Amazon
Contents
Amazon
For millennia, the amazons and their hidden homeland have only existed in legends—yet little do people know that these giantesses dwell in a parallel dimension merely a touch from discovery. However, such a place has remained mostly concealed from the world of man.
Amazons have a mystifying origin that even they themselves debate over. According to stories passed down over the ages, amazons believe that Calypso, the Goddess of Hearth and Home, shaped their form from clay while Spiro, the God of Winds, breathed life into these shapes. However, after discovering that Spiro wished to weaponize her creation, Calypso created the forgotten isles to hide her creations from being used for war. Most amazons carry Calypso's mistrust of the outside world, doing everything in their power to shield their realm from outsiders. Only a few fortunate souls have ever been able to set foot on the isles and live to tell the tales.
Amazons who leave to explore the world of man are often either outcasts or doe-eyed adventurers afflicted with wanderlust. Leaving paradise, however, is a decision that amazons do not take lightly as few are ever welcomed back after their departure. Considering their insulated way of life, amazons possess a unique perspective of the world and their martial talents also solidify them as exceptional adventurers.
Racial Stats
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Exotic Beauty
Standing at around 7 to 8 feet tall and boasting large albeit well-defined muscles, Amazon resembles the marble statues of old. Like human, Amazons' varies in hair and eye colors. Despite their natural beauty and unique allure, Amazons may appear highly intimidating. Only the bravest of people tend to approach these giantess. Armor fitted for an Amazon is often more expensive due to their large stature and insistence on mobility.
Driven Competitors
Most if not all Amazons believe that when they die, their deeds are judged by the gods. Those were distinguished in life are deemed worthy to enter Calypso's Hall of Glory, whereas those who fall short are reincarnated as Amazon and forced to go through the cycle of life and death until they have proven themselves. Their culture reflects this belief, making them fierce competitors in all aspects of life. They love to keep score, tallying their individual accomplishments and comparing themselves to others. Those who accumulate great deeds ascend the social ladder and earn wealth based on their status. Those who stagnate end up at the bottom, filling out the lowly stations. Given that Amazons do not keep their opinions to themselves, nasty rivalry runs rampant. At the same time, this thirst for victory pushes Amazons to constantly improve and maintain their skills. Drives and ambitions are two things which Amazons do not lack. This competitive culture also leads to a meritocratic governance that put the most accomplished of the Amazons in power.
Honor-bound
Most Amazons subscribes to an unshakable ideology of fairness. Despite their need to win, Amazons will not cheat. Those who are caught cheating in games or business are banished or killed. For an Amazon, honor is all.
In other aspects of life, Amazons rely on one another and strive to do their part within their society, often time against their own desire to keep their society functioning. Despite their individualistic nature, an Amazon's sense of duty will keep them from being selfish.
This attitude manifests most strongly when Amazons deals with other races. An Amazon always stay true to her words and go out of her way to fulfill her promise, good or bad.
Battle-hardened
The Isles of Calypso is consisted of 6 islands, 5 of which are controlled by a nation state (Galagos, Ythica, Troyes, Micaenes, and Epos), each with their own unique culture and system of governance. The 6th island, Laedia is constantly contested and changes hand frequently as the nation states battle one another. Because of the constant conflicts between the nation states, all Amazons are forced to undergo martial training from a young age and developed into battle-hardened warriors by the time they reach adulthood. All Amazons are conscripted to fight for their nation state.
While outsiders may consider this internal warfare as needless bloodshed, it is one of a few ways through which Amazons can ascend their station, earn renown, claim wealth, and win divine favors within their insulated world. The continual war also keeps Amazons stimulated and their fighting skills sharp in case their home ever get invaded. While nation states will band together to deal with calamities larger than them, once the common threats are dealt with, they will always go back to fighting among themselves.
Mystical Births
Amazons are born in one of two ways. First, an Amazon baby may mysteriously appear in a temple or a forest and gets discovered. These children are taken in and raised by the entire community. Often time, two or three Amazons will often take a youth as their own surrogate daughter and mentor them for life. On the contrary, babies who are not discovered in time are met with gruesome ends.
Second, although highly uncommon, Amazons can conceive a child with a male from another humanoid race. However, the child will come out as a full-blooded Amazon and branded with a birthmark that looks like 3 red rings around their wrist. Most Amazons possessing the birthmark are referred to as "lesser-born" and discriminated against in Amazonian society. They will often grow up as second-class citizens as well.
Amazon Names
Every Amazon has three names: a first name, an maternal name, and the name of their nation. Amazonian first names are Greek-based. Xanathar's Guide to Everything has a section that gives the player a rollable table of 50 female Greek names on page 186. When an Amazon reaches adolescent, she will choose one of her surrogate mothers' names and shorten it to two letters, which can never be two consonants (in that instance, take the next available vowel) as a way to honor her ancestry.
- First Names: Aello, Ainia, Ainippe, Alcinoe, Alkaia, Amphithoe, Aristophane, Bremusa, Celaneo, Chiore, Clete, Clyemne, Deianeira, Diana, Doris, Echephyle, Eumache, Eunice, Euryleia, Harmothoe, Harmodias, Ianessa, Iphito, Kydoime, Lykopis, Lysippe, Molpadia, Okyale, Prothoe, Phylia, Pyrgomache, Tecmessa, Thraso, Toxaris, Valasca, Xanthippe, etc.
- Maternal Name: Ha, Py, Am, Eu, Ia, To, etc.
- Nation Title: of Galapos, of Ythica, of Troyes, of Micaenes, of Epos
- Examples Dione Eu of Ythica, Ainippe Ec of Troyes, etc.