Homebrew Lanius Species Details

Across the planet, metal monstrosities lay dormant and await times of conflict to awaken. Known as Lanius, their quest for knowledge does not end with the annihilation of just one civilization. The Lanius are living records of civilizations past, once hailing from beyond the stars, activating in the midst of strife to collect the knowledge directed of them.

They are travelers of the ages, and every Lanic lifetime is simply a scattered collection of moments.

Living Metal Monstrosities

Lanius are found scattered across the material plane, seemingly alien to those who are uninitiated. Due to their strange form, large size, and significant time of dormancy, they are often worshiped as idols to the gods. While active, they hover approximately 5 inches above the ground, and while upright are approximately 6-7 feet in size, although some more important figures can be larger. They are quite heavy as they are made of metal, weighing 280 pounds or more.

Their bodies are made of a living metal alloy, able to slowly shift and change to fit the situation. They are usually silvery-steel in color, although some can be copper in color dependent on their purpose. Lanius are an asexual race, and all members resemble one another relatively closely, with spike-shaped shoulders, thin, hourglass torsos, large blade-shaped arms, and small vestigial legs. Nearly all Lanius have similar almond-shaped heads that come to a point at both ends, no mouth, and yellow eyes upon thin metal necks.

Living Records

Lanius are very peculiar, being nearly incapable of walking normally but gliding about the ground with a strange magnetic force. They have no need to eat normally or breathe, but require steady intake of metal and scrap to stay alive when not dormant, which makes their possible living environments very specific, but their resting environments largely inconsequential.

Lanius are able to move and fly at a relatively slow rate, although time spent more than a few inches above the air requires significant focus and is limited in terms of scope. These metallic entities are terrifying from the air, but are even more terrifying in close proximity, their skin absorbing large amounts of oxygen in order to maintain the records they keep, possibly suffocating nearby lifeforms if oxygen is scarce. However, most Lanic people are hesitant to utilize this capability offensively, and see it as an unfortunate byproduct of their existence.

Life as a Terror

While on the surface your average Lanius may seem like a simple drone, their personalities are quite individual and they can be as simple as a cog in a wheel or as varied as you or I. Connected through their Purpose, the Lanic people awaken for as much time as is necessary to complete investigation, but still find time to enjoy themselves through various means before going back to the deep sleep.

A defining aspect of Lanius is the common lack of ability to speak in Common. It can be learned, but is not taught by Lanic society, and normally is considered a distraction to the Purpose. However, in some cases, Lanius people take it upon themselves to learn the language in order to communicate more effectively if it would significantly affect their ability to perform their duty. Regardless, the concept of things such as humor or sarcasm is easily lost on the beings.

Upon completing their Purpose, those few Lanius are freed and given a limited life cycle before hibernating again, and awaking in their next cycle with a new Purpose. Rarely, Lanians die upon completion of their Purpose, and this is considered the highest honor upon their kind. As a result, many Lanic people will sacrifice anything and anyone to gather the knowledge they seek.

Homelands

Lanius are from a long-forgotten planet, but are found across the earth as a rarity and are often worshiped as gods for this reason. The home planet has been long erased, but the Purpose survives as a connection between the Lanic people, and as a result the melancholy of the loss of home is easily forgotten.

On Ro, Lanius are scattered and few. Most Lanius will go multiple cycles without ever meeting another of their kind. Their remaining culture is little but alive thanks to the feint mental link all Lanius have.

The Purpose

The Purpose is both a major tradition and the source of the Lanius lifeforce. All Lanius awaken with a Purpose and a name, and their life is spent performing acts to complete this Purpose. These are usually based on gathering knowledge, but in desperate times Lanius can be called upon to defend the hierarchs or preserve the lives of others who have not completed their Purpose. Lanic people may awaken for various reasons, but are usually called upon in times of strife and war as a means of emergency preservation of culture. Upon completion of their current purpose, Lanius are given time to enjoy themselves and find an apt place to hibernate, and then are either forcefully hibernated, or in rare cases, die, absolved of further Purpose. The latter is considered a great honor.

Lanius Names

Lanian names are usually directly related to their purpose, such as Cartographer, Guardian, Doctor, or Courtier. Occasionally, Lanius awake without a name, and see fit to give themselves their own in Lanic tongue, or assume none at all.

LANIUS BACKGROUNDS

Backgrounds that are most appropriate for Lanius include the outlander, the hermit, and the sage, as knowledge-seekers first and foremost.

 

Lanius Traits

As an Lanius, you have certain traits in common with your people. Being a hulking, metallic being comes with its own pros and cons, and will require heavy communication with the DM.

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1.

Age

Lanians mature within a year or two, and are semi-eternal, living hundreds of years before becoming too weak to reactivate.

Alignment

Lanians are self-serving primarily and tend towards chaos, but can be good or evil dependent on their primary deity.

Size

Lanius, at their smallest, are about 6 feet tall. They have living metal bodies that weigh between 280 and 400 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet. If your magnetic fields are interrupted or you are otherwise grounded, you have 5 foot movement speed instead.

Magnetic Movement

You have a flying speed of 25 feet. To use this speed, you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor, and the magnetic fields in your vacinity must be natural.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Lanic, and can speak a few, small words in Common.

Living Metal Form

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

You have resistance to poison damage, advantage against being poisoned, and immunity to disease.

You have +1 to your armor class, but can only don armor with which you have proficiency, and to do so you must spend 1 hour in constant contact to incorporate it into your form, after which it cannot be removed without your permission.

You can spend 1 hour of uninterrupted channeling to form your arms into a set of artisan's tools. You do not have proficiency with these tools, and must be the one to use them.

Hibernation

You have no need for sleep as a Lanius. Instead, you shut down for 6 hours a day, semi-conscious. Your sight is obstructed, but you have sound and motion sense, surveiling you and only you. This shutdown has the same effect as 8 hours of sleep would for a human.