Homebrew:Khenra

(OOC: This is an implementation of the khenra race from Plane Shift: Amonkhet)

The khenra of Amonkhet are tall and lean, with graceful bodies and heads that strongly resemble jackals. Their snouts are long and sharp, and their angular ears rise straight above their heads. Their bodies are covered in dark, sleek hair that ranges from the brown of the desert sands to ebony black. Despite their sharp teeth, they consider biting to be an uncouth and unworthy combat tactic.

Nearly every khenra is born a fraternal or identical twin, and a pair of khenra twins forms an extremely close emotional bond unknown to most other residents of Amonkhet. The death of one twin in training or the trials causes a tremendous shock to the survivor, who typically grows more aggressive and foolhardy in battle. The rare khenra who are born without twins are believed to have killed their siblings in the womb, and are thus viewed as natural-born initiates, sure to achieve a glorified death in the Trial of Zeal.

Strength and Zeal

Many khenra believe that they are created in the image of Hazoret, and though they venerate all five gods in the manner of all citizens of Naktamun, they have a special affinity for the teachings and philosophy of the god of zeal. These khenra share a deep love of combat, especially hand-to-hand fighting, and they devote themselves to their training with particular intensity.

The familial bond experienced in the Family Temple of Hazoret’s monument is a part of every khenra’s experience as one of a pair of twins. As such, these khenra sometimes think of themselves as Hazoret’s children even before they finish the fourth trial. For her part, Hazoret seems to favor khenra among her viziers, and some say that she shows particular favor to khenra initiates who survive to reach the Trial of Zeal.

Other khenra choose to distance themselves from Hazoret and the reckless battle frenzy she encourages. They devote themselves instead to honing their physical strength, resilience, and adaptability, inspired and guided by the teachings of Rhonas. These khenra have a great fondness for wrestling (or tussling, as they often call it), and they keep careful track of the matches they win and lose against other initiates. They often seek out matches against minotaurs, enjoying the challenge of pitting their sinewy strength against the brute muscle of larger and heavier opponents.

Combat Classes

Khenra, especially those devoted to Hazoret, are particularly drawn to hand-to-hand combat styles. But the other styles each have their own appeal, and khenra initiates might find themselves specializing in any of the three.

Khenra who focus on hand-to-hand combat often wield the khopesh—a large sickle-bladed sword—as their weapon of choice (treat as a longsword). Khenra wield these blades with devastating accuracy and power, landing one crushing blow after another in a hail of furious attacks. They favor lightweight armor that doesn’t impede their movement, often comparing fighting in organized ranks to wearing a leash that limits their ability to charge, lunge, and roll away from danger. Their natural aggression makes them ideal shock troops, scouts, and skirmishers. And that aggression is even more pronounced in khenra who have already lost their twin, and who sometimes lose any sense of self-preservation as a result.

Khenra who focus on long-range combat prefer hurled weapons—spears and javelins—over bows and slings, and they are known and feared for their deadly accuracy. They carry small cases of javelins into combat, and feel ashamed if they reach the end of a battle with any weapons left unthrown. A khenra might ride on a chariot as a spear thrower, sometimes augmenting attacks with minor spells of fire magic.

Many khenra mages specialize in fire spells, creating blades or hails of flame to sear and scorch their foes. Their strategy emphasizes overwhelming initial assaults, in magical emulation of Hazoret’s battle frenzy. Others prefer magic that augments their natural speed and strength, bolsters their endurance, or drains strength from their enemies. They work to hone their spells alongside their bodies, incorporating elements of hand-to-hand combat into their spellcasting.

Khenra Traits

Your khenra character has the following traits.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Strength score increases by 1.

Age

Khenra mature quickly, reaching adulthood in their early teens. Khenra initiates are usually the youngest in a crop, completing the trials by their late teens. Even without a violent death, they rarely live past 60.

Alignment

Most khenra lean toward chaotic alignments. They have no particular inclination toward good or evil.

Size

Khenra have similar builds to humans. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 35 feet.

Khenra Weapon Training

You have proficiency with the khopesh, spear, and javelin.

(Note: khopesh proficiency will appear as longsword proficiency. The two weapons share the same traits.)

Khenra Twins

If your twin is alive and you can see your twin, whenever you roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. If your twin is dead (or if you were born without a twin), you can’t be frightened.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Khenra.

(Note: the khenra language must be added to your character sheet manually.)