Nuvalon

A connected people, united by more than mere oaths or blood. Some consider the Nuvalons a cosmic mistake. Others still see their unique existence as the next stage in life. For better or worse, the Nuvalons are one with one another.

Origin

Nuvalons are the newest, non-construct species to inhabit Tetraverium. Their birth spawns from the will of Flint, God of Family, and occurred shortly after his ascension. The transformation occurred in the night: ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety nine mortals in the nation of Sunkangden were transformed by Divine magic. The physical forms of Humans, Dwarves, Halflings, Elves, Hellspawn, Demigods, and everything in between were fundamentally changed. They awoke to bronze skin and golden eyes. Bodies like clay. And minds that were opened to others around them. A strange, uncontrollable empathy and relation overwhelmed these new people. Through the first great blessing of Flint, he had created a species of people who were unified by more than blood. A people who, undeniably, were all family.
The name Nuvalon would quickly be developed for this new species, as they threw the world into chaos. Wizards and Sorcerers were blamed for the disaster and executed en masse. Others believed it was a mark that the Nuvalons were either blessed or cursed, and numerous militant campaigns sparked as a result. All in all, the results of Flint’s transformation were undeniably bloody. Stranger still, Flint’s act was the last direct intervention any god made upon the mortal plane. After the creation of the Nuvalon, the Celestial Plane went eerily quiet.

Description

The Nuvalons of Tetraverium are stiff, earthen creatures. They traditionally stand a bit taller than average humans, between 5 and 6 feet tall. Their dense bodies leave them weighing between 200 and 300 pounds on average. They have a lifespan of one hundred and fifty years. Their skin is bronzed and their eyes are usually golden or silver. Their skin is made with a rough, clay-like texture. It is hard, but almost malleable when wet, to a minor degree. Their forms mold and shift to match the shape and sometimes facial structure of those around them; especially others of their kind. They tend to be stockier than your average individual.

Socialization 

The world was slow to adapt to the incursion of the Nuvalons; particularly the Nuvalons themselves. It was difficult for them to grasp the strange connection they had to other members of their new kin. They maintained a strange, empathetic bond with other members of their kind - an empathy that could extend to other species, but was strongest with other Nuvalons. They felt as if they knew other Nuvalons instinctively when meeting them. Sometimes, they felt like they WERE the other. When two Nuvalons sleep together, their lives meld together. They can awaken with each other’s memories in their minds. It quickly became clear that all Nuvalons were like family to all other Nuvalons, whether they wanted to be or not.
The creation of Nuvalons would throw Sunkangden into chaos. Wars were waged against their kind, and many were killed. Others were imprisoned, locked away, or accused of defying the gods. This would escalate into a mass-scale conflict between the North and South of Sunkangden. After the Calypta Dynasty brought stability back to the nation, Nuvalons would integrate into society, but were still kept at an arm's reach.
Nuvalon relationships are often seen as creepy by other mortals. Some Nuvalons feel unwilling to wed other Nuvalons, due to feeling too close. They could never truly be intimate. This has led to more cross-breeding than any other species. Most Nuvalons have a wide range of species in their ancestry. This extends their empathic abilities across a diverse number of species, and further fractures their individual identities.|
Stranger are Nuvalons who choose to marry other Nuvalons. A Nuvalon who embraces their kind can grow strangely close with their partner. The individual differences fall away between them until they are one. Larger Nuvalon societies often feel reminiscent of a cult, with each individual member becoming one with the ‘collective whole’. In some Nuvalon cultures, when two Nuvalon marry, they have parts of their body join - usually the hair. This can go as far as two Nuvalons becoming one single individual through marriage, via physical merging of their characteristics.
Nuvalons are adaptable, their features constantly shifting depending on who they are around. A Nuvalon who spends too long in a community of Dwarves may become shorter or grow a beard out of nowhere. A Nuvalon ingratiated with Elves will become taller and more agile. A Nuvalon can even warp their physical body, to an extent, like molding clay. These shifts can become more pronounced when wielding their empathic abilities, causing Nuvalons to be awkward in group settings.
Nuvalon reproduction is one of their strangest qualities. They reproduce through a system similar to snakes, in a cycle that seems to defy all logic. To briefly get explicit: Male Nuvalons have two penises. A female Nuvalon can choose to delay her pregnancy for up to five years. While they give live birth, it is through an egg growing inside of them. Nuvalon reproduction is a creepy subject for most species to engage with.

Living in Tetraverium

Today, Nuvalons are a much more accepted element of life in Tetraverium. This holds particularly true in Sunkangden, which has had to accept them as a part of their communities. The current Empress of the nation is a Nuvalon.
Isolated Nuvalon communities rarely integrate well into larger nations. These communities tend to be small villages nestled in the mountains or deep within the Exalted Wilds. These communities are very close, and act in a strange synchronicity. They are regarded with fear and hesitancy by most, and the Holy Kingdom has led a number of military campaigns against them.
Nuvalons aren’t particularly widespread, with their species rarely extending beyond Selestia. Most live in the Viderium or Opagatus regions of the continent. To see a Nuvalon outside Selestia is a rare sight indeed, and Domufuerte and Gierelend tend not to be as welcoming of their kind.

Subraces 

There are no Nuvalon Subraces.

Mechanics

If you choose Nuvalon as your species, you gain the following traits:

Ability Score Increase: You can increase one Ability Score by 2 and one Ability Score by 1.
Creature Type: You are a Humanoid.
Size: You are Medium.
Speed: Your walking speed is 30 ft.
Darkvision: You have Darkvision out to a range of 60 ft.
Empathic Bond: You can sense the emotional state of any creature within 30 ft. of you, and any creature within 30 ft. of you can sense your emotional state. This gives you surface-level insight into the emotions of the target creature.
Starting at 5th level, you can attempt to probe deeper into the emotions of a creature. As an Action, you can force a creature within 30 ft. to make a Wisdom Saving Throw (DC = 8 + proficiency bonus + Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. You decide when you choose this species.) On a failure, you gain insight into its reasoning (if any), its emotional state, and something that looms large in its mind. Either way, the target creature knows you are probing into its mind.
You can attempt to probe a creature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all uses when you finish a Long Rest.
Open Book: Your strong empathic abilities make you an open book to your own species. When conversing with a Nuvalon or Half-Nuvalon, you have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks if the creature is within 30 ft. You have disadvantage on Charisma (Deception) checks if the creature is within 30 ft.
Nuvalon Magic: Starting at 3rd Level, you can cast the spells Alter Self and Enlarge/Reduce (targeting yourself only) without requiring a material component with this trait. When you cast these spells, they do not require concentration. Once you cast spells with this trait, you can’t cast that spell with it again until you finish a long rest. You can also cast these spells using any spell slots you have.
Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells when you cast them with this trait (choose when you select this race).
Powerful Build: You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Languages: Your character can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.