Homebrew Anyaszol Species Details
Well they do their job better than I ever could, and they do it better than anyone else ever could if I'm completely honest. There is a reason we made them the way they are.
To come up close to an Anyaszol in the flesh outside of their dwelling is an extremely rare occurrence. The tallest on average being 5'6" they rely heavily on their smaller stature to keep themselves hidden deep into the mountainsides. However, if you do ever meet an Anyaszol best not to waste the opportunity, these people can do nothing but aid people in their daily tasks.
Said to be the newest race to settle into the mountaintops of Damia, the Anyaszol have been around for a comparatively short 350 years. Rumour has it that the Anyaszol were the biproduct of a failed experiment between the Szarnur and the humans of Damia. In an attempt to create a race that would bring the two societies closer together by creating a being happy to serve any and all, the experiment failed and the common societies rejected the biproducts. The Szarnur instead took them in and raised them to be helpful servants for their own service.
On behalf of spending their lives deep within these mountains the Anyaszol have evolved in many ways to help make survival easier in these tough conditions, such as:
- Developing a thick skin that is tough enough to not be cut by rough stone when digging through the mountains.
- Developing incredible eyesight, comparable to night vision, that allows them to scurry through the darkest of tunnels through the mountain with ease.
- Developing a darker and muddled skin tone, often ranging in greys and browns, to help blend in with the inside of their tunnels in times of need.
These adaptations, and many others, explain why they have been able to survive in these conditions for so long where most others would perish in days. It also explains why the Szarnur are so adamant on keeping the Anyaszol within the mountains so they will not have to take twice as long to do half of the dirty work the Anyaszol do for them.
Gods of the Anyaszol
The Anyaszol do not worship a specific god themselves but instead follow in the Kudralish worship. Kudralish being the oldest surviving religion that exists today, dating all the way back to 500 PE, has very few followers today outside of the Anyaszol. In fact the religion and culture hardly span outside of the mountain ranges the Anyaszol call home. The Kudralish worship a pantheon similar to that of the ancient Egyptians.
Atop this pantheon is Ra-Horakthy, god of the sun and ruler of the gods. His closest advisors Anubis, Nephthys and Osiris; all gods of death in their own individual ways, make up the prime deities of this pantheon. Followers of Kudralish will worship chose one of these three, whichever presents their strongest connection to the afterlife, to worship alongside Ra.
At the other end of the pantheon are Apep, Set, and Sobek. Considered gods of things like evil, fire, darkness and storms, worshippers of these gods are usually outcast from Anyaszol society, their followers often being found to be working for ulterior motives than the otherwise peace-loving members.
Bes and Bast are worthy mentions, often referred to as the Chaos Gods, this brother and sister duo are often getting into arguments and getting up to mischief in the pantheon. Their prime domain being Trickery and War their followers often butt heads at first until they discover a closeness that is envied by all other worshippers of Kudralish.
Finally there are the Neutral Gods. Important in their own way but often times worshipped by all and none in particular, Hathor, Imhotep, Isis, Ptah and Thoth round up the pantheon. Deities of things such as love, music, crafts, magic, secrets and knowledge followers of Kudralish will often choose to worship these gods in specific times of need. For example it is said that choosing to pray to Hathor during pregnancy will bring good luck on a healthy and easy pregnancy.
Life in the Mountains
The life of an Anyaszol is one that relies heavily on a strong master. The Anyaszol ties their services to one master and dedicate their lives to that master. This means making a strong choice from a very young age is extremely important.
Striving For a Place
The Anyaszol are still having to prove their usefulness and are very much under threat of being exiled off of the mountains if they don't continue to prove why they deserve to be a part of the Kudral society. Though they were created by the Szarnur, the Szarnur refuse to let this be a reason alone why they should be allowed to stay. Instead they are forced to meet strict quota's everyday set by their master in order to prove their worth and be allowed to stay. Of course this all depends on the master you get for some are much more lenient than others.
The Lesser Race
It is easy as an Anyaszol to feel lesser as you spend your entire life providing for and serving the Szarnur, however looking after your elders is a crucial part of Kudral society, or at least that's what the Szarnur tell you. A lot of time in the presence exclusively of other Anyaszol is spent reinforcing each other's sense of self and sense of purpose. Though they are made to feel like a lesser race, the connection and reinforcement that Anyaszols give each other is enviously strong.
Aesthetic Androgyny
One power the Anyaszol possess that do give them the upper hand however is their natural aesthetic androgyny. Being able to pass as male, female and anything in between has its perks in a society that doesn't see gender like common society does. Kudral society, mainly enforced by the sexual androgyny the Orifi introduced, sees gender as a very wide and flowing spectrum in which there are no benefits or detriments to present as one or the other gender or anywhere in between. A clever Anyaszol will use and abuse this societal view and their own ability to present any way they wish to their advantage any time they can.
Baby Machines
Although the Anyaszol only give birth to one offspring at a time their gestation period is extremely short and painless. Lasting only 12 weeks it is the job of certain Anyaszol's capable of carrying offspring solely to reproduce all year round. A typical Anyaszol family can consist of two parents and up to 4 children maturing at the same time whilst their 4 older children go off and find their place in society. Though it is seen as an important job, the child bearer is given no more special treatment than a digger is given and so it is not a sought-after job by most.
Anyaszol Culture and Beliefs
Anyaszol follow mostly the Kudral culture and so most of their beliefs and superstitions stem from that line of thinking. However this is not to say that the Anyaszol do not have some of their own. Most Anyaszol believe that though they are governed by their masters they have the power to run away from that master at any time.
Omens and Superstitions
The Anyaszol believe there are many sure-fire signs that provide clarity in moments of doubt and despair. Below are a few examples.
- If you are having doubts about leaving your master and you see a black cat, that is a sign of being visited by Bast. You should cling closer to your master than ever.
- If you are feeling protected by your master and you see a snake, it could be a sign you are being visited by either Apep or Set. Pray it is the latter, else find a way out, sharp-ish.
- If you are being pressured to leave your master look for a jackal, it is a sign you are being visited by Anubis. Your time is up if you leave your master, let Anubis guide you to safety.
Roleplaying an Anyaszol
When you’re roleplaying an Anyaszol, the following tables contain possible inspiration. They suggest characteristics that an Anyaszol might possess.
Anyaszol Personality Traits
| d6 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | Fighting is a perfect example of my weakest skill. |
| 2 | I welcome any challenge that someone else can dig faster than me. |
| 3 | I always appear like I am about to run from everyone around me. |
| 4 | I love praise from my master. |
| 5 | I will socialise with anyone willing to spend time with me. |
| 6 | I pray to Osiris every morning to ensure my day is easy and efficient. |
Anyaszol Ideals
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Prowess. Showing superior digging ability brings honor to Ra. (Any) |
| 2 | Cleanliness. Cleanliness is not important to the gods. Digging is. (Good) |
| 3 | Cowardice. Hiding behind my master is much more effective than getting into a fight myself. (Good) |
| 4 | Dis-loyalty. I will abandon my master if i am giving the chance to find a better one. (Evil) |
| 5 | Family. The success and progress of my siblings is the least of my priorities. (Chaotic) |
| 6 | Worship. The gods will tell me when it is time to leave. (Chaotic) |
Anyaszol Bonds
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I will defend my master to the death. |
| 2 | The gods will guide me in any serious choice I have to make. |
| 3 | The praise of my master inspires me to do good deeds in life. |
| 4 | To serve Ra, I will spread his light everywhere I can. |
| 5 | I will seek and bring to justice, those willing to bring ill will to my master. |
| 6 | I owe my survival to my masters protection. |
Anyaszol Flaws
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I reflexively spit and gnash my teeth when someone mentions a rival master. |
| 2 | I don’t fear the gods and have no patience for superstitions. |
| 3 | I am slow to anger, unless you bad-mouth my master. Then you better run. |
| 4 | Chaos is not so bad as people think. |
| 5 | I trust too easily. |
| 6 | Digging is more important than food and water. |
Anyaszol Names
Anyaszol often take on the name of their master as a surname with their forename being based on the month they are born. Below is a table of suggested surnames and below that is a list of forenames.
| d12 | Surname |
|---|---|
| 1 | Jaketan |
| 2 | Bornert |
| 3 | Romic |
| 4 | Ilka |
| 5 | Tebbina |
| 6 | Nela |
| 7 | Omeke |
| 8 | Rodottya |
| 9 | Salzlo |
| 10 | Tamild |
| 11 | Diliko |
| 12 | Tarmuska |
| d12 (Birth Month) | ForeName |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ra |
| 2 | Anubis |
| 3 | Bast |
| 4 | Bes |
| 5 | Hathor |
| 6 | Imhotep |
| 7 | Isis |
| 8 | Nephthys |
| 9 | Osiris |
| 10 | Ptah |
| 11 | Thoth |
| 12 | Horakthy |
Anyaszol Traits
Your anyaszol character has the following racial traits.Ability Score Increase
Your Constitution score increases by 2, and either your Dexterity or Charisma score increases by 1.
Age
Anyaszols mature much faster than humans but live a few years longer often reaching ages of 90-110.
Size
Anyaszols can range between average human height and much smaller. Your size is Medium or Small.
Speed
Your base walking and burrowing speeds are 30 feet.
Darkvision
Thanks to your traditional occupation deep inside the mountains, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 120 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.
Stone Agility
You are not affected by difficult terrain if it is related to stone or rocky interference.
Stone's Endurance
You can focus yourself to occasionally shrug off injury. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to roll a d12. Add your Constitution modifier to the number rolled and reduce the damage by that total. After you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and Kudral.
Comments