Ætherborn (5e Race)

Ætherborn

“

We were thrown down, but not out...

”

Physical Description

By Peter Mohrbacher

The ætherborn, or just aetherborn, are humanoids that formerly inhabited the layer of aether near the top of the Material Plane. They appear to have a largely human shape, with a single jewel on the forehead. From this jewel sprouts a kind of headpiece unique to each aetherborn. This jewel is said to actually be an eye. It often covers most of the top of their head and appears to have appendages that stick out of it, like tentacles or horns. Their eyes are usually hues of gold. The rest of their body is fairly unremarkable, usually appearing to be a lithe human. One notable thing about them is that they are very light in weight despite their appearance. They love to wear flowy, light fabrics and hate tight, restricting, and heavy garb.

History

The aetherborn were born of the aether layer in the Material Plane, just below Brightrim. According to their origin myths, they were originally able to fly and live above the Midlands and earthly troubles. This is supposedly due to them being near the Elemental Plane of Air, which thus imbued the surrounding space with magic that allowed them to traverse clouds and the empty skies. However, the aether is also home to a variety of beings that lived on the rocky islands suspended by light gravity. On these islands, many portals to the Elemental Plane of Air would open and close intermittently. Supposedly the aetherborn garnered the spite of some powerful creatures who did not see them as worthy of living above. One day, the aether strangely waned and many islands fell into the ground below. The aetherborn were one of the ones who lost their ability to fly and plummeted to earth as well. To this day, they seek to return to the skies.

Society

Aetherborn society is fairly small and scattered, supposedly because when they fell, they landed in multiple places around the world. Where they were able to gather, they were rarely satisfied. For this reason, most aetherborn groups are nomadic. They do not see the earth as their home and are constantly searching for methods to restore their place in the aether layer. They, therefore, have very transient relationships with other beings of the terra, and care little about its events. Some aetherborn, mainly those who are now born after the fall, see this as a foolish view and are more worldly. These are the ones who show curiosity at the way earthbound beings conduct themselves and are willing to consider a long life on the ground.

Aetherborn Names

Aetherborn names take from Auran, but can also sound Sylvan due to the airy and whimsical nature of the way syllables tumble. Male aetherborn names are meant to be quick, like a blustering wind, where females are soft, like a spring breeze.

Male Names: Kudah, Yuo, Eskar, Isak

Female Names: Brada, Sestus, Dahya, Ramif

Aetherborn Traits

Beings who formerly inhabited the sky islands
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Wisdom increases by 1.
Age. Due to the nature of their birth in aether, aetherborn can live up to 1000 years before dissipating into nothing.
Alignment. Whimsical yet often moody, aetherborn tend to be neutral.
Size. Aetherborn vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Stratus Lung. You are accustomed to thinner air levels. You can hold your breath for up to 1 hour at a time. You’re also acclimated to high altitude, including elevations above 20,000 feet.
Airy Step. Like air, you weave through and past. As a bonus action, you can magically teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. Once you use this trait, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest.
Third Eye's Wisdom. The third eye jewel of the aetherborn is imbued with the aether itself, which watches all over the world. You are proficient in one Wisdom based skill of your choice. As part of a long rest, you can swap this proficiency for another Wisdom based skill of your choice.
Aether Burst. You know and can cast the gust cantrip. When you use this version of gust, you have the additional option of using this cantrip to move yourself up to half your movement speed in a direction of your choice. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Auran.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
5′ 2''	+2d8	40 lb.	× (1d4) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

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