Shalnaa

"And he just sat there, under deck. We weren't sure where he

came from, but we knew for sure where he wanted to go. My

crew didn't like him, but he paid good, and he could have

killed all of us, with all the magical things he hoarded. But he

didn't. He just wanted to learn. Because knowledge is power,

he said."

Shalnaa are the children of the sun, living in the deserts of the far lands. Shalnaa are famous for their strive for knowledge and might. Their palaces are known for their beauty, their markets for their exotic wares and their armies for their power. But that strive lead to many conflicts over the years and gave them a bad reputation that isn't completely unearned.

Tall and Agile

Shalnaa are tall and slender, ranging from 6 up to 7 feet tall, they overtower most humans and even orcs. They have slightly pointed ears that resemble half-elven ears, their skin ranges from deep brown colors to a warm light brown, but also includes darker shades of grey. Their eye colors range from dark brown to copper and gold tones and their hair colors vary between a reddish-brown and a deep black.

Jewelry out of wood or metal is common in Shalnaan culture, ranging from simple necklaces to golden headdresses.

Years of Experience

Shalnaa live up 300 years, maturing at a slower paste than humans. Many Shalnaa spent centuries learning and perfecting their skills. On their tenth birthday, everyone gets sorted into a caste (often compared with schools) depending on their strengths and behavior.

Every young, thirty-year-old Shalnaa, takes part in a ritual in a local temple, which ends in them having to complete three trials. After the completion, they are considered an adult.

Many Shalnaa own long chains out of smaller wooden or metal pieces, known as Jatu. Every piece of the Jatu stands for an important event in the person's life. Some Shalnaa even wear their Jatu as a necklace or bracelet.

Children of the Sun

Since the beginning of recorded history, Shalnaa pray to the gods of the sun. The Shalnaa are said to have a strong connection to the divine, making them powerful clerics and paladins, acting in the name of their gods. Every Shalnaa learns from their early childhood to pray to the gods once a day.

Golden Cities

The home of the Shalnaa are the deserts of the far lands, living near rivers and the coastline, mostly in dense cities instead of multiple smaller towns. Their cities are complex structures, often planned from the beginning. Most cities are centered around a big palace that also serves as a temple. Magic plays an important role in the life of most Shalnaa, from the creation of water, to a multitude of simple potions for everyday use, to magical barriers and runes that protect the cities. Even though their home may be the desert, their quickly expanding colonies can be found all over the world.

Many outsiders know their cities for their beautiful palaces, festivities, magic and big markets, full of exotic wares from near and far.

Ancient Traditions

Traditions play an important role in the life of every Shalnaa. From a young age on, they learn to remember the traditions, most Shalnaa are involved in different festivities and rituals, that vary depending on their family and birthplace.

Winged Companions

The land of the sun is an enemy many fear, but not without reason. There may be armies as big as theirs, mages as powerful as them, but they are the only near and far that have wyverns on their side.

For hundreds of years, Shalnaa tamed wyverns, which are an important part of their culture and forces. These lesser dragons helped them keep the upper hand in many wars over the centuries.

Wandering Sun

A lot of Shalnaa travel multiple times in their life, if it would be just from one town to another or on a ship to the other end of the world. Some leave their home behind to gain knowledge and to see the world, others may travel to do good in the name of their god or simply to find their own way.

Some go on a journey to help their city or family, others leave the safety of a city behind to pass one of their three trials, and some leave because they couldn't.

Shalnaan Names

Naming is an important part of the Shalnaan traditions. After birth, the parents assign their child's first name. Their family names are similar to the family names in human culture, except they don't change their names normally. The child has the father's and the mother's family name until his ritual. After the ritual they decide which name they want to keep. After that, the adult name gets assigned, which serves as a formal name, while only close friends and family call a Shalnaa by their birthname.

Birthnames: Abzid, Lecha, Umalat, Iqaran, Shargo, Maaret, Azni, Zhulda, Aiza, Shadre, Inguar, Vait, Gardu, Ebri, Taus

Male Adult Names: Maskhudya, Remeshko, Surdhuba, Mhezidus, Markhash, Sharkhud, Onhasuir, Khyrishke

Female Adult Names: Eshidiia, Ayzaria, Zurikhan, Shakashni, Kameshji, Tusargya, Malkarde, Ikharyush, Ajissya

Family Names: Malkabesh, Binurya, Banwenaa, Eshkuran, Gatuvyad, Yunaabis, Zhemkiryash, Dusirdana

Merchants and Pioneers

The Shalnaa are eager Merchants and Pioneers and are valued for their ambitiousness and openness and serve as great traders, magistrates and diplomats. But their reputation of taking up arms too quickly and multiple conflicts and wars in the past lead many other races to see them as belligerent warriors.

Dwarfs: "Dwarfs are honorable people and great inventors. They're too uncommunicative and reticent for their own good. But it's never a good idea to make a dwarf your enemy."

Elves: "Elves are graceful and beautiful and they resemble us in many ways. Their art is stunning and their music inspiring. But they could achieve so much more in the time that they've been given. Nonetheless, it's always good to have an elf on your side."

Humans: "Many humans are just like us. Many aren't. Humans seem to be good at everything they set their mind to. If they spent enough time learning and training. Humans are our best friends and our worst enemies."

Shalnaa Traits

Your Shalnaa has a number of characteristics that other Shalnaa share.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2 and your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Age. Shalnaa age slower than humans, reaching adulthood at age 30 and living up to 300 years.

Alignment. Shalnaa value freedom, variety and family, which is why many lean to neutral, making lawful and chaotic alignments uncommon. They commonly believe in fairness and honor, but many put the needs of their people in front of every other's, therefore many lean towards neutral or good.

Size. Shalnaa stand between 6 and 7 feet tall and have slender builds, averaging 220 pounds. Your size is medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Clear Sight. You have advantage on Intelligence (Investigation) checks to see through magical illusions.

Hot Blood. You are used to extreme heat and can't get harmed by temperatures up to 150°F.

Cantrip. You know one cantrip of your choice from the cleric spell list. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for it.

Shalnaan Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the scimitar, shortsword and glaive.

Trained Blade. Once per day, when a creature within five feet of you attacks you with a melee weapon, you can use your reaction to try to parry the attack and add your proficiency modifier to your AC for that turn. If the attack misses as a result, you can attack once instead.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, Sha'ir and one language of your choice. Sha'ir is a common language in the shalnaan deserts, spoken by many travellers and merchants.

Caste. At the DM's option, you can create a Shalnaa whose abilities represent one of the 7 shalnaan castes. Choose one of the castes below or choose the Casteless option. These traits replace the Shalnaan Weapon Training and Trained Blade Traits above.

Shalnaan Castes

Every young, ten year old Shalnaa gets sorted into a caste, where they learn and often live until they reach adulthood. Which caste they are sorted into depends on their behaviour and talents. Every caste teaches the Shalnaa reading, history and basic natural science, but the in-depth education varies between the castes.

Caste of the just Hand

In the caste of the just Hand, Shalnaa get trained in varoius forms of combat, how to defend themselves and others, as well as diplomacy and history. This makes students of the just hand excellent guards, strategists and sometimes diplomats.

As a student of the caste of the just Hand, you get the Shalnaan Weapon Training and Trained Blade traits.

Shalnaan Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the scimitar, shortsword and glaive.

Trained Blade. Once per day, when a creature within five feet of you attacks you with a melee weapon, you can use your reaction to try to parry the attack and add your proficiency modifier to your AC for that turn. If the attack misses as a result, you can attack once instead.

Caste of the Arcane

Students of the caste of the arcane learn everything about the schools of magic and the elements to one day become powerful mages, artificers, thaumaturges and masters of the arcane. This caste is known to be the most difficult of the castes.

Arcane Scholar Choose one school of magic as your favored school. One of your spell slots of every spell level up to 5th level gets replaced with a favored-school-slot. These slots are still the same level as the normal slot, but can only be used for spells of your favored school. You have advantage on every spell you cast with this slot.

Caste of the Divine

The caste of the divine is the most respected caste of the shalnaan culture, where students learn everything about history, traditions and the gods of the world, to someday become priests and clerics and keep the shalnaan traditions alive. In some places, this caste's entry is denied for the lower classes.

Divine Aid. Once a day, you can burn 10 gold worth of incense and pray to your deity for help. Roll on the following table.

Caste of Nature

Students of the caste of nature learn everything about their environement, from the shalnaan farm animals and fields to the last desert flower. Most of the students become farmers, animal handlers and gardeners.

Nature's Friend. You have proficiency in the Nature skill.

Herbalist. You are proficient with the herbalism kit.

Speak with Animals. Through sounds and gestures, you can communicate simple ideas with Medium or smaller beasts.

Caste of Word and Song

The caste of word and song teaches its students about all forms of art, from poetry and dance to sculpturing and music. Students of this caste often become famous performers and artists.

Inspiring Performance. Once per long rest, you can spend one minute and inspire a creature in a 60 feet radius that can see or hear you. That creature gains one Bardic Inspiration die, a d6.

Once within the next 10 minutes, the creature can roll the die and add the number rolled to one ability check, attack roll, or saving throw it makes. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the Bardic Inspiration die, but must decide before the DM says whether the roll succeeds or fails. Once the Bardic Inspiration die is rolled, it is lost. A creature can have only one Bardic Inspiration die at a time.

Caste of Trade and Structure

The caste of trade and structure is a cornerstone of the shalnaan cities and economy, teaching it's students about economics, trade and planning, making them the merchants and economic consultants of the future.

Forked Tongue. You have proficiency in the Persuasion skill.

Negotiation Aid. You know the Mending cantrip. At sixth level, you can cast Incite Greed once per long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Caste of Creation

The students of the caste of creation learn to one day become world class architects, technitians, smiths and shipbuilders, many of which are known all over the world.

Tinker. You have proficiency with artisan’s tools (tinker’s tools). Using those tools, you can spend 1 hour and 15 gp worth of materials to construct a Tiny clockwork device (AC 5, 1 hp). When you create a device, choose one of the following options:

Multi-tool. You put together a small device that can be used as

a set of thieve's, carver's, weaver's or potter's tools. After

one use they break.
Lantern. You create a small, rounded lantern that produces a

small flame for one hour after being activated. The flame

provides bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an

additional 20 feet. After one hour the lantern goes out and

is unusable.
Music Box. When opened, this music box plays a single song

at a moderate volume. The box stops playing when it

reaches the song’s end or when it

is closed.

Casteless

Not everyone has the privilege to learn at one of the castes. Maybe you live far away from the Shalnaan cities, maybe you grew up in a different culture or were denied by the castes.

Instrument. You can play an instument of your choice.

Thieve's Luck. Once a day, you can choose to add 1d6 to a sleight of hand check.

Quick feet. Your base walking speed increases to 35 feet.

Differences

Their height, their culture, their lifespan and their castes. There are many things that set Shalnaa apart from other races. If you want to play a Shalnaa, you should think about what makes them special, here are some quirks and traits for shalnaan characters that you can take as inspiration. If you want, you can roll on the tables and look what you get.

Shalnaan Character Quirks

Shalnaan Appereances

Credits:

Homebrew by Ambys

Desert Cave Market City by Cassandre Bolan

Character Design by Anna van der Linde

Palace Harbor by Samuel Michlap

Scimitar Golden Claws by Elistraie

Success by Johanna the mad

The Seer by Christopher Onciu

Collapsed Bridge by Etienne Hebinger

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