Strige

"There is none but Strixala.

There is no Child but the Strige.

There is no Truth but the Word of Strixala.

All will be reborn in her holy Sands."



-Author Unknown, the Codex





Hailing from the illustrious city of Tal Hi'Lamadii, Jewel of Strixala, the Strigian people are oft referred to as "bird men". This misconception is frequently answered with a blade to the throat of any who would dare voice that comparison in their presence.

Heritage

The Strigian people believe that they are direct descendants of the goddess Strixala, the Sylph of the Sands. This belief is so embedded into their culture and lifestyle that entire wars have been waged over small slights to the contrary.

Any Strige known to have openly contested this belief has been promptly hunted down by the Xala, the personal guards of the Emira, Zumarrad. These heretics are tortured, have their wings clipped, and are then sold into slavery.

Political Dealings

Prideful to the death, Strigians tend to believe in the superiority of the Emira above all other leaders. As such, they are often looked upon with distrust in settlements mainly inhabited by other races. they are openly hostile with dwarves, whose trademark stubbornness has often ruffled the feathers of many a Strige.

Strigian Names

Male Names: Arvio, Armon, Cyrus, Cymon, Jael, Jauhar, Kivi, Safar, Saheem, Zubair

Female Names: Adilah, Ayperi, Bahirah, Dionne, Emel, Farida, Galiah, Kamra, Talibah

Strigian Traits

In terms of appearance, Strige can be as different from one another as snowflakes. Color and plumage vary drastically between individuals.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.

Age. Strigians reach maturity at 15, and can live upwards of 200 years.

Alignment. Strigian tend to veer towards lawfulness, but that law is Strigian law, and may come off as chaotic to members of other races.

Size. Your size is Medium, and your height can vary between 4 and 7 feet. Also, because of their avian physiology, they are incredibly light for their size, from 65 to 180 pounds.

While flying your wings span out 5ft in either direction, and you are treated as a large creature. You may squeeze into a 5x5 square, but may not maintain flight in such.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 25.

Flight. You have a fly speed of 15 feet. At 5th level, this improves to 25 feet, and at 10th level it improves again to 50 feet. You can not be wearing heavy armor or wielding weapons in your hands to be able to gain the benefits of this trait. If you use any of your fly speed in a turn, you can not cast spells that require somatic spell components.

Talons. You are proficient with your unarmed strikes, which deal 1d4 plus your dexterity modifier slashing damage on a hit. You can attack with your talons while flying. If you dive at least 30 feet before attacking, you replace the die with 1d6 instead.

Flyby. While flying, attacks of opportunity against you or by you against others are at disadvantage.

Sharp Eyes. Your keen eyesight gives you a +2 to your passive perception and grants you 120 feet of Darkvision.

Buffetting Gale You can use your action to push back creatures with a mighty blast of air from your wings. Creatures of medium or smaller size must succeed on a Strength Saving Throw (8 + Proficiency Bonus + Strength Bonus) or be blown back. The area affected is a 15 foot cone, and the push is up to 15 feet. This ability recharges after a short rest.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Strigian and Common.