Lera

Unstirred by countless ages, the dark and dust find their eternal silence punctuated by an errant, erratic scratching. Stifled footfalls as soft as snow make their way through the forgotten corridors, the scratching producing faint echoes as it trails alongside them. Light splits the darkness, pouring from a small lantern on a staff, bound to the back of a tall yet delicate humanoid. Swathed in ruffs of fur, emanating a small cloud of particulate with each step, the figure’s compound, insectoid eyes remain locked slightly downward, regarding a book and quill she holds in either hand. “Tower contains only faint trace of magic,” she whispers, nearly subvocally, as the quill scratches paper, “Most artifacts pilfered with fall of magocracy, little clue to causes.” Her footsteps suddenly stop, and her eyes raise forward, sparkling with the lantern light. Looking to the stonework at her side, she regards several large, knife-sized gouges raking through the crumbling edifice. Glancing then down past her writings, her eyes settle on the remains of a human skull, half-buried in the dust, adjacent to a dark stain upon the stones. “Signs of struggle,” she continues, “Magical adversary. Summoning? Territorial? Aberrant, fey, or fiend likely.” Shutting the book and placing it and the quill in a satchel at her side, she reaches for her staff, swinging its leather strap over her long antennae and diaphanous wings as she grasps it in both of her clawed hands. Lifting it aloft, the lantern swaying above her head, she brings it down with brutal force, shattering the human skull and sending a resounding clamor sweeping through the halls. She stands still, holding the staff directly in front of her. The only sounds to be heard are the trailing echo, and the slight groan of the lantern’s cord as it sweeps aimlessly back and forth. Somewhere unfathomably deep below, a distant roar bellows in response, trickling back upwards across the syllables, diluted into incomprehensible rage as it travels the halls. Then, footsteps: thunderous but dampened, and yet approaching. Calmly, the figure slips her staff once more onto her back, and retrieves her book and quill. “Fiendish,” she begins reading as she writes, “Infernal. Can be reasoned with. Will have valuable knowledge of this place. Likely aggressive.” Though she continues onward, her direction takes a sharp turn, making straight for the ominous clatter in the distance. “Barter possible, not probable. Violence expected,” she pens, as her lantern light shines forward through the antediluvian passages.
Knowledge itself has value, and none know this better than the lera, otherwise known as mothfolk. Seekers of the forbidden and the forgotten, lera search after mysteries others fear, drawn inexorably by the lure of personal enlightenment.

Silent Strangers

Ever-elusive, the lera are a race of silent wanderers, always looking for mysteries both mystical and mundane. Imposing yet profoundly soft-spoken, the average lera is anywhere from 6-8 feet tall, and talks only in faint whispers.
A lera is covered in a strange, soft, dusty fur that can be a wide variety of colorations, from dusky white, black and grey to vibrant orange, red, yellow, purple, blue, or pink. Lera have delicate wings, and sometimes carry striking patterns across their wings and back evoking snowfall, a sunset, enormous eyes, a death’s head, or similar.
Lera also have multifaceted, insectoid eyes that come in many different hues, such as purple, black, white, green, red, or grey. Atop a lera’s head are a pair of long, lightly-tasseled antennae, which range from 1 foot to 3 feet long and waver in response to stimuli. A lera has a distinctly non-humanoid mouth, consisting of mandibles and a curled, hidden proboscis, used to pull in solid food and consume liquids respectively. Lera have no nose to speak of, and instead have scent receptors distributed throughout their antennae and mouthparts, allowing them to feel smells, rather than taste them. The strange facial anatomy of the lera makes understanding their emotions difficult for those not accustomed to their presence, complicated by the lack of intonation in a lera’s speaking voice. Among those they trust, the lera will often state the emotional content of their communications outright: “This makes me feel uncomfortable,” or “I am overjoyed at your presence,” as examples. Among those they don’t know, however, the lera are satisfied to leave them guessing.

Scholars and Spiritualists

Lera are instinctively drawn towards knowledge, secrets, and power with a compulsion that is hard to articulate to members of other races. Many lera hunger after complex matters of arcana and artifice, while others comb the hidden dogma of forgotten gods for insights lost to time. Some lera take this compulsion as a reason to perpetually acquire that which is not theirs, though most respect the rules of ownership.
Light and flame carry a great symbolic importance in lera culture, representing the brilliance of enlightenment that all lera seek. It is usual for lera to be captivated by a great and beautiful source of radiant light, though putting this captivation into words that others will understand is next to impossible for any lera.

Sellers of Secrets

In lera society, the secrets one collects are the truest currency, holding far more value than coin ever could. Lera meet in moonlit forests or in darkened caves to broker with one another, and occasionally outsiders. Lera usually take great pains to be truthful with their words, as their secrets only have value if they can be believed. Though they meet often, lera seldom form large cities, but occasionally live in the cities of other races, or create small cloisters of their own.
Before death, it is traditional for a lera to give all of its accumulated secrets freely to another that it trusts. Some lera keep a hidden tome full of their knowledge, locked or with instructions for it to be opened only after their demise. Still, some secrets a lera will take to the grave, especially those that would harm others the lera cares about.

Lera Names

All lera have a true name and a use-name, the first of which is the most guarded of secrets, the second of which is handed out as if it were the lera’s true identity. In lera courtship, the exchange of true names is equivalent to a marriage vow, the trusting of another lera to hold and keep hidden something known to no other. Neither lera use-names or true names are gendered, as lera society has few cultural distinctions along gender lines, though sometimes they pick up such distinctions from other cultures they come into contact with. Examples of true names and use-names can be seen below:
True Names: Andar, Byx, Cinth, Eron, Fyaril, Lepi, Lossa, Nia, Phym, Reen, Rippi, Sifp, Soris, Thera, Uteth
Use-Names: Alabaster, Calling, Dawnglow, Duskember, Gossamer, Lightlinger, Memory, Moondust, Nightmusic, Sighted, Silence, Silk, Whisper

Lera (Mothfolk)

Ability Score Increase +1 Dex

Size Medium

Speed 30 ft

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Age. All lera hatch from eggs as larvae about a foot long, and undergo metamorphosis into adolescent lera at age 5. Lera reach adulthood at the age of 10. Truly ancient lera reach the age of 50, but most do not live to be 40.
Alignment. Most lera abstain from taking a strong moral stance on the world, as it clouds their ability to pursue the secrets that motivate them. As such, lera are typically neutral.
Size. Lera are taller than humans, ranging from 6 to 8 feet tall. Nevertheless, they are exceptionally light, weighing only 150 to 200 pounds.
Flight. You have a flying speed of 35 feet. When using your flying speed from this source, you must land on a horizontal surface at the end of each of your turns. If you do not, you begin falling slowly at a rate of 60 feet per round at the end of your turn, taking no damage from falling in this way.
Whispering Words. You cannot naturally speak louder than a whisper. The sound of your voice normally carries no further than 30 feet.
Antennae. You know the exact location of any creature or object within 5 feet of you, even if you are blinded or the creature or object is invisible.
Superior Darkvision. You are naturally nocturnal, and have excellent vision in the darkness. You can see in dim light within 120 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.
Sunlight Sensitivity. You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.

Subraces

There are seven known types of lera in the world, although most lera claim they come in countless varieties. Lera subraces are, in part, determined by what secrets of power their ancestors have uncovered. Choose from achrae, chrysir, curin, mori, oculo, ornatri, or tysani as your subrace.

Achrae

Shrouded with long, dark brown-black wings interwoven with subtle patterns and lines of gold-orange, achrae lera are especially furtive, even amongst their kin. Legend tells that achrae are descended from a line of ancient lera that made a deal with Vecna, god of secrets, exchanging service for an arcane control of whispers and an enhanced ability to find what others would keep hidden. As a sign of this bargain, each achrae has a pale skull pattern on the fur just behind its head, up against the back of its neck.
Most achrae in present day do not serve this dark god, but they still carry his mark and his dubious blessing. Some still act at Vecna’s behest, however, and other lera are often careful around the achrae.
Ability Score Your Dexterity and Intelligence scores increase by 1.
Silent Secrets. You gain proficiency in your choice of one skill out of Stealth or Sleight of Hand.
Sense Lore. You can use an action to sense the presence of tomes, scrolls, writings, art, or similar containing knowledge or secrets within 1,000 feet of you. You know the approximate distance and direction of anything this sense picks up, and have a vague idea of what sort of object you are sensing. Once you use this ability, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Achrae Magic. You know the minor illusion cantrip. When you reach 5th level, you can also cast the silence spell once per day; you must finish a long rest in order to cast the spell again using this trait. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Chrysir

Covered in ruffs of black, orange, and brilliant yellow fur, the chrysir have beautiful and ostentatious wings with stripes similar to a tiger’s, lit with yellows, oranges, and deep purples reminiscent of a sunset. While other lera carry an obsession with light and fire, none feel this more strongly than the chrysir, who have forsaken the night to study luminous arcana in all its forms. These lera are brash and adventurous, prone to taking risks and ignoring consequences.
Reveling in daylight, the chrysir have gained much of its magical power as their own, capable of bending illumination to their own ends. Some lera believe the chrysir to be too far gone from their roots, but the chrysir strive to embrace what is new, and to discover things other lera would be blind to.
Ability Score our Charisma score increases by 1, and either your Strength or Constitution score increases by 1.
Diurnal. Unlike other lera, you do not have the Sunlight Sensitivity trait. Decrease the distance of your darkvision from 120 to 60 feet.
Radiant Corona. When you are damaged by an attack made by a creature within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to deal an amount of radiant damage to that creature equal to your Constitution modifier + your total character level. Once you use this ability, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.
Light Suffused. You gain resistance to radiant damage, and have advantage on saving throws made against the blinded condition.
Chrysir Magic. You know the light cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the faerie fire spell once per day; you must finish a long rest in order to cast the spell again using this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Curin

Clad in dusky brown or grey fur, curin at first appear unassuming, before rapidly becoming terrifying. Curin have ruddy wings the color of peeling rust or dried blood, often patterned with whorls reminiscent of bestial eyes.
Unlike other lera, curin have powerful teeth hidden behind their mouthparts in place of their proboscis, and a ravenous hunger for meat. Lera scholars have determined this unnatural state of being came to pass due to consorting with demonic entities, brokering for knowledge and power that should have been left well alone. Due to this influence, curin feel an irrepressible rage that often overwhelms their interest for knowledge. Some curin struggle against this influence, seeing themselves as scholars attempting to understand it, while others give into it fully, becoming nearly demonic in their own right.
Ability Score Your Constitution score increases by 1, and either your Strength or Intelligence score increases by 1.
Alignment. Curin lera are not necessarily evil, but many find it easier to give in to darker urges than others of their kind.
Terrifying Presence. You have proficiency in the Intimidation skill.
Natural Weapons. You can make a bite attack as an unarmed strike, which deals piercing damage equal to 1d4 + your Strength modifier.
Feeding. When you are adjacent to a creature that has been dead no longer than 7 days and is not an aberration, construct, elemental, ooze, plant, or undead, you can render yourself prone and feed on that creature. This process takes one action for a Tiny creature, one minute for a Small creature, 10 minutes for a Medium creature, or 1 hour for a Large or Huge creature. You cannot consume a Gargantuan creature using this ability.
After this time has elapsed, you fully consume the creature, leaving only scant bones and traces of the creature behind. You then regain hit points equal to half your total character level, adding 5 hit points to this amount for each size category of the creature consumed greater than Tiny. Once use this ability, you can not use it again until you complete a long rest.

Mori

The mori lera are best distinguished by their immense ruffs of fur, like a thick coat, and have their wings and bodies colored in a multitude of hues, such as white, black, red, brown, forest green, or yellow. Mori have, at most, only one color of fur on their bodies, and three colors on their wings, which often carry a pattern of spots or crescent markings.
Mori style themselves as the craftsfolk of the lera, spinning elegant robes and dresses out of silk to wear and sell. Mori merchants are common, traveling between towns and bartering their wares for both knowledge and coin. The mori are savvy, clever, and more social than most other lera aside from the ornatri, often joking or engaging in banter in ways unheard of for the rest of their kind.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma and Wisdom scores increase by 1.
Bartering. You gain proficiency in your choice of one skill out of Deception or Persuasion.
Silk Creation. Over the course of a long rest, you can create your choice of one of the following items:
a bedroll, a blanket, a set of fine clothes or a costume, a net, a pouch, a sack, a set of saddlebags, silk cloth (1 sq. yd.), silk rope (50 feet), a sling, or a whip. This item degrades into nothing when you next take a long rest, unless you spend that long rest maintaining the item instead of making a new item with this trait. An item created by this trait becomes permanent and does not degrade after you’ve spent a number of days maintaining it equal to its cost in gp. An item with a cost less than 1 gp needs only be maintained one day to become permanent.
Silk Crafting. You gain proficiency with weaver’s tools. If you craft an item or magic item using these tools, it takes you half of the normal time, and it costs you half as much of the usual gold (in both materials and other costs).
Mori Magic. You know the mending cantrip. When you reach 5th level, you can also cast the web spell once per day; you must finish a long rest in order to cast the spell again using this trait. Choose either Charisma or Wisdom as your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Oculo

Though every lera wishes to learn whatever is hidden, the oculo experience this as a deep obsession even beyond what other lera feel, a craving they can never truly satisfy. Marked with large, glaring yellow and black eyespots on the back of their autumn-colored wings, oculo lera are covered with ruffs of red or wood-brown fur throughout their bodies.
Oculo consider themselves the spymasters of the lera, which other lera bristle at, given that every lera has a general inclination for spycraft. The oculo are often seen as single-minded, driven, prying, or occasionally paranoid or pompous by their peers, but the oculo believe this to be jealousy at the quality of their secrets.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence and Wisdom scores increase by 1.
Perceptive. You gain proficiency in your choice of one skill out of Insight or Perception. And twice your proficiency bonus to checks with this skill in place of your normal bonus.
Scrysense. You inherently know whenever you arebeing watched by normal or magical sight, but you do not automatically know the identity or location of whatever is watching you.
Warded Mind. You have resistance to psychic damage. You also have advantage on any saving throws made to resist or overcome the charmed condition, and your thoughts cannot be read against your will.
Watchful Slumber. Whenever you sleep, you remain fully aware of your surroundings as if you were awake.

Ornatri

Culture is at the heart of lore, and is the clothing worn by all manner of secrets. The ornatri often style themselves as anthropologists or storytellers, delving excitedly into the practices and customs of other societies, collecting their stories and songs, and sharing them with others.
The ornatri are considered among the most beautiful of lera by their kin, and have large flowing wings decorated with colorful stripes and black dots. Ornatri wings are usually yellow, red, orange, white, and black, while the white fur on their bodies is interspersed with small black patches.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2.
Anthrophile. You gain proficiency in your choice of two skills out of History, Performance, or Persuasion.
Appraisal. If you take one minute to inspect an object of art, jewelry, or other cultural importance, you know its exact monetary value. In addition, after inspecting an object in this way, you have advantage on any History checks made to determine the cultural significance of that object.
Extra Language. You can speak, read, and write one additional language of your choice.
Whispersong. Though your actual voice is still limited by the Whispering Words trait, you are able to project a resonant vocal sound that can be used to make ethereal and beautiful music. This sound cannot contain words, but can be heard up to 300 feet away.

Tysani

Stark white or ebony black with dramatic contrasting monochrome ribbons winding across their wings, the tysani have cultivated an ominous reputation as the witches of the lera. Somehow more reclusive than others of their kind, few tysani live among other races, but those that do travel endlessly, always searching for magical understanding in the world around them.
Tysani are sometimes considered cold and pitiless, even amongst other lera. It isn’t that tysani don’t experience emotion, for they have the same breadth of feeling as most creatures, but the tysani often believe in keeping their sentiments hidden amongst their greatest secrets.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 2.
Studious. You gain proficiency in the Arcana skill.
Sense Arcane. You can cast the detect magic spell as a ritual. Once you do so, you must finish a short or long rest before you can do so again.
Tysani Magic. You know the prestidigitation cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the disguise self spell once per day; you must finish a long rest in order to cast the spell again using this trait. When you reach 5th level, you can also cast the moonbeam spell once per day as a 2nd-level spell; you must finish a long rest in order to cast the spell again using this trait. Intelligence is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write both Common and Lera.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

In most moth cultures, the mother is assigned the task of naming each of her children as they grow. These names will often change at the whim of the mother, and usually do not become official until metamorphosis. Their names are often difficult to pronounce with human tongues, but this does not other mothfolk, as they lack human tongues. Mothfolk do not have gendered names.
Mothfolk Names: Adz'kit, Andile, Axa, Bixi, Chch, Chitha, Dalph, Fen, Filka, Fira, G'Zigg, Glik, Hadae, Iitus, J'llkx, Kl'il, Lenna, Lepha, Molf, N'Kakt, Riz, Scelkt, Sedna, Thom, Timpth