Nerubian (5e Race)

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Nerubian

“	Those that can survive everywhere humans can: Rats, Cockroaches and... Nerubians?	”
—Unknown

Physical Description

Nerubians are large arachnoids. Their bodies feature the eight-limbed arrangement of spiders, while their carapace and design is reminiscent of a scarab. The torso of a nerubian follows a similar design to the upper body of familiar bipeds; it hosts two of the creature's eight limbs as arms attached to its shoulders and bears the creature's head between them. In terms of rough physical layout, their bodies are most similar to a centaur; but, instead of a quadrupedal lower body, the nerubian form transitions from its abdomen to a six-legged thorax.

From a distance, they seem like spindly spider centaurs, or drider. Each leg spanning most of 6 feet stretched out these beasts seem to slouch, truly able to almost double their height with legs similar thickness to humans ending in points. Depending on an individual nerubian's caste, its carapace may be thicker or thinner, more colorful or more subdued. The lords are armored from head to claw in iridescent purple, grey and black plating. Workers have more generic colored bodies, usually in brown and/or grey.

History

The nerubians were known to have been fighting trolls for millennia. While the trolls never succeeded in extermination, their attacks forced the nerubians to the northern wastes, where they remain to this day. Their shadowy, subterranean empire was named Azjol-Nerub, and it was a significant obstacle to the plans of the Lich King. Ultimately, the nerubians lost their empire to the Lich King's endless hordes of undead, which would have pushed the nerubians into extinction, had they not reserves of emergency eggs to repopulate. Today, they live as a scattered and depleted race of embittered people. Their empire lost, they resort to a pathetic guerilla war against all who dare encroach on their territory. Still, they hope for the restoration of their empire and the downfall of the Lich King, though they are far too weak to accomplish this themselves.

Society

Nerubians are fiercely intelligent. The empire of Azjol-Nerub was notably expansionist and xenophobic, as the nerubians sought to eliminate all non-arthropod life in surrounding lands. This was what caused their initial battles with the trolls. They have not abandoned these feelings and will attack and kill any non-arthropods who near their territory on sight. Because it was the Lich King who crushed their empire, they despise undead with every fiber of their being. Their underground nests remain connected to the fallen empire's resources, including stores of archives from ancient secrets of the gods to cruel experiments conducted on kidnapped humans and elves.

Caste System

Nerubian lives abide by a caste system that dictates a lifelong occupation. Spider lords are high-ranking aristocrats alongside seers, who act like mages and priests. They are situated just under the queen and her spiderlings. Despite the title of king, the monarch is considered just one of the spider lords, and thus lesser than even the queen's caretakers. Under the lords are the workers. Slaves are at the very bottom of the ladder.

Architecture

The nerubians were experts at underground tunneling, and their empire expanded deep down past the surface. These tunnels were often covered in webbing that hindered intruders, but allowed for easy passage among their own. Nerubian architecture is notably well designed and engineered. Their ziggurats and other main buildings were so impressive that even the Lich King adopted their designs for his own. While the nerubians had things like statues and even sacrificial pits, religious motifs or intentions are notably absent.

Religion

Nerubians of today do not worship any faith. The very idea of worship is, in fact, alien to nerubians. In their ancient empire, there were around five or six schools of thought that held theological debates for religious thought. However, these were discontinued when nerubians shifted to the mindset that the very idea of believing and revering creatures not of this world, called 'deities,' was an insane notion and act. They found that trying to understand something that did not exist in their world was analogous to a fly trying to understand the spider who was about to devour it. It is a meaningless endeavor.

Nerubian Names

Nerubian is notably a very harsh language, using clicking and rasping. Most go by names they can pronounce, with lots of clicks, tick and knocks made with the limbs of there body. Some, however, are very articulated and can pronounce even the most complex elven names. Their names are without gender.

Names: Ner'ube, Nokt'Tuk, Crikik, Rashnotin, Ul'Tomon

Nerubian Traits

Arachnoids who are fiercely intelligent
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2 and your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Age. Once a nerubian hatches, it takes 12 years for them to mature. They generally live for about 80 years, but it is not unheard of for them to live longer.
Alignment. Nerubians tend toward evil; they have always been ruthless and aggressive, and since the fall of Azjol-Nerub these traits are more pronounced. Still, nerubians are intelligent, and not all fall into dark ways.
Size. Nerubians are rather tall due to their stature. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. You also have a climbing speed of 20 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.
Arachnoid Body. Your creature type is monstrosity instead of humanoid. Additionally, you can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Chitinous Carapace. While unarmored, your AC is equal to 12 + your Dexterity modifier. You can use a shield and still gain this benefit.
Deep Dweller. Nerubians live deep underground and in the far northern wastes of cold. The temperature does not bother them. You are resistant to cold damage.
Languages. You can read, write and speak Common and one other language of your choice.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
5′ 0''	+2d12	300 lb.	× (1d10) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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