“The world breaks. We don't.”
Appearance
Kavari are enormous, broad-framed humanoids standing between seven and eight and a half feet tall, built massive through the chest and shoulders with long arms and thick necks. Most can stand fully upright but naturally lean forward or drop to all fours when sprinting or climbing. Their skin runs in human and earth-toned hues. Dense or patchworked fur covers much of the body in charcoal, ash-brown, black, iron-grey, or deep blue-black. They move like mountain apes and war saints. Their physical terror and emotional depth are not opposites — they are the same thing in different registers.
Origin & Lore
The Kavari did not have a founding myth. They have a founding fact: they went underground, and what came back up was harder than what went in. Their emergence during the Age of Fire was not a homecoming — it was a reintroduction. Much of surviving civilization rests, literally, on Kavari labor. They raise gates, brace tunnels, move stone, hold bridges, carve roads, and defend the settlements built in impossible terrain. The Wall's most brutal stretches are held by Kavari garrisons — not because the Empire assigned them there, but because the Kavari assessed the situation and went.
Baseline Traits
All Kavari receive these traits at character creation at no cost.
Thick-Hided
When unarmored, base AC equals 13 + Constitution modifier (maximum 16). May still use a shield.
Mountain Lungs
Resistance to poison damage and advantage on saving throws against the poisoned condition. Can hold breath for up to 15 minutes.
Deep Vibration Sense
While in contact with stone, earth, or natural surface, tremorsense out to 10 feet.
Primal Frame
Advantage on Athletics checks to climb, grapple, shove, or resist being shoved or knocked prone. Size counts as Large for grappling and carrying capacity.
Knuckle-Runner
When Dashing, may move on all fours — jump distances are doubled and stone/rubble/earth difficult terrain costs no extra movement.
Old Blood Will
Once per Long Rest, when failing a saving throw against being frightened or charmed, choose to reroll it and take the new result.
Stonehand Craft
Proficiency with one artisan's tool. Once per Long Rest, add double proficiency bonus to a check to build, reinforce, repair, or shape a physical structure.
Species Advancement Tree
You earn Species Points at levels 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10. Tier 2 requires at least 1 Tier 1 purchase. Tier 3 requires at least 1 Tier 2 purchase.
Tier 1 Available at levels 1 and 3
Stone Ward 1 SP
Use Reaction when an ally within 5 feet takes damage — reduce it by proficiency bonus + Constitution modifier. Uses per proficiency bonus per Long Rest.
Burden Bearer 1 SP
Count as one size larger for grappling and shoving. When using the Help action for a physical task, grant a bonus equal to your proficiency bonus. Carry Medium creatures without movement reduction.
Deep Blood 1 SP
Choose Stone-Vein (nonmagical bludgeoning resistance + damage reduction Reaction), Ashborn (fire resistance + fire discharge), or Deepwarden (tremorsense 30 ft + blindsight 10 ft).
Primal Charge 1 SP
Move 15+ feet toward a creature and hit it — they must save (Strength) or be knocked prone. Uses per proficiency bonus per Long Rest.
Tier 2 Available at levels 5 and 7
Avalanche Stride 1 SP
Ignore nonmagical difficult terrain. Primal Charge loses its daily use limit.
Unshaken 1 SP
Proficiency in Wisdom saving throws. When using Old Blood Will, add proficiency bonus as a bonus to the reroll.
Iron Grip 1 SP
Grappled creatures have disadvantage on checks to escape. Can drag grappled creatures at full speed. Creatures attempting to shove or grapple you have disadvantage.
Stone Shield 1 SP
Stone Ward can be used as a Free Action once per Short Rest, with increased damage reduction.
Tier 3 Available at level 10
Ancient Blood 1 SP
Once per Long Rest as a Bonus Action, awaken for 1 minute: resistance to all physical damage, +1d6 melee damage, advantage on Strength checks and saves.
The Deep Never Forgets 1 SP
Always know your exact depth, direction, and structure layout. Tremorsense extends to 60 feet and can detect emotional states of creatures within range.
Wall Incarnate 1 SP
While not moving, AC increases by +2 and cannot be forcibly moved by nonmagical effects. Stone Ward damage reduction includes Strength modifier.
Roleplaying a Kavari
The contrast is everything. Trust action, not speech. Slow to anger, terrible when angered. Every scar is a burden carried — in their language, the mark of a promise kept at cost.
human lineconstitutiontankmountainguardian