Elceun

The only means by which one can identify an Elceun with certainty is to bind the suspected to a post and lay a poker of iron in a pyre. Once the flames are a hot white and the poker tip glows may you remove the poker. You must take the poker and pierce the accused with the tip, any Elceun will certainly perish.

-- Francent Lofford, Accounts of Elceun Encounters

Cousins to the Elves, the Elceun are a rare but infamous race descended from the unseelie Fey court, they have the unsettling ability to transform their appearance at will. There are countless tales warning people of the dangers that the Elceun present. Alleged cases of impersonation, fraud, and abduction are often brought against any discovered Elceun.

Lone Wanderers

Elceun often live their lives in seclusion in an effort to avoid being exposed and persecuted. Most races have tales or folk-lore depicting their trickery and so Elceun are treated with mistrust and fear wherever they are discovered.

Due to the significant age most Elceun can reach, they often travel and change identity every few years to avoid raising suspicion. This lifestyle means that Elceun are typically very untrusting of others but are often very lonely as a result.

Banal Appearance

In an effort to avoid detection Elceun often create an ordinary and mundane identity. This prevents them from drawing attention to themselves and reduces their risk of exposure. Whilst these identities vary greatly they will typically involve an aspect of isolation such as, travelling merchants, woodsmen, and farmers.

Some Elceun however choose to hide in plain sight by fading into the hustle and bustle of larger cities, but again, almost always fashion an identity that won't draw attention to themselves.

Paranoia and Suspicion

Communities often develop their own folk-lore surrounding the Elceun and the means by which they can be identified. Often this means that anyone suspected to be Elceun is subjected to cruel and unusual tests.

Fear and confusion surrounding the mysterious effect that iron has on the Fey an those of Fey ancestry often means that these tests include a form of branding those suspected with iron spikes.

Elceun Traits

Your Elceun character has a number of racial traits originating from their unique Fey ancestry.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age. Elceun mature at the same rate as humans and can live to be 750 years old.

Alignment. Elceun typically adhere to strict self governed laws to remain hidden in the populus. Therefore most Elceun are lawful but aren't inherently good nor evil.

Size. Elceun are able to change their size and appearance, but when only changing appearance and not size they range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall, and typically have a slender build. Your size is medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. 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 have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put you to sleep.

Fey Skin. Your skin burns in contact with pure iron causing you to feel weakened. Each time your skin comes into contact with pure iron for a duration longer than a second, suffer one level of exhaustion up to and including level 3 exhaustion.

Trance. Elceun don't need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is "trance.") While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.

Languages. You can speak, read and write Common, Elvish and Sylvan.

Elceun Shift. You have the race exclusive spell-like ability Elceun Shift as described below.

Elceun Shift

Cantrip

_Casting Time: _ 5 Minutes

_Range: _ self

_Components: _ S

_Duration: _ Until Dispelled

You make yourself, excluding your clothing, armor, weapons, and other belongings on your person, look different until you use your action to dismiss it. You can seem 1 foot shorter or taller and can appear thin, fat, or in between, however you must remain the same size category. You can't change your body type, so you must adopt a form that has the same basic arrangement of limbs. Otherwise, the extent of the illusion is up to you.

The changes wrought by this spell will to hold up to physical inspection and there is no way a creature can discern that you are shifted. However a creature with Truesight will immediately be able to identify that you are hiding your true form.

Any creature that witnesses you transforming immediately becomes hostile towards you. However at the DM's discretion a creature may attempt to make a DC 15 Wisdom save throw to remain calm and avoid hostility.

If interrupted you remain in an intermediate stage that invokes hostility as previously described until you use Elceun shift once more undisturbed for its full casting time.