Races of the Ashen Lands
The lands of Iobaria hold people of many races, both native to the area and brought to it by the Iobari themselves as slaves, soldiers, or newly minted citizens. The result is a diverse landscape of peoples and cultures that have largely blended together.
To reflect this tendency of people to come together through generations, and to avoid racial essentialism, we have broken a character's race into two components in the following document. Heritage and Culture. Your heritage represents your appearance and intrinsic physical characteristics, such as whether or not you have Darkvision, your height and weight range, how many fingers you have, and similar details.
This means that you can play an Elven Character raised in a Dwarf-Centric community who possesses the dominant social traits of dwarven culture, such as Stonecunning or Tunnelfighting. Or a Pactborn whose upbringing in Alfheim gives him both elven skill with a longbow and the fashion sense of a Viking lord.
We hope you enjoy this approach, notably pioneered by Eugene Marshall and Arcanist Press, and carry it forward in your own games, whether in the Ashen Lands or the Forgotten Realms!
Heritage Rarity
When Iobar sought to bring new citizens in the Empire it did so, largely, by seeding people of different heritages and cultures across their lands. The emperor did this both with the intent of diversifying the cultural contributions to society but also to keep any singular foreign culture from being prominent in a region to ensure assimilation into Iobaran society.
People being people, however, tended to congregate with those who held similar traditions or at least geography to their homeland. This has lead to different areas holding larger or smaller numbers of some heritages than others. Wolde, for example, has a high population of Elves thanks to it's large lakes, and Orcs due to it's proximity to the Marshlands to the East. It follows that it also has Iobarias largest proportion of half-elves and half-orcs for not altogether the same reason.
Some heritages, however, are intrinsically rare to the point of being nearly Unique. Pactborn, for example, being born of Fiends and Mortals, do not have a heritage which is common enough to form significant communities or subcultures within larger societies. There simply aren't enough Pactborn for that. The same can be said of Heiligschen, or Angelborn individuals.
There are many races from D&D's long history that are not represented in this setting not because they don't exist, or aren't a "Playable" race, but simply because their rarity and the nichness of their narrative roles made representing them in this document a bit unnescessary. If you wish to play a member of these races, don't hesitate to work with your Dungeon Master to create a heritage template, a setting-appropriate origin, and even a culture!
For the heritages outlined in this document, the different nations of Iobaria have a rough guide to how common or uncommon they are in the region by their population guide. You should not feel constrained by the values presented, however, as your character is the exception to so very many rules and preconceptions by virtue of being a PC!
An Alfheimer Dwarf
Dwarven Heritage
Dwarves in the Ashen Lands are largely the descendants of refugees from the Deluge, when the Ocean Level around the world descended, precipitously, thanks to a massive black magic ritual that called on the power of twisted and ancient gods. Even twenty generations removed, the dwarves of Mekri still honor those brave souls who stayed behind, bracing doors and collapsing tunnels against the flood to buy their neighbors time to flee to the higher caverns and the surface world.
Dwarves are a part of all of the cultures of Iobaria, and many have traveled out into the world in distant Xian or Hanolia, seeking others who clambered up to the surface in the wake of the Deluge. They are generally seen as no different than any other member of any society or culture they hold themselves to be a part of with the exception of Kalanthe, where dwarves are seen as particularly dangerous due to the reputation of the Akkad.
Outside of Mekri, dwarves typically represent less than 20% of the population of most City-States and the surrounding regions. In Wolde and in Alfheim, this has resulted in dwarves carving out a dwarven-majority district of the city itself. Occasionally called 'little Mekri', these enclaves do not represent a particular subculture, but a place of physical accomodation where tables are shorter and doors are wider.
These locations are also typically home to apothecaries who sells poisonous plants and animals at lower prices than one might find in other cities, due to their use in flavoring dishes.
Age: Dwarves mature at the same rate as humans do, reaching physical maturity between the ages of 18 and 26. After that point, however, they seem to age much more slowly, but much more fully, than humans do. Often their hair begins turning gray in their early 100s, with wrinkling coming within 50-60 years and they typically reach around 230 years of age. By which time they truly appear to be ancient compared to their human neighbors.
Size: Medium. Dwarves typically stand between 4 feet and 5 feet in height, with surface dwarves tending toward the higher end of that range and those who remain underground leaning toward the shorter end of that height range. Dwarves are hardy folk, with high bone density on their relatively compact frames. Add in the fact that humans or elves and dwarves always beget dwarven children with some human characteristics, and the dwarven weight range spans between 90 and 210 pounds
Speed: Due to their stature, Dwarves move at 25ft per round. But thanks to their strong bone structure their movement rate is not hampered by heavy armor.
Vision: Dwarves innately possess Darkvision out to 90ft, allowing them to see in darkness as if it were dim light, and dim light as if it were bright light. When doing so, their eyes often appear to glow, not unlike a cat's, thanks to a reflective layer inside the eye catching as much light as is possible.
Resilience: Dwarves are resistant to many common poisonous compounds, in part due to the chemical composition of their blood, but also through generationally acquired resistance. In game terms, Dwarves have advantage to saving throws against poison, and take only half damage from poison attacks. Many Dwarves use plants humans consider to be slightly toxic as spices in their food, but are careful not to "overseason" the food they prepare for non-dwarven friends.
Stonebones: Thanks to their high bone density and compact natures, Dwarves tend to better resist injury than their non-Dwarven neighbors, and heal from such injuries with less significant scarring. Dwarves gain 1 extra Hit Point at every level, and roll a dice one size larger than their class's Hit Dice when expending Hit Dice to recover hit points, to a maximum size of 2d6. (d6>d8, d8>d10, d10>d12, d12>2d6)
A Walden Dwarf
A Walden Elf
Elven Heritage
Elves in Iobaria are members of an ancient diaspora from their Isle in the Obdari Ocean. Created by nearly-forgotten gods, they settled in Iobaria at Alfheim and built up a new society separate from their Island Culture, but still tied to lifegiving water. Living among the humans, dwarves, and other peoples of Iobaria has lead them to take on new cultural identities, new families, and new values.
Yet still the sparkle of sunlight across water thrills them, and the majority of elves can be found along the shores of rivers, oceans, and great lakes, making Iobaria a blessed place to be.
Elves are a part of every culture of Iobaria and, indeed, the world thanks to their wide-ranging ships which have landed in every port from Stygia to Hanolia countless times over the centuries. From Walden Elves in corsets and blouses to silk-dancers in Xian, to the raiders of Alfheim and the defense of Mekri.
Elves are also the people most common to transition from one culture to the next as they age, since their very long lives allow them to move between different cultures and gain knowledge and experiences far beyond a human's lifetime.
It's not unusual for an elf to leave a region behind when a group of dear friends with shorter lifespans passes on in order to seek out new lands and new friends away from the painful memories of what they have lost.
Consider your elf's true age compared to what others might assume based on their appearance, and how many friends they've lost to the ravages of time.
Age: Elves mature at a slightly slower rate than humans, reaching physical maturity between the ages of 40 and 50 years old, typically. At that point, however, the aging process appears to stop, entirely, until the last decade or so of the elf's natural lifespan, at which time their hair swiftly becomes grey or white, and they physically age like a human passing from 30 to 90 in the span of 7-10 years. Barring disaster or disease, an elf lives up to 450 years of age. Though most pass through their hastening as they pass their 4th century.
Size: Medium. Elves typically stand between 5' and 5'9" in height, with the exception being Dark Elves, who are typically shorter and stand between 4'10 and 5'4" in stature. Elves are generally slender or athletic in build, with weights typically between 80 and 110 pounds. That said, depending on an elf's lifestyle and eating habits they can be heavier, as is occasionally the case in Walden among nobles who often enjoy feasts and comparatively little exercise.
Speed: Elves move at roughly 30ft per round, though tend to do so in a manner that makes them seems as if they're moving more swiftly than other people moving at the same speed. This is largely attributed to the conservation of energy elves tend to use, moving only so much as is needed in what many consider to be an ethereal or flowing manner.
Vision: Elves possess Elfsight, which is similar to, but not the same as, Darkvision. In all conditions of light, elves see twice as far as a human baseline. That is to say, that if a human can read letters off of a chart at 20ft, an elf with no astigmatism or other visual impairment can read those same letters off at 40ft. In darkness, however, Elves are just as blind as humans. When determining what an elf can see, double all ranges and light areas.
Reverie: Elves do not sleep in the same manner as humans, instead entering a state of meditation or trance known as Reverie. For an elf to gain the benefits of a long rest they must complete four full hours of Reverie, but those hours need not be contiguous, and can be spread across an eight hour period.
Enamored of Water: Elves have long lived on and near water, and have dealt with endless threats from the sea, such as sirens, and the shoreline forests, such as Fey beings. Elves gain Advantage to saving throws against Enchantment spells and effects.
An Islander Elf
A Mekritan Drow
Elf, Drow
Dark elves exist in the Ashen Lands, but they're a far cry from Faerun's wicked elves. Instead, the drow of the Ashen Lands represent early islander elves who were trapped in a sudden maelstrom engineered by dark magic. An event that would come to be known as The Deluge. Those elves who survived being pulled down into the Underdark had no knowledge of the myriad tunnels, much less in their new flooded states. Instead they lashed what ships and wood they had together to create a small floating community.
Over the millennia since, they've become corsairs of shadowed seas in the great Vaults of the underdark, carved port-towns and homes into massive stalagmites that rise like pillar-islands out of the dark waters, and created a new life for themselves. A little over 70 years ago, some elven explorers working on leads offered by helpful dwarves finally found their lost cousins.
The meeting was joyful. And the drow, a corruption of the word 'Drowned' as they were called for centuries, eagerly embraced their friends and the surface world their ancestors had long known.
Drow who rise up from the dark waters of the Underdark are boisterous, joyful, and haunted by the world they've left behind. Because all the drow know what lies in those sunken seas, and what dangers cling to those they've left behind. Their joviality often a mask for thoughts as dark as their skin.
Age: Drow mature at a slightly slower rate than humans, reaching physical maturity between the ages of 27 and 32 years old, typically. At that point, however, the aging process appears to stop, entirely, until the last decade or so of the elf's natural lifespan, at which time their hair swiftly becomes grey or white, and they physically age like a human passing from 30 to 90 in the span of 7-10 years. Barring disaster or disease, a drow lives up to 370 years of age. Though most pass through their hastening as they approach 340.
Size: Medium. Dark Elves, stand between 4'10 and 5'4" in stature and are generally slender or athletic in build, with weights typically between 70 and 100 pounds. That said, depending on a drow's lifestyle and eating habits they can be heavier, as is occasionally the case when a powerful corsair retires from sailing.
Speed: Drow move at roughly 30ft per round, though tend to do so in a manner that makes them seems as if they're moving more swiftly than other people moving at the same speed. This is largely attributed to the sudden and violent motions drow tend to us, moving in sharp bursts of energy and then returning to stillness, a trait learned to combat motion-sensitive foes.
Vision: Drow possess Elfsight, which is similar to, but not the same as, Darkvision. In all conditions of light, drow see twice as far as a human baseline. Drow also possess Darkvision to a range of 60ft.
Reverie: Drow do not sleep in the same manner as humans, instead entering a state of meditation or trance known as Reverie. For an elf to gain the benefits of a long rest they must complete four full hours of Reverie, but those hours need not be contiguous, and can be spread across an eight hour period.
Telepathy: Life on Dark Water has not been kind to the drow, and the strange effects of the Underdark have left them changed, compared to their surface kin. Drow posses telepathy to a range of 60ft, and so long as another creature is within that telepathic range, they gain advantage to saving throws against Fear and Charm spells and effects.
A Drow Corsair
A Hurstfolk Gearhart
Gearharts
Gearharts are constructed people. First crafted by the Artificers of Falconhurst three decades ago, they have become more varied in their construction over time. After the fall of Iobar, however, fewer and fewer Gearhearts have been constructed. This is largely due to the wealth of the Empire being lost, but there are some who yet question the morality of building life with one's hands, rather than creating life as the gods intended.
Gearhearts are constructed mainly of ironwood frames supporting delicate clockworks, a central magical gear-heart, and a magically reinforced porcelain covering over their face, their hands, and often other portions of their bodies. Most recent gearhearts have some ability to alter their expression through porcelain face-plates that can shift to press against each other in slightly different configurations. But the earliest Gearhearts possess multiple solid face-plates each bearing a different expression that they must don, like masks, in order to show their emotion.
Gearhearts are created for many purposes, and occasionally for no purpose at all. Whether the artificer needed a servant to clean their home and prepare their meals, a friend to assist in their research and work, or a protector to keep them safe on the road, all gearhearts are a labor of deep love and affection. Their "Parent" does not spend months, even years, learning and designing their intricate natures out of short-lived turmoil, much less building from those designs. No, Gearhearts are invariably "born" into loving homes with one or more parents who love them, dearly.
While Gearhearts are well known in Falconhurst and have been seen oft enough in Kalanthe to no longer draw stares, most people have never met a Gearheart, before. Even within Falconhurst itself, gearhearts generally remain within the city rather than traveling away from their home. Adventuring gearhearts often find themselves explaining what, and how, they are.
Age: Gearharts assimilate new information rapidly, and generally act as if they were adults within 1 year of creation. No one is quite certain of the maximum lifespan of a Gearhart, yet, as they've only existed for about 30 years.
Size: Medium. It would be very difficult to create a Gearhart smaller or larger than the average human due to the weight of the materials used to construct them and the delicate intricacy required, and most stand between 5'5" and 6'0" of height. They weigh considerably more than most humans, however, starting at a weight of 220 pounds to a maximum of 400 pounds for more armored models.
Speed: Gearharts move at 30 feet per round, but tend to do so in a manner which is distinctly inhuman. Either in motions too fluid for a human frame, or in fitful jerking starts, depending on their design, age, and state of repair.
Vision: Gearharts have Darkvision to a range of 30 feet, allowing them to see in darkness as if it were dim light, and dim light as if it were bright light. When doing so, their eyes often appear to glow, dimly.
Constructed Resilience: Gearhearts are immune to disease and resistant to poison damage, they do not need to eat or drink, but must spend 6 hours in an inert but alert state, rather than sleeping. They also gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class.
Repairs: A Gearhart cannot benefit from healing magic in the way a flesh and blood person can. But they may expend 1 hit dice on their turn to self-repair as a bonus action. And may do so until they run out of hit dice.
Clockwork Mind: All Gearharts possess the Keen Mind Feat at level 1, making it impossible for them to forget anything without direct manipulation of their mind.
A Xian-ha Gearhart
A Walden Gravetouched Elf
Gravetouched
Not all dark magics are equal in power, or darkness. Necromancy, the manipulation of life and death, stands tall above all others in it's power and potential for true horror. The Gravetouched stand as evidence enough of this.
A Gravetouched person may or may not be born in their state. Certainly the use of necromancy by the mother while pregnant, or exposure to necrotic forces may afflict the child with this condition, but even those who are fully grown may become gravetouched by several mystical means. Those who are born gravetouched are sometimes called dhampir, as a way to distinguish them from both true undead beings and those who become gravetouched later in life.
Regardless of their origins, Gravetouched tend to have ashen skin, sunken eyes, and all have fangs to varying degrees. Their fingernails tend to grow longer, and paler, and their hair grows at a noticeably swifter rate than others, often giving them an unkempt appearance unless they clip their nails daily and trim their hair weekly.
To be Gravetouched is, in most lands where it is known, to be corrupt. Tainted by dark powers and wickedness, filled with vile hungers and evil plans. Those who are gravetouched know this to be false... but convincing others of that truth can be very difficult. Be careful who learns about this aspect of your nature, and be careful of the way that they learn, should they ever.
For many gravetouched -do- fall to cruelty and evil, as it is all too easy for any person to do without the excuse of necromantic power bound up in their veins. Those who resist tend to do so through the use of willful compulsions, such as tapping and object twice before picking it up, or running a fingertip over lace to ground oneself in the moment. This has, consequently, lead to many myths about undead beings tied to similar compulsions.
Age: Gravetouched age at a rate similar to their parents. They reach physical maturity between a few years later than others in their community, but seem to age at a similar rate. Gravetouched, however, continue to age and decay well past the point when others of their race would perish. And typically live twice as long as their parents.
Size: Medium or Small. As Gravetouched can be the children of any parent, they tend to be the same size as their mother, give or take.
Speed: Gravetouched move at 30ft per round unless they are born to Halflings or Dwarves, in which case they move at 25ft, but gain neither a climb speed nor the ability to move freely in heavy armor.
Vision: Gravetouched possess Darkvision to a range of 120 feet, which allows them to see in darkness as though it were dim light, and dim light as if it were bright light. When doing so, their eyes often appear to glow, not unlike a cat's, thanks to a reflective layer inside the eye catching as much light as is possible.
Radiant Vulnerability: Gravetouched characters take double damage from Radiant effects, and 1 point of damage for every round they remain uncovered in direct sunlight.
Necrotic Resistance: Gravetouched characters take half damage from Necrotic effects.
Flit: A Gravetouched character has a fly speed of 50 feet per round, but must end their turn on solid ground or immediately fall. You cannot use this speed while wearing medium or heavy armor, or when encumbered.
Fangs: A Gravetouched character's fangs are a natural weapon which deal 1d6 damage and have the Finesse property. On a successful attack while grappling, or upon a helpless or willing target, the Gravetouched character gains temporary hit points equal to their Proficiency Bonus.
A Sea-Prince Gravetouched Human
A Poran Half-Elf
Half-Elf
Children of two worlds, half-elves share no small amount of their elven parent's life. The heightened senses, the lack of true sleep, the long years stretching before them... But their shorter lifespans and swifter maturity and aging keep them firmly grounded in their human side's life. Is it any wonder, then, that so many half-elves choose to bond with each other, and have families who stand in the margins of human and elven life together?
Half-Elves do particularly well in Kalanthe and Falconhurst, where holding a variety of skills serves on quite well in the culture, but it is in Walden where they have the strongest sense of community. But they are welcomed into nearly any community, barring nationalistic enmity, such as Iobarian Half-Elves traveling through the jungles of Khum or wearing the armor of Iobari soldiers and moving through Hanolia.
Regardless of their profession, half-elves are often looked to as performers, or potential performers, thanks to their inherent gracefulness and tendency toward dulcet voices, sweet and smooth. Whether singing, making speeches, or reciting poetry, half-elves can expect someone to make a comment about how they sound.
It should be noted, that physically elves and half-elves share very similar features, including their pointed ears. For some half-elves, these ears are significantly shorter than their elven side's ears, but there is no guarantee of that. And in plenty of cases, half-elven ears are just as long as an elf's, making it difficult to tell the difference at a glance.
But true elves cannot grow beards. A fact that leads many half-elven men to keep mustaches, goatees, or scruff.
Age: Half-Elves age at a rate slightly slower than humans, reaching human milestones at least a decade later. They reach physical maturity around the ages of 27-32, middle age in their late 60s or 70s, and often live up to 200 years.
Size: Medium. Half elves are about the same size as their parents, averaging about 5'6" in height, but range between 5'1" and 6'3" in height. Their builds are similar to their human parent, though generally on the slightly trim side. This is, of course, hardly universal.
Speed: Half-Elves move at 30ft per round. Taking after their elven parent, they tend to be more graceful than your average human. But taking after their human parent, they're rarely as graceful as the average elf. This makes them seem delicate, but not inhumanly so.
Vision: Half-Elves possess Elfsight, which is similar to, but not the same as, Darkvision. In all conditions of light, they see twice as far as a human baseline. That is to say, that if a human can read letters off of a chart at 20ft, a half-elf with no astigmatism or other visual impairment can read those same letters off at 40ft. In darkness, however, Elves are just as blind as humans. When determining what an elf can see, double all ranges and light areas.
Restlessness: Half-Elves, like their elven parents, must engage in a trancelike state to rest, rather than sleeping. This conflicts with their human aspect. As a result, half-elves enter a 4 hour long 'trance' in order to take a long rest, and are immune to spells which put them to sleep.
Dark Hours: Half-Elves spend hours awake and aware while their neighbors and family slumber. This time is often spent idly seeking to entertain themselves or complete tasks for the next day. Half-Elves gain one additional skill, language, tool, or vehicle proficiency of their choice.
A Hurstfolk Half-Elf
An Alfheimer Halfling
Halflings
No one precisely knows where halflings, or half-folk as they are sometimes called, came from. There are no legends of their people, no great cultural history. They hold the same gods as any other in the lands where they live. Somehow, some way, they have simply always been present in human lands, growing side by side with their taller cousins.
Wherever they live, halflings thrive. In rural communities they make themselves indespensible as skilled crafters with tiny fingers that make detail work easy, as foragers and farmers who tend to animals or hunt game. And in urban societies they're well sought after for their ability to see eye to eye with children and keep them safe through games and dance.
Tutors and workers, friends and family, halflings are welcome in all the lands of Iobaria where humans dare to tread.
For their part, halflings generally build smaller homes that are provide better accomodations for their height. Smaller homes often cluster together in larger towns and cities, creating the illusion of a 'model village' or perhaps a playland for children of taller races. In truth, it's simply a halfling enclave, though children are often welcomed in such places with open arms and warm pies.
For more than most peoples, halflings love children. Not as a cultural trait, but a strong inborn sense of camraderie and maternal or paternal instinct. Abandoned children of many peoples are often adopted and raised in halfling homes.
Age: Halflings age at a rate identical to humans, reaching physical maturity in their late teens to early twenties, but their small stature and swift metabolisms keep them flush with youth throughout their entire lives. Even elder halflings, over ninety years old, have few wrinkles and color to their greying hair.
Size: Small. Halflings stand between 3'2" and 3'6" tall, making them the smallest common people of Iobaria. They need to eat and drink only half as much as their tall neighbors, and often weigh around 30 pounds.
Speed: Halflings move at only 25 feet per round thanks to their shorter legs, but they take nearly half again as many steps in the same amount of time as a human would, making them seem bouncy, frenetic, or even frantic in motion. Excellent climbers, halflings have a Climb Speed of 25ft per round as well.
Vision: Halflings possess no special sight in light or darkness, and see roughly as well as human do.
Luck of the Small: Halflings possess a nearly supernatural felicity that keeps them safe and allows them to achieve wild ends. Whenever you roll a natural 1 on a d20 roll, you may immediately reroll that die and take the second result.
Easy to Overlook: Thanks to their small stature, Halflings find it quite easy to be overlooked, and can attempt to hide behind medium sized creatures. They are considered to be obscured when doing so. Similarly, halflings have advantage on stealth checks made in opposition of large or larger creatures.
Childlike: Thanks to their youthful appearance and small height, a Halfling may attempt to disguise themself as a child of any similar race. Doing so grants them advantage on any Performance or Deception skill check required to convince others that they are, in fact, a child.
A Kalan Halfling
A Poran Half Orc
Half Orcs and Orcs
Orcish blood runs hot, and spills with great gusto for causes that are worthy of it. Centuries before Iobar rose and created his empire, Orcish Mercenaries traveled to the lands now called Iobaria as sellswords, merchants, and diplomats of Khumbani to the distant south. Their skills, their wares, and their trade were all important to the burgeoning empire that Iobar would later build.
Which makes his betrayal all the more deep. Those who sold their blades for coin sold to him, alone. Those who refused were put to the sword, or the chain. For hundreds of years, since the conquest of Khumbani, Orcs and Half Orcs have been slaves of the Empire. And upon the Day of Night's Fire they rose up, as one, to strike down their masters and flee into the smoke, under ash-laden skies.
Now, those descended from the first mercenaries, the first traders, and the first diplomats mingle with those descended from the last. And all seek to find for themselves a home in tihs land, far from the spirits of their ancestors, whom they never knew. In the only lands they've ever known.
Half Orcs have existed in Iobaria for almost as long as orcs have, thanks in large part to the rugged physiques orcs are known for and a predisposition toward cleanliness, and the difference between the two are so narrow that the terms are used relatively interchangeable. The only true physical difference between Orcs and their half-blood progeny lies in their skin tones. Orcs tend to have yellow, olive, green, and very dark green skin tones, while Half Orcs tend toward more human-like skin tones favoring russet colors.
Age: Orcs and Half Orcs age at a rate similar to humans, reaching physical maturity in their late teens to early twenties, but they tend to grow older faster, and remain vitally so well into their later years.
Size: Medium. Orcs and Half Orcs are taller than humans, on average, ranging from 5'10" to around 6'8" in height. They also tend to be broader than humans, packing on muscle and fat much more easily than their neighbors, and often range from 200 to 300 pounds in weight.
Speed: Both Orcs and Half Orcs move at 30 feet per round, though in a manner opposite to halflings they tend to do so with fewer, longer, strides, seeming almost langorous or loping in their long steps that consume nearly a yard with each stride.
Vision: Orcs and Half Orcs both possess Darkvision to a range of 60 feet, which allows them to see in darkness as though it were dim light, and dim light as if it were bright light. When doing so, their eyes often appear to glow, not unlike a cat's, thanks to a reflective layer inside the eye catching as much light as is possible.
Six Fingers: Half Orcs have two thumbs on either side of their hand, and two big toes on either side of their feet. This adaptation gives them advantage on d20 rolls to retain their grip on objects or people, and advantage on saving throws against effects that would otherwise leave them prone.
Relentless Endurance: Both Orcs and Half Orcs are exceptionally durable, and can be quite difficult to kill, whether through accident or intention! When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
A Woad Orc
A Walden Heiligschein-Human
Heiligschein
Golden eyes, flawless skin, hair that blows in winds that are not present... Heiligschein are often seen as children of gods or powerful capricious entities of goodness, but only when they are recognized as such. Most Heiligschein simply look like a particularly attractive member of their people, though often they have one or two specific supernatural features that may mark them as different.
When they are found out, Heiligschen are often perceived to be the children of deities or angels, daeva or djinn. The truth can sometimes be so simple, but other times it is more complex. Such as their birthplace being particularly near to a conflux of different planes of existence, or their mother receiving magical healing at a crucial stage of their pregnancy.
Whatever providence lead to their creation, Heiligschein are beings of light which may shine out of them in myriad ways. Some are kind to their own detriment, others loving beyond measure, but some are violent in extremes, seeking to harm those who would harm the innocent to a frightening degree that makes them particularly prized Paladins of the various orders.
A Heiligschein must choose, carefully, to whom they reveal the truth of their nature, as there are those who would seek to use their powers to great personal gain, or to corrupt them. And the press of common folk in ever-fervent need can be overwhelming for even the most giving of souls.
Age: Heiligschein age at a rate similar to their parents. They reach physical maturity between a few years later than others in their community, but seem to age at a similar rate. However the older a heiligschein gets the more prominent their supernatural features.
Size: Medium or Small. As Heiligschein can be the children of any parent, they tend to be the same size as their mother, give or take.
Speed: Heiligschein move at 30ft per round unless they are born to Halflings or Dwarves, in which case they move at 25ft, but gain neither a climb speed nor the ability to move freely in heavy armor.
Vision: Heiligschein possess Darkvision to a range of 90 feet, which allows them to see in darkness as though it were dim light, and dim light as if it were bright light. When doing so, their eyes often appear to glow, not unlike a cat's, thanks to a reflective layer inside the eye catching as much light as is possible.
Inner Light: Heiligschein literally possess an inner light which seeks release. At rest, a Heiligschein emits dim light in a 5ft radius, though this is imperceptible in most lighting conditions. As a bonus action you may suppress this light for 1 minute, or increase the light until the end of your next turn, providing bright light within 15 feet and dim light for 30 feet beyond that range.
Healing Touch: Heiligschein can provide magical healing with a touch of their hand. As an action, you touch another willing creature and expend one of your hit dice. The target creature touched regains hit points equal to the amount rolled.
A Kalan Heilischein-Human
A Winterchild Human
Humans
Across the world of the Ashen Lands humans are among the most widespread of peoples. In every environment that a person might live, Humans are present. From the frozen tundras of Hanolia to the burning deserts of Kalanthe, fromm the highest mountain peaks to the lowest river valleys, humans thrive through adaptability, ingenuity, and community.
For all their flaws, humans are perhaps the most malleable of the races. Willing and able to change themselves and the world around them, eager to impose order, or chaos, where they must to make the world more habitable for themselves and their allies. It is no wonder, then, that the first primalists, the first Druids, were human.
Light skin, Dark Skin, black hair and white hair, flat and broad faces or angular and narrow ones, humans encapsulate a wide variety of appearances, like wildflowers in bloom. Such features often mark where a human is from, but the differences are quite literally skin deep. The humans sometimes forget this simple truth, particularly in times of tribulation... but it remains so.
To play a human of the Ashen Lands is a simple enough act compared to considering the wildly different mindsets of people who live for hundreds of years, but they make an excellent canvas to display different personalities, goals, and methods of advancing toward those goals for the same reason, allowing you to focus on your character's actions and abilities.
Age: Unsurprisingly, humans age at a rate identical to humans! They reach physical maturity between 18 and 23 years of age, and generally do not live more than a century, often falling victim to disease or injury before they reach 90 years of age.
Size: Medium. Humans have the largest height range of the races of the Ashen Lands, with 5'0 to 6'0 being the most common range, though outliers can be as small as 2'10" or as tall as 8'9".
Speed: Humans move around 30ft per round, some frenetically, some langorously, some in bursts of speed, some with constant motion. Graceful and Graceless... And some on wheels. Again, humans are among the most adaptive of peoples, and have created a wide variety of prosthetics to assist in locomotion for those who through birth or injury hold difficulties doing so.
Vision: Humans aren't particularly capable of seeing in the dark, or well at all in truth. But inventive and creative, adaptive and variable, humans have created prosthetic lenses and glasses or goggles to help offset any apparent deficiencies in this field, including the Goggles of Darkvision, a magic item specifically created to allow humans to see in the dark.
Adaptability: As a human, you are particularly adaptable. At level one, choose one attribute to increase by 1 point. In addition, at each level after 1st you may choose to reduce any single attribute by 1 point and increase any other single attribute by 1 point.
An Iobari Human
A Hurstfolk Human-Pactborn
Pactborn
Maligned for a heritage they held no hand in, Pactborn are most often the children of Warlocks or other Occultists who have made deals with otherworldly entities involving their firstborn children. Or, at least, such is the well known myth.
While some pactborn are, indeed, the product of a witch or warlock's contracted dalliance with a fiendish, fey, or dark watcher's minion, the significant majority of them are the result of their environment. Being born to parents who wield dark magics or spent significant amounts of time near to fonts of such power prior to conception or during gestation can create a Pactborn.
Many pactborn have horns, tails, hooves, or other features some might consider unnatural. And due to the stigma of being pactborn, most go to some lengths to hide such aspects, particularly in Wolde and other superstitious regions. For horns a simple hood or mask is often enough to hide one's heritage. But those born with blue, purple, or crimson skin may need to go to more extreme lengths.
If you choose to play a Pactborn character, consider how your character's inhuman details might be hidden, or exposed. Does anyone know the truth about your nature? Is it something you'd wish to risk sharing with your party, who may or may not respond violently?
Age: Pactborn age at a rate similar to their parents. They reach physical maturity between a few years later than others in their community, but seem to age at a similar rate. However the older a pactborn gets the more prominent their inhuman features.
Size: Medium or Small. As Pactborn can be the children of any parent, they tend to be the same size as their mother, give or take. Though some grow larger and lankier, often freakishly so, as their inhuman element.
Speed: Pactborn move at 30ft per round unless they are born to Halflings or Dwarves, in which case they move at 25ft, but gain neither a climb speed nor the ability to move freely in heavy armor.
Vision: Pactborn possess Darkvision to a range of 90 feet, which allows them to see in darkness as though it were dim light, and dim light as if it were bright light. When doing so, their eyes often appear to glow, not unlike a cat's, thanks to a reflective layer inside the eye catching as much light as is possible.
Unnatural Heritage: As a Pactborn, you gain one of the following traits which displays your otherwordly ancestry. However you should feel free to describe your character in whatever manner feels appropriate, adding horns, a tail, or unusual eyes and hands as you see fit.
Unstuck Shadow: Your shadow does not always reflect what you are doing, often gesturing or posturing independent of your actions. You gain the Mage Hand Cantrip, but when using it your shadow disconnects from your body to go and manipulate the object on your behalf with precision.
Prehensile Limb: Whether a tail, a tentacle, tongue, or an extra arm, you gain the ability to ready an object you are carrying as a free action, once per turn, or use the "Use Object" action as a bonus action.
Changeling: Your skin, eyes, and hair have the ability to alter themselves, slightly, to change your appearance. You may attempt to disguise yourself as another person without access to a disguise kit as an action, and gain advantage to any Performance or Deception check tied to that disguise.
Otherworldly Resistance: You gain resistance to one damage type from the following options: Fire, Cold, Thunder, Electricity, Acid, Poison, and Psychic. Once chosen, it cannot be changed.
A Mekritan Human-Pactborn
Cultures of the Ashen Lands
The land of Iobaria holds several different peoples and many different cultures. It's important to understand these different cultures for narrative purposes, and to reinforce this idea, we've prepared mechanical functions to the cultures as well.
When you create a character in the Ashen Lands, you'll choose your Race, your Culture, and your Background to flesh out your character's story and personality. Hopefully this will give you a greater grounding for your character within the setting!
Cultures largely fit into four categories. Core racial identity cultures, regional cultures, cultures of assimilation, which represent racial identity cultures modified by the lens of the larger regional culture that they might find themselves in, and subcultures, which tend to focus on living in a certain style or within a specific segment of a region. They can also represent counter-cultures.
The presented cultures are not meant to be all-encompassing, or represent every culture within the Ashen Lands. They represent a starting point, an initial series of examples for which you can create your own cultures and subcultures of Iobaria.
To make your own culture, choose what sort of characters you would like to see represent the central identity of your culture or subculture. Select ability score increases favorable to that particular type of character. Whether it's human warriors with high strength or socialite tieflings with high charisma.
Next, imagine any skills or feats that might be applicable to your culture. Similarly, ask yourself whether a specific type of magic or weapon is preferred by the chosen people. Does the environment play a role in how you wish them to be portrayed, or does their lifestyle mean the climate they live in is irrelevant?
Once you've considered these ideas, think about unique features that might apply to your culture, and the languages that your people would speak. Put it all together and compare the relative balance to the cultures presented here.
Regional Cultures
- Alfheimer
- Hurstfolk
- Iobari
- Kalanthan
- Mekritan
- Poran
- Walden
Subcultures
- Cosmopolitan
- Raider
- Tabledweller
- Traveler
Racial Identity Cultures
- Dwarf
- Elf
- Orc
Cultures of Assimilation
- Falco (Elf)
- Akkad (Dwarf)
- Winterchild (Human)
- Woad (Orc)
Regional Cultures
Alfheimer
Alfheim hosts a largely egalitarian warrior-culture which focuses on physical capabilities, deep social bonds, and a strong focus on personal and collective honor. It also means living with, and around, elves in the height of their northern culture. You were surrounded by wizards and warmages, skilled soldiers and sailors, and some of the finest elven crafts in the world.
Ability Score Increase: Your Strength or Dexterity score increases by 2, your Intelligence increases by 1.
Magocratic Upbringing: You know 1 Arcane Cantrip of your choosing.
Soldiery: Gain proficiency in Battleaxe, Rapier, Longbow, and Shortbow.
Language: You know Elven and either Iobaran or Mekritan at level 1.
Hurstfolk
Falconhurst represents one of the most diverse cities of Iobaria, that to this day welcomes visitors from across the known world. Growing up in Falconhurst means being exposed to hundreds of new ideas, cultures, and needs. Hurstfolk don't really favor any single aspect of mortal existence, and tend toward universalism.
Ability Score Increase: Choose two ability scores to increase by 1, then increase any one ability score by 1.
Variety of Needs: Choose two Skill, Tool, Language, or Weapon Proficiencies in any combination.
Language: You know Iobaran and either Mekritan or Kalan at level 1.
Iobari
Even after the fall of Iobar, the city's culture spread across the known world. Focused largely on conquest, mercantilism, and religion, the Iobari culture is mostly held by soldiers and citizens of Castle Valka. Shrewd traders, strong warriors, and staunch defenders, Iobari are perhaps best known for their attention to detail.
Ability Score Increase: Your Strength or Constitution score increases by 2, your Wisdom increases by 1.
Keepers of the Watch: Iobari require only 6 hours of sleep to qualify as a Long Rest, and gain proficiency in Perception. Iobari Elves require only 3 hours of sleep. Similarly, Short Rests take only half as long as they normally would.
Eye to the Past: You gain proficiency in the History skill, and gain advantage when attempting to use Arcana, Religion, or Nature checks to recall specific events or important individuals related to those skills.
Language: You know Iobaran at level 1.
Kalanthan
Kalanthe is an ancient culture, with deep seated traditions and a strong focus on self-reliance. Growing up within the city means taking part in those traditions while supporting yourself, even when no one else is willing to lend a hand. Many of those traditions involve elaborate rituals, some of which are mystical in nature.
Ability Score Increase: Choose two ability scores to increase by 1.
Ritualism: You gain the Ritualist Feat at level 1, and know the Ceremony ritual and one other 1st level ritual spell of your choosing.
Self-Sufficient: You gain proficiency in either one Tool Proficiency of your choice and Perception, or Stealth and Sleight of Hand
Language: You know Kalan and either Iobaran or Khuma at level 1.
Mekritan
Mekri is a city with roots reaching back to the Deluge, when the dwarves fled to the surface as the ocean drowned the caverns below. And like many dwarven cities, it is largely striated. Growing up as a Mekritan means knowing your place in society, even if you never truly accept it. It also means living among a dwarven culture fixated on keeping dark secrets buried beneath the mountains.
Ability Score Increase: You may increase any one ability score by 2, and gain a +1 to Wisdom.
Vigilance: When making Perception Checks you may ignore Disadvantage.
Ancestor's Call: The dead play a large role in Mekritan society, and it's common to ask their guidance. Once per long rest, you can spend your action to call on the dead and beg their insight. The ability otherwise functions as an Augury spell, including the cumulative chance of a random answer should you cast Augury through other means.
Ancestral Guardians: You gain proficiency in all forms of Axes as well as Shields.
Language: You know Mekritan at level 1, and either Elven or Iobaran.
Poran
The youngest culture of Iobaria, Zaporo is a city made up mostly of formerly enslaved Orcs and Half-Orcs. Now, with the fall of Iobar, the people of the Greenblood Marshland are free to define themselves. And largely do so with great gusto and celebrations of every moderately sized accomplishment, and barfights for every argument.
Ability Score Increase: Your Strength or Constitution score increases by 2, you also increase another ability score by 1.
Boisterous: Known for impassioned outbursts, you gain proficiency in Intimidate and Deception.
Swampwalker: Due to the muddy and marshy nature of the Greenblood Marshes, you ignore difficult terrain imposed by water or soft earth.
Rebellious: You gain proficiency with improvised weapons, and your unarmed strikes deal 1d6 damage.
Language: You know Orcish and Iobaran at level 1.
Walden
Life in Wolde is shrouded in long shadows of the great Deoric forest, great leaders of the past, and a dark history hidden within the very land itself. Witches, Vampires, and Shapeshifters are known to haunt the forest and the little villages throughout, so much of Walden's culture is pretense, politeness, and carefully measured words to try and discern friend from foe.
Ability Score Increase: Your Charisma increases by 2 points, your Dexterity or Intelligence increase by 1.
Faith and Fear: In Wolde knowing the Gods and your Enemies are crucial skills. You gain proficiency in the Insight and Religion skills.
Superstitions: Many of the superstitions of Wolde are actually functional, if rudimentary, spells powered by belief and strong emotions. You gain the Resistance cantrip and may also cast the spell Protection from Evil and Good once per long rest. At 5th level you gain the ability to cast Gentle Repose once per long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Language: You know Grauenspech and either Iobaran or Orcish at level 1.
Subcultures
Cosmopolitan
Whether you're from Kalanthe or Falconhurst, Wolde or Valka, you are a mover and a shaker. You are surrounded by quite the variety of people and you've learned a lot of little tricks and truths to help lubricate your way through high(er) society.
Ability Score Increase: Your Charisma score increases by 2, any two other abilities of your choice increase by 1.
Cultured: Politeness and Skullduggery go hand in hand in courtly intrigues, you gain proficiency in Deception and Persuasion.
Parlor Tricks: Minor feats of legerdemain make it easier to maintain one's appearance in any situation. You gain the Prestidigitation cantrip.
Language: You know Iobaran, the Primary Language of the region in which you grew up, and one other language of your choice at level 1.
Raider
You were raised among those who spend their time largely in conflict. Whether on foot, on horseback, or upon the deck of a ship, your people attack others to survive. Skilled warriors and often skilled craftsmen, through law or location you lived in a place where food and supplies were scarce, and grew up tough and rugged.
Ability Score Increase: Your Strength and Constitution scores increases by 2.
Raider Training: You gain proficiency in Shortsword, Longsword, Battleaxe, Shortbow, or regional equivalents.
Raider Stealth: You may ignore disadvantage to Stealth Checks imposed by Armor.
Language: You know the Primary Language of the region in which you grew up at level 1.
Tabledweller
The deserts of Kalanthe are a foreboding place rich in danger and poor in water. On the plateaus of the Tables, your tribe had access to a few hidden springs and learned to live with the land, to survive through herding native goats carefully across the plateaus to avoid utterly destroying what grasses and food sources exist, or being taken by the many predators of the desert.
Ability Score Increase: Your Dexterity increases by 2, your Wisdom increases by 1.
Bravura: There are many frightening creatures in the Tables, you gain advantage on any saving throw to avoid Fear Effects.
Animal Bonds: The herds you protect and the beasts that prey on them require a careful touch. You gain proficiency in Handle Animal. Further, on a Handle Animal check of 17 or higher you may act as if you had cast Speak with Animals for 3 rounds only in relation to the animal, or animals, you made the skill check against.
Traveler Culture
The society you’re from is mercantile in nature, and whether your family were guards upon caravans, the crew of a ship, or circus performers, you spent most of your life on the move between a few specific points. Growing up this way made finding lasting friendships difficult, but exposed you to many cultures and experiences!
Ability Score Increase: You gain a +1 bonus to any three attributes of your choosing.
Skilled: Choose any two skills, regional languages, or vehicle proficiencies that you've learned along your travels in any combination. You also learn to play one Musical Instrument.
Wayfinder Whenever your party would become lost you may ignore that result and treat any requisite roll to find the correct path as an automatic success once per short or long rest.
Language: You know two languages of your choice.
Racial Identity Cultures
Dwarven Deepborn Culture
Buried in the world, the Dwarven Culture is largely lost in the wake of the Deluge. But there are, yet, some who cling to the old ways of Stonecunning and Tunnelfighting. These proud scions to the elder lines and the old ways hold a warrior mindset in a priestly culture that calls on gods unknown in Iobaria. Earnest and truthful, dangerous and loyal, their striated society means that most one meets upon the surface are outcasts or messengers bearing warnings to the surface realms.
Ability Score Increase: Your Constitution increases by 2, and one other attribute of your choice increases by 1.
Stonecunning: You always know how high above or far below the surface you are, whether there is a grade or slope to your path, and have advantage to Knowledge or Perception checks related to stonework, underground dwelling foes, or any trap or door hidden in stonework.
Tunnel Fighting: You are trained to fight in cramped quarters, and can move and fight normally while squeezing through a smaller space, neither granting advantage to attackers nor taking disadvantage when you attack.
Resilient: Dwarves are a stoic people, and have long since learned how to do more with less. You may ignore the effects of the first level of exhaustion, but the second and all following levels of exhaustion effect you normally.
Language: You know Dwarven and Mekritan, which is a dialect of Dwarven, at level 1.
Elven Islander Culture
Since the first elf stepped down from a forest hillock to gaze down into a babbling brook, elven culture has had a deep and abiding love for water in all it's forms. Swiftly, elves from the Isle of Siptah became seafarers and scattered across the world. Everywhere they settled, they took some small part of their seafaring nature, including Alfheim.
Ability Score Increase: You gain a +2 bonus to Dexterity, and one other attribute of your choice increases by 1.
Flowing Grace: Your speed increases by 5 feet and you gain proficiency in either Athletics or Acrobatics.
Watery Embrace: You take no damage when you fall into water from any height, and do not take disadvantage while swimming in rough waters or attempting to perceive through storms.
Sailborn: You gain proficiency in Water Vehicles, and the Shape Water cantrip.
Language: You know Elven and one other language of your choice at level 1.
Orc Khumbani Culture
Deep in the jungles of Khum, tribes of Orcs remain free. Hunters, warriors, philosophers, and craftsmen, they live an isolationist life in the wake of Iobar's attempted conquest. Those who leave often have their sixth finger, a second thumb opposed to the first, severed. A mark of their outcast status. To the shock of most who have never seen Orc Culture up close, they are fastidius and careful people who keep their skin, teeth, and hair clean to avoid disease in their jungle homeland .
Ability Score Increase: You gain a +2 bonus to Strength, and one other attribute of your choice increases by +1.
Fastidiousness: Living in Khumbani means taking care to avoid disease or infection, and you gain advantage on any saving throw involving disease or curses which mimic diseases.
Hunter's Skill: You gain proficiency in the Perception skill, and have advantage when tracking creatures through wilderness or when attempting to recognize and anticipate an ambush.
Mighty Thews: When wielding a Versatile Weapon in one hand, you deal damage as though wielding it with both hands.
Language: You know Orcish and one Regional Language of your choice at level 1.
Cultures of Assimilation
Falco
The Elves of Falconhurst are a merry lot, for the sea is key to the city's prosperity. Whether hauling lines on a ship or fishing in the rivers and streams of the wood, you always have water and wood near at hand. The only downside is the shortness of your neighbors lives. Due to the disparity in lifespans, most Falco try to befriend families of those whom they like, so they witness several generations of their friend grow, in time. But there remains some level of distance, as death always comes.
Ability Score Increase: You gain +1 to any two abilities, and +1 to any one ability.
Long Learned: It takes humans a lifetime to become masters of their skills, but you have far more time to learn. Gain proficiency in any three skills or tools.
Elfcraft: You gain the Shape Water cantrip.
Language: You know Elven, Iobaran, and one other language of your choice at level 1.
Akkad
Dwarves initially made their way to Kalanthe with the Iobaran military that attempted to conquer it centuries past. Some, but not many, chose to stay within the ancient city, learning of it's sandstone construction, it's ritualistic traditions, and it's various spices and delights. Over time, more dwarves traveled to the city across the Junian sea from Mekri and became the Akkad: Mercenary warriors of fantastic skill and deadly precision.
Ability Score Increase: You gain +2 to Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution, and +1 to the other two choices.
Sandcunning: You always know how high above or far below the surface you are, whether there is a grade or slope to your path, and have advantage to Knowledge or Perception checks related to overland travel in deserts, desert dwelling animals or creatures, or any trap or door hidden near or under sand and dust.
Shashin: You gain proficiency with the Falchion, Khopesh, and Scimitar, and gain advantage to Sleight of Hand checks to hide weapons on your person.
Language: You know Kalan and Mekritan at level 1.
Winterchild
Living in the unforgiving and frozen high plains of Alfheim, your people are nomads who follow the herds and move between a series of settlements with the seasons. You live off the land and with a deep respect for the power of nature, and reverence for the Twelve Gods as month to month you travel between their shrines.
Ability Score Increase: Your Wisdom increases by 2, and your Constitution increases by 1.
Survivalist: You gain proficiency in the Perception and Survival skills. You also gain advantage when making any check to forage for food.
Nature's Guide: Living in frozen lands, your people have learned a small amount of druidic magic. You gain the Druidcraft cantrip and may cast Goodberry once per long rest. Once you reach 5th level you can cast Lesser Restoration once per long rest in a ritual format. This special version of Lesser Restoration also allows you to remove 1 level of exhaustion from your target accrued from hunger, starvation, or lack of rest.
Language: You speak Elven and Iobaran at level 1.
Woad
The border between the Deoric Forest and the Greenblood Marshland is thin and ill-defined. There, where the swamp abuts the pines, where marshes become moors, the Woad are most at home. Woad culture is very nature-oriented, and typically centers around a hedge wizard or druid.
Ability Score Increase One attribute of your choice increases by 2 points, and a second attribute of your choice increases by 1 point.
Mighty Thews: When wielding a Versatile Weapon in one hand you deal damage as though wielding it with both hands.
Dyer's Woad: While wearing no armor you can choose to paint your skin in vivid or dark colors in a ritual that takes 10 minutes. Doing so grants a +1 bonus to Armor Class while unarmored.
Superstitious: You gain advantage on saving throws to avoid becoming charmed or cursed.
Language: You know Grauenspech and Orcish at level 1.