Windborn (5e Race)

Windborn

“	Who has seen the wind? Neither I nor you. But when the leaves hang trembling, The wind is passing through. Who has seen the wind? Neither you nor I. But when the trees bow down their heads, The wind is passing by.	”
—by C.G. Rossetti, Who Has Seen the Wind

Physical Description

Kyoung un Jin

Many confuse windborn for ghosts or spirits initially. They have a whispy, windlike appearance, almost as if they are ethereal and immaterial. They can range greatly in height but are usually anywhere from 5 to 8 feet tall and usually are humanoid in shape. They have eyes brimming with a vital light. Their differentiating properties range from varying airy tendrils and clothing made of gossamer-like material that flows as they do. When they run, windborn legs are a blur, like a small tornado.

History

The windborn are fallen anemoi, or wind spirits. They are said to have been on the side of the primordials during the Dawn War, acting as speedy emissaries and scouts. As a result, when the gods won, they were condemned to wander the earth. They are, in fact, a bit like dust mephits in that they are embodiments of natural forms walking among mortals. For a while, they are believed to have been the cause of small breezes in the deserts or the winds of spring. It is possible they are meant to wander and provide aid to the mortals for now, until they can find their place back in the Elemental Plane of Air.

Society

Windborn are wanderers on the earth. When they gather in a group, it is called a cluster, and their collective movement creates small physical phenomena like wind and small dust clouds. They are nomadic, and never settle. Being such free spirits, they are highly fearful of servitude. They thus never like things like commitment and anything which may imply tying down. This lifestyle is partially monastic as they do not even get attached to many material things or people. When a windborn is created, they come about in a burst of wind, said to be made from another fallen air elemental.

Windborn Names

Windborn have no concept of gender or age, and so their naming techniques are very unusual. Windborn have the ability to sense another windborn's spirit, which always reflects an aspect of elemental air. As such, windborn living in clusters tend to have names that reflect their primordial nature.

Some windborn never have the urge to seek out others of their kind, and become hermits. They never use a name for themselves unless required by interactions with others. Even so, they usually name themselves after a word that describes them, typically preferring to just refer to themselves in the first person. Occasionally, they use a word that they strive to emulate (similar to tiefling virtue names), or they will come across another windborn who gives them a cluster name.

Cluster Names: Drifting Cloud, Singing Breeze, Weeping Gale, Raging Storm, Dancing Cyclone.

Hermit Names: Me, Myself, I, Truth, Piety.

Windborn Traits

Fallen wind beings
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Age. When windborn coalesce in the Material Plane, they are completely mature. They are very long lived, often exceeding 1,000 years of age.
Alignment. Due to their secluded and spiritual nature, windborn are often neutral-aligned.
Size. Windborn are only marginally taller than humans, but are very slim and always very lightweight. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 35 feet.
Windy Visage. Thanks to your windy body, you move with such a blur that it is really hard to see you. When you Dash, you are considered invisible.
Ageless. Windborn do not physically age. You suffer none of the frailty of old age, and you can't be aged magically.
Elemental Nature. Your creature type is elemental instead of humanoid. As such, spells like crown of madness or dominate person because they specifically target humanoids.
Primordial Awareness. You can sense the presence of any windborn within 30 feet of you, and you automatically know the alignment and class levels (if any) of any windborn you touch.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Auran.
Subrace. Windborn fall into two categories: Breezecaller and Stormblade. You gain traits based on your subrace, in addition to the ones you get as a windborn.

Breezecaller

Breezecaller windborn are benevolent for the most part. They tend to be the ones to help other beings by bringing cooling winds on a hot day and such. Colors like teal and pink can be seen trailing their ethereal bodies.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2.
Auran Magic. You know the gust cantrip.

Stormblade

Stormblade windborns are vengeful. They do not like their imprisonment on the terra and actively seek ways to undermine the inhabitants by bringing about ruin with their presence. Their bodies are usually greyish, resembling the color of stormy clouds.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.
Blade Spirit. You are proficient with a martial melee weapon of your choice.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
5′ 0''	+2d10	60 lb.	× (1d4) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

Quirks

When creating a windborn character, you can use the following table of quirks to help flesh out your character. Use these tables in addition to your other personal characteristics.

d4	Windborn Quirks
1	You can't feel temperature unless you really try.
2	You find it funny that humanoids constantly advertise their so-called "age" and "gender," even if unwillingly.
3	You occasionally forget how to speak, instead just wheezing incoherently.
4	You turn into a cloud or other form while sleeping.

5.00

(one vote)

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