Subrace Roleplaying Resources and Lore

[MAB77]

Aerenal Elf

Undying soldiers move through jungles filled with ancient power, zealous elves strive to be worthy of joining their valiant ancestors, and the cities of Aerenal gather might unmatched in the outside world. Even the mighty dragons of Argonessen must guess at the long-reaching plans of Aerenal’s Undying Court, and only the elves have ever stood against the combined might of the dragon legions.

Aerenal is a land of magical forests and jungles, and the land itself resonates with powerful necromantic energy. Although it holds natural resources in abundance, including the sole sources of many magical timbers such as bronzewood and densewood, Aerenal’s true strength is the abundant flow of necromantic power that gave rise to the undying soldiers that protect the realm and the undying councilors that guide it. The presence of these powerful soldiers and advisers has protected Aerenal from even the strength of the dragons, allowing Aerenal’s culture to flourish for generation after elf generation.

Physical description:
Aeranal elves fit the usual description of elves, sharing the common traits of pointed ears, vulpine features, and lithe builds. They tend to have dark hair and eyes of green, violet, or gray.

What sets them apart in their apperance is in how they reflect their reverence toward death. This can vary greatly from a family to another. Some wear intricate death masks. Others tattoo their faces with skulls or similar patterns. Members of the line of Jhaelian mimic the appearance of the undying while they are still alive, using magical and alchemical substances to induce rigor and apparent decomposition of the flesh. While all these customs are striking, there are many families that internalize their respect of the dead and do not demonstrate it in a physical form.

History:
The elves of Aerenal have always revered their ancestors. Once slaves of the giant tribes of Xen’drik, the ancient Aereni elves bought their freedom with blood and magic, and elf bards still sing of their heroic deeds. In the center of the island-continent lies a region where necromantic energy flows easily, and it was here that the elf Priests of Transition discovered the rites and rituals required to preserve their elders beyond death. Sustained by the veneration of their descendants, these undying elves have guided their country for more than twenty thousand years. The strength of the deathless has carried Aerenal through conflicts with hobgoblins, humans, and even the dragons of Argonnessen. Yet the Aereni have never sought to conquer; their undying armies have always fought in defense of the nation. Because of a superstitious fear of the walking dead and the isolationist attitude of the elves of Aerenal, few humans ever visit the island-continent, and those who do rarely venture beyond the port city of Pylas Talaear. Thus, the island-continent remains a mystery.

Elves have lived on the continent for more than twenty-six thousand years. For most of that time, the Undying Court has ruled with a benign and guiding hand. With a long-reaching perspective rivaling that of the greatest dragons, the Undying Court carefully directs the elves of Aerenal through machinations that might take thousands of years to unfold. The Sibling Kings, the traditional living rulers of Aerenal, rule over the daily affairs of the elves while the Undying Court shapes the destiny of the race.

Outlook:
Despite the cultural differences that have developed over the millennia, a number of common factors tie the Aereni families together. Most families are extremely insular. They have a strong belief in the importance of preserving their ancestral blood, and generally marry within their own lines; they appear to have few of the negative genetic markers that cause problems for human families that maintain a closed breeding pool.

Humans often see the Aereni as cold and distant, but the truth is that most elves are uncomfortable around strangers, especially nonelves. They can predict the behavior of other families and read the emotions of their own kin with ease. But the unpredictable behavior of the shorter-lived races is disconcerting, and until an elf comes to know and trust an outsider, he usually shields his emotions behind an inscrutable façade.

Another trait shared by the Aereni is their attitude toward death. For the elves, death is not something to be feared; instead, it is embraced and ultimately welcomed. Each family expresses this attitude in a different way, some physically, others in deeds and thoughts.

Vampires, liches, and their ilk are abhorrent creatures that destroy life to preserve their own existence, and they are seen as a perversion of the undying. The creation of mindless undead, such as zombies and skeletons, is seen as an unforgivable insult to the body and soul of the deceased.

A final element that permeates all levels of the culture of Aerenal is immense racial pride, a superiority complex that extends thousands of years into the past. The elves of Aerenal are among the most accomplished wizards of Eberron. Their ancestors walk among them, and the greatest of the undying have almost godlike power. Their nation has driven off the dragons of Argonnessen not once, but multiple times. The elves are not blatantly arrogant. Instead, they are completely self-assured, possessing an unshakable faith in their peoples’ place in the world.

Society:
Aerenal is an ancient nation. It watched the goblin empires of Khorvaire rise and fall, saw the arrival of humans and the common races, and observed the formation of the Kingdom of Galifar. The elves respect their elders and are devoted to their ancestors. Over the course of thousands of years, elf families have developed distinctive customs, including manners of dress, speech, art, and the use of magic.

Two forces govern Aerenal. The Sibling Kings hold all temporal power. By ancient tradition, the nation must be ruled by a bonded brother and sister. When either sibling dies, the Undying Court selects a new pair to rule. The Sibling Kings are seen as the living embodiment of Aerenal, and the conduit for the power of the Undying Court. The current siblings are Belaereth and Tezaera of the line of Mendyrian.

While the Sibling Kings guide the daily affairs of Aerenal, the Undying Court shapes the destiny of the elf race. This council of the deathless selects, advises, and empowers the rulers of the land. The motives of the Undying Court cannot be understood by mortal beings; their plans stretch out over millennia. But those who have studied the elves — and their conflicts with the dragons in particular — are convinced that the deathless have a goal whose fruition may still be centuries away. Indeed, since the deathless measure existence in time spans that even dragons cannot imagine, their machinations and plots worry the dragons no end.

The deathless themselves are concentrated in the great cities of the nation’s interior. A family estate may have an honor guard of undying soldiers and an undying councilor advising the living elders of the line, but the majority of the undying gather in the City of the Dead. Regardless of family, all Aereni respect the undying as heroes of their race and always treat them with respect and deference. An undying soldier or councilor is an undead creature charged with positive energy and sustained by the devotion of its descendants.

Each family owes obeisance to the Sibling Kings and the Undying Court, but each has its own traditions of internal rule. Some are matriarchal, some are patriarchal, and others have their own sibling lords.

Relations with other races:
Most of the elves in Aerenal give little thought to the outside world, focusing instead on the goals of their isolated family groups and their families’ roles in the far-reaching plans of the undying. While this makes much of Aerenal isolationist and impenetrable to outsiders, small parts of the elf nation deal directly with the outside world. Through the port city of Pylas Talaear the elves sell their magical timber and worked wooden goods to members of other races. Because of this commerce, and the fact that the elves of Aerenal have held their island continent for ten times the length of living memory, outsiders almost universally view the elves with a healthy mix of awe and indifference. All this is changing, though, as the young elves of Tairnadal continue to migrate to the kingdom of Valenar and practice policies of aggressive expansion.

Alignments:
Aerenal elves can be of any alignment.

Religion:
The Aereni tradition of ancestor worship has evolved considerably since the birth of the Undying Court. Instead of revering those ancestors long dead, the Aereni venerate the dead that remain. In the eyes of the elves, existence is a spiritual journey that takes thousands of years to accomplish — a journey only the undying can complete. Thus, the Aereni honor the deathless who are on this final path, but their true deity is the combined essence of the ascended councilors, the undying who have journeyed beyond life and death to reach the final destination of the elven soul. While the ascendant councilors can still take physical form, the elves do not worship them as individual deities. Instead, they revere the ascendant union as the ultimate embodiment of the elf race.

As a result of these beliefs, the Aereni do not fear death. On the contrary, it is a state to be desired as the next step on the path to ascension. However, an elf must earn the right to walk this path. The Priests of Transition are the ambassadors to the Undying Court, and it is these clerics who judge the achievements of an elven life and decide the fate of a candidate. Those who have shown tremendous heroism and skill at arms may be reborn as undying soldiers, while the wisest among the elves become undying councilors. An elf judged to be flawed or foolish may be left to die, leaving room for a stronger spirit to enter the community. But more often than not, the Priests of Transition use raise dead to restore a fallen elf so that he may continue his journey along the path of existence.

The elves believe that it is the devotion of the family that preserves the spirits of the undying. As a result, an elf is expected to be deeply familiar with the lives of his undying ancestors, and to show respect to all of the undying.

The Tairnadal elves of Valenar and Northern Aerenal have a different focus. While they respect the elders of the Undying Court, they worship the spirits of the warriors of Xen’drik—elves who fell long before the Undying Court was raised. The Tairnadal priests are known as the Keepers of the Past, and their ranks include both clerics and bards. At birth (or upon joining the Tairnadal, in the case of a half-elf or Aereni recruit) the Keepers of the Past consult the spirits to determine an elf’s patron ancestor. The Tairnadal believe that by emulating the behavior of their patron ancestors, they give those ancestors a chance to live again in the current generation.

Language:
The elves of Aerenal speak Elven, and most speak Common and Draconic as well. The elves of Aerenal are often reserved in their speech, concealing their emotions and true intentions behind stoic masks. With the perspective of a long-lived race guided by undying ancestors, the elves of Aerenal choose their words as carefully as they form their opinions.

Names:
Aerenal elf names have few differences between male and female forms, and both generally have more vowel sounds than consonants. Sample names include Aeren, Allais, Dailan, Kylaear, Maellas, Thalaen, and Vylae.

Adventurers:
Aereni adventurers usually leave the confines of the island continent, traveling through distant lands to work the will of the Undying Court or seeking to emulate the deeds of their ancestors. Many elf adventurers aspire to the fame and power necessary to eventually take a place among the undying guardians of the elf race.

With a longer-reaching perspective than any other adventuring race, the elves of Aerenal are cautious at most times but exceptionally bold and resourceful when forced to act. They are also courageous, in part because of their heroic nature and in part because they view death as a benign process along the path to ascension.

Aereni elves make excellent archers regardless of their class. Mighty elf clerics wielding the might of the Undying Court and powerful magic bows are equal to any situation, and few can match stealthy elf rangers and rogues sniping from the shelter of densewood forests.

Settings:
Aerenal elves are exclusive to the Eberron setting.

Game Stats:
+2 Dex, -2 Con
+1 Saving throw bonus vs Negative Energy
+1 Saving throw bonus vs Death
Low-light vision
Hardiness vs. Enchantment
Elven Weapon Proficiencies
Keen Senses
Skill Affinity (Listen)
Skill Affinity (Search)
Skill Affinity (Spot)
Sleeplessness

Sources: Eberron Campaign Setting, Races of Eberron

[EO]

Oscray (Malatran Scro)

* Playing this race requires that you fill an application form and receive approval of the Community Council.

The oscray descend from a group of Scro who were separated from their kind when they fled conflict, and landed on the plains of Malatra in southern Kara-Tur on Toril. Like other scro, they are descended from orcs.

Physical description:
Oscray somewhat resemble orcs, but are larger and have grayer skin than true orcs. They have the characteristic piglike snout of the orcs, but stand proud and erect, as opposed to the stopped posture of their orcish cousins. Oscray have large canine teeth which they sharpen to a fine point.

An oscray can live to be 80 years old.

History:
The oscray came from across the skies, fleeing a far off war with a horrid race called The Elves. They came in ships that flew in the sky, although those ships no longer have that power. The oscray have found a home here on the plains of Malatra.

Since then, they have adapted to Malatran life very well and on more then one occasion have remarked that jungle life "is a lot more fun then running from elves all the time."

Outlook:
Loud, boisterous, sometimes aggressive, yet capable of surprising compassion to the weak and mercy to the defeated. The oscray have also proven themselves loyal unto death to those they have befriended.

Since they have banded together in this new world, oscray will look first to protecting their tribe, especially the young.

Society:
Oscray have but one village, located on the Ravanna Savanah, well to the north of the Wise Ones territory. They exist by hunting and some agriculture. Their chieftain is Bentfang, who led them here.

They are one of the few groups in Malatra known to work with brass, fashioning it from the land's rare deposits of copper and zinc. They also repurpose any gold or silver they found within ruins.

Relations with other races:
Oscray have adapted well to their new homes and neighbors for two reasons. First, they are still uneducated in the ways of the jungle and rely greatly on the Simbara and Wise Ones to help them. Secondly, though naturally aggressive, the Oscray live a week to ten days travel from all sorts of evil and violent races: brutish lizardmen, black leopard katanga, hyena katanga, and others. When Oscray get the desire for battle, they have a wide variety of opponents.

Alignments:
Oscray are usually neutral.

Religion:
Some of the oscray still worship their old gods even though their old gods don't seem to be listening. No clear consensus has arisen as to what beliefs the tribe as a whole will follow.

Language:
The oscray speak Scro, a variant of the orcish tongue, unknown on the plains of Malatra, and Common. They can learn any Malatran language.

Anyone who speaks Orc grasps the basics of Scro, although the more refined tongue boasts nearly three times the vocabulary and a much greater range of expression. On the other hand, someone who learns to speak Scro understands Orc - probably better than most orcs.

Names:
There are no clear naming conventions but they likely use Scro names.

Settings:
Oscray are native to the Forgotten Realms setting, more specifically the Jungles of Malatra in southern Kara-Tur.

Game Settings:
 +2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Con
Darkvision
Effective Character Level +2

* At character creation, remember that the game engine automatically applies the default +2 Str, -2 Cha and -2 Int adjustment for standard half-orcs. An extra +2 Int, +2 Dex, +2 Cha, +2 Con will be applied once the subrace is selected in-game.

Sources: Polyhedron #129, Jungle Book of Malatra (3E)

[MAB77]

Scabland Half-Orc

Half-orcs accustomed to live in the Abbor-Alz; they are little more than scavengers and thieves.

Physical description:
Scabland alf-orcs stand between 6 and 7 feet tall and usually weigh between 180 and 250 pounds. A half-orc's grayish pigmentation, sloping forehead, jutting jaw, prominent teeth, and coarse body hair make his lineage plain for all to see.

Orcs like scars. They regard battle scars as tokens of pride and ornamental scars as things of beauty. Any half-orc who has lived among or near orcs has scars, whether they are marks of shame indicating servitude and identifying the half-orc's former owner, or marks of pride recounting conquests and high status. Such a half-orc living among humans may either display or hide his scars, depending on his attitude toward them.

Half-orcs mature a little faster than humans and age noticeably faster. They reach adulthood at age 14, and few live longer than 75 years.

History:
Scabland half-orcs have no society of their own and therefore no particular racial history.

Outlook:
Scabland half-orcs are little more than scavengers and thieves and normally make do with whatever they can find. They also tend to be short-tempered and sullen. They would rather act than ponder and would rather fight than argue. Those who are successful, however, are those with enough self-control to live in civilized land, not the crazy ones.

Because of their reputation, scabland half-orcs are often barred from trading, which forces them to make do with whatever tools and weapons they can construct for themselves.

Society:
Orcs seem capable of thriving in any climate, though it might be more accurate to say that they have few problems adapting to wherever they are forced to live. Half-orcs are found in nearly every terrain the Bright Desert has to offer, and are particularly common in the mountains and deserts. The Abbor-Alz has long been a refugee for outlaws, brigands, bandits and other unsavory types. Many bands of raiders are composed almost entirely of scabland half-orcs.

Relations with other races:
Scabland half-orcs are generally reviled by civilized folk. As a race they have an unsavory reputation and as a consequence they are unwelcome in many of the surrounding nation states.

Alignments:
Half-orcs inherit a tendency toward chaos from their orc parents, but like their human parents, they favor good and evil in equal proportions. Half-orcs raised among orcs and willing to live out their lives with them are usually the evil ones.

Religion:
Like orcs, many half-orcs worship Gruumsh, the chief orc god and Archenemy of Corellon Larethian, god of the elves. While Gruumsh is evil, half-orc barbarians and and fighters may worship him as a war god even if they are not evil themselves. Worshippers of Gruumsh who are tired of explaining themselves, or who don't want to give humans a reason to distrust them, simply don't make their religion public knowledge. Half-orcs who want to solidify their connection with their human heritage, on the other hand, follow human gods, and they may be outspoken in their shows of piety.

Language:
Scabland half-orcs speak Orc and Common. Orc, which has no alphabet of its own, uses Dwarven script on the rare occasions that someone writes something down. Orc writing turns up most frequently in graffiti.

Names:
A half-orc typically chooses a name that helps him make the impression he wants to make. If he wants to fit in among humans, he chooses a human name. If he wants to intimidate others, he chooses a guttural orc name. A half-orc who has been raised entirely by humans has a human given name, but he may choose another name once he's away from his hometown. Some half-orcs, of course, aren't quite brought enough to choose a name this carefully.

Orc Male Names: Dench, Feng, Gell, Henk, Holg, Imsh, Keth, Krusk, Ront, Shump, Thokk

Orc Female Names: Baggi, Emen, Engong, Myev, Neega, Ovak, Ownka, Shautha, Vola, Volen

Adventurers:
Scabland half-orcs living among humans are drawn almost invariably toward violent careers in which they can put their strength to good use. Frequently shunned from polite company, they often find acceptance and friendship among adventurers, many of whom are fellow wanderers and outsiders.

Settings:
Scabland half-orcs are native to the Greyhawk setting, specifically the Abbor-Alz desert in the Bright Lands.

Game Stats:
+2 Str, -2 Int, -2 Cha*
Low-Light Vision
Heat Endurance

* At character creation, remember that the game engine automatically applies the default +2 Str, -2 Cha and -2 Int adjustment for standard half-orcs.

Sources: D&D 3.5 Player's Handbook, Sandstorm

[MAB77]

Badland (Unath) Dwarf

Called badland dwarves by outsiders, the Unath dwarves are a fading people, inheritors of a long history of struggle and turmoil. They have become accustomed to living in arid wastelands.

Physical description:
Badland dwarves stand only 4 to 4-1/2 feet tall, but they are so broad and compact that they are, on average, almost as heavy as humans. Dwarf men are slightly taller and noticeably heavier than dwarf women. Badland dwarves' skin tones range from dark tan to brown, having lived under the scorching rays of the sun, and their eyes are dark. Their hair is usually black, gray, or brown, and worn long. Their wretched conditions have left them looking disheveled. Dwarves are considered adults at about age 40, and they can live to be more than 400 years old.

History:
The Uplands of Unath, a small range of hills, located to the north of Utaa, were named for a colony of dwarves inhabiting the range when ancient Sulm was yet young. It was home to a small colony of dwarves allied to their brethren dwelling in the Abbor-Alz. Natural and dwarf-constructed passages burrowed deep under the desert, linking the two groups in a complex web of corridors, galleries, and chambers. No one knows the ultimate fate of the Unath dwarves, though they most assuredly warred with the expansionist Sulmites. Either they fell here defending their clanholds, made a final stand with their eastern cousins, or migrated elsewhere. Now, their civilization has all but failed, overrun by successive waves of invaders. A few isolated clanholds still survive but these final remnants of a proud lineage are fragmented and failing.

Habitat:
The remains of the dwarves' ill-fated civilization still dot the sharp, jagged peaks of this range. In many places their way markers are still visible, some still bearing the kingdom's device — two crossed battleaxes surmounted by a blazing sun.

To the south, near the ruins of Utaa, their strongholds stand empty but in the north many teem with clans of norkers or jermlaine. The jermlaine are fiercely independent creatures that resist the encroachment of the norkers, who for the most part ally themselves to the Empire of the Bright Lands. Preying on both groups, small bands of trolls dwell in and around some of these dwur settlements. Able to change their skin color to surprise foes, the depredations of this subspecies of common troll effectively culls the numbers of other humanoids.

The deep tunnels and passages connect to the Underdark in several places. Powerful adventurers traversing this shadowy world report witnessing the aftermath of several fierce engagements between groups of beholders and duergar. A few explorers also speak of a great underground river flowing swiftly southward toward the Gearnat, perhaps acting as a natural drain to the Gnatmarsh.

Much of the warfare that rages here is subterranean in nature and thus the few hardy nomadic tribes who graze their livestock in the hills are mainly untroubled by the goblinoids of the interior. A small pride of dragonnes led by a huge male, however, dwells in the range's central massif, occasionally issuing forth to prey on the nomad's herds.

Outlook:
The Unath dwarves today are a fading, isolated, dwindling people, inheritors of a long history of struggle and turmoil. Called badland dwarves by outsiders, they tend not to intermingle with other peoples of the Bright Desert, but some of the younger generation has grown more adventurous as of late. Only a few hundred now survive and this has made the survivors very cautious. They are a hardy folk however and are skilled at surviving in the desert.

Society:
Only a few hundred Unath dwarves survive, in a few isolated clanholds. Few dwarves enjoy the climate and terrain of the waste. Mountains are somewhat rare, and few of those that do exist yield up the kinds of treasures that prompt dwarves to establish permanent settlements. That leaves dwarves with the option of living in surface dwellings or avoiding the waste altogether — and most take the latter option. Even so, the occasional caravan of dwarves makes an appearance at a major community in the waste, often bearing treasures brought from distant mountain citadels in temperate climes.

Some dwarves have made their homes in the badlands of the wastes, where they dig for an entirely different type of treasure — water. Because badlands are usually formed by water erosion, deposits of water sometimes form deep below the surface in quantities that can sustain a settlement for years. In some rare cases, badland dwarves tap into subterranean rivers, making their communities attractive stops for merchant caravans and nomad tribes alike.

Relations with other races:
Badland dwarves are very cautious of other races, survivors of a long history of struggle and turmoil.

Alignments:
Badland dwarves are usually neutral, and they tend toward good. Adventuring dwarves are less likely to fit the common mold, however, since they're more likely to be those who did not fit perfectly into dwarven society.

Religion:
The badland dwarves have long ago eschewed organized religion, but they still pay respect to the Dwarven pantheon.

Language:
Badland dwarves speak Dwarven, which has its own runic script, and Common. Dwarven literature is marked by comprehensive histories of kingdoms and wars through the millennia. The Dwarven alphabet is also used (with minor variations) for the Gnome, Giant, Goblin, Orc, and Terran languages. Dwarves often speak the languages of their friends (humans and gnomes) and enemies. Some also learn Terran, the strange language of earth-based creatures such as xorn.

Names:
A dwarf's name is granted to him by his clan elder, in accordance with tradition. Every proper dwarven name has been used and reused down through the generations. A dwarf's name is not his own. It belongs to his clan. If he misuses it or brings shame to it, his clan will strip him of it. A dwarf stripped of his name is forbidden by dwarven law to use any dwarven name in its place.

Male Names: Barendd, Brottor, Eberk, Einkil, Oskar, Rurik, Taklinn, Torderk, Traubon, Ulfgar, Veit.

Female Names: Artin, Audhild, Dagnal, Diesa, Gunnloda, Hlin, Ilde, Liftrasa, Sannl, Torgga.

Clan Names: Balderk, Dankil, Gorunn, Holderhek, Loderr, Lutgehr, Rumnaheim, Strakeln, Torunn, Ungart.

Adventurers:
A dwarven adventurer may be motivated by crusading zeal, a love of excitement, or simple greed. As long as his accomplishments bring honor to his clan, his deeds earn him respect and status. Defeating giants and claiming powerful magic weapons are sure ways for a dwarf to earn the respect of other dwarves.

Settings:
Badland dwarves are native to the Greyhawk setting.

Game Stats:
+2 Con, -2 Cha
Heat Resistance
Darkvision
Hardiness vs. poisons
Hardiness vs. spells
Offensive training vs. orcs
Offensive training vs. goblinoids
Defensive training vs. giants
Skill affinity (lore)

Source: D&D 3.5 Player's Handbook, Sandstorm, Dungeon #98, Bright on Blight Lands (Living Greyhawk), From the Ashes, Rary the Traitor