Ya’avin

YA'AVIN Traits

Creature Type

Humanoid

Size

Medium (about 6-7 feet tall)

Speed

30 ft.

As a Ya’avin, you have these special traits.
• Darkvision. You have Darkvision up to 60 ft.
• Shey’gun’te. You know the fundamentals of shey’gun’te – a martial art unique to the Ya’avin community. As such, you gain the ability to deliver an unarmed attack that does a base of 1d6 damage. If you deliver an unarmed attack during your main action, you may use your bonus action to make another unarmed attack. These attacks can be either punches or kicks. (This fighting style can be improved if you choose the Monk class.)
• Inked. As a Ya’avin, tattoos are your heritage and connect you to the rest of your family and lineage. All stories have their place on the canvas of your life. Within that framework, you will have at least two centerpiece tattoos:
• A’akra (Achievement Markings). As an adventurer, you are inked with an A’akra, a matrix of warnings and blessed runes that are further developed over the course of your professional career. At level 1, you will start with the Nine Peaks (the base matrix) tattooed on your back at the base of your neck. Thereafter, for each level that you achieve, you may return to a Khomantu tattooist to add an additional glyph to the rows of the A’akra. When a row is complete, the A’akra will bestow additional benefits to you.
• Oad (Chest Markings). Your chest is tattooed with your Tribal Mark. You may choose from the Ya’avin Oad chart, roll your mark randomly with a d20, or work with your DM to develop a variant.

A’AKRA (Achievement Markings)

Level 1 Protection Magic cannot put you to sleep.
Level 3 Blessing Choose one:
• You have advantage on saves vs. charm
• You have advantage on saves vs. poison
• You have advantage on saves vs. illusion
Level 7 Benefit After each long rest, you have a d8 inspiration die to use until the next long rest.
Level 12 Power Choose an elemental damage type. You are resistant to it.
Level 20 Destiny Choose a damage type OR a spell school. You are immune to damage of that type, or magic from that spell school.

OAD (Chest Markings)
Choose one:

d20 Animal Marking Meaning Trait Gained
1 Bat The cycle of life and death You get an additional death save (normally three, you get four)
2 Bear Healing and strength When you drink a healing potion or are healed through a healing spell, you may roll the result a second time and enjoy the benefit of the highest roll.
3 Butterfly Transformation and enlightenment Choose one: Proficiency in Nature checks OR Religion checks
4 Crow Balance and fate Roll a d6 before any initiative roll. If the result is even, gain advantage on the initiative roll. If it is odd, you have disadvantage on your initiative roll.
5 Daircat Deception and stealth Choose one: proficiency on Stealth checks OR Deception checks
6 Dog Trust and loyalty Once per long rest, you may give a d4 inspiration die to a party member of your choice.
7 Eagle Leadership and intelligence Once per long rest, you may choose a party member to get proficiency on an Intelligence save.
8 Falcon Freedom Once per long rest, during your movement, you can treat rough terrain as if it were normal terrain.
9 Fox Observation and cunning Choose one: proficiency in Insight checks OR Perception
checks
10 Hummingbird Passion Once per long rest, you may choose a party member to
get proficiency on a Charisma save.
11 Lizard Luck and awareness Once per long rest, at the beginning of combat after initiative has been set (before a turn is taken), you may move
your place in the initiative order up or down up to two
positions.
12 Owl Grace and wisdom Choose one: You gain proficiency on Stealth checks OR Perception checks
13 Rabbit Safety and rebirth Once per long rest, choose a party member. If they fail
a death save, you may negate it.
14 Raven Brotherhood Once per long rest, you may give all companions within 30′ of you d4 temporary HPs.
15 Snake Initiation and Luck Success on a Death Save is 8 or higher (normally ten or higher)
16 Spider Strategy and mystery Choose one: Proficiency in Deception checks OR Arcana
checks
17 Spiderdragon Resilience and cunning Once per long rest, you are immune to the one of the following damage types on a single attack: piercing, slashing or bludgeoning.
18 Stallion Confidence and power Proficiency with Athletic checks
19 Turtle Tenacity and self-reliance After a long rest, you gain 1d6 temporary HPs. Once used, they cannot be restored until you use this trait again.
20 Wolf Finding your own way If there are no friendly, conscious comrades within 100ft, you gain proficiency on all skill checks.

 


CONCERNING YA’AVIN

Ya’avin are the descendants of a distant, mixed, and unchronicled heritage: the bloodlines of Elves, mixed with the lineage of the distant lands of Han Chi — the stock of the long lost (and sunken) Wyntiri Empire. Unlike other realms, where Elves are often admired for their beauty, grace and serenity, The elves of Narenfel — specifically the Elflawvin — are unwelcome, deeply mistrusted and feared.

It is a sad irony (though largely unknown or overlooked) that Ya’avin are not offshoots of the Elflawin race (as assumed), but are in fact descendants of a different race of elves that was separated from the mainland after the global catastrophes and the fall of the Wyntiri Empires.

Appearance
Ya’avin appearance strongly favors their ancient Elven background making them easily distinguishable in a crowd. Much like the Elflawvin, their skin tone is pallid, and they are slightly taller than most humans (about six foot). Most recognizable is their elongated and pointed ears (the sight of which often inspires the same loathing shared with true Elflawvin).

Occasionally Ya’avin are born with green or russet hair (like that of the Elflawvin in spring and summer) but unlike true Elves, the hair remains constant in color, does not change color with the seasons, and does not fall out during late fall or winter. Adding to their exotic nature, their Han-Chi influence is easily seen in their slightly slanted eyes and angular cheekbones, further differentiating them from the humans of the main continent.

In addition to their natural appearance, Ya’avin culture is defined by its use of heavy and elaborate body and face tattooing, visually setting them apart even further.

Artistry and Illustration
Of all the races, Ya’avin are known for their artistry, particularly for the unique style of their gold and silver gilded illustrations called Illuminations. Ya’avin mastery in this art form is almost universally acknowledged (though often begrudgingly), and finished manuscripts are highly sought out by collectors, Cahedrists, scribes and Academy Members; indeed they are one of the few reasons that draw other races to seek interaction with the half-elves, or the monasteries where most of this work takes place. Ya’avin are also known to be gifted singers and musicians.

Tattoos
Another distinguishing mark for Ya’avin are their extensive full body and face tattoos. While members of other races individually wear any number of tattoos, to Ya’avin culture is an essential part of identity, passion and rite of passage.

It is traditional to give a child their first tattoo within their first month, a small identification mark signifying their family heritage. The tattooing is usually part of a celebration of welcoming. When a Ya’avin child comes into adolescence around 12 or 13, they tattoo their hands and upper wrists. It is up to the child to choose the color and style of these tattoos, but most involve colorful banding of black, brown, blue, ocre or amethyst, braided lines, or geometric patterns.

As a Ya’avein matures, they add to these marks with a collection of many other common pieces of inking of their personal choosing. Throughout the course of their lives, Ya’avin continue to add to their collection, with tattoos both small and large. Milestone events such as marriage and newborn children are often part of the body canvas, as are fortuitous (or somber) events, achievements of rank, marks of distinction, victories and discoveries and more.

Khomantu Markings
The pride of a Ya’avin’s ink story is in his Khomantu markings, which are added to his chest (the Oad) when he reaches adult status, or to the base of his neck (the A’akra) when he begins his professional career.

While beautiful in their own right, Khomantu Markings are a fusion of inks and divine magics, resulting in a design of lines and colors that are fused into the very life essence of a Ya’avin recipient. Khomantu tattooists are revered in Ya’avin communities, and guard the secrets of their skills.

The Oad (Chest Marking)
The Oad is focuses on a specific animal from which the Ya’avin draws inspiration, power, and guidance. Much thought is given to the type of animal chosen, for it becomes a centerpiece of the Ya’avin’s identity, personality and lineage.

The A’akra (Achievement Marking)
The A’okra is a collection of glyphs and blessed runes that carry magical power, and can provide additional protection and blessings over time. At the start of their career, adventuring Ya’avin visit a Khomantu tattooist to receive the base matrix (referred to as the Nine Peaks) at the base of their neck. As they grow in prowess, they return to the tattooist to add to it.

Ya’avin Communities
Ya’avin face considerable challenges integrating into mainstream society, though no nation actively persecutes them or outlaws their presence. In larger towns, there are communities of Ya’avin families that form small pockets to limit interactions (and altercations) with other races. Small Ya’avin villages exist here and there, usually in someone isolated environments. Many Ya’avin withdraw even further, becoming part of remote monasteries, where they learn the secrets of shey’gun’te while focusing their artistic passions into Illuminations.

Shey’gun’Te (The Way of Heaven’s Fist)
Perhaps the only aspect of Ya’avin society that invites open conversation is the intricate, complex form of martial arts Ya’avin employ called shey’gun’te. The secrets and ritualistic katas of this form of attack are jealously guarded by Ya’avinn masters, and are generally forbidden to be discussed with or passed down to non-Ya’avin disciples.

Ya’avin Names
The Ya’avin language is very different from the other languages in Narenfel, since it relies on a range of vocal inflections to convey specific meanings (represented by the liberal use of apostrophes when the words are written in the common alphabet.)

Ya’avin names are often a mouthful for non-Ya’avvin, especially given the fact that few folk have little interaction with them in the first place, and considerable mistrust in them in general. As a result, outside their communities and monasteries, Ya’avin tend to choose “human sounding” name and nicknames, sometimes loosely based on the sound or meaning of their Ya’avin name, but often just randomly chosen.

Ya’avin Male Names: Atith, Chan’darith, Chiv’an, Dakat’chi, Kep, Kosal, Nim’ith, Nih’mol, Oudomm, Pon’leik, Ponleu, Rath’pol, Sang’hua, Youk
Ya’avin Female Names: Ary, Bor’mei, Cham’pei, Joran’i, Kolti’da, Mach, Mali, Pun’thea, Ra’chany, Raks’mei, Roum’jong, Serey, Srey, Thida