Homebrew Lessathi Species Details

Slithering between the cracks of normal society, constantly plotting their complex plans over centuries, and using of their extensive knoledge on  the nature of magic items to further their misterious goals. The Lessathi are an ancient and exotic race, hailing from an isolated island-continent, scattered throughout the realm after the destruction of their home. Now they thread on thin ice, their covens allowing them to manipulate events from the shadows as they fight against extinction. 

Aberrant in Form

Broadly humanoid, Lessathi have dificulty finding their place among other, non-Leassathi societies. Standing around the same size as an average human, their skin is covered in a thin, chitinous shell, similar to that of a lobster or other arthropods. The color of said shell varies slightly, ranging from light gray to pitch black for males and from dark blue to purple for females.Their great mouths, filled with sharp fangs, take up much of their face, as they keep their hair short, in order for it not to cover their 4 small-sized eyes. Usualy they wear relatively fine clothing, though with a considerable focus on discretion. Those in the top brass of the more powerful covens  tend to cover themselves with cerimonial robes, with the coven's symbol on the back.      

Scientific Nihilism

Lessathi culture is one deeply based on an a cult of the intelect. Eons past, their technocratic empire was once one of the biggest centers for magical and technological development. The wonders behind the walls of their grandiose cities could put to shame even the most advanced of elven kingdoms, and structures that defied even the most basic of physical and magic laws were commonplace. However, after a cataclysmic war known to their kind as the "Still Winter", their island was ravaged by destruction on a scale that defies description. Such an event lead to a diaspora, their people thrown into random corners of the Forgotten Realms, left off to fend for themselves, with an enourmous amount of resentment as bagage. 

Since then, the Lessathi tend to not have much, if any, qualms when it comes to what others might call "unethical" experiments. To them, the march of progress is unending, and outdated notions such as petty morality only serve to stifle it. Many in their society forsake the divine, choosing to rely on science and experience rather than the capricious gods for guidance. They are in an obscure, unknown land, and the more they understand the world around them, and the people living in it, the better they can adapt it to suit their needs.  

Kingdomless Connivers

Deprived of their once glorious homeland, the Lessathi have no land to call their own. But that hasnt stopped them from trying to make their own space.

Where humans and other humanoid races live, the Lessathi are soon to follow; though it is unlikely their presence is known to anyone other than those in the highest positions of authority. Since the breakdown of their empire, they have resorted to organising themselves in splinter groups known as covens, wich form once a sufficiently large number of their kin gathers around the same area, Typicaly, after such a group forms, they will begin to infiltrate themselves into the higher political, social and economic bodies of wathever society they are currently residing in, seeking to take over control from the shadows. After their unseen rule is firmly established, they'll begin to cautiosly redirect resources to further their agenda, while maskarading their presence. Some larger covens are rumored to have built entire underground bases for the local Lessathi population, where they can live and experiment freely.

Such a form of organising fits well with their higly stratified society. The main body would be the coven's council, wich tends to be comprised by the smartest and most ruthless of the group, though the actual members and their number tend to fluctuate, due to internal political strife. They are the ones who run the show from the shadows, and tend to live in relative confort, brought upon by their scheming and access to superior technology. Those that are second in charge would be the warriors, with it being considered a great honor to be part a council member's personal elite guard. The bottom of the list is filled with those who perform menial, or even worse, physical labor. Those not part of a coven are often branded as either criminals or "badbloods", and don't tend to find a warm welcome in cities with an already deeply rooted Lessathi populace, resorting to either trade, crime, or adventuring for sustenance.

Lessathi Names

Lessathi names have two parts: a birth name assigned by the newborn's parents, and a coven name that indicated where they come from. Birth names tend to be multisyllable words in the lessathi language, wich borrows a few sounds from Sylvan. Coven names tend to be either a formal declination by wich the coven goes by or a marking characteristic of the land the coven is occupying. 

- Birth Names: Selkram, Silizor, Aster, Kaimesar, Mesidar.

- Coven Names: Dankenlar, Iggdrasil, Setten, Kolennas, Varathia  

 

Lessathi Traits

Due to their abherant physique and innate knoledge on the ins-and-outs of the mystical arts, Lessathi share some racial traits.

Ability Score Increase

Your Intelligence score increases by 2, your Charisma score increases by 1. 

Age

Lessathi age slower than humans, reaching maturity at around 25 years of age. They can live to be over 600 years old naturaly, although some members of the top brass of large covens have managed to remain alive for well past a millenium with the help of lessathi technolgy. 

Alingment

Lessathi are strangers in a strange land. Their lack of a true moral compass, casual disregard for life and scientific isolationism tends to guide them towards neutrality. Their society, on the other hand, is extremely rigid and stratified, with virtualy no chance of social mobility outside of exceptional circumstances. This heavily bends them towards a lawful stance, valuing respect for rules and an almost cult-like discipline the most, with the occasional exception of those who are outside the safe haven of a coven, and thus need to fend for themselves.  

Size

Lessathi possess around the same size as humans, and weight around 125 pounds due to their slimmer build. Your size is Medium. 

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

Due to you abherant physique and 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.

Innate Magical Knoledge

You have proficiency with the Arcana skill.

Lessathi Heritage

You have resistance to lightning damage, and have advantage on saving throws against magical effects that put you to sleep. 

Low Magical Aura

Your faint magical aura grants you some boons. You have advantage on saving throws against magical traps. Once per short rest, you can choose to give yourself advantage on a saving throw against a spell. If you do, and the spell deals half damage on a successful save, you instead take no damage. 

Arcane Craftsman

You can utilize certain tools and your deep understaing of magical craft in order to build artifacts that simulate the effects of spells. During a long rest, you can nominate a spell and perform a DC 17 Intelligence (Arcana) check. If you succeed, you build an item that has the innate ability to cast the named spell. You can only nominate spells from the Artificer's list. At level 1, you can nominate 1st level spells. At level 5, you can nominate 2nd level spells, and at level 10 you can nominate 3rd level spells.The item is an improvised wepon, with a number of charges equal to your intelligence modifier. You can expand a charge as an action in order to cast the spell. If the spell can be upcast, you can expend aditional charges in order to cast the spell at a higher level. If the number of charges ever reaches zero, roll percentile die. If you roll 33 or lower, the item is destroyed. In order to build the item, you must have proficiency with and acess to the proper equipment(e.g Jewerer's tools for an obsidian ring that casts "speak with dead"), as well as expend the spell's level × 50 gold in components.

Only you can expend charges to cast spells through the item. If the named spell has a DC, the DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your intelligence modifier.

Language

You can speak, read, and write Common, Lessathi, and a language of your choice.