Homebrew Alani Species Details

 Slender and Graceful

Alani are tall, willowy, angular faces, almond shaped eyes, slightly pointed ears. As they age their appearance changes with the seasons of their life. Most are graceful, peaceful, polite, and have a high regard for the matriarchs and elders of their race. They have close ties to nature. Children are taught manners and to read and write at an early age before they choose an apprenticeship in either their house or they appeal for an adoption into a house of their preferred profession.

Hidden Woodland Realms

Most alani dwell in the tree cities of the Great Kadmus Forest. The alani are not necessarily hostile to outsiders, but are not welcoming either. There are few trade roads through the forest of Kadmus, and merchants are welcome, as long as they stay on the road. These are road along the ground. The tree highways are secret and reserved for the Alani only. The main mode of transportation in Kadmus is the tree highways, and usually by carriages pulled by the ioramór, large squirrel-like creatures. Within the city there are basket-like carriages flown by the éanmór, large birds.

Most of the Alani have at least some basic nature magic. There are two main orders of magic users, the nature weavers and the druids. The nature weavers use ancient dryad magics to form and shape the plants around them. They are the ones who created the tree cities and the highways in the giant sentinel oaks. Druid magic deals with all of nature, animals, plants, elementals, etc.

Culture & Religion

• 9 ruling families, one for each daughter of Hamadryas. The queen mother is of the Hamadryas family.
• Each of the matriarchs are also high priestess and they sit on the queen mother's council
• Children other than the first daughter may appeal to be accepted into another family that better suits their talents
• No institution of marriage. Women choose their partners but they never live together. The children remain in the mother's care, the father, if known, plays little role in the upbringing.
• Lineage is traced through the women
• Men are respected for their talents and skills and may rise to a position of honor, but not in religion or leadership.
• Some choose to leave Illenvelani to live in small settlements throughout the forest of Kadmus. They are considered to be without house and protection of the gods, but are free to live as they choose.
• A small sect of males live as hermits and caretakers of the forest and devote themselves to Oxylus regardless of what family they were born into. Many of them are rangers.
• When an Alani child is born they are left overnight beneath a hearth tree. If the forest cares for the child they are accepted as one of the Alani. On the rare occasion that a child is not accepted, the child is often taken to one of the human settlements along the outskirts of the forest and left there to be adopted by a human family. Sometimes the child is raised by the father (usually as a ranger).
• When an Alani dies, they are buried in the U’lorna-beatha, an orchard of the beathan trees, or life trees in the common language. A beathan tree is planted above their grave and the fruit that the trees bear is used in many religious rituals.

The Greek gods have faded to ancient mythology. Most pay homage to Oxylus (of the forest) and Hamadryas (with the tree) and their daughters (those worshiped by the dryads)

• Hamadryas - holm oak and ash - everlasting, protection, courage, power, overcoming all obstacles, sacrifice (Royalty)
• Oxylus - beech - tolerance, patience, lightness of spirit and word (hermits, caretakers)
• Karya - walnut or hazelnut - wisdom, knowledge, long life, attune to and receive ancient wisdom (teachers, historians, spellweavers)
• Balanis - oak - courage, power, endurance (warriors)
• Kraneia - dogwood - simple, beauty, joy, prosperity (crafters)
• Morea - mulberry - tragedy, death (priestess of Morea, funerals and afterlife)
• Aigeiros - black poplar - courage, reaching for the heavens, faith (priestess of Aigeiros, life and healing)
• Ptelea - elm - inner strength and intuition (trackers, hunters)
• Ampelos - vines - wine, frivolity, enjoyment of life (wine making, entertaining, music, performing arts)
• Syke - fig - nourishment, fertility, fulfillment of aspirations and dreams (farmers, midwives, mothers)

Alani Names

Alani usually name their children after flowers, plants, and trees.

Male Adult Names: Alder, Almond, Ash, Aspen, Bay, Beech, Birch, Cedar, Cypress, Elm, Mace, Oak, Oleander, Pine, Rowan, Sequoia, Spruce, Sycamore, Balsam, Basil, Camomile, Elder, Fennel, Gladiolus, Kale, Reed, Rue, Sage, Sorrel, Thyme, Valerian, Amaranth, Arum, Aster, Clove, Garland

Female Adult Names: Amaryllis, Azalea, Calla, Camellia, Celosia, Dahlia, Gardenia, Hyacinth, Iris, Jasmine, Jessamine, Laleh, Lavender, Lilac, Lily, Linnaea, Pansy, Peony, Periwinkle, Primrose, Rose, Veronica, Violet, Wisteria, Zinni, Ash, Cassia, Hazel, Jessenia, Rowan, Willow, Angelica, Belladonna, Bryony, Clover, Daphne, Fern, Heather, Kennedia, Lantana, Rosemary, Rubia, Rue, Sage, Senna, Blossom, Flora, Leilani, Petal, Posy

Family Names (Common Translations): tou Hamadryas (House of Royalty), tou Karya (House of Learning and Spellweavers), tou Balanis (House of Warriors), tou Kraneia (House of Crafters), tou Morea (House of Death), tou Aigeiros (House of Life), tou Ptelea (House of Hunters), tou Ampelos (House of Merriment), tou Syke (House of Fertility)

Alani Traits

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

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2.

Age

The young (infant - 60) are vibrant, full of color, their skin bright and sun kissed with hair and eyes of varied colors. As young adults (60-120) their skin is tanned with a hint of green and their hair usually turns sun bleached blonde their eyes a bright green. Through middle age (120-160) their skin deepens into a dark tan and their hair is often burnt orange or dark brown with golden brown eyes. The elders (160+) fade to pale colors, silver white hair and sky blue eyes. The changes in their colors are the most significant signs of aging. For most of the Alani, wrinkles, age spots, loss of hair, etc does not occur until they are close to the end of their life.

Alignment

Alani love beauty, order, variety, and self-expression, so they lean strongly toward the gentler aspects of chaos. They value and protect others’ freedom as well as their own, and they are more often good than not. 

Size

Alani range from 5 and a half feet 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.

Nature Senses

Alani have the advantage of growing up surrounded by the magical Kadmus Forest. Therefore, you have advantage on all nature ability checks and can use the ritual spell, Commune with Nature once per long rest.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Alani. Alani is fluid, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar. Alani literature is rich and varied, and their songs and poems are famous among other races. Many bards learn their language so they can add Alani ballads to their repertoires.