Vastaya “Within Ionia’s soft and magical bosom – a bosom generally unexplored by cartographers who were not born upon its vast shores – I endeavored to find something utterly beyond my scope of expertise. Something wondrous, and magical, and beautiful, and terrifying. Once I discovered the vastaya, I knew I had found that which I sought.” - Eduard Santangelo’s Vastaya Field Journal The vastaya are chimeric creatures of Runeterra whose lineage contains both human blood and the spiritual magic of a pre-human race. From ferocious and bestial power, to foxlike allure, vastaya can look considerably different from one another, but they all share animal and human characteristics. Ancestors of the Vastaya Some of the most powerful magical “springs” sprang from Ionia’s highlands. Thus it seems obvious that Ionia is an abundant source of this type of “natural magic” which flowed from the spirit world and into the material plane. There are permeable borders between the material world of Runeterra and the natural spirit world, creatures evolved who could flourish in both realms. These creatures’ souls developed to be more fluid and changeable than a human's — they needed to be able to absorb and merge with other magical spirits to survive for any extended periods near the spirit worlds. Yet they would also need a real physical form to survive times when they were in the materil plane. They were the “proto-vastaya,” or what taxonomists would come to call the vastayashai’rei. This ancient race of true shape-shifters uniquely adapted to this dangerously strange environment. Evolution to Modern Vastaya The vastayashai’rei gave Runeterra an evolutionary bridge for magic to enter from the spirit realm and be used by other living beings. It is assumed that interpersonal contact with this ancient race (or perhaps even brief contacts with the spirit-borders) would, like a virus, begin to rewrite the way that a creature or its progeny interacted with magic. Unintelligent animals evolved into griffons, and other chimeric creatures, as their physical form was affected by their access to magical energy, and different spirit animal magics would begin to change it — and its progeny’s — form. Similarly, the vastayashai’rei contact with humans would change them. Those human souls could become connected to animal spirits and this natural magic. The descendants of the original humans who had contact with the vastayashai’rei would become the various tribes of our bipedal, chimeric vastaya.

Morphology and Niches vastaya are sexually dimorphic group of races of various shapes and sizes. Their animalistic appearance depends on the location in which they adapted. Each type of vastaya greatly differ from one another in appearance and abilities, but all of them are in tune with the natural magics of the world in various degrees. The extent to which animal characteristics are prevalent also differs betweeen different vastaya. Ranging from Mostly human to Mostly animal, there is always a clear combination of the two. Some are born in the race (or have ancestral ties to the race and have vastayan traits manifested), while a rare few are magically altered to become vastaya as the originals were. The race has far longer life spans than humans. Some have been said to live for thousands of years, while others, rumors and legends say, might be immortal. Cultures and Tribes Not much is known about their culture due to the mysterious nature of this race. However, like their biological nature, their culture is a mix of both animalistic and human behavior which reflects both in the races individuals interaction with other sentient and non sentient beings. Their culture is also heavily shaped by the location each type of vastaya live in. The Tribes are subclasses of three main adaptions of vastaya. The Tribes of the Sea. Marai. Makara. Raylu. Landwalker Tribes. Kumiho. Fauhwoon. Juloah. Kiilash. Khonlui. Ophelis. Ottrani. Lhotlan. Shimon. Sodjoko. Tribes of the Sky. Besheb. Chyra. Strig. Little is known about many of these tribes, only that they exist, noted from the documentated Vastaya Field Journal by self-proclaimed Gentleman, Explorer, and Chronicler, Eduard Santangelo, who went missing after being kidnapped by the Navori Brotherhood. Vastayan Names The names of vastaya vary as much as their morphology, their names are heavily influenced by three main factors. Firstly, their location. Names of a region, despite race, tend to be similar. Secondly, the primal characteristics they exibit, the Kiilash prefer names they can growl for example, heavy with R's. Lastly, what feels right. This is left to the naming individual and takes priority over the other two. Vastayan Traits Although vastaya can vary wildly, all have the following common traits, including you. Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score

increases by 1. Age. Vastaya are notable for their extremely long lives. Some have been known to live for thousands of years, while others claim to be immortal. Alignment. Due to their deep connection with the lives and magic of those around them, no vastaya are inherently evil. They pride themselves with self improvement, or self sacrifice for those they care for. Size. Vastayan size varies greatly between tribes, although all maintain a closeness to an altered spectrum of their human ancestors. Your size is Medium. Speed. Your base walking speed is 30ft Predatory Strikes. Using their various claws, fangs, scaled tails, and other beastial appendages, all vastaya are proficient with unarmed strikes. This deals 1d4 damage unless otherwise stated in the subrace. Instincts. You have proficiency in one of the following skills: Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, Nature, Perception, Survival. Faunal Affinity. You can communicate with the animals with which you share racial characteristics, using only the most basics of language. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Vastayan.



Freedom of Choice If you wish to play a vastaya, but the subrace animal transformations you wish to play is not an option, your DM may decide to include one of the following variant choices: Keeping all of the traits and information from a subrace below, with a change to the desired morphology.

You and the DM work together to create the subrace of your desired choice, whose tribal classification can be chosen from the unused tribes mentioned in the "Cultures and Tribes" section. There are many other ways to deal with this issue, work with your DM to find the best one. For you and your party. Note these should be considered on a case-by-case basis depending on your campaign setting.

Subrace. There are five subraces of vastaya well known in Runeterra, the Shimon, the Kiilash, the Kumiho, the Lhotlan, and the Marai. The innate gifts given to them by the ancestory of their tribes, their natural habitat, and their outlooks on the mortal way of life are what define them. Shimon Within Ionia’s treetops dwells a vastayan tribe known as the Shimon. These monkey-like creatures are a wise, cautious people, and as pacifists, chose to build their society away from landwalkers, cultivating their society atop the tallest trees in Ionia. The Shimon see life as an evolutionary climb to wisdom, thus upon death, the Shimon believe they become stones, returning to the soil to begin the climb of life again. Shimon usually live in small tribal communities they call troops. Within these troops leadership roles tend to be held by elder members of the community, however decision making for the troop is usually done in a group. Shimon don't have families In the traditional sense, most viewing all of their kin as being apart of their family. This sense of kinship is not limited to other Shimon and can be extended to people of other races who they've grown to trust. Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity and Strength scores increase by 1. Limit Break. Shimon are always striving to push themselves. You can reroll a failed Dexterity, Wisdom, or Strength check. Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest. Adapt Climbers. Your natural agility allows you to climb at full speed rather than half. Savage Attacks. When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice one additional time and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit. Kiilash A tribe of East-Shuriman vastaya known as the Kiilash, whose society venerated the honor and glory of the hunt. The Kiilash are large ferocious beasts covered in fur. They have large fangs and claws like that of a large cat. They live to prove themselves by hunting larger and more dangerous prey, taking trophies from their kills as proof of their accomplishments. Ability Score Increase. Your Strength and Constitution scores increase by 1. Bola Strike You throw a hunting bola in the direction of your prey as an action. One creature of your choice within 60 feet must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw against your (with advantage) Athletics check, or become restrained. The restrained creature may attempt to break free at the end of their turn by making a Strength saving throw with a DC of 10. Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest. Can not be used against Huge creatures, and Tiny creatures make checks with advantage. Mask of the Wild. You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena. Predatory Bite. You utilize your fangs in making unarmed strikes, dealing 1d6 piercing damage.

Lhotlan On the ancient, mystical borders of Ionia’s deep forests live the last of the Lhotlan vastaya. The Lhotlan vastaya have cultural and existential ties with Ionia. Being one of the oldest vastayan tribes in existence, they have deep ties with their ancestral roots and protect their cultural heritage from the ever encroaching human population of the continent. They are a race of bird-like vastaya with raptorial feet and long feathers. Their feathers vary between individuals, some with dark and thin feathers adapt at hiding, others with the flamboyant and gleaming plumage of a true performer, the latter being more common in males. Ability Score Increase Your Dexterity score increases by 2. Fey Feathers. The magic imbued in your feathers offers additional protection. You may cast the shield spell as an ability. Once you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest. Innate Gliders. Lhotlan make use of their feathered form to slow decents, and remove the risk of taking fall damage when in control of their actions. To use this trait, you cannot be wearing heavy armor. Deadly Plumage. By lashing out with their razor sharp feathers and delicate precision, unarmed strikes made by the Lhotlan are done with the property of Finesse, dealing slashing damage. Tool Proficiency. You gain proficiency with one artisan’s tools of your choice. Kumiho The elusive Kumiho are a vastayan race of vulpine humanoids commonly exhibiting the tails and ears of their fox spirits. They have no village or tribe, instead they are mostly solitary creatures that roam from place to place. They have an affinity for use of magic and even without a teacher, they are able to instinctively learn how to draw it from the world around them. Kumiho have a strong connection to the spirit realm and are able to see spirits if they are present, as well as one leaves a body. The Kumiho rely on life essence to sustain themselves and devour them when they can. Ability Score Increase Your Charisma score increases by 2. Deceptive Charm. Kumiho are able to cast charms in combat without giving the opponent advantage. As an ability you my cast Charm Person (DC = 10 + Charisma modifer + any spell casting proficiency.). This charm has a chance to persist after the target takes damage (Target performs a Wisdom saving throw with DC 10 after each instance of damage, and at the beginning of their turn, in an attempt to break free). Once you cast this ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest. Siphon Essence. You may consume life essence from a charmed living creature as a bonus action, dealing 1d8 necrotic damage, regaining hitpoints equal to half the damage dealt with this ability, and experiencing fragments of their memories. This can only be done at touch range, and once per creature. Gain one additional language or tool proficiency from the most recent (max 1) victim of Siphon Essence, chosen by the DM.

Marai In the seas to the West of Mount Targon dwells a tribe of vastaya known as the Marai. Long ago, these mermadic creatures discovered a rift in the depths. The rift bore a horrible, creeping darkness which sought to exterminate all forms of life. At the center of their village, the Marai placed a glowing rock known as a moonstone, which is said to be infused with the celestial magic of the heavens. Its haunting, ethereal light protects the Marai from the creatures that crawl from the abyss. Every hundred years or so, the moonstone’s light begins to dim. At that moment, the tribe chooses their fiercest warrior and bestows upon them the title of Tidecaller. The Tidecaller must leave the ocean and venture onto dry land, seeking a new moonstone to protect their tribe. Due to their life under water and their affinity with natural magic, the tribe practices various forms of water manipulation, giving them basic water abilities. Ability Score Increase Your Wisdom and Constitution scores increase by 1. Surging Tides. The Marai traverse the land by floating on a surface of water which they control beneath them. This skill is the result of learning to cast the Redirect Flow option of the Control Water spell as a cantrip, at a range of 5 feet, and a speed of 35 feet. Surging Tides can hover, ignoring difficult terrain, but no more than 5 feet off the ground. It will end if concentration is broken, and may be cast as a bonus action. Amphibious. You can breathe air and water. Swim You have a swimming speed of 35 feet. Sweeping Tail. You use your powerful tail to make unarmed strikes, smashing the weight into your enemy with a spin. If the attack hits, in addition to dealing damage, hold a contest of Strength with the target. If you succeed, the target is knocked prone. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Aquan. Aqua Prison. Once you use this conjuration ability, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.

Aqua Prison Casting Time: 1 action

1 action Range: 90 feet

90 feet Components: V, S, M (a droplet of water)

V, S, M (a droplet of water) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You conjure up a sphere of water with a 5-foot diameter at point you can see within range. The sphere can hover but no more than 10 feet off the ground. The sphere remains there for the spell’s duration. Any medium or smaller creature in the sphere’s space must make a Strength saving throw. On a successful save, the creature is ejected from that space to the nearest unoccupied space of the creature's choice outside the sphere. At the end of each of its turns, a restrained target can repeat the saving throw. When the spell ends, the sphere falls to the ground and extinguishes all normal flames within 10 feet of it. Any creature restrained by the sphere at this time is knocked prone in the space where it falls. DC = 8 + Wisdom modifer + any spell casting proficiency.