the fullest.
2	I'm convinced that no one could ever fool me in the way I fool others.
3	I put too much trust in those who wield power within my temple's hierarchy.
4	Don't expect me to save those who can't save themselves. It is nature's way that the strong thrive and the weak perish.
5	My pride will probably lead to my destruction
6	I am easily distracted by the promise of information.

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