Homebrew Anulit Species Details

Origins of the Anulit

Long before the great cities of men, dwarves, and elves dotted the lands of Efria, the Anulit wandered the burning sands of the Desert of Thabes. According to their ancient texts, the Anulit were born from the will of an ancient deity of death, who saw that the souls of the dead wandered aimlessly through the planes, lost without guidance. This god shaped the first Anulit from the shadows of the underworld, giving them the likeness of jackals—the faithful scavengers and guardians of the dead. In return, the Anulit were granted dominion over the sacred duties of death, performing the rituals that would ferry souls to their rightful afterlife.

Over millennia, the Anulit built a powerful civilization in the deserts, erecting massive necropolises that served not only as cities for the living but as resting places for the honored dead. Thabes, their grand capital, became a beacon of necromantic power, ruled by wise and powerful Pharaohs who balanced the forces of life and death. Even today, the Pharaoh Thabes himself, a legendary necromancer, rules over their lands.

The Sands of Thabes

The deserts of Thabes, where the Anulit dwell, are harsh and unforgiving, with scalding winds and shifting sands that can swallow entire caravans. But to the Anulit, the desert is more than just their home—it is sacred ground, a vast burial site where the souls of the dead find peace beneath the endless dunes. The desert is alive with ancient power, and the Anulit have learned to harness its energy through their connection with necromancy.

In their great cities, built of stone and bone, the Anulit cultivate vast necropolises, where the mummified bodies of the honored dead lie in eternal rest. But it is not only the dead who are revered—the Anulit see themselves as eternal caretakers, ensuring that the passage between life and death is respected and that no soul is ever lost to the chaos of the afterlife.

Culture and Beliefs

Anulit society is built upon the dual concepts of Order and Transition. Death is seen as the ultimate order, the final act that brings balance to the chaos of life. As such, they hold a deep reverence for the laws and rituals of death, with many becoming Priests of Death or Keepers of Souls who maintain the balance between the world of the living and the dead.

The Necropolis Cities of the Anulit are vast and echoing, with great pyramid temples dedicated to the gods of death and life. It is here that the Anulit perform their sacred rites, preserving the bodies of the deceased and casting powerful necromantic spells to ensure the peaceful passage of souls. The Great Sphinxes, ancient stone statues carved in the likeness of jackals, stand guard over their cities, keeping watch over both the living and the dead.

The Anulit view their existence as a bridge between life and death, and their culture reflects this. Rites of Passage are celebrated with great fanfare, as each Anulit believes that their time in the mortal world is but a preparation for the eternity that awaits them in the afterlife. As such, they are stoic in the face of death, neither fearing nor mourning it but embracing it as a natural part of existence.

Relations with Other Races

Though the Anulit are respected for their ancient knowledge and mastery of death, they are often regarded with suspicion and fear by outsiders, particularly in the northern kingdoms of Efria. Their necromantic practices, while essential to their culture, are misunderstood by many, and their close ties to the afterlife lead some to fear that they consort too closely with dark powers. Still, the Anulit are proud and honor-bound, and they rarely concern themselves with the opinions of outsiders.

In Thabes, however, they are a vital part of the city's power structure. Serving as advisors to Pharaoh Thabes, many Anulit are members of the Council of Shadows, which oversees the city’s necromantic practices and defends it from enemies both mortal and otherworldly.

Legends of the Soul Shepherds

Throughout history, the Anulit Soul Shepherds have been known as the greatest guides of the dead in all the realms. Legends tell of Anulit priests who can call upon the spirits of the dead to protect their cities or guide them in times of war. Some say that in times of great crisis, the spirits of ancient Anulit Pharaohs, preserved in the necropolises beneath Thabes, rise again to lead their people to victory.

But there are also darker tales—of Anulit necromancers who have strayed too close to the forbidden arts of resurrection and control over souls. These renegades are said to wield power over the very essence of life, binding souls to their will and creating terrible undead abominations that threaten the balance of life and death.

Anulit Adventurers

Anulit adventurers are rare, but when they leave their homeland, they often do so with a purpose. Many seek to expand their knowledge of necromancy or to find lost relics of their ancestors. Others may be on a sacred mission to recover the souls of the dead who have been lost or desecrated. Despite their reputation, Anulit adventurers are not inherently evil, though their ways may be inscrutable to outsiders. Their deep connection to death makes them formidable foes and invaluable allies, particularly in battles against undead or other necromantic forces.

Anulit Traits

Anulit characters have the following traits:

Age

Anulit have long lifespans, reaching adulthood at around 20 years and living up to 500 years.

Size

Anulit stand between 6 to 7 feet tall, with lean, muscular builds. Your size is Medium.

Alignment

Most Anulit lean toward lawful alignments due to their cultural reverence for order and the afterlife. However, individual Anulit can vary widely.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 40 feet.

Death’s Guardian

You have proficiency in the Religion skill, and you have advantage on Intelligence (Religion) checks related to death rites, burial rituals, or the afterlife.

Soul’s Passage

Once per long rest, you can cast the gentle repose spell without requiring a material component. Starting at 5th level, you can also cast speak with dead once per long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Spiritual Resilience

You have resistance to necrotic damage.