Homebrew Mustelain Species Details

“How DARE you call me a "Chaotic Prank Goblin!  I have never been, or ever will be that shade of GREEN”

- Peri Frost, Lutin Extraordinaire

Mustelain Folk

Laughter and sharp barks of alarm echo through the dens of any Mustelain Folk, whose homes are rarely still for long. From snow-packed tunnel warrens and root-choked riverbanks to wind-carved ice halls and borrowed lofts in larger settlements, Mustelain appear wherever there are edges to explore and secrets to uncover. Ingenious, curious, and perpetually in motion, they possess a reputation for cleverness earned through generations of survival in hostile lands. One is rarely bored around an Musty—nor entirely certain what trouble they’ve just walked into.

Mythic Origins

Musty legend claims they were born of an accident: a fleeting union between a wandering nature deity and a fickle trickster spirit, neither of whom intended to leave a legacy behind. Whether this tale is truth or metaphor matters little to the Musty themselves. What is known is that they inherited both the wild’s resilience and the trickster’s sharp mind, without the protection or guidance of either divine progenitor.

Left to fend for themselves in harsh climates and contested territories, the Musty learned early that wit was as vital as tooth and claw. Adaptability became culture, and cleverness became creed.

Cunning and Curiosity

Musty society prizes cunning over cruelty and cleverness over brute force. Their ancestors survived not by overpowering predators, but by misleading them—vanishing into snowdrifts, collapsing tunnels behind them, or luring enemies into traps laid days in advance. Over time, these survival tactics evolved into stories, contests, and traditions.

Among the Musty, deception is not inherently malicious; it is a tool, a language, and sometimes an art form. A well-executed trick is praised not for its humiliation, but for its ingenuity. Tales are still told of how White-Tail Vesk drove off a frost troll using nothing but a sack of smoked fish, a broken mirror, and the troll’s own curiosity.

Humor in the Cold

Life in unforgiving environments bred a people who laugh not because things are easy, but because laughter keeps fear at bay. Musty humor is dry, quick, and often self-deprecating. Jests are exchanged in tense moments, barbs are traded between allies, and even grief is sometimes met with a wry remark.

Among their kind, humor serves as both bonding ritual and emotional armor. An Musty facing dire odds is just as likely to mutter a joke as to draw steel—sometimes both at once.

The Great Divergence

For centuries, Musty lived as liminal folk—creatures of borders, hedgerows, and wild margins—until increasing contact with other humanoids forced a reckoning. Cities fascinated many Musty: sprawling warrens of stone and smoke, filled with endless hiding places, strange customs, and opportunity without end. To them, civilization looked less like an enemy of nature and more like another ecosystem to master.

The elders disagreed. They warned that cities dulled instinct, replaced cunning with comfort, and threatened to erode the hard-won lessons of survival. What began as debate grew into bitter division, and eventually, a cultural sundering.

Those who followed ambition, trade, and curiosity into urban life became known as the Urban Mustelain Folk :: adapters, infiltrators, scholars, and shadow-walkers. Those who remained in the wilds, clinging to ancestral ways, became the Wild Mustelain, guardians of tradition, territory, and the old stories.

Though divided by philosophy, both groups still recognize one another as kin… even if reunions are often tense, competitive, and laced with pointed humor.

Mustelain Traits

Mustelain Folk share a number of traits in common with each other.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2.

Age

Rakin age slightly quicker than humans, reaching adulthood by 14. They live to be around 70 years old.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.

Size

Rakin are between 3 and a half to 4 feet tall. They have light gaits but sturdy frames, weighing between 50 and 90 pounds. Your size is Small.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 20 feet.

Darkvision

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 colour in darkness, only shades of grey.

Deft Swimmer

You have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.