Homebrew Yordle Species Details
"Yordles. Why did it have to be yordles?"
The safe haven that is Bandle City is usually all a yordle gets to see for their entire life; A cozy city, populated by other yordles, that offers everything one could ever want. Delightful fruits, a smile around every corner and magical essence everywhere to keep the city hidden. Despite all this, some yordles still choose to set out into the world that is Runeterra, hoping to find adventure, thrill, or perhaps just new foods or friends. Despite setting out for a new world, these yordles are often still much comparable to those at home; Joyful, energetic and creative.
What differentiates yordles from other spirits is that their physiology is more consistent between its members. Yordles are sexually dismorphic and much shorter than humans; both sexes rarely exceed 1 meter tall, with most averaging around 0.8 meters. Their skin texture ranges from being completely smooth, to very lightly covered in fur, to ultimately being significantly furry. Their hands have four digits while their feet differ greatly depending on the individual (from four to two digit feet). Their skin tone runs a much broader spectrum of colors than their human counterparts; some consider this to be a sign of the yordles’ attunement to Weave’s magical nature; though scientists agree that this evolutionary trait is used by male Yordles (which tend to be furry ) to attract females of their species (which tend to be smooth skinned and/or lightly covered with fur). Their large eyes feature a large, circular iris with a vertically oval pupil, and they generally have inferior vision in the normal spectrum of light than humans. Yordles nevertheless have much better hearing, due to their large fox-like ears and are able to see into the infrared spectrum of light, whereas humans cannot. Furthermore, they are commonly characterized by their dependence on language, as well as their creation and utilization of complex tools.
Small and Magical
Their small size (usually not taller than a meter) allows them to blend into nearly any crowd. Records of history show that yordles have probably been around Runeterra since ancient times, but due to their magical nature they simply stay of the radar and out of people's memories. Instead, people might recall them as a child or small person, or just not recall them at all.
Yordles have also aged with the world. As of this day, there is no record of a yordle dying of old age. Some yordles are older than most current kingdoms, some even older than the creation of the Freljord. Due to this reason, nobody really knows how old a yordle really can become. As for the yordles themselves, they're just not interested enough in this kind of information, and thus choose to not try and find out either.
Yordles also vary greatly in appearances. Male yordles are often covered in fur, while female yordles usually only have bits of fur, mainly on their long pointy ears. The color of their skin and fur varies greatly. Some say the more vibrant the color, the more attuned they are to magic, but this claim has yet to be proven. Their enormous pointy ears make them great at hearing, and their large round eyes are also able to see infra-red color, further enhancing their stay-of-the-radar capabilities.
Friends
Yordles are cheerful creatures. They strive on happiness and company. They do this so much in fact, that they're prone to going insane when in isolation or when on their own for too long. You will hardly, if at all, find a yordle that prefers to be all alone without any company. Sure, not all of them like the chaotic and wild side of yordle culture, but even for those, they absolutely despise being on their own. An example of this is Poppy, who couldn't stand the normal yordle lifestyle, and instead pursued a more structural life by joining the army ranks of Demacia.
An extreme example of what happens to a yordle in isolation is Veigar, the Tiny Master of Evil. He has turned to a dark path, all because he had been trapped in isolation for a long time. He now roams Runeterra, trying to strike chaos, despair and fear into people's hearts.
Glamour
In less enlightened parts of the world, a yordle's appearance could seem frightening or unnatural to mortals. Fortunately, they are adept at blending in, and often protected by a kind of supernatural glamour—subconsciously fading from the viewer's notice, or being masked as a less remarkable individual.
Yordles do not necessarily control their glamour, and may understand it in a variety of ways. The revered inventor Heimerdinger, for example, crafted unique technological devices for himself and Ziggs, to help them blend into Piltovan society. However, some humans are able to break this charm due to their more perceptive nature.
Communities
Most yordles live in Bandle City. You will rarely find a group of yordles living anywhere else. They don't have the need for a central governing entity, as they have the ability to just "get along", something a lot of humans struggle with, much to their fascination.
As for yordles that do not live in Bandle City, they're usually without yordle company. They live among the natives of whatever place they now call home, making sure that potential enemies do not recognize them as a yordle with their glamour.
Curiosity
Yordles that set out into the world of Runeterra are usually driven by curiosity. They have a question or lust for wandering and want to see it fulfilled, perhaps with more questions or wandering, and thus set out into the wide world, hoping to be fascinated by what it has to offer.
Small and Colorful
The diminutive Yordles survive in a world full of larger creatures through their wit preferring to avoid confrontation, however it should be said they have nothing against defending themselves or friends and can be tenacious fighters. Most Yordles found are of the Stout variety, less common are the Fleetfoots and rarer yet are the Pureblood Yordles of which few remaining families still exist.
A Yordles skin ranges from dark purple to pale blue depending on the subrace, and their hair and eyes can be any sort of color. They like to wear simple, comfortable, and practical clothes, favoring bright colors.
Craft and magic
Yordles have a knack for crafting all kinds of magical devices and trinkets, from weapons to armor to vehicles and farming implements, they can make any sort of magical device to suit what ever needs they may have given time.
Good hearted
Yordles at their core are kind and playful creatures with very little intention to harm anyone, that's not to say they are against defending themselves if pressured to. Yordles are generally of good alignments.
Exploring Opportunities
Yordles usually set out on the adventurer’s path to defend their communities, support their friends, or explore a wide and wonder-filled world. For them, adventuring is less a career than an opportunity or sometimes a necessity.
Yordle Names
A yordle has a single name. While family lines do exist in yordle culture, they are not very important. The individual is much more important than the family line they come from.
Male Names: Corki, Fizz, Gnar, Kled, Kennen, Rumble, Teemo, Veigar, Ziggs
Female Names: Lulu, Poppy, Tristana
Yordle Traits
All Yordles share the same racial abilities listed below.Eyes and Ears
Your hearing and eyesight are superior to most other humanoid races. You gain proficiency in Wisdom (Perception) ability checks.
Alignment
Most Yordles are good, and tend towards neutrality. Their moral compass is most often pointed toward goodness and benevolence. All Yordles respect the Bandle City rules and would never teach anyone their secret yordle language.
Glamour
All yordles have the ability to use Glamour, a visual transmogrification charm that changes their appearance. This charm relies on concentration.
Keen Hearing
Yordles have much better hearing, due to their large fox-like ears. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing.
Cute
Your Charisma score increases by 2.
"99% fur, 1% glee." - Vel'Koz
Lesser Darkvision
You can see in dim light within 30 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.
Guerrilla warfare
Due to your small stature you have become adept at hiding and can hide even in the most open of areas and can remain invisible until a action is taken, but you can only enter this state after standing still for 3 seconds
Tiny Friendship
Your cute and friendly appearance makes the wildlife very trustful towards you.
Gain proficiency in animal handling and increase ability score by 2.
Cute but Deadly
These adorable creatures are both small and cute, which make them very loveable, their appearance makes them look cuddly and breedable, but do not be fooled by this, they are deadly and scary creatures, being small in size makes them hard to see and they are very sneaky and despite their size they are strong so be careful and do not underestimate these furry menaces.
Ability Score Increase
Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
You can choose one score to be increased by 1.
Age
Yordles have exceptionally longer life spans than the average human, this is partially due to the innate magic within all yordles. Yordles reach adulthood at the age of 50 years old and can live up to 650 years.
Size
Yordles rarely exceed 1 meter tall, with most averaging around 0.8 meters. Your size is small.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
Hearthstone
Once per day, you can perform Hearthstone ritual. You can sense any portals within 1 mile range and any portal to Bandle City within 6 miles range. If you find a portal to Bandle City by getting within line of sight of it, you yourself and any party members you wish may pass through to enter Bandle City, gaining access to any agreed upon buildings, merchants, NPCs, services, areas, and plot lines that the city provides. Non Yordles that enter Bandle City will be viewed with suspicion by its residents. They will additionally be affected in mystical ways. Their senses will be heightened. Colours will appear brighter, sounds more crisp, and any tastes or smells they experience will be more potent. Non Yordles will become intoxicated and overwhelmed by their enhanced senses and the surreal nature of the area. They will behave as if in an awestruck stupor or surreal dream, and may try to wander off. This high like effect with last until they leave.
Brawns and Charms
The Yordle race have innate magic within them which helps them achieve extraordinary things usually impossible for someone of their stature.
- You can use heavy weapons and heavy items with no disadvantage even though your size is small.
- You know the spell Disguise Self, and can cast it once per long rest as a concentration spell, maintaining it indefinitely provided you can maintain concentration.
Yordle Nimbleness
You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and Yordle. Yordle is a secret language of all Yordles. Almost all Yordles speak Common to converse with the people they meet on their travels outside of Bandle City, but they also often pick up a language or two from the people they travel with. Choose one additional language of your choice.
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