Precudial (5e Race)

Precudial

“	Hope is harmony. A just heart, moving toward the light. That is all. Despair is hope's polar opposite. It is messy and confusing. It swallows up love, hatred, and everything else. Because not knowing where you will end up, that is despair. Despair is even what you cannot predict. Only despair's unpredictability can save you from a boring future.	”
—Magicia, the wandering soul

Physical Description

By Andrey Lyubchenko

They are are often nearly indistinguishable from humans, though their skull shape is much more neanderthal or simian, and they have slightly pointed ears. Precudials also sport more varieties of lighter hair and eye colors. They all are more hirsute than the average human, sometimes having a thick coat, rather than peach fuzz, at adolescence. This hair is reminiscent of that of wild animals. They are generally stockier and shorter than humans, with stout bones/ The bodies of precudials are well-adapted to the frigid environments in which they call home. Compared to most races, a typical precudial has a large amount of dense blubber in its body to provide warmth. This fat is intramuscular. They, therefore, do not have a very plump appearance, usually looking lithe.

History

According to their own legend, precudials were originally created many eons ago by a forgotten creator race to spread plant seeds across the entire world. This legend portends that every tree which still grows can trace its ancestry back to a seed planted by a precudial. Supposedly, the precudials are distant cousins of humans, explaining their similar appearances. Both are descendants of apes. Precudials have the curiosity to prove it, being able to mirror human thought in many ways. Despite the innate curiosity of precudials, they are dissuaded by the nature of their legend's purpose from leaving the natural world unless they have an important reason to do so. Indeed, the world outside the arctic woods is dangerous to a typical precudial. In the modern world, few people who dwell outside of forests know much of this race. They are so rare, so bizarre, and so elusive that they are frequently delegated to myth. It is said those who are more inconspicuous have blended in with humans, unbeknownst to the latter.

Society

Precudials have been seen in the Feywilds as well as in the Material Realm. Those who migrated there years ago have grown different from those who remained among humans, embodying the more aggressive, and dangerous side of nature. They live in tribes with clergy and a shaman king. Upon birth, every child is examined to see if they are physically acceptable to become the king's soldiers. If they are not, they are taken by the tribal clergy, and immediately begin training to become a member of the clergy, particularly being trained as clerics, and devout druids or sorcerors.

If they are acceptable, however, they are sent back to their families to live and make connections for 80 years. They are then enlisted to train and serve in the military until they reach the age of two hundred. At this age, both the clergymen and warriors are given the option to rejoin civilian life, and maintain the homeland from the encroaching world around. Few precudials choose to venture out from home without being part of the military or a mission trip, but it is not entirely unheard of.

Personality

Precudials are not xenophobic. They are mainly skeptical of the ways of modernity, which seem overly indulgent and deviating grossly from nature. However cautious they may be, they have been known to help travelers stranded near their icy homes, and provide refuge to desperate refugees. The tribe is their first and foremost priority, however, so they will hesitate little to attack those who would harm their communities. They love their homes, and when they do make houses, they are made of straw and wool.

Names

The names of Precudials have vaguely Giant tones. In rare instances, they are named after the human month in which they were born.

Male: Hogr, Jormungand, Leonas, Fafnir, Frey

Female: Faris, Fafnir, Fenrir, Nord, Freya

Precudial Traits

Old humanoid beings attuned to cold nature
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Age. Precudials reach middle age around 200, living to 400 usually.
Alignment. They tend to be neutral and try their best to do right by their tribe, making them a bit lawful.
Size. Precudials are a bit shorter than humans. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Frigid Wanderer. As a being of the cold, you are resistant to cold damage. You also are immune to the effects of Extreme Cold.
Stout Stockiness. You are built for harsh labor. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Nature's Chosen. As one meant to spread plants, you know their properties. You are proficient in the Nature and Medicine skills.
Tribal Training. Precudial society is a bit dichotomous, with only clergy and warrior paths. Choose one of the two traits:
• You know a cantrip of your choice from the cleric spell list. Intelligence is your casting modifier for this cantrip, and you can cast it without material components
• You are proficient in a simple melee weapon of your choice.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.

Design Note: The fey precudial is a variant of the race. Its traits replace the Ability Scores, Frigid Wanderer, Tribal Training, and Language traits

Fey Precudial

You wander where it wasn't necessarily always cold. The weather is unpredictable in the Feywilds, and the creatures are much more savage. You grew up in such an environment ready to fight for survival.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.
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.
Fey Ancestry. You acquire some traits of the fey by living among their realm and absorbing their natural energies. You have advantage in saving throws against being charmed, and magic cannot put you to sleep.
Nature Tribalism. Precudial society is a bit dichotomous, even in the fey world. But instead of strict adherence only to the clergy, they are more attuned to nature. Choose one of the two traits:
• You know a cantrip of your choice from the druid spell list. Wisdom is your casting modifier for this cantrip, and you can cast it without material components
• You are proficient in a simple ranged weapon of your choice.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write in Common and Sylvan.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
4′ 6''	+1d8	160 lb.	× (1d6) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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