Homebrew Odobe (Walrusfolk) Species Details

Out of the roaring blizzard emerged a seven foot tall behemoth, clad in a variety of animal pelts. Two stout tusks, each as long as my forearm, jutted down from a bulbous snout filled with thick, pointed bristles. In one webbed hand, which seemed untouched by the biting cold, it held a long spear of hide and bone. In the other it held a blazing torch, impassive to the howling winds that threatened to consume it. The creature turned its gaze to me, a stare as cold and empty as the freezing tundra around us. Then, before I could respond, it let out a bellowing cry that rivaled the storm, before continuing past me without a second thought. More soon followed, a group of twenty or so individuals carrying a myriad of weapons, supplies and other equipment that I could only assume helped them survive in those harrowing conditions. None so much as gave me a glance and before I knew it, they had vanished back into the storm from whence they came.

~ From the account of the Rhaezlgiche Expedition

The Odobe eke out a living in the frigid corners of the globe, thriving in lands that others would deem inhospitable. Isolated amidst glaciers and frozen seas, they remain relatively untouched by outside civilization. The Odobe themselves are generally a peaceful people, resorting to violence only when provoked or in times of great strife. That said, an outsider hoping to infiltrate the clan is likely to receive the cold shoulder at best, or a spear in the gut at worst.

Terrestrial WalrusFolk

Despite their walrus-like appearance, Odobe are not the most adept swimmers. While all Odobe are taught to swim, very rarely do they delve into the frigid depths surrounding their coastal villages; only when food on land or shallow water fish become scarce. When such activities occur, a vestigial air sack under the throat allows the Odobe to remain buoyant in strong ocean currents, while their tusks are perfect for breaking through the thick layers of ice that cover surfaces. These traits also serve them well when fragile ice or moving glaciers unexpectedly lands them in treacherous, freezing waters.

Nomadic Tribes

Odobe clans wander the icy coasts in a constant search for food. These frigid landscapes are void of most plant life, so clans must hunt if they wish to survive. No creature is too large; yetis, mammoths, even mighty Remorhaz are prey to Odobe hunters, though such beasts are seldom brought down without any risk. Since there is very little cover on the ice fields, sneaking up on prey is out of the question. A clan is often forced to track their prey and wear it down over time, sometimes over days, weeks, before closing in to deliver the killing blow.

To an Odobe, the clan is everything. Without it they would have no meaning or purpose. When they come of age, Odobe are charged with a purpose within the clan. Each hunter specializes in tracking and killing a certain creature, carvers are masters at crafting a particular tool, a sage may interpreting the signs of nature to foretell the clans fortune. That said, these roles are not exclusive; hunters especially must work together to bring down prey. But there is often only one Odobe in the clan who can track a Remorhaz through the quakes it leaves in the snow, and only one that carves spears strong enough to pierce its armored shell.

Odobe view the societies of most other races with passive confusion, seeing them as strange and out of touch with nature. To the Odobe, a static settlement is a tumor that, if left unchecked, will grow uncontrollably, sucking the life from everything around it. Not all Odobe are against trading and conversing with other cultures, but even they remain guarded, and careful not to let the plague of civilization spread to their own lands.

Steeped in Tradition

Odobe society is based on ancient traditions that stretch back hundreds of years. Though each clan has its own traditions, though there are a few customs shared by all clans. Each clan is primarily ruled by a chieftain or chieftess. He or she is the strongest Odobe in the clan and makes decisions that affect the clan as a whole, such as where the clan travels or what they hunt. Below the chieftain or chieftess are the elders, old but experienced Odobe who handle the clan's internal matters such as assigning roles to new adults and pairing up mates. Though a chieftain or chieftess is deemed superior to the elders and can overrule them, they are unlikely to stay in power for long without their support.

At the heart of all Odobe tradition is the World Spirit. Rather than a god, the world spirit is a primordial force of nature that seeks to keep the world in balance. They believe the world spirit exists in all things; beasts, clouds, ice, and within the Odobe themselves. The clan's sages constantly watch for signs of changes within the World Spirit. A change in the wind could lead a clan to new hunting grounds, while a wounded animal may be a sign to wait out an approaching storm. When they die, Odobe believe their souls become one with the World Spirit, helping it watch over the world for centuries to come.

Each clan has many traditions that establish its unique identity. You can use the clan traditions table to help flesh out these traditions, which may in turn help inform your character's personality. Your character might devoulty follow all of the clan's traditions or they may disagree with them, bending or even breaking the rules when not under the scrutiny of their clanmates. Many of these traditions translate poorly onto the complex and nuanced reality beyond Odobe borders. As a result, an Odobe venturing into the greater world faces the challenge of interpreting these traditions outside of their original context, often without the guidance of his or her elders.

d10	Clan Traditions
1	After a kill, I leave whatever I do not use where it lies, so that it may return to nature.
2	Hunting is a sacred act between predator and prey, I will not intrude on another creature's hunt.
3	To pay my respects to a slain creature, I must make use of every part of its anatomy.
4	Humanoid, beast, aberration, does it really matter? Food is food, who am I to question the bounty of the world spirit.
5	The natural order must not be disturbed. When I leave an area, it must be left exactly as it was found.
6	Balance in all things. For each creature I kill, I must let another live.
7	For each day I spend in a single location, I must make an offering to the world spirit.
8	Disagreements are to be resolved through ritual combat.
9	To honour the gifts the world spirit has given me, I make all killing blows with my tusks.
10	Metal is an affront to the natural order, I refuse to make use of it.

Odobe Names

Odobe children have no names and are referred to as the son or daughter of their parents. Once they reach adulthood, Odobe are given a title, which is a literal description of their job or role within the clan. Clan names are also descriptive, though these names can be centuries old and do not always reflect the current ways of a clan. When speaking their full name, Odobe often insert a connective word between their title and clan name. An Odobe titled Irmhos from clan Kaanbeerdin would call themself Irmhos lo Kaanberdin (Den-maker who follows mammoths).

Odobe Titles: Ainfore (Night-sentry), Bernuk (Mammoth-hunter), Ichebach (Ice-breaker), Kinbar (Wound-fixer), Irmhos (Den-maker), Ootuk (Seal-hunter), Ploshnot (Fish-catcher), Renhash (Pelt-carver), Rhazdin (Remorhaz-tracker), Shendor (Meat-cutter), Wushfar (Wind-watcher), Yarhash (Spear-carver).

Clan Names: Ichekundo (Walks far on ice), Kaanberdin (Follows mammoths), Ukerain (Hunts at night), Wushendas (Welcomes the storm).

Odobe (Walrusfolk) Traits

Adapted to the harsh conditions of their wintry home, all Odobe share the following traits.

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

Odobe reach maturity around age 16. They can live to be 85 years old however, Odobe above the age of 60 are rare as a result of the harsh lifestyle they lead.

Alignement

Odobe clans follow a strict social order with traditions going back centuries, as a result, most are of a lawful alignment. They tend towards neutrality, viewing most other creatures with indifference.

Size

Odobe vary between 5 to 7 feet in height. They are heavy for their size, weighing anything from 320 to 450 pounds. Your size is medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30ft.

Polar Resilience

Acclimated to the freezing conditions of your homeland, you have resistance to cold damage. Additionally, you ignore difficult terrain created by ice or snow.

Tusks

You have sharp tusks, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Natural Buoyancy

You have an air sack in your throat that helps control your movement through water (or similar liquids). You have advantage on Athletics checks made to swim. At any point on your turn, you can inflate your throat sack, causing you to rise 30 feet upward towards the surface provided you are not grappled or restrained. If you are unconscious at the start of your turn this movement happens automatically.

Nomad's Wisdom

The lifestyle of an Odobe necessitates learning particular skills to aid with the welfare of his or her clan. You gain proficiency in the Survival skill and one of the following skills of your choice: Animal Handling, Athletics, Medicine, Nature, or Perception.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Odobe, a strange-sounding language, consisting of a mixture of grunts, bellows, and deep warbles that other races can find hard to imitate.