Sumu (5e Race)

Sumu

“

They be like medusae with those eyes!

”

Physical Description

Fear not, gaze not...

Sumu are a tall and slender humanoid race with ashen skin of various pale colors, long hair usually covering the eyes, and abnormal strength and nimbleness. Sumu who do not wear their hair over their eyes usually are blind or have a cloth of some sort covering them. Eyes themselves are shades of purple, blue, red, orange and yellow, with various iris patterns such as triangles, diamonds, etc. Your average sumu can lift objects that a typical Human could not, such as large boulders, fallen tree trunks, and use larger weapons with ease. Sumu are very quick and light on their feet, with some able to walk and run without making any noise at all. A sumu well trained in swordplay can swing at such speeds, it seems as if no movement was made at all. Maintaining direct eye contact with a sumu will lead to various ailments affecting the looker. It is usually a small headache from the psychedelic pattern to something more severe like vertigo.

History

Sumu were reported to be a mountainous race that seemingly migrated out of nowhere to the various altitudes of Faerun. Tracing their routes suggest that they hailed from an aquatic terrain before going on land. Sumu have spotty memory as to their heritage but they are believed to originate from beings with the properties of cuttlefish. Upon insulting the beauty of the sea king's daughter, they were banished onto land. Their strong mollusk muscle translated into strength off the bat. However, their colors became restricted to their odd eyes, which took many shapes. The chaotic colors and energies in their eyes thus prevented them from looking at another without causing something like nausea. The sea king meant for them never to gaze upon anything again, and so it was.

Society

Sumu live high in the mountains, away from others, as most societies see them as evil creature or bad omens due to their eyes. In actuality, sumu are generally a peaceful race, most seeking out to become scholars or musicians, not wanting to concern themselves with the hostilities of war and combat. There are, however, a select few who train with bladed weapons in particular. The sumu in general are excellent fighters, but not all make use of their ability to its fullest extent. They have a practice only seen used specific to them, a fighting style akin to a dance. Some say their movements are so quick and mesmerizing, their opponents fall to the ground before a move could be made. There are also sumu who use their eyes for offensive purposes. This is typically forbidden, as sumu may only use the power in their eyes in the direst of situations.

Sumu Names

Sumu use human names, with some giving themselves nicknames of varying language.

Male: Tyrell, Manie, Lymic

Female: Erara, Lora, Pfern

Sumu Traits

Odd eyed creatures with bodies dextrous like grass blades
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength or Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.
Age. Sumu can live over 100 years, but never more than 200.
Alignment. Sumu don't like to become involved with the affairs of others, due to a lot of others seeing them as evil creatures. They are often neutral.
Size. Sumu are tall creatures, with adults being up to 8 feet tall, and children of young age being tall as 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Blindsight. Sumu typically never show their eyes due to their debilitating effects. They instead learned to live without seeing. You can perceive your surroundings without relying on sight within a specific radius. You have a blindsight range of 30 feet but are blind beyond this radius
Debilitating Eyes. As an action, you may reveal your gaze onto another creature and engage them in a stare. They must succeed a Charisma saving throw of DC 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failed save, they roll with disadvantage on all attack rolls and checks until the end of their next turn. You must finish a long rest to use this trait again.
Dancing Fighter. The ability of the sumu to fight gracefully often correlates with their dancing ability. You are proficient in the Performance skill.
Powerful Build. You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Languages. You can read, write and speak in Common.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
6′ 0''	+2d12	140 lb.	× (2) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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