Homebrew Avariel ( Winged Elf ) Species Details

Description

Avariel were more delicate than their earth-bound cousins, with hollow bones to aid their flight. They had pale skin, often porcelain white. An avariel's wings were usually white, but could be black, brown, or speckled. Their eyes were slightly larger than normal and ranged in color from brilliant blues to green or purple. Their hair color was normally a silver-white or black.

Society

Avariel society was split into two groups that coexisted together, labeled "warlike" and "peaceful". Young avariel spent time immersed in both cultures (this could last over a decade), so that no matter what sect they came from, they had a deep understanding and respect of how the other half lived.

Warlike Avariel

Avariel warriors were geared towards war and power, answering to war chiefs who governed avariel society equally with the religious leaders. They lived by a complex code of honor and spent their lives defending their race. In combat, these avariel showed 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 viewed surrender to be dishonorable (for both themselves as well as their enemies), holding the idea that when a warrior drew blood, it was a promise to honor them with their combat skill, and slaying them was fulfilling that promise. To leave a defeated foe alive was to humiliate them.

Peaceful Avariel

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

Settlements

At one time, the center of avariel worship of Aerdrie was in the Aerie, a temple-city located in the Star Mounts within the High Forest. The ruins of the Aerie were said to be inhabited either by the red dragon Imvaernarhro or the green dragon Elaacrimalicros. Some legends stated that survivors from the Aerie could still be found in lands west of Faerûn. The last known shelter for the avariels was the Aerie of the Snow Eagles, located on the eastern edge of the Great Glacier.

Languages

In addition to speaking elvish, the avariels had their own unique form of sign language based around aerial movement. Involving things such as flaps, stalls, and wind dips. It was a less subtle sign language than those of non-flying races, having been developed primarily for communication during flight.

Religion

Most revered Aerdrie Faenya, the elven goddess of air, sky, and weather, and they acknowledged the other deities of the Seldarine to a minor extent. Aerdrie Faenya was held above all as she was considered to be the one that saved them from extinction and that she intervened in their favor.

Relationships

Avariels had good relationships with other good-aligned races who lived in the sky. They had strong ties with the aarakocra, as they shared the same patron deity and had the same respect for nature. For a very long time, they nourished respectful and admiring bonds with giant eagles.

Maleficent dragons considered avariels as enemies and their magic as a threat.

 

( Taken from Forgotten Realms Wiki )

Avariel ( Winged Elf ) Traits

Centuries of isolation have left the unique physiology and mentality of the avariels untouched, and unique from their landbound brethren.

Wings

You are born with a set of majestic, feathered wings. You are able to leap and glide down to a lower elevation at a speed equal to your walking speed, landing safely once you reach the ground.  Upon reaching 5th level, you may instead fly at a speed of 50 feet for a number of rounds equal to your Constitution score. If you fly beyond that limit, every ten minutes grants a level of exhaustion. You may also use your wings to double your jumping distance. While flying, you act normally, including hover in place.

You may not use your wings if you are unable to stretch them out completely, if you are wearing medium or heavy armor, or are heavily encumbered. You also cannot use your wings in combat until you are 5th level. If at any point you should drop below three-quarters of your health, you immediately fall from the sky, though a DEX (DC equal to 10 + creature's Attack modifier) save can enable you to glide down to the ground. You will need to take a short rest before you can fly once more, even if healed to full health.

Ability Score Increase

When determining your character’s ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The “Quick Build” section for your character’s class offers suggestions on which scores to increase. You can follow those suggestions or ignore them, but you can’t raise any of your scores above 20.

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.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvish. Elvish is fluid, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar. Elven literature is rich and varied, and their songs and poems are famous among other races. Many bards learn their language so they can add Elvish ballads to their repertoires. Avariels also learn to speak Auran in order to better communicate with the air elementals and intelligent birds that they deal with. This is in addition to whatever additional languages you choose.

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 cannot 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.