Homebrew Yeki Species Details

Within the scorching desert dunes, — where no plants grow and the sand invades every part of your body — dwell the nomadic and tribal Yeki. A goliath variant and essentially the polar opposite of their kin. Few people can say they've met them since all of the Yeki reside in the Sere Expanse and fewer say they've survived their merciless onslaught. Bigger and more imposing of their wintery fellows, their skin is rougher with a more tan or sun coloration, more rotund in size and bigger in teeth, and still maintain that great physical power that a goliath holds. No one really knows what culture they have or even know of this species existence. What the Yeki desire is not simply great strength but to always be "bigger" in the sense of physicality, combat and most notably their biggest weakness, intelligence.

 

Driven Competitors

Every day brings a new challenge to a Yeki. Food, water, and shelter are rare in the desert wastelands. While the Yeki may seem tribal in nature, their natural instinct is to consume and become the "biggest". Any downfalls and death from the tribe only brings more chances for the others to gain that title.

Their lack of intelligence also prevents them from thinking rationally and logically. If a raid occurs with an enemy, their only goal is to be the first one to kill and eat their trophy. Defeat to them is a surefire way of causing discontent and animosity in the clans.

While competition and proving to themselves and the other clanmates that they are "bigger", this may lead this Yeki to pursue bigger and more dangerous targets to consume their flesh and crown themselves as the "biggest". The bigger the size, the bigger their reputation and influence is.

 

Isolated Dominance

For Yeki, all they know is the Sere Expanse. They have limited knowledge of the world at large and drives to be the biggest in the desert lands. They value gold, magic items, money, and any materialistic elements. In their goal to be the biggest, they deemed that the money, jewelry, and magic items to become more powerful is all a means to an end for them. 

This trait manifests most strongly when Yeki interact with other folk. When going to Neosin or Kingstone, they see the potential in becoming bigger but get shunned and kicked out before they could get what they want. When being dealt with in the Sere Expanse society, they are dealt with in the bluntest and crude manners possible to scare away and to quickly make them understand that "we don't want you here."

 

Survival of the Fittest

While this race thrives on greed and only benefitting themselves, there are times where comradery is shown. Situations where the clan might celebrate killing large enemy that none of them could've killed on their own, dancing on the enemy's grave and sharing lots of alcohol. 

A permanently injured Yeki is still expected to pull their weight in the tribe. Typically, such a Yeki dies attempting to keep up, or begins to claw away at themselves, gouge their own eyes, to give themselves a quicker death.

In some ways, the Yeki drive to outdo their clanmates feeds into the grim inevitability of their decline and death. A Yeki would much rather die being the "biggest" in the clan rather than being in 2nd place or slowly dying into irrelevance or death. No one has met a elderly or knows of a elderly Yeki exists. For those who know of this race, theories arise about what they're like when they're old. "Do they gain wisdom?", "Are they okay with not being the biggest?", "How does a elderly Yeki survive?", and so forth.

Because of their greed motivated risk-taking, Yeki tribes suffer from a chronic lack of the experience in combat. Leadership is somewhat contested considering if someone is calling the shots, they think they're the "biggest".

 

Goliath Names

Every Yeki has a name assigned by themselves when they are old enough conjure words. Before that however, they are called by the tribe Mikrós(meaning small) and don't distinguish between other children.

 

Yeki Traits

Goliaths share a number of traits in common with each other.

Ability Score Increase

 Increase one ability score by 2 and increase a different score by 1

Age

Yeki have lifespans comparable to humans. They enter adulthood in their late teens and usually live less than a century.

Size

Yeki are between 7 and 8.5 feet tall and weigh between 300 and 400 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 35 feet.

Natural Athlete

You have proficiency in the Athletics skill.

Carapace Defense

You can supernaturally draw on your scaly hide to shrug off harm. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to roll a d12. Add your Constitution modifier to the number rolled and reduce the damage by that total.

You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Powerful Build

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

Desert Born

You have resistance to fire damage. You’re also acclimated to desert climates, and have advantage on Constitution saves when traveling for long distances and through storms.

Languages

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