“Star-tossed Eliksni long-live for hope-retrieval, this you know. Great Machine—we cried for it back. We chased through gape-void its after-dust. Lost in-selves-footing, began the Fall. Still falling. Now many only alive for cruelty, hate. It is not what the Great Machine taught us.”
—Tiiriliks, Houseless
The Traveler visited many worlds and shared its blessings with many species before it came to Earth. One such race were the Eliksni, who prospered immensely while the Traveler remained with them. However, it departed in a world-shaking catastrophe called the Whirlwind which left the Eliksni devastated and their civilization all but destroyed. Desperate to return to the Traveler’s grace, the Eliksni set off in great interstellar fleets to chase it across the galaxy—only to find it had chosen others after abandoning them.
A Marvel With Ten Thousand Arms
The Eliksni are four-armed, four-eyed bipeds with generally insectoid physiology. Their skin is purplish-grey with darker growths of partial exoskeletal plating in addition to an internal skeleton. Their eyes are bioluminescent and usually blue. They often wear enclosed headgear to assist respiration, but appear capable of surviving in earthlike atmosphere without rebreathers. Typical individuals are similar in size to humans, but can grow to much greater stature with sufficiently abundant nutriment. Their physical appearance is not particularly distinct from one individual to the next, and they recognize one another (as well as individuals of other species) primarily by scent rather than sight.
The Long Fall
The Eliksni themselves are no longer well informed of their own history, as their culture and its traditions have suffered severe degradation over the long course of their pursuit of the Traveler. Indeed, they regard themselves as the Fallen because of how much they know they have lost since the Whirlwind, which not only deprived them of the Traveler, but rapidly destroyed their highly developed, wonderfully sophisticated, and largely peaceful civilization. Few Eliksni survive who remember their former glory or know the true forms of their old ways.
What is clearly known is the Eliksni came to the Sol system during humanity’s Dark Age. Many flocked to Earth, seeking to reclaim the damaged Traveler and pillage the ruins of the human Golden Age. Others kept to their fleets, roving the system in search of resources, and to stay away from the impossibly strong Risen who opposed them on Earth.
Old Ways Eroded
Classical Eliksni society was organized into aristocratic houses, each ruled by a kell. Although that society shattered in the Whirlwind, the Fallen adhered to its superficial structure, preserving the houses and their hierarchy even as they devolved into ruthless aggression and desperate piracy. The Fallen houses that survived the exodus to Earth still highly value the echoes of their traditions and the order of their laws, distorted though they have become.
However, some Eliksni have left their houses, whether despairing of actually regaining the Great Machine, or simply to escape the cruel pecking order of their pirate crews. Houseless Eliksni are scattered throughout the system, many simply in hiding, others seeking new ways to survive on unfamiliar worlds with enemies everywhere.
Eliksni of every rank in every house share common characteristics.
Ability Score Increase. One ability score of your choice increases by 2, and one other ability score of your choice increases by 1.
Age. The duration of Eliksni maturation from their larval stage is unknown, but once fully grown, their lifespan can be immensely long. Some kells, archons, and other high-ranking Fallen are firsthand survivors of the Whirlwind, which occurred long before the Traveler even arrived in our solar system.
Size. Typical, adequately fed Eliksni are around 7–8 feet tall when standing at full height, but well-fed Eliksni can reach staggering heights. Your size is determined by your ether diet.
Speed. Eliksni walk bipedally, but can drop into a low, crawling dash using their lower arms. Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a climbing speed equal to your base walking speed.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Eliksni, and may also speak City common with the assistance of a voice synth. A rare piece of Eliksni technology called a glossator would allow you to speak with others in any language, but few possess such devices.
Darkvision. Eliksni’s four eyes see beyond the spectrum visible to humans, and are well adapted for dark environments. You have darkvision.
Four Arms. You have four arms: two right arms and two left arms. However, you may only use two of your arms for wielding weapons.
Ether Diet
The form your body takes is dependent on the consistent intake of ether you consume. No matter how little ether you consume, you cannot be below the vandal form of Eliksni. If you manage to maintain a steady diet so as to meet the dietary requirements of other Eliksni forms, you may obtain one of those forms. You cannot skip forms; you must advance from one form to the other, following the guidelines for dietary requirements and form advancement.
Vandal
The typical adult Eliksni form is lithe, nimble, and fairly strong.
Size. Your size is Medium.
Quick Feet. If you fail a Dexterity saving throw, you can choose to succeed instead. Once you use this trait, you must complete a long rest before you can use it again.
Spider Climb. Due to your lighter body, you can move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down along ceilings, while leaving two of your hands free.
Form Advancement. If you meet the dietary requirements of the captain form for a consecutive period of 30 days, at the end of the 30 days, you finish growing into the captain form. You lose the traits of the vandal form and gain the traits of the captain form when this happens.
Captain
The frontline leaders of Eliksni crews are better fed than their underlings, and grow accordingly in size and strength.
Dietary Requirements. You must consume 4 rations of ether per day to maintain a captain form. If you fail to meet this requirement on any 15 days within a 30-day period, at the end of the 30-day period you are reduced to the captain form. You lose the traits of the captain form and gain the traits of the vandal form when this happens.
Size. Your size is Medium.
Relentless. If you take damage that would reduce you to 0 health points or less, you can instead drop to 1 health point. Once you use this trait, you must complete a long rest before you can use it again. Additionally, once you invoke any trait, feature, or other source which prevents you from being reduced to 0 health points, you must complete a long rest in which you regain all hit points before you may invoke such feature again.
Strong Grip. As long as you aren’t wielding more than one weapon, you may wield two-handed weapons in one hand without penalty for only using one hand.
Form Advancement. If you meet the dietary requirements of the baron form for a consecutive period of 30 days, at the end of the 30 days, you finish growing into the baron form. You gain the traits of the baron form in addition to the traits of the captain form.
Baron
The privileges of high-ranking Eliksni commanders include a plentiful ether supply, allowing them to maintain towering height and abundant might.
Dietary Requirements. You must consume 16 rations of ether per day to maintain a baron form. If you fail to meet this requirement on any 15 days within a 30-day period, at the end of the 30-day period you are reduced to the captain form and lose the traits of the baron form.
Size. Your size is Large.
Commanding Presence. As an action, you can cause one of the following effects.
- Bellow: You let out a bellowing howl that can be heard clearly up to 100 feet away. All hostile creatures who can hear you must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier). On a failed save, they become Frightened of you for the next minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect on itself early on a success. If a creature succeeds on their saving throws, if you are Incapacitated, or if the effect ends for them, they become immune to being Frightened by you for 24 hours.
- Embolden: You shout words of encouragement to your allies, which can be heard clearly up to 60 feet away. For the next minute, creatures who clearly heard you and who consider you their ally cannot be Charmed or Frightened, and if they are already Charmed or Frightened, the condition ends early for them. In addition, once on each of your allies’ next turn, they can add a d4 to an ability check, saving throw, or attack roll they make. This effect ends early if you are Incapacitated.
The Bigger They Are. You are a much easier target to hit on the battlefield now, and your increased size hinders your movement. While maintaining this form, your Dexterity score is reduced by 2 and you have disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.