Homebrew Aabzarx Specter Species Details

History

The Realm Beyond is an ancient demi-plane, forgotten by most, where undead things lurk within a stony labyrinth. Rocky walls, floors and ceilings of the labyrinth are stewed with necrotic energies and last thoughts of lost souls. As nobody comes to this place willingly, so the labyrinth is a perfect symbol for souls lost throughout the cosmos. Though, sometimes these souls get repurposed for some other purpose, as if toyed and discarded by a petulant child.

Aabzarx Specters appeared in the labyrinth within first few years after it was constructed, so there still is few of them who remember how this place was supposed to be, compared to how it is now. These ancient Specters hold the secrets of their own kind and only they could the true history of why their kind have manifested in this place and in no other place in the universe. Though, it isn't quite that easy to get these ancient Specters talking as they prefer to be left alone and undisturbed.

Biology

Aabzarx Specters aren't biological creatures. They are composed from from concentrated necrotic energy, scraps of hundreds to thousands of different souls, loads of emotions and memories locked within those spirit scraps, and pure arcane energy liquified within their form.

Specters don't need to eat, sleep or breath, because unlike biological creatures - they are purely made of spiritual and magical energies. Though, increasing their number is quite difficult for the exact same reason. They are born through the natural processes within the labyrinth of the Realm Beyond, and it take from few decades to few hundreds of years for new Specters to emerge.

To people of material plane these creatures may appear to be similar to oozes. Aabzarx Specters can mold their bodies, change their shapes, and they do not possess a gender, though, as they are formed by shards of memories from thousands of different people and creatures, so the most strong memories have the greatest influence on the personality of each individual Specter.

Culture

Culture of civilization existing within the labyrinth is shaped by four races: Specters, Abominations, Fairies, and Bonelings. These four races mix in one corner of the labyrinth, clash against each other in the other corner. Some groups consists of few thousands of members, other of few dozen. Each group have their own rules, their own traditions, however, each race has their own specific philosophy and it is often quite deeply ingrained in every individual.

When it comes to Aabzarx Specters, they are quite reserved and private. Their cultural values often resolve around stoicism, self-reliance, keeping secrets and not trusting others. Specters are often called as travelers, and also as traders. It is not uncommon for Specters to explore the furthest depths of the labyrinth and return back with various goods.

While Specters do not form a civilization of their own, they do often join others in the time of need, though, not as commonly as one would wish. A Specter is typically a neutral third party who may help or hinder others based on the current situation. 

Realm Beyond

A demi-plane lost somewhere between Carceri and Elemental Plane of Earth, this places is very secluded and receives barely any visitors. However, from ancient times it was inhabited by lost souls and failed deities. To an outsider this world looks like a massive enclosed labyrinth which is being slowly swallowed by a boiling swamp. Thick fog cover upper layers of this plane while the surface of this plane is filled with heat, smoke, toxic gasses, necrotic energies, and volatile geysers. Outside of the labyrinth there is nothing sentient, however, all creatures of this plane live comfortably within the labyrinth. Well, word "living" is entirely correct as this plane is populated exclusively by undeads. But not any kind of undeads - the one who crossed over through undeath and reformed into new forms. Inhabitants of this real are seeded and marinated with necrotic energy, torn apart and recreated thousands of times over, changed so many times that they no longer even resemble their original forms... that is if they even had original forms. Some of inhabitants of this plane are so ancient that they weren't even alive - they were born as undeads.

This demi plane also house several failed gods. Long time ago, when material plane was still filled with chaos and when elemental overloads rained supreme, during the dawn of divines some of first gods failed to ascend and instead have fallen. Their divine forms were corrupted either by elementals or some other forlorn forces, and these failed gods were casted aside, shunned into all corners of the multiverse. Some of them, as believed by the inhabitants of the labyrinth, ended up in this demi-plane. It is not know if failed gods formed this plane in their own image or if this plane was already as is even before them, however, it is known that this plane is ruled by 5 such creatures. Each of them stewed themselves in necrotic energies and gorged themselves with mortal souls, bloated into unimaginable size, and now they patiently wait for something. Maybe they wait for a right moment to exact their vengeance. Maybe they are waiting for something entirely different...

Pantheon and religions

In the Realm Beyond only five deities are recognized as rulers of this realm. The labyrinth where they resides is very vast and extremely difficult to explore, thus there might be more deities dwelling somewhere deep within the stone structure, but for thousands of years only five beings were worshipped and revered.

Glurda Getela - the devourer of all.  Eternally hungry mistress lives quite close to west exist from the labyrinth. She governs over trickery, nature, life and forge domains, though, she cares more about stuffing herself with food than representing her domains. Her worshipers are often crafters, traders and explorers. They feel her guidance towards creation and exploration, but she push her followers this way not for some noble and grand goal - she simply wants to be fed with different foods. Thus, her clerics are known to present food as their offerings for the devourer goddess. Typically, Glurda Getela is represented by a symbol of a spoon laid on an anvil.

Clyroretos - the weeping coward. Found wandering the deepest levels of the labyrinth, this god governs arcane, knowledge, twilight, peace and order domains. Mostly worshiped by Aabzarx Fairies - this being instill fear and dread upon anyone who encounters it. He barely have any clerics, and building a religion around him isn't easy. All the worship he gets is mostly due to fear and ignorance, and barely anyone worship Clyroretos by choice. He is a god of convenience and obligations, and he is symbolized by black tears running down from a humanoid creature's eyes.

Bsark Dablackys - the blackest void. Is the most hard to find deity within the labyrinth. Even though he governs tempest, grave and death domains, his dark touch can be felt all throughout the labyrinth. He is the most popular god among Aabzarx Specters, because they too are formless being who do not like being observed. Clerics of this god wear all black, cover all parts of their body and enforce modesty upon each other.  However, rules clerics impose upon each other doesn't necessarily correlate with the official teachings of the religion dedicated to this god. Teachings of this religion can be found written in black spellbooks. These spellbooks usually contain few low level spells and are often carried by clerics and wizards alike, both because of religious reason and arcane reasons. Whatever the case may be, finding a fully black-clothed creature who is carrying a black book is rarely a good sign. Not necessarily because followers of this religion may be dangerous, but because the black lord watches over all of his followers at all times and he may choose to start stalking those he may fancy. 

Mooflit Niordoo - the brainless brute. The one who governs over the domain of war is probably the most fitting and also the least fitting to be revered as an actual god. Taking residence in the center of the second floor of the labyrinth, this vile god slaughters anyone who even attempts to come close. It does not care to talk, it does not care to be worship. It stands tall and waits for next victim to butcher. He is often represented by a symbol of a horizontally placed sword and dead rat laying on it. Any possible cleric this god may had have long abandoned the faith in it as nothing could come from such a god. Unlike others gods of the plane, Mooflit Niordoo looks and acts more like a machine than a sentient creature.

Styphen - the naked one. God governing over light, death and forge domains, but also the the least undead creature within the labyrinth. Some say that he was born as a mortal and ended up in the labyrinth by accident. Other believe that he once was a greater god, but lost all of his followers and escaped to this plane to avoid oblivion. Which story is true? Nobody knows, not only because it part of ancient history, but mostly because nobody knows the true origin of these legends. And this confusion shrouds Styphen in mystery, which is mostly crafter by him himself. He walk together with his followers, but hidden by illusions. Masquerade is not only his preferred celebration, but also the only symbol which is used to describe the mysterious god. 

Aabzarx Specter Traits

You possess qualities of both a slime and a specter.

Ability scores

Choose one of: (a) Choose any +2; choose any other +1 (b) Choose three different +1

Beyond Death

As a creature from beyond undeath, you have the following benefits:

• You are immune to disease, poisons and poison damage;
• You automatically succeed on your first death saving throw after being reduced to 0 hit points, and you have advantage on death saving throws;
• You don't need to eat, drink, or breathe;
• You don't need to sleep, and magic can't put you to sleep. You can finish a long rest in 4 hours if you spend those hours in an inactive, motionless state, during which you retain consciousness;
• You have flight speed of 15 feet. It is not affected by effects and features increasing your movement speed;
• Your creature type is an undead.

Amorphous

You can squeeze through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide, provided you are wearing and carrying nothing. You have advantage on ability checks you make to initiate or escape a grapple.

Shape Self

As an action, you can reshape your body to give yourself a head, one or two arms, one or two legs, and makeshift hands and feet, or you can revert to a limbless blob. While you have a humanlike shape, you can wear clothing and armor made for a Humanoid of your size.

Zarx Idol

You can use your bonus action to transform into a horrific visage. This transformation lasts for 1 minute or until you end it as a bonus action. Once you transform, you can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

After transforming, at the end of your turn, each creature of your choice within 10 feet of you takes (3 x your proficiency bonus) necrotic damage. Until the transformation ends, once on each of your turns, you can deal extra (1+ your proficiency bonus) necrotic damage to one target when you deal damage to it with an attack or a spell.