Stheno

At first glance a stheno appears to be a Soulborn of unnatural beauty and grace, easily mistaken for an aasimar or even a human, however a closer look reveals a devious face crowned with a mass of writhing, hissing snakes instead of hair. Stheno, master manipulators, seducers, and politicians, are truly the powers behind the thrones of many of the Progenic Kingdoms.

Personality

Most stheno absolutely earn their evil reputation, reveling in their powers to control and manipulate, terrorizing those beneath them, and even petrifying lesser creatures for sport. But some stheno enjoy the same pleasures that other Soulborn do, and seek out song, good company, and the satisfaction of hard work.
Their reputation for being callous and immoral is not only well-earned but also enforced by their cultural tendency towards political mercenary work - usually in the form of viziers, advisors, assassins, or thieves. The stheno prefer to live among other races, if only to keep themselves close to potential customers and pawns.
Stheno are usually ambivalent to notions of good and evil, though outside observes would say that they necessarily gravitate towards evil and selfishness. While they have a strong belief in hierarchy and repaying favors, they tend to leave relationships with others once they’ve gotten what they need. A truly pragmatic species, the stheno see most every situation as a game of power, a negotiation, or a political machination; to them, all games are zero sum and they will risk everything to win. This means that stheno are just as likely to lawful as they are to be chaotic - whatever serves their current purposes.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The children of Zehir are universally entrancing due to a nature elegance and captivating appearance that seems to be inherent to their race. Stheno skin tones can vary from alabaster to ebony, though with incredibly subtle hints of chartreuse mottling. In very rare instances they may have a varying degree of petite scales.
The most striking physical trait of the Stheno is, of course, their serpentine hair. Their locks can range from serpentine tendrils that fall in cables and can be commanded to spring to life when necessary, to hair composed of actual snakes that rarely stop writhing and hissing.
A stheno uses its living mane for many purposes. In addition to serving as weapons and a supplemental form of eyesight, a stheno's serpents also help them communicate. The motions of the serpents often reflect a stheno's mood and some have even developed a simple language which is based on the motions and hissing of their snakes.
Stheno have varying eye colors, though all of them share vertically slit pupils. Interestingly, their eyes glow when using their petrifying gaze, which they must exert considerable will to employ. This last fact is a thankful change from that of their Medusae cousins, rendering the gaze of a surprised or friendly stheno quite harmless.

Growth Rate & Stages

Stheno mature at the same rate as most Soulborn, but have lifespans that exceed 750 years old.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

If a stheno concentrates, she can receive limited visual impressions from the serpents that make up her hair; as a result, though she seems to look elsewhere, she's actually looking through the eyes of her serpents. She can even use her serpents to see when she is blindfolded or has her eyes closed. However, she can still "see" in only one direction in this way; her serpents may look all around her, but she can't process the information from all of them at once. Due to the assistance of their serpentine locks, Stheno also have superior vision in dark and dim conditions.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Female Names: Noxo, Kisia, Thamo, Stholumbre, Kospeda, Kelidea, Phuthova, Stheukte, Theixa, Sthaemy
Male Names: Nyvanes, Distraumas, Kalaon, Thalcanos, Stheumbron, Dialeas, Xeiaroteus, Viadonos, Negnotos, Cheiascaeon

Gender Ideals

Stheno have a mostly matriarchal society, wherein it falls to the female members of the species to rule and fight, while the males tend to focus on domestic or artistic pursuits.

Relationship Ideals

Stheno are monogamous and mate for life, though do not view sexual dalliances with others as untoward (especially when such trysts serve a greater political or personal plan). If a Stheno's mate dies, they become Sthenistoi, a sort of widow-caste that devotes the rest of their lives to either religious service or assisting other stheno with childrearing.

Common Dress Code

Stheno prefer to wear comfortable, loose clothing when relaxing or plying their trades, though tend to armor themselves with highly decorative and showy suits of armor when going into battle. Stheno who travel outside of the Progenic kingdoms and stheno Echoes who live within the Kingdoms of the Culled tend to conceal their hair in hooded cloaks, lest they attract unwanted attention or frighten Soulborn who are unaccustomed to their appearance.

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Women hold the power in stheno society, with mothers and grandmothers commanding the highest amount of respect. There are only two ways to live a truly meaningful life in their society: the first way is to bring many children into the world and the second is to accumulate as much power as possible - whether it be through cunning, violence, or trickery.
Feared and despised by most, stheno train their young for a life of hardship, even pitting siblings against one another in cruel games of deadly consequence. It is rare for a stheno matriarch to have not killed at least one of their sisters.
The ability to petrify with a look is a powerful weapon, but most stheno don't think of it as deadly. A petrified victim can be restored to life, after all; within their own society, they often use petrification as a way to preserve mortally wounded kin, so they can be restored at a later time when healing magic is available. Likewise, when dying of old age, stheno often choose to be petrified before they fully pass on; Thespyra, for example, contains a great catacomb filled with the stone remnants of respected elders who can be awoken if ever their knowledge or expertise is required once again.
This ties to the love of stonework common in the culture; when a stheno looks at a statue, she sees the life it represents. Stheno have a strong tradition of stonework, both architecture and purely aesthetic sculpture. In recent years, even the Kingdoms of the Culled have begun seeking to bring in stheno architects and masons to perform work alongside dwarven artisans.

Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals

Even though stheno must concentrate in order to use their petrifying powers, they have adopted the visual etiquette of their Medusae cousins. Where a stheno directs her eyes indicates her esteem for the person. She drops her eyes toward the ground to show respect, or looks up and over the person if she wishes to indicate disdain; when speaking to an equal, she glances to the left or right. If she wishes to show trust, she directs her gaze to the person, but closes her eyes. Only in cases of extreme devotion, love, or kinship (or when necessary politically, such as dealing with a foreign race that is made uncomfortable by the usual stheno etiquette) will a stheno look directly into another's eyes.

History

Stheno are the children of Sthyggexa, the Riddle of Things to Come and have remained loyal to it since the time of the War of Souls.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

In some kingdoms, a stheno may move unfettered in the lawless districts, but if she enters a respectable neighborhood, she must wear eyeblinders, a metal visor secured with straps around forehead and chin; otherwise she may be attacked by agents of the law. Many stheno find this hopelessly racist, as there are plenty of other Soulborn who can harm or kill with their natural abilities.

Origin/Ancestry

Sthyggexa, the Riddle of Things to Come

Lifespan

750 years

Average Height

5'4"-6'1"

Average Weight

135-175 lbs.

Founding Emanation

Zehir, She of the Forked Tongue

Racial Stats

Stheno

Stheno

Ability Score Increase +2 Dex, +1 Wis or Cha

Size Medium

Speed 30ft

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Darkvision

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.

Petrifying Gaze

Your look can turn other creatures to stone. As an action, you can target one creature that can see you within 30 feet of you with your gaze. At the start of that creature’s next turn, as long as you aren’t incapacitated and it can still see you, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + either your Charisma or Wisdom modifier. On a failed saving throw, the creature begins to turn to stone and is restrained. The restrained creature must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn, becoming petrified on a failure or ending the effect on success. The petrification lasts for 1 minute, or until the creature is freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic. When you reach the 17th level, the petrification is permanent unless removed by magic, and if a creature fails its initial saving throw by 5 or more the creature instantly turns to stone. Once you use this feature you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Snake Hair

The snakes or serpentine cables that adorn your head are a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with them, you deal poison damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.

Vain Talents

You gain proficiency in one skill from the choices of Deception, Persuasion, Performance, and Stealth.

Stheno Resilience

You have advantage on saving throws against petrification.

Languages. Eolian and Xuthos