The Gap was a civilization-changing event for those on Ahbael. Life was difficult to carry on from the unknown number of years that had been missed in the blink of an eye, but life had to carry on nonetheless. Then, a phenomenon began to be noticed: the generation of children born after the gap, all born by those who were with child during the gap, were being born with unnatural, but very specific abilities. At birth, the only noticeable difference was that they all had skin tones of lighter gray and a heartbeat could not be heard from within their chest. All grew like normal but as the children grew older, they stopped needing to blink, eat, or even breathe, and at that point they stopped growing as well (this means many Gapborn are shorter on average, but not quite Small). Their body may as well have been in stasis, yet they could move and act just like any mortal could. After some time passed, it was noticed that they didn't even seem to age, and many of them started to develop the natural ability to alter or perceive time itself.
There is talk from some mortal researchers that these Gapborn are the key to understanding or unlocking what actually happened during the Gap, but so far the methods proposed for extracting such information from their bodies are... less than humane. This, as well them having an oddly higher percentage of sudden disappearances, causes many Gapborn to learn how to pass as a normal human, whether it be learning how to breathe or blink convincingly, and/or using makeup to cloak their light gray skin. One way to always tell whether someone is a Gapborn is by looking for a pulse, so many Gapborn have a tendency to shy away from physical contact due to risk of exposing themselves.
Gapborn Traits
Ability Score Increase (only if you gain ASI's from your race: ask your GM). When determining your character’s ability scores, increase your Charisma score by 2 and increase a different score by 1. You can't raise any of your scores above 20.
Creature Type: Humanoid
Size: Medium (about 4–6 feet tall)
Speed: 30 feet
As a gapborn, you have the following racial traits.
- Innate Chronurgy. You know the True Strike cantrip. You also always have the Gift of Alacrity spell prepared. You can cast it without a spell slot a number of times equal to your Proficiency Bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest. Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma is your spellcasting ability for the spells you cast with this trait (choose the ability when you select this race).
- Stationary Trance. You don’t need to sleep, and magic can’t put you to sleep. You can finish a Long Rest in 6 hours if you spend those hours in a trancelike stasis, during which you retain consciousness and can still use your senses.
- Temporal Body. You do not require the basic needs that many other humanoids need, and your body constantly seeks stasis.
- You have Advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the Exhaustion condition, or any effect that would Teleport or Shape-Shift you against your will.
- You don’t need to eat, drink, or breathe.
- Wary Disposition. You have proficiency in the Deception, Insight, or Perception skill.