Taslenh

These arctic creatures have only recently (within the last 100 years or so) appeared on the face of Fenrilik. While taslenh means “awakened” in Druidic, some scholars argue that it translates better to “severed” in Fenriliki. Indeed, either translation appears appropriate, as these humanoid-looking creatures were once host imprints from among the frigid oozes known as ice wardens. Rumor tells that something happens to sever a taslenh from their ice warden progenitors, leaving them to exist as their own selves.

Physical Description: A taslenh appears as a humanoid perfectly sculpted from ice down to minute details, with eyes that glitter like the rising sun reflected off pristine snow. Physical features vary between taslenh, based on the specific humanoid each taslenh imprinted from.

Society: Taslenh are at an awkward crossroads in their social standing and development. With distant memories that once belonged to someone else, a taslenh may wander, seeking to pick up where their “life” left off. These taslenh often meet with distrust, if not outright hostility. Some of those who escape persecution by angry villagers flee back into the frozen wastes, banding together into small nomadic groups, though nothing so organized as a settlement. These lost souls, unable to recall their true origin and unwelcome in places they do remember, now simply struggle to survive together.

Relations: Much distrust surrounds the taslenh. Many Fenriliki have had encounters with ice wardens and know what a host imprint looks like. The eschek have been amongst the first to welcome any of the taslenh into their communities; eschek have rarely had bad experiences with ice wardens, possibly due to their own icy nature.

Alignment and Religion: Even freed of the tie between themselves and their ice warden creators, taslenh tend toward neutral alignment. Hazy memories of their host imprint can bias a taslenh toward that creature’s good, neutral, or evil axis.

Adventurers: Taslenh imprinted from common folk often attempt to return to the lives of their hosts, only to be cast out or attacked. Many taslenh choose to become adventurers instead simply to seek their place in the world. Others inherit a thirst for adventure, fame, or fortune from their original hosts.

Names: While some taslenh retain their host’s name, many rename themselves, seeking their own identities. Such names use the tinkling chimes of ice warden speech but translate into other tongues as well. But often they are long, expressing a concept, and burdensome in conversation with other humanoids; taslenh usually also choose a simpler name from a common language.

Example Names: One Who Woke in the Watery Cave, One Who Saw the Star Fall, One Who Seeks Redemption, One Who Must Avenge Their Fallen Companion

Taslenh Racial Traits

Freed of their ice warden creators, all taslenh share similar traits.

• Ability Score Increase. You gain the ability score increases of the creature you originally imprinted from. For example, if you imprinted from an orc, your Strength score increases by 3 and your Constitution score increases by 1. If you imprinted from a human, however, each of your ability scores increases by 1.
• Age. In their original form, ice wardens can live for hundreds of years. It is unknown if the taslenh retain such life spans, or if they take on the natural life spans of their imprinted host. No taslenh has yet died of old age.
• Size. Taslenh vary greatly in height and stature. You are as tall as, and weigh as much as, the creature you imprinted from. As such, you are either Small or Medium.
• Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 ft.
• Senses. Your ooze origin grants you blindsight. You perceive what is around you within 60 feet, though you are unable to see features or details. In addition, you see the world as the creature you imprinted from did, including darkvision if your host imprint had it.
• Diminished Host Imprint. Prior to being removed from their ice warden’s influence, each taslenh was an imprint of a humanoid creature. They gained not only the knowledge, memories, and physical form of that creature, but also its abilities. After the severing, a taslenh’s duplication of the original host alters; they lose their mimicry of racial abilities, and their host’s memories become distant and hazy. Notably, however, taslenh do not have the limitations on divine spellcasting of an ice warden.
• Shape Memory. If you die, your form shatters and reverts to a semi-animate ooze state like that of an ice warden. If revived by magic or similar effects, your body returns to its humanoid form.
• Dual Nature. Your creature type is both Ooze and Humanoid.
• Frigid Stability. You have advantage on saving throws and skill checks against being pushed or forced prone when on ice. In addition, you have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks when grappling or being grappled while on ice. You never lose your footing on ice, and can move across ice at regular speed, even if it is considered difficult terrain.
• Ice Warden Traits. You are immune to cold damage but are vulnerable to bludgeoning and fire damage. In addition, you cannot be blinded, deafened, or suffer from exhaustion. If you cast a spell or use an ability that would cause fire damage, it instead causes cold damage.
• Stolid Mind. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.
• Languages. You speak whatever languages your host imprint did. In addition, you can communicate with other taslenh and ice wardens with a series of resonating chimes that express ideas and concepts.