Woyan (5e Race)

Woyan

“	It is not the untimely death, but the unlively life that we should truly fear.	”
—Excerpt from Woyan Words and Wisdom

Physical Description

Woyan are skinny humanoids to the point of being bony. A typical woyan stands about six to seven feet, and any height under five is considered immature or even crippled. In fact, woyan, in their language, means "tall person." It is in their biology that they almost never accumulate enough fat under their dark-toned skin, and while their muscle functions perfectly normal for a humanoid creature, the mass is extraordinarily slim, resulting in a figure that resembles a tall, dark skeleton. Woyan often have light-colored hair, usually in a tone of red, orange, or yellow, although dark-haired individuals are not unheard of. They are rare though.

History

Woyan hail from the part of the world that is best described as three elements; ocean, sand, and palm tree. Woyanese myth often covers how their kind has emerged from the depth of the ocean. A famous variation of the story is that they used to be one with the ocean until the divines decided that some of the more unpopulated corners of the world deserves more denizens, and scooped the woyans from the bottom of the sea.

Both mythology and history direct that a large woyan community has existed on the island of Ahtaan, the relics of which are now salvaged beneath the depth of the ocean. It is believed the island sunk due to a massive turmoil that was brought about by a divine spat in the area. The gods then regretted their fighting and rescued the woyan from the watery demise of their home. While the past glory of Ahtaan is now gone, woyan have discovered and cultivated numerous islands scattered across the tropical ocean, and some of them even managed to contact larger continents and the denizens therein.

A more radical approach speculates that woyan are related to, if not directly share the root with, selachin, the shark people of former Ogeantis. No solid proof exists to link the two, however.

Society

Woyan gather in small villages where they conduct weekly congregations as a community. The main participants are the heads of individual households. They are heavily tied to ocean and island culture, deriving sustenance from the land and plants, as well as inspiration from the beauty of beaches and clear waters. Protecting natural beauty to them is a sign of reverence and respect for the gods which mercifully saved them from a watery grave. They heavily despise any who waste from hunt or harvest and abhor anyone who should litter or spoil the beauty of the natural world around them. A woyan is raised with the values of sustainability and attunement to the natural world's voice.

Religion

The woyan revere particularly five gods of nature. The god of fire is said to be the source of life, who turned his back on the woyan and made them lack warmth and flesh. The god of air, earth and trees are generous deities that helped make the woyan stand despite their lack of much flesh, as well as giving them air and teaching them how to harvest food from the bountiful land around them. The ocean god is the god to be feared and revered, as it was a fierce deity that nearly destroyed the woyan once. To the woyan, the ocean is a place of both intrigue and death. When a person dies, their bodies must be returned to the sea.

Woyan Names

A typical woyan name consists of name, surname, and title. To woyan, an individual is the last of their parents' lineage; and therefore, a woyan's heritage as a title is indivisible from the bearer. A woyan surname is more fluid than that of other races. It is not uncommon to see a woyan bearing a portmanteau of his/her parents' surname.

Male: Aengir, Chat-Mer, Naern, Ostem, Vinar.

Female: Baste, Diivee, Esthe, Maar, Zouey.

Example of typical woyan full name: Aengir Whitegleam, Proud Son of Phanta Whiteshore and Zouey Evergleam.

Woyan Traits

Tall, dark, skinny, with a touch of inclination for nature and some attitude toward death.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.
Age. Woyan have long lifespans from a resilient physiology, growing as old as 200 years.
Alignment. Woyan are usually somewhat good, especially towards nature cases.
Size. Woyan almost never stand lower than six feet, and in some cases they can reach up to eight feet. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. You have a swimming speed of 15 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.
Breath Holder. Woyan lungs take up a good portion of their skinny bodies, as they often swim. You can hold your breath for up to an hour at a time.
Without Warmth. The fire god withheld his warmth from the woyan's creation, thus granting them only mostly cold skin and little flesh. You are resistant against cold damage.
Nature Reverent. You hold nature to the highest regard and have learned much of its patterns and ways. You are proficient in the Nature skill.
Skinny. You are like a skeleton, given how skinny you are. It's hard to keep a grab on something so thin. You have advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks to escape grapples.
Languages. You can read, write and speak in Common and Primordial.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
6′ 0''	+2d12	120 lb.	× (1d6) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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