Rûhntír (roo-n-tir)
The Rûhntír or "Fleshchangers", as they are colloquially called by other races, are race of humanoids native to Yuruk-Tar and mirror its survivalistic nature, being capable of changing their form to fill the need of the time. However these powers of change are limited, not only by the efforts required to perform such changes but by the cultural fear of the "Abandonment of Form". Even the dwarves find the Rûhntír's dedication to tradition nearly psychotic, but the Rûhntír know that they do not understand only because they are not intimately familiar with the horrors that chaos brings to their race.
Rûhntír
A shapechanging race native to Yuruk-Tar the Rûhntír are known for the bizarre shaping of their own flesh to fit their current need in most given situations. Although their change of form is a lot slower and a lot let drastic in appearance than other creatures can the results allow them to change their bone and muscle structure as well as the general structure of their bodies. As a Rûhntír it is possible for you to change your body's shape in any way you wish so long as you do not end your transformation with a body of greater mass that you had began with, however going too far with this power risks "abandoning the form" which has dire consequences often resulting in a loss of any form of rational thought as well as most other faculties of the mind. As such the abilities presented here represent a Rûhntír who is not willing to abandon the "Form".
ability score increase:
Any three of your ability scores each increase by 1
age:
Rûhntír are born fully mature however are considered juveniles until they reach 13 years of age and can live as long as 65 years
alignment:
Rûhntír embody change and adaptability but also follow the laws set out by their predecessors and thus are usually true neutral.
Size:
Medium
speed:
Your base walking speed is 30ft.
Languages:
You can speak, read, and write Common and Rûhntír, a language with smooth consonants and without separation of characters even between words.
race features:
Fleshshaping: As a bonus action you may change the form of your body. You may use this ability a number of times equal to 3 + your constitution modifier (minimum of once). After a short or long rest you regain all spent uses. Fleshshaping falls into two categories, Rûht and Rûhg. Rûht is fleshshaping considered orthodox, good, and safe by Rûhntír while Rûhg is heretical, abominable, and dangerous:
Rûhg: When using a Rûhg transformation your very soul is stretched and contorted to dangerous degrees to match your new form. Whenever you use one of these transformations unless you are already missing hit dice from the same transformation you must succeed on a DC 13 wisdom saving throw or permanently reduce your hit die maximum by one and your hit point maximum is reduced by the highest number on that hit die. On each Rûhg transformation beyond the first the save DC is increased by 2 and the maximum hit die and hit point penalties for failing are doubled. The lost hit die and hit points can be restored by a Greater Restoration spell or similar affect but only if all Rûhg transformations have been undone. If your hit die maximum is reduced to 0, you will transform into a Rûhntóg, an unthinking monstrosity. Nothing short of a Wish spell can undo this transformation. Any Rûhntír may use the following transformations:
Fleshshaping: As a bonus action you may change the form of your body. You may use this ability a number of times equal to 3 + your constitution modifier (minimum of once). After a short or long rest you regain all spent uses. Fleshshaping falls into two categories, Rûht and Rûhg. Rûht is fleshshaping considered orthodox, good, and safe by Rûhntír while Rûhg is heretical, abominable, and dangerous:
Rûht: Using this ability you may change one or both of your arms into crude weapons and tools or back into a humanoid arm. Any form beyond regular humanoid arms can not have functioning hands and therefore cannot interact with objects, provide the somatic components of a spell, or anything else that requires fine manipulation. You may select one of your arms to take the form of any non-magical shield or one-handed melee weapon with which you have proficiency. Such weapons are part of your body, lose the thrown and versatile property, but otherwise use the same stats as the weapon they are mimicking. Beyond these options, you may also spend a long rest studying any given object (including the limbs of other creatures) that is no more than 5 cubic feet in total volume to commit its shape and properties to memory. You can have a maximum number of forms of this nature memorized and prepared at any given time equal to 3 + your intelligence modifier, if you try to memorize another form beyond this limit you must forget another form you already know in order to do so. While you have an object memorized you may use this ability to shape your arm(s) into a basic replica of the object.
Although you can replicate the general shape and composition of the object you cannot replicate moving parts or minute details. Additionally, the material of the object will only ever be bone, fat, skin, sinews, and/or muscle. Because of this, aspects of objects that require other materials to function, such as spyglasses, or require small details, such as written words on a page, are impossible to replicate and replications can at most be as hard as bone or as soft as skin. The end result is non-magical and considered part of your body but besides the specifications above functions like the object it is mimicking. Lastly you may morph your arm(s) to become a tendril giving you a reach of ten feet. You can only grab objects, grapple creatures, and make unarmed attacks your arm while it is in this form. In addition you have disadvantage on strength checks using your arm in this form.
Rûhg: When using a Rûhg transformation your very soul is stretched and contorted to dangerous degrees to match your new form. Whenever you use one of these transformations unless you are already missing hit dice from the same transformation you must succeed on a DC 13 wisdom saving throw or permanently reduce your hit die maximum by one and your hit point maximum is reduced by the highest number on that hit die. On each Rûhg transformation beyond the first the save DC is increased by 2 and the maximum hit die and hit point penalties for failing are doubled. The lost hit die and hit points can be restored by a Greater Restoration spell or similar affect but only if all Rûhg transformations have been undone. If your hit die maximum is reduced to 0, you will transform into a Rûhntóg, an unthinking monstrosity. Nothing short of a Wish spell can undo this transformation. Any Rûhntír may use the following transformations:
- Extra Limb: You grow an extra limb which may take any form following the rules for Rûht limb transformations.
- Wings: You sprout wings from your shoulder blades and gain a flying speed of 30ft.
- Tail: You grow a tail sprouting from your tailbone and gain a swimming speed of 30ft. and may make an unarmed attack with it as a bonus action that deals 1d6+strength bludgeoning damage
- Conjoined limbs: You may conjoin two or more limbs into one allowing you to shape them into anything following the rules for Rûht transformations except they may take the form of two-handed melee weapons with which you have proficiency and may have a volume up to 5 cubic feet x the number of limbs conjoined together if you choose to take on a form you memorized.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Although usually humanoid in appearance to define the anatomy of the Rûhntír is like trying to define the shape of a flame. Their bodies morph and change frequently however like a flame the shape is predictable, so long as a Rûhntír is a Rûhntír their face will never change and their body will usually keep the general shape of two arms, two legs, a humanoid torso, and a head. Their skin changes color with their surroundings although it always has a tinge of tan pigment and basic and minor coloration changes such as this are the limits of how much their skin can change in appearance. In additions excluding their vital organs (and even then there have been exceptions) Rûhntír can regenerate just about every part of their body given time.
Biological Traits
Rûhntír naturally have no gender, however after coming in contact with other races they will often choose one based on which they believe best fits their personality. The primary purpose of this is to make other humanoids more comfortable around them, since their mutability is already disconcerting enough without their sex also having no form. As such although technically possible Rûhntír prefer to never change their appearance in regards to gender as it more often then not makes the entire point null and void.
Genetics and Reproduction
Most other races are at the very least confused by the reproduction of the Rûhntír and many are plainly horrified, hence why to most outsiders the exact method of reproduction used by Rûhntír is kept a secret. First a priest of Rûhl will meditate and pray to Rûul as to discover whether or not the time has come for another Rûhntír to enter the world. If the response is no or there is no response, the priest will wait a week before asking again. If the answer is yes the priest will gather the strongest and best fit people in the community, usually 5 but sometimes more and ask them to prepare for a ritual of formation that night; preparation for this ritual mostly involves eating profuse amounts of food. That night the Rûhntír will gather with the priest and involve themselves in ritual which will last between 2-6 hours. All the participants will gather in circle and begin to fuse portions of their arms or legs, or both if there are too few Rûhntír, with the other Rûhntír with them. During this time the entire group will participate in religious ceremony such as chanting and the burning of incense. After the formalities are finished the priest will begin to sever off all the parts of the limbs the participants contributed to the ritual. During this time screaming is deemed shameful and those that do will be persecuted for a time after however physical but not audible expressions of pain are acceptable such as tears. Afterwards the priest will lead the rest of the congregation in the final step of the ritual, praying to Rûul to give the mass of bloody flesh "form", or as most other races would view it, a soul. Unless the priest was wrong in the first place about Rûul willing for another Rûhntír to come into existence the mass will begin to take the form of a humanoid over the course of a few minutes and the resulting product of this process is an adult Rûhntír, although whith the mental maturity of a 5 year old. In any case in which the priest was wrong and the ritual does not end successfully he is excommunicated from the priesthood and exiled from his people as well as being branded in a ritual which strips him of his ability to morph his body.
Growth Rate & Stages
Once formed Rûhntír will usually never grow afterwards. If they lose limbs they can regrow them and sometimes they can increase in size however both of these are the result of excessive eating and the latter is shunned by the Rûhntír as it is one step closer to the "Abandonment of Form". Rûhntír vary in size depending on how much material was contributed to their ritual of "Formation" however size is not how one can tell whether a Rûhntír is young or old. To tell if a Rûhntír is young one will notice that they do not actually have a name. This is because Rûhntír younger than 13 are considered Rûht, and giving them a name at such a young age is believed to endanger them of stagnating in one identity or form rather than explore the plethora of possibilities available to them. There are no biological changes until a Rûhntír nears death so if one can tell that a Rûhntír is old they are very old indeed. When a Rûhntír is about 50 the process of calcification will begin throughout their body, making them stiffer and more rigid than they once were. This process continues and it will become for and more difficult for them to move. Around 64 years of age they appear immobile to most although they can still move but only slowly and with great pain. At age 65 they will die of old age as the calcification hardens the heart of the Rûhntír. The cause of this process is unknown and many Rûhntír consider it to be little more than a part of life.
Ecology and Habitats
One of the traits of the Rûhntír which they take the most pride in is their ability to live nearly anywhere and, unlike humans or similar races, do not need to modify their environment only a little and rarely need to make new tools to deal with troubles there. Their bodies are so adaptable and by virtue of their culture they are experts as survival. Rûhntír live anywhere from plains to swamps, deserts to mountains, forests to artic, with almost no preference. However this is not to say that they are more widespread than humans or other races as they are certainly a minority in the world, likely due to how they reproduce. In addition despite their ability to survive in most environments most Rûhntír insist on living in the same place they were formed and will likely never migrate elsewhere.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Rûhntír are omnivores like most of the other humanoid races and although they have domesticated animals and farmed land at times, they prefer hunting and gathering and for many tribes of Rûhntír this is their sole source of food. Rûhntír will brag to those of other races about how they've killed a stag or a wolf with their bare hands (which hardly seems fair) which is a tremendous source of their pride and part of their traditions and so they rarely deviate from this lifestyle.
Additional Information
Social Structure
Rûhntír are most often nomadic however they have been known to establish small villages in places with exceptionally abundant resources. At the top of the social hierarchy are the priests Rûhl, God of the Rûhntír. The priests are responsible for precipitating the formation of new Rûhntír as well as advising the tribe in nearly all matters. No semblance of true government exists in purely Rûhntír tribes as such a stagnant institution is seen as an affront to Rûhl, instead the priests will simply advise the tribe on what should be done rather than what they must do. It is rare that this advice is refused as the priests are seen as the mouthpiece of their God, however others within the tribe may claim that the priest has gone deaf to Rûhl if the priests advice is self-destructive or illogical and ignore it. Besides this there is little actual "structure" in Rûhntír social structure. The idea of some people being in one position of life and others being in another seems contrary to their very nature, change, to an appropriate extent, should be encouraged and embraced. A woodworker of 20 years may just one day decide they want to be a hunter instead, and this is celebrated. If someone only uses a handful of the forms their bodies can take it is rejecting the full potential of the gift Rûhl has given them. For the same reason this is plenty practical as when a creatures tools are part of them they find little trouble with picking up the chisel, axe, blade, or scythe. Since sex does not exist in their race the only other practice in their society that could be considered a part of a structure is the roles of the older and younger. When a Rûhntír is first formed it can be difficult to understand and utilize the potential of their bodies, and such the older in the community teach them through practice. Usually, after a Rûhntír is formed one member of the formation circle will volunteer to be the new Rûhntír's "Rûhlkhan", a title made in reflection to Rûhl's role in guiding the Rûhntír through life. This Rûhlkhan will be the new Rûhntír's (or Rûht as they are called until they are mature) mentor for 13 years, after which a priest will oversee a ceremony known as "The Greater Transmutation" where the Rûhlkhan acknowledges the mentee as a full fledged Rûhntír after they have displayed the full extent of their shape changing abilities.
Facial characteristics
The face is the most important part of a Rûhntír's body as almost none of them are willing to change it, and if they do, well, it does not end well. Because of this it is best for the other races to not comment on it as it will rarely look beautiful according to humanoid standards. This is not because they are ugly but because their face will almost always have hints of some defining feature such as the snub nose of a goblin or the low brow of a dwarf but the rest of the face will rarely continue this theme. This often has an unsettling affect on observers as the face looks enough like one or more races to remind them of it but not enough to convince their mind.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Rûhntír live throughout Yuruk-Tar(location:fc07d781-533b-4252-a5ae-96a63cce9cac) although they are most heavily concentrated in @[The Rabid Lands , with most preferring to continue their nomadic lifestyle rather than settle down into a city. Although there is no reason a Rûhntír could not live on another continent outside of Yuruk-Tar none have yet been seen in other parts of Karnum. Most people chalk this up to their attachment to their home continent.
Average Intelligence
Rûhntír are just as intelligent as humans although many accuse them of being stupid as they never bothered to invest time and effort into making tools, they are their own living tools after all, and as such they generally do not know how to make tools and many struggle with the mere usage of them. However what other races call dim wittedness is merely a result of how unwieldly weapons and tools feel in the hands of someone who rarely has to hold anything except to carry it.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Rûhntír possess all the senses and to the same degree of sensitivity that humans do except for touch, which although existent is quite muted compared to that of other races.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Rûhntír completely lack names until they turn 13. Such young Rûhntír are called Rûht and it is thought to be unwise to insert something so concrete into the life of someone who is still trying to figure out how to transform their body as it is intended. As such they are at most given nick-names, usually referring to a quality about them such as "Chopper" for a Rûht who currently has their arms in the form of rudimentary blades or "Child" for Rûht that have not yet learned to transform at all. However these names are as versatile as the Rûht themselves and as such a nickname never sticks for longer than the reason for its inception is around. This is to ensure that the Rûht does not grow to believe that they can only be one thing. Once the Rûht is 13, during "The Greater Transmutation" they are given a name that is chosen by themselves, sometimes this name is an amalgamation of all of the nicknames they received the most but most of the time the name is made up by the Rûht entirely based off of their own thoughts on what name they should have, which is more often than not arbitrary but sometimes quite meaningful. Since names are so varied in Rûhntír society and there are not that many of them to begin with Rûhntír usually lack last names unless they come in contact with a society that believes they should have one. In such a case they simply make one up just as they did their first name.
Beauty Ideals
Change and form are the highest ideals of beauty within Rûhntír culture. Facial beauty is usually never considered as this is the one thing that can never be changed (besides of course keeping ones face clean), instead Rûhntír value the beauty of the forms that another Rûhntír takes. The finer and more intricate the transformations of a Rûhntír the more prestige they are held in. The Rûhntír that knows how to morph their arms into many finely made and strong tools and weapons is far more admirable and beautiful than the one that can only manage basic and weak forms or even knows an exceptional form but only one. Although there is no sexual attraction between Rûhntír due to their asexual nature that does not mean they do not appreciate the appearance of another Rûhntír in this way.
Culture and Cultural Heritage
"To abandon the Form is to die, to never change at all is to never live."
Common Customs, Traditions and Rituals
"All of your body is a tool for you to use, but your face is your soul. Never change your face."
Lifespan
65 years
Average Height
6'0"
Average Weight
140lbs
Average Physique
Rûhntír look lanky and long limbed, appearing scrawny to most despite most of their body mass consisting of muscle. Fat is rarely seen on a Rûhntír unless they live in colder climates since they can convert muscle, bone, and fat to either of the other two. This is why they are so muscular upon inspection as most see little point is letting any of their body weight be fat. They can technically become more muscular although replacing bone with muscle is not exactly helpful.
Body Tint, Colouring and Marking
Rûhntír are usually have pale tan skin although it has been known to be a little darker on those native to Uran Savnar.
Geographic Distribution
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