Homebrew Rashtani Species Details

Misunderstood.  On their homeworld of Rashtan, the rashtani are a proud and powerful people, sending parties of explorers and missionaries down from their mountaintop cities and monasteries and into the planet's cloud-choked ravines to parley and share religion and resources with the strange civilizations that dwell in the crevasses' cavernous depths.  The rashtani luxuriate in generations upon generations of storied culture, playing unique instruments constructed from knotted wood and singing sonnets to each other in their crooning, sinuous voices--voices not often heard outside their homeworld.  In the galaxy at large, rashtani are isolated and harried individuals, usually standing at least a head taller than anyone else around them and as such, easily singled and pointed out.  The armor that encases their gray bodies keeps them protected and holds great cultural significance in their species' body of lore, but at the same time, it also draws expressions of fear, worry, and distaste from most alien passersby.  The bladed and energy weapons that sizzle and crackle at their waists are beautiful and exceedingly well-crafted, only fully usable by rashtani hands, but at the same time, they make security officers' hands stray closer to their own weapons, parents clutch their children tighter, most sensible people keep a little more distance.  The rashtani and their nature of secrecy and silence around most aliens make for a distrustful combination to strangers, but to those who have known a rashtani for any significant amount of time know better.

Honor-Bound.  The rashtani are bound by a stringent set of laws and codes written by the founders of their civilization and amended every fifty planetary cycles.  These traditions are in effect even off of Rashtan, and they encourage the rashtani to behave with chivalry, respect, and care wherever they go.  Among the many principles that govern a rashtani's daily life is the stipulation that rashtani armor cannot be removed while away from Rashtan, so as not to reveal bodies that the rashtani codes describe as "too beautiful for unclean eyes."  Still, each rashtani personalizes their armor as much as they can while forging it, resulting in an array of different helmet shapes and patterns carved into the metal of the suits.  The laws that govern rashtani society and (aside from the occasional murderous violator) restrain the species to order and sanity help them maintain relatively high standing in the Collective.  Three representatives from their race attend each Collective Assembly, chosen from the three oldest members of Rashtan's Council.  Despite this political clout, their homeworld is the only planet in Collective space they have claimed as their own, and the species as a whole has shown no desire to expand further.

Physical Appearance.  The rashtani are a tall, lithe, and lanky people.  The tallest among them stand ten feet, and their armor often makes them appear even taller.  Their thin bipedal bodies are covered in gray and craggy skin similar in texture and appearance to tree bark, and their legs end in rigid stumps.  Their hands are three-fingered and small, a fact taken into account in the creation of their weapon hilts.  The most striking feature of the rashtani species by far is their heads.  Erupting from their gray and spiky necks like plumes of flame from volcanoes, their heads are neon-red and bulging, lacking any discernible features.  Unlike the rest of the rashtani body, they are exceptionally pliable and easily damaged; when pierced, they bleed a fizzing scarlet liquid and sag noticeably.  A rashtani's head is also by far the most important part of its body.  The androgynous species lack any reproductive organs on their limbs or torsos; instead, a rashtani begins to expel diaphanous red spores from its head at around thirty years of age, once every ten years until it achieves sterility at around two hundred.  These spores, if cultivated, will grow into throbbing egg sacs over the span of a year and birth an infant rashtani after a year and a half.  A rashtani is exceptionally caring and protective of its young, and communities will often rally together to mutually assist in the development and care of multiple individuals' children.  The rashtani's head contains its two hearts, its brain, and its reproductive organ.  As a result of this, rashtani take great pains to protect their heads, reinforcing the helmets of their armored suits and keeping drawn back from any bladed weapons in combat.  Many rashtani have been known to slip into periods of depression and insanity after receiving damage to their heads.

Rashtani Traits

A standard rashtani is a well-trained fighter, honorable protector of the innocent, and capable wielder of the species' vicious weaponry.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity and Constitution scores both increase by 1, your Strength score increases by 2, and your Charisma score decreases by 1.

Age

Rashtani reach maturity around twenty-six years of age and sterility around two hundred.  Only a rare few live past three hundred years of age.

Alignment

The rashtani desire to obey laws and codes renders them sharply lawful.  Most rashtani, dominated by isolationism and distrust, are neutral; some, mostly soldiers or hired guns relocated off of Rashtan, are good in alignment, driven by a kindness to help the destitute and unfortunate of the galaxy.

Size

Mature rashtani range between 8 and 10 feet in height and between 100 and 150 pounds in weight.  Your size is Large.

Concealed

It is taboo to remove your suit of armor outside of official rashtani territory.  While armored, you have resistance to force and bludgeoning damage, and your Armor Class is 12 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus.  While unarmored, you gain a +2 to Dexterity saving throws and attack rolls, and all other rashtani will consider it their civic duty to return you to Rashtan for trial if you are seen offworld.

Teachings of Blessed Rashtan

Through specialized training from rashtani minders, you know the special techniques needed to unlock the true power of your species’ weapons, including the humblade, surge rifle, crutasha sabre, and angel’s kiss (weapon statistics provided on their own separate pages).

Knight's Proficiency

You gain proficiency in the Athletics and Animal Handling skills.

Sorrow of the Wounded

Behind your masked helm rests your mind, your sight, your sanity, your reproductive organ, your bravery.  When your head is damaged, a deep desperation builds up inside your mind, an instinctual urge to protect the most important part of your body, and you vent this desperation in a piercing, deafening screech.  When your head is directly damaged by an attack that circumvents your helmet in some way, shape, or form, roll a Constitution save, with DC 20 - your proficiency bonus - your Wisdom modifier.  On a failure, you let out a blood-curdling, deafening scream of savage anger, pain, and desperation, what your species call “The Sorrow of the Wounded.”  Every creature within 50 feet of you must roll a DC 12 + your Wisdom modifier Constitution save or be stunned for 1d4 rounds and deafened for 1d6 rounds.  In addition, roll once on the Short-Term Madness table.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Rashtani and one other language.  You can speak fragmented Xiryllian (Common); if your Intelligence score is 13 or higher, you can speak, read, and write fluent Xiryllian.