Homebrew Zangijak Species Details

He stood upon the rooftop, tribal markings painted elegantly upon his face, begging the people below to see beyond the wounds of war and unite against the demonic assault. The light of the moon illuminated his eyes, which were filled with fierce determination and unwavering hope. Had anyone else gone up there and made such a declaration, I would've pitied the fool for trying. And yet, when Henjik called for the people to pick up their arms, they listened. When he called them to abandon all hatred in their hearts, they listened. When he called them to stand together against the army, they listened. 

The demons expected a city divided by generations of hatred. Instead, they faced a battallion, united by hope.

 

— Mya Invel, in her account of the Seige of Birtonby

With a history as long and varied as Siriloc's, it is no surprise that elves, the first race to colonize the continent, and orcs, the only natives that dwelled above ground at the time, would have children together. By elves, they were called sangair, and by orcs, they were called zangijak. Though now referred to by their orcish name, the Zangijak are a people of dichotomy and duality, born with an inherent inner conflict from the blood that they share.

Elegant Power

Zangijaks exist with a mixture of orcish and elven traits, though they almost always adopt pointed ears, heterochromia, and sharp, angular features. They usually range from 5 to 7 feet tall, 140 to 280 pounds, and just about any combination of skin, hair, and eye color that elves and orcs have. 

When they are young, a zangijak can be extremely difficult to recognize if not constantly interacted with. They gain and lose muscle and weight extremely easily and rarely maintain the same structure. One year a zangijak may be musclebound with a healthy layer of fat, while the next they may be slim and slender. However, as they age and become more certain of what they want to look like, they work to adopt that appearance and rarely deviate from it.

Inherent Duality

Zangijaks were much more common before the Fifty-Year War, mostly because elves and orcs interacted much more pleasantly with each other than with humans or dwarves. Though there are still tensions between the two races in the modern era, the presence of a hybrid child is more of an amusing curiosity when initially presented, and then rarely mentioned again. Zangijaks are easily integrated into both elven and orcish cultures, as the mix of orcish passion and elven regality means they easily capture the hearts of those who meet them. They are deeply empathetic and idealistic, and most hold deep-rooted beliefs that push them to constantly surpass their previous achievements.

One can predict a zangijak's personality by appearance alone—but only if they ignore their gut reaction. Oftentimes, the more a zangijak adopts the physical traits of one of their ancestries, the more they act like the other. An ethereal, lithe, and soft-looking zangijak will often stomp around or literally cry over spilled milk, while a musclebound zangijak with tusks may be judgemental, cold, and aloof. As they age, however, they often feel themselves become both more emotional and more logical. The dissonance is often referred to by zangijaks who first experience it as daydreaming because of how surreal it feels to be at both ends of the spectrum at once.

The reason for this contradiction is the intermixed pools of mystical potential found within every zangijak. Both elves and orcs are one of the few races to be directly exposed to a Rift, and that rift gave more than just their capacity for logic, emotion, and powerful magic. The magic of each rift amplified the power of elven minds and orcish souls, which is what gives them the ability to resist being charmed or killed. Zangijaks, who inherit both elven and orcish blood, take on both pools of potential at once and forcibly mix them. When the two sources mix well, they find great willpower and physical endurance. When they clash, zangjiaks find their bodies and personalities pulled toward both the heart and the mind. Oftentimes, a zangjiak will spend much of their pubescent years in angst and confusion over which to source to accept before they realize that they can accept both.

Zangijak Names

Zangijaks usually have names appropriate to the culture in which they were raised. A zangijak who wishes to encapsulate both of their heritages will often have names that or end with harsh sounds but have elegant ones in the middle.

Male Zangijak Names: Senji, Elusk, Merikho, Cesiush, Jotis, Shahk, Karas, Mhonderkan, Khavellios, Sha'ru, Hikkido, Mandor

Female Zangijak Names: Thonae, Ahnka, Yiselda, Kansif, Myev, Breeshka, Mashi, Drofis, Shautha, Sutha, Vola, Volen, Yevelda

Zangijak Traits

Your zangijak character has certain traits deriving from your ancestry.

Ability Score Increase

One ability score of your choice increases by 2, and another ability score of your choice increases by 1.

Age

Zangijaks mature a little faster than humans, reaching adulthood around age 14. They age noticeably slower and often live longer than 150 years.

Size

Zangijaks are usually in the extremes of body, being both exceptionally slim and slender and tough and musclebound. They range from 5 to well over 7 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

Thanks to your orc and elven blood, 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.

Fey Ancestry

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

Relentless Endurance

When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. Once you use this trait, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

Mystic Protections

Zangijaks hold powerful arcane and spiritual essences within them, which protect their minds from influence and their souls from passing on before they are ready. You can add a d4 to any Wisdom, Constitution, or death-saving throw you make.

Powerful Build

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

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Elvish, and Orc. Orc is a harsh, grating language with hard consonants. It has no script of its own but is written in the Dwarvish script. Elvish is fluid, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar.