“With a terrible singleness of concentration he achieved the union of his new skin with his body, preventing rejection. No corner of his body was left to dwell upon the terrifying consequences of what he did here. Only the necessities of his trance vision mattered…
“They were all over his body now.…He could feel the pulse of his blood against the living membrane. A curious excitement suffused his body.…My skin is not my own.”
 |
| Philippe Druillet |
Covering the body in axolotls creates a wyrmling, an axolotl/humanoid hybrid. The symbiosis alters the quiddity of both creatures resulting in a being that is neither human and nor axolotl, but a wyrmling, a species utterly different from either.
The wyrmling experiences alienation from its former species, which may manifest in a variety of ways. It may develop a hostility toward its species, either lamenting what it has lost or looking down on that species as an inferior species. Alternatively, the wyrmling may view themselves as a blessed paragon of their species, elevated above the common human or demihuman, developing a sense of responsibility for their less-evolved brothers and sisters.
Wyrmlings often become leaders of dragonborn cults, revered as the single-sexed fathers and mothers of their kind. Dragons, on the other hand, often view wyrmlings as threats to their superiority and often seek to destroy wyrmlings. Good-aligned dragons, understanding the dangers of the process of transformation, will try to dissuade wyrmlings from continuing their evolution.
Wyrmlings often become leaders of dragonborn cults, revered as the single-sexed fathers and mothers of their kind. Dragons, on the other hand, often view wyrmlings as threats to their superiority and often seek to destroy wyrmlings. Good-aligned dragons, understanding the dangers of the process of transformation, will try to dissuade wyrmlings from continuing their evolution.
The wyrmling loses all of the benefits of their former species (excluding bonus feats or skills, but including ability score increases) and gains the following:
Ability Scores: Your Strength score increases by 2, and an ability score of your choosing increases by 1.
Living Armor: The axolotls that cover every inch of your body fuse into a scaly skin, granting a natural AC bonus of +4. This bonus does not stack with other types of armor, but does stack with magical rings, amulets, bracers, etc.
Living Weapon: Your fingertips harden into claws. You deal 2d6 + your Strength modifier in slashing damage.
Regeneration: Once per short rest, regain 1 + your Constitution modifier hp at the beginning of each turn for 1d6+1 turns.
Surface Awareness: The entire surface of the body is an organ of sensation. Wyrmlings cannot be surprised and have advantage on Dexterity saving throws and Perception checks.
Breathing: The wyrmling breathes through the axolotl’s organs rather than through their original apparatus (lungs, mouth, nose). As a result, a wyrmling cannot be drowned or suffocated the way a normal human can.
