Homebrew Former Species Details

They hail from the large body of "land" to the south west of Gabrya, named Former as well. They appear as extremely pale humanoids, but with a twist. Formers resemble people who have recently died elsewhere in Gabrya, but with exaggerated features. For example, a human soldier on a battlefield is slain and somewhere on the land mass of Former a pale humanesque creature is brought into existence with features that closely resemble that human soldier, but exaggerated in many ways (larger ears, larger eyes, sharp teeth, whatever you want).

Formers do not remember their past life exactly, but they can draw upon the feelings and skills of the person they resemble. There are only around 10,000 Former in the world right now, not every person who dies in Gabrya is brought back as a Former. It's not necessarily understood yet why some people move on to being a Former and some move on to the afterlife. Formers have "only" been around for the past 800 years or so, they are a very new race of people so not much is understood about them.

Their eyes are one of the greatest mysteries of their people. Each Former has a unique pattern of iris in their eyes that only they have. No two Former will ever have the same Soul Pattern. The irises (which are almost always black and white, but other colors have been reported) can be incredibly complex or as simple as a black dot on a white background. Former use this Soul Pattern to identify each other and to create hierarchy within their rank. More complex or beautiful Soul Patterns usually means that that Former is going to be an important figure.

The body of land they come from is a carcass of some massive creature, unknown to all, that died in the waters of Gabrya after teleporting itself here apparently. The Former are a secretive race of people and are very protective of their homeland. Attempts to infiltrate, engage in diplomacy, or bargain for more of their knowledge has been met with less than enthusiastic responses from the Former. Much like illithids, they all seem to have a grand plan that only they understand. There is some level of hive mind between Former as the creature they live upon grants them strong bonds between each other. War between Former is strictly forbidden and they seem to have no stomach for hurting their own kind.

They live exactly 100 years from the time of their "Awakening" and often leave their homeland in search of something to help them complete their grand plan. Many Former are prized for their ambition, dedication, and overall skills in Gabrya. While they all seem to have fairly unique personalities, they do share some general traits with each other. Respect for nature, appreciation of tradition, and a strong sense of family (or their idea of family) are the most recognizable traits for most Former. No one knows how they are "Awakened" or what relationship they really have with the dead floating space creature that they call home, but I think it could be fun to figure it out exactly through play.

Former Traits

Formers respect what came before them. Without the past, they would be nothing. Their skills and abilities demonstrate a reverence for their ancestor which in turn grants them the power of their former self.

Soul Echo

You can recall knowledge from a past life. Add your proficiency modifier plus a d4 to a skill of your choice for 1 minute. You can apply this ability after you make a skill check roll if you wish. Recharges on a long rest. 

Constant Vigilance

Former are known for their proficiency in battle and one of the most important aspects of conflict is holding secret knowledge over your enemy. You can cast Clairvoyance without using a spell slot or materials. This ability recharges on a short rest.

Hivemind

All Former come from the same place and share an interconnected hivemind that allow them to communicate with each other throughout time and space. You can cast Sending an unlimited amount of times to another Former. 

Darkvision

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.

Languages

You can read, write, and speak Common, and Deep Speech