Nerra

Nerra

The Nerra are tiny, leech like beings that live deep underground in the Faewild. In recent years they have been making their way to the surface. Thanks to their partially external nervous system and rapid healing abilities they've discovered that, with proper time and practice, they can stretch their nervous system out over top of a skeleton and use it to move around while resting in the skull. This has taken some getting used to for the people of Ovenica but over time the Nerra have become accepted as much as any other race.
While a Nerra is within a skull it looks as if the rest of the skeleton is covered in thin, shimmering pink spiderwebs.

ability score increase: +1 to any three abilitiy scores of your choice.

age: Nerra mature about as fast as humans do, and live just as long.

alignment: Nerra are social creatures by nature and strive to help whoever they can. Nerra are usually good.

Size: Tiny

speed: 10 ft.

Languages: Common, Nerra

race features:
Puppeteer:
Nerra start the game having taken control of a skeleton. The skeleton can be of any creature of small or medium size, however choosing a non humanoid creature means you are limited to whatever that creature normally would be able to do physically. (A wolf skeleton would not be able to wield a sword for example). If you have the skeleton of a creature that normally has natural attacks (such as bite or claw) you gain those attacks but use your ability modifiers instead of the creatures. In addition, you gain any movement speed the creature had in life as long as that speed is not flying.
Nerra can change skeletons but it is an arduous process. It takes 24 hours for a Nerra to pull itself off of a skeleton, after which the Nerra gains a level of exhaustion. Attaching itself to a new skeleton takes a number of days equal to 10 minus the Nerra's constitution modifier. (A negative modifier can increase the amount of days.)
While a Nerra has no skeleton, it is considered to be Vulnerable to any damage it takes. Its Strength and Dexterity are reduced to 5 during this time.

Rapid Healing:
Once per day the Nerra can activate its rapid healing. For a number of rounds equal to its constitution modifier, the Nerra regains hitpoints equal to its constitution modifier at the beginning of its turn.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Nerra, when they are without a skeletal frame, are usually no more than six inches in length, and look like a flat, pink worm. However this small form belies a surprising nervous system, which is contained within the Nerra by being folded over on itself thousands of times. Under the right conditions, and given enough time, Nerra are able to extend this nervous system from their body over the skeletal structure of a deceased being. After the process is complete, the Nerra has full control over the skeletal frame as if it were the Nerra's own.

Usually the chosen skeletal frame is from a humanoid or animal of relatively small to medium size, however there have been rare cases and reports of Nerra taking control of larger skeletal frames, though many of these reports are unconfirmed.

Genetics and Reproduction

Nerra are an asexual species, and produce offspring asexually. All Nerra are capable of both laying and fertilizing up to a hundred eggs every year, though without the ambient magic of the Faewild, usually no more than two or three eggs actually hatch.

Growth Rate & Stages

Nerra have two scientifically recognized stages: egg and larval. Nerra eggs are laid in clusters of ten or twenty at a time, and while growing within their egg Nerra are helpless, and unaware of the world around them. Nerra eggs take between six and eight weeks to hatch, and the larval Nerra that emerges grows quickly to adulthood in a matter of two to three weeks.

Though Nerra never officially leave their larval stage, most Nerra consider taking control of their first skeletal structure as a right of passage into true adulthood.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

While Nerra do not have "eyes" the same way most humanoid races have eyes, they do have a cluster of light sensitive sensory organs which can be stretched out just like the rest of their nervous system. Nerra usually place these "eyes" where the skeletal frame they're using would have had eyes in life, though in theory they could be placed anywhere.

There is no evidence that Nerra see better, or more poorly, than any other species. That being said, studies on the Nerra are still being conducted and more is learned about them every day.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

Nerra names come from family groups, though it is not uncommon for Nerra to change names more than once during their lifetime if they discover one that suits them better.

Beauty Ideals

Nerra as a species don't hold any inherent bias towards beauty standards, and those wishing to express themselves more than their skeletal frame usually take on the dress and mannerisms of the culture they're growing up in.

Gender Ideals

Nerra, while understanding the concept of gender, generally consider themselves genderless. This is not always the case, and Nerra have been known to consider themselves male or female, but these tend to be outliers.

History

The Nerra lived for many years, deep underground in the Faewild. It was only in the years following the appearance of The Seraph that Nerra had begun to explore above ground.

Initially vulnerable in this dangerous new world, especially after leaving the Faewild, the discovery of their ability to take over a skeletal frame began to bring attention to them and allowed them to enter society. It was somewhat of a jarring entrance, and tragically more than a few Nerra lost their lives during the first few years of integration by being mistaken for undead. However in more recent years, Nerra have been an accepted, and often welcome, sight as much as any other species.

Lifespan

80 years