Homebrew Fanau Mai'an Species Details
The black sand beach was ablur of movement, their flips and twist were so rapid that one body couldn’t be discerned from the next nor seen through the flying debris. It is impossible to believe a seven foot tall golden skinned hulkingly muscular male warrior and the equally muscular six and a half foot tall darker skinned female companion were two separate people, or that they both could move so quickly and in sync with one another to confound my senses. In the midst of the flying sand and utterly confusing movement they struck and there wasn’t anything I could do to counter their blows. I knew they were there, I just couldn’t tell where they were.
- A toothless and hapless explorer of the harsh shores of Tama’ ilima that thought they could steal the village's gigantic golden shark tooth.
Relentless People
Tama’ ilima and Lima’s first people embody the true nature of the islands that are captured in the grips of the unrelenting hurricane and maelstrom that is Fanau Mai. They are similar to many of the island cultures across Toril, but they are unique and stand tall and as unyielding as their islands despite the unimaginable wearing of such an unrelenting force. Their peaceful coexistence with their coastal regions allows them to reap from the bounties of the sea and establish villages along its black sand shores. Their seemingly placid and friendly state of mind can quickly turn into a savage warrior’s frenzy when threats dare come against them. This lifestyle is born out of necessity for survival against the islands native monstrous threats, the invasive in-landers and the despised slavers that have infested their region.
Natural Swimmers
Native Fanau Mai'ans spend almost half their lives in the coastal waters. Their cultural reverence for the oceans, combined with their athletic lifestyle, makes swimming an instinctive part of their development. From their ritualistic first swim during birth, to their deep diving for oysters and other bounties of the sea, they have no fear of drowning. Their conditioning has increased their capacity to hold their breath longer than most other humans. A Fanau Mai'an can hold their breath for a number of minutes equal to 1 + twice (2x) their Constitution modifier (minimum of 60 seconds). When a Fanau Mai'an runs out of breath or is choking, they can survive for a number of rounds equal to twice (2x) their Constitution modifier (minimum of 2 rounds).
Hidden Shepherds
As island travelers, Fanau Mai'an's are trained to sail on personal water crafts during their adolescence. Fanau Mai'an who are able to escape the grasp of Fanau Mai's maelstrom often find their way aboard a sailing vessel. This approach allows them to avoid the politics and struggles of elves, humans, and orcs. Such events concern the firbolgs only when the events affect the forest.
Even in the face of an intrusion, firbolgs prefer a subtle, gentle approach to prevent damage to their territory. They employ their magic to make the forest an unappealing place to explore by temporarily diverting springs, driving away game, stealing critical tools, and altering trails to leave hunting or lumber parties hopelessly lost. The firbolgs’ presence is marked by an absence of animals and a strange quiet, as if the forest wishes to avoid attracting attention to itself. The faster travelers decide to move on, the better.
If these tactics fail, the firbolgs take more direct action. Their observations of a settlement determine what happens next. If the outsiders seem peaceful, the firbolgs approach and gently ask them to leave, even offering food and other supplies to aid their departure. If those who insist on remaining respect nature, take only what they need, and live in harmony with the wood, firbolgs explore the possibility of friendship with them, as long as the outsiders vow to safeguard the forest. If the settlers clearly display evil intentions, however, the firbolgs martial their strength and magic for a single overwhelming attack.
A Less Savage People
To Fanau Mai'ans their clan’s safety is their family’s security. Their home is a haven from the stormy sea, with plentiful fishing and good land cool sea breezes. Their clan is a place free from the bothersome people that chose to live so far in land that they are disconnected from the seas, can no longer see its inviting glistening, hear the laughter within the crashing waves, or feel its salty kisses on their skin. The booming cries of the clan's Hakas seamlessly blend in chorus with the easy and joy-filled laughter of their clan enjoying a night under the star filled skies. This is is the contented life of many Fanau Mai’ans.
Each Fanau' Mai'an has a close connection to their birth family, but their clan is an extension of that family and as close as siblings. It is customary for peers to call each other “kasegi” cousin. They often address those younger than them as “fanau iti” little ones, the next generation older them them as “matua” parent and address their elders as “matua o matua” grandparent. They are more accustom to addressing their closest loved ones by their clann name, which makes many other cultures seem romantically awkward or unabashedly forward for many Fanau Mai’ans.
There is truth to their history of cannibalism and barbaric savagery, but the Fanau Mai’ans no longer need to battle amongst themselves for the few safe coves and open beaches that are secreted away on Lima and Tama’ ilima. The misconstrued acts of cannibalism amongst the Fanau Mai’ans is now reserved for their sacred rites that carry one families blood, with their dreams, knowledge, spirit and wisdom from one generation to the next.
Fanau Mai'an Traits
Your Fanau Mai'an character has the following racial traits.Ability Score Increase
Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Strength score increases by 1.
Age
Fanau Mai'an are truly humans and reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.
Size
Fanau Mai’an are between 7 and 8 feet tall and weight between 220 – 300 pounds. Your size is Medium.
Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Blurring Movement
As a bonus action, your movements are disorienting, you are blurred blur until the start of your next turn and you take automatically disengage disengage . Once you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Your movements causes your body to become blurred shifting and wavering to all who can see you. For the duration, any creature has disadvantage on attack rolls against you and you take the Disengage action, your movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks for the rest of the turn. An attacker is immune to this effect if it doesn't rely on sight, as with blindsight or tremorsense.
Powerful Build
You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common, and can speak the Fanau Mai dialect.