Gelida (5e Race)
Gelida
The descendants of humanoids who ventured into the arctic wastes thousands of years ago, the gelida are now just as frigid as the frozen landscape they call home. They live in towns and cities made of ice. Their personality is usually fairly stern and neutral. They do actually have a good sense of humour though, even if they rarely display it.
Physical Description
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| By Cybele Wong |
Gelida are humanoid, with skin that ranges from bluish-white to dark purple, as though they suffered deep freeze. They commonly have pale hair that is sometimes just white or pale blonde. What is unsettling is that gelida have black eyes like shiny pebbles. Otherwise, the rest of their body is fairly standard for a humanoid. They have slightly shorter statures compared to humans, with heights more akin to halflings or gnomes. They commonly dress in animal skins and utilize animal parts for weapons, as well as magical nevermeltice.
History
Originally, gelida ancestry hails from the south. However, their ancestors were forced northward as their homeland was invaded. In the frigid artic, their bodies came to change, supposedly from contact with a minor sphere from the Paraelemental Plane of Ice. As a result, they became different beings, taking on properties as icy as the north wind. In their new surroundings, they settled down to make their new home. Their name means "icy" and perfectly matches their new appearance.
Society
Due to the effect of ice on their bodies, gelida have evolved biologically, which in turn influenced their societies. Their metabolism changed to require less food, which is perfect for the barren cold wastes where farming is impossible. Thus, their society has no agricultural foundations. Gelida are primarily hunters, and they are very strict about consuming and using every part of their prey. They also fish through ice floes. Children gelida fish by stealing from seals or walruses and are taught to swim in the frigid waters at a young age. Their cities reflect beautiful ice sculptures that are also practical and sturdy.
Gelida Names
Gelida use old Norse names and naming convention, complete with a surname. When speaking in private, they utilize a strange language called Geldian. It is entirely composed of noises made by clamping and grinding teeth together to mimick that of ice. However, there is little to no known names in Geldian.
Male: Ake, Arvid, Birger, Bjarke, Calder, Carr, Nadir, Nanda
Female: Aaliyah, Abela, Bahar, Bai, Candence, Cairistiona, Naak Nadia
Lastnames:Agnarsson, Bergfalk, Borg, Engman, Lund, Olson, Strand, Vinter
Gelida Traits
A race of frigid humanoids
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2 and your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Age. Gelida mature slowly, typically entering adulthood at 30 and living up to 150 years.
Alignment. Gelida tend to be neutral in alignment, reflecting the bleakness of their homeland.
Size. Gelida stand between 4 and 5 feet tall and average about 200 pounds due to their density. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Snow Vision. Your range of sight is not impeded by any obscuring effects caused by snow or ice.
Frozen Body. Your body has internalized the powers of cold so that it no longer bothers you. You are immune to cold damage.
Frosty Acclimation. You are immune to the effects of Extreme Cold, as written in chapter 5 of the DMG.
Ice Walker. You ignore difficult terrain caused by snow or ice.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Geldian.
Random Height and Weight
| Base Height | Height Modifier* | Base Weight | Weight Modifier** |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4′ 0″ | +1d12 | 130 lb. | × (1d6) lb. |
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*Height = base height + height modifier | |||
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