Xeriph

"They're gonna catch us," pants the small muskin. The heist had gone so well, and the constabulary had to come and ruin all the fun.

Hayreg wraps the reins tight in his massive blue hands. "Catch us? You make me laugh friend Borsa. I raised this steed myself. Fear not, we are not to die today!"

— excerpt from a recovered Book of Wutai

Big blue buddies

Giant kind has been pushed to the edge of society. None of the small races would trust anyone who could crush their home from four hundred feet. Yet people from every walk of life have wanted the fruits of a xeriph's labor. Xeriph are the big blue buddies of the civilized world — as often for their innate ability to calm the savage beast as for the calm way they face apparent death.

Husbandry material

Where other races take a wide berth to avoid giants and their smaller cousins, a solitary exception is made for the xeriph — they have made themselves too valuable to avoid. Xeriph horse is the best horse, or so the saying goes. From the frosted mesas in the north to the scorching bushlands in the south, xeriph have found a niche as the civilized world's premier animal wranglers.

Steeds for kings and queens usually trace their lineage to a seemingly endless xeriph ranch. Their massive bulk paired with a complete lack of fear makes them the perfect trainers for beasts. Even with smaller animals like pseudodragons the xeriph seem to have an affinity.

Grim practicality

From the outside, xeriph seem starkly cold about death and loss. Other races may want to include a xeriph friend in a last-rite ceremony only to be rebuffed due to scheduling concerns. This stems from the bedrock of their culture — and from an innate talent singular to the giant kin.

Xeriph know when they will die. Not at birth, and not always, but typically at the twenty-day point a xeriph can know without a doubt that they are not long for this world. This has led to certain idiosyncrasies: a typical lack of any inheritance, an enthusiasm for lucrative-if-dangerous jobs, and a general disinterest in a consumptive life. The gambler's mantra of "you never know when you're gonna go" rings hollow for the xeriph.

Boundless excess

Xeriph life is that of practical choices. Many roam across thousand-acre ranches to earn funds to better their life and legacy; most xeriph homes are as expansive as the farmsteads they sit on.

Any personal wealth, with few exceptions, is spent during a xeriph's Requiem — the twenty-day stretch a xeriph knows to be their final. Requiem is portrayed as a party that lasts the entire stretch, with costs meticulously planned to drain the guest of honor to the last copper and no more. To a xeriph, there is no excuse to leave debt behind.

No neighbors, no strangers

Xeriph live in communities nearly unrecognizable to other races. What appears to be a series of disparate ranches and a stone altar in the middle of a field is actually a tight-knit xeriph village. Given their wide-open homelands (Gwendon and Emkut) and their propensity for swift steeds, living far from your nearest neighbor is no burden.

Xeriph have frequent get-togethers at the behest of the local druid — an elder and spiritual leader of the community. Xeriph celebrations are known for being worthy of the bard's song, with death-defying feats of strength and bravery like steer wrestling and caber catching common at a fearless xeriph party.

Deities and religion

Xeriph are worshippers of primordials — the deific precursors to gods. Clerics are rare, as primordials do not typically answer prayers. Xeriph clergy are druids who learn from the teachings of primordials.

Xeriph names

Culturally, a xeriph name is decided over time as a consensus. A specific xeriph will go through her life being called something by each of her employers, merchants, and lovers — possibly a different name by each. Whatever an onlooker calls a xeriph, they are right (barring insult).

Usually the momentum is started by whatever name a parent chooses to call their child, and the working name settles as a permutation of the original. The surname is a recent addition to convention, adopted due to trade with other races.

Male names. Bomir, Deko, Droda, Fendak, Hayreg, Lavoi, Maffir, Provan, Pruto, Rostek, Sluda, Vojha.

Female names. Bena, Drava, Lenka, Mila, Rosla, Rona, Stomil, Valda, Veta, Wadir, Zbena, Zduska.

Xeriph Traits

Your xeriph character has a number of traits in common with all other xeriph.

• Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2.
• Age. Physical adulthood by 14, cultural by 16. Old age is considered 50; xeriph tend to die young, make a pretty corpse.
• Alignment. Xeriph are a pragmatic people. Their ability to sense coming death has taken much of the fear out of society; they lean toward good or chaotic, though not typically both at the same time. Neutral good and chaotic neutral are aplenty.
• Size. Xeriph are creatures of the land; subraces have marked height and weight discrepancies. Your size is Medium.
• Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
• Beast Whisperer. You have proficiency in the Animal Handling skill.
• Precognition. Advantage on saving throws against magical death effects and attempts to frighten you.
• Languages. You can speak, read, and write Giant (Xeriph) and a common language.

Tundra Xeriph

Tundra xeriph have lived for generations in the northern flatlands herding great beasts of burden. As a rite of passage they walk into the wilderness to hunt game with only their bare hands. Some come back with elk. Some come back with bears.

• Size. Northern life demands a hearty body. Tundra xeriph are between 7 and 8 feet tall, averaging 280 pounds.
• Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.
• Powerful Build. You count as one size category larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.
• Bear Wrestler. After you take damage from a creature within 5 feet, you may use your reaction to attempt to grapple that creature.

Bushland Xeriph

The southern flatlands promote victory to the swift. With few places to hide, bushland xeriph have learned to strike with ruthless effectiveness. Many stories are told by newcomers who watched a xeriph take his mighty strides, chasing down antelope on the open plains with a deft net.

• Size. Bushland xeriph are between 5½ and 7 feet tall, averaging 240 pounds.
• Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.
• Bonus Language. You can speak, read, and write Halfling.
• Fleet of Foot. Your base walking speed is 35 feet.
• Game Hunters. Proficient in blowguns and nets.