Bhokwe and Atenáati [Antelope and Deer]

Bhokwe and Atenáati, The Unchallenged Twins

“So we grew together,
Like to a double cherry, seeming parted,
But yet an union in partition,
Two lovely berries moulded on one stem.”
-William Shakespeare,
A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Playtest Version

This material is still in the process of being playtested. It is fully usable as written, but may be refined or changed in later versions. As always, this content should only be used with GM permission.

The Bhokwe

Bhokwe are tall, thin, humanoids that resemble antelope. Most have horns, either spiral shaped, arched, or straight. They are not hunters as they predominantly eat plants rather than meat, but they are exceptionally skilled with bow and spear, and in battle, their archers can only be matched by the most skillful of elves. Those with a propensity toward magic often have an unusual trait, such as golden colored horns, purple eyes, or pure white fur. Children with these traits are given extensive training in order to master their gifts, but those without them may also learn magic if they are capable.

Champions of the Savanna

Swift of hoof and keen eyed, the Bhokwe are easily able to evade most dangers of the expanses of grassland they dwell in. Their innate skill with ranged weapons ensures that they are able to deftly combat those few dangers that foolishly pursue them anyway. Were they predators, they would be the apex hunters of all they survey, but they are content to only cull the numbers of animals whose population has grown to a point where it endangers the natural balance of the ecosystem. Among them are many druids who commune with the fey creatures of the wilderness and assist them in protecting the cycles of nature.

Otherworldly Origins

The legends of the bhokwe say that the first of their kind simply walked fully-formed out of a heat ripple in the air. Scholars speculate that it may have been a planar gate from another realm, citing the elemental language these antelope folk speak or their easy interaction with fey and other nature spirits, but there is extensive debate about exactly which plane they might have been created from. The bhokwe themselves find the topic to be irrelevant, as they hold that their kind simply did not exist prior to the event, and as such they are beings of this world no matter what power might have created them.

Two People

Curiously, a second group of bhokwe who call themselves atenáati, seem to have appeared and lived in a distant, more temperate region. Despite no record of any major contact between the two groups, and some superficial differences in appearance, their cultures and the legends of their creation are virtually identical. There is one known case of individuals from both groups having children together, confirming that they are the same species despite their independent origins. Where most bhokwe have horns, the atenáati instead have branching antlers. Furthermore atenáati tails tend to be shorter, and they do not have the dark stripes along their sides and backs that are common among bhokwe. There are rumors—though they may be mere speculation—that there are still other populations of bhokwe elsewhere in the world as well.

Bhokwe Names

Bhokwe and Atenáati take a new primary name every thirty years, with the name translating to something related to either an important moment of the past period of their life or an aspiration for the next. They will still respond to their previous names, and in formal situations may list their previous names as well, but they only have one current name at a time.

Feminine Names: Anele, Cebisa, Esihle, Funani, Jabulile, Khanyisile, Liyabona, Mhambi, Nambitha, Nomathamsanqa, Simangele, Thulisile, Yibanathi, Zobuhle

Masculine Names: Abongile, Bhekumbuso, Khanyiso, Khwezi, Lwazi, Mpilo, Nkosi, Sibongiseni, Sindisa, Sivuyile, Thamsanqa, Uluthando, Xabiso, Yomelela

Feminine Atenáati Names: Cuhtahlatah, Iakonie-ien, Kahentinetha, Kaiennenhawi, Katsitsienhawi, Konwakeri, Nikawenna-a, Onerahontsokon, Otsi’tsa, Skawennahawi, Tekonwenaharake, Walela, Wathahi-ne

Masculine Atenáati Names: Akwiraron, Desagondensta, Enoli, Gulkalaski, Kariwase, Ratonhnhaké-ton, Sganyadái-yo, Tekaronhió-ken, Tsio-kwaris, Twah’kohl, Utsidihi, Wahya, Yonaguska

Bhokwe Traits

The physical form and innate, instinctive skills of your bhokwe or atenáati character grants them several abilities.
    Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2 and your Dexterity score increases by 1.
    Age. Bhokwe have lifespans similar to elves. They typically do not stray from home until around a century of age, and can live to be well over seven centuries old.
Alignment. Bhokwe are closely in tune with the cyclical balances of nature and druidic traditions, and as such tend most strongly towards neutral alignments.
Size. Bhokwe are very tall and slender, ranging from human height to over six and a half feet tall, not counting antlers or horns they might have. Your size is Medium.
    Speed. Your base walking speed is 40 feet.
    Master Skirmisher. You have proficiency with the javelin, longbow, shortbow, sling, and spear.
    Slip Away. During your turn you may take the disengage or hide actions as a bonus action.
    Sprinter. You gain proficiency in the Athletics skill.
    Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Terran. Atenáati speak Ignan instead of Terran.

Random Height and Weight (Not Including Antlers or Horns)

Base Height	Base Weight	Height Modifier	Weight Modifier
4’9″	80 lbs	+2d12	x(1d4)

New Feat

Element Speaker

Prerequisite: Able to speak Primordial or One of its Dialects (Dialects of Primordial include Aquan, Auran, Ignan, and Terran)

Your mastery of the language of the elements has granted you a measure of power over them. You gain the following benefits:

You gain the Druidcraft Cantrip
All elementals can understand you when you speak Primordial (or one of its dialects) even if they cannot normally understand any languages, and you have advantage on Charisma checks made to influence them as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them.
As a reaction, you can speak a word of power to gain resistance to your choice of acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage until the end of your next turn. When you use this ability, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

Legal Appendix

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System Reference Document 5.1 Copyright 2016, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris Perkins, Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, James Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell, Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.

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