Varaki

Description

The Varaki are a humanoid species with skin colors ranging from light gray to blue. Their body shape is generally similar to humans, but the lines are sharper and their bodies are well-toned giving them a look as if they were carved out of stone. They also possess a single, large blue crystalline horn at the center of their forehead. Aside from standing out and being a beauty ideal, these horns also serve a practical purpose. They are connected to the Varaki's crystalline skeleton and through conduction they amplify their hearing, sharply increasing their senses. Beyond that, they also tend to have some small crystalline protrusions on the back around the shoulder area and instead of feet they have crystalline cloven hooves and equine legs.

Culture

The Varaki originate from the northern part of the land that is now called Middenland, and they have a long history there. Originally they were split into multiple warring kingdoms for millenia, but at some point in time they were unified in a single large empire known as the Varaki Dominion. During this time the Varaki made significant advances in infrastructure, medicine and agriculture. However after almost 500 years of no conflict, they were finally invaded by the human tribes of the time. And almost two millennia ago they were finally conquered and assimilated into the human kingdoms.
Shortly after being conquered, most of the Varaki were enslaved and had to endure grueling conditions for centuries as the resentment caused by the casualties in the war was still fresh in the minds of the humans. Over time this resentment started to fade and more and more humans condemned the treatment of the Varaki on humanistic grounds. When this movement for equal rights reached its peak the kingdoms that existed at the time, with the Kingdom of Veloria at the helm, agreed on a shared abolition act. Over the next two decades slavery was abolished by gradual emancipation of the Varaki. Currently, the Varaki have been full-fledged citizens of the Middenland Duchies for almost five centuries, although there is still bad blood among some groups.
As full citizens with rights, the Varaki are fully integrated in Middenland society now and both being conquered and enslaved are now things of the distant past. The Varaki are generally strong-willed and dependable people who naturally get along well with others, although they are often misconstrued to be shy. This is not really the case though, they just generally try to avoid noisy places as their sensitivity to sound can make it painful for them. For the same reason they are rarely found in large cities and instead tend to prefer smaller villages and towns. This sound sensitivity can also be a disadvantage in large-scale combat situations, however Varaki soldiers have found a way to counteract this. They often coordinate the use of Silence spells to block out the sounds of battle, which has the beneficial side effect of throwing off enemies who are not used to a soundless environment.

Tradition

Varaki are often found wearing ivory white masks decorated with carvings or paint in tribal patterns. To them these masks represent personal acceptance and pride in what they are. In their ancient empire, wearing masks was a soldier's tradition employed to make it harder to empathize with the other side. Nowadays this meaning has been lost among nearly everyone, except some revolutionary groups who employ the masks to represent their personal struggle for a reborn Varaki empire.
Either way these masks are highly personal and usually the design is the decided on together with the mask shop to ensure a personal touch. Usually a Varaki also has multiple masks for different occasions ranging from combat use, to casual wear to masquerades. The masks made for masquerades are generally more expensive, decorative and frail, while combat masks are far more sturdy.

Religion

Back during the time of the Varaki Dominion, Varaki worship was centered around the Fae and natural spirits, and even some worship of the Dead Gods (also known as the Elder Titans) when the war turned against them. This changed when they were conquered by the humans. The humans brought with them the worship of the Gods of creation, and forced the enslaved Varaki to worship them as well lest they become the target of the Iron Arbiters. Over time worship of the Gods became natural for them and now, centuries later while they are once again a free people, they still worship the same Gods and no longer pay reverence to the Fae.

Statistics

Ability Score Increase
Your Charisma Score increases by 2, and your Wisdom Score increases by 2.
Age
Vakari mature quickly, but live longer than humans. They mature at 15 years old, but can live up to 200 years.
Size
Due to their hooves, Vakari stand tall and this makes them appear larger than they are. Realistically they are only slightly taller than humans on average, standing at about 6 to 8 feet tall. Your size is Medium.
Speed
Your speed is 30 ft.
Keen Hearing
You have advantage on Wisdom(Perception) checks that rely on hearing.
Sound Senstivity
You are vulnerable to thunder damage as the sound waves reverberate through your crystalline skeleton.
Low-Sound Adaptation
You know the Message cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the Silent Image spell once with this trait and regain this use on a long rest. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the Silence spell once with this trait and regain this use on a long rest. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
Languages
You can read speak and write Varakian and Common. Varakian is a soft-spoken language that avoids hard consonants and guttural sounds in favor of liquid consonants.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

A single large crystalline horn in the center of the forehead.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Due to their history, Middenland has the highest Varaki population by far, although they can be found in many parts of the world.

Civilization and Culture

Beauty Ideals

Large, well-developed horns are considered attractive among the Varaki.

Lifespan

150-200 years.

Average Height

1.8 - 2.4 meters.

Average Weight

75 - 125 kg.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Light gray to faded blue skin tones.