The Hondfulk
"Staunch is the best employee I've ever had. He's always on the lookout for drunks and thugs, and wouldn't take a bribe to save his life. Could do without all his yapping about 'pack', though."
-- Donia, tavern owner
Long-lost companions to humans, the loyal Hondfulk have recently found their way back to the Material Plane after centuries of being lost in the furthest reaches of the multiverse. Most of these kind creatures have happily rejoined humanoid society, and are well-liked for their hard working nature - but some among them have felt the sting of years of neglect, and so have spurned the friendship of civilization.
Ancient Companions
The Hondfulk claim deep ancestral ties to humans. According to their long oral history, the Hondfulk developed alongside humans during the Days of Thunder, when both races were young and primitive. Some stories say that humans shaped the Hondfulk in their image, to better serve as equals in their society. This view is detested by the Ulv, who believe that Human and Hond came up together, forging an ancient pact that they would aid and defend one another.
Regardless of the truth of these origins, it wasn’t meant to last. A great tragedy in the ancient past struck, and the Hond resolved to travel beyond the material plane to seek ways to aid their human companions. The humans, in turn, vowed to receive the Hondfulk as welcome friends and glorious heros. Thus the Hond fled the Material Plane, and sought to find a way to save their friends.
Long Way From Home
The storied history of the Long Journey, as the Hond tell it, is difficult to pin down. They wandered the planes for thousands of years, and the details of this time period have been warped into fractious and difficult to understand sagas of various heroes that are at best connected by strings of vague coincidence. In all the tales, however, the Hond connect their heroic deeds to their deep desire to aid the humans they left behind. Despite the incongruencies within this legendary period, all Hond consider it to be a noble tale that demonstrates their courage, loyalty, and strength.
Unwelcome Return
It took thousands of years for the Hondfulk to return, and when they did, it was to an unfamiliar world. The Hondfulk returned to their world battered and changed by the Long Journey, and did not receive the hero’s welcome they had expected when they did. The long hardships humans had faced in the Honds’ absence were long ended, and the humans had all but forgotten them entirely.
Reactions to this were split among the Hondfulk. Some still held an ancestral love for humans in their hearts, and wanted to reconnect with them. Others saw humans as traitors who forgot all that the Hond had done for them in their time, casting them aside like mere beasts of burden.
This led to a fracturing among the Hond. The Alaunt and the Feists set off together to explore civilization as it now existed, while the Ulvs retreated into the wilderness. Where once the Hondfulk found unity in their purpose, they now are a divided race, with Ulvs treating Alaunts and Feists with animosity, and Feists and Alaunts treating Ulvs with caution.
A New Start
The arrival of the Hondfulk was a surprise to many humans. Those few humans whose tales of the Hond had persisted over millenia were shocked to see that they were real, and most others had no memory at all of them. Though they were at first treated with caution, the Hond are now considered a blessing in whatever city they inhabit.
Still, the Hond could not continue to live only for the humans that had forgotten them. Today, the Hond are a diverse and adaptable people who are still trying to find their place in the strange world that they returned to.
Loyal to a Fault
The most important part of a Hondfulk’s life is its “Pack”. To a Hond, a pack is a chosen family. This may include actual blood relatives, or just people who have earned the Hond’s devotion and trust. Hond can form a pack with just about any other creature, providing that the other creature is benevolent toward the Hond. When a new creature is accepted into the pack, the Hondfulk will devote themselves entirely to their protection and wellbeing.
Many other humanoids find the Hond idea of “pack” confusing, and may not appreciate it in the same way the Hond do. This loyalty can also be manipulated by those who want to abuse it. If a Hond is deceived into entering a pack with foul people, they will uphold their devotion to that pack even in the face of mistreatment, believing themselves to be doing what is right for their family.
Though it can be a weakness, one place that Hond loyalty shines is in adventuring parties. Hondfulk are prized members of such groups -- once a group earns the Hond’s trust, they have a friend for life. The Hondfulk likewise enjoy adventuring -- trying to find a place in the world is difficult, but exploring it with a party of companions is considered by many Hond to be the best way to do it.
Hondfulk Names
Generally, Hondfulk names are simple statements of defining characteristics, either in terms of skills or markings. Gender has little connection to naming convention among the Hond. In general, Hond do not have surnames, but some choose to identify themselves based on their pack. Usually this is presented using the terminology “of the…” (For example, Fletcher of the Winsome Three). This naming convention is especially common among the Ulv, who hold the pack above all else, and among those Hond who embark as adventurers.
Hondfulk Names: Bandit, Baxter, Booker, Cooper, Shepherd, Fang, Fiddle, Fletcher, Frostcoat, Greyhide, Lute, Nighteyes, Ripper, Sailor, Snarl, Spot, Stalwart, Staunch, Stormy, Stripes, Tanner, Velvet, Yapper Example Pack Names: Darkwood, Yawning Portal, Winsome Three, Pine Barrens, Swiftriver Canyon, Emerald Enclave, Silver Mountain, Running Dolphin
Hondfulk Traits
Though diverse, the Hondfulk share a number of traits in common:
Ability Score Increases. Your Charisma score increases by 1
Age. Hondfulk have life spans similar to humans, but measure their young lives in 7 year spans, growing from a Welp in their first 7 years to a Pup, then to a mature Hond after another 7 years.
Alignment. Most Hondfulk are happy to help those around them and fiercely loyal to their friends, families, and communities, so they tend toward good alignment. Even those Hondfulk that are manipulated into doing evil deeds tend to believe that they are doing good for those closest to them.
Size. Hondfulk vary in size by breed, with the Feists being around 4ft tall and narrow, while the Alaunts and Ulvs are between 5 and 6ft tall and more well-muscled. Your size is medium.
Speed. Your base speed is 30ft.
Languages. You can read, speak, and write Common, Hond, and one other language of your choice. Hond is a flowing, poetic language punctuated by whines and barks. Most Hondfulk are happy to learn new languages, in order to befriend as many people as possible.
Darkvision. Your canine ancestry grants you the ability to see in darkness. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Keen Senses. You have advantage on Perception checks based on hearing and smell.
Natural Weapon. Your fanged maw is a natural weapon, which you can use to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed strike.
Subraces. You can choose one of the following Hondfulk subraces:
Alaunt
The largest of the Hondfulk, the noble Alaunts are steadfast protectors and guardians of their friends and families. All who have the friendship of an Alaunt can feel safe in their presence.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.
Powerful Build. You count for one size larger than you are when determining your carrying capacity and the amount that you can push, drag, or lift.
Watchful. You gain proficiency in the Perception skill.
Relentless Endurance. You don’t go down without a fight, especially when your friends are in danger. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright. you can drop to 1 hit point instead. Once you use this ability, you can't use this feature again until you finish a long rest.
Feist
The cleverest of the Hondfulk, the Feists make up for what they lack in strength with their keen intellect. Prized for their learning and problem solving abilities, many enjoy having the friendship of a Feist.
Ability Score Increase Your Intelligence score increases by 1.
Fury of the Small. Though smart, Feists are often self-conscious of their size relative to the other varieties of Hondfulk, and so make up for it with furious attacks when facing larger foes. When you damage a creature with an attack or a spell and the creature's size is larger than yours, you can cause the attack or spell to deal extra damage to the creature. The extra damage equals your level. Once you use this trait, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Learned. Throughout their lives, Feists delight in learning new things and obtaining new skills. You learn an additional language of your choice, and gain proficiency in one skill and one set of tools of your choice.
Ulv
Wild and fiercely independent, the reclusive Ulv have never forgotten their abandonment by humans. Rather than join their kin on their quest to find their place in society, the Ulv instead retreated into the wilderness, where they now live in relative isolation.
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1
Pack Tactics. Ulv are the most cooperative fighters of any of the Hondfulk, organizing themselves into close and efficient packs. You have advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of your allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.
Artist Credit
Page 1: "狩人オオカミ" by OVOPACK
Page 2: "Warrior" by Dark Sheyn