Kurta (5e Race)

Kurta

“	Our eyes are gems into more than our own soul. They can see death for others. That is... you guessed it, eye beams.	”
—B'nah Abin Dzih, kurta bard

Physical Description

By Yanied

The kurta are an enigmatic race of darker-skinned humanoids with distinct, rose-colored eyes. These eyes are capable of blasting destructive bursts of energy. They are usually about the same size as humans, though on the lankier side of stature. Their finger and toenails are usually white, and patterns of white spots naturally form on their arms and legs as they age. Mature kurta have a half-moon rim of these white spots form around the skin of their eyes. Kurta are pretty hairless everywhere save for their heads. Their hair grows out stiffly and adheres close to their scalp. This hair is often a dark silver color, with a metallic sheen and stiffness. These hairs will often prick up when a kurta uses their eye beams, leading many to believe their hair acts as a sort of mechanism in the process.

Kurta tend to prefer fashion darker than their own skin. They are not super dark, like drow, but more like sun-tanned on most cases. Thus, they like to wear colors like black or dark red. These darker colors are accentuated by bursts of color like gold. Because they hail from a climate that is very warm, they like cloths that are loose and thin with high breathability. The same materials for their shoes and other garments are held to similar standard. Jewelry is preferably made of metal and thin, yet sturdy. Kurta are not big fans of gemstones.

History

The kurta are a race of humanoids that claim to hail from a land of scorching fire and lava, yet not the Elemental Plane of Fire. It is where they claim to have gained their blessed eyes. Supposedly, all kurta eyes are actually portal keys that can go back to that place. Why the kurta either left or were driven from their homeland is unclear. Following their departure, the kurta became scattered in the world, with many ending up in remote places of temperate to tropical weather. It is said that if someone gathers all the kurta eyes, they will be able to access the world from which the kurta came. The eyes of the kurta, being a unique color and having supposed magic ability, is a bit of a commodity in some unsavory circles. The creation of kurtansi eyes added to the hunt for kurta, and have driven kurta into hiding, where they often distrust others, believing the world to only be after their treasure.

Society

The society of kurta is secretive and reclusive from that of others due to their fear of exploitation for their eyes. They favor warm climates, reminiscent of their original home. Many of the secretive kurta tribes live within tropical forests near active volcanoes. They have rituals to strengthen the power of their eyes, and are very hostile to those who encroach on their territory. Since they have been hunted before, some kurta are more likely to flee in the face of aggression rather than stand their ground and die. The kurta are not highly warrior-like, but they are very spiritual. The eyes of kurta post-mortem are usually kept by their families. It is believed that these were what was stolen that led to the creation of the kurtansi eyes. They are well-versed in herbology, particularly in shamanistic medicines and rites involving materials like embalming and ablution.

Kurta Names

Names for kurta are highly tribe-oriented. Their last names are all shared by others in their tribe. Middle names are usually that of their father's first name. The first name of a kurta comes from their mother.

Male: Lagho Fren Kinpra, Urtho Gir To, Tero Lin Eros, Reno Ito Ulii

Female: Dzja Ilon Ulii, Proa Neri Eros, Irea Shon Kinpra, Debra Gee Rene

Kurta Traits

Tribes of people with special, coveted eyes
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1 and one other score of your choice increases by 2.
Age. Kurta mature slowly, and appear rather young even when they are the age of a late human teen. Kurta don't usually look like adults until about 20 to 30 years old. They usually live for about 150 years.
Alignment. Their fear of others makes them sort of reluctant to help others or get involved in general, making them typically neutral.
Size. Most kurta are around 5 to 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Eye Beams. As an action, you fire a powerful beam from your eyes. Each creature in a 5 by 120 foot line in a direction of your choice must make a Dexterity saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d8 damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d8 at 6th level, 4d8 at 11th level, and 5d8 at 16th level. After you use your eye beam, you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest.
Warm Dwellers. You are a creature well adapted to the heat. You are unaffected by the effects of Extreme Heat, as detailed in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master's Guide.
Suspicion. The kurta have been raised with scrutiny against others due to their paranoia about their eyes. You are proficient with the Insight skill.
Herbalist Traditions. You are proficient with the herbalism kit.
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**
5′ 0''	+1d12	130 lb.	× (1d6) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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