Cyclopian

Cyclopians are the rarest of aberrant miracles—Nothics who have clawed their way back from madness. Once cursed with fractured minds and twisted forms for delving too deeply into forbidden magics, these beings have, through great spiritual resilience, divine intervention, or arcane mastery, restored coherence to their thoughts and clarity to their identity. Though their bodies still bear the warped legacy of their transformation—most notably their single, luminous eye—their minds are no longer lost in chaos. Instead, Cyclopians walk a tenuous line between the mortal and the unknowable.

In form, Cyclopians resemble tall, gaunt humanoids with ashen, ridged skin and faintly glowing markings along their limbs—remnants of magical scars. Their central eye, often vibrant with color, pulses with awareness rather than madness, and many adorn their bodies with runes, threads, or veils to symbolize their reclaimed selfhood. Their voices are steady, rich with insight, though still tinged with the harmonic undertones of arcane resonance. Each word is measured, as though weighed against countless futures and pasts.

Cyclopians possess a heightened connection to the Weave, often seeing magic not as flowing currents, but as complex geometries of potential. Their insight into magical structure is unparalleled, allowing them to unmake spells with a glance or reconstruct incantations from a single syllable. However, this insight comes with a burden—Cyclopians are forever aware of the cost of power, and they carry a deep-seated caution toward unrestrained magic. Many become sages, sequestered wardens, or mystic advisers who guard knowledge instead of spreading it freely.

They are often found dwelling in ancient ruins, leyline convergence sites, or deep sanctums beneath places like Welkis or the Ethereal Cradle, acting as custodians of long-lost secrets. Others choose to walk the world, offering wisdom in cryptic riddles, seeking out those on the brink of repeating their own mistake. While Cyclopians are not inherently hostile, they will not hesitate to destroy anyone who threatens the balance between magic and mortality.

Their origins make them beings of sorrow and hope. To scholars and dreamers, they are a warning of ambition without temperance. To the desperate and outcast, they are a beacon of redemption—proof that even the cursed can reclaim purpose.

It is said that a Cyclopian can peer not just into your soul, but into the path your choices lay before you, and offer a single, potent truth. Whether that truth saves or damns is not their burden to bear—for the Cyclopian has already lived the price of knowledge, and now watches to see who else dares to pay it.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Nothic

HGtMH1

Cyclopian

ABERRATION

Cyclopian Traits

Size: Medium (5-6ft)

Speed: 30ft

As a Cyclopian, you have these special traits.

Darkvision

Accustomed to life in dimly-lit libraries, 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 colour in darkness, only shades of grey.

Knowledge Seeker

Learning is an almost irresistible compulsion amongst cyclopians and often leads them to dangerous locations. You have proficiency in your choice of two of the following skills: Arcana, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Perception, Religion, and Stealth.

Savant of Secrets

You can tap into your ancestral ability to spot the telltale signs of hidden traps, passages, and secrets. As an action, you can enter a cyclotrance for 1 minute. For the duration, you have advantage on Perception, Investigation, and Insight checks. Once you activate this trait, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

Thought for Food

Information is nourishing for cyclopians, in the truest sense of the word. Each day that you discover significant new information (GM’s discretion), you need only half as much food and water as normal and you have advantage on Constitution saving throws. These benefits last until you finish a long rest.

Top Shelf

Generations spent climbing to the top shelves of tall libraries have led to a selective pressure on the ability to climb within cyclopians. You have a climbing speed of 20 feet.