Valtari
The Valtari – The Aquatic Predators of the Velgarin
The Valtari are a fearsome, amphibious race of the Velgarin, descended from the apex predators of the sea. Known for their mastery of both land and water, the Valtari inhabit coastal regions, deep-sea cities, and underwater trenches, where their hunting prowess and sheer dominance in aquatic environments make them formidable warriors, hunters, and guardians of the depths.
They are divided into three distinct subraces, each embodying different aspects of oceanic predation:
The Rah'Vokar (Bloodsharks) – Silent, relentless hunters that thrive in the heat of battle.
The Uru'Thaal (Dreadwhales) – Towering behemoths of the waves, embodying raw power and endurance.
The Selek'Var (Phantom Seals) – Cunning, swift assassins that dominate icy waters with precision strikes.
Valtari Racial Traits (Shared by all Subraces)
Ability Score Increase: +2 Strength
Creature Type: Humanoid
Size: Medium (except for Uru’Thaal, who are Large)
Speed: 30 ft walking, 40 ft swimming
Languages: Common, Velgarin
Alignment: Valtari tend to be pragmatic and driven by survival instincts, often neutral, though some lean towards lawful (guardians of their people) or chaotic (fierce raiders).
Darkvision: 60 ft
Amphibious: You can breathe both air and water.
Tideborn Resilience: You have resistance to cold damage, and you ignore movement penalties caused by underwater environments.
Valtari Subraces
Rah’Vokar – The Bloodsharks
(Shark-based Velgarin)
Rah’Vokar are relentless hunters, their senses honed for bloodshed. They thrive in battle, using their powerful jaws and an innate ability to track wounded prey across vast distances. Their sleek, muscular forms make them deadly both in water and on land.
Ability Score Increase: +1 Dexterity
Hunter’s Blindsight: You have blindsight out to 120 feet, but can only identify creatures that are wounded (below max HP).
Sanguine Frenzy: When you hit a creature that is injured (below max HP) with a melee attack, you can use your bonus action to make a bite attack against the same target.
Bloodied Fury: Once per long rest, when you are reduced to half HP or lower, you can enter a frenzied state for 1 minute. During this time, your movement speed increases by 10 feet, and you gain advantage on melee attack rolls against creatures that are below max HP.
Natural Weapons – Bite: Your bite is a natural melee weapon that deals 1d8 piercing damage. If you hit a creature with this attack, it cannot take the Disengage action until the start of your next turn.
Uru’Thaal – The Dreadwhales
(Killer Whale-based Velgarin)
Massive, powerful, and nearly unstoppable in battle, the Uru’Thaal are the largest of the Valtari. They are built for endurance and sheer brute force, capable of ramming enemies with the power of a crashing wave.
Ability Score Increase: +1 Constitution
Size: Large
Tidebreaker Charge: If you move at least 20 feet in a straight line before making a melee attack, the target must make a Strength saving throw (DC = 8 + proficiency + Strength modifier) or be knocked prone. If the target is already prone, you deal an additional 1d6 bludgeoning damage.
Ocean’s Might: Your carrying capacity is doubled, and you count as one size larger when determining the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
Natural Weapons – Crushing Jaws: Your bite attack deals 1d10 piercing damage, and when you hit a creature with it, they must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be grappled (DC = 8 + proficiency + Strength modifier). While grappled this way, the creature takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage at the start of each of your turns.
Sonar Pulse: Once per long rest, as a bonus action, you emit a powerful echolocation pulse. Creatures within 60 feet that are invisible or hidden must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + proficiency + Constitution modifier) or be revealed for 1 minute.
Selek’Var – The Phantom Seals
(Leopard Seal-based Velgarin)
Masters of ambush and precision, the Selek’Var are the stealthiest of the Valtari. Their speed and cunning allow them to strike hard and vanish just as quickly, using their razor-sharp claws and powerful jaws to devastating effect.
Ability Score Increase: +1 Dexterity
Slippery Escape: You have advantage on checks and saving throws to escape grapples and resist being restrained.
Icy Camouflage: You gain proficiency in Stealth, and you have advantage on Stealth checks made while in arctic or aquatic environments.
Razor Claws: Your claw attacks deal 1d6 slashing damage. If you hit a creature with this attack, you can use a bonus action to disengage.
Silent Predator: Once per long rest, you can use an action to become invisible for 1 minute while underwater or in dim light. This effect ends if you attack or cast a spell.
Closing Thoughts
The Valtari bring a dangerous, waterborne presence to any campaign, whether as allies or adversaries. Each subrace is distinct yet thematically linked, ensuring they fit into a variety of settings, from pirate-infested seas to deep-sea kingdoms and even coastal raiding parties.
Additional Information
Social Structure
The Tideborn Hierarchy
The Valtari organize their society into a meritocratic hierarchy based on prowess, wisdom, and cunning. The leaders are chosen through combat trials, cunning displays, and challenges of endurance. There are no hereditary rulers—only those who prove themselves earn leadership.
The Abyssal Sovereign – The highest leader of the Valtari, chosen by combat and wisdom trials.
The Deep Council – A collection of the most skilled warriors, tacticians, and spiritual leaders who advise the Sovereign.
Tideborn Champions – The greatest warriors of the Valtari, each representing their respective subrace in battle and diplomacy.
Hunters & Sentinels – The backbone of Valtari society, consisting of warriors, scouts, and protectors.
Artisans & Weavers – Those who craft weapons, build structures, and sustain the culture of Vael'Thuras.
Tideborn Initiates – The youngest members of society, undergoing rigorous training before choosing their path.
Social mobility is common, as strength, intelligence, and contributions to society determine one’s status, rather than birthright.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Rah’Vokar Names (Bloodsharks)
Rah’Vokar names are often short, sharp, and aggressive, reflecting their predatory nature.
Male Names: Jakkar, Veysh, Xirak, Rhozan, Korrak
Female Names: Vasha, Izikra, Xaleh, Yzora, Zhiri
Surnames: Bloodspear, Stormfang, Redwake, Deepfang
Uru’Thaal Names (Dreadwhales)
Uru’Thaal names tend to be deep and resonant, carrying authority and weight.
Male Names: Thar’Joruun, Vak’Thul, Khaazad, Boruun, Xharok
Female Names: Vael’Zora, Ith’Kaal, Zhoraa, Orvanna, Mo'kaaz
Surnames: Tidebreaker, Stormcaller, Leviathanborn
Selek’Var Names (Phantom Seals)
Selek’Var names are smooth and flowing, often inspired by water and movement.
Male Names: Selyth, Vaen, Zaelor, Rythos, Tizel
Female Names: Xyara, Maelis, Zheva, Lynsa, Oryna
Surnames: Mistveil, Deepcurrent, Silentwave
Gender Ideals
The Valtari see little distinction in gender roles, as both male and female warriors fight, lead, and hunt. However, among the Uru’Thaal, larger males often serve as enforcers, while smaller females tend to be swifter tacticians.
Courtship Ideals
Courtship among the Valtari is based on mutual respect and combat trials. It is common for partners to test each other’s strength through sparring before forming a bond. Marriage is rare, as the Valtari prefer lifelong partnerships based on capability rather than ceremony.
Common Etiquette Rules
Silence is Respect – Interrupting someone is considered highly disrespectful.
Blood for Blood – If a Valtari spills another’s blood unjustly, they are expected to atone through service or ritual combat.
No Lies Among the Tideborn – Lying is considered the greatest sin, as trust is paramount in battle.
Common Taboos
Speaking of Vael’Thuras to Outsiders is punishable by exile or death.
Never Betray the Sea – A Valtari who refuses to aid another in perilous waters is considered a coward and is shunned.
The Abyssal Curse – It is said that those who stray too far into the deep may be claimed by an ancient force, forever becoming one with the darkness.
History
Valtari History & Legacy
The Valtari were once part of an ancient Velgarin diaspora, but unlike their land-dwelling kin, they adapted fully to oceanic life. Legends say that millennia ago, a great cataclysm known as The Tidal Sundering reshaped the oceans, and during this time, the Valtari emerged as apex predators of the deep. Some say they were once mortals who were blessed (or cursed) by an ancient sea god, forever bound to the water.
While the Valtari have remained isolated for most of their history, they have been silent players in world affairs, secretly influencing naval warfare, trading with select surface dwellers, and occasionally intervening in times of great crisis. They have repelled empires that sought to conquer the sea and have waged wars in the deep against horrors unknown to the surface world.
Among their greatest adversaries are the Abyssborn, monstrous entities that lurk in the darkest trenches of the ocean. The Valtari have been at war with these creatures for generations, viewing them as corruptions of the sea that must be purged.
Historical Figures
Vael'Kora the Tidebreaker – The legendary warrior who led the Valtari in the first war against the Abyssborn.
Xiros the Red Wake – A Rah’Vokar warlord who once hunted surface pirates for sport, wiping out entire fleets.
Ith’Zaraan, Keeper of the Abyssal Forge – A revered Uru’Thaal who uncovered the Abyssal Forge’s secrets and used it to craft legendary weapons.
Common Myths and Legends
The Hidden Depths – The Secret Homeland of the Valtari
The Valtari homeland is an ancient, concealed underwater metropolis known as Vael'Thuras, located deep beneath the ocean floor in a vast network of undersea caverns, trenches, and bioluminescent coral cities. The Valtari guard its location fiercely, sharing it with no outsiders, not even their closest allies. Those who stumble upon its borders are given two options: swear an oath of secrecy or never leave alive.
Vael’Thuras is self-sufficient and technologically advanced in aquatic engineering. The city is illuminated by natural bio-luminescence, and its structures are built from petrified coral, volcanic stone, and shimmering pearls. The Valtari believe that Vael’Thuras was a gift from the Deep Mother, a mysterious divine entity believed to have created them to maintain balance within the oceans.
The greatest secret of Vael'Thuras is The Abyssal Forge, an ancient structure buried beneath the seabed, rumored to be a remnant of an even older civilization. It is said to be capable of forging weapons imbued with the raw power of the deep. Only the most honored warriors are allowed near it, and even then, few understand its true nature.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Lifespan
The Valtari have an average lifespan of 80-120 years, though some elders have been known to live up to 150 years. The Uru’Thaal, being the largest and most robust, tend to live the longest.
Average Height
Rah'Vokar (Bloodsharks): 5' 8" - 7' 0"
Uru'Thaal (Dreadwhales): 7' 5" - 9' 0"
Selek'Var (Phantom Seals): 5' 5" - 6' 6"
Average Weight
Rah'Vokar (Bloodsharks): 200 - 350 lbs
Uru'Thaal (Dreadwhales): 500 - 900 lbs
Selek'Var (Phantom Seals): 180 - 280 lbs
