Homebrew Hedgehog Folk (Erina) Species Details

Hedgehog Folk, or their less offensive name, Erina, are a small people who live small lives. They reside in the midst of ancient fey forests where the clamor of everyday life greets them. Erina love to forage, love to give, and love their communities. They find value and beauty in the little things in life, though they are very wary of outsiders.

Small and Round

Erina are quite unlike any other humanoid race. They have slender snouts, bead-like eyes, round bodies covered in prickles on the outside- yet are soft on the inside. Their limbs are often attenuated and they have clawed paws.

The coloration of Erina is not a wide spectrum. Their spikes range from light to dark brown mottled with black and white. Their inner bodies range from cream colored to dark brown. Erina don't often wear shirts and don't wear shoes at all. However they do wear pants, shorts, or skirts. Most dislike jewelry in favor of simplicity, though some are known to wear elven or homemade clay jewelry.

Short, Yet Sweet

Only living for a maximum of 30 years, Erina have quite a different perspective on life than other beings who can live much longer. Erina value their time living on the earth. They tend to romanticize the little things in life. Things like picking strawberries, the softness of flower petals, or holding a dear friend's hand are of great value to them. They don't like to put their lives in danger in fear of their already short lifespans being cut shorter. They also tend to be ignorant of happenings outside of their wee forest dwellings; they don't want to get tangled in other's business.

They trust in diplomacy and compromise to resolve differences at home. It is extremely rare for Erina to result to violence, as they are cowardly. They have been known to retreat from intrusions into their woodland homes, tightening their bodies into prickly balls for defense.

Hidden Woodland Burrows

Most Erina dwell in small forest burrows hidden among the forest ground. Erina are master foragers, known for their ability to find mushrooms, berries, roots, bird eggs and even things like snakes, snails, and frogs. A popular past time for many is fishing and gardening. Erina burrow their homes themselves (or find abandoned ones) and make doors and windows out of stone, wood, or lichen. Their contact with outsiders is usually limited, though a few Erina make a good living by trading crafted or foraged items for metals and textiles.

Erina encountered outside their forest burrows are commonly traveling minstrels, merchants, and sometimes artists. It is extremely rare to find an Erina who would leave their community for en extended period of time to venture elsewhere.

Erina Names

Erina has a given name, a family name, and possibly a nickname. Family names aren't just shared with those they are related to, sometimes it extends to the whole community.

Upon marriage, some Erina will either create their own last name or choose between their own name or their partner's.

Male Names: Alun, Atawn, Berwyn, Bowen, Brenin, Cadfael, Carwyn, Cefin, Colwyn, Deiniol, Derwen, Dewi, Elgan, Elis, Emrick, Ffionn, Hefin, Heulog, Howell, Huw, Hywel, Iefan, Ifor, Mabon, Tegau, Terrwyn

Female Names: Adara, Braith, Ceri, Cerwen, Efa, Eira, Emlin, Gwyn, Gwyneira, Heuldys, Hywela, Ina, Lili, Liliwen, Lilybet, Linette, Mab, Mai, Meleri, Merry, Owena, Telyn, Tesni, Tiwlip, Vala, Wyn

Hedgehog Folk (Erina) Traits

Your hedgehog character has a number of traits due to its nature.

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 1 and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age

Erina live to a maximum of 30 years. They reach adulthood at 1.

Alignment

Erina love nature and community, which makes them tend towards neutrality or law. They are good at heart, they love to give and love to love. There are seldom Erina who resort to violence.

Size

Erina range from under 2 to 3 feet tall. Your size is Small.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Additionally, you have a burrowing speed of 15 feet.

Darkvision

Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You 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.

Keen Senses

You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Prickles

 At 3rd level, when hit by a melee weapon attack within 5 feet of you, you deal 1d4 points of piercing damage to the creature that hit you.

At 5th, 10th, and 15th, this damage increases by 1d4.

One With the Fey

You can cast Speak with Animals once per dawn.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Erina. Erina is a language of gestures and sounds. It is relatively unresearched and very difficult to learn.