Homebrew Feather Beast Species Details

LifeTouch

Auromire crouched silently beside the fallen paladin, worry in his brilliant cobalt eyes. His tail brushed anxiously beside him, the bright blue feathers fluttering the twigs and leaves scattered on the ground. He bit his lip and then set to healing the wounded man. When he finished, he sat back and deliberated over what he should do next. He knew that if he left now, the paladin would probably die of starvation or wild animals. But he also knew that if he stayed too long he would be caught when the knight regained consciousness. He wanted to avoid that. So he decided to stay for a few days to care for him, but leave the minute the man woke up. And that was what he did.

When Galador awoke, he saw the sky. Or rather, the sky obscured by several branches. He was still in the forest. He slowly sat up, examining the bandages on his body. Who had taken care of him? A rustle sounded behind him and Galador spun around. A strange creature stood before him. It was like a Tabaxi, but instead of a cat, it looked more like a dog with feathers. Or a fox? He couldn’t tell. But he knew without a shred of doubt that it was frightened. He slowly got to his feet and took a step forwards, opening his mouth to speak. But before he could, the creature spun on its heel and fled.

Galador stood silently before settling down to finish recovering. The thing...person...whatever it was had left a warm campfire beside him, a pile of firewood close at hand. There was also a heap of wild potatoes buried in a hole next to it. Clearly the creature had been prepared to disappear the moment he awoke. Galador cooked a potato and quietly vowed to find and thank his rescuer.

Those Who Heal

Feather Beasts are gentle, shy creatures that live in the darkest depths of deep forests, rarely abandoning the safe privacy of their home. Over time, many cultures have passed them into legend, leaving only sporadic myths about the Phantom Healers. No one knows where they come from, no one knows where they go. They remain stubbornly in the shadows, hiding from the rest of the world. Even those who are lucky enough to gain their trust rarely learn where the Feather Beasts reside. To this day, no one knows exactly why the Feather Beasts are so afraid of other races.

Feathered and Dappled

Feather Beasts are humanoids that have long, thin tails tipped with bright feathers. Feathers also grow from their large ears, the color and patterning matching that of their eyes. Their eyes and feathers are always brightly colored. They have thin fur that covers their whole body. It is rarely patterned, but those that are are considered very beautiful. Their fur color ranges wildly in hue, but most commonly sticks to the colors of other creatures, such as the dark brown of a bear’s fur, or the furry orange of a tabby cat. Colors like white and black are not common but aren’t unheard of. It is quite normal for Feather Beasts to dye their fur various colors.

They most often dress in light flowing clothes that allow for more freedom of movement. In addition, preferring light armor over heavy armor, as the weight of a full suit of plate mail would weigh them down considerably.

Feather Beasts are normally slim and small, never exceeding six feet tall. Their furred hands are shaped similarly to a humans but with long claws that extend past their fingertips. Their feet closely resemble the paws of a canine animal, though theirs are more upright. They in no way resemble human feet. They have as many facial shapes as humans do, though Feather Beasts' facial structure ranges from wolf-like features to fox-like features and more, including all the members of the Canidae family.

Attitudes and Philosophies

The attitude of Feather Beasts towards other creatures is generally fearful, but they are almost always willing to give aid when it is needed. They won't normally risk their own safety or security, preferring to opt out when the situation becomes too sticky. When they do mingle in society, they hide their identities as carefully as possible.

The vast majority of the Feather Beast race is a part of the Wanderers of the Paragon of Sora, a religious group of individuals who follow no god in particular, but strongly believe that the balance of the world is maintained by the Four Great Guardian Spirits, Elo, Revnian, Erascne, and Chrysai. The four powerful spirits represent the elements of light, dark, blood, and crystal, respectively. The Wanderers of the Paragon of Sora are few and far between. Their belief does not prevent nor condemn worship to gods, as the Four Guardian Spirits are not Deities but Entities, or mortal creatures with life and breath.

Elvish and Common Names

The first names of Feather Beasts have two distinct categories. The first group sounds distinctly Elvish and the other is simply words of Common used as names. For example Auromire would be the result of a Feather Beast taking an Elvish word they like and twisting it to sound the way they want. Caper, Bryony, and Flint are all Common words. Just...made into names. The first name is given to the Feather Beast at birth. Middle names are always the first name of the maternal parent. Last names are always compound words, with each half representing a facet of the Feather Beast’s personality. For example, a gardener’s last name might be PetalStar, GreenThumb, or DaisyCatcher.

So in the name Auromire Lysae LifeTouch: Auromire is his given name, Lysae is his mother’s first name, and LifeTouch refers to his love and knowledge of medicine.

There are also House names. All the members of a family bear the same House name. This name is included when Feather Beasts introduce themselves. Not having one means you’re probably a criminal or a runaway.

“I am Auromire Lysae LifeTouch of the House of Stone. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Feather Beast Traits

Feather Beasts have many traits, both engrained in their nature and taught by their elders.

Ability Score Increase

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

Age

Feather Beasts age in their own unique way. From the ages of 1-6 they bear the mental maturity, stature, and attitude of a human six year old. Once they reach the age of seven, they have a growth spurt (Usually very painful) that brings them to the mental maturity, stature, and attitude of a human twelve year old. They remain in this phase for a year before beginning to grow normally till the age of twenty. After the age of twenty, they stop growing and the only sign of age after that is the fading of the whiskers to a light grey, which does not occur until they reach the general age of 400. Feather Beasts live for 500 years.

Alignment

Feather Beasts are most commonly Lawful Good. Despite their innate reclusiveness, Feather Beasts have a mindset rooted in community. Because of this, they instinctively protect those who are weaker than them, heal those who are injured, and abide by most reasonable laws of whatever settlement they might choose to visit or reside in. 

Size

Feather Beasts are roughly the same size as humans, but rarely grow as tall as six feet. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 35ft

Healing Nature

Due to the rich instruction of the Feather Beast Elders, you have a vast collection of knowledge and experience in the art of Healing. Thus you gain advantage on Healing rolls. It is difficult to find an ailment that a Feather Beast cannot remedy.

Language

You can speak, read, and write Common and Elvish

Proficiency

You have Proficiency with Herbalism kits, Poisoner's kits, and a tool of choice.

Magical Attunement

Over time, Feather Beasts have become increasingly attuned with their inherently magical nature, allowing them to learn several cantrips, which are taught to every Feather Beast child from an early age, including Shocking Grasp, Produce Flame, and Resistance.