Homebrew Waelen Species Details

Misty Isles. Cloaked in mists, the rocky cliffs of the Waelen Isles rise high above the surf of the sea, their tops clothed in ancient forests. On the isles live the Waelen, humans ruled by their High King from the royal fortress on the largest isle. The Waelen worship a goddess they call the Earthmother; her druids gather in sacred groves on the islands. Some of these groves hold moonwells, magical pools that the druids say the goddess uses as her windows onto the world. Noted craftsmen, the Waelen enjoy income from their artisans, as well as profiting from their expertise with gold-working. Their culture, craft and wealth are illustrated in the form of fantastic gold torques and other jewelry worn by their nobles. The northern isles are the territory of the Northlanders, who have fought occasional wars with the Waelen in the centuries that the two groups have uneasily shared the islands.

Will of the Earthmother. Waelen are deferent to their druids, there exists a rigid social order amongst the tribes. While many matters ostensibly fall to the High Kings and chieftains, in reality, much is governed by the will of the Earthmother’s druids, including declarations of war or peace. Blending animism with a pantheon of local and lesser household gods, the Waelen religion is one of the key factors uniting the disparate isles. The importance and political sway of an island, beside its military power and wealth, is measured how much it is “touched by the goddess”, with the presence of moonwells. Most rites and celebrations are held at these pools, where sacrifices and offerings are made to please the Earthmother and her spirits.

Varied Threats. Living near the perilous forests of the isles, filled with fantastical beasts, and under the constant threat of skirmishes from their Northlander neighbors, the Waelen are hardy people that see the touch of their goddess in many signs and forms. They fight to keep their port towns open so that, farther islands, can receive vital supplies and reinforcements to deal with many and varied threats: dark fey stalking the woods, packs of werefolk worshiping bloody gods, reclusive elves, and worst of all, the ogres serving thevile fomorian giants. The forests of the isles are especially noteworthy, the deeper one goes, the more otherworldly they become, with fey creatures leading travelers astray.

Waelen tend to have fair skin and light hair colours, ranging from pale blond to vibrant red. They very often have dark blue tattoos made with woad dye. Most would simply consider the
Waelen human, but there is more than what meets the eye with the strange islanders.

Waelen Traits

At first glance nothing really sets apart a Waelen from another human, however their legacy reveals itself through their strange abilities and quirks.

Age

Age. As other humans, Waelen reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.

Alignment

Waelen tend towards lawful alignments due to their organized society. Those living in the woad-clans are more often chaotic. They have no predilection for good or evil, and most tend toward neutrality.

Size

Size. Waelen tend to be tall and slender, with leaner build than most humans. They often reach 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Beast Kinship.

You are trained in the Animal Handling skill and add double your proficiency bonus in that skill.

Weather Sense

Weather Sense. You can accurately predict what the weather will be at your location (no action required) for the next 24 hours. If magic is used to alternate the weather at your location, you immediately sense it.

Blood of the Earth

While on the ground in contact with unworked earth or stone, you can spend one Hit Die to heal yourself as a bonus action. Roll the die, add your Constitution modifier, and regain a number of hit points equal to the total (minimum of 1).

Once you use this trait, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Innate Spellcasting.

You can cast detect magic an unlimited number of times with this trait, but you can only sense magic that originated from a fey. Starting at 3rd level, you can also cast beast bond with this trait. Once you cast it, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Languages

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

Ability Score Increase

Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.