Homebrew Asura Species Details

 

Physiology

By human standards, asura are very short. An asura is usually between two feet ten inches and three feet eleven inches tall. They typically have slender builds, with the head, hands, and feet in somewhat exaggerated proportions. The head in particular is a wide, flat ellipsoid whose width is extended further by large, highly articulate ears which usually drop from the sides of the head. Asura eyes are large and come in a variety of colors; their size is the evolutionary result of being a subterranean race, as small frames can easier traverse their traditional homes in the depths. Their mouths are wide and filled with pointed, shark-like teeth. Asura typically have grayish skin and dark hair. Male and female asura are very similar in appearance; they are mostly differentiated by voice and ear structure.

In matters of childbirth and early development, little is known outside of the knowledge that asura give birth to live young in the same manner as humans (that is, they are placental mammals). An asura will live 5-10% longer than a human, assuming no laboratory mishaps.

Culture

The asura value intelligence and intellectual superiority over all other attributes. Individual asura will dedicate an entire lifespan to building a portfolio of successful projects or becoming the foremost expert of some tiny aspect of the arcane. They constantly seek to prove their own intellectual superiority, and by extension the superiority of the asura race. This typically results in asura being arrogant to the point of rudeness towards others, especially towards non-asura races. The asura have quickly established their intellectual and magical superiority over the other races and view them as useful primarily for heavy lifting, taking risks, and asking stupid questions.

Asura magical technology is second to none. Their experiments with magic are evident through the impressive floating structures found around and within their cities. Many asura study the difficult art of golemancy, and golems are often used for defense and general work. The golems' complete absence of intelligence and huge size complements the asura perfectly. The most important contribution of the asura to society is the asura gate network which links many of major cities together. To maintain this, they have retained a neutral attitude to all races.

The asura education holds three forms. First, children learn in small groups in labs. When they're old enough, if they qualify, they join one of the three asuran colleges: The College of Statics, The College of Dynamics, and the College of Synergetics. Thirdly, asura will often study under mentors as an assistant. After graduation from college, asura typically join a krewe and a lab until they can become their own krewe leaders.

Asura have a strong sense of family and extended family, they affectionately refer to their children as "progeny" or "offspring". They also venerate their parents, and grandparents. Asura traditionally cremate their dead. Asura tend to practice serial monogamy, in that they have a serious romantic relationship with only one other asura at a time. Most of these relationships are equal partnerships which often (but not always) have a firm, pre-determined end date. Most often, such relationships come out of two asura who fall in love with the same beautiful concept. These marriages of the mind produce rapid development of ideas, increased conceptual paradigms, and/or children. Relationships that break up tend to feature more fights about who gets the inventions than who gets the kids.

Religion

Asura believe in the Eternal Alchemy - the idea that all beings and magic in the world are a part or function of a greater purpose or "machine". Asuran life is built around the research of the Eternal Alchemy - the asura join one of three massive colleges dedicated to this research, each covering different fields. It is believed once complete mastery is gained over the Eternal Alchemy, mastery will be gained over all of existence. There are various asura who proclaim that Eternal Alchemy is not a religion, but rather a science.

The Inquest is a meta-krewe which believes that the Eternal Alchemy could be controlled and manipulated like any other machine. Members of the Inquest thrive on controlling power and knowledge, and their experiments are less ethical and more dangerous than those performed by other asura. They have no qualms about experimentation on sentient beings.

Government

Rather than organized government, the asura prefer to utilize krewes: small, efficient task forces led by the most experienced member, designed to allow any individual asura to reach their maximum potential in any particular task. The asura also have a group known as the Arcane Council who are responsible for the mundane parts of asura city life. The members of this council rotate - membership into this council is granted by performing a task which benefits the asura as a whole. The role is rarely desired as it means an individual asura cannot spend time advancing one's own research.

Asura Names

An asura's name often consists of a short, sharp first name with one or two syllables. Feminine asura names typically end in -i or -a vowel sounds, but are not required to do so. Masculine names often end in a consonant sound. Both male and female Asuras often have two of the same letter in a row somewhere in their name, this being a cultural norm, but it is certainly not required. Asura do not have a last name, instead opting to use job titles, a krewe name, or honorifics to differentiate themselves. Those who choose to take a last name of a style similar to humans are rare and are considered eccentrics, and their surname is often ignored by other asura.

Society of Academics

Each asura is expected to join one of the following three colleges: Dynamics, Statics, or Synergetics.

College of Dynamics

The College of Dynamics is an asuran scholarly society. The members of this college are typically enthusiastic about their highly experimental work, spontaneously imagining potential solutions to problems no one else yet perceives. They are known for devising ingenious, highly unstable and equally unpredictable contrivances, always on the bleeding edge of asura high magitechnology. Members of the college believe that an experiment is only a failure if nothing is learned from it. Dynamics is known to have an acute interest in gnome technology.

College of Statics

The College of Statics is an asuran scholarly society. Members of this college are analytical and cautious, preferring to do the work right the first time and build things that last. They participate in large-scale projects such as building cities and the massive levitating stones that power them. Viewed as conservative and possibly myopic by members of other colleges, they prefer to perfect well-understood tools, and the asura owe the high performance and extreme efficiency of many of their standby technologies to generations of Static development and polish.

College of Synergetics

The College of Synergetics is an asuran scholarly society. The members of this college study magical metaphysics, cybernetic systems, and the theory of abstract structures. Their focus on the study of patterns and mystical complexities over the development of concrete applications leads other asura to view this college as impractical and idealistic, if not downright muzzyheaded. However, they see themselves as providing the foundation for a more coherent and profound understanding of the Eternal Alchemy, the unifying system of the cosmos. While this college boasts fewer tangible, or at least less visible, products, their theories tie the numerous fields of asuran science and philosophy together.

Asura Traits

Your asura character has an assortment of inborn abilities, part and parcel of asuran nature.

Ability Score Increase

Your Intelligence and Charisma scores each increase by 1.

Age

Young asura mature faster than humans and are able to speak within a few months of birth, however as they reach maturity their growth rate slows and matches that of a human. On average, they live to be 90 years old.

Alignment

Asura take it upon themselves to remain neutral with the other races, but due to their curious and ambitious nature they often bend their own rules and thus vary from Lawful to Chaotic.

Size

Asura stand between 3 and 4 feet tall and average about 60 pounds. Your size is Small or Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Darkvision

Being from the deep underground, and with the large eyes to accompany such a lifestyle, the Asura 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 color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Naturally Gifted

You have proficiency in the Arcana and 1 toolkit of your choice. The toolkit you choose may mirror an interest you had before the works and trials of your chosen College and Krewe took more of your time.

Dexterous Hands

You know the cantrip mending. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability when casting it.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Asuran, and Dwarvish. Years below the surface, the only common folk the Asuran people met with consistently were the Dwarves.

Student of the Eternal Alchemy

When you come of age you join one of the three asuran colleges.