Homebrew Coleopteron Species Details

Shuffling through the undergrowth we seek, 
Silent shuffles through quiet spiracles
Only disturbed by the smallest of squeaks
This family made from slight miracles

They are horned monsters once thought savages
Standing tall amoungst the grasses they wait
Able to accomplish fine challanges
With a flick they carry the greatest weight

Beetles come alive standing amoung us
They're like you and I, so ignore the buzz

Coleopterans are commonly seen as beasts or savages, but this is simply not true. Coleopterans are complicated elementals that hold a deep familial history. Similar to Thri-Kreen with very different origins. Each subspecies carries different traditions, and although linked by a shared culture of origin, they carry similar lifestyles and life. 

Shy, Shelled, and Social

Coleopterans are diverse, if not shy, people, usually found in the feywild, arborbia, and the elemental planes of earth; occasionally, they can be found deep into mountains, deep deserts, and old-growth forests, untouched by most humaniods. There are whispers about large settlements found pandemonium, their burrowing lifestyle being especially well suited to the tunnels of that windswept plane. They are what appear to be Beetle Humaniod "monsters," because of this, most humaniods, when finding them, believe them to be evil and burn their great nests, ignoring the colorful dyes and pottery that decorate their walls. They stand between 3 and 8 feet tall, smaller, leggier beetle creatures being 3 to 4 feet tall, some of which can spray noxious superheated acid, and 5 to 6 feet tall, being blue bumpy or black wingless peoples that carry their larvae or make swords and pottery, and the tallest being gentle giants. These fey-elemental beetle people are shy to humaniods, but diverse people. Although recently, many coleopterans have been trying to reach out to humanoid populations with some success, it is still a little fearful. Some fear they will turn on the coleopterans that trade them goods. 

Coleopterans have diversified over the millennia; the old Dynastes, The sociable Passalus, The iron-clad Asbolus, The speeding Anthia, Or The noxious Brachinni. These are the different types of coleopteran, technically only different in subspecies; they have widely different morphology and ecology; the species share the same life cycle, but at every point in the lifecycle, the subspecies are very easily told apart by their behavior and morphology. 

Dynastes: Traditionally, they are gentle giants, the male individuals carrying three tall horns dispersed between their anthrothorax and head. Both males and females stand between 6 and 8 feet tall; they cannot digest meat easily, and their natural body systems developed to eat fruit and leaves. The Dynastes seem to have developed from the Dynastes genus beetles, usually green and speckled with green, although they come in a number of colors, sometimes being reds and purples from their fey ancestor. 

Passalus: Traditionally, these are the socialites of the coleopterans; while most coleopterans can be social and usually live in small family groups, Passalus Coleopterans are very tied to the sociality of their lives. They dig out the tunnels that make the great Coleopteran cities; they commonly make up about 35 percent of the Coleopteran population. Biologically, Passalus Coleopterans cannot survive without at least one of their young around as they cannot digest their own food, but their larvae can. This commonly leads to adoption, and adoption has become a highly important part of their culture, and their youth is being brought with them everywhere. They will commonly hold their larvae in highly spelled baskets that keep them warm and protected; a large part of the culture surrounds the ability to keep them safe because, without them, they would die. Passalus Coleopterans can eat certain foods without the assistance of a larva, but it has to be very easy to digest, such as the equivalent of baby food.

Asbolus: These dryer species are old in their way, less accepting of new traditions, although among their craft, they are innovators! Most Asbolus Coleopterans are exquisite glass, metal, clay, and fiber crafters. They are hardy and do not require much to survive but much to thrive. Asbolus are the makers of fine quality products and commonly supervise the teaching of pupa and the making of quiet music, which most only know through their childhood. Asbolus themselves work, and to work is for honor; disrespecting one's work is to disrespect them, which carries deep grudges. Being quite the opposites of Passalus, they need to eat hardy items, much like wood, or tough stems, before they can digest anything easily; this duality commonly leads Asbolus to live and eat among Passalus colonies. Asbolus are commonly blue to grey, although some carry greenish tinges. 

Anthia: Traditionally, these are the boastful warriors of the Coleopteran societies. While all coleopterans are found at all levels of society, Anthia's body type and metabolic structures commonly lead them to take up active jobs and roles. Paring commonly with Brachinni, Anthia are usually hunters, warriors, mail people, chefs, salespeople, and the like, anything that requires a great honing of oneself or the fast lifestyle of the social spaces; along with that, they require times of private inactivity, commonly building little private burrows. Anthia are carnivores, one of the few that developed the ability to eat meat; they commonly are the ones that require it; this leads to a common trend of anthia having private kitchens in which they eat the meat that is important to their traditions. 

Brachinni: Brachinni are hardy and highly specialized. Out of all the Coleopterans, these usually make up the highest church-going populations (although all types of Coleopterans worship all kinds of deities and nondeities alike).  Their ability to make a superheated chemical spray out from their telsoabdominal lobe, over the generations, Brachinni have developed a high resistance to highly caustic materials. Hence, they are usually relegated to dealing with such chemicals; this lends well to the testing of magics; many Brachinni takes this opportunity to be chemists or engineers; this is partially why many Coleopteran Galleries are highly developed in their electromagical technology. That being said, due to the direct force used to create many of these substances, sharing with societies other than Brachinni or Coleopteran societies is unsuitable. All types of Coleopteran are involved in these forces but Brachinni make up the vast majority. 

Life Cycles

Coleopterans are morphologically composed of three semi-distinguished segments: the head, which is composed of the main plate, mandibles, pedipalps, and eyes; The anthrothorax, which is composed of the pectoral plates, then the segmented caustal plates, as well as two large spiracles, the two pairs of segmented appendages which end in tarsal phalanges (the equivalent to hands), and on the back is the beginning of the elytra; lastly the abdomen, composed of the telsoabdominal lobe, the primary legs, and the spiracles. These developed from the three segments of insects, and then magically and partially evolutionarily turned into mostly humanoid-looking biology. Between all the different chitonous exoskeletal plates, they have pictofibers, basically hair or fur, depending on the type of coleopteran. They do not have a main set of two lungs, but instead muscles around each of the spiracle tubes that pump air through them in a way that gives them a highly efficient breathing cycle and allows them to reach the large sizes they do.

All Coleopterans go through a metamorphic life cycle, with eggs hatching out into larvae, and the larvae pupating into adults. Adults breed and make more eggs. All Coleopteran eggs look the same, but their larvae are vastly different from each other, and from that, they each follow the same path but with completely different forms. Anthia, Brachinni, and Asbolus larvae are extremely dangerous creatures a lot of humaniods would consider "monstrous," the Passalus and Dynastes have relatively harmless larvae, but only the Passalus larvae require parenting. 

Away From The Family

Coleopterans are diverse in their reasoning for adventures; maybe its to get a type of ingredient to finish a project, or perhaps they need to find that one special ingredient for the type of paint they use for their wedding, as those require special ingredients,  a rare flower, the willing blood of a fey, a special rock from the material plane, etc. They'll also take quests given to them by their ancestors, maybe their family requires them to craft a totem or mask for their spirit to go once they die, or maybe they need to hunt and kill a worthy foe, maybe they need to catalog a story to tell and carve into their home, it depends on the family and Coleopteran.

Coleopteran Culture

Once, long ago, perhaps in a moment of syzygy, Feywild energies slipped into the Elemental Plane of Earth, in doing so, some measly beetles, impounded with energy, quickly mutated to become similarly humaniod and grew sapience. This small group of beetles soon diversified until they became a bustling society of different coleopterans, each tracing their ancestors to these first few; they built the beginnings of their great beetle gallery or city, and, although now deserted, it is still a sacred place. Now the great city is abandoned except for the maybe 200 different coleopterans that live on the fringes; large internal bits of the city, which used to house a bustling city of tens of thousands, now the city holds empty halls, old living quarters, shops, ancient markets, and old hydroponic farms, now degraded. Around the great city holds monstrous fey-elemental creatures, giant moles, purple worms, giant antlions, and sometimes giant trapdoor spiders. 

While their beliefs and rituals are diverse, the Coleopterans share a few important traditions. One of these is a rich festival history, and they have bright and colorful festivals, full of facepaint, music, dance, costumes, food, and the philosophies of love and support! The shared praise to the ancestors and the hope to continue on in wonderful full life. They'll dress in elaborate masks, fluff, and feathers, accented by their diverse and deep traditions of body paint, music, and costuming.

ELYTRA PAINTING

Coleopterans have I diverse culture of paint and the patterns used, and although the patterns' meanings are different from family to family, the colors have some generalized meanings. All colors are commonly used (in special parings) in festivals and special events, but all of them can be used in some capasity for every day use, although the colors carry the same meaning, its usually more subtal, usally refurring to the self or of a close family or friend. 

Red. Success! This color is most commonly used after a successful hunt or harvest, but it is also commonly used after conquering a wave of depression, or maybe after gaining the knowledge required to complete something you've been looking for; it is a more commonly used pigmet, although when not in a special occasion it is used in small moderation. 

Orange. Happiness! When one has a bout of happiness or energy, it is common to see orange painted everywhere! Can be used in celebration to help give off the impression of celebration in itself! 

Yellow. Commitment! This color is usually used at weddings, or more commonly when someone commits to the beginning of something; from a project to a pet, to a new tradition or a new family member. 

Green. Growth! This can be physical growth, comonly used in painting pupa, but also could be used for personal growth and renewal; commonly used in great bouts of success in hopes that one grows from the success and not take steps back. 

Blue. Inspiration! This is most commonly used among makers and the navigators of the coleopterans, this color is commonly used along with colors of happiness, or, hence the colors of success; but in moderation. Blue can also be used commonly during festivals to say that one feeling or meaning is new and needs more celebration! 

Purple. Formality! This color is commonly used at weddings, although it is commonly used at any formal event. In most cases, the festivals do not have a heavy use of this color, although that depends on the family if it is or not.

Black. As most Coleopterans have a majority of black for their natural carapace, this color is basically unused. When it is used, its used in morning, or to make the other colors pop against coleopterans that are colored more orange or green. 

White. Used commonly to signify the cycle of life and death, or to help in the celebration of life, or the life of one that died. When worn in everyday life it is usually used to celebrate or seem as if one accocieates with death or birth. This leads to an interesting collection of demagraphics, white ends up being worn by pediatric nurses, midwives, coroners, and goth members of the family. 

Art Credit: Marek Jarocki Jewel in the Skull; Taran Fiddler Delicate 

Coleopteron Traits

Colepterons are shelled and protective, and your traits can show much about your species and its abilities.

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 2, and you can choose one score to increase by 1. 

Age

A Colepteron reaches adulthood at 12 and generally lives into the middle of their 60s.

Size

Coleopterans range in size, some being 3ft to others being around 7ft. Depends on the type and family. Your size is either medium or small. 

Chitonous Carapace

Once a Coleopteran completes its metamorphosis has a thick chitinous exoskeleton, sometimes described as living tanks or mountains on legs; they are known for their hard exoskeletons. You have a minimum base armor of 14 while not wearing armor. Any armor you wear must be specifically crafted for your frame; it costs 25% more than usual, and it's usually 50% heavier. 

Old Speciation

You choose your species, the old species that the Coleopterans have diversified into over the many millennia; the old Dynastes, The sociable Passalus, The iron-clad Asbolus, The speeding Anthia, Or The noxious Brachinni. Each one is different than the other but connected by their beetle-like forms. 

       Dynastes

 These are the gentle giants of their species; even though they are gentle, they are very strong. they gain 
Herculean Strength: You gain advantage on Strength checks and a +2 bonus to strength-based attack roles. 

       Passalus

These parasocial Coleopterans live in large groups, building out their homes and their others. 
Wood Borer: You do not need to hold your breath whenever under the surface, using your burrowing speed. 

       Asbolus

These smaller Coleopterans are hard-working, creative desert creatures, usually taking up metal, clay, or salt smithing; being able to craft beautiful devices out of these materials. 
Death Feigning: These blue beauties, whenever harmed, can feign their death and healing whenever harmed greatly. When under half health, you can use your reaction to Feign Death when hit by an attack role; in doing so, you regain 1d4+2 Hitpoints at the top of every turn and continue to feign death. While under your Feign Death, you appear to be dead in every way, even to magical determination; only other Asbolus Coleopterans can tell you are dead; you do not need to breathe while under Feign Death, and you also can see the world around you. 

       Anthia
These creatures have large eyes and jaws and are slim and efficient hunters; they hunt in packs. 
Speed Demon: You are a fast hunter; you gain a +15 to your walking speed, and whenever you use all your movement in a turn, make a Dexterity (Stealth) check, and you are under that "stealth level" until you stop running. 

       Brachinni

They are diverse and can be found almost anywhere with cover; they commonly live in more dilapidated areas and work with chemicals that others may consider toxic. 
Noxious Spray: You can use your action to expel a cone of corrosive superheated chemicals from a gland in your abdomen. Anyone within a 15-foot cone must make a Constitution Saving Throw, taking 2d4 Fire Damage and 1d4 Acid Damage, or half on a successful save. The damage increases to 2d4 Fire, 2d4 Acid at 6th level; 3d4 Fire, 3d4 Acid at 11th level; and 3d4 Fire, and 3d6 Acid damage at 16th level. You can use this once a long or short rest. 

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Terran. 

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet. You also have a base innate climbing speed of 25, and a innate burrowing speed of 15. 

       Hold Breath. 
While burrowing, you can only be under the surface that you are burrowing in for the number of rounds that is your Constitution modifier + Proficiency bonus. You can also only burrow in dirt, clay, brick, wood, limestone, or anything softer.