The Seven Clans of Xurai
The mystical Isles of Xurai were once controlled by seven powerful clans that channeled the power of primordial spirits through their unique abilities and martial arts. Each clan ruled over the people of different regions of Xurai.
Even after the arrival of the Empire which dissolved most of the clans, the heroes that stand against their expansion still hold to the traditions and powers of their people. As such, the legacy of the clans still holds on to the people of Xurai. The Seven Clans of Xurai were as follows:
- The Boar Clan. Powerful warriors and skilled blacksmiths that lived in the Silent Desert which covered most of the main island of Xurai. Everything they crafted was gifted with unnatural durability and strength, a trait shared by the members of the clan. Often seen as stubborn, warriors of the Boar Clan would hold the line in battle until the end to ensure the safety of their allies.
- The Dragon Clan. Secluded in the mountains of Tao Gor in the Isle of Fernas, the members of the Dragon Clan were disciplined and wise keepers of tradition, mastering both their body and mind to an astonishing level. Following the teachings of the Tao Gor Council, students of the Dragon Clan didn't usually engage with the other clans. Even still, their tattooed bodies and control over the elements was known throughout the isles.
- The Fox Clan. A mysterious kin hidden in the heart of the Forest of a Thousand Names. The magic of this clan manifested through illusions, which kept them and their temple veiled from outsiders. Members of the Fox Clan were master infiltrators and spies, hiding in the villages and castles of other clans to bring information back to their leader. They would seal their identity inside beautiful masks that they only took off to adopt different personas. Their numbers have always been a mystery, a fact that the Fox Clan uses to exaggerate their influence and power.
- The Hawk Clan. Controlling the fertile highlands of the Wuutong peninsula, the Hawk Clan was comprised of great hunters with uncanny perception and accuracy. Members of this clan often migrated in small groups between the villages of the peninsula. In their travels, members of the Hawk Clan would train to sharpen their senses, learning to listen to the wind and to see beyond human limits. These hunters would then use the language of the wind to call upon the spirits of the land to aid them during their hunts or battle against invaders.
- The Kraken Clan. Astute sailors that controlled the northern seas between the Isles of Xurai founded the Kraken Clan on the Sorrowing Archipelago. Guided by an otherworldly guide, followers of this clan are conniving and strategic. Their ships are often manned by animated effigies that members of the Kraken Clan use to exent their will. At the arrival of the Arquian Empire, they were the first clan to ally themselves to the outsiders. Members of the Kraken Clan now form the North Division of the Arquian navy.
- The Shark Clan. More of a collective of disorganized thieves and rogue whalers than a hierarchical clan, the ships of the Shark Clan roam the dangerous waters of the Sea of Beasts. What ties these bandits together is their call for adventure and freedom, as well as a spiritual connection to the sea and wind. Passionate and dangerous, most members of the Shark Clan have an affinity for razored and toothed blades, as well as the acidic bladders of Leviathans, which they use for hunting and threatening sailors. Though not an official leader, most members of the Shark Clan show respect only to their oldest and wisest member, a pirate lord known as Great White.
- The Wolf Clan. Ruling the Valley of Lights in the northmost part of the Isle of Fernas, the members of the Wolf Clan were masterful swordfighters with a special bond to their blades and comrades. The spirits of wolves allow members of the clan an enhanced agility and strength for hunting, an ability they could share with any blade they bonded with. Most weapons of the Wolf Clan were longswords smithed in the Frozen Forge. Following the Father and Mother of the Pack, all members of the clan see each others as siblings, and fight side by side against all odds.
Beyond their specific skills, the magic of the spirits could manifest as physical traits in the members of each clan. Members of the Boar Clan could be heavier and wider than most people, or even have protruding tusks on their lower jaw. While members of the Fox and Wolf Clan might have ears or tails that resemble those of their spirit animal. Now in the era of the Iron Match, most descendants of the clans have opted to hide their animalistic features in fear of becoming a target the Arquian Empire.
Now, twenty years after Empire shattered the balance of Xurai with the use of their devastating Heathen Guns, the surviving members of The Seven Clans must unite their forces to reclaim their land and protect their ways.
Xurai Backgrounds
The Isles of Xurai are a place of struggle between tradition and modernity, holding on to an extinguishing way of life against an overwhelming threat, and old adversaries uniting against new enemies. Even though the Age of Clans is over, the heroes of Xurai still cling to their traditions and fight using the ways of their masters.
This document presents some backgrounds tailored to the Isles of Xurai setting. Each one presents the opportunity to pick a new feat based around the mystical arts of each of the Seven Clans of Xurai (presented later in the document). These backgrounds are not mandatory, but might help a Player Character feel immersed in the world and its struggles. With a willing DM, these backgrounds and feats might even be adopted into different D&D settings.
These backgrounds can even be used with the playtest rules for One D&D. As such, you may assign ability score increases in any way you like, or following these suggested arrangements:
- Boar Clan Vanguard: +2 Constitution, +1 Strength
- Dragon Clan Disciple: +2 Dexterity, +1 Wisdom
- Fox Clan Envoy: +2 Charisma, +1 Wisdom
- Hawk Clan Hunter : +2 Wisdom, +1 Dexterity
- Kraken Clan Sailor: +2 Intelligence, +1 Charisma
- Shark Clan Pirate: +2 Dexterity, +1 Constitution
- Wolf Clan Samurai: +2 Strength, +1 Dexterity
Boar Clan Vanguard
You are a great warrior of the Boar Clan, the last surviving clan of Xurai and its bastion against the Arquian Empire. As all members of the Boar Clan you've been trained to excel both at the battlefield and the forge, crafting your own weapons, armors and shields.
Your body and resolve have been tested by the harsh weather and dangerous inhabitants of the Silent Desert, becoming as tough as the mountains that surround it. Yet even in these dire times you manage to find time to share a drink and gamble your savings against your fellow soldiers.
Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Medicine
Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set, smith's tools
Equipment: One shield or piece of armor with an engraved emblem of the Boar Clan worth up to 50 GP, and 10 GP to spend on equipment.
Feature: Boar Clan Training
You gain one of the following feats:
- Charger.
- Resilient.
- Tough.
- Emblem of the Boar Clan (presented later in this document).
Dragon Clan Disciple
In the aftermath of the Tao Gor Massacre, the Dragon Clan is believed to have been wiped out. Yet you are one of its last surviving members.
You've trained in the ancient martial arts of the clan, becoming a one-person army. Even more, your body is covered magical tattoos that allow you to channel elemental magic. Even though you were once a proud warrior and respected sage, you must now cover your tattoos and hide your identity in fear that an agent of the Arquian Empire might want to finish the annihilation of your people.
Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Arcana
Tool Proficiencies: Calligrapher's supplies, herbalism kit
Equipment: 50 GP to spend on equipment.
Feature: Dragon Clan Training
You gain one of the following feats:
- Elemental Adept.
- Mobile.
- Tavern Brawler.
- Tattoos of the Dragon Clan (presented later in this document).
Fox Clan Envoy
You are a member of the secretive Fox Clan who delve in espionage and illusions. Though their ways remain a mystery to most, you've been granted a look behind the veil and have become one of it's loyal masked envoys.
As a member of the Fox Clan, you have tied your spirit and identity to a mask made from the wood of the Forest of a Thousand Names. When you take off your mask you become nobody, an empty vessel to infiltrate courts and military camps. Still, you are always serving the wills of the Tenko, even after their presumed death.
Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Insight
Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit, one type of artisan's tools
Equipment: One decorated mask of the Fox Clan, and 40 GP to spend on equipment.
Feature: Fox Clan Training
You gain one of the following feats:
- Actor.
- Mask of the Fox Clan (presented later in this document).
- Shadow Touched.
- Skulker.
Hawk Clan Hunter
Once you were a hunter in the highlands of Wuutong, trained to listen to the wind and let the spirits of the hunt guide your arrows. But after the arrival of the Arquian Empire you have been forced to leave your land and either become, or join the Arquian army.
Whichever path you chose, you still hold to your traditions and training. Even in the time of gunpowder and Heathen Guns you hold a keenness to your wooden bow, and you carry a whistle to play songs to the spirits of the land, even though being heard by the wrong person might be a death sentence.
Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Perception
Tool Proficiencies: One type of musical instrument, herbalism kit
Equipment: One whistle of the Hawk Clan, and 45 GP to spend on equipment.
Feature: Hawk Clan Training
You gain one of the following feats:
- Alert.
- Piercer.
- Sharpshooter.
- Whistle of the Hawk Clan (presented later in this document).
Kraken Clan Sailor
You are a sailor trained by the Kraken Clan, which now serves as the North Division of the Arquian Empire's navy. Always thinking one step ahead, you've refused to foolishly risk your life, and have joined the most powerful side of the war. This has allowed you to keep hold of your clan's secrets, and stay in a position of enough power to one day strike the invaders in the back.
You've learned to listen to the deep calls within the Bottomless Maelstrom and now follow it's teachings to reach out across the sea, gathering knowledge and power. The Maelstrom has taught you the art of manipulating both people and matter itself, allowing you to create living effigies that follow your commands and can even man a ship for you.
Skill Proficiencies: Persuasion, Sleight of Hand
Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan's tools, navigator's tools
Equipment: 50 GP to spend on equipment.
Feature: Kraken Clan Training
You gain one of the following feats:
- Effigies of the Kraken Clan (presented later in this document).
- Eldritch Adept.
- Keen Mind.
- Ritual Caster.
Shark Clan Pirate
You are one of the vagrant sailors roaming the Sea of Beasts that form the Shark Clan. As such, you're an expert thief and a great hunter of monsters, including the dangerous Leviathans. Unlike other clans, your loyalty belongs only to yourself and your crewmates (though the latter might change when a large storm approaches).
The sea itself has granted you its gifts of swift movement and a longing for liberty above all else. Nobody has come as close to taking that away from you as the arrival of the Arquian Empire and its navy. Now you must decide if you put aside your wandering nature to join the survivors of other clans in their last stand against the invading forces.
Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Sleight of Hand
Tool Proficiencies: Thieves' tools, vehicles (water)
Equipment: Chains or bandages engraved in old shanties and 45 GP to spend on equipment.
Feature: Shark Clan Training
You gain one of the following feats:
- Athlete
- Fey Touched
- Mobile
- Wraps of the Shark Clan (presented later in this document).
Wolf Clan Samurai
You are a member of the Wolf Clan that ruled over the northern lands of the Valley of Lights. When the Arquian Empire first arrived, your people welcomed them with open arms. This unknowingly led to the annihilation of the Dragon Clan and the subjugation of the other clans. Your people have never been forgiven for their mistakes.
Now shunned by both the invading forces and the surviving clans, you've become a wanderer on the lands of Xurai. In your journey you have only the company of the blade you crafted before the tragedy. You hold a special bond with this weapon, wielding it like a wolf wields their teeth and claws.
Skill Proficiencies: Athletics, Survival
Tool Proficiencies: One type of musical instrument, smith's tools
Equipment: One martial melee weapon crafted in the Frozen Forge, and 10 GP to spend on equipment.
Feature: Wolf Clan Training
You gain one of the following feats:
- Blade of the Wolf Clan (presented later in this document).
- Inspiring Leader.
- Martial Adept.
- Slasher.
Feats of Xurai
The members of all Seven Clans of Xurai were capable of incredible things that they learned from the primordial spirits that guided their people. The following feats each represent the traditions of one of the Seven Clans. They can be acquired by choosing the background associated with its corresponding clan, or at any point that you normally choose a feat, so long as you have spent a significant ammount of time training under a member of the associated clan. They follow the feat rules in the Player’s Handbook.
Blade of the Wolf Clan
You have trained with a warrior of the Wolf Clan, learning to wield a weapon like a wolf wields their teeth and claws.
Whenever you finish a short or long rest you can bond yourself to a melee weapon you're carrying.
While you wield a weapon that you're bonded to, you can't be forced to drop it against your will.
Additionally, whenever you make an attack with a weapon you're bonded to, you can take the disengage or help action as a bonus action, or make one attack with disadvantage using the bonded weapon.
You can only bond with one weapon at a time. If you try to bond with a new weapon your older bond no longer grants any benefits.
Effigies of the Kraken Clan
Learning from the secrets of the Kraken Clan, you can extend your will through magical effigies that follow your commands.
As part of a long rest, you can magically produce a number of effigies up to your proficiency bonus by spending 5gp worth of materials for each effigy.
The effigies seem like crude humanoids crafted of whichever materials you utilized to create them. They are mindless and perform simple tasks at your command. Each effigy has AC 10, 1 hit point, and a Strength of 2, and it can’t attack or take the help action. If it drops to 0 hit points, it deanimates.
Once on each of your turns as a bonus action, you can mentally command the effigies to move up to 15 feet and interact with an object. The effigies can perform simple tasks that a human servant could do, such as fetching things, cleaning, mending, folding clothes, lighting fires, serving food, and pouring wine. Once you give the command, the effigy performs the task to the best of its ability until it completes the task, then waits for your next command.
If you command the effigy to perform a task that would move it more than 120 feet away from you, it deanimates.
You can reanimate a deanimated effigy by performing a particular ritual for 10 minutes while within 5 feet of it. The effigy comes back to life with 1 hit point. You can't have a number of effigies animated at the same time higher than your proficiency bonus.
Emblem of the Boar Clan
A blacksmith of the Boar Clan has taught you how to craft a magical emblem on your shields or pieces of armor that grants them supernatural protection.
As part of a long rest, you can magically produce an emblem of the Boar Clan on a shield or armor, as long as you have access to them, 5gp of metalic materials and a source of heat. You can only have one active emblem at a time, and if you create a new one the older one cracks and loses all properties.
While you are wielding a shield that has your active emblem of the Boar Clan, you can't be forced to drop it against your will.
You can sleep while wearing a set of armor that has your active emblem of the Boar Clan, and still gain the full benefits of a long rest, even if the armor is medium or heavy.
Additionally, whenever you take damage while wearing armor or carrying a shield with the active emblem of the Boar Clan, you can use your reaction to half the damage taken. You can use this reaction a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
Mask of the Fox Clan
You've learned the arcane tricks of the Fox Clan.
You learn the minor illusion cantrip. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this cantrip (choose when you pick this feat).
Additionally you know how to create a magical mask which you can bind your identity to. Whenever you take off your mask you can magically shift your appearance to conceal your identity. For example, you can grow a few inches taller, your face might seem rounder, or you could make a significant scar appear or disappear.
A creature that has seen you with two different appereances can't tell you are the same person unless they see both versions using or carrying the mask.
If your mask is broken or you spend a week without wearing it, the emptiness from your lack of identity starts to tear away at your spirit. When in this state you can't benefit from a long rest until you craft a new Mask of the Fox Clan or one is given to you by another member of the clan (whose identity you will now inhabit).
You can craft a mask of the Fox Clan during a long rest by spending 5gp worth of materials (wood and paint).
Tattoos of the Dragon Clan
After training under the masters of the Dragon Clan, you have reached a greater bond with the forces of nature. Your skin is covered with the mystical tattoos, allowing you to channel elemental magic through your body.
Choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder or poison.
Whenever you hit a creature with an unarmed strike you can switch the damage dealt to the type chosen.
You also learn one cantrip, determined by your choice of damage type. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for this cantrip (choose when you pick this feat).
| Damage type | Cantrip |
|---|---|
| Acid | Acid splash |
| Cold | Ray of frost |
| Fire | Produce flame |
| Lightning | Shocking grasp |
| Thunder | Thunder clap |
| Poison | Poison spray |
In addition, whenever you take the Attack action, you can cast the cantrip you learned with this feat in place of one attack.
Credits
Content by u/senorvilla, art by:
- Felix Ortiz
- Amelie Hutt
- NetEase Games
- Juan Pablo Roldan
- David Benzal
- Xiaofan Zhang
- Gabriel Tan
Whistle of the Hawk Clan
Hunters of the Hawk Clan have taught you how to craft a mystical whistle that plays the song of the spirits of nature.
You can craft this whistle during a long rest by spending 5gp worth of natural materials (wood, clay, shells or bones), and it can be used as a spellcasting focus.
While you are holding the whistle you can perform a song for one minute to summon a spirit of nature to your aid as if you had cast the find familiar spell. Once you use this ability, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
Additionally, once during your turn, when you hit a creature within 5 feet of your familiar, you can deal additional damage equal to your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier (choose when you pick this feat).
Wraps of the Shark Clan
You have covered one part of your body in wraps, either chains, clothes or bandages, engraved with a sacred shanty that signifies your ties to no one but yourself. While wearing these wraps you gain the following benefits:
-
You have advantage on saving throws and ability checks to avoid being grappled or restrained
-
As an action or a reaction that you take when a creature targets you with an attack, you can burst into a splash of salt water and reapear in an unoccupied space you can see within 30 feet, or a space filled with salt water within 120 feet. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
You can create a new set of wraps as part of a long rest as long as you have materials you can use to wrap part of your body. You can only benefit from one set of wraps at a time.
