A D&D 5e player race
Proud and stoic, these flightless birdfolk come from the frozen edges of the world. Though some have stayed in the harsh snow fields of their ancestors, many others have set sail for more temperate lands and created colonies in areas ignored or abandoned by other races.
Penku are taught to be tough and resilient, that nature is uncaring and suffering unavoidable. Despite this bleak outlook, they are actually quite sociable and love nothing more than to gossip or hear stories when amongst their own kind. Popular Penku tales tend to be long melancholy legends about their ancient mighty kingdoms, driven to ruin and hidden under the ice centuries ago after some great cataclysm or betrayal.
The immediate family is important to Penku and they mate for life. If a younger Penku loses their partner, rather than recouple they will often leave the colony and spend the rest of their life wandering. Exile tends to also be the punishment for serious crimes.
Penku are excellent at fishing and sailing, and these are the primary ways they feed their colonies and trade with others. Their preferred weapons tend to be ones that give them reach, such as spears, harpoons, tridents and halberds. These are sometimes made from a strange greenish-black rock that Penku brought from their homeland and refuse to trade with outsiders.
All Penku start with the following traits:
Ability Score Increase. A Penku character's Constitution score increases by 2.
Age. Penku mature faster than humans, reaching full maturity by the age of 10. They can live as long as humans, though often those eking out life in the icy tundra live for barely half as long.
Size. Penku range in height depending on their subrace, but all are classed as Medium size.
Speed. Penku have a walking speed of 25 feet, and a swimming speed of 40 feet. They walk with a distinct waddle that other races tend to find comical. A good tip: do not tell a Penku that you think their walk is funny-looking.
Polar Adaptation. All Penku are resistant to cold damage.
Stand Tall. When a Penku is reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, they can drop to 1 hit point instead. They can’t use this feature again until finishing a long rest.
Life is Tough. All Penku have proficiency in the Survival skill.
Languages. Penku speak, read and write Common.
Subraces. There are three types of Penku. The adventurous Royal Penku, the haughty Imperial Penku and the enigmatic Albino Penku. Colonies usually consist of only one type, and they rarely choose to mix. However lone Penku living amongst other races are invariably happy to see another of their race, even from another subrace, and start sharing any gossip they can over a fish snack.
ROYAL PENKU
Shortest in stature of their race but largest in population, Royal Penku average around 4 feet tall. They are coloured a mix of black and white, with orangey-yellow markings across the chest and orange markings on the face. Royal Penku claim to be the surviving nobility of their lost kingdom, and all of them have a noble title of some kind. They insist on people referring to them by their title, though dislike the use of any honorifics (so Prince Khee-Yawl of the Silvery Grottoes would expect everyone to call him Prince Khee-Yawl but not 'your highness' or 'your grace').
To the surprise of outsiders, Royal Penku colonies are remarkably egalitarian. They rarely have any formal hierarchy or leadership in a colony, the nearest thing being a council of elders. Their explanation is that as they are all noble-born, they have no right of dominion over each other.
Royal Penku usually worship austere and aloof gods of ice and winter in a fairly cursory manner. Many believe in a messianic figure called the Coronal who will one day arrive to rule their race and return them to former glories. Royal Pengu admire both physical bravery and inventive storytelling so tend to produce fighters, rangers and bards.
Ability Score Increase. Royal Penku increase their Wisdom score by 1.
Active Lifestyle. All Royal Penku have proficiency in the Athletics skill.
Languages. In addition to any other languages, Royal Penku can speak Aquan.
IMPERIAL PENKU
Imperial Penku are taller and a bit broader than their Royal cousins, averaging around 5 feet in height, with yellow markings on their faces.
While Royal Penku claim to be the descendants of ancient nobility, Imperial Penku say they are a direct line from royalty itself. Their ancestors once ruled over the fabled southern empire before it was brought low by some catastrophe (in Imperial Penku stories, this downfall was usually caused by an outside force rather than any internal flaw).
Imperial Penku are often seen by others as, well, imperious. They have a tendency to be condescending to other races (and to Royal Penku, who find it annoying). However they carry themselves with a confidence and conviction that can be compelling. Imperial Penku think they are a race of natural-born leaders and to some extend that is actually true.
Imperial Penku colonies are usually rhetocracies, where community decisions are made at public debates where anyone can take the stand and try to sway the crowd. They follow a kind of ancestor worship, honouring the first of their line. Like Royal Pengu the more adventurous among them often become bards, or fighters (typically Battle Masters). They respect scholarly knowledge, and most colonies have a wizard or two among them.
Ability Score Increase. Imperial Penku increase their Charisma score by 1.
Steadfast. Imperial Penku have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Languages. In addition to any other languages, Imperial Penku can speak Aquan.
ALBINO PENKU
The rarest subrace of Penku are also the largest, ranging 6 to 7 feet in height. These quiet giants are a bone white colour with pale pink-grey eyes.
Most Albino Penku have stayed in their icy homelands, keeping small settlements in and around the mysterious abandoned underground cities that Penku claim were once part of their empire. Albino Penku spend most of their time underground, obsessively studying and cataloguing those ruins. Unlike their more garrulous cousins, Albino Penku enjoy silence and solitude. When they do speak, it's often in circular gnomic statements and strange metaphors. Other races tend to find Albino Penku a little unsettling - their Royal and Imperial cousins find them downright creepy.
An unusually high number of Albino Penku become warlocks or sorcerers. They don't tell outsiders much about the ancient extraplanar sanity-warping entities they gain power from, and most people prefer to keep it that way.
Ability Score Increase. Albino Penku increase their Strength score by 1.
Darkvision. Albino Penku can see in dim light within 60 feet of them as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light.
Sunlight Sensitivity. Albino Penku have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when they, the target of their attack, or whatever they are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
Deep Thought. Albino Penku do not need to sleep, instead they can meditate deeply (remaining semiconscious) for 4 hours a day. After resting in this way, they gain the same benefit as from 8 hours of sleep.
Languages. In addition to any other languages, Albino Penku can speak Deep Speech.
