One of the greatest shows of hubris during the Age of Rebirth was the attempt to conquer Nathrivox itself -- to bring life to the plane of necrotic energy. Of the cities that rose in this period of settlement, very few remain, and of the people that tried to settle Nathrivox, only elves survived. All other races collapsed under the stress of the negative energies that permeated the plane. Elves, on the other hand, adapted to them.
Thus, the Naxanra (death-children in elvish), or obsidian elves to non-elves, were born.
Sole Survivors
Naxanra are the only mortals that have lived in Nathrivox for a prolonged period of time, and are the survivors of an attempt by many races to do that very thing. This experience has imparted a cold calculation on Naxanra culture: if you cannot pull your weight, then you are a threat to your fellow Naxanra. Naxanra believe in absolutes, deriving a sense of morality from a strong idea of "greater good."
A small evil that achieves a great good isn't evil at all to a Naxanra.
Tightly Knit
Naxanra value the clan unit more than any other elvish culture. Most Naxanra live in small bands of 20-30 known as Rulethwin-Linth (Heart-Band), lead by an experienced warrior or scholar known as the Naxalthran (Deathwarden). Each Naxanra is expected to pull their own weight and help the Rulethwin-Linth to their best ability. Some Rulethwin-Linths are stationary, building small communities where they carve an existence out for themselves. Others are roaming tribes, doing their best to survive in the harsh lands of Nathrivox.
Also, Naxanra never attack one another, even Naxanra from other Rulethwin-Linths. Naxanra take the value of elven life that other elven cultures have to an utmost extreme, as they have few Naxanra who can give birth to begin with. For a Naxanra to draw another one's blood is a high crime -- or repentance for one.
Children of Death
Naxanra have been deeply changed by their generations in Nathrivox. The lifeless decay of the plane seems to have seeped into their very skins, which range from a pale green or purple to a lifeless, pale grey, and their eyes are on a similar spectrum from sickly green and red to pure black. It's not uncommon for their eyes to lack sclera, instead being pools of pure color. Their hair is almost always white, black, or grey, with some exceptions.
Some Naxanra also carve elvish runes into their skin or imprint them in dark tattoos across their arms, legs, and even head. These can be family histories, clan histories, or personal stories, and even runic wards against harm or death.
Naxanra Names and Culture
Naxanra only have given names and use them in everyday life and needs of identification. If further specification is needed, they will add the name of their Rulethwin-Linth, such as "Thido of Rulethwin-Linth Naxayn." Names of Rulethwin-Linths are always Nax- followed by an elven suffix.
Male Names: Crannis, Crarron, Emi, Inas, Liten, Muzil, Therros, Vuthoyos, Zauvach, Zovech
Female Names: Agva, Hemna, Immirthe, Imna, Laldalna, Larrenthall, Thirladi, Rerke, Yenkiss
Rulethwin-Linth Names: Naxarth, Naxelth, Naxoktha, Naxolm, Naxyntha
Creating Your Character
At 1st level, you choose what race your character belongs to. If you choose a Naxanra, follow the rules found below to make your Naxanra hero -- or villain.
Ability Score Increases
When determining your character's ability scores, increase one score by 2 and increase a different score by 1, or increase three different scores by 1. Follow this rule regardless of the method you use to determine the scores, such as rolling or point buy. The "Quick Build" section of your character's class offers suggestions on which scores to increase. You can follow those suggestions or ignore them, but you can't raise any of your scores above 20.
Languages
Your character can speak, read, and write Common and one other language that you can your DM agree is appropriate for the character. The Player's Handbook offers a list of languages to choose from. The DM is free to modify that list for a campaign.
Creature Type
Every creature in D&D, including each player character, has a special tag in the rules that identifies the type of creature they are. Most player characters are of the Humanoid type. Your race tells you what your character's creature type is.
Here's a list of the game's creature types in alphabetical order: Aberration, Beast, Celestial, Construct, Dragon, Elemental, Fey, Fiend, Giant, Humanoid, Monstrosity, Ooze, Plant, Undead. These types don't have rules themselves, but some rules in the game affect creatures of certain types in different ways. For example, the cure wounds spell doesn't work on a Construct or an Undead.
Naxanra Traits
Your Naxanra character has the following traits.
Age
Naxanra live as long as other elves, with lifespans up to 750 years; however, the harshness of Nathrivox means much fewer Naxanra make it to that age.
Creature Type
You are a Humanoid. You are also considered an elf for any prerequisite or effect that requires you to be an elf.
Size
Naxanra are the same size and weight as other elves, though they tend to be slightly more muscular. You are Medium.
Speed
Your walking speed is 30 feet.
Nathrivoxian Adaptation
As a bonus action, you can magically teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Starting at 3rd level, you also gain resistance to all damage when you teleport using this trait. The resistance lasts until the start of your next turn. During that time, you appear ghostly and translucent.
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 discern colors in that darkness only as shades of gray.
Fey Ancestry
You have advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the charmed condition on yourself.
Keen Senses
You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
Necrotic Resistance
You have resistance to necrotic damage.
Trance
You don’t need to sleep, and magic can’t put you to sleep. You can finish a long rest in 4 hours if you spend those hours in a trancelike meditation, during which you retain consciousness.
Whenever you finish this trance, you can gain two proficiencies that you don’t have, each one with a weapon or a tool of your choice selected from the Player’s Handbook. You mystically acquire these proficiencies by drawing them from shared elven memory, and you retain them until you finish your next long rest.
Creation Mythos
Obsidian elves know that they are the sole survivors of mortals in Nathrivox; some carry this knowledge with pride, others with distaste for the mistakes of their ancestors.
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