Umbra formosa
The Velari are an old and beautiful people shaped by twilight, secrecy, and the discipline of moving without waste.
At a glance
Darkvision You have Darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
Languages Common, Umbral Cant
Height 5 ft. 4 in. to 6 ft. 4 in.
Weight 110 to 190 lb.
Lifespan 250 to 350 years
At the table
You have Darkvision with a range of 60 feet.
Your Speed is 35 feet.
You gain proficiency in the Stealth skill.
As a Bonus Action, you can teleport up to 15 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is in dim light or darkness. You can use this trait a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest.
Common, Umbral Cant
Their quick reflexes and patient awareness often suggest Dexterity and Wisdom, but characters assign ability score increases as they wish.
They are especially attentive to wind, birdsong, and distant movement.
Briar Veil communities live in deep forests and overgrown ruins. Their traditions emphasize watchfulness, self-sufficiency, and protecting paths that should remain hidden.
The Velari are an old and beautiful people shaped by twilight, secrecy, and the discipline of moving without waste. Their speed and talent for concealment have made them famous as scouts, couriers, and assassins, but no single calling defines them. A Velari may serve a hidden household, expose a corrupt ruler, or leave the shadows behind to discover who they are when no one is watching.
Velari are slender or long-limbed humanoids with finely balanced features and a stillness that can seem ceremonial.
Their skin ranges from warm bronze and dusky rose to cool umber and pale ash, often with a faint sheen in low light. Hair is commonly black, silver, or deep brown, though copper and moon-pale shades occur. Their eyes are large and reflective, with irises in muted gold, gray, green, or violet. Their beauty is often compared to that of ancient statues, but it is alive with quick expressions and alert attention.
Cavern cities, deep forests, old urban districts, and any settlement with reliable shade and secluded routes.
A child is taught to read expressions, footsteps, and silences before being trusted with a blade or a secret.
At adulthood, usually in the late teens, a person chooses a public name and an obligation to a household, craft, or cause.
Experienced elders preserve histories and train younger kin; their beauty often remains striking, though silvering hair and fine lines are common.
Velari society places great value on practiced attention: listening without interrupting, remembering a favor, and knowing when silence is kinder than speech.
Many communities maintain intricate networks of couriers, archivists, and watchers. Some train professional assassins under strict codes, while others reject the trade entirely. A successful Velari is not necessarily unseen; it is someone who understands what others overlook.
Velari traditions honor twilight as a time of transition, when one duty ends and another begins.
Some revere gods of thresholds, memory, moonlight, or watchfulness; others maintain household rites without formal worship. Their cultures value deliberation, but personal ethics vary widely. A Velari's training may emphasize restraint, loyalty, or decisive action, none of which dictates an alignment.
Many outsiders mistake Velari discretion for menace, and stories of their assassins feed that suspicion.
Velari communities distinguish sharply between skilled concealment and murder for hire, though individuals disagree about where necessity ends and cruelty begins. They often form patient friendships with people who respect boundaries, and become fiercely protective once trust is earned.
Their traditional homes occupy ravines, cavern mouths, forest hollows, and the shaded upper stories of old cities.
Builders favor narrow courtyards, screened windows, dark stone, and pale surfaces that catch indirect light. Secret doors are practical features, not signs of distrust, and every home has a welcoming entrance as well as a discreet exit.
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