Homebrew Axolotl Beastfolk Species Details

The Axolotl are small in size, being roughly 3-4 feet tall and having pale, almost transparent, blue flesh. Their tails are known to double the length of their body when outstretched, causing some to reach lengths of 9 feet when lying down. Axolotl have rather flat-topped heads, that taper to the front to create a short, stubby face that could resemble a goblin if one were to squint. Their tongues are that of the deepest black, and are worth a pretty penny on the black market. Their heads are adorned with frill-like gills, which allow them to breath in the water, and their lungs to breath in air. The Axolotl favour decorating their frills with intricate patterns, or woven strands of silk or cloth, or, if denounced or exiled, with dyes or piercings. The Axolotl are capable of consuming any biological matter, including decaying plant and flesh, but will very rarely choose to do so above starving to death. They may walk bipedally, but generally prefer to swim with all four legs.

Their flesh is usually a translucent blue, through which veins are visible, but a great deal of the surviving population has Black or mottled colours. All Axolotl are born with piercing blue Irises and a Sclera like that of a void. However, there are tales of Axolotl that are born with Red and Yellow flesh, and eyes of green. Such differentiations are almost unheard of, but still enough to be considered truth amongst the Axolotl.

Axolotl reach maturity at 5 years of age, leaving their guppy body behind and becoming a fully independent adult. After reaching Adulthood, an Axolotl will generally live until killed (Which happens very often in the Axolotl Community)

 

SOCIAL STRUCTURE

Axolotl are organized by generation (those born during the same hatching, usually in the dozens) They do not differentiate by gender or even age, so long as it remains within a generation.

All internal matters are resolved by voting and while deference is paid to the more important members of the individual generations and their congress, all votes are equal. 

The Axolotl tend to live in tightly knitted communities in pools deep underground.

 

CULTURE

The Axolotl have deep centred roots in their history, while not having much to tell in terms of technology. There is an old language spoken amongst them that the newer generations are unable to grasp and even some of the older generations struggle to understand, only feeling the emotion of the words. This Language’s name is only written in it’s native tongue and can only be translated to as Ancient Xolti.

Ancient Xolti is only used by those that can speak it to tell the most sacred of tales, and by those fewer who dare, to make the most binding of promises.

Not many of the Axolotl-kind can understand the Ancient Xolti language, and even fewer are able to speak it. Many of those that can understand the language can only do so through emotion, understanding that some words annotate towards feelings of despair, sadness, joy, or wrath.

Axolotl art is a mixture of beauty and storytelling, when carving or weaving their work, they etch or stitch in certain ways that are universally understood by Axolotl, and is inexplicable to other races. This detail tells the tale of the artwork, and provides a level of intricacy that is often misunderstood by other races and often coveted for it’s beauty.

 

DENOUNCING

There are very few rules among the Axolotl settlements but in the event that one of them is broken or a member of the tribe is found to be displaying dishonourable behaviour, or killing other members without any provocation, the tribe can vote to remove them from the tribe. This makes that member denounced and they are exiled from the community.

 

NAMES

Names are usually prefixed by Generation, having a cycle of 10 Generations before the same prefix is used.

Zz, Sh, Xs, Thur, Ty, Ka, Zh, Shi, Shu, Sh

Which is followed by a Suffix that is assigned at random.

x, a, ai, thy, xhu, tsi, tu, bo, ki, kai, y, yll

 

Adventurers:

Many Axolotl turn to adventuring in search of new settlement sites, or even to find others of their kind, such as the rare Red and Yellow Axolotl. Most Axolotl adventures are racially focused in their drive, sometimes simply wishing to meet other species and learn to know them, as teachings of other kinds don’t travel very far in the native Axolotl communities. But there are few who leave in search of a different life, one away from the nearly religious rituals of the daily Axolotl community, and seeking the thrill of exploration, treasure, and new ideas.

Axolotl Beastfolk Traits

These resilient little critters have a little bit more to them than just their Communities:

Ability Score Increase

Axolotl are naturally very resilient, wise, and physically weak. Your CON score increases by 2, your WIS increases by 1, and your STR decreases by 2

Aquatic Adaptations

As Axolotl spend most of thier lives in or near water, they have great vision in the dark and underwater (darkvision 60ft), a swim speed equal to thier walk speed +10 ft, and can breath both air and water. However, they move slower on land (25ft base speed), and if they do not spend at least an hour fully submerged in water each day, then they gain a level of exhaustion that can only be removed by having a long rest while fully submerged. In addition, they are proficient in either WIS (Survival) checks.

Axolotl Regeneration

When you take a short rest, you regenerate hp equal to your proficiency mod + con mod a number of times equal to your proficiency mod a long rest. At level 5, this increases to 2x proficiency mod + con mod and you can regenerate a limb over a long rest by forgoing your regeneration and gaining a level of exhaustion once a week. In addition, the quick healing of the Axolotl makes them resilient to poison (advantage on saves against poison and resistance to poison damage) If you are exhausted from your aquatic adaptations, the regeneration is halved for each point of exhaustion, to a minimum of 1 hp, and you cannot regeneration limbs, and you are no longer poison resilient.

Languages

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

Age

Guppy (0-4 years), Adult (5+), The Axolotl will continue living until killed, which occurs often in the Axolotl Community.

Size

The Axolotl are roughly 3-4 ft tall, 40 to 50 lbs, and their tails are known to double the length of their body when outstretched, causing some to reach lengths of 9 feet when lying down. Regardless of Tail length, your size is small.