Homebrew Achoste Species Details

Dominating much of the continent of Vu, the Achoste view themselves as stewards of the land, having been borne of it through the still-beating heart of Kole, the mother of the world. They believe that land is “not to be conquered, but rolled forward”, thus inspiring their deep, cultural agrarianism, and esoteric beliefs about the cyclical nature of the universe. They deeply value stability and pragmatism, as well as mysticism and philosophy.

Patagium and Elytra

Although humanoid in posture, Achoste are distinctly more insectoid in nearly every other attribute. Standing, on average, between 3’6” and 4’6”, they are substantially smaller than humans, and are overall stockier in appearance. Although they vary greatly in coloration and pattern, all Achoste have a large elytra, covering their backs and arms like a shell, that, when opened, reveals a smaller pair of wing-like flaps, similar to those of flying squirrels, which stretch from their wrists to their hips, with which they can fly or glide short distances. The rest of their skin is very tough, not unlike a carapace, and they have two eyes, a mouth, and small, vestigial mandibles extruding from the corners of their mouths, similar to tusks. The only other trait that all Achoste share is antennae, which can take many shapes, but are hard, stiff, and are in most cases extend no further than 6 to 8 inches. They appear and feel more akin to short antlers than traditional antennae. An Achoste’s hair color is largely dependent on the color of their elytra, typically matching identically or being very close to it. In general, Achoste dress modestly, usually wearing their hair either down or tied with a simple ribbon, with dress expectations being much more practical than aesthetic.

Rising and Falling

The Achoste see the world as an endless cycle of burial and rebirth — a divine rhythm mirrored in every turning of soil, every collapse of empire, every birth, and every death. To them, permanence is a false ideal; what matters is how gracefully one endures decay and how fruitfully one’s remnants nourish what comes next. They revere patience, continuity, and the quiet dignity of labor, seeing beauty in what is steady, heavy, and enduring. Wealth and power are justified only insofar as they sustain the land and the people who till it; to rule well is to burrow deeply, not to rise high. Their philosophy prizes the communal over the individual, the ancestral over the novel, and the cyclical over the linear — revolutions are not upheavals, but necessary turnings of the soil. Even their theology is pragmatic: the gods are gardeners and the faithful are compost, feeding eternity with each generation’s toil.

Dynastic Cycles

Achoste do not measure time by a linear calendar but by Cycles — grand epochs marked by the turning of the world’s life-force, the rise and fall of dynasties, or the rebirth of the soil. A Cycle is the unit by which history, ritual, and even personal identity are measured. A Cycle lasts roughly three to five centuries, though no two are ever the same length. The end of one Cycle and the beginning of another are determined not by astronomy or politics but by signs of transformation in the world itself — the withering of sacred groves, the unearthing of fossils, the collapse of a dynasty, or the pupation of a Achoste with a purely white elytra (considered an omen or symbol of great change and/or good luck in many Achoste cultures). Every major institution (court, temple, guild, army) operates under a Cycle Mandate, a sacred decree affirming its role in that epoch. When a Cycle ends, all Mandates must be reaffirmed or rewritten; this often sparks reforms, revolutions, or renaissances. When scholars or prophets declare a new Cycle, it justifies political upheaval. Monarchs claim to be “Crowned of the New Cycle,” while reformers claim to be its heralds. Wars of succession are often framed as wars of renewal.

Daily life follows the turnings within a Cycle:

• The Rising: renewal, sowing, the start of new construction and reforms.
• The Zenith: productivity, expansion, the high summer of empire.
• The Waning: introspection, decay, withdrawal of excess, philosophical pursuits.
• The Burrow: ritualized endings — sealing tombs, codifying histories, preparing for rebirth.

The passing of these phases shapes everything from fashion (lighter colors in the Rising, darker in the Burrow) to art, architecture, and diet.

Lifespan

Achoste typically have long lifespans, with many living well over 700 years.

	child	adolescent	young adult	mature	middle age	old	venerable
Achoste	0-70	71-100	101-145	146-280	281-450	451-720	721-830
Human	0-10	11-14	15-20	21-40	41-60	61-90	91-120

Achoste Names

Achoste names are typically inherited generationally, with some given names tracing their lineage back for many Cycles.
Achoste Given Names: Puni, Azya, Mith, Shamachti, A!a*

* (! represents a postalveoalar click, as in IPA)

Achoste don’t have a system of surnames, with larvae instead being named based on what turning of what cycle they hatched during.
Achoste Surnames: of the Ninth Burrow, of the twelfth Zenith, of the sixth Waning

Achoste Traits

Owing to their beetle-like anatomy and mystic practices, Achoste have the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase

When determining your character's ability scores, increase your Wisdom score by 2, and increase your Constitution score by 1.

Age

Achoste typically do not reach maturity until the age of 100, with the venerable frequently living past 700-800 years old.

Alignment

Owing to their larger picture worldview and multigenerational stewardship of the land, most Achoste tend to be of a lawful or neutral, with morality ranging from good to evil, but most tending toward neutrality or goodness.

Size

Achoste are shorter than humans, typically ranging in height from 3’ to 4’6” tall. For its strength, their elytra are shockingly light, and they have mostly hollow bones, similar to those of birds, which is what allows them to fly/glide. 

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and your base flying speed is 40. However, walking speed is subtracted from flying speed if taken in one action.

Strong-Shelled

Your naturally armored skin thickens over time like layered stone. It carries the memories of past wear, becoming stronger the more you endure. Your natural armor gives you a base AC of 16 (your Dexterity modifier doesn’t apply).

Once per long rest, when you take bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, you can reduce that damage by an amount equal to your proficiency bonus + Constitution modifier.

Communion of Cycles

You can commune with the subtle life of soil, fungus, and root — the whispering consciousness of decay by casting Speak with Plants once per long rest. When you do, you may also sense the presence of corpses, fossils, or buried relics within 30 feet, as if under a specialized Detect Dead effect. Your spellcasting ability is Wisdom.

Languages

You can read, speak and write in Common and Achan, the language of the Achoste.