Shobu

The Shobu are a race of amphibious humanoids with a naturally turbulent morphology that is prone to frequent and dramatic mutation as they age.
The Shobu originated on the island of Lovuda and are descended from a clan of Hjaric by the same name who claimed the island in the year 339 AF. The island of Lovuda was originally a Wandering Island that drifted into the Skies, but quickly found a stable orbit and began interacting with other water islands via Conjunction.
The original shobu fled to Lovuda due to persecution from the king of Salt and the Men of the Waves. After less then a year on the island, The Surge occurred, releasing a wave of elemental water magic that altered the physiology of the shobu into the people they are today. The shobu calls these mutations the "blessings of Yurbvorgor", which is their name for The Water Titan which they depict as a giant whale.
The shobu are found only on the island of Lovuda, having spent much of their history excluded by the other Hjaric tribes, who viewed their mutations almost as an infectious disease. For nearly two centuries, travel to the island was barred by all Hjaric controlled islands, and the island residents of Salt, the only island that naturally had Conjunctions with Lovuda, would create barricades and segregate the shobu for the entirety of the process.
The shobu are a religious people, believing their current situation to be a test from their divine Agon, a final trial before they are allowed to ascend to their afterlife: a vast and unending ocean. Others view their situation less as a test and more akin to divine punishment. But for what sin they could possibly be being punished for is unknown.

Basic Information

Anatomy

At the beginning of their life, the shobu are near indistinguishable from young Hjaric. As they age and their mutations begin, generally around puberty, their morphology begins drastically changing. Some shobu go their entire lives with humanoid builds, others grow to resemble crustaceans, large multi-limbed fish men, or living beds of sentient coral.

Genetics and Reproduction

Shobu give birth to live young, similar to Hjaric. However, their natural mutations make breeding harder for some shobu later in life, as they slowly loose the ability to mechanically mate with each other. As such, most shobu reproduce when they're younger, around their early to mid 20s, when they have undergone relatively few mutations.

Growth Rate & Stages

Shobu resemble Hjaric when young, but as they enter puberty, roughly around their 12th to 14th year, they undergo their first mutation, signalling the long transition to adulthood. The specific rate of mutation is unclear, with some shobu experiencing only one or two over the course of their lives, and with others experiencing dozens. Several shobu become almost unrecognizable from their younger self, so drastic are their transformations. Those who experience the most drastic transformations gain extra limbs, animistic features, and segmented bodies.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Shobu are almost completely located on the island of Lovuda due to their segregation by the Hjaric tribes who believe them to be diseased. Their island is also almost completely made up of water, save for the coral growths on which they live and the small chunk of stone at the island's core, making docking for non-aquatic races difficult. A few shobu have left the island with the help of Akoran traders, but most shobu remain terrified of the outside world, and choose to stay on their island.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Hjaric

Geographic Distribution

• Lovuda

Related Ethnicities

• Valeer

Shobu

Ability Score Increase +2 Con, +1 any

Size Medium

Speed 30ft

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Darkvision: 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.
Underwater Adaptation: You can breathe air and water, and you have a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.
Animal Enhancement: Your body has been altered to incorporate certain animal characteristics. You choose one animal enhancement now, a second enhancement at 5th level, and a third at your 15th level.
At 1st level, choose one of the following options:

• Manta Glide - You have ray-like fins that you can use as wings to slow your fall or allow you to glide. When you fall and aren’t incapacitated, you can subtract up to 100 feet from the fall when calculating falling damage, and you can move up to 2 feet horizontally for every 1 foot you descend.
• Suckers - You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. At level 10, your climbing speed increases by 10 ft.
• Pistol Shrimp Pop - You can add your constitution modifier to your unarmed attack damage in addition to your strength modifier.
• Sea Urchin Spines - You have small clusters of sea urchin like spins growing in patches across your body. So long as you are not wearing armor, whenever you are hit by a melee attack, your attacker takes 1d4 piercing damage. At level 5, this damage becomes 2d4, at level 10 it becomes 3d4, and at level 15 it becomes 4d4.
• Angler Fish Lure - An angler fish antenna sprouts from the center of the junction between the parietal and frontal sections of your cranium. As a bonus action, you can cause it radiate bioluminescence, creating a 30 ft sphere of light centered on yourself. The colour of the lure changes with your mood.
• Enhanced Webbing - Your webbing is more developed than the average member of your species. When you take this option, reduce your walking speed by increments of 5ft (minimum 5, maximum 20). For every 5ft of your walking speed that you sacrifice, you gain 10ft to your swimming speed.
• Jellyfish Skin - You gain resistance to acid damage and are immune to the stinging effects of jellyfish-like creatures. Additionally, slime ooze type creatures regard you as initially friendly until you harm them.
• Basic Camouflage - You can alter the colour of your skin to blend into your environment. As an action, you can alter your colour, granting you a +5 to any Dexterity (Stealth) check while you remain in the environment. You can also cosmetically alter your complexion as you see fit. You cannot gain this benefit if you are wearing heavy or medium armour.

At 5th level, your body evolves further, developing new characteristics. Choose one of the options you didn’t take at 1st level, or one of the following options:

• Grappling Appendages - You have two special appendages growing alongside your arms. Choose whether they’re both claws or tentacles. As an action, you can use one of them to try to grapple a creature. Each one is also a natural weapon, which you can use to make an unarmed strike. If you hit with it, the target takes bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike. Immediately after hitting, you can try to grapple the target as a bonus action. These appendages can’t precisely manipulate anything and can’t wield weapons, magic items, or other specialized equipment.
• Carapace - Your skin is covered by a thick shell in places. You gain a +2 bonus to AC when you’re not wearing heavy armor.
• Acid Spit - As an action, you can spray acid from glands in your mouth, targeting one creature or object you can see within 30 feet of you. The target takes 2d10 acid damage unless it succeeds on a Dexterity saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. This damage increases by 1d10 when you reach 11th level (3d10) and 17th level (4d10). You can use this trait a number of times equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.
• Cephalopod Flexibility - You have advantage on any acrobatics checks made to fit between objects or to maneuver in tight spaces. Additionally, you can bend your body in such a way as to count as a single size category smaller than you normally are. When bending in such a way, your speed is reduced by 25ft to a minimum of 5ft.
• Electric Gland - You have developed a special gland that allows to to release a powerful, condensed electric shock. Any creature touching you must make a Constitution saving throw against a DC equal to 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failed save, they suffer 4d6 lightning damage and are stunned for 1 round, on a failed save they suffer half damage and are not stunned. You can use this ability only once per long rest.
• Enhanced Camouflage - To take this option, you must have the Basic Camouflage option. As an action, you can blend so efficiently into your environment as to become effectively invisible. This invisibility lasts until you make an attack, cast a spell, or suffer any damage. You cannot benefit from this option if you are wearing any clothes, and objects you are holding remain visible.

Languages. Shobu speak Aquan, but also speak Auran so that they may communicate with Akoran traders. A rare few learn the basics of Primordial so that they can communicate with the other peoples of the Skies.