Homebrew Fenthirians Species Details

"To this day, I don't know what to make of it. We were walking down some forest pathway in between one settlement and the next. Christa, who would've been five at the time, was whining about being thirsty, but we had run out of water on the trip. We didn't have much more walking to do, so I didn't bother listening to her. She was tired from all the walking and likely bored out of her mind.

I hear her stop for a second. I thought she had given up, but I looked down at her and she was staring dead at something in the forest. Before I can even follow her gaze, some strange cat-on-two-legs thing scampers out of the woods. It was covered in fur and had paws for hands, but it stood surely on its hind legs. Almost silently, it stepped up to her and started humming some weird lullaby. I could see an aura of very visible magic radiating from one of its paws.

Christa was completely enthralled. I was just too stunned looking at the thing to act, but as soon as it started to pull one of its paws up to lay on her shoulder I knew what to do. I whipped my makeshift rock sling out of my bag and twirled it around as fast as I could before nailing the thing straight in the nose. Tiny bugger fell over backwards, clutched its broken snout with its paws. It looked up at me for a second. Before long, it got back on its hind paws and scampered its way deep into the woods.

No matter how many times I think about it, I can't shake the feeling I got when it looked at me. It felt like there was something - maybe someone - behind those eyes."

- Damian Krober, Travelling Settlements

With pure black fur and eyes of deep purple, Fenthir appear to be torn directly from the forests they call home. They are born with an affinity for the magical arts.

Forest Adaptations

With so much myth and culture surrounding light and darkness in most of communal society, Fenthirians often draw suspicion from their pitch-black fur and deep purple eyes. The colors are nothing more than convenient camouflage as they search their forests for fruit in the dead of night. Most often, they grow to a height of 4 feet and a weight of 60 pounds, their  size not much larger than an average halfling. 

Their appearance is distinctly cat-like. Their short, triangular ears pop from the top of their head and their head itself is shaped with a small snout. Fenthirians are one of the only sentient races to have a full set of paws - even their hands are built like a cat's paw, with retractable claws, paw pads, and a lack of space between each of their "fingers". Their entire body is coated in fur the length and thickness of a short-haired cat's. A distinct lack of opposable thumbs makes a Fenthirian's life often difficult, as the world around them isn't built for their kind. Fenthirians make use of basic magical skills such as Mage Hand to navigate and operate the world around them.

Fenthirians have long retractable claws which are most often used to scale trees. In an emergency, they are sharp enough to be used in combat, but most Fenthirians are prone to run away from a losing fight. Their bodies are compact with cat-like legs and long paws mostly angled above the ground. Their agility is diminished by their small size and generally weak form.

Silent Tranquility

Fenthirians are a naturally quiet race, most opting to the company of themselves or close friends over the chaos of a public space. Deep-rooted instincts keep most Fenthirians indoors or out of sight during the daytime and most active around midnight. Time and experience can change these habits, however, and most Fenthirians eventually learn to survive in a crowd or in sunlight if they are disconnected from nature for more than a year.

Fenthirians are not oppose to socializing entirely, however. When in the company of close friends, Fenthirians can be compellingly friendly and helpful. Their affinity for spell casting makes them a useful ally and their nocturnal nature is useful for quietly sneaking into or past dangerous areas. Fenthirians are especially gifted with handling children due to their small size and calming demeanor.

QUIET AND COURTEOUS

Fenthirians usually don't spend their time inspecting the races around them. They have little information and opt to make few assumptions on who they meet.

Dwarves.

"They work hard and produce fine works of steel. Dwarven mining endeavors are gargantuan - I hope they learn their boundaries someday, else this land may not bear their weight forever."

Elves.

"Of every creature, none look so far down on the population as Elves do. The quality of their work is magnificent yet overestimated by their own mind. I'm not sure they know we exist."

Halflings.

"Accepting and hospitable. Their food is as much art as an Elven painting or a Dwarven sculpture. Their love of company is disturbing at times, but they do their best to please everyone."

Humans.

"They make up much of the organized society in our world. Their achievements are undeniable and each member is different. It's impossible to be sure of anything about a human you're about to meet - or have known for years."

Ignored by Most

Due to their harmless nature and unusual features, Fenthirians who venture outside their home forests are often regarded as little more than scampering forest beasts. Most Fenthirians enjoy being ignored and do their best to avoid undue attention. Fenthirians are not oppose to friendships, however, and often make very close allies of their adventuring team. They are also especially well-adapted to dealing with children due to their short stature and calming demeanor.

Some become cold and cruel, lashing back out at the world which showed them so little hospitality, but most live a small life under the attention of society. A Fenthirian's only "enemies" are typically hunters, lumberjacks, and other roles responsible for the destruction of forest habitats, and even then a Fenthirian's first instinct is to hide from them. Depending on local customs, many hunters still see Fenthirians as forest game rather than sentient creatures, so a Fenthirian's paranoia isn't without reason. The darkest corners of society occasionally seek to enslave Fenthirians for their disposable nature and skill in useful magic, though this is very rare.

Snout in the Books

Traditionally, Fenthirians would have done little more than develop their natural magical abilities and eat exotic forest fruit. The environments which support this lifestyle have long since been destroyed or made unsafe by hunting, however, and their lives have been forced into common culture. Their small size and generally disrespected nature pushes them to a more reclusive life, having few if any friends and very rarely making permanent families. Experienced Fenthirians, especially those working in libraries near places where arcane studies are prevalent, can be seen creating late-night classes or tutoring sessions for anyone who cares to listen. Most of their students are Fenthirian, and most of their classes see very few students.

Fenthirians are most well-known for their prevalence in libraries and archives almost everywhere. Often, a Fenthirian's only route to childhood education is through a library, and many who finish their studies are keen on keeping those same libraries open for the next generation. Fenthirian librarians are infamously passionate on expanding a library's access through the publication of private archives, even though their efforts are usually ignored.

Fenthirian Names

Names are given from a mother to their child and are based off of ancient Fenthirian terms for forest objects and phenomena. Family names aren't usually given due to the reclusive nature of Fenthirian families. Most Fenthirian adventurers improvise when needed.

Male names: Arath, Aren, Boran, Chathor, Engrif, Fithir, Ghirin, Hiroth, Klithir, Mothir, Niron, Ocuron, Rosith, Uvir, Yorin

Female names: Aeroth, Boethi, Caeron, Eroith, Faero, Giorath, Hiriam, Iathir, Jaeron, Kloeth, Liath, Oerin, Quenth, Reath, Vaithun

Fenthirians Traits

Fenthirians have the following racial traits.

Traditional Fenthirian

Fenthirians are short lived, but their culture is ancient. Long before society moved in to force them out of their homes, they lived in small families in the forests, and eventually created languages to speak with one another. You know this language instinctively and can speak it to other Fenthirians. Words in it are an agile string of purrs and mewls only Fenthirians have the physical capability of doing, and by the reclusive nature of Fenthirian culture, other races have not yet constructed a way of replicating it.

Unless magic is used, only Fenthirians can understand you when you speak this language, and only other Fenthirians can respond in it. The language has no written counterpart.

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

Fenthirians mature by age 10 and don't usually age past 40.

Alignment

Fenthirians are typically Neutral or Good and have no inclination to follow or break the unwritten rules of the societies they end up in.

Size

Fenthirians are somewhat larger than the average Halfling. Your size is small.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet, and you can climb 20 feet.

Darkvision

Being usually nocturnal, your eyes are well adapted to the dark. You can see in dim light within 80 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light.

Retractable Claws

Your retractable claws give you a climbing speed of 20 ft. In an emergency, your claws are weapons in an unarmed strike. If you hit with them, you deal slashing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan.