Ursan (5e Race)
The Ursan[edit]
"No, you don't understand, Cenaeus. When that thing and I crossed paths, it looked at me and - instead of trying to maul me on the spot - it simply walked away like it somewhere more important to be! I swear! I've never seen a creature like that simply walk away. And it seemed... calm. Strangest part? I could swear it was wearing pants." -- A young huntsman recounting an encounter with a traveling Ursan.
Physical Description[edit]
History[edit]
Long ago, the Ursan people were no different than your ordinary clan of humans. These men and women populated primarily colder climates; where they settled into small communities that were often just as much kinsman as they were your average neighbor. Skilled in the arts of combat and the ways of spiritualism, many of the ancient Ursan people made their living as warriors, spiritual leaders, or hunters of great beasts and wildlife. Meanwhile, back in their communities, other members of their kinsmen worked as blacksmiths, leatherworkers, and farmers. Life for the ancient Ursan was relatively simple until a dark curse seeped into their lands; infecting their men and women one by one with the cursed blessing of lycanthropy. This particular strain of lycanthropy originated from ursine creatures, however, rather than lupine - turning the ancient Ursan into some of their lands earliest known 'werebears'.
Centuries would pass as the Ursan people came to learn the disheartening truth that their lycanthropy was hereditary - each child born into their civilization found themselves stricken with its foul magic. Although the Ursan people did their best to keep their ailments tight-lipped and secret from neighboring races that might abhor them, rumors quickly spread about massive bear-like creatures that prowled the forests under the light of the moon. Hopes for a normal way of living seemed bleak until one day a lord of the Feywilds took notice of these men and women. Intrigued by their desire to hold onto their individualism and their culture despite their monstrous curse, the fey lord offered the ancient Ursans a boon. They would be granted with ancient fey magic capable of bestowing them with complete control over their monstrous curse - but there was a caveat. The magics would forever change their way of life and they would need to adapt in order to survive in the world afterwards. The fey lord gave them a weeks time to contemplate their decision.
Over the course of those seven days, the elders and the other kinsmen of the Ursan people bickered and debated on whether or not they could trust the fey lord's words. After all, they only lost control under the full moon - it was not as if they were terrible monsters each night. As the hour for delivering their answer drew closer, however, more and more individuals came forth with intrigue over the offer and its associated caveat. On the sixth evening, the elders drew the entire community together and each individual of age cast their deciding vote - the majority's decision would be the decision of their people. When the fey lord returned on the seventh day, the elders presented him with an acceptance of his terms and from that moment on, the Ursan people came to be what is known today.
The fey lord's magic did grant the Ursan people total control of their lycanthropy. Unfortunately, however, the caveat proved all but too true and in exchange for the control, the men and women became permanently bound into an ursine-humanoid appearance. They soon found their newborns birthed as naught more than the humanoid equivalent of bear cubs and, just as the fey lord had stated, the Ursan people began the long and arduous struggle to carve a new place in the world for their people as a new race of beastfolk.
Society[edit]
Ursan society remained largely unchanged once they adapted to their new bestial appearances. Their warriors and hunters found themselves embracing the enhanced abilities their former curse now provided them and, although it took some work to get used to operating tools with clawed paws, the communities' blacksmiths and other artisans gradually began resuming their work as well. As time passed, the Ursan eventually came to forget what human life had been like - as the elders eventually passed on and the younger generations were raised on nothing but legends and stories.
Ursan society manages to retain a strong sense of familial community, however. Their civilizations continue to remain rather small and closer to tribal villages usually home to a single clan and chieftain rather than evolving to the more diversified and widespread communities of other races. Ursan are a very matriarchal people, placing the women of their society in high regard and respect. In fact, it is not uncommon for the majority of a village's warriors and hunters to be women while their partners raise the younger children and tend to artisan work throughout the village.
Although a bestial people, the Ursan have developed at least a small sense of modesty over the years and while they may not often wear shirts or tunic tops if they are not wearing armor, they have at least taken to wearing loincloths, wraps, or tunic bottoms out of consideration for other races and their standards. You will rarely, if ever, see Ursan wearing a form of boots or gloves unless some magical enchantment upon them makes it worth the discomfort.
Ursan Names[edit]
Ursan naming conventions are relatively simple. Given names for young boys and girls are generally derived from naming styles we commonly attribute to Nordic culture. Surnames were once derived from a similar naming convention with a twist for the matriarchal society of the Ursan people - a child's surname would be their mother's given name and the suffix 'son' or 'dotir' depending on whether the child was a son or daughter (in the real world, Old Norse custom was to add the suffix to the father's given name instead). However, as the Ursan people evolved into a bestial community, the traditional surnames were replaced with names incorporating wilder attributes - such as fur, claws, fangs, and the like. Because of this, traditional surnames are not normally used anymore.
Example given names include:
Male: Arne, Bjorn, Erik, Gorm, Ivar, Leif, Svend, Ulf
Female: Astrid, Frida, Helga, Hilda, Ingrid, Liv, Sigrid, Yrsa
Surnames: Darktooth, Sharpclaw, Whitefang, Wildpaw
Ursan Traits[edit]
A humanoid race that once suffered from ursine lycanthropy, but after accepting the blessing of a fey lord they were transformed into a permanent bestial humanoid form and infused with the essence of their former affliction.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength, Constitution, and Wisdom scores each increase by 1.
Age. Ursan individuals mature at the same rate as humans, coming of age in their late teens. Due to the fey magic that transformed them, however, they can live to be almost two centuries.
Alignment. All Ursan feel the natural call of the wild that pulls them towards neutrality over law or chaos, though some choose to ignore it the best they can. While most Ursan tend towards true neutrality, many are goodhearted. It isn't unheard of, however, for a black-hearted Ursan to exist, but it is rather rare.
Size. Ursan are an intimidating people with large, muscled frames attributed to their former ursine lycanthropy transformations. The average Ursan easily stands between 6 feet and 8 feet tall with a broad frame. Despite this, Ursan are still a Medium race.
Speed. You have a base walking and swimming speed of 30 feet. Additionally, while you are not wearing armor or using a shield and both of your hands are empty, you 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.
Razor Claws. Your razor-sharp bear claws are treated as natural weapons that you may use when making unarmed attacks. When you do so, you may roll 1d4 for the attack's damage and its type becomes slashing instead of bludgeoning. If you benefit from a class feature or other feature/ability that modifies your unarmed strikes (such as the Monk's Martial Arts feature), you may still choose to deal slashing damage instead of bludgeoning damage for those unarmed strikes as well.
Ursine Hide. Your thick, heavily furred hide provides a natural layer of protection. You gain a +1 bonus to your Armor Class as long as you are not wearing medium or heavy armor.
Adaptability. Your unique physique allows you to freely drop into a quadrupedal stance and stand back up into a bipedal one. As long as both of your hands are empty and you are not wearing medium or heavy armor, you may drop onto all fours or stand back up (no action required). While traveling on all fours, your body fatigues as if you were traveling bipedal like other races. Additionally, your walking speed increases by 5 feet. At your DM's discretion, a creature of Small or smaller size may ride atop your back at no additional penalty beyond normal mounted restrictions, as long as you remain on all fours.
Fey-Blessed Speech. You may cast Speak with Animals at will. Once you have done so, you must finish a short or long rest before you can do so again.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Ursan. Ursan is a non-verbal language consisting of growls, whines, snarls, or huffs possibly mixed with bodily motions such as dropping into and back up from all fours, in order to convey messages.
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