Playable Races of Athas
While there are innumerable races on Athas, and multiple playable races in the PnP setting (including Half-Giants, Thri-Kreen, Pterrans, and others), only the following races are supported on POTM, and as such are detailed more closely.
Athasian Dwarves
On Athas, dwarves aren't subterranean miners. They are a long-lived but slowly dying race known for their relentless focus on a single task to the exclusion of all others. They are short, stocky demihumans capable of amazing feats of strength. They are known for obsessive attitudes about the tasks they perform and as such, are considered extremely reliable workers.
Personality: The saying that a dwarf's first love is hard work is true. How a dwarf behaves depends greatly on his focus. No dwarf is more content than while working toward the resolution of some cause, be it labor or combat. This task, called a focus, is approached with singleminded direction for the dwarf's entire life, if need be, though most foci require considerably less time, such as "dig a new irrigation ditch," "convince the merchants of House Stel to improve our trade terms," or "slay the gaj that's been terrorizing our outpost." The only time constraint for a focus is that it must take more than a week to complete, anything less is nothing more than a simple task. A dwarf does not ignore such short activities, but he derives no satisfaction from their completion. At all times, the dwarf must be progressing toward the completion of the focus, changing direction for no more than a few days at most.
Each dwarf has a focus that guides his actions during every waking moment. It is possible for a dwarf to have more than one focus, providing both are somehow related. For example, a dwarf whose focus is to construct a new village for his clan to adopt may also have a short-term focus to locate the best builders in all of Athas for this village. A dwarf who dies while resolving a focus is doomed to spend the remainder of its existence as a banshee, forever wandering the wastelands in vain attempts to finish his work.
If you're roleplaying a dwarf, you should be able to describe your current focus in a single sentence without a moment's hesitation. You can change your focus anytime you like simply by telling the DM, although most dwarves don't change their focus until the task is completed or it's apparent that it never will be completed. Think carefully about choosing a focus that'll make your goals diverge from those of the other PCs. Your focus should make for interesting roleplaying, but it shouldn't form a wedge between you and the other players.
Physical Description: Dwarves stand an average of 4½ to 5 feet tall. They tend to have disproportionate statures because of over-muscled bodies and sometimes weigh as much as 200 pounds despite their height. Their massive hands permit them to hold weapons that seem too large for their size. Equally large feet help keep their bulging frames standing. Deep-set eyes sometimes give the impression that the dwarves are constantly observing, silently watching and judging the actions of those around them.
Other than a distinctive build and usually hairless heads, dwarves do not stray too far from a human appearance. However, endless hours laboring under the scorching, Athasian sun has brought them deep copper tans and calloused bodies. There is a joke spread by the humans that dwarves use no whetstone to sharpen their weapons; instead, they are said to rely upon their own skin to keep their blades sharp.
Dwarves have an average life span of about 250 years.
Relations: Dwarves categorize people according to their relation to their focuses, not by race, gender, or other characteristics. If someone can aid a dwarf in the resolution of his focus, he'll be at least marginally polite and helpful. However, standing between a dwarf and his focus makes the person an enemy, and not relating to his focus at all makes the being irrelevant.
Alignment: A dwarf's respect for those who fulfill their stated objectives gives most a lawful outlook.
Dwarf Lands: Dwarves adapt to virtually all types of terrain on Athas, comfortably settling in mountains. deserts, or near human city-states.
Free dwarves settle in communities, called clans, bound around their families. Ties of the blood are honored and respected above all others, except the focus. Debts and glories earned from one generation in a clan are passed down to the family members of the next generation. There is no way to break free from these nebulous ties, for such a concept is entirely foreign to the mind of the dwarf. Many foci of clan dwarves center around the benefit of the family.
Few communities surpass 300 in number. These communities usually spring from a few extended families linked by a common ancestor whose focus was to start the settlement ages ago.
Most free dwarves earn their money through commerce with the world around them. Dwarven-forged metal is considered to be among the best in all of Athas. Many smiths swell the boundaries of their clan’s economy by purchasing or finding scraps of steel and converting it to arms or armor. Though dwarves despise haggling because it wastes too much time that could be directed toward better things, they set their prices fairly.
In the cities, dwarves who do not craft metal usually hire out as mercenaries. Dwarven mercenaries are highly prized; it is hard to buy their loyalty once it has been purchased by another. Some desperate dwarves find their ways into the gladiatorial pits of the nobles, sacrificing freedom to send money to the homelands.
Religion: Most dwarves worship one of the dragon-kings, although many heed the words of elemental clerics, especially those of earth and fire.
Language: The dwarven language is deep and throaty, with hard, guttural consonants that usually end the brief sentences. Since their tongue often makes non-dwarves hoarse after a few hours of speech, dwarves are willing to learn the common language spoken by merchants throughout the land. Because the language is so difficult, dwarves view with respect those who attempt their language for extended periods, in return for the honor they feel is being demonstrated to them.
Names: Dwarves once had an elaborate naming structure that detailed a particular dwarf's heritage by describing his ancestors. The naming system was unwieldy, however, so it has fallen into disuse, and dwarves have adopted human naming conventions.
Adventurers: Dwarven adventurers are driven by a focus that puts them in harm's way, such as "map the Jagged Cliffs region," "overthrow the dragon-king," or "make enough money to buy the freedom of my family."
Game Stats:+4 Con, +2Wis, -2 Dex*
Darkvision
Increased Hardiness vs. poisons (an extra +2 saving throw bonus is added)
Hardiness vs. spells
Offensive training vs. goblinoids
Effective character level +1
* At character creation, remember that the game engine automatically applies the default +2 Con, -2 Cha adjustment for standard dwarves. An extra +2 Con, +2 Wis will be applied once the subrace is selected in-game.
Athasian Elves
On Athas, elves have pointed ears and dwell in the wilderness, but comparisons to traditional fantasy elves end there. The elves of Dark Sun are clannish, nomadic desert-dwellers said to be as fast - and as mercurial - as the sirocco. They are perhaps the most prolific non-city dwelling race of demihumans east of the Ringing Mountains. Though many of the tribes follow different customs, all elves share one thing in common - a propensity for raiding and warfare.
Elves are tireless wanderers, scouring the desert sands for whatever sustenance and riches they can find. They travel on foot in tribal groups, engaging in thieving and raiding, then disappear in a cloud of dust. Some tribes trade on a more-or-less regular basis with the city-states, but elves are known for their willingness to fleece customers not of their tribe.
Personality: An elf would rather live a short, happy life among friends than toil for centuries like a dwarf. Many take a perverse pride in the stereotype that labels them as untrustworthy thieves and bandits. Most elves make a respectable living as herders, but a few choose the lucrative profession of merchant or the more dangerous raiding and thieving. The elf is well-equipped for either job because he is versatile at communication, is well-versed in a variety of landscapes, and is able to move much cargo across vast territories in a short time.
Physical Description: The elves of Athas are lithe and tall, averaging 6½ to 7½ feet tall. They are extremely muscular despite their lean stature. However, the years of exposure have taken a toll on their frames, leading to a weaker constitution. Both males and females wear their hair long. Sun-baked, wind-carved features dominate the chiseled elven faces. To survive the harsh elements of the deserts, elves are forced to clad themselves in dark, protective clothing, such as voluminous robes. Often, elves will stitch clan symbols throughout their clothes, though never on outerwear, such as cloaks. These articles are painted or weaved to better camouflage the elf within the desert terrain. The elves consider such distinctive garb part of their elven culture, and are likely to continue wearing such attire even within the confines of weather-resistant shelters.
Years of conditioning have instilled within the elves the ability to run quickly over sandy and rocky terrain. Elves have a higher resistance to heat and cold. An elf rarely lives past the age of 140.
Relations: It is said that the only thing harder than finding an elf you can trust is finding an elf who trusts you. Elves either ignore or hold in contempt those not of their tribe, especially nonelves. They share an intensely strong tribal unity that does not extend beyond tribal borders. Outlander elves are as much potential enemies as any other creature. With considerable effort, outsiders can gain acceptance by an individual or an entire tribe, but only through extensive service, sacrifice, and bravery. In much rarer instances, even such noble actions are not enough. Stories abound in taverns that tell of tribal leaders who mandate self-inflicted wounds, such as dagger-drawn tattoos or hot-iron brands. The chance for this earned confidence does not increase because the newcomer is an elf. An elf living among other races carefully tests the friendship of would-be allies before letting his guard down.
The elf's natural enemy is a thri-kreen, who is likely to view the elf as a potential meal. An elf rarely lives past the age of 140.
Alignment: Elves tend strongly toward chaotic alignments. Whether elves are good or evil depends on what's standing between them and their next drink of water.
Elven Lands: Some elven tribes have taken up residence in the city-states - usually in their own ghetto - but most roam the sandy wastes, coming into the cities only to trade. Many tribes of elven bandits congregate along major trade routes where they can pick off heavily laden caravans.
Religion: Few elves serve the dragon-kings - or anyone else for that matter. Many of the larger tribes have druids that provide a measure of spiritual guidance, and clerics of fire and earth aren't unheard of either.
Language: Many elves speak common, especially those who frequently deal with humans, but the elves do have their own language. This collection of short, usually monosyllabic words is fired off rapidly, making the language difficult for non-native speakers to grasp. As a result, elves find themselves forced to decrease their pace, which they find quite distasteful, when talking to outsiders. Because of this, elves to tend speak far less often to outsiders, an action that leads many to call the elves a bit aloof.
Names: Elves take a simple name in their own language, and among the tribe they'll append a descriptive term, such as "Vilyaa the Tall," if a particularly common name is causing confusion. Elves separated from their tribe often take the tribe's name as a de facto last name. Tribe names include Night Runners, Silt Stalkers, Silver Hands, Sky Singers, Water Hunters, and Wind Dancers. Many elven names have doubled vowels, indicating that the vowel sound is stretched out slightly.
Adventurers: An elf's wanderings often develop into adventures whether he likes it or not. Some elves can't resist the temptation to fleece locals as they travel, while others find themselves the target of prejudiced harassment.
Game Stats:+4 Dex, -2 Con*
Sleeplessness
Elven weapon proficiencies
Skill Affinity (Listen)
Skill Affinity (Search)
Skill Affinity (Spot)
Increased
Listen, Spot &
Search bonus at 5th and 15th level.
Endurance
Hardiness vs illusions
Longstrider spell 1x/day
Effective character level +1
* At character creation, remember that the game engine automatically applies the default +2 Dex, -2 Con adjustment for standard elves. An extra +2 Dex will be applied once the subrace is selected in-game.
Athasian Half-Elves
The half-elves of Athas have no true home: They are regarded as outsiders in both the human-dominated city-states and the elven tribes of the wilderness. Unlike their parents, half-elves have no culture or community to call their own, but the flip side to being an outsider is being able to come and go as you please. Just to get through the day in a world that regards them as halfbreed mongrels, half-elves have become adept socially, using keen perception and a diplomatic demeanor to deflect prejudice.
Personality: Most half-elves grew up as orphans or in broken homes, and most live uneasy lives in human or elven communities that don't truly accept them. This intolerance they are subject to has given half-elves their greatest attribute—self-reliance. As loners, usually without permanent residence, half-elves survive the rigors of life in the wilderness completely on their own. The skills involved in survival, such as locating food, water, and shelter, are only half of the challenge they face — half-elves must also learn to deal with the absence of companionship, the complete lack of conversation and basic friendship.
Half-elves pride themselves on their self-reliance. Despite their self-reliance, when faced with elves or humans, half-elves often find themselves looking for acceptance. For instance, when among elves, a half-elf will go out of his way to prove just how elven he is, by running great distances with them and observing other social and cultural rituals with the elves. These efforts, however, are mostly lost on the elves and therefore serve no purpose. The half-elf's behavior is seen by some as slightly irrational, but only by those who are comfortably wrapped in the blankets of racial acceptance; having none leaves half-elves out in the bitterest cold.
Physical Description: Half-elves are generally tall, between 6 and 6 1/2 feet tall, but more meaty than their elven counterparts. Their facial features are clearly more deeply defined than those of a human, but based solely on their countenance half-elves can usually pass for either an elf or a human.
Relations: A half-elf's life is typically hardened by the intolerance of others. Neither fully human nor fully elven, half-elves rarely find acceptance with either race. Elves are especially intolerant, at times driving mothers of half-elven infants from their camps into the desert. Humans are more apt to accept halfelves as allies or partners, but seldom accept them into their homes, clans, or families. Rarely do half-elves congregate in great enough numbers to form communities of their own, so they remain outsiders, forever wandering from situation to situation without a people, land, or village to call home.
Coincidentally, faced with intolerance from the races of their parentage, many turn to completely alien races for acceptance. Dwarves, halflings, and even thri-kreen have no basic dislike of half-elves—nor do they grant them any favor. At the very least a half-elf dealing with these races can expect no automatic prejudices. Also, some half-elves turn for companionship to the animal world, training beasts of the air and sands as servants and friends.
Alignment: Half-elves have no affinity for a particular alignment.
Half-Elven Lands: Unlike half-giants and muls, half-elves do not consider themselves a separate race, and therefore do not try to form half-elven communities. As such, rarely do they congregate in great enough numbers to form communities of their own, so they remain outsiders, forever wandering from situation to situation without a people, land, or village to call home.
Religion: There are more half-elves than one might expect among the ranks of the templars, because a regimented life spent in dragon-king worship avoids many of the day-to-day difficulties of being a half-elf. Those half-elves who embrace their outcast nature often become elemental clerics, because fire, wind, water, and earth regard half-elves for who they are, not for who their parents were.
Language: Half-elves speak Common. Those with connections to the elven tribe of a parent learn Elven as well.
Names: Half-elves adopt the naming conventions of whatever society they live in.
Adventurers: Almost by definition, half-elves have to make their own way in the world, without a family or community to help them. Thus, the adventurer's life appeals to many.
Athasian Halflings
Feral creatures who live in the few forests remaining in the world of Dark Sun, the halflings of Athas are out of place in the city-states of the Tablelands. Yet, like how a wild creature held in a zoo can adapt to its surroundings, so too can a halfling find adventure in the cities, as well as the deserts, of Dark Sun.
Personality: Stories, song, and fine arts are of paramount importance to halflings, who have a rich oral history and collection of mythic tales. Halflings often feel sorry for creatures who have to scrabble madly for water and food, as they have little difficulty obtaining either in their forest homes. This attitude sometimes appears patronizing to others.
Strict carnivores, halflings tend to view all animals, including humans and their ilk, as lunch. Combat honor is a valueless concept to halflings. In battle, halflings resort to what others might call dirty tricks. Having strong ties to the land, halflings are likely to create their weapons from organic sources. A popular tenet among halfling warriors is that a weapon built from the same material as an opponent offers special advantages to the wielder.
Physical Description: A halfling is a very short humanoid, standing no more than 3½ feet in height. The hair, eyes, and skin color of halflings tends to be as varied as their human counterparts. Proportioned like humans, they are quick and muscular, possessing a strength that belies their size, but they have the faces of wise and beautiful children. Halflings live to be as much as 120 years old, but once they reach adulthood, their features never succumb to their years— it's very difficult for an outsider to determine a given halfling's age. A halfling weighs 50 to 60 pounds and is virtually always in peak physical condition. Many decorate their skin with war-paint, tattoos, and piercings.
Relations: Halflings have a mixture of pity and curiosity about the people of the city-states, but they're socially aware enough to realize that they will always be a novelty to the larger races. After they've been among humans and other races for a while, most halflings overhear enough tales about cannibal halflings to last a lifetime. However, most don't foul their dealings with those they meet by telling them that most of those stories are true. The halfling's meat-only diet means that halflings see all living creatures more as food than as equals. This perception leads them to expect other races to feel similarly. As a result, at no time is a halfling likely to trust any other member of any other species.
Alignment: Halflings have no particular alignment preference, although those who travel to the city-states have a tendency to be more chaotic than those who remain in their forest homes.
Halfling Lands: Halflings are native to the Forest Ridge, a wooded mountain range northwest of the city-states. There the halflings have many villages and even larger settlements. Most halflings, except the chaotic and more brutal renegades near the Ringing Mountains, share a common outlook on life. This universal perception results in considerable racial unity despite geographical and political separations. Though divided politically into separate villages and communities, halflings have great respect for their race as a whole. It is rare that one halfing will shed the blood of another, even in extreme ideological confrontations. Political differences between them are settled wherever possible peaceably, through ritual and custom, most often under the direction of their clerical leaders, the shaman witch doctors. Other races find halfing culture a difficult concept to understand.
Their culture is fabulously diverse, but difficult for other races to comprehend. A complete history of their culture, if such a thing existed, would speak volume upon volume of complex social change, inspirational clerical leaders, and in-depth personal studies of the halfling and his duty to his jungle home. Conspicuous in their absence would be references to great wars of conquest or tremendous monetary wealth—the yardsticks by which other races measure cultural success. Halfling culture cares for the individual's inward being, his identity and spiritual unity with his race and environment. Their culture does not provide for more traditional values, and vices such as greed and avarice are particularly discouraged.
On a personal level, halflings relate very well to one another, well enough to have built a considerable culture rich in art, song, and other expressive communication. They tend to rely heavily on their culture for communication, a culture that both parties in a conversation are assumed to understand.
Religion: Halflings let their village druids, known as witch doctors, tend to their spiritual needs, although elemental clerics are not unheard of. Rare indeed is the halfling who venerates a dragon-king.
Language: The halfling language is comprised of a collection of mimicked animal sounds such as whistles, cawing, and chatter. Halflings can also speak the common tongue.
Names: Halfling names reflect their tribal heritage, full of aggressive consonants and references to the natural world. Common appellations include Windborne Garkala, Kaishak Treetopper, and Shethac Two-Streams.
Adventurers: Halflings usually have a reason for leaving their forest homes beyond "I'm looking for adventure." Some are voluntary exiles, others are (or were) attached to diplomatic or trading missions, and some are on the run from a dark fate that awaits them back in the forest.
Game Stats:+2 Dex, +2 Wis*
Skill affinity (move silently)
Increased move silently bonus by +2 at level 5, and by +6 at level 15.
Lucky
Fearless
Good aim
Racial attack bonus when using slings
Small stature
Effective Character Level +1
* At character creation, remember that the game engine automatically applies the default +2 Dex, -2 Str adjustment for standard halflings. An extra +2 Wis, +2 Str will be applied once the subrace is selected in-game.
The following links provide more information on halflings, though some of it may not be canon:
http://athas.org/articles/the-good-and-the-green -
http://athas.org/articles/halfling-adviceAthasian Humans
Humans are the dominant culture in the explored parts of Athas. Among the races, they are known for their versatility and willingness to adapt to the harsh realities of life on Athas.
Personality: Humans tend to be ambitious and individualistic: even the tyranny of the dragon-kings hasn't stamped out human diversity. Other races often don't know what to expect when meeting a human for the first time, because predicting their behavior based on cultural norms is difficult. "It's human nature," they say with a shrug whenever humans take some action for no apparent reason.
Physical Description: Humans on Athas tend to be dark-skinned with brown or black hair, although exceptions exist. Templar and noble humans tend to display the greatest variety of hair and skin coloration. An average human male stands between 6 and 6 1/2 feet tall and weighs 180 to 200 pounds. A human female is somewhat smaller, averaging between 5 1/2 and 6 feet in height and weighing between 100 and 140 pounds.
On Athas, centuries of abusive magic have not only scarred the landscape — they've twisted the essence of human appearance, as well. Many humans in Dark Sun look normal, and could pass unnoticed among humans of other campaign settings. Others, however, have marked alterations to their appearance. Their facial features might be slightly bizarre; a large chin or nose, pointed ears, no facial hair, etc. Their coloration might be subtly different, such as coppery, golden brown, hueds of grey, or patchy. The differences may be more physical, such as webbed toes or fingers, longer or snorter limbs, etc. A player with a human character should be given broad latitude in making up these alterations to his form, if he so wishes. Ultimately, none of them will give him any benefit nor any hindrance to game play — his appearance is strictly a roleplaying asset.
Relations: Humans tend to get along well with the races they comingle with (dwarves, muls, elans, and maenads), although their friendly attitude sometimes seems patronizing. Half-giants and thri-kreen are regarded as somewhat fearsome and dangerous. Elves, and to a lesser degree half-elves, are considered flighty and untrustworthy. Aarakocras, halflings, and pterrans are viewed as fascinating and exotic.
Alignment: Humans have no natural alignment tendencies, although the culture of each city-state pressures its inhabitants to adopt the alignment of its dragon-king.
Human Lands: Most humans live in one of the seven city-states: Balic, Draj, Gulg, Nibenay, Raam, Tyr, and Urik. Others live in the smaller outposts and communities near oases in the desert, and some few are part of hunter-gatherer tribes in the heart of the wasteland.
Religion: Most humans worship (or at least venerate) the dragon-king of the city-state where they live. Some few follow the teachings of elemental clerics or join the druids in their nature-worship.
Language: Humans speak Common, the trade tongue, which is by far the most prevalent language on Athas. Most can read and write - even slaves are taught basic literacy so they can read various signs and inscriptions.
Names: For most humans, a single name suffices. Templars often take an honorific based on their rank in the religious hierarchy. Nobles also have a family name, which is generally referred to after the word "of," as in "Agis of Asticles." Members of a merchant house take the house's name as their own last name. Freemen occasionally refer to their occupations to avoid confusion, as in "Barek the Weaver."
Adventurers: Human adventurers tend to be daring and relentless no matter why they're adventuring - whether for fame, fortune, or belief in a cause. Their versatility makes them suited to any class.
Muls
* Playing a mul requires that you fill an
application form and receive approval of the
Community Council.
Sterile crossbreeds of humans and dwarves, muls have great stamina. Accordingly, the templars, noble families, and merchant houses breed them as slaves. Many of the same attributes that make them effective manual laborers serve them well in gladiator arenas.
Personality: Muls often have gruff, taciturn personalities, seen as a sort of social defense mechanism in the slave pits most call home. Many lash out in spite whenever they can avoid the consequences, having never known a friend or companion. Those muls who have escaped the toil of the typical slave (usually by excelling as a gladiator, being set free, or escaping) handle social situations better, but most remain wary of strangers and anyone who hasn't proven their trustworthiness.
Physical Description: Muls are the product of crossbreeding a human and dwarf parent to create offspring who have the best physical characteristics of both races. Once grown, muls retain the incredible endurance and raw strength of their dwarven heritage and the agility and long limbs of their human side. Such strength combined with dexterity and leverage makes muls very powerful humanoids. Adult muls are 6 to 7 feet tall and weigh 250 to 275 pounds, but some particularly strong muls weigh as much as 300 pounds.
Muls are always lean, their metabolisms devoted to muscle growth and near-continuous activity. Their skin is usually fair, though is occasionally the coppery color of their dwarven parent. Their faces are very human, though subtly altered. Their foreheads set off larger-than-normal eye ridges and their ears are pointed and swept back against the side of the head. Almost all muls, male and female, are bald. Slave muls are tattooed at an early age to denote ownership, occupation, parentage or, in the case of mul gladiators, to denote teams, weapon preferences, or victories.
Mul head tattoos can have a variety of meanings and there are several messages that can be gleaned from a mul's highly decorated head. The basic design denotes the mul's ownership. For instance, the centered three-eyed skulls are the marks of the guard slaves of the templars of Urik, while swirling ram's horns indicate the Merchant House of Tsalaxa. Specific weapons can also be tattooed, showing the gladiator's favorites. Weapon handlers need only look at the mul to see what weapon he might need in the coming match. Hash marks at the base of the skull, lust above the neck, denote victories, while pictograms in the same spot usually portray beasts or monsters the gladiator has killed in the arena. Enslaved muls tend to accept their tattoos as a part of their existence. Free muls hate them and what they represent. Mentioning their tattoos might cause free muls to fight to defend their honor.
Muls live an average of 90 years.
Relations: Muls are somewhat antisocial, but they don't have a particular enmity for any race. They get along slightly better with their forebears (humans and dwarves) and half-giants, who are often fellow slaves. Fewer than 20% of all muls are free. Even then, they are always in danger of being captured by slavers and returned to servitude, so they disappear from the well-traveled lands. Most free muls barter their fighting skills for coin, but many turn their backs on combat and seek the ways of the priest, psionicist, or even merchant.
The elf tribes have some respect for muls, as well, noting their incredible endurance as more elf like than human. A mu1 who finds himself among the Sky Singers or other elf tribes may do better passing their tests and initiations.
Muls often take humans and less often, dwarves, to be lifelong mates These childless couples are apt to take orphans into their households, and the harsh climate and wars of Athas provide a seemingly endless stream of orphans. Emotionally, muls are unfettered, subject to the full range of happiness and despair, love and rage.
Alignment: The taskmaster's whip has instilled a lawful attitude in most muls, although those who have fled from slavery are usually chaotic (ex-slaves almost always have a hard time with authority figures). Mul slaves who are treated poorly - which are almost all of them - can nurture such hatred and spite in their hearts that they become evil.
Mul Lands: Muls have no racial history or culture. They are sterile so they have no cause to gather into family groups or communities. And since most muls live out their lives as slaves, they aren't allowed to congregate outside their specific function. These conditions make the muls' existence, even free muls, isolated and lonely.
Religion: Most muls are heavily indoctrinated into the worship of whichever dragon-king rules the city-state where they were born. Like half-giants, some enthusiastically take to the state religion, while others curse it under their breath each day.
Language: Muls raised by both parents speak either Common or dwarf and have an 80% chance to speak the other fluently. Muls reared without their original parents, as is often the case, only learn Common, the common language of slaves, and their command of it is dictated by how important their owner thought language skills would be to their function. If they learn other languages, it's often from captured slaves.
Life as a mul: Muls are very often born into the gladiatorial pits. Slave owners order the union of a human and dwarf for the express purpose of bearing a mul to become a gladiator. As infants, muls can bring a great price on the block. Their incredible strength and speed make them excellent warriors, and the mobs in the cities adore their mul champions.
Mul slave trade is very profitable. A single mul can have many owners in his life, sometimes bought back and forth among many households in a single city. Free muls who allow themselves to be captured by slavers are easily sold into bondage again. A slave trader can make as much on the sale of a mul as he might with a dozen humans.
Once born into slavery, the mul's difficult life is just beginning. Often the parents of the mul child resent the act they were put through and shun the child. These outcasts live a hard existence for the first few years of life, left without attention to grow wild and savage. Eventually the mul child is taken from the general slave population and raised in a secluded environment. There the child is nourished and minimally educated. By adolescence, the child begins training in the profession chosen by its master, usually combat or heavy labor. The latter are given specific instruction in construction techniques and the management of other slaves. Construction muls are eventually returned to the general slave population. Those destined for the arena, however, receive far different treatment.
A successful mul gladiator is a money maker for his owner. An owner of a mul gladiator with a few victories wants to keep the success alive, treating his property like he would any other good investment. A winning mul gladiator might have a complete retinue of other slaves to tend his every whim, oiling his body, bringing him food and drink on command. The line between owner and slave becomes somewhat blurred, but the mul is never allowed to forget that he is wholly owned. "Pampered like a mul" is an expression often bandied about common folk, but it burns in the ears of the muls who have lived it.
Names: Muls favor one simple name, generally a human one. They don't have families, so they don't take last names except in unusual circumstances. To avoid confusion, some muls will add an appellation such as "Rikus the Gladiator" or "Kalaa the Stone-Grinder."
((Please note that nicknames cannot be part of the character's name on POTM. They can be mentioned in-character.))Adventurers: Muls generally come to the adventurer's lifestyle in one of three ways. Some escape slavery and must remain one step ahead of their former masters. Others win their freedom through luck or skill - often by success in the gladiator arena. Finally, some are former soldiers under the command of the dragon-kings or in the pay of the merchant houses.
Game Stats:+2 Str, +4 Con*
Natural Healer
Regeneration (1 pt at level 10, 3 pts at level 15)
Effective Character Level +2
* At character creation, remember that the game engine automatically applies the default +2 Str, -2 Int, -2 Cha adjustment for standard half-orcs. An extra +4 Con, +2 Int, +2 Cha will be applied once the subrace is selected in-game.
Rhul-Thaun (Halfling variant)
The rhul-thaun, the people of the cliffs, are living remnants of a bygone age. Their culture is based upon a period of time no longer spoken of even in the legends of the other races of Athas. Because of this, rhul-thaun society is unique in all the world.
During the Blue Age, the rhulisti made Athas their own. They tamed the forces of nature and learned to work with the elements rather than struggling against them. The present-day rhul-thaun retain some of their ancestors’ knowledge, although much of it is buried in the rituals and traditions that govern the halflings’ society. There are many reasons why the rhul-thaun are different from the other halflings of Athas, and special in their own right compared to all of the races known to the Tyr Region. Physically and mentally, the rhul-thaun peculiarities are worth noting.
Personality: To the rhul-thaun there is no world view, there is no existence, without a purpose. Everything in nature, they believe, has a purpose within its ecosystem—even in the harsh deserts beyond the cliffs that so confuse and frighten them. It follows then, that everything else should also have a purpose in life. This idea is instilled in every member of their society, from the very young to the very old.
The individual’s purpose often takes the form of an occupation. In his lifetime, each individual chooses a role that in some way benefits the community as a whole as well as himself.
Each rhul-thaun must know the purpose and function he or she fulfills, to know one’s place in the broader scheme of things. Alone, one must define a purpose of one’s own. When rhul-thaun are feeling tense or anxious, simply focusing on their purpose usually makes them feel more at ease. A rhul-thaun without a purpose soon gives in to despair.
The sanctity of life in all its forms is pivotal to the halflings. While they are not beyond hunting for food and killing to defend their homes, they respect all living things. Rhul-thaun never take a life casually—even the lives of those creatures other races would consider vermin, like rats and insects. In accordance with their beliefs, there are life-taking rituals to be performed before and after killings take place. This philosophy of the exalted nature of life has been preserved and passed down, directly from the rhulisti, for centuries.
Physical Description: Like the feral halflings of the outside world, the rhul-thaun are short with wiry, nimble bodies. The average height for rhul-thaun males is 3 feet, while females are
an inch or two shorter.
Light of bone and build, the physique of the people of the cliffs is sinewy and tough. Even with an abundance of water, however, their lives are still quite harsh, fostering a need for strong, sturdy bodies. Their skin is fairer than that of most Athasians and appears to be smooth and wrinkle-free throughout most of their lives. Their resilient musculature betrays little of the deterioration caused by time, and they are active even in old age. Rhul-thaun hair color is black or brown, but rare individuals are blond or, more rarely, red heads. A typical member of the race has virtually no body hair other than on his head. Facial hair is unknown to them (its presence on members of other races would probably cause them to believe that person to be an animalistic, monstrous, or barbaric individual). Eye color varies greatly, with green, gray, and brown being most common.
A rhul-thaun proverb states that “age is a measurement of experience, not an assurance of ability.” These halflings do not judge an individual by his age unless he is obviously very young (and therefore inexperienced) or very old (and deserving of respect), It is difficult to tell the age of the rhul-thaun by appearance alone. Not only does the skin of the halflings remain relatively smooth and unblemished throughout their lives, but most healthy members of the race remain active and spry until death. Rhul-thaun live 150 years, longer than halflings of the Tyr Region. Their environment is a healthy one, and most individuals live full, hearty lives.
Relations: Rhul-Thaun have close to no contacts with the other major races of Athas. Most react with hesitant friendship toward newcomers while others are unable to hide their distrust, speaking against the outsiders and wishing to hide their culture’s secrets from them.
Halflings from the outside world who encounter the rhul-thaun find the experience unsettling. Despite many similarities, the two groups have very little in common when it comes to their fundamental philosophies of life. Isolated, recalling their great past, the rhul-thaun respect nothing more than life and are loathe to destroy it. But the feral halflings, whose history has devolved to legend and whose culture has been corrupted over the years by neighboring cultures, look upon every living thing as a potential source of food.
Alignment: A Rhul-Thaun's focus on purpose gives most a lawful outlook.
Rhul-Thaun Lands: Rhul-Thaun live in the Jagged Cliffs. Their focus of purpose also includes the entire society. As a people, they need to feel that they have a status and a mission within the vastness of the world. This is why many believe that High Lord Rhan, who promised to return with the knowledge of that purpose nearly 14,000 years ago, will return. He is their messiah who will lead them to a higher purpose and a greater destiny.
In addition to purpose, structure and order are the linchpins of rhul-thaun culture. All of the rituals that make up their lives have cloaked their perceptions in structure. Their government is a surprisingly complex web of judgment makers, administrators, lawkeepers, and minor bureaucrats, all of whom are there to keep order.
Rhul-thaun society is well defined and divided into extended families called clans. The clans are large enough, and the actual blood relations so distant, that intermarriage among clan members is common and without risk to the children who may be born as a result. The clans are defined more in terms of political alliances than actual ties to family and kin.
Moreover, the idea of the delineating structure of the clans is a fading notion. The halflings identify themselves more closely with their communities than with the clans. Nevertheless, halfling clans still provide a point of reference for each individual. Everyone has the right to take his clan’s name as his surname, and each clan owns colors, patterns of clothing, and hair styles that identify affiliation.
Each clan has a leader or group of leaders called har-etuil. They act as clan chieftains and judges. Each has a physical base of operations called a clanhouse. The clanhouse is used for meetings, important ceremonies (like marriage and naming rituals), and various community events.
Murder, the killing of another halfling, is a very serious crime among the rhul-thaun. Even in dangerous situations, when the lawkeepers have cornered a band of thieves or two feuding clans clash, lives are never taken without careful consideration. However, when the decision to kill is made (and justified to one’s own conscience), it is done swiftly and without hesitation. To hesitate before taking a life is the way of outsiders. The destruction of a nonhalfling is more easily justified in the minds of the rhul-thaun, however, than killing their own.
Religion: Like many Athasian societies, the rhul-thaun have developed what might be called a “religion,” one centered around the elements. Their religious convictions are not strong, however, and the priests supporting them are few. Elemental clerics and their followers can be found in most halfling settlements, but their influence is slight. The priests serve the elemental powers of earth, air, and water. Water is the most commonly revered element, and air, particularly among windriders, is also wellserved. Earth too has its place, but serving fire is forbidden. They see fire as a destroyer, a taker of life.
Although life-shapers are not holy men and life-shaping is not a religion, many halflings have elevated these men and their hidden rituals to something that closely resembles worship. The life-shapers wield power not only because they provide the things that support the entirety of rhul-thaun civilization, but also because most of the population holds them in reverence. It is difficult not to look with awe upon those who provide homes, transportation, tools, weapons, protection, food, clothing, and virtually every other necessity and luxury within the culture.
Some venerate the memory and promises of High Lord Rhan Thes-onel. Indeed, he has become a minor deity of a sort. They wait for his return with the fanatical assurance that he will bring with him a purpose for his people. Most realize that no halfling could live long enough for Rhan to still be alive, but they speculate that his coming will be in the form of a spirit, a vision, or a sign of some mystical nature.
Language: Rhul-Thaun speak Rhul-Thaun, a language directly descended from the speech of the ancient rhulisti. Time has modified the language, but it still sounds like its forbearer. Both are breathy, elegant tongues, pleasant to virtually every ear. To represent the breathy forms of the spoken language, an “h” is often inserted between a consonant and vowel when words are written. Most of the halflings of the Jagged Cliffs do not speak any language but their own. Multilingual rhul-thaunians are extremely rare. Since their contact with the outside world is slight, there is little need to learn other tongues. In fact, the opportunity to study a language other than their own virtually never presents itself.
Names: Rhul-thaun names are usually formed by combining two existing words to describe that which is being designated. For example, those in charge of keeping law and order are the vher-elus, or lawkeepers. It is common for an object, idea, or even a person to have more than one name. Multiple names describe different aspects of the same thing, and thus are all equally valid and accurate. Usually, however, once a name comes into common usage, popular consensus determines which name is most frequently used. Typical male names include Bal-orean (Strong arms), Bal-olech (Strong back), Dhev-ovaun (Cliff racer), Ser-ogoth (Master of wealth) and Thar-osul (Swift fighter). Typical female names include Fen-aghoun (Beautiful charmer), Yihn-aruth (Sturdy climber), Wir-avios (Wind lover) and Val-agoth (Wealthy woman).
Beyond these given names, every individual can also join the name of his clan to the end of his own. Thus, Val-agoth becomes Val-agoth of Taen, or simply Val-agoth Taen. The clan designators are used less today since the importance of the clan has declined in modern rhul-thaun society. The clan names are too numerous to list here, but all are short, one-syllable rhulisti names like Bein, Glahr, Taen, and Sul.
Adventurers: Many of the rhul-thaun are curious to discover what lies beyond their ledges, so a Rhul-Thaun halfling may certainly accompany a party wherever its adventures take them.
Game Stats:+2 Dex, +2 Wis, -2 Str*
Skill affinity (move silently)
Skill affinity (listen)
Lucky
Good aim
Racial attack bonus when using slings
Small stature
* At character creation, remember that the game engine automatically applies the default +2 Dex, -2 Str adjustment for standard halflings. An extra +2 Wis will be applied once the subrace is selected in-game.
Tareks
With strong brows, long arms, thick hides, and a maw full of sharp teeth, tareks are well adapted to the wastes of Athas. These large brutish beings are a terror to behold; sweeping down on unknowing caravans with the blessings of their earth shamans upon them. Of the many races that wander the Tablelands, tareks have a bond with earth and stone like no other. It is whispered by those who know of such things that the tarek people were created by a fearsome entity of elemental earth.
Personality: Tareks are violent and aggressive. They place great value and honor in physical prowess. While tareks will use weapons, they shun armor of any sort. Instead, they rely on their own tough hides and natural combat agility to protect them.
Physical Description: Tareks are big, musclebound, and hairless bipeds that inhabit the hilly and mountainous areas of Athas. They have square, big-boned heads with sloping foreheads and massive brow ridges. Their flat noses have flared nostrils, and their domed muzzles are full of sharp teeth. Their powerful arms are so long that their knuckles drag along the ground. Tareks have a distinct musky odor that can be detected from as far away as 15 feet.
Tareks move with jerky, awkward strides except when engaged in combat. Then they exhibit a style and grace usually uncommon in creatures of their size and build. To watch them engage in combat is to watch fluid motions that are as artistic as dance — unless the viewer happens to be on the receiving end of the deadly spectacle.
Tareks have an average life span of 50 years (though few creatures ever get to die naturally on Athas).
Relations: Tareks hate wizardly magic in all its forms. They go out of their way to destroy defilers, and they’ll even chase away preservers who use their magic in the vicinity of a tarek community. This hatred of magic translates into a strong dislike for elves, since elves often deal in the business of spell components and have an innate love for all thing magical. Tarek raiders often attack elf tribes that wander too close to their territory as an automatic response to the probable proximity of wizardly magic.
On the other hand, tareks have a great deal of respect for all types of priestly magic. The elemental forces that hold sway over the world receive as much reverence as the violent tempered tareks are capable of giving. However, tarek tribes tolerate only one kind of cleric in their midst — earth clerics. Tareks respect the earth and everything connected with its elemental nature. They consider themselves to be born of the earth, and feel a kinship with the mountains and hills they choose to live among. “Solid is the tarek, strong like the earth, and numerous as the soil,” sing the earth clerics of the tarek tribes.
They sometimes wage great wars with the gith, as both of these races seek to control the same territory. If they hate elves because of their association with magic, then they hate gith because the gith are seen as abominations to the elemental earth forces. Gith set up lairs beneath the mountains tareks hold sacred, defiling the earth with their very presence (at least according to the teachings of the tarek shamans). As such, tarek communities see it as their sacred duty to keep gith out of the mountains and hills they have selected as their homes.
Alignment: Primarly Lawful Neutral.
Tarek Lands: Tareks gather in tribes, building small communities in the hills and mountains of the Tyr region. These communities often sustain themselves by raiding, and visitors are not welcome. Unless a group of visitors include an obvious elemental cleric, tarek warriors rush out to kill or drive the intruders away. In rare instances, members of a community will be sent out to trade with merchant caravans, but few traders will blindly conduct business with these representatives. More often than not, such representatives are decoys for an unseen raiding party. More than one caravan has been taken by surprise while negotiating a deal with tarek traders.
Religion: Tarek tribes tolerate only one kind of cleric in their midst — earth clerics. Tareks respect the earth and everything connected with its elemental nature. They consider themselves to be born of the earth, and feel a kinship with the mountains and hills they choose to live among. “Solid is the tarek, strong like the earth, and numerous as the soil,” sing the earth clerics of the tarek tribes.
Language: Tareks speak their own language, as well as the common language of the Tyr region (Common). Their voices are harsh and gutteral, as fearful in tone as their appearance and just as powerful.
Names: Male Names: Chilod, Foreg, Kilorthrak, Rathgikek, Lywfenk, Trathsuyl, Kissfedg
Female Names: Felorn, Kester, Kisal, Zikulg, Gystun, Tragun
Adventurers: Tarek leave their tribes for many reasons. These reasons can include a time of wandering if the tarek is an earth priest, or perhaps they have grown tired of the brutal lifestyle of the tarek people and seek a more civilized life. A brave warrior may also have been sent on a quest for the tribe or an earth shaman.
In the "civilized" lands of the Tablelands, tareks sometimes have difficulty adjusting to the soft culture of the city-dwellers. Tareks often have to restrain themselves from challenging others to prove their strength on a regular basis. However, if a matched pair of tareks enters the arena, their savage nature as gladiators can provide them bloody outlets.
Many tareks are brought to the civilized world against their wishes as slaves. As a slave, a tarek will usually be used as brute force labor or sent to the arenas as a gladiator. Should a tarek be freed from slavery, some will continue with the civilized life, often adventuring or joining a slave tribe - a lifestyle that is reminiscent of their tribal roots.
Tarek culture raises brutal xenophobic raiders and few tareks have remorse or a conscience to hold them back. Whether raised in a tarek tribe or a gladiator school, tarek young are subjected to severe training and toil. As a result tarek usually take time to warm to others, if at all. Many remain violent destructive sociopaths, but a few can overcome their upbringing. A tarek who has befriended members of another race is a fierce loyal ally.
Game Stats:+2 Str, -2 Int, -2 Cha
Darkvision
Sources: Dragon Magazine 319, Dark Sun Campaign Setting (AD&D), Dark Sun Monstrous Compendium II (detailed information on races, and the only source of information on Tarek), Windriders of the Jagged Cliff (Rhul-Thaun, there's a lot more information), The Elves of Athas (more detailed information on elven culture).
