Owltons (5e Race)

Owltons

“	I'm beautiful, right? Right? I don't know why people always think we're only smart... Aren't we so beautiful? Come, say it. Say it while the blood hasn't reached your lungs yet...	”
—Avana'a Githmanelf, Ejjan nest queen

Physical Description

By Ivan Mikhalenko

Owltons are humanoids with feathery bodies and reminiscent owl features, primarily in their feather patterns and heads. Like an owl, they have a rounded head with asymmetric ears wreathed in a thick plume of feathers. Their face is lightly curved inward like a disk, but the center is where their unnervingly human-like face protrudes. Their overall body appears to be svelte and very human, with long and sleek arms and legs. A thin coating of down feathers covers their entire body, with different patterns on their backside, which is usually more detailed and colorful. Usually, though, owltons are colored in the same fashion as normal owls. Their forearms are longer than their upper arm and have a great swath of long feathers that make up wings. These can actually be quite heavy for young owltons, and so they need to mature before they can truly fly.

Usually, owltons do not wear clothes, as their feathers cover just about everything needed. Males and females both have similar body types and neither are very muscular. Females have a distinct plumage on their chest area that can appear like a dark marking. Those born with a diamond shaped one are declared candidates to be nest queens.

History

Owltons are believed to originate from, surprisingly, the Domain of Dread within Shadowfell. It's not exactly clear, but it does explain their strange temperament, which can appear even more alien and unnerving than even a lizardfolk and their cannibalism. Owltons cite their ancestors to be some sort of black avian creatures that gained wings to traverse space, crossing the planar barriers into the Material Realm. These creatures were intrigued by humanoids here. Supposedly, humanoids back in Shadowfell were uninteresting and dour, like the shadar-kai. It is unclear whether they mated or if they used transmutation to permanently assume a different form, but they roughly produced the original owltons form, and the rest is history.

Society

Contrary to the typical idea of owls, owltons are not the image of wisdom, nor do they pursue this. The two most important things in their societies are vanity and curiosity. Owltons are highly inquisitive, particularly about how other creatures live and think. It was this inquisitive nature and curiosity that changed their ancestor's forms into what owltons are today. While they do not have such a powerful innate polymorph ability anymore, owltons do retain some ability of changing shape, or, at least, appearance into that of others. They usually do this often with a select type of creature they are curious about. They thus often pursue transmutation spells that allow them to assume more forms, thus expanding their understanding of others. This ability to blend and learn is one of the reasons owltons are seen as wise. They supposedly have amassed a trove of knowledge on other races through their years of becoming and learning.

Vanity is the basis of owltons hierarchy. Owltons are usually matriarchal, though some select nests are ruled either by council, a patriarch, or even democracy. The head of a nest that is a matriarch usually is preened to have the best feathers, and is selected from birth based on her ruffage on her chest showing off a distinct pattern. These candidates to be nest queens compete using suitors as proxies to solve various puzzles that they pit each other against. These are strictly nonviolent, creating often abstract and long-running games of succession. Ruling parties and individuals within owltons society must have a presence, as is custom. They are loose rulers, usually, who do not impinge on the curiosities of their subjects, and merely direct them toward a productive end. They are freely able to create their own courts of advice which then allow them to conduct more actions like collections of communal funds or knowledge surveys. It is, all in all, a very complex and incremental society.

Within a typical nest, owltons are actually not all that present. Many of them will leave for many a days time, disguised as their subject of study, only to return once every several moons or so. However, they always do come back, usually to share findings or if they want a break from their research.

Personality

In regards to vanity, owltons need no reassurance of their intellect or curiosity. Their appearance has become a focus instead. No matter how much they seek to learn about something else, there is an anchoring emotion that the form their ancestors chose for them is something immutably beautiful, that others cannot hope to surpass. This vanity translates to a host of owltons temperaments, with many being prideful or snobbish, and others seeking approval. Owltons take great offense to being called ugly and are easily driven to violence in this vein of provocation. Candidates for rulers in council or individual nest queens are even more volatile over appearance, as they often receive the best preening available by attendants. It is not uncommon for an owltons to scratch out someone's eyes over a slight on their looks.

Owltons Names

Using their accumulated knowledge of other cultures and people, owltons have picked and chosen what linguistic naming conventions they like. This can differ from owltons, since they are allowed to change their name once they mature at the age of 21. Owltons names are composed of two parts, with a surname that grows longer with each interest they finish completing. Older owltons will therefore have longer surnames, delineating their long list of knowledge.

Male: Al'Godro, Shagallu, Aioub, Yabakah

Female: Enenra, Riyadi, Heather, Aeris

Surnames: Humanogoblinhalf (studier of humans, goblins, and halflings), Gnomey (studier of gnomes), Orktrihagelf (studier of orcs, tritons, hags, and elves), Leonadrin (studier of leonin and eladrin)

Owltons Traits

A race of shapeshifter owls curious about others
Ability Score Increase. One ability score of your choice increases by 2. Another ability score of your choice increases by 1. Owltons are highly malleable and like to replicate close to what their subjects of interest are. So, an owltons interested in orcs might have greater Strength than one interested in elves.
Age. Owltons usually don't live more than 170 years old. The most venerable are around 150 years of age. The youngest able to take on an interest are considered mature at around 15 to 21 years of age.
Alignment. Since they are proclaimed researchers with a penchant for vanity, many owltons are just neutral and self-interested.
Size. Owltons are slender, but their feathers make up a lot of their weight. They are around the height of taller humans. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 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.
Grown Flight. As an owltons matures, their body is able to fly. Starting at 5th level, you gain a flying speed of 30 feet. You cannot use this speed while wearing heavy armor.
Researcher. You are proficient in one Intelligence and one Wisdom based skill of your choice.
Shape Mimicry. Owltons are able to change shape to best emulate that which catches their interests. You can cast the disguise self spell once, without verbal components. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all use once you finish a long rest. Your Charisma is your spellcasting modifier for this spell.
Sharp Rebuke. Under their knowledge seeking vanity, owltons can be quite violent towards what they see as annoying or disrespectful, and they have a deadly weapon to make their displeasure known. You know the tear cantrip. Your Charisma is your spellcasting modifier for this spell.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice, preferably a language that your subject of interest speaks.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
5′ 7''	+1d8	170 lb.	× (1d4) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

Suggested Characteristics

When creating a owltons 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.

Owltons are highly vain and self-interested creatures. They are, however, not incapable of forming relationships with others that can open them up to caring about someone other than themselves. Their curiosity can even drive them in curious directions, motivating them to advocate for preservation and even adopting new mindsets as part of their learning process.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I have to preen myself daily. It's a process.
2	I hate to do anything when rushed. I have a pace I work at.
3	I take other opinions into equal consideration with my own before making decisions.
4	I will peck the eyes out of anyone that looks at me funny.
5	I like to move as I talk. It makes it more dramatic.
6	I talk over others if I find them dull and boring.
7	I like to tell other people blatantly what I find wrong about them and how they can improve.
8	I like to talk about anything, really, even when I'm no expert.

d6	Ideal
1	I want to fully become my subject. I've grown tired of what I was born as.
2	I seek to learn of every and all creatures on the worlds that can be offered.
3	I have a rival in academia that I absolutely must best, no matter what.
4	Screw the intellects. What I want is something truly unique that no one can learn. I hear it's called "feelings" or something.
5	I will be the most beautiful in the land!
6	Not enough people know of me or my kind despite our impressive record. I seek to rectify that ignorance.

d6	Bond
1	I had met someone that was not my subject of interest... yet they caught my eye and suddenly, I can't stop thinking about them? Was I cursed?
2	I met a lovely coven of people that taught me much of what they know, and for that I am grateful.
3	I have used many people to get to the position I have today, and so I have many enemies.
4	I butt heads easily with those who challenge my logic and reasoning.
5	I am a bit of an oddball, as I find no race very much worth my time...
6	I have formed a tight-knit bond with members of my subject of interest and we are like family.

d6	Flaw
1	I only ever consider what I think.
2	There are few things in the world I do not daydream endlessly about. And I do this to a point of nonproductivity.
3	Changing subjects of interest so often has made me a little mad...
4	I think of myself as a paragon above others, no matter what the situation is.
5	I don't like to treat certain races with respect. They don't deserve it.
6	I cannot stand anyone who is ugly near me.

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