Homebrew Voraskio Species Details

"Elves lack strength. Physical prowess. Orcs lack brains. I have both. I am, therefore, superior to you in every way. Now, tell me, with my strength and my brains, do you think you can really kill me? At best it will be entertaining."

— Gell Makhiir, Voraskio

They're called weak by the orcs and stupid by the elves. Their name literally means "disgrace". However, these entities combine the best aspects of both elves and orcs. In most worlds, they are incredibly rare or perhaps even non-existent. However, in the world of Wasnaer, they are common, since elves and orcs live together frequently. They are superb fighters, and they have incredible mental capacities. They generally are Eldritch Knights or some other combination of magic and strength. In most worlds, they are more hated than half-elves or half-orcs could ever be. 

Powerful and Cunning

People usually double-take when they see a Voraskio. Most people immediately see their orcish features first. Their body shape closely resembles that of an orc, standing 6 to 8 feet high, and their prominent muscles might make them appear a normal half-orc at a glance, except that their facial features tend to be much more like that of an elf's. They have the famous ears of an elf, large and pointed, and their entire face looks similar to an elf's. 

While Voraskio are usually credited for their smarts and strength, there's another hidden aspect: their speed. Elves are nimble, and Voraskio are almost as much so. While they tend to be a Warrior/Wizard combination, some portion of them become assassins, using their magical abilities as well as their strength to help with their job.

Gruumsh and Corellon 

Gruumsh created the orcs, and Corellon created the elves. Many Voraskio feel torn between the two. However, some accept one or the other, extreme cases being Kansif Bloodfist, the Gruumsh high priest, and Rolin, the prophet of Corellon. The eternal struggle between the two is incredible, and Voraskio just happen to be the unlucky souls that are caught in the middle.  A few Voraskio actually embrace the conflict, however, because they can turn to either god in times of need.

Despite all of their differences, Gruumsh and Corellon embody the exact same thing. Emotion. Voraskios' entire lives are centered around emotion. Even the Eladrin don't feel the depths to which their sorrow plummets, and the heights to which their joy rises. One day, they might be feeling overwhelmed with sorrow, and the next, joy might take over their lives. This is the one thing that Gruumsh and Corellon share, and the Voraskio have inherited incredible emotional potential.

Lost in the crowd

Voraskio are almost never accepted by elves or orcs, and so they turn to the only place they can: cities. Voraskio are found in cities most commonly, because they stand out less than the Dragonborn and possible Teiflings. Most people will overlook a Voraskio when compared to these more exotic races, and so they most commonly are found with such races. Voraskio might find Gnomish or Dragonborn friends in the hope that they aren't paid close attention to. Some Voraskio, however, embrace being the odd one out, and live in villages of half-elves or half-orcs.

Voraskio Names

Voraskio don't have any native names or languages, and so will either adopt an elf name or an orc name, or perhaps a human name if they don't feel connected to elves more than orcs or vice versa.

 

Voraskio Traits

Your Voraskio character will have traits of both elves and orcs.

Darkvision

Thanks to your orc and elf blood, 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.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Orc, and Elvish.

Age

Voraskio usually mature at around the age of 20, and they live until about their 4th century.

Size

Voraskio are huge, usually larger than either orcs or elves. They range from 6 to 8 feet tall. Your size is either Medium or Large, your choice.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 40 feet.

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength, Intelligence, and Dexterity all increase by 2, however your Constitution decreases by 2.

Trance

Voraskio don’t need to sleep, due to their elf ancestry. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is “trance.”) While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.

Alignment

Voraskio inherit a tendency toward chaos from their orc parents, as well as their elf parents, and usually are neutral, due to the fact that their lives are spent flipping from Elf to Orc, from Good to Evil.

Relentless Endurance

When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.