Homebrew Phoenixborn Species Details

Phoenix Born Race

Living atop high cliff sides and mountains, the Phoenixborn, sometimes called immortal ashen ones, evoke fear and wonder. Many Phoenixborn aren’t native to the Material Plane. They live from a different plane of existence — from the mountain tops and lava filled ravines of the Elemental Plane of Fire.

They are explorers of their new world, using their immortality to explore the world from above and learn about its nature, often venturing the world from the ground to better learn its vast mysterious secrets and ways of living in many different cities, and towns, that is so different from their own.

Flame, Beak and Feathers

Phoenixborn are indistinguishable from Phoenix's when in the flight and viewed from below, but as they swoop down to land on a branch are revealed to be bipedal with arms, legs and wings when perching to observe or talk.

Feathers cover their bodies. Their plumage is red and golden colours, with the females being more crimson red in colouration than males, which are more fiery red with brighter gold accents.

The Phoenixborn are created at adulthood when Alziah first made them and start as babies when born from fire wreathed eggs. Nearly all of the Highest ranking members of Phoenixborn society were around since the Era of Alziah, giving them thousands of reincarnations worth of prestige, deeds and knowledge.

Legacy of Alziah’s kin

The Phoenixborn are the result of the High Phoenix Alziah, blessed by the fire god Shaddassan, ascending her to divine status, by lending Shaddassan's power to Alziah, as she agreed to become his guardian, against the talos lord of water, which was able to invade due to the protection of a talos magus.

The forces of the elemental plane of water broke into the towers of iron, rusting it out. And extinguished Shaddassan and Alziah with him fighting to the end, killing uncountable foes. She used her divine magic to purge the tower with fire on Alziahs cold, dying, breath. Causing it to ignite, killing the Aquan invaders as they were reduced to ash. Millennia later she came back from her ashes and vowed to never allow this to happen again. By collecting the Invaders ashes by dropping it into her soul fires, in large nest like forges and created the Children of Alziah, leading to the creation of the Order of the Ashen Knights. 

Eventually Alziah began to slowly die for good as she ran out of divine power, bestowed to her by Shaddassan, her last wish was that they would protect others from the fate of the Iron Towers residents. The Ashen knights pledged to uphold the vow. To remember her they gathered Alziah's flame from her ashes, and used it to re-light their reincarnation forges and to reside in their temples shrines (An ornate bowl filled with water with a Phoenix Shaped brazier floating in the center lit with her flame, that you can still sense her defiant spirit in)

Later on a group splintered from the ashen knights and created the Council of the Eternal flame. After performing the mourning rituals to Alziah. In Alziahs honour to continue the guiding role of Alziah during her life. Each council hall has a large fire shrine in the center of the circle of Guardian Statues, surrounded by a moat of water(represents Eternal vigilance of the ashen knights against the Aquan) with her flame to gain her guiding wisdom and blessing.

The meetings take on circular glass perches held up the statues wings and backs.

When a  Phoenix born is reincarnated, they're spirit retreats to the city of Lux Aeturnus and enters the forge which rekindles their spirit flame in the eternal flames of Alziah (This process is longer for some and shorter for others) and can commune with her for wisdom before sending their soul back to call their ashes back to their true form, and with the radiant energy of Alziah's flames, fusing together and revitalising it, restoring the phoenix born.

This is the legend that was passed down from the days of old, with it engraved in the hall of legacy in the iron towers to this day where her original ash is preserved in the central temple.

Phoenixborn Mannerisms

Many The Phoenixborn punctuate their speech the same way that Aarakocra do, but also have crackling and fiery noises in addition

The Phoenixborn dislike having to be near the cold and water for long periods of time. As they have a sense of unease due to the opposite nature of these elements. Opposed to the hot and roaring flames, of their being and home land. 

Orders

The Phoenixborn orders include:

Eternal Flame Council: the highest order and is in charge of the cities development, trade routes, the latest technological or magical advancements and how they will change the cities development or their citizens roles in the future or their immediate impact.

Ashen Knights: they defend the interior from enemy invasion or infiltration and deal with potential threats to the citizens, even if it requires venturing into different planes,

Kindled Knights: they are the main unit of veterans that ventures beyond the cities to quickly eliminate enemies, and are given authority. To unleash their unrestrained flames, for devastating battles and to destroy the enemies as quickly as possible.

Radiant Guard: they run the exterior defensive structures as well as aiding in defeating threats, that will compromise the cities security but if it requires leaving their plane or going to far will instead have the knights do it.

Lights of life: the healers of Phoenixborn society, but cannot heal other races.

Wings of discovery: the scouts that map out new lands and learn about the society there for future trade or to learn if they become a future threat. 

Gear Talons: the guild that that develops new technology and other advancements. 

Celestial Flames: the holy order that carries out the religious rituals and rites. 

Forges of Creation: the guild responsible for building new structures and equipment, such as swords, components and more.

Homeland

Most Phoenixborn live on the Elemental Plane of Fire. However Phoenixborn can be drawn into the Material Plane, to explore this new realm, to learn more about worlds beyond their own or too protect their homeland from its enemies. They can also leave as a quest to prove themselves to ascend to the higher reaches of society

The Phoenixborn have only a cliff and mountain cities of tall elegant fiery red and gold spires,, with ornate statues of Phoenixborn and large black trees with eternally autumn leaves, lit with floating orbs of illuminating fire and friezes of obsidian and basalt . These cities are only traversable by flying (because no one else was intended to live their) to get between the fire temples, homes, research facilities and the portal to the their home land of Asurash, the city's of tall black, graceful towers, with ornate red, gold and white interiors. 

The Phoenix Born with the highest worth (displayed the best moments of leadership, heroism in the defence of their city, advancements of knowledge, etc) will reach high ranking: ruling, military and production opposed to lower prestige members of society.

Phoenixborn in the elemental plane of fire

The Phoenix Borns are reclusive and stay within their community's which take up the upper reaches of entire cliffs and mountain ranges. Above the dangers below and have arcane defense turrets to shoot down airborne threats outside the armoured walls of the cities.

The cities are mostly hollow with outcropping and recessed structures in the walls interiors and passages to the exterior defensive structures and warded gates to the outside. And the center with supporting pillars. the inner pillar doesn't reach the very top with a large amount of airspace for flight over and around the central column. The higher reaches of the the spires have nobler residences and facilities with the temple of the celestial flames at the top or an Ashen Knights Citadel.

The main city of the Phoenixborn is called Lux Aeturnus, and is within a massive crater, with a large multi spire tower of iron in the made in the form a natural volcanic spire with flat terraces. There are several surrounding smaller towers, and a glass dome over the top and an outer wall within the center and massive bordering walls and defensive tower with a vertical arcane, warding barrier extending the wall upwards, with the Forges of Alziah at the center. Which is the Phoenixborn reincarnation site, causing it to be highly reverend and is the location of many religious rites.

When a phoenixborn comes of age, they perform the rite of becoming, where they sleep for a week while buried under, blessed hot ashes where they emerge reborn and invigorated as an adult. Afterwards they are anointed with a cinder of Alziah and enter the hierarchy of the clan they were preparing to join before the rite. 

Phoenixborn Names

Phoenixborn have names, that typically involve fire or heat, light, flight, eternity, smoke or ash and over similar things, as their culture revolves around these things as eternal beings of flame. Their true names are unpronounceable by races that are not Phoenixborn as they often involve many fiery and bird related sounds, that nothing can reproduce, with only Aarakocra being able to crudely half pronounce it.

A Phoenixborn of either gender may have one of these short names, but feel free to make your own or use a Phoenix name generator: Aeterna, Elemence, Spirit, Aurora, Ignam, Radiance, Icarus, Onyx and more.

PHOENIXBORN BACKGROUNDS

Backgrounds that are most appropriate for Phoenixborn that are leaving their home include the Far Traveler, Royal, Knight of the Order or Sage.

The Phoenixborn have only a cliff and mountain cities of tall elegant fiery red and gold spires, with ornate statues of Phoenixborn and large black trees with eternally autumn leaves and floating orbs of illuminating fire, only traversable by flying to get between the fire temples, homes, research facility's and the portal to the their home land of Lux Aeturnus: the city of tall black, graceful towers, with elegant red, gold and white interiors. 

Phoenixborn Traits

Traits bestowed by Alziah

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

Phoenixborn reach adult hood by the age of 150. Compared to humans, Phoenixborn usually live up to 500 to 540+ years old, after dying of old age they turn to ash and reform at the beginning of adult hood at 150 years old.

Alignment

Most Phoenixborn are good and rarely choose sides when it comes to law and chaos. Council leaders and Ashen Knights will be lawful, while explorers and adventurers might tend toward chaotic.

Size

Phoenixborn are about 8 feet tall. They have thin, lightweight fiery bodies that weigh between 90 and 120 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Flight

You have a flying speed of 40 feet. To use this speed, you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor.

Talons

You are proficient with your unarmed strikes, which deal 1d4 slashing damage on a hit.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Phoenician, and Ignan.

Rebirth

On dying, the Phoenixborn smolder and flicker, as they turn stone gray and crumble into ashes and embers, after 10 to 100 years they reform in the elemental plane of fire and reenter the plane their ashes are in, which coalesces and ignite with flame, reforms the lying down body of the Phoenixborn at 150 years of age, at the beginning of adult hood.

Breath Attack

As Phoenixborn are creatures of fire and at will are able to amplify and focused it to the point it can be exhaled as a flaming stream

Fiery Form

Phoenixborn are created from the elemtal plane of fire and can release this from their body for a short amount of time, and thier inner flames must build back up enough to be able to be released with sufficient force.