Homebrew Avariel Species Details

Description

Avariel ("aril-tel-quessir" or "Al Karak Elam" in the elvish tongue, meaning "winged folk") were among the first of the elf races to migrate to Faerun. They are more delicate than their earth-bound cousins, with hollow bones to aid their flight. They have pale skin, often porcelain white. Their eyes are slightly larger than normal and range in color from brilliant blues to green or purple. Most notable of all of the avariel's physical characteristics are their wings. Broad and feathered, they can span up to 10 feet when fully extended. They are usually white, but could be black, brown or speckled. Avariel are known to practice the dyeing of wing tips.

Avariel are said to have the most beautiful voices of all the elves, and their songs are greatly sought after by bards of other races.

History

During the Time of Dragons, Toril was dominated by dragons far more powerful than those on Faerun today. Isolated pockets of territory fell under giant control, and these grew toward the end of the age. This is when the Aril-tel-quessir (avariel), Sy-tel-quessir (green elves) and the Ly-tel-quessir (lythan) first came to Aber Toril as immigrants from the realm of Faerie, passing through the fey crossroads and backroads.

Upon first migrating to Faerun, they found the world to be a vast, beautiful place. Unfortunately, vicious dragons ruled the skies. The newly arrived avariel were nearly wiped out by the dragons before the First Flowering. In their tenacity, they were able to establish a foothold and build aeries. Of these, the largest was the temple-city of Aerie, located in the Star Mountains at the heart of the High Forest. By the time the second wave of elven immigrants came, the terrible wars with the dragons had driven them to near extinction.

The martial strength and magical prowess of the peoples in this second wave brought the Time of Dragons to a close. All that is left now of this time are legendary epics and songs of elves overthrowing and slaying dragon and giant overlords, and carving nations for themselves.

After all the avariel had gone through, only one major flock and a handful of smaller flights remained. The Convocation of Eagles flew east in search of a new home. It was not long before they found a surprising new home. An expansive human tribe formed an alliance with the avariel, only to betray them many human generations later, losing half their population in the ambush. Most of the females and all of the children avoided this travesty. Before he died, their leader charged his successor with the responsibility of removing the winged folk from their relationships with other human and demi-human beings. He did so, beginning yet another long and slow recovery.

The Convocation of Eagles journeyed for many years, concealing their wings, lest they attract too much attention. They took to the skies only when they had to, hiding on the ground like vermin and living terrible, dirty lives as nomads and scavengers. What exactly happened during the intervening millenia is unknown.

In their myths, the avariel claim that Aerdrie Faenya took her people to her realm in Arvandor. Whatever the truth, they finally came to a land far from any which might harm or betray them, a land they could soar without fear. It was a cold and brutal land but their magics were able to adapt them well to the envirinment.

The past 500 years have rest in peace and prosperity for the Aerie of the Snow Eagles and many have renewed hopes for their future as a people. It is with this renewed hope that recently contact was reestablished with their elven kin and officials from Evermeet.

Relations

Avariel have good relationships with other good-aligned avian races. They have strong ties with the aarakocra, as they share the same patron deity and have the same respect for nature. For a very long time now, they have nourished respectful and admiring bonds with giant eagles.

Malicious dragons consider avariel enemies and their magic as a threat.

Society

Avariel society is split into two groups that coexist together, labeled "warlike" and "peaceful". Young avariel spend time immersed in both cultures, sometimes lasting over a decade, so that no matter what sect they come from, they have a deep understanding and respect of how the other half lives.

Most avariel revere Aerdrie Faenya, the elven goddess of air, sky and weather, and they acknowledge the other deities of the Seldarine (elves) to a minor extent. Aerdrie Faenya is held above all as she is considered to be the one that saved them from extinction by intervening in their favor.

Warlike Avariel

Avariel warriors are geared towards war and power, answering to war chiefs who govern avariel society equally with the religious leaders. They live by a complex code of honor and spend their lives defending their race. In combat, these avariel show no mercy, often using ranged attacks from above and believing that others should know better than to create an enemy of a superior foe such as themselves. They also view surrender as dishonorable for both themselves and their enemies, holding the idea that when a warrior draws blood, it is a promise to honor them with their combat skill, and slaying them is fulfilling that promise. To leave a defeated foe alive is to humiliate them. Warlike avariel often prefer to use ranged weapons, and they aren't above using their wings to gain an advantage over their landbound enemies by hovering or flying over them.

Peaceful Avariel

The other side of avariel society includes scholars, philosophers and artists. Intellectuals who believe in solving problems through reason and diplomacy, these avariel spend much time researching magic and history, contemplating religion, worshiping Aerdrie Faenya, and producing art for the sheer joy of creation.

Items

Avariel prefer to wear loose-fitting diaphanous clothing that catches the wind in flight and weaves in the air. Togas and other light wraparound garments are preferred. Armor is almost never worn because it tends to weigh them down and hinder their graceful motions. Instead, they prefer to use rare magical devices, relying on dexterity and ranged attacks to escape harm.

Avariel have taken the craft of glassblowing and elevated it to an artform. When most races turn to metal, wood or stone to craft gear, the avariel have turned to the fragile and delicate medium of glass, partly due to a lack of resources in the area, partly due to the brittleness of metal in the extreme cold. In a way, their affinity for glass as a medium reflects their very nature, for the avariel are fragile and beautiful people.

While much avariel glass is delicate and decorative, the winged elves have also mastered glassteel, a form of glass as strong as metal. Many avariel outposts are made of glassteel, as are some armor, weapons and tools. Some unique items to avariel are eagle-claws and wing swords. An eagle-claw is a leather glove with a series of blades extending past the knuckle, similar to a spiked gauntlet or punching dagger (1d4 piercing). A wing sword (between the lengths of a shortsword and a longsword) is a primary melee weapon of many winged elves because longswords are inherently dangerous to their wings (same as a longsword, not different enough to warrant new stats).

Avariel Names

Child Names: Ara, Bryn, Del, Eryn, Faen, Innil, Lael, Mella, Naill, Naeris, Phann, Rael, Rinn, Sai, Syllin, Thia, Vali.

Male Adult Names: Armour, Helinerdh, Ares, Adran, Aelar, Aramil, Arannis, Aust, Beiro, Berrian, Carrie, Enialis, Erdan, Erevan, Galinndan, Hadarai, Heian, Himo. Immeral, Ivellios, Laucian, Mindartis, Paelias, Peren, Quarion, Riardon, Rolen, Soveliss, Thamior, Tharivol, Therem, Varis.

Female Adult Names: Aphrodite, Iriellas, Arwelyel, Adrie, Althaea, Anastrianna, Andraste, Antinua, Bethrynna, Birel, Caelynn, Orusilia, Enna, Felosial, lelenia,jelenneth, Keyleth, Leshanna, Lia, Meriele, Mialee, Naivara, Quelenna, Quillathe, Sariel, Shanairra, Shava, Silaqui, Theirastra, Thia, Vadania, Valanthe, Xanaphia.

Family Names: Amakiir, Amastacia, Galanodel, Holimion, IIphelkiir, Liadon, Meliamne, Nailo, Siannodel, Xiloscient.

Avariel Traits

Your elf character has a variety of natural abilities, the result of thousands of years of elven refinement.

Ability Score Increase

Your Wisdom score increases by 2 and one other score of your choice increases by 1.

Age

Although elves reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, the elven understanding of adulthood goes beyond physical growth to encompass worldly experience. An elf typically claims adulthood and an adult name around the age of 100 and can live to be 750 years old.

Size

Elves range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Keen Senses

You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Fey Ancestry

You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Trance

Elves don’t need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is “trance.”) While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.

Wings

You have a pair of wings that grant you a flying speed of equal to your walking speed while you aren't wearing heavy armor. Broad and feathered, they can span up to 10 feet when fully extended. They are usually white, but could be black, brown or speckled.

Languages

You can speak, read and write Common, Elvish and one other language of your choice. In addition, the avariel have their own unique form of sign language based around aerial movement that is less subtle than those of non-flying races, having been developed primarily for communication during flight.