Homebrew Eklanell Species Details

Water flows into rock,

Those rocks break into stars.

This is where the world begins,

The many things that we are.

 

— one of many Eklanell poems

Born on the coastlines and raised with a shamanistic mindset, these clam-like people travel the world as curious explorers. Taught to explore the world and embrace its beauty, the eklanell don't stay in their clusters for long. Once they feel they are ready to explore, they go out into the open world to satiate their wanderlust. They appear like a combination of humanoid, horseshoe crab, and clam, having thin, yet sinewy, bodies attached to textured carapaces. These shells usually have an iridescent sheen to them and many patterns, such as swirls and ridges.

Changing Tides, Changing Seasons

Wherever they may roam, the eklanell never stay for too long. When they feel they've gotten all they can from visiting one location, they move onto another. Their minds wander as often as their bodies do, wanting to learn all they can before spontaneously deciding to do something else.

The eklanell are as prone to change as the seasons and the tides; they may not be here for a long time, but they're definitely here for a good one. Some use their relatively-short lifespans to engage in hedonistic pursuits while others devote it to changing the world for the better. Still others don't have a plan in life and just go where the paths take them. Whatever the case, eklanell society bases itself on how much they can expand their knowledge before coming back to the shores and joining up with their kin.

This openness to change even extends to their gender identities. As they are intersex, they can perform the roles of a mother or father when they choose. While a lot of eklanell don't see gender as something to establish, trading tales with the other races have given the majority a certain kind of pleasure in adopting an identity for themselves. Some choose to be one gender all their lives, others are as fluid as the waters they were raised in.

Closely-Knit Yet Reaching Far

When the eklanell feel their journey has reached a satisfying end, most migrate to the nearest coastline. There, they form mass clusters to breed with one another and spawn a new generation. They stay with their young until the end of their lifespans, teaching them to engage in individual and spiritual pursuits. Despite their history and culture of travel, however, there are a few who choose to stay behind and make sure any other eklanell adventurers have a safe place to gather. Those that don't return usually seek to see the end of their days among those they have traveled with through the years. While an eklanell traveler usually doesn't mind traveling on their own, they place a lot of value in their relationships. The members leave the community, but the community never leaves the members.

Spiritual Wanderers

Despite their shamanistic beliefs, eklanell aren't superstitious as a whole. While they may teach their young about lore of the world, they also learn at a young age not to believe everything they hear. The ideal eklanell traveler takes what they have learned and makes their own stories from them. Nonetheless, while they may not have an established religion, they still enjoy telling others about their journey to enlightenment especially if the individual members have found themselves under the banner of a certain deity. Eklanell don't care much for religion but are more than happy to take part in it.

Eklanell Names

Eklanell are raised by a childhood name given to them by their parents, but when they come of age, they choose a name for themselves. The childhood name is sometimes taken as a surname but overall, it is rare for eklanell to go by more than one name at a time. Occasionally, they may change their names after a major event in their lives. Overall, their names tend to include the letters "q," "k," and/or "g" without regards to gender.

Eklanell Chosen Names: Krika, Golgo, Esquit, Squee, Samsargin, Rykki, Telgaren

Eklanell Childhood Names: Guigui, Qarko, Galen, Koro, Gynn, Kig, Mernek

Eklanell Traits

Coming from a long line of explorers, your eklanell character has the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom scores each increase by 1.

Age

Eklanell reach adulthood around age 8 and can live up to 75 years.

Alignment

Eklanell tend towards a more neutral or chaotic life, given their transient lifestyles. A lot of them tend toward good, though evil eklanell have been known to crop up from time to time. The few that lean towards law tend to stay in cities and other communities.

Size

Eklanell are slightly taller than humans and have a very lanky form beneath their shells, averaging about 5 to 7 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a swimming speed of 30 feet.

Amphibious

You can breathe air and water.

Darkvision

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.

Clamshell Carapace

Your skin in places is covered by a thick clamshell. You gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Wanderer's Intuition

You gain proficiency in the Insight and Nature skills.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Aquan, and one other language of your choice. Eklanell have traveled the world and have adopted many languages.