Homebrew Starling (Planegea) Species Details

LANEGEA’S STARS SOAR AND WHEEL OVERhead in a great dance, gossiping and arranging themselves according to a complicated, political cosmology. As every night ends, they enter combat n a struggle called the Dawn Duel, attempting to knock each other into the Sea of Stars, claiming each other’s light in order to become that day’s great light, the Day-Star. Very rarely, however, the defeated stars don’t fall into the sea, but rather to a far more alien and frightening place—Planegea!

SHINING ONES
Starlings are humanoids with glowing skin, eyes, and hair. They are strange and glamorous to behold; beautiful, ageless, and otherworldly. When starlings first fall to earth,
they are wrapped in star-silk spun by the finest lightworms, but this quickly tatters in the rough and raw-edged primordial world in which they find themselves.

STRANGERS IN A STRANGE LAND
No starling falls to the mortal world by choice. To be thrown from the great dance of the heavens after millennia of performing is shocking. Most starlings are initially terrified and aggrieved at their sudden and strange situation, and each adapts in their own way. Some find their feet by joining the life of mortals, while others remain aloof, unwilling to find companionship with such lowly creatures.

THE SKY’S CASTAWAYS
Like shipwreck survivors, starlings have to build new lives from nothing in an unfamiliar place. Many prefer to remain in isolation, spending their time watching the sky and participating in the great dance in their own lonely way. Others join nearby clans, finding roles as sorcerers, chanters, or gatherers. A select few starlings have even portrayed themselves as gods, using their heavenly light to dazzle others into worship—at least until another starling comes along to break the illusion.

 

THE QUEST TO ASCEND
Most starlings, upon finding themselves fallen from heaven, do everything that they can to return to the great dance. It is almost unheard of for a starling not to spend the first few years of their fall as a wanderer, searching for any rumor or means of returning to their high abode. This search—called the star-quest by those who are familiar with it—is believed to be hopeless, and every one of the starlings who has embarked on it has eventually given up.

MEMORIES OF THE DANCE
It is hard to explain the great dance to mortals, or to communicate to the crude folk around a clanfire what it is to be among the company of the stars. But your character remembers the courts of heaven. Use this table to inspire your recollections as you gaze up at your brethren in the night sky above.

d6 You most remember…
1 The cool and soaring marble halls of the Sixth Moon Temple where you were given your first diadem for a perfect dance
2 The fiery arcs of the Dawn Duel, with brilliant lances wielded against vain opponents glittering in their finery and pride
3 The long, luxurious days adrift in the Sea of Stars, recovering from the extravagance of the dance and the ferocity of the duel, sipping light and regaining strength for the next night
4 The moment just before night, when each of you rose to the surface of the Sea of Stars and drank the light of the Day-Star until you were bright enough to fly

5 The whispering, elegant gossip passed from star to star all night as the dance was performed, ripe with the rumors, innuendo, and subtleties of centuries

6 A particular star for whom you felt a longing, who—every night in the dance—you sought out as your partner, their light keeping perfect time with yours

STARLING NAMES
Starling names are actually phrases from the illuminated chorus, and almost never have consonants. A starling name, pronounced properly, is actually not spoken but sung. However, most starlings in Planegea have long since abandoned any hope of their names being sung correctly by the throats of the crude creatures of the mortal world. Common Names: Oa-a, Aíae, Ioua, Uaio-ua, Eoíu, Aeia, Io, Ooua, Eeío, Aioue, Ui-ooa, Eiue.

STARLING TRAITS
Your starling character has a number of qualities in common with other starlings. Age.Starlings have no age, appearing both glamorously young and fabulously mature at the same time. They don’t grow older, but they do grow dimmer over the course of their exile from the heavens, eventually fading out over six or seven human lifetimes—although some fade much more
quickly due to their sorrow at being far from home. Size.Starlings are generally slender and slightly smaller than other humanoids, usually standing about five feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Glow.Choose a color. Your body and your hair (if any) sheds dim light of that color, in a 5 to 20-foot radius. You can alter the radius as a bonus action. This light is permanent as long as you are alive, but a layer of clothing is sufficient to block it.

Light-footed.Whenever you make a Charisma (Performance) check to dance, you are considered proficient in the Performance skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.

Starry Vigil.On a night where you can see the stars, you do not need to sleep to gain the benefits of a long rest. Instead, you can watch the stars all night, gaining the benefit of a long rest after 8 hours. You remain alert and aware of your surroundings during this time. After finishing this long rest, you have advantage on your next Intelligence (Arcana or Nature) check related
to the stars, constellations, or weather.

Pure Energy.Due to your stellar nature, you are able to briefly phase out of material existence and pass through obstacles. As a bonus action, using up to 10 feet of your movement, you can become immaterial and pass through all creatures or objects in your path. You may not end these 10 feet of movement inside another creature’s space or inside of a solid object. If you attempt to do so, you are pushed back the way you came until you reach an area large enough for your body, and take 1d10 force damage for each 5 feet you were pushed. You cannot use this trait again until after a short or long rest.

Dazzling Touch.Once as an action, you can attempt to blind a creature you can touch with a focused burst of brilliant light. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. The DC is 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failed save, the target is blinded until the end of your next turn. You canot use this trait again until after a short or long rest. 

VARIANT STARLING FEATURES
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Alignment. Starlings can be any alignment, and react to falling from the sky across the spectrum of selfishness and altruism, order and unpredictability.

Languages. You can speak Common and Primordial.

Starling (Planegea) Traits

Your starling character has a number of qualities in common with other starlings.

Age.

Starlings have no age, appearing both glamorously young and fabulously mature at the same time. They don't grow older, but they do grow dimmer over the course of their exile from the heavens, eventually fading out over six or seven human lifetimes—although some fade much more quickly due to their sorrow at being far from home. 

Glow

Choose a color. Your body and your hair (if any) sheds dim light of that color, in a 5 to 20-foot radius. You can alter the radius as a bonus action. This light is permanent as long as you are alive, but a layer of clothing is sufficient to block it. 

Light-footed

Whenever you make a Charisma (Performance) check to dance, you are considered proficient in the Performance skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus. 

Starry Vigil

On a night where you can see the stars, you do not need to sleep to gain the benefits of a long rest. Instead, you can watch the stars all night, gaining the benefit of a long rest after 8 hours. You remain alert and aware of your surroundings during this time. After finishing this long rest, you have advantage on your next Intelligence (Arcana or Nature) check related to the stars, constellations, or weather.

Pure Energy

Pure Energy.Due to your stellar nature, you are able to briefly phase out of material existence and pass through obstacles. As a bonus action, using up to 10 feet of your movement, you can become immaterial and pass through all creatures or objects in your path. You may not end these 10 feet of movement inside another creature’s space or inside of a solid object. If you attempt to do so, you are pushed back the way you came until you reach an area large enough for your body, and take 1d10 force damage for each 5 feet you were pushed. You cannot use this trait again until after a short or long rest.

Dazzling Touch

Once as an action, you can attempt to blind a creature you can touch with a focused burst of brilliant light. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. The DC is 8 + your Charisma modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failed save, the target is blinded until the end of your text turn. You cannot use this trait again until after a short or long rest. 

Ability Scores

Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Dexterity score increases by 1.