Homebrew Ascendant member Species Details
"A strange people have started popping up from different corners of the realms. Nothing marks these peoples as a group aside from the black chitinous limbs and extremities each member sports. They call themselves The Ascendancy an enigmatic and secretive group that seems to have altruistic motivations. Where ever members have sprung up good fortune seems to follow in their wake as advanced technologies and begin pouring from cities and towns that have welcomed members of this strange group"
Excerpt from "Strange new peoples" a research paper published by Dusklight Academy
Calling the Ascendancy a race is both right and wrong as most things are within the group. They are newcomers to most worlds even within the records of their home they are relatively young. The Ascendancy grew from a small ragtag group that resided within the wastes of their decrepit planet with the goal to fix their dying world as well as ascend from the flesh and blood bodies into beings of pure thought and emotional energy.
A Broad Spectrum of members
As the Ascendancy grew in knowledge and numbers they found ways to travel to other planes of existence finding other worlds to inhabit and spread their message of ascension. Members have spread to every corner of every known world even if their presence hasn't been recognized. Each member has personally lead at least 1 uninitiated down the path of becoming a neophyte for the order steadily increasing the population of the group. Each member will choose an Ur or house to study and practice under in turn each Ur has a specialization ranging anywhere from creating machines and weaponry from their specialized material to training scholars to be warriors. All are welcome into the great halls of the Ascendancy for they know that greatness can come from the most unlikely of places.
Variety in All Things
Member of the Ascendancy are varied in the extreme some would say. As stated prior each member comes from vastly different backgrounds and races with different cultures and customs to go along with it. As one becomes a neophyte they are taught not to shun their past but embrace it and celebrate their differences from other members and the importance of said differences. From teiflings to tritons, dwarves to giants each new member brings something wholly them to the table with a hint of the creepy flair the Ascendancy is known for.
Members of all races
Members of the group hold many positions in the wider worlds they call home and try to ingratiate themselves with the locals. They are sometimes outcasts within societies due to their odd and downright frightening appearance in some cases. Members have been seen doing everything from living as a baker to an adviser for kings and dignitaries.
Dwarves. “As a people they are strange even compared to the other tall races. But they still treat us as equals. Hell i've even seen a few of our clans sporting their strange features" Jharven leader of clan Rustbeard
Elves. “That strange group popped up not to long ago. And honestly I have no idea what to make of them. Their customs are almost as alien as their apperances. But many peoples have come gone we shall just have to wait and see how this newcomer plays their hand” -Elyon Adtoris Elysian diplomat
Halflings. “Oh you're talking about those strange folk with the chitin bodies? Those guys are amazing so many new foods to try and the stories they have to tell can't be matched. Last time one came through town there we partied for a week.” -Hildifons Pott
Lasting Institutions
Wherever members of the Ascendancy spread strange constructs tend to pop up far faster than other races. The Architecture of these constructs always seems odd and otherworldly to the uninitiated with twisting black spires and odd juttings on their building just being in the presence of these structures can chip away at the walls of sanity for the weak willed. Members lives are extended greatly extended allowing them to stand guard for millennia to lock away a great evil or safeguard instruments of great power. However no man is an island as they say and the Ascendancy has a habit of building entire cities just to house or lock away things that would drive most mad from a glance.
Exemplars of Knowledge
Ascendant members each have a thirst for knowledge that is unquenchable often times putting themselves in danger to attain what they seek. As they know the danger that oft accompanies their search for knowledge they tend to try and shelter those close to them on the journey. As a collective each and every city under the hand of the Ascendancy keeps a vast library open to any member as well as most uninitiated within the wider world granted they managed to find themselves in an Ascendant city.
Ascendant Names and Houses
As a "race" the Ascendancy is the most widely diverse group of peoples. Containing members from all other races who have cast aside their predisposed hatreds and prejudices in the spirit of pursuing knowledge
Sadrith Ur
Sadrith Ur or house of Sadrith Is the house of scouts each member is a survivalist built to weather any storm thrown at them. Most are hardened through years of solo or small team missions where every decision can lead you to your death. Rarely will you hear of a member of this house dying they are simply MIA. Many members of this house have gone missing with the wider world never knowing the sacrifices made by these unnamed and unsung heros.
Ixual Ur
Ixual Ur also called the house of isolation is a secluded house even among the already secretive Ascendancy. Members of this house are tasked with containing creatures or objects too chaotic or dangerous to use. Due to the Nature of their charges members of house Ixual are very odd augmenting themselves in ways that confound their fellow Ascendancy members. Each one is said to have seen things so utterly alien most even among the Ascendancy would be driven mad.
Varoth Ur
While Sadrith Ur is a house of lone wolves and scouts Varoth Ur is the house of the Ascendant army. Many of Varoth Ur tend to cover their body in the Ascendancy's ebon and or chitinous surrogates. However this house is the smallest of the Ascendant houses due to the massive drain on resources a standing army takes to maintain. However each and every member of the Ascendancy has taken some courses within the house in case of emergencies where citizens can be called apon to fight. Thankfully this has yet to happen to date.
Banad Ur
Banad Ur is the house that specializes in the strange magics used by members of the Ascendancy. Banad and Ixual have a longstanding rivalry due to their penchant for delving too deep into the chaotic well of power each member draws from. Banad is the house of esoteric research where the higher minded members of the Ascendancy tend to flock. As with most houses each member is given some training in their specialization before being allowed to dig deeper into whichever subject catches their fancy.
Melkath Ur
Melkath Ur is the house of practicality practicing mundane engineering, simple magics and construction within the Ascendancy. Most members of this house haven't seen combat and if they have its very little. Most of the members tend to belong to this house due to the safer lifestyle associated with the responsibilities belonging to this house. Craftsmen also tend to flock to this house due to the extensive Ebonwork associated with this house. Many of the weapons and structures are credited to Melkath Ur
Esha Ur
Esha Ur is the house responsible for the spies and diplomats the Ascendancy has dotted throughout the lands they inhabit. Members of this house are known as spiders much like members of Sadrith Ur spiders tend to be solitary members that live ingrained deeply in the uninitiated society. Teasing valuable information from the locals and reporting back to higher members of the overall order or their house. The other group within Esha Ur are members with a silver tongue and tend to find work as dignitaries and politicians helping to keep the Ascendancy in the good graces of the powers of the worlds they inhabit.
Leviathan Ur
House Leviathan is the newest of the Ascendant houses created and lead by Lord Azazle Leviathan. This house focuses on advancing the technologies of the Ascendant houses mixing advanced mechanical creations with the odd and oft chaotic magics used within the Ascendancy. In taking on the task of advancing the technologies members of this house tend to reach out and integrate heavily with the uninitiated tending to be tinkerers or craftsmen creating strange and sometimes dangerous designs.
Ascendant member Traits
It is almost impossible to generalize a member of the Ascendancy but each carries these few primary traitsTelepath
Each and every member of the Ascendancy has an awoken mind allowing them to talk to anything on a base level with their mind. As the member grows in power they have even been known to hold multiple conversations at once.
Ability Score Increase
Your ability scores each increase by 1.
Age
Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.
Size
Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. Humans typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects. They are fond of sprinkling their speech with words borrowed from other tongues: Orc curses, Elvish musical expressions, Dwarvish military phrases, and so on.
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