Canibri (5e Race)
Canibri
The thundering footsteps of a predator storm through the forest. Panting, a child with a fox's ears and tail darts behind a tree. The beast slows, growling as it searches through the brush, ever-nearing its target. Just as it would find her, the sound of a frantic escape sounds from behind it. Watching as it chases after the noise, the girl giggles quietly, her hands dropping to her sides as she ends the illusion.
A doe bounds for its life, ducking behind knoll and tree to escape its hunter. It pauses by a stream, unsure whether it has lost its tracker, before bolting once more as a blood-curdling howl resounds through the forest. Booming laughter emanates from a man with decidedly lupine features as he chases after his prey, blood pumping as he nears the end of his hunt.
Physical Description
The canibri are a race of once-humans who were cursed by a forest god for defiling his holy grounds. Inadvertently, the same curse brought about the rise of a new people. While at first glance they might appear human, they have several inhuman features. All canibri share the same manes of hair, enlarged canine teeth, and canine ears and tails, however, they are divided into two distinct subraces.
History
Centuries ago, a band of thieves and treasure hunters caught word of untouched ruins hidden deep in a forest. They searched for weeks, finding nothing but bramble, bush, and tree no matter where they looked. Disheartened, they turned back to the village they came from. Their trek stopped as soon as it started, though, as some of the children in the band disappeared. eventually finding them in a grove filled with standing stones embellished with precious gems, they began to chip away at the stones to remove the precious crystals.
While they worked, the wind whispering through the trees grew into a raging cry, and when they turned to return with their harvest, they found themselves trapped in the grove, surrounded by a thick wall of thorns. The adult thieves pushed themselves through with their loot, oblivious to the curse they brought on themselves. As they broke free of the last of the thorns, they were wracked with pain as their forms were changed, their ears crawling up the sides of their heads and sprouting fur and bristled tails sprouting from their bodies. They became filled with a hatred towards the grove and the children who led them to it.
The terrified children tried and failed, to restore what they could. Defeated, they eventually decided to follow their leaders through the grove. As they broke free of the bramble, they were all at once changed by the forest god and attacked by the adults that now held the same ferocity and rage as wolves. Some managed to escape even though the pain wracking their bodies, though those precious few are forevermore hunted by the lupines that once served as their guardians.
Society
The canibri who reflect forest wolves thrive in packs as hunters, selling themselves as expert mercenaries for their keen sense of smell. They fight for dominance like a pack of wolves and become extremely hostile towards any other packs they come across. They incessantly chase after the ones they call Most-Cursed, blaming their inhuman features on the actions of them.
The canibri who suffered the strongest effects of the curse were touched by vulpine features and became much shorter and lither. Eventually, they learned to use the magic in their veins to their advantage, which they needed to escape the hunts of the Less-Cursed that brought them near extinction. They live reclusively, gathering only a few times each year to prevent the genocide of their kind.
Despite their differences, they both share one other trait- they are shunned by many who know of their origin.
Canibri Names
Lupine canibri name their young after symbols of power and endurance, while vulpine canibri name their after symbols of the forest and nature.
Lupine Canibri Names: Bane, Venom, Corrundum, Flare, Blaze, Rage
Vulpine Canibri Names: Ivy, Oak, Willow, Creek, Rose, Autumn, Blossom, Dawn
Canibri Traits
Canibri are a race of humans cursed by an ancient forest god with some of the features of wolves and foxes.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
Age. Canibri mature at around the age of 10. The longest-lived barely break 60, and they have an average lifespan of 50 years.
Alignment. Lupine canibri tend towards chaotic evil, while vulpine canibri tend towards neutral good or true neutral.
Size. Your size is medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is determined by your subrace.
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.
Keen Senses. You are proficient in the Perception skill.
Emotive Communication. Your ears and tail give away your emotions easily. Your DM may choose to give you advantage on Persuasion checks for pity, or disadvantage on Deception checks to conceal your emotions.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Canibri, a language developed among canibri-kind. The dialect changes between heritage; lupine use more howls and guttural growls, while vulpine use more yips and whines. Canibri isn't written, only spoken.
Subrace. You can choose between Lupine and Vulpine as your subrace.
Lupine Heritage
As a lupine canibri, you descend from a pack of hunters. Your non-human characteristics (e.g. tail, ears, and eyes) are akin to that of a wolf. Your hair may be brown, black, white, or something in between.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Hunter’s Lineage. You have a highly receptive nose. You have advantage on ability checks that rely on smell, such as Wisdom (Perception) checks and Intelligence (Investigation) checks.
Howl of a Predator. As an action, you can frighten someone with a blood-curdling howl. When you do so, choose one creature that you can see within 30 feet of you. If the creature can hear you, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of you until the end of your next turn. On subsequent turns, you can use your action to extend the duration of this effect on the frightened creature until the end of your next turn. This effect ends if the creature can no longer hear you or is more than 30 feet away from you. The DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus. If it succeeds or the effect ends, the creature is immune to the effects of this ability for 24 hours.
Speed. Lupine canibri tend to be bulky. Your speed is 30.
Vulpine Heritage
As a vulpine canibri, you descend from reclusive forest dwellers. Your non-human characteristics (e.g. tail, ears, and eyes) are akin to that of a fox. Your hair may be red, white, brown, or something in between.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Fox’s Ears. You have large, highly receptive vulpine ears. You have advantage on checks that rely on hearing, such as Wisdom (Perception) checks and Intelligence (Perception) checks.
Child of the Forest. The magics of the forest that first cursed your kind runs deep in your veins. You know the minor illusion cantrip. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for it. Additionally, through sounds and gestures, you can communicate simple ideas with Small or smaller beasts.
Speed. Foxes tend to be quick. Like your distant relatives, you are as well. Your movement speed is 35.
Random Height and Weight
Lupine's Size and Weight
| Base Height | Height Modifier* | Base Weight | Weight Modifier** |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4′ 8″ | +2d10 | 110 lb. | × (1d4) lb. |
|
*Height = base height + height modifier | |||
Vulpine's Size and Weight
| Base Height | Height Modifier* | Base Weight | Weight Modifier** |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3′ 8″ | +2d4 | 50 lb. | × 1 lb. |
|
*Height = base height + height modifier | |||
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