Hailing from the Golden Fields of Dzaan, the Alkonost are a race of avian reptiles with dinosaur-like faces, a mixture of scales and feathers, razor-sharp talons, and giant wings upon their back. Their colors are bright and their patterns ornate, signifying the poison that created them. When one engages with an Alkonost, they are typically met with the cold demeanor of an ancient predator
ALKONOST HISTORY
With the arrival of the Monolith of Vetu, angels touched the Golden Fields of Dzaan. And when the Monolith screamed, so too did the dinosaurs who fed upon the putrid nectar within. Shifting into vaguely humanoid form, these avian reptiles spent night and day praising the Monolith's form and becoming drunk off its foul mysteries. Trying to communicate the whispered secrets of this most holy offering, these creatures began engraving images upon stone, images of the angels who saved them, which they called Dragons. Having the gift of flight, they tried to reach the Angelic City that floated in the Heavens, but the Angels summoned great winds to keep them out. For this reason, they called themselves "earth-bound", but over time they came to be known as Alkonost.
Due to their decentralized and somewhat nomadic nature, some might assume that the Alkonost, like the Zerk, are a tribal people. This is not the case. When The Great Flood buried Dragon society beneath the sea, the Alkonost did not lose hope. They collected at the Ziggurat of Vetu to beg the Monolith for guidance, feasting again on the bile that oozes forth from its pores. It was then that the Pontiff of Wyrms was appointed for the first time, an emissary to the will of the Monolith. It was this, the first Pontiff of Wyrms, who was sought out by Gormierre Oskilor at the beginning of her Journey to Messiahood, and it was he who's visions led her to the Ancient Dragon Aasterinian. Because of this service, the Alkonost were honored by Gormierre and seen as the sister folk to her people. After the death of Nivriel Oskilor and the Dusk of the Sun Throne, the Alkonost are in a similar situation that they were at the end of the Age of Dragons: seeking answers from the Mysteries of the Sky.
ALKONOST CULTURE
Due to their unique ability to fly, Alkonost are sought after across the realm as scouts and messengers. They are also adept hunters, many of them spending most of their lives hunting for food across the Golden Fields. They hunt in packs, taking enough food to sustain themselves as well as provide sacrifices to bring back to the Ziggurat of Vetu. The Ziggurat itself is among the most marvelous and ancient pieces of architecture in all of the realm, it is assembled upside-down so that the Room of Communion, where the Monolith has remained for millenia, rests at the bottom of the structure. Select elite of the Alkonost who show particular reactions to the Monolith's nectar are allowed to become Cardinals of Vetu, the religious leadership of the Children of Vetu. After the death of a given Pontiff of Wyrms, the Cardinals spend 14 days of seclusion within the Room of Communion before voting one of their ranks to become the next Pontiff. This Pontiff will remain in the Room of Communion until they die.
Despite the fact that most Alkonost spend quite a bit of time at the Ziggurat of Vetu, very few actually live there. Many are nomads who spend their days traveling the Golden Fields, either on their own or in packs. Many others live within the various city-states across Eruwë. Behind the Forlorn, Alkonost are the second most common race among the denizens of Oskil. Although the majority of Alkonost are Children of Vetu, ever since the Fall of Oskilor, the Cardinal's general lack of guidance has led many to flee to different cults, especially those who live in Oskil.
ALKONOST TRAITS
Size: medium
Speed: 30 feet, 40 feet flying
Talons: Your unarmed strikes do 1d6 + your Strength modifier
Heightened Olfactories: You have blindsight out to a range of 20 feet, and have advantage on perception checks made to smell.
Hold breath: you can hold your breath for up to 15 minutes
Pack tactics: When you make an attack roll, if your target is next to an ally who isn’t incapacitated, you have advantage. Once you do this, you cannot do it again until you finish a short or long rest
Predator’s stealth: You can cast Pass without Trace once per long rest without using a spell slot
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