Homebrew Girran (Stirrer) Species Details

If ever you find yourself in the presence of a girran asking yourself ‘Are they really going to eat that?’ The answer is always yes... yes they are.

— Brendlion the Halfling Bard

Girran, or swamp oni as they are known by some, are a burly and remarkably resilient race of ogre-like humanoids, possessed of monstrous strength and girth. Many who stumble upon them, however, are surprised by their tendency to be unhurried and extremely affable. Taking their name from the swamplands they call home, girran spend most of their lives hunting and gathering food and supplies for their village as part of an elaborate, generations-long ritual, which permeates their day-to-day lives.

Their physical appearance, lack of hygiene, and their tendency to stick anything they find into their mouths result in what first looks like a brutish race of dullards, but bellies a surprising amount of depth, and civility.

Monstrous Gluttons

Large for humanoids, but small for giants, girran typically stands between 7 and 8 feet tall. Their girth, however, exceeds most humanoids by a wide margin. In addition to sizable guts, they also have large, wide heads, with massive mouths, filled with innumerably varied teeth, which continually regrow their entire lives. Their tough, thick skins vary between mottled shades of brown and gray with splashes of brighter colors. Those with a pure, single shade do exist, however, with pure blue being considered particularly auspicious. Girran are hairless but sport a pair of bovine horns, with size, color, and curvature varying between individuals. These horns are the easiest way for outsiders to differentiate between girran genders, which are entirely indistinguishable to non-girrans. Male horns are mostly straight, whereas female horns possess a curvy, organic nature. They have powerful limbs, thick digits, and a very upright posture, along with stubby, tapering tails, which often go unnoticed.

 

Never Eat Those You Know

When girran began to populate more frequented swamps, they often captured and ate travelers who passed through, treating them as they did any other animal they found in the swamp. This led to them being labeled as dangerous monsters, and between their low birth rates, and the regular flow of adventurers eager to hunt them down, their numbers quickly dwindled. Rather than die out, the survivors established the policy “Never Eat Those You Know.” This, combined with diplomatic efforts resulted in their recognition as a civilized race, and they now regularly find work as guides through the swamp lands they reside in.

When dealing with other races, girran often refer to that race’s “flavor.” For example, humans' flavor is robust and varied, while dwarves might be called bitter and earthy.

With few exceptions, girran, tend to view other races in a decidedly patronizing manner, seeing them as childlike due to their smaller size, tendency to bear grudges, and “pickiness” over things like comfort and food.

Stirring the Pot

Being swamp dwellers, girran have limited options for agriculture. Instead, adults regularly visit their priests to receive marker tokens. These compass-like devices guide them on a long, curving trek through the swamps where they hunt or gather anything remotely edible, before eventually going back to their village to put their collections into the tribe’s larders. This ritual is called stirring the pot (or stir for short) and is central to much of their culture.

Once they are of age, they spend most of their lives out on a stir. Most girran are conceived and delivered during a stir, and when their time comes to die, they will often leave on one last journey, with the express intention of returning themselves to the swamp. Their culture is widely driven by food and song, and because of this, they prefer to worship deities of feasting. The act of eating, preparing, and offering food holds many subtleties and great significance among girran.

The Swell of Adventure

Although rare, girran will venture out of their swamps on holy pilgrimages. It’s also not unheard of for a girran to leave their swamp to seek out new cultures, and food. Such ventures are known as swells among their kind; so-called due to the intended increase in the girran’s girth and palate.

While on a swell, it is not uncommon for a girran to take up adventuring or travel with companions. Such individuals who find themselves in the presence of a girran and win their trust soon understand that, while their ways are strange, they are remarkably civil.

Girran Personality

You can use the Girran Quirks table to determine a personality quirk for a girran character or to inspire a unique mannerism.

Girran Quirks

d8	Quirk
1	You hate waste and see no reason not to scavenge fallen enemies. Anything can be food in a pinch!
2	You sleep best outside, preferring the night air to the comfort of an inn. Unless the food is exceptionally good.
3	Money is meaningless to you.
4	You describe people you meet by their scent and flavor. Your introductions come with a lick. It's only polite.
5	If something bothers you, you swallow it down and continue on. Because of this, you come off as stoic to others.
6	You still don’t understand how metaphors work. That doesn’t stop you from using them at every opportunity.
7	You patronizingly view smaller races, or anyone with a tendency to bear grudges, or be picky over things like comfort and food as childlike.
8	You love to cook but enjoy eating your food while it’s still wriggling.

Girran Names

Given that their culture is heavily rooted in song, and most girran are conceived on a stir, their names are often poetic in nature, a string of words reflecting environmental events that took place during their birth. Most other species tend to shorten their names down to a single word, however. It’s just easier.

Girran make no distinction between male and female in their naming conventions.

Girran Names: Two Vultures Circling Slowly, Thirteen Fearless Centipedes Under A Stone, Four Bright Frogs Sharing A Footprint, Mist Leaving A Hollow Tree, Two Badgers Traveling Earthward

Girran (Stirrer) Traits

Your girran character has the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 2 and your Strength score increases by 1.

Age

Girran physically matures at around the same rate as humans but aren’t considered adults until they’ve survived and acquired experience of about 60 years. Their maximum lifespan is 450, though most willingly “return to the swamp” sometime in their third or fourth century.

Size

Girran are rotund and stand between 7 and 8 feet tall. Their massive bodies weigh between 400 and 500 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Powerful Build

You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a swimming speed of 30 feet.

Swampborn Vitality

You have advantage on saving throws against poison and disease.

Bite

Your fanged maw is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Consume

As a bonus action, you can devour one creature of Medium or smaller size you can see within 5 feet of you that has 0 hit points and is still alive. The target must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be swallowed whole at the start of your next turn. If you consume the creature they die and you regain hit points (minimum of 1) equal to your Constitution modifier and cannot attempt to consume a creature again until you have finished a short or long rest. Successful use of this trait counts as having eaten a large meal for your Gluttonous trait.

Gluttonous

If you spend a short rest eating or have consumed a large meal since your last short rest, you may regain hit points as if spending one additional hit die at no cost.

Cunning Culinarian

As part of a short rest, you can harvest and consume parts from a slain beast, construct, dragon, monstrosity, or plant creature of size Small or larger, with each size above small providing one additional possible portion. You may either consume the portion immediately, which counts as a large meal, or carefully dry and preserve it as rations. To use this trait to create rations or feed others, you need a blade, such as a dagger, or appropriate artisan tools, such as cook’s utensils.

Languages

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

Subrace Stirrer

While all girrans are expected to spend time on a stir, you particularly took to this lifestyle, thriving in the day-to-day struggle.

Survivor's Lesson. You have proficiency in the Wisdom (Survival) skill.