Homebrew Yakfolk Species Details
Yakfolk, known among themselves as Yikaria ("the Lucky Chosen" in their language), are ogre-sized hu manoids. Their heads resemble disgruntled yaks, com plete with curved horns and dour expressions. Their hulking bodies are coated with thick fur and hair, and many outsiders can't tell the males and females apart.
Yakfolk Society
Other civilized races treat yakfolk as "bogeymen"- a scary race of evil, ruthless, and powerful savages. They dwell in secluded settlements sheltered from the worst of nature's abuse, including mountain valleys, soaring plateaus, and desert oases. In these seemingly idyllic hideaways, the yakfolk rule over humanoid slaves with iron fists. For all their learning and culture, yakfolk are enormously evil overlords. They care for their hapless subjects only to the extent that a live slave is more useful than a dead one, and keeping one alive is easier than laboring oneself. It's not that yakfolk are lazy - quite the contrary. They simply consider most menial tasks beneath them.
Outsiders that stumble into an enclave of yakfolk are usually surprised and pleased to find what appears to be a utopia, and the yakfolk foster that image until the strangers can be disarmed and enslaved. Yakfolk have a drive for learning, particularly when it comes to the secrets of elemental magic and dark knowledge that might serve to corrupt or dominate others. Knowledge that the yakfolk can't gain or use is to be destroyed. Unsentimental by nature, yakfolk parents pack children off to communal creches once they are weaned, never to recognize them again. Yakfolk feel no loyalty to their families-only to their god and race.
Servants of The Forgotten God
Yakfolk function as a malignant theocracy in service to the Forgotten God. The worship of this savage, nameless deity directs their lives. The god takes the form of a male Yikaria, but the deity's face is worn smooth into a featureless mask. The deity is appeased by sacrifice, which the followers carry out by offering slaves in the Manner Elemental - that is, by fire (immolation), earth (live burial), water (drowning), or air (throwing the victim off a great height). Sacrifices are meant to ensure the benevolence of the deity and to punish disobedient slaves. The Forgotten God enabled the yakfolk to enslave dao for a time. It is said that the Forgotten God journeyed to the Elemental Plane of Earth and, through guile and deception, defeated the Grand Khan of the dao. The price of that defeat was harsh: the dao were forced to serve the Forgotten God and its minions-and forbidden to attack them "for a thousand years and a year." The sentence has since expired, and yakfolk can no longer summon dao as they once did, but fear of the Forgotten God has kept the dao from seeking vengeance.
Skin Crawlers
A yakfolk's most frightening weapon is its ability to magically crawl under another creature's skin, control its body, and suppress its mind. The yakfolk use this ability to spy on enemies, rob them, murder their leaders, and kidnap their young.
Yakfolk Traits
Yakfolk have the following racial traits.Ability Score Increase
Your Wisdom score increases by 2, and your Strength score increases by 1.
Age
Yakfolk mature quickly, at 20 years compared to their lifespan at around 500 years.
Alignment
Yakfolk trend toward Neutral Evil. Their allegiance to the Forgotten God and its desire for living sacrifice and slavery keep traditional Yakfolk from having a non-Evil alignment.
Size
Yakfolk are tall, ranging from around 6 to up to 9 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Possession
You attempt to magically possess a humanoid or giant. You must touch the target throughout a short rest, or the attempt fails. At the end of the rest, the target must succeed on a DC 10+CHA saving throw or be possessed by you, and you disappear with everything you are carrying and wearing. Until the possession ends, the target is incapacitated, loses control of its body, and is unaware of its surroundings. You now control the body and can't be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect, and you retain your alignment; Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores; and your proficiencies. You otherwise uses the target's statistics, except the target's knowledge, class features, feats, and proficiencies.
The possession lasts until either the body drops to 0 hit points, you end the possession as an action, or you are forced out of the body by an effect such as the dispel evil and good spell. When the possession ends, you reappear in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the body and is stunned until the end of its next turn. If the host body dies while it is possessed by the you, you die as well, and your body doesn't reappear. This ability recharges after finishing a Short or Long Rest.
Summon Earth Elemental
Starting at Level 5, you can summon an earth elemental. The summoned elemental appears in an unoccupied space within 60 feet of you and acts as an ally of you. It remains for 10 minutes, until it dies, or until you dismiss it as an action. This ability recharges on a Long Rest.
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