Dreevith

Player Race

Artwork: blackbluewoof (Dreevith Token)

Philosophy. Beauty. Art. According to the Dreevith, toad-like humanoids living in the swamps of Shamrua, these are the keys to the soul. And those who have true access to their soul gain freedom, happiness and enlightenment. All three of these aspects are included in the word Gron'Dab, the great goal of every single soul.
Dreevith resemble slender walking toads, with wide mouths and large vocal sacs. They usually have a combination of green and yellow skin colours, but many other variations are known. Occasionally, completely white Dreevith are born, which are seen as "children of wonder" in their society.
Despite their philosophical and mostly peaceful outlook on life, the Dreevith can be fierce warriors. In their understanding, every soul has a right to nourish and to defend itself, and those who cannot do it themselves. So while they are philosophers at heart, they are savants with swords (or clubs, or magic).
The scourge of the hags in the Shamruan swamps has been a thorn in their side since a long time, and many Dreevith hunt the evil crones. Others travel the world seeking knowledge, deeper understanding or simply more life experience.
When the apocalypse hit, the toad-like humanoids weren't fully surprised. Many of them had been fighting against the events leading to the end of the world since years. Others had foreseen great dangers simply by observing current events. They might not have known exactly what was coming, but they knew it was big and bad.
As the world was torn apart, many Dreevith were ready. They knew their souls would move on to the afterlife, and they would continue their journey for Gron'Dab there. Of course, this doesn't mean they weren't frightened - but overall, this race probably handled the whole situation better than most.
When their homelands were saved, and Ashandri was created, most of them were stunned - and in awe. They had experienced a miracle, and many of them decided this new world had to be explored and newly understood. Others believed their philosophies could be a cure to the suffering these events brought upon the other survivors of the apocalypse. So, upon the wake of the new world, many Dreevith spread out into the other regions, leaving their home of Shamrua.

Culture

Dreevith deeply believe that every soul has its own path. This belief is the foundation for a highly individualistic culture, in which society is merely the gardener that helps an individual grow to its fullest potential. While most of them live in tribes and small villages, there are tales of hidden Dreevith cities. As even other members of this race haven't found these great settlements, though, it is unlikely that the tales are true.
While in their home lands, most Dreevith are only scantily clad. To them, clothes are more like decoration than protection. If they actually need protection, whether against a different climate or in battle, they are fully capable of wearing regular clothes or armour. They just don't like it very much.
The toad-like humanoids often wear feather headdresses, belts, and tribal amulets. If they feel they won't be accepted that way in a different society, they usually adapt to the local habits. To them, it's an experience that helps understand others. But it's still a free decision, and if they don't feel like it - well, then they don't do it.
Despite their small villages and clan-like social structures, the Dreevith have a surprisingly advanced culture. Every settlement has at least one Keeper, an individual who writes down historic events and important insights. Dreevith scrolls are made from swamp grass in a highly complicated process, and they withstand practically everything - except for magical damage. Still, the scrolls themselves are not magical, and their creation is a secret the Keepers don't even share with other members of their tribe.

Names

Dreevith names reflect how an individual sees itself. Nobody has the right to give anyone a name, so members of this species choose their own name as soon as they are ready for it - usually at about four to six years.
The names are usually nouns with meanings like "storm", "vastness" or "sleeper", but in the end, it's up to the Dreevith what name they chose. If they change their personality or begin a new chapter in their life, they often change their names, too. The old name becomes part of their story, and can be added to the current name with an "arobo" put before: Varbarth arobo Gumba Vada, for example, would be someone whose very first name was Vada, then he changed it to Gumba, and now he is called Varbarth. The word “Arobo” could be translated as “personal story”, but is only used in the context of names. Dreevith words are mostly relatively simple. The vocals a, o and u are dominant in their language, and they prefer softer consonants. Common names for all genders, along with their meanings, are:

• Mullub: Hunter
• Shovor: Seeker
• Gananda: Explorer
• Gobba: Inner turmoil
• Ulubong: Honesty
• Mogg: Traveller

Traits

Ability Score Increase: Wisdom+2, Dexterity+1
Age: Dreevith hatch from eggs, and mature after three years. They can get as old as 50.
Alignment: Almost all Dreevith are good-aligned. But even here, the decisions are individual, and a few cases of neutral or even evil Dreevith are known.
Size: The toad-like humanoids grow between five and eight feet, giving them medium size.
Languages: Dreevith have their own language. You can also speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.
Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a Swimming speed of 30 feet.
Strong legs: You add 10 feet to how far or high you can jump.
Poison Tongue: You can attack an enemy with your tongue with a reach of 10 feet. The attack only makes one point of bludgeoning damage, but if it hits bare skin, you transmit a contact poison. The target has to succeed on a Constitution Saving Throw against DC 8 + your Proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier. On a failure, they get the Poisoned condition until the end of their next turn. Once used, you can't use the Poison tongue again until you’ve had a long rest. You can still use the attack without poison.
Good Listener: If you had the chance to have a personal talk with someone, and really get to know them a little, you get advantage on Insight checks targeted at that person.
Self-aware: The Dreevith think so much about who they are, and explore their own personalities, that it’s hard to influence their minds and emotions. You get advantage on saving throws against any kind of charming or other mind-affecting spells. At 5th level, you become immune to being charmed.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Dreevith hatch from eggs. In the first two or three months, they live as tadpoles in small ponds, until they become toadlets. At first, they are no larger than a human's fingertip, but grow rapidly. In this time, they live under protection of their tribe, slowly exploring the close vicinity of their birthplace. It takes almost another three years until they are fully grown. Within the third year, they slowly learn to walk upright, and develop their full mental capabilities.
Dreevith skin is often green and yellow, but a minority has other colours, too. A few have bright and shining colours, and very rarely, a completely white Dreevith is born. Glands keep their skin slightly wet all the time. Some Dreevith have the typical warts known from other toad species, but most of them don't.
Their mouths are so wide that it almost reaches from one side of their face to the other. Below that lies the vocal sac, which is always visible as a small bump. Opposite to most toads, these vocal sacs are not exclusive to the males of the species. Both genders use this throat pouch to attract those they find sexually or romantically appealing. In rare cases, this is not limited to their own race, leading to the occasional confusing situations - especially if the mating call comes out involuntarily (which isn't common, but it happens). Being very aware of other people's boundaries, they usually apologize heavily for it, and understand they need to increase their own self-awareness.
Dreevith prefer a diet of insects and arachnoids, but they are capable of eating other meat, too. For a short time, they can live on a vegetary diet, but their physiology isn't really laid out for it. If they don't get their regular diet after three days, they begin to starve, leading to death after about five to ten days.