Author Topic: Subrace & Template Roleplaying Resources and Lore (Read 82805 times)

MAB77 · « **Reply #50 on:** February 02, 2021, 09:17:02 PM »

Poscadar Elf

The plateau north of the Pasocada River and Long Canyon on the continent of Maztica is home to the Poscadar Elves - a tall, bronze skinned tribe of elves who lead a nomadic existence hunting bison and other great game across the grassy plains. Poscadar lore says the elves came from the north, generations ago, where they were first created by the gods in a land of perpetual ice and snow. A wise shaman led them south, where the sun shone warm in the summer, and the great wild herds assured health and plenty year round. Here they met humans - ancestors of the Azuposi - who be friended them and traded grains for hides and meat from the elves. For all remembered generations, even to the present day, the Poscadari and the Azuposi have been at peace.

The village of Elfmeet, an Azuposi community on the south rim of Long Canyon is the favored contact point of the nomadic elves of Poscadar. Elfmeet is built on the edge of the canyon. A flowing spring is at the center of the village. Several trails lead down the canyon. At the floor is a ford across the Pasocada. The elves come up to the village to offer their goods and barter for Azuposi wares.

The massive, ancient ruins of Esh Alakar at the floor of the Long Canyon are of unknown origin - perhaps ancestors of the Poscadar Elves built them, for the stonemasonry is unlike anything human found in the True World. The elves are silent on the matter, and they are not known to frequent the silent ruins and monuments.

Setting:
Poscadar Elves are exclusive to the Maztica region of the Forgotten Realms setting.

Game Stats:

Spoiler: show

Source: City of Gold

MAB77 · « **Reply #51 on:** February 02, 2021, 09:26:08 PM »

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Celadrin

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

Celadrins are a race of planetouched descended from the unions of elven worshipers of Hanali Celanil and eladrins (usually firre) consummated during summer solstice revels. Most celadrins encountered away from their homes are warriors.

Strategy and Tactics:
Celadrins are cautious warriors who take time to analyze their opponents and the location of the fight if at all possible, maximizing their advantages by using ambushes, snipers, and camouflage. They prefer to fire from cover and retreat before they are found, repeating this maneuver until all of their enemies lay dead. They prefer longbows, shortbows, rapiers, and longswords. In melee, celadrins are graceful and deadly, using complex maneuvers beautiful to observe. Their wizards often use sleep spells during combat because such magic does not affect other elves or celadrins.

Ecology and Society:
Celadrins typically live among gold elves, although some wander the world a few decades before settling down with other types of elves. They speak Celestial and Elven. Most celadrins who travel outside their temples (as guardians or wandering troubadours) learn the Common tongue. Celadrins prefer to live in elven communities with prominent temples of Lady Goldheart. Most celadrins venerate Hanali Celanil and honor the rest of the Seldarine.

Environment:
Celadrins typically live in the temperate forests of their gold elven kin. Not uncommon in the forests of Cormanthor, most celadrins trace their ancestry back to the height of Myth Drannor. Since the Weeping War, many celadrins have settled in Deepingdale and the forests surrounding Lake Sember. Celadrins are found in other elven communities where the church of Hanali Celanil plays a prominent role, including Evereska and Evermeet. They are usually strongly associated with the arts, either as craftsmen, performers, or guardians thereof.

Typical Physical Characteristics:
Celadrins usually resemble gold elves with flame-red hair, bronze skin, and gold eyes. They favor radiant garments, often diaphanous silks woven with threads of silver and gold.

Alignment:
Like full-blooded elves, celadrins enjoy the gentler aspects of freedom and chaos, as represented by the alignment chaotic good.

Treasure:
Celadrins tend to carry their wealth in elaborately carved jewelry and bright gemstones rather than coins.

Settings:
Celadrins are exclusive to the Forgotten Realms setting.

Game Stats:

Spoiler: show

Source: Dragon Magazine #350

MAB77 · « **Reply #52 on:** February 02, 2021, 09:42:20 PM »

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Duergar (Grey Dwarf)

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

(The following write-up mostly concerns Faer�n. Information on the duergar of Greyhawk and Eberron are included in the settings section below.)

The Duergar, often called grey dwarves, live well-hidden in the darkness of the cold ground, reveling in mischief and evil deeds of all sorts and despising their cousins still living on a surface world now forbidden to them. Duergar and sullen, insular and tireless workers. They tend to be better neighbors than drow, but they are always eager to acquire new slaves to supply their labor needs. The duergar don't waste slaves in the sort of cruel spectacles other evil races enjoy - they simply work their captives to death.

Duergar are masters of treachery and deceit and are engaged in an everlasting struggle with the other races of the Underdark in their search for dominance over those realms. Drow are their fierce competitors in this domain, but duergar have surrounded themselves with such ingenuity that even dark elves have learned to respect them as capable adversaries. Duergar retain much of the dwarven race�s traits even if their metabolism has changed somewhat to adapt to their environment, and their communities have evolved into a well-oiled fighting power to be reckoned with. Duergar are not to be taken lightly. They are cunning and intelligent and, most of all can be very unpredictable.

Gray dwarves have few good points aside from courage and determination. They are avaricious, short tempered, sullen, violent and ungrateful. Duergar nurse grudges for a lifetime and never stop counting the slights (real or imagined) they've received. They believe that might makes a right, and they have no pity for those who are too weak to defend their property or themselves. On the positive side, duergar in minding their own business (so long as other folks don't have anything they want) and working hard to excel at their chosen crafts. No obstacle daunts a grey dwarf who has settled on a goal. Duergar may not have much loyalty to anyone other than themselves, but they never leave a job half-done.

History:
Long ago, mind flayers conquered the strongholds of clan Duergar of the dwarven kingdom of Shanatar. After generations of enslavement and cruel experimentation at the hands of the illithids, the duergar rose against their masters and regained their freedom. They emerged as a new subrace of dwarf with limited mental powers.

Physical description:
The physiology of a Duergar is essentially dwarven, with an average height of 4 feet and the same general build of a dwarf, the duergar appear at first glance like their better known cousins. While their basic body style might be similar, a careful examination will note the duergar's emaciated body, grey skin, grey or colourless hair, and their most marked divergence from other dwarves; most duergar, male and female alike, are completely bald. Duergar generally lack any body hair whatsoever, with the few exceptions to this seen as freakish deviants by other grey dwarves. When a duergar does begin to grow hair, he or she usually shaves it as quickly as possible. Growing hair openly is usually a mark or defiance, seen only in those grey dwarves who are outcast of their own kind. Certain duergar bear the signs of their earthen bonds more visibly than others. Few grey dwarves have body hair of any sort, but they do occasionally develop stony protrusions as replacements. While a duergar with rocky scales for eyebrows or a scalp covered in glittering quartz points would be considered a rare oddity, they would by no means be unheard of. In fact, such "earth touched" duergar are usually treated with grey reverence, as they usually possess a special kinship with the rock and stone that most grey dwarves lost long ago. It is no uncommon for these special duergar to hold positions of spiritual leadership.

A duergar's emaciated appearance is not an indication of weakness, despite the wasted look of a grey dwarf's muscles and flesh. Instead of muscular bulk, the duergar have developed strong, thick bones and extremely resilient tendons. This gives them the same strength as other dwarven races while seeming frail and thin; quite fitting to a race that is dedicated to deception and misdirection.

Psyche:
A driving force pushes duergar deeper into the underground and makes them thrive in the dark: Lust for gold and gems, for precious metals. Duergar feel greed towards everything they see, from the caverns that surround them to the creatures they encounter and enslave. Anything a duergar comes into contact with is a potential possession waiting to be claimed and taken.

Mines are sometimes the source of pride of entire communities and whole clans are devoted to working them. The majority of each grey dwarven generation follows in the steps of their fathers and forefathers, becoming miners or engaging in a related profession by the time that they are adults. Blacksmithing and jewelry making are considered secondary professions, even if they do contribute to the growth of the clan's wealth.

Another valid way for duergar to contribute to the wealth of their clan is through the shadowy arts of thievery and assassination. Naturally quite and invisible, grey dwarves are well suited for such pursuits. It is a mark of pride among these twisted people to collect possessions from their slain victims; the more valuable the soils, the greater the value of the duergar in the eyes of his foul folk. Duergar inclined to murder and thievery also usually practice their storytelling skills, though this art is put just as dark a purpose.

How the duergar acquires this stolen wealth is just as important as its worth, because the grey dwarves greatly enjoy stories of death and suffering. Duergar rogues with the ability to relate the details of their exploits to their fellows can gain status and prestige. The bloodier and more heinous the acts performed by the storyteller, the more appreciated the story of their commission will be received by the duergar�s audience. In this way, duergar come together to share in vile tales and establish a sort of order amongst themselves- a ranking of dark deeds and darker words.

About the only thing considered inappropriate at these gatherings is a woman's voice. Women rarely gain status outside their clan and are not allowed a profession. Young girls are taught to obey their future husbands and care for their children. Tough they do not go into apprenticeships; they are trained in the home arts and excel at transforming the bare surfaces of their stone houses into pleasant living areas. These skills will determine a female's chance at being chosen as a brief by a wealthy family and at bearing the sons of a renowned house with pride. Her adult name is chosen when she becomes a spouse and is generally given by the clan of her new husband. She does not retain her previous possessions, except what she brings as a gift into her new house. Misogyny is a shared value amongst Duergar.

Greed is nothing alien to the hearts of any dwarves. In the duergar, this avarice is heightened to an almost insane degree. Anything of value a duergar sees, a duergar wants. Practicality, usefulness and prior ownership have no bearing on this desire. Much of a grey dwarf's life is spent satisfying his greed or seeking out new things to want. This overwhelming desire is not limited to physical objects. This greed and the lengths to which a duergar will go to satisfy it are important steps towards understanding the duergar's people.

The trait that truly defines a duergar is neither greed nor violence. It is toil. While the grey dwarves do take slaves and force them into dangerous exhausting labour, they generally perform the same kinds of work themselves. The duergar are no strangers to their mines, working long hours with no rest or pause for food or drink. This is done as the grey dwarves' god demands of them, unceasing toil is sacrament among the Duergar.

While they are creatures of great hatred and evil, the duergar are also driven by the same passions and emotions as any other sentient race. They care for home and family, they honor their ancestors, and they can be moved to do great things in the name of their deity. They work to better themselves and their kind, they constantly strive to improve their living and working conditions, and they will give their lives to defend things they value. The duergar may be vicious enemies of all that travel the dark passages below, but they are also living creatures with lives that do not revolve around senseless combat.

Alignment:
Duergar on the whole are evil, but some turn their backs on their fellows and seek a different sort of life. For some, this means abandoning the evil gods of the duergar and embracing the traditional pantheon, while for others it is a more practical betrayal, using involving stealing from other gray dwarves. When discovered, an outcast is typically stripped of his possessions, tattooed on the face and arms to mark him as a criminal and cast out under penalty of death. Some clans secretly aid their outcasts � or encourage them to leave before they are found out. To return is to die. This grim fate drives most outcasts to the surface, where they struggle to survive in an unwelcoming world. The surface dwarves hate the duergar because they turned to evil, and no other surface race holds much love for the gray dwarves. Most of the gray dwarves met by surface dwellers are tattooed exiles, although a small number were lucky or smart enough to leave before being discovered.

Habitat:
Unlit caverns deep below the surface, existing in the midst of a labyrinth of tertiary passages winding through the hard stone of the under earth, are where these shadowy grey dwarves make their homes. This confusing abyss of tangled caves is the domain of the secretive and isolationist duergar; a physical expression of the duplicity and darkness that exists in the hearts of those who lurk there.

The duergar do not find their maze-like territory confusing at all. Each cavern system's twists and turns are carefully mapped out by the specific clan of grey dwarves that claim them. By the time a duergar is twenty, the passages that make up his or her clan home is utterly committed to memory and can be traversed expertly even if utterly blind. This intimate knowledge of the cavernous geography around their clan homes is part of every grey dwarf's teachings with new passages added constantly as mining and exploration expand their claimed territories.

Society:
The life of a duergar rotates around his clan, from his first step into the world to his last breath in the tunnels. The clan defines his fate, status and sometimes his position as a respected or feared member of the community. This bond is instilled at a very early age and is rarely broken.

Men and women have separate and specific roles in society. Although women have the responsibility of taking care of the babies, males and females of the clan are separated from each other, thus establishing sexual boundaries early in their infancy. They will not have further contact with one another until they have reached the age at which they are considered old enough to be married, with the bride being chosen for her husband by the clan.

Female duergar continue to be nursed and brought up by their mothers, but it is the father's duty to teach a male child about life and his role within the family. When the young boy reaches the age of responsibility, his father takes him to the mines, where he will work and learn about his environment and what he is expected to do as mature member of the household. If a young duergar demonstrates special talents such as magical or trade skills, he will be sent to an apprenticeship, paid for by the clan or bartered in return for future favors. These privileged youths will have the advantage of a better education and will be a source of great pride, as they new skills will allow the tribe to grow wealthier.

Before he can be fully considered as an adult, the boy has to earn his clan's name. The rite, called the Silent Year, consists of the young male leaving his clan caverns on the eye of his thirtieth birthday. Alone, he must survive the passage of a full year outside of the colony. Isolated, he will either fully develop his survival instincts or fail and die in the unforgiving darkness. Upon his return, the new adult will choose his name and take his rightful place. The clan will present him with a chosen bride, according to the dowry she is bringing and her merits as a good housewife. Duergar enter marriage as soon as they are recognized as worthy of bringing new sons into the clan.

Relations:
Duergar are universally disliked by all other societies and even have trouble getting along with each other. Duergar can't stand drow, sensing condescension and mockery behind the elves' courtesy. The Duergar regard their Shield Dwarf cousins with particular bitterness, dating back to the Shield Dwarves' failure to succor Clan Duergar during the Mindstalker Wars: The Kin Clashes forever cemented the mutual animosity between the two dwarven subraces, a hatred that continues today. Gray Dwarves regard their Gold Dwarf cousins as arrogant rivals and potential threats, but trade is possible between the two groups. Gray Dwarves view the-surface-dwelling races-- Elves and half-elves, gnomes, halflings, half-orcs and planetouched -- with suspicion but willingly trade with those who are foolhardy enough to venture into the depths. The Duergar harbor a longstanding hatred of their subterranean rivals, the Drow and the Svirfneblin. Nevertheless, they regularly trade with both groups, pitting them against one another whenever possible.

Duergar deities:
Laduguer, The Gray protector, is the harsh taskmaster of the Duergar and the patron of their subrace. Although the Duergar nominally venerate all the Dwarven deities of The Morndinsamman, in truth they venerate only Laduguer and his daughter, Deep Duerra.

Deep Duerra, the daughter of Laduguer, is said to have been a great warrior queen who stole many secrets of the invisible arts (psionics) From Ilsensine, god of mind flayers. Deep Duerra is venerated primarily by Duergar who study the Invisible Art and by those militant gray dwarves who would rather crush their subterranean neighbors than trade with them.

Adventurers:
Few grey dwarves have any time for nonsense which is how they view adventuring. However, individuals with no stomach for a life of increasing toil occasionally appear in duergar society and these rare duergar often find it expedient to strike out on their own before their fellows decide that they're no pulling their weight. Other grey dwarf adventurers are exiles or fugitives, driven out of their home cities by the vicious feuds that arise between rival clans.

The ever-present dangers of the all-enveloping darkness are taught to Gray Dwarves from a young age. Most receive some training as fighters or rogues to better defend their homes against those who would steal their hard-earned wealth. Clerics are common as well, for those who serve The Duergar gods (Laduguer and Deep Duerra) claim positions of relative positions of relative influence within their clan. Experts who combine traditional smithcraft with skill in the arcane arts are also much respected. Wizards are much more common than sorcerers among the Gray Dwarves.

Favored class:
Fighter (The Underdark is a harsh and unforgiving environment, where only the strongest can survive. Gray Dwarf fighters have formed the bedrock of Duergar armies for generations, enabling them to hold off such varied threat as Aboleth, Drow, Illithids, Kuo-toa, and Svirfneblin.)

Prestige Classes:
Gray Dwarves gravitate toward prestige classes such as assassin and blackguard. A few become Dwarven defenders. As with their cousins, the Shield Dwarves, The Gray Dwarves have a tradition of runemagic, and so a number of clerics become runecasters (not presently supported on this server).

Language and literacy:

-Main languages: Duergan (shield dwarven dialect, heavily influenced by Drow and Illithid languages.) and Undercommon.
-Secondary languages: Draconic, Drow, Giant, Goblin and Orc. Those who deal with inhabitants of the Realms Above often learn trace language common and those dealing with earth elementals can speak Terran. All Gray Dwarves are literate, expect for barbarians.

Combat:
Ambushes and assassinations are preferred methods of battle.

Centuries of having to fight for their survival in the darkest pits of earth have honed their metallurgy and martial crafts. While they do not surpass the dwarves of the mountains and hills in their knowledge of steel, they are at least their equals.

The tight caverns and twisting passages of their home have shaped the craft, resulting in a unique style of armor and weapons. Unlike the battleaxes and heavy plate mail of their distant brethren above, duergar have developed lighter arms better suited for the close-in conditions of their battlegrounds. This is not to say duergar cannot heft waraxes and belt on thick iron armor when the situation demands it, but their typical battle garb is considerably lighter.

For weaponry, most duergar prefer short swords, short spears, and picks. Duergar warriors defending the larger caverns of their clan homes are the exception to this rule and will most likely be carrying the most damaging weapons they can get. In these cases, duergar often carry their unique form of the dwarven waraxe - a spike backed sweeping axe blade mounted to a heavy steel or stone haft.

The armor of the duergar is almost always heavy leather or hide studded with circular metal discs. Those few exceptions among the duergar that wear heavier armor wear scale mail. Duergar armor is never polished or bright, every exposed metal surface is purposefully dulled.

Ranged attacks are of limited use in the confines of the duergar's caverns: this consequently has limited their development of missile weapons. The crossbow, which the duergar wield with deadly accuracy. In any battle that allows the duergar the distance to use ranged attacks at all, they unleash as many volleys of crossbow bolts as they can before closing into melee.

An important final note about the weapons and armor of the duergar is that whenever possible, they are silenced and dulled to keep from reflecting any light at all. Duergar scabbards have strips of hide built into them to steady and quiet their weapons. Duergar armor is backed with sections of leather to soften any noise it could make. Nothing on a duergar is allowed to hang free; every weapon and piece of armor is secured with cord and kept tight against the body.

Settings:
Duergar can come only from the following settings: Eberron, Forgotten Realms and Greyhawk.

Greyhawk
Duergar have a number of communities below the Hellfurnace Mountains. One of their cities there is shared with a group of derro, with whom they are at war. The city is largely ruins, both sides paranoid and quick to assume any strangers are mercenaries, spies, or assassins working for their rivals. They are often found trading in the drow city of Erelhei-Cinlu. Duergar serve as the guard and police force of the illithid city of Dra-Mur-Shou, working with lesser devils. There are svirfneblin and duergar communities beneath Blackthorn. Duergar rally beneath the Abbor-Alz hills, led by a mysterious figure known as Father Eye.

In the Abbor-Alz, duergar wiped out a hill dwarf settlement and claimed their mines for their own. Soon, however, with the various duergar clans feuding with one another and the local human barbarians were promising war, they retreated back into the Underdark. Decades later they reemerged, better organized and equipped, under the leadership of their new leader.

Eberron
If the Duergar have a central homeland beneath Eberron, it is a mystery to even the most experienced adventurers. Their small underground cities are found throughout Khorvaire and serve as staging areas for their war of vengeance against aberrations. They shun surface dwellers and relentlessly hunt illithids and beholders, believing that no act is evil if it furthers the destruction of Xoriat's spawn. A few of the less insane sometimes pursue nobler goals, but any Duergar faces suspicion and fear among surface-dwellers, especially among Mror dwarves.

According to one legend, the duergar are the debased remnants of an ancient dwarf kingdom that was destroyed during the Daelkyr War. Another legend ties them to the vanished Clan Noldrun, and they do seem to be most common in the depths of Khyber beneath the southern peaks of the Ironroot Mountains--near both Noldrunhold and the Goradra Gap. The duergar believe themselves to be the most ancient race of dwarves (certainly not the descendants of a clan that vanished only four centuries ago), but the truth is impossible to ascertain.

Game Stats:

Spoiler: show

Sources: Eberron, Forgotten Realms and Greyhawk campaign settings.

MAB77 · « **Reply #53 on:** February 02, 2021, 09:56:21 PM »

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Moon Elf

Regions: The Dalelands, Elf (Moon), Evermeet, The High Forest, The North, Silverymoon, the Western Heartlands.

The most common of the elven subraces of Faer�n are the moon elves. They have fair skin sometimes tinged with blue, and hair of silver-white, black or blue; humanlike colors are somewhat rare. Their eyes are blue or green, with gold flecks.

Moon elves prefer to dress in rustic clothes of simple cuts and fashions that are nevertheless of fine and exquisite make. They adorn their dress with embroidered patterns, beads and similar trappings preferring earthen colors for everyday wear, hues that make it easy to conceal themselves in foliage. In places of safety or in times of revelry, moon elves enjoy dressing in bold colors--the more brightly colored, the better. Hair is worn in braids or ponytails, twined with wires or beads. Moon elves sometimes wear body paint of tattoos in mystic patterns, although not to extent the wild elves do.

Moon elves have the usual life expectancy and age categories defined for elves:

Moon elf, male 4,10 +2d10 90lb. x(2d4) lb.
Moon elf, female 4,5 +2d10 70lb. x(2d4) lb.

History

Although the moon elves were not the first elves to migrate to Faer�n, they comprised the largest migration. Even in the ancient past, their joy for travel seems to have been present, for they came to Faer�n in great numbers indeed. The moon elves wanted to explore this new world rather than settle down, and so did not establish nations of their own for some time, preferring to settle in other elven nations, such as Othereir and Keltormir. The only one of the ancient elven nations that the moon elves could truly call their own as Orishaar, which was defeated in -11,200 Dr by the Ilythiiri.

Following the Crown Wars, moon elves helped to raise many of the nations of the second generation of elven realms. Survivors of Orishaar, in conjunction with clans from other realms that had been destroyed during the Crown Wars, founded the secret refuge of Evereska in -8600 dr, and many moon elves populated the glorious realm of Cormanthyr, founded in -3983 dr in the woods of the Elven Court. One by one the old elven realms faded away, until the fall of Myth Drannor in 714 dr left Evereska as the last moon elf city in Faer�n. Many nomadic moon elf bands still roamed the great forests of northern Faer�n, but no new elven kingdoms rose after the fall of the second generation realms.

Despite the fact that only a single realm of moon elves has survived the ages since the Crown wars, the moon elves have fared well compared to many of their elven kin. Content to gather in small, secretive and relatively short-lived settlements or to simply wander across the wild lands of Faer�n as their hearts call them, the moon elves have built few places worth destroying. When the Elven Retreat began, the moon elves were slow to heed its call, and even then answered the call in much smaller numbers than did the sun elves and other elven races.

Outlook

Moon elves are more impulsive than the other elves and dislike remaining in one place for any significant amount of time. Most moon elves are happiest when traveling, especially across the expanses of untrodden wilderness that still survive in Faer�n. This is probably the single greatest reason why they are so much more friendly and accommodating to other races than many other elves. They do not isolate themselves from the human lands behind impervious defenses. Moon elves have watched humankind for much longer than their sun or wood elf kin and they know that non-elves aren't as foolish and unimportant as most other elves think. They feel that engaging promising human realms such as Silverymoon and instilling elven values and culture in these young lands is a better way for the elven race to survive and thrive than hiding away and avoiding all contact with ambitious, grasping humans.

Moon elves are drawn to adventure through sheer wanderlust. They desire to see and do everything possible during their long lives. Like their allies in the Harpers, moon elves believe that a single person of good heart who stands up to injustice or evil can make a big difference. The typical moon elf adventurer tends to be a wandering protector of the common folk, not a dungeon-plundering slayer of monsters.

Moon Elf Characters

More so than other elves, moon elves are drawn to a variety of paths. They have a great love of music and make excellent bards. Moon elves do not posses the depth of reverence for Seldarine the sun elves do, nor the bind with nature of the wood elves, but clerics and druids are not uncommon among the subrace. Many moon elves are skilled warriors and have at least some levels in the fighter class, as they have long made up the bulk of the elven armies. But moon elves prefer stealth over strength and often choose to become rangers or rogues instead. Finally, like all elves, moon elves are enamored of magic and a great number take up the wizards' arts.

Favored class: Moon elves share a natural affinity for arcane magic with the sun elves, although they tend to be more impulsive with their spells. Unlike their more discipline kin, moon elves frequently pursue two or more paths at the same time, combining the study of magic with the arts of swordmaster or the rogue. Their favored class is wizard.

Prestige Classes: Bladesinger (not supported on this server), arcane archers, Harpers.

Moon Elf Society

Moon elves are nomadic spirits who rarely settle down for long in one place. They are comfortable living among sun elves and wood elves, but just as often they live in areas dominated by humans, halflings or even gnomes. Their homes tend to be simple, unassuming and comfortable.

Moon elves are much less solemn and serious in their ways and actions than sun elves. Their songs an poems are lighter and often quite humorous; tragedies have their place but the moon elves prefer to balance such things with light-hearted and often bawdy tales and songs. They also enjoy a wide variety of art styles, including paintings and sculpture. Moon elves are fond of games of chance and gambling. Drinking, feasting and reveling are all a strong part of their society.

A more serious side to the moon elves emerges in times of trouble. Moon elves are just as skilled with weapons and magic as their fellow elven subraces, and do not hesitate to act if a situation calls for violence as a solution. Even in warfare, they try to find hope and humor, for it is during these dark times that levity and joy are most valuable.

Moon elves gather in loose bands, composed of a dozen or so extended families. Leadership is democratic; all elves of the band have a say in important decisions, although the voices of one or two of the wiser and more experienced family heads tend to carry the day. In times of danger, the band chooses an elder or warleader to see them through the peril. Moon elves travel light and travel often, rarely staying in the same place for more than a season or two before moving on.

Language and literacy

All moon elves speak elven, common and the human language of their home region. Their nomadic nature encourages them to pick up additional languages as they travel as well, and most moon elves can speak at least one or two additional languages beyond these. Common choices include Auran, Chondathan, Gnoll, gnome, halfling, illuskan and Sylvan.

All moon elf characters are literate except barbarians.

Moon Elf Deities

Moon elves worship the Seldarine. A moon elf identifies with all the elven deities, but usually chooses one as a patron deity above the others. Unlike their sun elf cousins, many moon elves worship the elven deity Angharradh, who they believe to be a melding of the three goddesses Sehanine, Aerdrie Faenya and Hanali Celanil. The moon elves view her as equal in power to Corellon Larethian, who is often regulated to the status of a consort. Moon elf religious ceremonies are exuberant, joyful and loud. Even deeply religious moon elves recognize that some ceremonies and festivals are simply excuses for revelry.

Relations with the other Races

Of the elven subraces, moon elves are the most tolerant of non-elves. They travel with hundreds of different races throughout her life. Moon elves find diversity of Faer�n's races to be intoxicating and forever surprising and they specially value the insights of other races because they often think of things no elf would ever consider. This openness and willingness to accept new ideas is regarded as foolish and dangerous by other elves so ironically their own kin often give moon elves the coolest receptions.

Despite their open minds, moon elves have little patience or interest in the various evil beings and they hold Orcs and gnolls in particular contempt. They avoid regions where such cultures hold sway, although moon elf adventurers often infiltrate these areas to spy on them. The moon elves share with the other elven subraces a hatred and loathing for the drow.

Setting:
Moon elves are exclusive to the Forgotten Realms settings.

Game Stats:

Spoiler: show

Sources: Races of Faerun

MAB77 · « **Reply #54 on:** February 02, 2021, 10:00:21 PM »

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Sun Elf

Regions: Elf (Sun) Evermeet, The North, Silverymoon, Western Heartlands.

The majority of Faer�n's sun elves live on Evermeet, having abandoned what remained of their ancient realms during the centuries following the falls of Illefarn and Cormathyr. They are only now returning to the mainland to reestablish their presence there. The sun elves are famed for their command of both arcane and divine magic, which exceeds that of any other living race. Works of elven high magic thousands of years old still survive in the hidden refuges of the sun elves.

Sun elves are responsible for the majority of the great elven cities of legend, although other elven subraces aided the construction of many of these cities. Myth Drannor is perhaps their most famous creation, although probably not their most magnificent. Sun elf realms are the stuff of legends are made of, an integral part of the history of Faer�n for thousands of years. The Sun elves certainly know this, for they distance themselves from non-elf races and often wont let such "lesser beings" into their lands.

Sun elves have bronze skin, hair of golden blind, copper or black, and eyes of green or gold. They favor contemplation, lore and study over the quick games and light-hearted songs of other elves, but seem to embody the unhearthy beauty, grace and presence of the elven folk.

Sun elves dress in clothing that is at the same time magnificent and understated, favoring cool colors such as blue and green. They decorate their clothes with intricate gold or mithral-thread embroidery in exacting patterns whose subtle designs are easy to miss at first. Jewelry is simple but painstakingly crafted.

Of all the elven subraces, sun elves are the most arrogant and haughty--even moreso than the Avariels, whose haughiness is rooted in pity for the landbound races. Sun elves believe that they are the true elven race, the builders and leaders of the elven realms, and that the other elven subraces fail to live up to the solemnity and dignity of their ancient stock.

Sun elves are unusually long-lived, even for elves, and use the following aging effect chracteristics:

Elf, Sun 210 315 420 =6d% years.

Like most Faer�nian elves, sun elves are comparatively tall and thin and they use the random height and ewight chracteristics:

Sun Elf, Male 4,10" +2d10 90LB. x(2d4) Lb.
Sun Elf, Female 4,5" +2d10 70LB. x(2d4) Lb.

History

The sun elves migrated to Faer�n at the same time as the moon elves, and the dark elves. Although they were the least numerous of the three peoples, they nonetheless quickly established several great nations, including Aryvandaar and Otheirer. Under the leadership of House Vyshaan, a dynasty of Sun elves, the nation of Aryvandaar in particular soon became the most powerful elven realm of its time.

The Vyshaanti were agreesive expansionists, and their obssesion with increasing the size of their empire at the expense of the other races is thought to be the major cause of the terrible Crown Wars of ten thousand years past. After the Fift Crown War, the Vyshaanti were finally overthrown and the sun elves returned to a less agressive lifestyle that has changed little over the intervening millenia.

The next great nation founded by the sun elves was Cormathyr in the yeay -3983 dr, this time they chose to build a realm founded on compassion, lore and subtle magic instead of military might and great battle-mages. As a result, the nation was much kinder and more powerful in the long run, and the elves of Cormathyr accomplished many amazing magical wonders. For thousands of years, Cormathyr stood as the most powerful realm in northern Faer�n, eclipsed only briefly by Netheril at its height. From their city of Myth Drannor, in the heart of the forest, the Coronals of Cormathyr checked for centuries the burgeoning strength of young human lands such as Cormyr or Sembia that rose in the years after Netheril's fall.

The raising of the Standing Stone and the Dales compact of 0 dr, peaceful though they were, signaled thebeggining of the end of elven might in Faer�n. Although Myth Drannor achieved its greatest flowering in the years of peaceful human and elven coexistance, its days were numbered. Cormathyr finally fell in 714 dr, when an overabundance of portals in the vicinity of Myth Drannor weakened the boundaries between wolds, allowing a disastrous invasion of fiends.

Today, the bulk of Faer�n's sun elves live in a third great nation, the distant island of Evermeet. First settled in -9800 dr by sun elves from Aryvandaar, the young realm's remoteness protected it from the ravages of the Crown Wars and the ensuring rise of human power on Faer�n. For more than ten thousand years, Evermeet has been the safest haven for elvenkind and the hidden refuse of elven civilization. From Evermeet, came the call for the Elven Retreat in 1344 dr, and the sun elves of Faer�n felt that call most deeply of all the elven peoples.

Now that the Retreat has ended, the haughty sun elves are among the last to return to Faer�n. Most sun elves still prefer to remain sequestered on their island nation, even though recent events have proved that Evermeet is not safe from harm. Today, the only large community of sun elves remaining in Faer�n is the hidden city of Evereska, on the borders of Anauroch.

Outlook
The sun elves believe that they were selected by Corellon Larethian to be the defenders of elven tradition and history. They are also the most patient of the elven races and they devote their time to perfecting a task rather than just merely completing the task. To a Sun elf, rushing a job or finishing a project in anything less than perfection is betraying the elven ideal. As a result, they tend to have a much narrower range of skills than other elves, but they are the unrivaled masters of the skill, art or craft to which they turn their efforts. The only exception to this rule is combat. Sun elves have no love for combat, but they are nevertheless well trained in its ways. They view combat as a necessary evil, and one that should be resolved quickly so the task can be done and one can return to more pleant constructive pursuits.

Sun elves are the least likely of the elven subraces to take up the adventurer's path. They seen little poiint in roaming around the world and meeting other peoples' especially when any sun elf can enjoy as much comfort, study and contemplation as she likes by remaining in one of the hidden sun elf realms. Most sun elf adventuers make it their lifelong task to observe the other peoples of faer�n and keep a vigilant watch for the rise of any threats to the elven homelands. A few sun elves are also drawn to the mystery of ancient power and seek to add the lore of their people by exploring ruins of ancient empires all across Faer�n.

Sun Elf Characters
Sun elves favor the traditional paths of the elven folk; fighter and wizard. No sun elf could truly be described as a Barbarian, although a sun elf raised among wilder kin might, on very rare occasions choose to take levels in the barbarian class. They make good bards and even if they are not noted for their light-hearted revels, the ancient songs and lore of a learned bard are worthy of a sun elf's respect. Sun elves are also foremost clerics and paladins among the elven races. The arts of stealth and archery are not widely practiced among sun elves, so rangers and rogues are relatively scarce among them.

Favoured Class: Sun elf society and culture is steeped in a fascination with magic and learning. They often become incredibly talented wizards, and their natural intellect makes them powerful ones as well. Few sun elf adventurers do not take up the study of magic at some point in their careers.

Prestige Clases: Archmage (not presently supported on this server), Loremaster (not presently supported on this server), arcane archer, bladesinger (not presently supported on this server)

Sun Elf Society

Sun elves are deliberate, patient and solemn and their society reflects this. Their buildings, while aesthetically beautiful and architecturally brilliant, tend to be ostentatious. Nevertheless, the sun elves take great pride in their buildings, believing that nothing less than perfection will do for the chosen defenders of elven tradition and history. Their art, poetry and songs also reflect their deliberate and regal attitudes. They prefer tales of ancient battles, songs of the gods and stories of great heroes beset with terrible tragedies.

Sun elves revere wisdom and learning. Even the humblest sun elf abode features a room or two filled with old scrolls, maps and books. Sun elves have a strong tradition of rule by nobility and most sun elf communities are ruled by a monarch who can trace his or her bloodline back to the Frist Crown War. Where a human noble measures his power by the expanse of the lands under his rule, and the numbers of soldiers at his command, a sun elf noble is known by the honor of her family name, the magical power and lore her family has accumulated and the wealth and beauty of her palatial home.

Language and literacy

All sun elves speak Elven, common and the human language of their home region. Although they often learn other languages (In particular Auran, Celestial, Chondathan, gnome, halfling, Iluskan and Sylvan) they prefer to use magic to communicate with neighbors or simply insist that visitors learn Elven. Many sun elves choose to study dead languages such as Aragrakh, Loross or Seldruin in order to increase their access to ancient works and lore.

All sun elves are literay except for barbarians if any exist.

Sun Elf Deities
Religion infuses every aspect of sun elf society. Sun elves believe themselves to be the chosen representatives of the Seldarine in the moral realm, and are quick to offer prayers of thanks to their deities. These prayers and ceremonies are invariably long, drawn-out affairs during which loud voices, merry songs, or joyful worship are deemed disrespectful. Religion is a serious, solemn subject to the sun elves. They worship all the Seldarine equally and most choose Corellon Larethian as their patron.

The sun Elf devotion to magic skill at arms and the superiority of elven civilization means that they have a great and abiding veneration for the leader of the leven pantheon. Like their own nobles, Corellon is a wise, generous and firm leader who brings forth beauty in the world then defends his work resolutely. Clerics of the church of Corellon advice the rulers of sun elf communities and Corellon's clerics form the heart of a sun elf army when the sun elves must take the field to defend their lands.

Sun elves also venerate Labelas Enoreth, the elven deity of longevity time and wisdom. While Corellon is seen as the divine leader and protector of the sun elves, Labelas is revered as a counselor and adviser, a source of wisdom in times of trouble. Clerics of Labelas are charged with the keeping of knowledge and records among the sun elves.

Relations with other races
The sun elves feel affection for the moon elves, although this affection is often unintentionally patronizing. They fear that their moon elf cousins are too flighty and irreverent and they strive to help them return to the proper elven path with stern lectures and fatherly advice. They admire the wood elves and feel hat they embody the elven spirit of nature. Relations are good between sun elf and wood elf, although the reclusive nature of the wood elves makes direct contact rare. Sun elves are a bi puzzled by the wild elves and hope one day to civilize them.

Aquatic elves are thought of as near-equals and the sun elves believe that their water-breathing kin were placed in the world to bring to the seas what the sun elves bring to the lands above. The sun elves deeply regret the sufferings of the avariels, and occasionally send out explorers to seek out avariel aeries and offer them a place on Evermeet.

Sun elf prejudice toward other races (Human in particular) can be quite severe. Many sun elves wont even deign to speak to a human and would rather leave a dying man to meet his fate than to save him. This attitude is somewhat understandable, given the way humans have historically treated the sun elves and their lands, but it wins the sun elves few friends among their human neighbors.

If there's one race that the sun elves hold in absolute contempt it is the drow. They view the dark elves as abominations and insults to the Selfarine and often attack these hated enemies on sight. As word of the drow invasion of Mormathor begins to spread through Evermeet, it is likely that more and more sun elves will return to the mainland if only to bring war to the drow and force them both from the ruins and of what the sun elves still consider their lands.

Setting:
Sun elves are exclusive to the Forgotten Realms settings.

Game Stats:

Spoiler: show

Sources: Races of Faerun

MAB77 · « **Reply #55 on:** February 02, 2021, 10:07:48 PM »

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Wood Elf

(Note this entry is about the wood elves of Faer�n, but most of the information also applies to the wood elves of Greyhawk)

Regions: The Dalelands, Elf (Wood) Great Dale, High Forest, The North, Tethyr, Western Heartlands.

The wood elves are among the most numerous of Faer�n's elven people, a young and confident folk who hold the old elven forest homelands in strength. Heirs to the second generation of elven nations, the wood elves see their realms as the natural successors to lands such as Earlann and Cormathyr. Where the old empires expanded with strength and pride, the realms of the wood elves hope to grow with compassion and humility. The wood elves do not view their homelands as a land apart from Faer�n; they understand better than their kindred that for better or worse, their fates are bound up with the fates of the humans, dwarves and halflings around them.

Also known as copper elves or sylvan elves, these people have coppery skin tinged with green and brown or hazel eyes. Hair is usually brown or black, occasionally blond or coppery red. Wood elves prefer to dress in simple clothing, similar to the moon elves, but not quite so colorful. They favor a simple cut to tunic or dress, set off by common embroidery in natural designs.

They are particularly fond of leather armour and they often wear lovingly tooled and well-crafted suits even when they do not feel endangered. Their clothing, leather armor or not, is usually in dark shades of green and earth tones to better blend with their natural surroundings. They are a humble race and only rarely do they enhance their appearance with jewelry or similar accessories.

Wood elves are as tall as most other Faer�nian elves but more heavily built. They have the aging characteristics of:

Wood Elf, Male 4,10" +2d10 100LB. x(2d4) Lb.
Wood Elf, Female 4,5" +2d10 80LB. x(2d4) Lb.

History
The wood elves are the most recent addition to the various elven subraces of Faer�n, although the history of their civilization still exceeds that of many other races of Toril. They also have the unusual distinction (Often thought of as an honor by copper elves) of being the only subrace of elves to be actual natives to Faer�n. The first copper elves did not appear at once, they race coalesced slowly over the course of several centuries after the last Crown War, blending several of the older elven kindreds.

The Crown Wars brought down most of the great nations of the First Flowering. In the wake of these terrible wars, thousands of elves were left bereaved and homeless. Families were torn apart, and for many centuries (a time known to the elves as the Wandering Years) these elves simple led the lives of nomads. Some of Faer�n's elves retreated to their ancestral homes and started to build anew, but on a smaller scale, raising the second generation of elven nations. But a significant portion of elves never felt the need to do so. These elves (Mostly moon, sun and green elves) vowed never again to let internal strife tear their kind apart, retreating to the deepest woodlands to seek shelter from the madness of the world.

Unlike green elves, these self-imposed exiles did not slip into Barbarism. Rather, they formed tightly knit societies that stayed in touch with other like-minded elven communities hidden away in other forests. Over time, these secluded elves grew closer to the natural world and further apart from the high magic and ancient lore the elves had brought from their first home and became a new subrace of elves apart from their kin; the wood elves.

While the sun elves and moon elves founded realms such as Evermeet and Evereska after the Crown Wars, the great realm of the wood elves was ancient Earlann, a realm founded in the eastern High forest around -4700 dr. The elves of Earlann engaged other young empiresof the North in peaceful trade and diplomacy, befriending the dwarven realm of Delzoun soon after its establishment in -3900 DR, and tutoring the early Netherese in magic around -3830 dr.

The human empire of Netheril soon eclipsed its elven neighbors growing in martial and magical might at an alarming pace. In -3533 DR the Netherese uncovered the Nether Scrolls in the ruins of Aryvandaar, eagerly exploiting magic so powerful and terrible that even the sun elves of the First Flowering had not dared to employ it. For centuries the wood elves of Eaerlann sought to quietly check Netheril's pride and expansionism, but in -339 DR, the Netherese destroyed themselves as Karsus sought godhood and instead brought cataclysmic destruction down on his people. The elves of Eaerlann took in many Netherese survivors, allowing them to settle in the city of Ascalhorn.

The elves and humans of the North lived in peace for a time, but Ascalhorn too was doomed to fall through the folly of mages. Careless summoning of powerful fiends led to a sudden, terrible assault by an army of devils who overthrew the proud city in 882 dr. This time, Eaerlann did not survive the destruction of the neighboring human realm. Already gravely weakened by a year of battling against ferocious orc hordes, Eaerlann fell soon after Ascalhorn became Hellgate Keep.

In the years since the fall of Eaerlann, the wood elves have not raised any more great realms, choosing to put their trust in stealth and vigilance instead of castles and cities. Although they felt the call of the Elven Retreat, the wood elves did not respond. With the end of the Retreat, the wood elves have emerged from their secret homes in the depths of Faer�n's woodlands as a strong and confident people whores wariness is tempered by compassion. The wood elves of the High Forest dream of reestablishing old Eaerlann, but this time their realm will be a realm of reclusive villages and watchful foresters, not walled cities and proud warriors.

Outlook
Wood elves are calm, serene and difficult to surprise. Their patience is legendary. They are at one with the world of nature and are not comfortable in areas of heavy civilization. They have lost the urge to build and replace nature with walls and palaces; even the cities built by their elven kind seem to be foolish to the wood elves. They have come to believe that buildings of some are transitory in nature, and that in time, the forest returns to overgrow the greatest of cities. Other races interpret this attitude as fatalistic or condescending and as a result wood elves find it hard to understand anyone who isn't a wood elf.

Wood Elf Characters
Of all the elven subraces, the copper elves have least fascination with arcane magic. They understand its power and a number of their fold study its ways, but ultimately the artifice of arcane lore is simple one more way of expressing domination over the natural order of things and the wood elves view it in that light. Wood elves make excellent fighters, rangers and rogues, relying on their natural strength and quickness to meet challenges. Wood elves from particularly remote forests sometimes become barbarians. Clerics are somewhat rare among this people, but druids are very common and are the most prominent spellcasters of the race.

Favored Class: Ranger, fighter
Prestige Classes: Hierophant (not presently supported on this server), Arcane Archer, Spellsingers (not presently supported on this server), bladesingers (not presently supported on this server).

Wood Elf Society
Wood elves live at ease with nature, using what naturally occurs in the world to shelter or defend themselves. They are not nomadic and claim large territories in the deeper woodlands of Faer�n. Some wood elves choose to do without houses, furnishings and any possessions they can't carry using the high branches of great trees or natural caves in their roots for shelter and storage. Most wood elves instead prefer to dwell in small villages of permanent homes of natural fieldstone and lovingly carved wood, so carefully concealed among the surrounding wilderness that a human hunter might walk through the center of a wood elf village and not even notice that he had done so.

Wood elves adhere to a tradition of leadership by their oldest and most experienced druids, although most villages form a council of elders selected from the wisest and most experienced elves of each family to handle day-to-day affairs. The druidical hierarchy serves to unite wood elves of different villages and weld all the wood elves of a particular forest into a common realm. The druids do not presume to tell the elders how to run a village, but the elders generally give great weight to anything a druid chooses to say.

Wood elves excel in the hunt. They spend much of their time stalking their chosen territory on the search for food or intruders into their realm. The rest of their time is spent frolicking among the branches; in this regard, they are quite similar to moon and wild elves. With the end of the Retreat, wood elves are quickly coming back into contact with the civilized world. Although they are reluctant to allow others into their lands, wood elves understand that times are changing. If they are to survive as a people, it may be time to change for the copper elves to change as well.

Language and Literacy
All wood elves speak Elven, common and the language of their home region, if any. The average wood elf has neither the interest nor the dedication required to learn other languages, but those who do often learn Chondathan, Draconic, gnome, goblin, gnoll and sylvan.

All wood elves characters are literate except barbarians.

Wood Elf Deities
Wood elves worship the Seldarine, but they hold a special respect and reverence for the ancient forest powers of Faer�n, Silvanus and Mielikki. Among the Seldarine, the wood elves hold a particular reverence for Solonor Thelandira, the Great Archer and Rillifane Rallathil, the Leaflord. Solonor, as the deity of archery and the hunt is viewed as the special patron of the wood elves, and before battle a wood elf will often invoke his name.

Relations with other Races
In the five hundred years since the fall of Eaerlann, the wood elves have been forgotten by most of the other peoples of Faer�n. Only those humans and dwarves native to the North and familiar with the borders of the High Forest have seen copper elves, and even then they most likely met a solitary hunter or ranger. While the wood elves shelter deep insider forbidding forests and are therefore inaccessible to their neighbors, they are ironically among the more compassionate and understanding of the elven subraces. Like the moon elves, they accept the power of humankind and seek to live alongside their human neighbors and guide their expansion instead of seeking ways to deter or intimidate the human lands.

Wood elves have a long history of cooperation with the shield dwarves, whose realm of Ammaridar stood alongside their own realm of Eaerlann for many centuries in the vale of the Delimbiyr River. By extension, they look favorably on most other dwarves too. Gnomes and halflings are both greeted as friends and potential allies. On the other hand, the wood elves have a cold place in their hearts for creatures such as Orcs and gnolls, who bring axes, fire and slaughter to the forests the wood elves have sworn to preserve.

Setting:
Wood elves are found in the Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk and Mystara settings. Mystaran wood elves have their own entry.

Game Stats:

Spoiler: show

Sources: Races of Faerun

MAB77 · « **Reply #56 on:** February 02, 2021, 10:14:20 PM »

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Wild Elf of Faer�n

The wild elves of Faer�n are insular and savage, and as a result are rarely seen outside their forest homes. In ages past the wild elves (Or green elves, as they were more commonly known) raised great kingdoms in the forests and fielded armies to defend their homes, but with the march of time they have abandoned the trappings of civilization, becoming afurtive, reclusive race. The wild elves were always close to nature, even more so than other elves, but they have forgotten many of the high arts and lore of their people, choosing stealth and survival over building and book learning.

Wild elves are stocky and strongly built for elves. Their skin tends to be dark brown and their hair ranges from black to light brown, lightening to silvery white with age. They are quiet around anyone except their own kind, and quickly become hostile in these uncomfortable situations. Clothing is kept to a minimum among the wild elves, althiugh they make up for this with body decoration of all sorts-- tattoos, war paint, feathers, and beaded jewelry that shows a surprising streak of complex and beautiful artistry.

Wild elves share the height of their moon and sun elf kind, but are more heavily built. They have the aging characteristics of:

Wild Elf, Male 4,10" +2d10 100LB. x(2d4) Lb.
Wild Elf, Female 4,5" +2d10 80LB. x(2d4) Lb.

History
The wild elves were not always the feral creatures they have become today. Ages ago the green elves, as they were then known, were the first elven explorers (Along with the lythari and the Avariels) to discover Abeir-Toril, and they quickly became entranced with the wondrous young world. Of this first migration of elves, the green elves were easily the most successful and they established several territories destined to become great nations: Thearnytaar, Eiellu�r, Sy�piir, Miyeritar and Keltormir.

Unfortunately, with the coming of the Crown Wars, these nations were among the first to fall. Eiell�r fell to the Ilythiri (The dark elves) in -11400 dr, and Thearnytaar in -11200 dr. THe realm of Miyeitar, located where the High Moor now lies, was utterly consumed by the Dark Disaster in -10500 dr and the other green elf realms fared little better. The peaceful green elves proved to be relatively easy prey for the cruel dark elves and by the time of the Crown Wars ended in -9000 the idyllic world of the green elves had been shattered. Their great nations razed in centuries of relentless warfare, the green elves began a time they refer to as the Wandering. They never recovered fully from the setbacks of twelve thousand years ago, and raised no more great cities in Faer�n.

The wandering of the green elves lasted for many long elven generations. Forced to live for centuries as fugitives, slaves or rootless vagabonds, the surviving green elves receded further and further from elven society, withdrawing to the deepers forests and mountains of Faer�n. While the other subraces races the second generation of elven realms in places like Evermeet and Cormathyr, the green elves placed their trust in secrecy and stealth instead of walls and might, remaining hidden whitin their forest homes, By the time of Jhaamdath's rise around -5800 dr, the green elves had settled into several of the places that are still their ancient homelands the Chondalwood, the Forest of Amtar and other great old woodlands of southern Faer�n.

Over the course of many years, the green elves forgot more and more of their ancient lore and skill, focusing on the only skills that mattered: stealth, survival, hunting and hiding. They became first a clanish folk; then a tribal culture and finally a primitive people. They remained elves, of course, creatures of nobilty and magic, but they lost the arts of crafting mighty spells and forging magic weapons. Their fleeting contacts with the rising human empires of the day reinforced the green elf reclusiveness, driving them deeper into the wilds and further from their old ways. Today, the green elves are more widely known as the wild elves, a race lost in time in the sweltering forest of southern Faer�n.

Outlook
The tragic history of the wild elves has left them untrusting of outsiders. Their tactics for dealing with intruders vary from tribe to tribe. Some simply hide and allow the trespassers to go by unknowing, while others attack to capture, preferring to use magic to alter their memories and carry them far away before releasing them. They make friends slowly, and most nonelves simply don't have the lifespans required to gain the trust of a tribe of green elves. They excel in combat and often revel in its chaos and primal fury. Little can match the fury of an enraged tribe of green elves.

Wild Elf Characters
More so than any other elves, wild elves value the martial skills. Barbarians and rangers are very common among the wild elves. The wild elves do not feel close to the Seldarine and do not often become clerics, instead venerating nature itself as druids of Mielikki, Silvanus or Rillifane Rallathil. Wild elves have no written tradition and little patience for hours of study in any event and so rarely become wizards. Unlike other elves, they prefer the sorcerer's arts.

Favoured Class: Sorcerer, ranger, Barbarians.
Prestige Classes: Hierophant (not presently supported on this server), Arcane archer.

Wild Elf Society
Among their friends and kinfolk, wild elves are pleasant and outgoing, somewhat like the moon elves. Their feasts and celebrations are events of gret joy, with singing, dancing and all manner of merry-making. One of the most beloved ways to celegrate is to engage in a hunt. Hunts are tribal affairs in which all elves, young and old have a part. The actual hunt itself is sometimes only a small part of the overall event, which also includes a religeous ceremony and a tribewide festival.

The scattered, tribal nature of the green elves also means that no two tribes are exactly alike. Some have settled in permanent villages with crude huts, while others are nomadic, dwelling in tents and wandering over vast wilderness territories. Gender segregation is common; some tribes are exclusively matriarchal, while others patriarchal.

Although they have a great interest in music and art, wild elves create few permanent works of art. To the wild elf, the joy of art lies in the creative process, the spontaneous creation of song or dance of effects. They view with distaste attempts to "Capture" this process by making permanent works of art, recording songs or stories in writing and so on, maintaining that to do so imprisons the ever-changing beauty of the world.

Language and Literacy
All wild elves speak Elven, Common and the language of their home region. They are isolationists and do not trust Outsiders, so they rarely learn the languages of their neighbors, especially their enemies. Common additonal languages include Gnoll, Illuskan, Mulan, Orc, Shaaran, Sylvan and Tashalan.

Wild elf characters who choose a player character class (Other than barbarian) are literate, but all other wild elf characters are illiterate.

Wild Elf Deities
THe wild elves worship the Seldarine, in particular Rillifane Rallathil, but this worship does not approach the regimented, organized structure of the other elven subraces. Rather, the green elves worship individually when the urge takes them. They commune constantly with a pantheon of nature spirits, each representing an archetypal member of an animal or natural phenomenon.

Relation with Other Races
The green elves do not seek out relations with others and they do their best to remain unseen and unknown. Nevertheless, wild elves have been known to interact with adventurers, explorers, and lost travelers. Usually, these people are captured, they members magically erased, and ten let go somewhere far from the tribal lands. Rarely, the elves allow a wanderer to visit their camp, usually in times of dire peril when they are forced to call upon outside aid. Those who manage to impress and even befriend a tribe of wild elves find that their friendship is strong and loyal, and such individuals are often gifted with wild elf tattos or spirit animals.

Setting:
This entry is about the wild elves of Faer�n, but their equivalent can be found in the grugach elves of Greyhawk and the kagonesti elves of Dragonlance.

Game Stats:

Spoiler: show

Sources: Races of Faerun

MAB77 · « **Reply #57 on:** February 02, 2021, 10:20:51 PM »

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Rock Gnome

(Note that the information below focuses on the rock gnomes of Forgotten Realms, but most of it applies to the setting equivalent of other worlds. Details on rock gnomes of other settings are available in the Settings entry below.)

Regions: The Dalelands, Gnome (Rock), great Dale, Lantan, Thesk, Western Heartlands.

Rock gnomes are the gnomes that most people are familiar with, so much so that when someone says "A gnome" he or she is almost always speaking of a rock gnome. Unlike their reclusive cousins, the deep gnomes and the forest gnomes, the rock gnomes are an inquisitive and loquacious people. They are renowned throughout Faer�n as technicians, alchemists and inventors, as well as illusionists of the highest order. They do not care much for living in larger cities where their talents are in high demand, and prefer the rolling hills of the countryside. But anywhere they find themselves, they display an amazing zest for life and all the pleasures it holds.

Rock gnomes are far friendlier and more outgoing than the other gnome kindreds. They are well known for their love of jokes and pranks, as well as their fondness for finely made things. As with all gnomes, they adore gems of all kinds, but rock gnomes have a particular passion for the purity and perfection of the diamond.

Rock gnomes average between 3 and 3 1/2 feet tall and weight between 40 and 45 pounds. Their skin comes in many different shades of brown, but is unaffected by exposure of the sun. The hair of young gnomes can vary greatly in color, but in adulthood they all tend toward gray or white. The males wear their beards natly trimmed.

From a Rock gnomes' point of view, life is meant to be enjoyed in all its facets; wor, play and otherwise. Again, its the process that's important, not the goal, even if those goals, like, say, finely cut gems-do end up being valuable on their own. This shows in just about everything a rock gnome does, from making a meal to working a mine to playing a practical joke. The care they put into their actions always shines through.

Young rock gnomes are expected to learn the basics of a useful trade and to master the basics of self-defense. THey are encouraged to dabble in all sorts of pastimes until they find something that perfectly fits their temperaments. THey come of age at 40, an occasion for the largest party of their lives. From there, the average life expectancy is about 350 years, although some have been known to reach 500 years in age.

History
The rock gnomes are counted as one of the major races of Faer�n. Although they may not be as populous or influential as some of the other races, there are gnomes scattered throughout the continent. Gnomes have played a large part in the development of firearms in Faer�n, and they are acknowledged as the masters of these tricky items.

There has never been such a thing as a gnome empire or even a country. If gnomes can be said to have a homeland, it would have to be the islands of Lantan, far to the southwest of the main continent. Of course, few gnomes have ever been to Landtan or know more about it than what they've heard in the legends passed down to them by their ancestors.

Outlook
Rock gnomes are generally optimistic. They view the world as a puzzle that the gods--in their infinite wisdom--have laid out before them as the ultimate challenge, one that cannot ever be fully met. It is tehir greatest joy to be involved in the unraveling of the mysteries of creation, an act they feel brings them closer to the gods with each passing day.

In their adolescence, rock gnomes are encouraged to dabble in as many different things as possible. Eventually, they find something that truly intrigues them, fires their imagination and sets them on the path of a career that may last them the rest of their lives. Almost every Rock gnome enjoys what she does fora living, which is one of the reasons that they have such a ppsitive dispositions. Of course, rock gnomes enjoy their leisure time at least as much as their work. They are known for hosting wild celegrations on thinnest of pretenses. When they really haev a reason for cheer, the parties have been known to last for tendays.

While most gnomes are homebodies at heart, a number simply can't resist the urge to go out into the world to explore. Inquisitive by nature, gnomes often find themselves almost compelled to do everything they can to learn about anything they want. Others, the greedier ones, set off in search of fame and fortune. Saddly, these are fleeting dreams, as even the most famous of gnomes is usually just another member of her communite when she returns home.

Rock gnome characters
Rock gnomes characters with close ties to their communities are often clerics, wizards or rangers (Although their low strenght score means they'll likely favor ranged combat). Rock gnomes infected with wanderlust almost always become bards (often supplementing their performances with their extra gnome spells) and rogues.

Rock Gnome Society
Rock gnome life is filled with long days of work that stretch on for thendays at a time, puncuated by jubilant celebrations in which these hard-driven workers finally get to blow off some steam. This is the kind of life that most gnomes prize, and they feel belssed by the gods that they are mostly able to manage it. Once a gnome reaches adulthood, she is expected to take up a career and work at it tirelessly to become the best at it that she can be. Some gnomes switch vocations later in life-- some do it several times, in fact, but this is relatively rare. The vast majority of gnomes find something they like to do and then stick with it for as long as they can.

Even on the job, though gnomes are usually friendly and fun-loving people. They are constantly telling jokes throughout their days, many of which leave their coworkers in stitches. Practical jokes are fine too, as long as they don't disrupt the work environment too much. Every gnome loves a good prank, but they all insist on getting their jobs done too.

Many gnomes work as miners. While they may not be as aggressive at it as dwarves, they're actually much better at getting the most possible out of a vein of ore. Others practice stonecutting or gemwork. Their metalworkers prefer to work with softer metals--gold-silver and so on, although they do a fine job with harder materials like steel too. They also make excellent woodworkers and carpenters. Faer�nian rock gnomes are among the finest artisants working in the fiends of toymaking, clockwork engineering and gunsmithing. It's common for rock gnomes to be armed with smokepowder pistols.

Gnome cooking is not much a draw to outsiders. It tends to be bland and overcooked or overcooked and over-salted; realiable gnome-friends claim to have tasted some that was bland and oversalted, though no one knows quite how the gnome cooks managed this. Their (Salty) bread is unleavened. All gnomes are very fond of rock candy, and some eat rock salt with equalt relish.

Gnomes do, however, make excellent brewers and vinters. Many of them are talented musicians as well. These two facts contribute greatly to the reputation of gnomes as wonderful party guests and even better hosts.

Most Rock gnomes settlements are small. It's rare to find one with more than five hundred adults in a widely scattered area. However, these communities are usually found elustered close together, usually whitin a few days' or tendays' travel of each other.

Rock gnome burrows are usually small but tidy. Any maried couples have rooms to themselves, but the children usually share a single room. Adolescents are segregated by gender, each sex having its own room. Each burrow usually connects to those of the same clan by tunnel, meaning that many gnomes rarely if ever have to go outside during the day. This is one reason why their communities can go unnoticed by the larger peoples for so long.

When traveling or adventuring, gnomes appear both singly and in small groups. These groups are usually composed of a number of close friends or family members.

Language and Literacy
Rock gnomes normally speak gnome and common, as well as whatever language is predominant in their home region. They often pick up dwarven and sylvan because they live in areas favoured by these races. Additionally, they regularly come into contact with those who speak Chondathan, draconic, goblin, illuskan and terran, although this isn't always under the best of circumstances.

All rock gnomes are literate except for barbarians.

Rock Gnome Deities
Rock gnomes are not particularly devout in practice, although they are forever talking about their gods in conversation. They attend services about once a tenday, but not with any kind of fervor. They believe that the gods are with them everywhere, so it's not always so necessary to make the trip to a temple to see them. Garl Glittergold is the patriarch of the gnome gods, and patron of the rock gnomes in particular. To look at them, one might think that most rock gnomes model their lives on Garl's behaviour, including the constant rics he plays on the other gods. Many gnomes do the same to their friends whether they are gnomes or not. Clerics of Garl Glittergold keep themselves endlessly busy with the planning of revels, feasts and celebrations to bring good cheer, sustenance and wisdom to their fellows.

Rock gnomes also venerate Bearvan Wildwanderer. The protector of the forests and glades that rock gnomes call home. Baervan is also the patron of gnomish rogues. If there's anyone who could possibly outdo Garl in the prank department, its Baervan. The two have been trying to top each other since the dawn of the gods, and the friendly rivalry is still going on.

Relations with other Races
Rock gnomes get along famously with almost all the standard races. They are particularly fond of dwarves of all kinds, with whom they share a love of finely weought jewelry and mechanical devices. They also have a great love for halflings who can take a joke. THeir common syle of housing and their similar sizes would be bonds enough, but their shared joy for living is what really brings tem together.

Rock gnomes are a bit more cautious around the large people, but these reservations usually quickly give way to enthousiasm when someone shows any sort of interest in or knowledge about the gnomes' work or other passions.

Orcs, goblinoid and kobolds find an especially cold place in a rock gnome'S heart. Although most rock gnomes find it hard to hate anyone, long experience with these races has told them that it's better to never cut them any breaks. Besides, none of them can take a joke.

Settings:
This entry applies to the rock gnomes of Forgotten Realms but their equivalent are also found in the Eberron, Greyhawk, Mystara, Planescape and Spelljammer settings.

Eberron
The gnomish thirst for knowledge is well known, and Zilargo is renowned for its libraries and universities and for the skills of its learned alchemists and elemental artificers. Weak as they are physically, the gnomes have refined the use of knowledge as a weapon. When diplomacy fails, they fight their wars with blackmail, espionage, and careful assassination. A gnome's innocent curiosity may be just what it seems; or it may be a well-honed facade concealing a cunning and manipulative mind.

The gnomes' natural gift for illusion is a manifestation of their racial bent toward deception; a gnome will rarely engage in direct conflict when he can strike from the shadows or trick others into working on his behalf. Most gnomes derive great pleasure from these subtle games; two gnomes might be engaged in vicious political feuds with one another and still be great friends.

Greyhawk
The gnomes of Greyhawk are possessed of sly humor and earthy wisdom. Measuring the practical value of things as seen by the gnomes against the pretensions of other cultures, their wit is often revealed in inventive and embarrassing ways. Their creativity is not limited to practical jokes. They are fine craftsmen who appreciate precious stones and make beautiful jewelry, along with woodwork, stonework, and leatherwork of excellent quality; they invent and experiment often. Seldom avaricious, gnomes take equal pleasure in music and story, food and drink, nature and handmade things. Most gnomes are not prone to cruelty, though their lively jokes may sometimes make things appear otherwise.

They originated in the far northern forests. Originally they were trappers and reindeer herders, but they first migrated south centuries before the Twin Cataclysms. Clever and canny, they've suffered abuses from a number of nefarious overlords: first Keraptis, then the Vecna-possessed Gnomelord of Blemu, then Azalin, and finally the orcs and goblinoids of the Bone March. Rock gnomish migrants settled among the dwarves, elves, and halflings already inhabiting the Flanaess, quickly adapting their language, magic, technology, and culture to their own. Rock Gnomes can be found in large numbers in the Abbor-Alz, Cairn Hills, Flinty Hills, Iron Hills, Urnst states, Ulek states, Greyhawk, Ahlissa, Nyrond, and Keoland, and smaller numbers elsewhere throughout the Flanaess.

Mystara
Mystaran Gnomes are quite rare, but present in many regions. They all belong to the same race, but cultural differences have divided them into various "subraces". Best known are the Rock Gnomes, present in Karameikos and neighbouring Known World nations, as well as in the Alphatian Kingdom of Stoutfellow. Their only nation is Highforge, whose government form seems closely related to the Dwarven clanic monarchy of Rockhome.

Although many adventuring gnomes have taken up illusionary magic, most gnomes prefer the bardic life. Gnomes adore animals, gems, and jokes, especially pranks. They love to learn by personal experience, and are always trying new ways to build things. Gnomes stand 3 to 3 1/2 feet tall, with skin that ranges from dark tan to woody brown. Their hair is fair, and their eyes are often some shade of blue. Gnomes generally wear earth tones, but decorate their clothes intricately. Males favor carefully-trimmed beards. Gnomes live 350 to 500 years.

Planescape
Although most often found throughout the Upper Planes, planar gnomes tend to follow a few different paths. A great many tend to the quiet pastures of Arborea and the Outlands, living simple lives. Another significant portion become Guvner sages, spending their days pouring over ancient tomes with an almost joyful sense of exploration. The last major group is the often-maligned tinkerers. Among the magical landscapes of the planes, their clockwork machinery stands out as an eyesore in all but the gears of Mechanus. Interestingly enough, these disparate groups all co-exist quite well in Bytopia, where gnomes are perhaps the most plentiful race.

Ravenloft
The largest settlement of gnomes in Ravenloft is the town of Mayvin in Darkon. Demand for gnomish skill has also drawn small communities (less than a hundred or so) to Valachan and Hazlan. The largest gnomish settlement outside Darkon exists in Nova Vaasa, where it has become fashionable for nobles to have gnomish jesters in their courts. There are rumors that these jesters also serve as spies for their respective courts, making use of their inherent magical abilities and small size.

More details on the gnomes of Ravenloft are available here.

Spelljammer
Common terrestrial gnomes are almost unheard of in wildspace, since their natural habitats (living earth in wooded areas) are in short supply. A new gnomish subrace, descendants of Krynnish tinker gnomes, has taken readily to the void, and is much more common. The few common gnomes in space tend to live near elven lands, digging in wherever they can.

Game Stats:

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Races of Faerun, Greyhawk Campaign Setting

MAB77 · « **Reply #58 on:** February 02, 2021, 10:44:54 PM »

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Svirfneblin (Deep Gnome)

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

(Details on the deep gnomes of Greyhawk and Eberron are included in the settings section.)

Regions: The North, Silverymoon

The deep gnomes are closest thing the gnome family has to "black sheep". Many surface dwellers count the deep gnomes along with their evil neighbors, the drow and the duergar, believing them to be little more than dark reflections of the friendly rock gnomes with whom they are more familiar. In fact, the svirfneblin are just as good-hearted as their sunnier kin. However, after centuries of dealing with the everyday perils of living in the Underdark, they have become understandably distrustful of all outsiders.

Compared to their better-known kin, the rock gnomes, the deep gnomes are as gray and lifeless as the subterranean caverns in which they choose to make their homes. They keep to themselves out of fear of outsiders, a fear born from numerous poor experiences with such people. To a deep gnome, the only people you can trust are other deep gnomes from your village and preferably from your family. All others are best avoided.

With strangers, most deep gnomes are sullen, reserved and suspicious, almost to a fault. However, when they are alone with their own kind, they are friendly and respectful to eachother. Few people from outside a svirfneblin community have ever seen this more pleasant side of the deep gnomes. For their part, the deep gnomes would be horrified to find themselves observed by ousiders and they find such a person staring at them quite rude.

Deep gnomes are gnarled and callused folk, with little fat at all on their wiry bodies. Their skin is the color of the rocks among which they live, almost as if they sprang directly from the stones themselves. They have dark gray eyes tending toward black. Their hair is of a similar color, although it's only seen on the woman, as the men are entirely bald and beardless.

Deep gnomes are short lived for gnomes and reach adulthood at an age of 20 years and live up to 160 years.

Like their lives, Svirfneblin are also short and hard. They stand between 3 and 3 1/2 feet tall on average. They are thinner than their surface cousins, but they weight just as much--about 40 to 45 pounds- due the density of their muscles. They are little more wiry sinews and rocklike bones.

History:
While most gnomes have little use for history, tending to prefer living in the moment, deep gnomes are the worst of the lot. They do not have a formal calandar or any way to tell the turning of the days. Living far from the light of the sun, the very idea of night or day is foreign to them. Dozens of Svirfneblin cities lie scattered throughout the Underdark of Faer�n and dozens of more have surely risen and been abandonned over the years, but of all these settlements and refuges the story of only one is widely known to non-deep gnomes: Blingdenstone.

Blingdenstone was founded in -690 DR by several clans of deep gnomes fleeing west from the Underdark beneath Netheril which had fallen into the power of the dreadful Phaerimms. Despite the proximity of a powerful drow city (Menzoberranzan) and an equally strong duergar city (Gracksturgh), the deep gnomes established their city at its site because of the rich veins of arandur and other exotic metals and minerals. For almost two thousand years, the deep gnomes carried on their mining and smithing, avoiding their evil neighbors and strenghteing Blingdenstone's defenses against teh day their enemies would come against them.

That day came in 1338 DR, although King Schnicktick and Queen Fricknarty could not have anticipated how it would come about. Drizzt DO'Urden, a renegade drow noble, arrived at Blingdenstone's doorstep after years of exile in the Underdark, and received sanctuary among the deep gnomes. Although, Drizzt remained among the deep gnomes for only a short time, the events of his exile eventually led to a full-scale drow attack against the dwarven citadel of Mithral Hall in 1358 DR. THe invasion route passed close to Blingdenstone and the deep gnomes close to abandon teir city. After the drow army passed, Belwar Dissengulp and other deep gnomes wardens convinced King Schnicktick to join their forces to those of the defenders of Mithral Hall. The deep gnomes and their allies inflicted a great deafeat on Menzoberranzan in te Keeper's Dale and the Menzonberranyr never forgot that the Svirfneblin had contributed to their humiliation.

In Marpenoth of 1370 DR, the Matron Mothers of Menzoberranzan exacted their vengeance. Calling up dozens of powerful demons and bebiliths, they unleashed a plague of murderous fiends that overran Blingdestone. Thousands of gnomes died in the fall of the city, and thousands more were captured by drow slavers waiting outside the city gates. A small number of the deep gnomes managed to escape to Mithral Hall and Silverymoon as refugees. Driven from their old homes, these Svirfneblin have found a warm welcome among their former allies, but the prospect for returning to their old home looks bleak at best.

Outlook
Dour and cynical, deep gnomes are resigned to their lot in life. THey spend their days scratching out a living in the subterrenean near their home. The males mostly mine for precious gems while the females---who are rarely seen outside their villages--gather food, care for the children and keep house. Few aspire to do anything other than live out their lives quietly focusing on doing their jobs the best that they can.

The Svirfneblin literally have little or no light in their lives. To avoid detection by others in the Underdark, they often refuse to use fire for cooking or warmth whenever possible. Instead, they rely on their darkvision whenever possible, seeing the world only in black and white. The deep gnomes live and work in the eternal darkness out of their overwhealming love for gems. Most males spend almost their entirely lives trying to chip precious stones out of the earth. They favor rubies most of all. Outsiders often think of deep gnomes as irredeemably sullen and suspicious. While there is some basis for this, these are the outward results of survival techniques that these gnomes have had to adopt to endure their harsh and unforgiving environment. Sounds of any kind--especially voices--travel in strange ways in the Underdark, and they have a tendency to attract visitors. In the experience of most deep gnomes, such outsiders have only the worsts of intentions, so when a Svirfneblin encounters a stranger who is actually friendly, she normally is too suspicious to even consider responding in a like manner. She may eventually warm to a Svirfneblin from another town, but even this can take time.

While deep gnome adventurers are rare, some deep gnomes succumb to gnomish curiosity about the world outside the caverns and mine shafts of their daily lives. This is especially true for those deep gnome illusionists who crave to learn more about the nature of their chosen school of magic, but who lack for instruction in the insular villages in which they live. Svirfneblin prospectors are also occasionally encountered in the Underdark far from their homes, questing for promissing new veins to mine for their beloved rubies.

Deep Gnome Characters
Svirfneblin are rarely found outside thei own sociaty. When this does happen, its usually a lone prospector, a solitary illusionist or a group of warriors who have struck out from their town for one reason or another. Typically deep gnomes only leave their home out of a deep and adbiding curiosity about the outside world, a burning desire to find more rubies or the need to find help for dealing with some creature or event the Svirfneblin don't feel they can handle on their own. Svirfneblin adventurers are most commonly fighters, rangers, rogues or wizards (Particularly Illusionists). Naturally stealthy, they find that the skills boned in surviving the dangers of the Underdark also serve an adventuring ranger or rogue well.

Favoured Class: Like all gnomes, Svirfneblin are talented wizards, especially illusionists. With an Ilusionists' powers, the deep gnome can keep out of sight of others until she decides to reveal herself. She can remain concealed hide her home and friends, and deceive or mislead enemies. Svirfneblin have learned that an enemy who can't locate them, can't hurt them.

Deep Gnome Society
Deep gnome communities are subterranean settlements deep beneath the surface of Toril. THe central part of the city is usually set in a songle large cavern with all sorts of other caverns, rooms, and even buildings attached to the main section by a complex system of narrow corridors and spiraling staircases. When a town is first settled, the top-ranking members of the Svirfneblin clan usually grab the largest stalagmites in the cavern and carve homes out of them. Most people, however must carve their homes out of the cavern floors or walls.

For the gnome communities, deep gnomes towns re large, usually comprising around one thousand people. However, these places are normally far more isolated than even the most remote surface gnome town. Most Svirfneblin go their entire lives without ever traevling to another deep gnome town, much less actually seeing daylight. Because of the relatively crowded conditions in a deep gnome town, Svirfneblin families typically crowd into a single, small room. Children often stay with the family until they are married, at which point they need to either find or make a new home for themselves.

Deep gnome children are treasured greatly. It's rare for a family to have more than six children in it, and most have less than four. Deep gnome mothers dote on their children during their childhood. Once the children reach adolescence, they are immediately put to work in apprenticeship for whatever kinds of jobs they expect to have in adulthood. Deep gnomes don't celebrate the transition to adulthood the way their sunlit kin do. Instead, they know they've reached adulthood when they start working at the job of a real adult in earnest.

The great majority of male Svirfneblin work in their town's mining operations, extracting precious gems and metals from the earth. Most of the rest spend their time processing and finishing the raw materials the others pull from the earth. By contrast, female Svirfneblin spend their time gathering and preparing food, raising children and keeping house. There us a strict division of labor along gender lines and its rare to see it crossed. The female gnomes rule in the home and the males outside of it. Most deep gnomes work until they literally drop dead at their jobs. THere is no concept of retirement in deep gnome society. Those who are able must pull their own weight as best they can, since no deep gnome whishes to be a burden on her family and community.

In keeping with the Svirfneblin concept of equal division of labor, every Svirfneblin town is governed by both a king and a queen, each of whom holds the position for life. THe king oversees the community's mining operations and is responsible for managing the place's defense. The queen ensures that the town has an adequate stock of both food and water and she handles the town's daily affairs. Each is supreme in his or her sphere, though each usually advises the other. The two are rarely married (at least, not to eachother). When either morarch dies, the other chooses a successor for the deceased monarch by deciding on a contest that can be entered by any eligible member of the community. Usually eligibility is based on gender and staturs. The winner of the contest becomes the next monarch.

The staples of the deep gnome diet are a number of different kinds of fungi found or even farmed in the Underdark.To this, they sometimes add blind fish or occasionally a deep rothe, goat or sheep. Svirfneblin do not often cook their food, preferring instead to preserve it by means of salting. These foods are so salty, that most outsiders cannot stomach them. Besides water, Svirfneblin drink a salty, intoxicating bew made of fermented fish parts, which is best described as an acquired taste. On special occasions, they drink a wine called Gogondy, said to contain powdered ruby (Among other mysterious ingredients).

Svirfneblin have only two holidays universally celebrated by all deep gnome communites, both in honor of Calladuran Smoothhands, their favoured god. THe festival of the Ruby celebrates the muthical time when Calladuran hid rubies and other gems in the earth for the deep gnomes to find; it is considered a lucky day for seeking and finding. THe festival of the Star celebrates the continued protection of the Deep Borther provides to the Svirfneblin. DEep gnomes mark the holy day by assembling on the shore of a subterranean lake or pool to watch small patches of a specially bred species of phosphorescent fungi in the cavern roof light up like stars, creating an illusion of the night shy reflected in the waters below. This ceremony reaffirms the deep gnomes' ancestral ties with the surface world, and reassures them that they have not been abandonned in the deep places of the world.

Language and Literacy
Svirfneblin speak Gnome, Undercommon and whatever tongue is used by those on the surface of their region. Those who deal with outsiders often pick up a but of Common as well. Given the nature of their closest neighbors in the Underdark, its not uncommon for Deep gnome linguists to also learn languages like: Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Illuskan and Terran. All deep gnome characters are literate expect for Barbarians.

Deep Gnome Dieties
While deep gnomes of toril may not be particularly devout as a group, they do have a full pantheon of deities they share with other gnomes. Svirfneblin clerics often move among both miners and mothers, keeping up community spirits. When they think the time is ripe, they declare a holiday festival in honor of whichever god they feel is appropriate.

Calladuran Smoothhands, the master of stone is the most popular god among deep gnomes, many of whom spend their entire adult lives working in their town's mines. Calladuran taught the Svirfneblin to summon and berfriend earth elementals. Many deep gnome craftmen work Callarduran's star insigniea into their jewelry and other handiwork. They are careful not to use this theme with a golden ring, however, resserving that priviledge for the god himself.

Although, he is the patriarch of the gnome pantheon, few deep gnomes are drawn to the faith of Garl Glittergold. Garl's bright and sunny naturesimply does not seem relevant to most Svirfneblin Some Svirfneblin even feel that Garl has abandoned them in favour of their more cheery kin. Deep gnomes feel closer to Segojan Earthcaller, beloved by those deep gnomes who keep pets or work with their few domesticated animals (These are usually Svirfneblin females). The rare deep gnome ranger usually finds this god's way with nature to his taste as well.

No gnomes really care for Urdlen, but he particularly frightens the Svirfneblin. Tales of Urdlen's habit of attacking especially greedy deep gnomes just as they are about to grasp the most valuable gem ever seen are commonly told to younf deep gnomes to keep them in line. Such parables also illustrate the number of quick and senseless deaths that await deep gnomes thoughout the Underdark. Only constant vigilance against such threats does any good and for encouraging them to always be alert, Urdlen has eaned the deep gnomes' respect.

Relations with other races
Insular, and suspicious, deep gnomes do not get along well with any other races. If forced to pick with whom they would rather keep company (Outside other deep gnomes or no one at all) most deep gnomes would choose to associate with forest gnomes, and then rock gnomes. Beyond that, they might not mind gold dwarves or shield dwarves or the occasional Elf.

Svirfneblin do not have much feeling about any of the other standard chracter races, other than a general aversion to all of them. However, they have a deep and abiding hatred for drow and duergar. These two races, with whom the deep gnomes share the Underdark, have long been a thorn in the side of a people who would much rather just be left alone. Also, the evil tendencies of these races have led many surface dwellers to tihnk that all who live in the Underdark are unprependantly evil, a prejudice that frequently causes the deep gnomes' grief when they first encounter an ignorant intruder from the surface.

Settings:
Deep gnomes are found in the Eberron, Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk and Planescape settings.

Svirfneblin of Eberron
The reclusive race of deep gnomes is little known beyond Zilargo, and not all gnomes believe in the existence of their subterranean kin. According to legend, the deep gnomes were subjugated by the daelkyr and their minions during their invasion of Eberron nine thousand years ago. Forced into slavery, deep gnomes committed crimes they consider heinous and unforgivable. After the defeat of the daelkyr, the deep gnomes continued to live underground, primarily concentrated beneath Zilargo. To this day, they believe that their history makes them unworthy to look on the light of day or mingle with their surface cousins, and they live in seclusion. Some among them hope to redeem themselves or their race through heroic deeds in battle.

Svirfneblin of Greyhawk
The svirfneblin have a different history unknown to the people of the surface world. It was probably the svirfneblin priests of Pyremius who created the jermlaines in approximately -1800 CY. Many svirfneblin dwell beneath the Hellfurnace Mountains. At least one kingdom, ruled by Gnarly Gnelly, lies beneath the Crystalmist Mountains. Svirfneblins live in larger cities than rock gnomes, often boasting more than a thousand residents. They are complex places composed of many layers of caverns, tunnels, and buildings connected by spiral staircases and narrow tunnels. A group of gnomes, most likely svirfneblin given the region (the Hellfurnace Mountains) and time, escaped from slavery by the Suel to create the jermlaine race.

Spoiler: show

Sources: Races of Faerun, Greyhawk Campaign Setting

MAB77 · « **Reply #59 on:** February 02, 2021, 10:47:02 PM »

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Lightfoot Halfling

(Note that the information below focuses on the lightfoot halflings of Forgotten Realms, but most of it applies to all lightfoot halflings in general. Details on lightfoot halflings of other worlds are available in the Settings entry below.)

Regions: Any human region, Luiren, Lightfoot Halfling.

The folk of Faerun are more familiar with the lightfoot hin than with either of the other two subraces, primarily because the lightfoots are the more numerous and widely traveled of all the halflings. Nearly every human community of any size larger than a village has at least a few halfling residents. When most Faerunians think of halflings, the lightfoots are the people that most often leap to mind.

History:
Most lightfoot halflings trace their ancestry back to the days when a great tribe of their subrace populated the territory known today as Luiren. Following the events of the Hin Ghostwars, the majority of the lightfoot halflings departed their homeland and spread out across northern Faerun in a great diaspora (see the FORGOTTEN REALMS Campaign Setting, page 196). Though some lightfoot halflings remained in Luiren, the subrace has become ubiquitous throughout the settled lands of Faerun.

Outlook:
Lightfoot halflings may be the most common of all subraces, but their behavior is also the most varied. It�s impossible to describe the �typical� lightfoot halfling because, much like humans, the race embodies individuals that are the absolute antithesis of on another. This diversity of behavior is mirrored in a diversity of outlooks. Some halflings adopt views and beliefs about the world that are very close or even identical to whatever human community they happen to dwell in, while others retain distinctive points of view that separate them from other races and groups (including other halflings). It�s not uncommon to meet halflings who, because they spend the greater part of their lives roaming from place to place, have outlooks that are amalgams of those from multiple cultures and environments.

The aspect of the lightfoot outlook that most nonhalflings notice, however, is that they are the hin subrace that is more likely to wander out of an innate desire. It is not unknown for individual lightfoot halflings or even entire families to decide that, after living in the same place for decades, they want to move on to someplace else. Some learned folk speculate that the lightfoot hin experience a habitual need to see many different places and enjoy a variety of experiences. Other sages and loremasters wonder if the lightfoot penchant for the semi-nomadic lifestyle is socialized behavior, learned from centuries of practice. These scholars theorize that the lightfoot hin who left Luiren because of the Ghostwar massacres were unable to find a new homeland that suited them as well, so they wandered. After so many hundreds of years of wandering, the behavior is not natural to the lightfoot hin, or so this school of though holds. Whatever the case, there�s no denying that many lightfoot halflings seem determined to see a great deal of Faerun and have many interesting experiences during their lifetimes.

Lightfoot Halfling Characters:
As befits their name, lightfoot halflings often take classes that work well for wanderers, such as rogue and bard.

Favored Class: Rogue. Lightfoot halflings often pick up an impressive array of skills during their travels, and with their small size and low strength, they need the advantages of stealth and cleverness.

Lightfoot Halfling Society:
Lightfoot halfling society is hard to quantify, because lightfoots can be divided into three groups: those who live among humans, those who live among other lightfoots, and those who wander from place to place. Some lightfoot halfling families live their entire lives in one place, sometimes as part of a human community, and sometimes in a settlement populated almost entirely by halflings. Others live their entire lives on the roads and byways of Faerun, never remaining in one place very long.

Language and Literacy:
Lightfoots speak Halfling, Common, and the language of their home region � which, given lightfoot wanderlust, could be almost anywhere. Wandering lightfoot halflings pick up the languages of the places they live, and often learn other widely spread tongues.

All lightfoot nonbarbarians (the vast majority of the race, in other words) are literate.

Lightfoot Halfling Deities:
The diversity evident in the lightfoot halflings� outlook and society is also reflected in their religious beliefs. Of all the hin subraces, the lightfoot are the most likely to worship deities other than those belonging to Yondalla�s Children. In addition to the deity they most favor, many lightfoot households � particularly those that prefer life on the road to a more settled existence � often venerate a household patron, often inspired by some matriarch or patriarch in the family�s history.

Brandobaris, the Master of Stealth, is much beloved by the lightfoot hin for his realistic and good-humored view of lire. Brandobaris is a common patron deity of those halflings who trust to their luck to see them though as they wander from place to place. The worship of Cyrrollalee, the Hearthkeeper, is widely popular among lightfoot halflings born within the last two generations. Her message of the ascendance of the halfling race to a station of respect and power in Faerun had fallen to receptive ears. The ranks of her clergy have swelled with the number of lightfoot hin seeking to spread her message and contribute to the search for a new lightfoot homeland.

Yondalla�s faith is popular with the lightfoot halflings, both those who wander and those who prefer to settle in more permanent communities. Recently there has been some tension between her clergy and those serving Cyrrollalee: Yondalla is not at all certain that this younger deity�s call for a halfling homeland is wise.

Settings:
This entry applies mostly to lightfoot halflings of Forgotten Realms but their equivalent are also found in the Eberron, Greyhawk, Mystara, Ravenloft, Planescape and Spelljammer settings.

Eberron, Khorvaire Halflings
In their homeland, halflings are nomads who ride domesticated dinosaurs across the wide plains of Talenta, but a great number of them spread to the extent of civilization. The heritage of the nomad also serves more urbanized halflings well, and halflings have established themselves across Khorvaire as merchants, politicians, barristers, healers, and criminals. The tribal nomads of the plains can sometimes be found in the cities, but often the halflings of the cities blend in with the rest of the population and display only the occasional reminder of their nomadic roots.

Mystara, Hin
Mystaran Halflings originally hail from Davania, but they were chased away. Tribes of nomadic Hin have been set in eastern Davania (Aryptian Desert), but otherwise the major Halfling civilization resides in Brun. Halflings are not too interested in imposing or preserving their lifestyles and traditions, instead preferring to adapt that of the Big Folks they coexist with. They rarely grow larger than 3 feet in height. They have ruddy complexions, sandy to dark-brown hair, and blue or hazel eyes. Their faces are small and childlike when compared to a human. They also have thick hair atop each foot.

Greyhawk
Halflings have no lands of their own, living instead in the lands claimed by other races. They can be encountered most frequently in the central and western Flanaess; they're a common sight throughout the Sheldomar Valley, in the Urnst States, and in the Ulek States. They favor stable nations with long histories of peace with their neighbors. They normally shun water and extremes in temperature, preferring the pastoral countryside. Halflings form tight-knit communities within dwarven and human cities, or they form self-reliant villages in secluded places.

There are perhaps 3,000 halflings within the Vesve Forest, and a few within the Silverwood and the Flinty Hills. They dwell within the Good Hills and the Hollow Highlands. The vast majority of the halflings in the Cairn Hills region hug the Nyr Dyv; the land there is poor, which is a major reason why other races were willing to let them have it. Their community of Elmshire (population 3,800) is there, with perhaps another thousand halflings scattered in smaller villages in the area.

The halfling race seems to have originated in the river valleys of the west-central Flanaess, spreading only slowly from their homeland. At the time of the Great Migrations, few were north of the Gamboge Forest or east of the Harp River. They developed friendly relationships with the Oerdians, however, and today they can be found throughout much of the Flanaess.

Between CY 583-584, the halflings of the Domain of Greyhawk region suffered a terrible blight. Nearly a quarter of the population of Elmshire died.

Planescape, Planar Halflings
Most halflings are found in the Green Fields, located in Venya, a layer of Mount Celestia. Green Fields is a pastoral paradise, perfect for farming, and thus perfect for many halfling temperaments. It primarily exports food to other locales on the planes, and some halflings may be found outside their native realm along with these shipments. Generally halflings that were raised in Green Fields have a lot of adjusting to do to fit in on the planes, and are often as clueless as any Prime. Those who are not found in Green Fields are most likely to be encountered in the Flowering Hill, located in the Outlands. The demipower Urogalan is part of the halfling pantheon, but he serves as a judge of the dead for the halflings, and not many of their race worship him, thus there are few petitioners associated with his realm.

Ravenloft
The halflings of Ravenloft do not form a cohesive society. Most halflings are nomadic, wandering in clans from one domain to another. Unlike the constantly drifting Vistani, however, halflings tend to take root in a given area for a few years, experiencing all it has to offer before moving on. Any settlement in Ravenloft of sufficient size may boast a halfling community, though these may be ghettos. Some halflings have settled down to form permanent communities. The largest of these are both in Darkon. Halflings in the city of Rivalis raise goats, produce cheese and take pride in their flower gardens. The town of Delagia supports itself through fishing and is actually built atop Lake Korst, its buildings resembling beaver dams. Tales are told of a village of halflings hidden somewhere in the forests of Sithicus. These halflings were hideously tortured by the black knight who previously ruled that land, however. They are now said to be insane, feral creatures.

More info on the halflings of Ravenloft are avalaible here.

Spelljammer, Wildspace Halflings
Wildspace halflings are an often ignored yet important facet of civilization in the stars. Their enclaves can be found almost anywhere, either in traditional burrows or loose bands that wander from port to port. They are often accused of being thieves, a sometimes unfair claim. Many enclaves do have guilds that are not unlike thief guilds, but these work to protect the community rather than engage in dishonest activities. Halflings commonly live in or near human communities to take advantage of any opportunities that such places offer. They often tag along with human exploration missions to find new places to settle. The places that they seek out are less desirable to others; thus halfling colonies might be found in the most unusual places, such as furnace-worlds cooking too close to a fire body, or the glacier-encased moons of the most distant planets.

Game Stats:

Spoiler: show

Sources: Races of Faerun, Greyhawk Campaign Setting

MAB77 · « **Reply #60 on:** February 02, 2021, 10:54:06 PM »

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Strongheart Halfling

The strongheart halflings are, like the ghostwise and lightfoot hin, native to Luiren. They trace their ancestry back to the same long-lost days as the other subraces, but unlike their cousins, the stronghearts elected to remain in their homeland following the events of the Hin Ghostwar. The legacy of Chand, the strongheart war chieftain who galvanized his tribe against the threat of the feral ghostwise, lives on today in a nation that both reinforces and defies many of the expectations nonhalflings have of this face.

History
Thousands of years ago, Luiren was an unsettles wilderness roamed by the three great Hal fling tribes: the lightfoots, the stronghearts, and the ghostwise. The three races fiercely defended their woodlands against all intruders for centuries, driving off Dambrathan barbarians, packs of rabid gnolls, and sharing the Lluirwood's resources. Feuds between the tribes were not uncommon, but for the most part the three tribes lived in peace.

Around -100 DR, an evil spirit entered the forest. Under the leadership of a powerful cleric named Desva, the ghostwise halflings fell into darkness, worshiping Malar and glorifying in violence and bloodshed. Feral ghostwise hunters, their faces painted like skulls, prowled the forests in search of halfling prey. They grew ever stronger as Desva led them deeper into Malar's worship, teaching the greatest hunters to take shapes as werewolves and poisoning the forest's natural predators with maddening bloodlust. For a generation the Lluirwood was a place of death.

In -68 DR, a strongheart hunter named Chand became war chief of his folk and struck an alliance with the was chief of the lightfoot tribe. The two united to root out the madness of the ghostwise halflings. Over three years each ghostwise stronghold and lair was found out and destroyed, until Chand himself slew Desva of the ghostwise in -65 DR. The fighting was merciless and awful � entire ghostwise villages were burned and their folk killed. Chand held to his purpose and saw to it that no hin warrior stayed his or her hand.

In the aftermath of the Hin Ghostwars, the ghostwise halflings were reduced to a handful of their former number. Most were exiled from the Lluirwood, although a handful who had repudiated Desva and joined with Chand's warriors were allowed to stay. Those who left settled in the Chondalwood, taking an oath never to speak until they had atoned for the animallike savagery of their past. The atonement is long past, but to this day ghostwise halflings think long and hard before they choose to speak.

Many of the lightfoots, horrified by what Chand and the stronghearts had done, chose to leave the Lluirwood. They became a nomadic people spread across all of northern Faerun, adopting the customs and traditions of the folk they traveled among.

The stronghearts remained in the Lluirwood. Unchecked by the lightfoot or ghostwise ways, they began to clear forest and settled in semipermanent villages that grew larger and more permanent with each passing generation. They changed from woodland nomads to settled farmers and craftsfolk, defending their lands against numerous invasions and raids over the years. In time some lightfoots returned to the new realm of Luiren, but this is now a strongheart land.

Outlook
Prior to the Hin Ghostwar, the stronghearts were, like their brethren, mostly a nomadic hunter-gather people. During the centuries that followed the terrible conflict, however, the stronghearts gravitated toward a more agrarian-based lifestyle centered around permanent communities. But if the communities were stationery, the stronghearts were not, moving from established community to established community.

This strange duality of nature, consisting of a desire to more about freely with a liking for permanent structures and settlements, has produced some unusual outlooks among the stronghearts of Luiren. Their viewpoint stresses cooperation aboe all other traits, and the ability to work as a team is the most valued behavior in their land. Cooperation trascends many boundaries in Luiren, and even strangers of whom the locals are suspicious can earn themselves considerable credit and tolerance by demonstrating a willingness to cooperate.

Strongheart Halfling Characters
Stronghearts have relatively more clerics and martial characters (fighters, rangers, and paladins) than their lightfoot cousins, but the skilled rogue is still the most common character class among strongheart adventurers.

Favored Class:
Rogue. Strongheart halflings can be tricky, clever warriors of glib negotiators � or both.

Strongheart Halfling Society
The stronghearts have evolved a unique, semi-nomadic lifestyle, in which business, families, and even entire clans move freely and independently from place to place in Luiren. The fusion of wanderlust and stability is a source of wonderment and confusion for visitors, who find it difficult to comprehend how a society can enjoy such seemingly whimsical mobility while retaining any viable structure. For their part, most of the strongheart hin cannot understand why anyone would want to tie themselves permanently to any one community or structure for their entire lives.

Language and Literacy
Strongheart halflings speak Halfling and Common, and many pick up Shaaran a well. All but the very rare barbarians are literate.

Strongheart Halfling Deities
The scrupulous stronghearts of Luiren take care to honor all the deities in the halfling pantheon, but their way of life reflects the influence of certain powers more than others. They do not favor any deities from other pantheons, and they actively discourage halflings from venerating the gods and goddesses of other races.

Among all the Faerudian halfling subraces, Arvoreen enjoys the strongest worship from the stronghearts of Luiren. While the Luiren hin venerate all the deities of the halfling pantheon in their turn, they hold the Vigilant Guardian in very high regard. His simple dogma has almost become the de facto motto of the nation: �Vigilance against attack will protect the community. Prepare an active defense, drill continuously, and leave nothing to change. Put down danger before allowing it a chance to rear its head.� Clerics of the Wary Sword are among the nation's foremost religious, political, and military leaders; most of them multiclass as fighters.

Strongheart druids and rangers frequently venerate Sheela Peryroyl, the Green Sister, and they encourage their fellow hin to be mindful of the need to balance their communities expansions with the need to preserve nature. Most strongheart communities in Luiren maintain shrines to the Watchful Mother, usually on the edge of the settled area where it borders the wilderness.

Yondalla, the Blessed One, is the most popular halfling deity after Avoreen among the stronghearts. Many of the subrace who dwell in Luiren find the dichotomy of her faith � do not welcome violence, but defend the home and community fiercely � to be reflective of the strongheart outlook. Yondalla reigns supreme in Luiren whenever matters of family and tradition are invoked, and her clergy enjoys considerable respect and influence in the most important national councils.

Settings:
Strongheart halflings are natives to the Forgotten Realms setting.

Game Stats:

Spoiler: show

Sources: Races of Faerun, Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting

MAB77 · « **Reply #61 on:** February 02, 2021, 10:56:34 PM »

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Scro

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

Advanced orcs from a distant sphere, scro are consummate warriors, adept at fighting alone against overwhelming odds, in close formation with similarly trained companions, or in command of less disciplined allies. Feared but grudgingly respected by their enemies, the scro have few friends outside their own kind.

Personality:
Scro are aggressive and intense by nature, but their iron discipline keeps their emotions well hidden beneath a cool exterior. Scro often seem unfeeling because of their ability to coldly analyze their situation, but inside every scro seethes a frenzied orc only barely suppressed by culture and breeding.

Among their own kind, the scro maintain a rigid chain of command with a mix of respect, admiration, and fear. Unlike most evil creatures, the typical scro is selfless, self-disciplined, and focused on the greater good of his kind.

Physical Description:
Scro resemble ordinary orcs in their brutish features, sharp tusklike teeth, and formidable physiques, although a scro usually stands taller (between 6 and 8 feet tall) and ramrod straight. Scro display a wide range of skin colors, ranging from jet black to albino white, but otherwise vary little in outward appearance.

Regardless, seeing even a lone scro in action dispels any illusions that those of his race are merely orcs: Scro take great pride in their armor and weapons, although most specialize in unarmed combat. A scro moves with astonishing discipline and complete control, carefully and astutely picking apart his opponents.

Relations:
The typical scro despises all other humanoids. Waging a genocidal war against the hated elves, the scro loathe all non-goblinoid and non-orc races and see little use for such kin outside of cannon fodder. Non-humanoids, such as dragons and beholders, pose a serious threat the scro prefer to avoid.

Scro show tact and decorum when they encounter other races in a social setting. Much like their ancestral foes, the elves, they prefer to demonstrate their superiority by not lowering themselves to the level of other beings. On the other hand, scro liberally pepper their battle cries with fantastically creative insults calculated to goad opponents into a mistake.

Alignment:
Generations of regimentation and discipline beat ancestral orc anarchy out of the scro race, leaving the survivors almost exclusively lawful. The scro show far less interest in conquering their tendencies toward brutality and viciousness, so most remain evil.

Scro Lands:
Aside from their distant homeworld, the scro prefer the rigors of Wildspace to any groundling terrain. When forced to ground, scro favor no particular climate or terrain, provided they can find ways to gain a tactical advantage from it. Scro fortify their homes, but lay fewer traps than most orcs and goblinoids.

Religion:
After elven victory in the Unhuman War, the ancestors of the scro abandoned worship of the orc pantheon. The modern scro war-priest devotes himself to martial perfection and self-discipline. Ancient leaders are sometimes revered as deities, most notably Almighty Dukagsh, the Scro Father, founder of the race. Scro tradition commands war-priests to multiclass as arcane spellcasters, and most become mystic theurges. Ordinary scro participate in few public rituals, but most privately follow a similar - albeit less ascetic - course of self-discipline.

The Scro War-Priests philosophy grants them access to the Law & War domains. The spear is their favored weapon. They are required to multiclass into an arcane casting class.

Language:
Scro speak a language derived from Orc. 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. In addition, most scro speak Common, to better interact with the races of Wildspace, and Elven, to taunt and debase their ancestral foes.

Names:
Scro use longer, more complex orc names. Scro prefer hero names to descriptive names. Since almost all ancestral orc heroes were male and the scro insist on total militarization, female scro usually have feminine suffixes attached to orcish masculine names - a practice which orcs find disconcerting.

Male Names: Dukgash, Horageth, Kagedmakh, Skalkash, Thokmakh, Varvageth.

Female Names: Dukgashia, Horagethim, Kagedmakhia, Skalkashev, Thokmakhim, Varvagethim.

Family Names: Scro use rank, unit, and clan desiguations rather than family names. Clan names honor the clan's founder, usually an ancient orc or more recent scro who earned leadership of a full clan by some extraordinary exploit. The orc suffix "-ulak," meaning "the hero's," is thus applied to all clan names. Thus, a scro's full name might be Skalkash, Captain, 2nd Company, Dukgashulak.

Adventurers:
While the best and brightest of most races typically become their adventuring class, scro adventurers more often than not come from the lowest caste of scro society - those unable, to live up to the rigorous standards of their race.

A scro adventurer might display too many scruples for his kin, or, more commonly, involve himself in disorderly behavior. He might simply lack the physical and mental toughness to survive the scro lifestyle. A principled scro might find a place in his people's society, but a weak or chaotic one counts himself lucky if he faces exile rather than death.

On the other hand, some scro adventurers remain firmly fixed in the scro military machine. These seemingly freelance agents ultimately owe their allegiance to the Ultimate High Overlord, but they serve the scro cause by infiltrating the societies of other races and even acting as mercenaries.

Settings:
Scro can come only from the Spelljammer setting.

Game Settings:

Spoiler: show

Source: Spelljammer: AD&D Adventures in Space, Dragon Magazine 339

MAB77 · « **Reply #62 on:** February 03, 2021, 02:52:40 PM »

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Korobokuru

The korobokuru are dwarf-like humanoids who lived in the barren lands of Kara-Tur, away from people and civilization.

Physical description:
Korobokurus stand about 4 feet tall. Their arms and legs are slightly longer in proportion to their bodies than those of a human. They are leaner than dwarves, averaging 120 to 140 pounds. They have big, bright eyes, usually blue, green, or brown. Their ears are small and somewhat pointed. Their noses are round with flaring nostrils, and their lips are wide and full. Thick hair, usually light brown or blond, covers their arms and legs and grows in wild tangles from their heads. Most adult males have sparse beards, and even a few women have short whiskers sprouting beneath their chins. Korobokurus look wild and unkempt. They favor simple clothing, such as cotton shirts and trousers, or a kimono tied at the waist with a rope sash. Their clothing is often loose or oversized, wrinkled but clean. They shun bright colors in favor of earth tones. They avoid gaudy jewelry, but often wear colorful stones on leather straps around their necks and sometimes decorate their hair with flowers.

History:
The Korobokuru came into the legendary tales of early Wa. After the death of the first emperor Kochi, Master of the Peach Tree, a civil war erupted, known as the War of the Spirits. At first, the korobokuru wanted to remain neutral, but eventually they sided with the spirits of the land against the humans and their allied spirit folk. However, when Kasada gained back the sacred Moonlight Arrow from the Spirit of Yakamashi Mountain, the Korokoburu living in the southern half of the island joined with Kasada in his rise to become the emperor, in opposition to their northern kin.

Outlook:
Humans look down on korobokurus in more ways than one, and stereotype them as being rude, belligerent, boastful, and somewhat comical. Korobokurus resent this reputation, but generally do little to disprove it. That aside, they have simple tastes, enjoying community life in their small villages, telling wildly fanciful stories around a fire, simple arts, and collecting treasure. They consider it poor taste to display their wealth, and usually carry only a few coins on their person.

Society:
Korobokurus dwell in remote sites of great natural beauty, such as lush mountain valleys, sprawling tropical forests, snowy wooded mountain sides, and crater lakes in ancient volcanoes. They live in simple villages or camps, erecting crude buildings with thatched roofs and walls formed of mud, sticks,and rocks.

Korobokurus organize into families and clans much as humans do. A single village consists of a large extended family with as many as 130 members. They mate for life and share a profound bond with their spouses; it is not unusual for a korobokuru whose spouse is killed to refuse all nourishment,eventually starving to death in grief. A korobokuru family typically specializes in one type of craft or skill, passed down from parents to children. Common specialties include farming, hunting, weaving, weaponsmithing, military arts, and painting. Korobokurus who venture into human lands may support themselves with their simple arts (paintings, wood cuttings, or carved statuettes) or through an adventuring life. Such individuals are quite rare.

Relations with other races:
Most other races find korobokurus primitive and inferior, and rarely embrace them as equals. In return, they become insular and don�t seek interaction with outsiders. They particularly despise goblinoid creatures and initially react to other races with suspicion. Members of other races need to earn their trust.

Alignments:
Korobokurus resist hierarchy and authority,leaning strongly toward chaotic alignments. Most of them hate evil creatures and value life and good.

Religion:
Korobokuru shamanism usually venerate the nature spirits that reside near their communities � spirits of the forest, the rivers, and the mountains. Often, they adopt the greatest spirit of the region as something like a patron deity, naming their clan after that spirit and making offerings to it above all others.

The korobokuru do not have priests, as such; the head of the household performs religious services. There are members of korobokuru society who might be best described as shamans, however. They are called tusu. Most tusu are female, but males are not unknown and figure prominently in legends. The tusu's main function in the community is to be the communication channel of spirits. Their method involves a careful ceremony to appease the spirit. This ceremony is almost always conducted with the assistance of the village chieftan (especially since he is the one seeking advice or information).

Language:
Korobokurus speak a dialect of Dwarven, but they do not have a script. Literate korobokurus (who are rare) use the Common script to read and write.

Names:
Like other dwarves, korobokurus bear names that are bestowed by the clan elder. Their names are simple and usually denote natural features such as plants, small animals,brooks, or stones.

Male Names:Bun, Bod, Dath, Fek, Mog, Tod, and Vun.

Female Names:Bin, Dim, Fain, Gim, Mem, Mon, Tas,and Wan.

Clan Names:Kuo-ban, Gia-mun, Hua-kag, Jun-tua, Ten-min,and Yak-rui.

Adventurers:
A korobokuru adventurer is usually motivated by the needs of his people. If a korobokuru community faces a problem it does not know how to handle, it typically falls to a single hero � whether a volunteer or a candidate chosen by the elders � to venture into the outside world to find a solution. Korobokuru fighters represent the elite of their military and most of them are barbarians.

Settings:
Korobokurus are native to Kara-Tur, on the Abeir-Toril continent in the Forgotten Realms setting.

Game Stats:

Spoiler: show

* The game engine automatically applies the default +2 Con, -2 Cha adjustment for standard dwarves. An extra +2 Cha, -2 Int will be applied once the subrace template is acquired in-game.

Sources: Oriental Adventures, 3e sourcebook; AD&D 2nd Edition Kara-Tur boxed Set, Monstrous Compendium: Kara-Tur Appendix[/url][/size]

MAB77 · « **Reply #63 on:** February 03, 2021, 03:25:03 PM »

Ishikorobokuru

Ishikorobokuru are a rare strain of korobokuru adapted for survival in the coldest regions of Kara-Tur.

Physical description:
They are similar in appearance to normal korobokuru, but stockier with silvery hair and tones of blue in their skin. Like their kin, they are unkempt and wild looking, while favoring natural hues of white and grey. They stand about 4 feet tall. Their arms and legs are slightly longer in proportion to their bodies than those of a human. They are leaner than dwarves, and stockier than their kin, averaging 130 to 150 pounds. They have big, bright eyes, usually blue, green, or brown. Their ears are small and somewhat pointed. Their noses are round with flaring nostrils, and their lips are wide and full. Most adult males have sparse beards, and even a few women have short whiskers sprouting beneath their chins. Ishikorobokurus look wild and unkempt. They favor simple clothing, such as cotton shirts and trousers, or a kimono tied at the waist with a rope sash. Their clothing is often loose or oversized, wrinkled but clean. They shun bright colors in favor of earth tones. They avoid gaudy jewelry, but often wear colorful stones on leather straps around their necks and sometimes decorate their hair with flowers.

History:
The Korobokuru came into the legendary tales of early Wa. After the death of the first emperor Kochi, Master of the Peach Tree, a civil war erupted, known as the War of the Spirits. At first, the korobokuru wanted to remain neutral, but eventually they sided with the spirits of the land against the humans and their allied spirit folk. However, when Kasada gained back the sacred Moonlight Arrow from the Spirit of Yakamashi Mountain, the Korokoburu living in the southern half of the island joined with Kasada in his rise to become the emperor, in opposition to their northern kin.

Outlook:
Humans look down on ishikorobokurus in more ways than one, and stereotype them as being rude, belligerent, boastful, and somewhat comical. Ishikorobokurus resent this reputation, but generally do little to disprove it. That aside, they have simple tastes, enjoying community life in their small villages, telling wildly fanciful stories around a fire, simple arts, and collecting treasure. They consider it poor taste to display their wealth, and usually carry only a few coins on their person.

Society:
An ishikorobokuru tribe comprises 10-60 adult males, an equal number of females, and a number of children. The tribes are nomadic, and make temporary settlements in easily defended caves, moving on when they exhaust the game in the area.

Relations with other races:
Ishikorobokuru get on well with most people in their region, including humans, spirit-folk, and hengeyokai. Ishikorobokuru are menaced by, and in turn menace, many of the more hostile humanoids that live near them. This roster includes creatures such as bakemono, goblins, goblin rats, and hobgoblins. Of special mention is their antipathy toward the kala in their region, which isn't shared by their less-frigid brethren.

Alignments:
Ishikorobokurus resist hierarchy and authority, leaning strongly toward chaotic alignments. Most of them hate evil creatures and value life and good.

Religion:
Ishikorobokurus usually venerate the nature spirits that reside near their communities � spirits of the forest, the rivers, and the mountains. Often, they adopt the greatest spirit of the region as something like a patron deity, naming their clan after that spirit and making offerings to it above all others.

The ishikorobokuru do not have priests, as such; the head of the household performs religious services. There are members of ishikorobokuru society who might be best described as shamans, however. They are called tusu. Most tusu are female, but males are not unknown and figure prominently in legends. The tusu's main function in the community is to be the communication channel of spirits. Their method involves a careful ceremony to appease the spirit. This ceremony is almost always conducted with the assistance of the village chieftan (especially since he is the one seeking advice or information).

Language:
They speak their own language as well as the languages of common korobokuru, spirit-folk, hengeyokai, and any human or humanoid races living in the same area. Literate ishikorobokurus (who are rare) use the Common script to read and write.

Names:
Like other dwarves, ishikorobokurus bear names that are bestowed by the clan elder. Their names are simple and usually denote natural features such as plants, small animals,brooks, or stones.

Male Names:Bun, Bod, Dath, Fek, Mog, Tod, and Vun.

Female Names:Bin, Dim, Fain, Gim, Mem, Mon, Tas,and Wan.

Clan Names:Kuo-ban, Gia-mun, Hua-kag, Jun-tua, Ten-min,and Yak-rui.

Adventurers:
The ishikorobokuru share the same ability restrictions as the common korobokuru. Except for an occasional wu jen (a type of sorcerer), ishikorobokuru are exclusively barbarians

Settings:
Korobokurus are native to Kara-Tur, on the Abeir-Toril continent in the Forgotten Realms setting.

Game Stats:

Spoiler: show

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

Sources: Oriental Adventures, 3e sourcebook, Monstrous Compendium: Kara-Tur Appendix, Forgotten Realms Wik

MAB77 · « **Reply #64 on:** February 03, 2021, 03:36:45 PM »

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Dream Dwarf

Dream dwarves are natural seers and mystics, with a particularly sensitive connection to the dreaming essences of stone; earth and air, fire and water. To a dream dwarf, the world is an ancient, slumbering colossus, in whose great dream we are all enmeshed. They are a contemplative and deliberate people, with a rich and deep understanding of their environment. As druids commune with that which grows and flourishes, do dream dwarves commune with the natural world that extends deep below and high above. A non-dream dwarf druid or shaman would likely find their way of seeing the world to be unfathomably alien, but at the same time, strangely familiar.

Personality:
Unlike their kin, dream dwarves have very little interest in craftsmanship. They are a quiet and curious but patient sort, ever seeking to add to their knowledge and wisdom so that they might better understand the earth dream, and often found spending long hours in contemplative meditation upon it. Dream dwarves have a legendary tolerance for boredom, and while it's easy to mistake them for shy, apprehensive or even suspicious, it's nothing personal: they're just not conversationalists by nature. Unbothered by long silences, dream dwarves pause to consider their words carefully, and would never give a whole speech when a judiciously chosen word or concise sentence would do.

Physical description:
Dream dwarves are marginally lankier than the average dwarf, and about 10 to 15 pounds lighter. They're 4ft tall on average, with dark hair, and skin tones ranging from dark grey to deep brown. Their eyes are striking and pale: usually blue or green, sometimes a lighter shade of lavender or red. Dream dwarves generally garb themselves in clothing that they have reverently adorned with esoteric symbols and beautiful iconography representing their most significant personal experiences within the earth dream.

History and Society:
Dream dwarves are integrated into mainstream dwarven society. In Eberron, they're typically found in the Mror Holds, and in particular near Mirror Lake, living in amongst their kin. Most non-dwarves might not even think to distinguish them from their neighbours. While most dream dwarves live underground, that they may be closer to the earth, occasionally they may be found in monastic communities, high up on the sides of mountains to facilitate communion with the earth dream.

Outlook:
It is impossible to understand dream dwarves without understanding the earth dream, shaping as it does so many facets of their lives. One may consider it as a collective unconscious for the entire world, though this is an oversimplification. It is a deep, mystical wellspring of oracular knowledge and magic power that is not exclusive to dream dwarves, but with which they have a particularly deep innate connection. Dream dwarves are born feeling the earth slumber beneath their feet.

Relations with other races:
As would be expected, dream dwarves feel closest with other dwarves. Other dwarves, in turn, greatly respect their oracular inclinations and spiritual understanding of stone. They also feel a certain kinship with druids of all races, sharing as they do a mutual appreciation for the natural world. They enjoy most gnomes' love of the subterranean, and usually get on well with halflings and elves. Others, humans in particular, can sometimes find their strange ways a little disconcerting if tolerable.

Alignment:
Most dream dwarves are Neutral Good. Their deep communion with the earth dream furnishes them with a broadly empathetic and prosocial perspective, and a love of peace and balance. Extremes of law and chaos tend not to appeal to them. Even through harrowing adversity, dream dwarves tend to retain their gentle nature.

Religion:
In the Mror Holds of Khorvaire, from which most dream dwarves hail, the Sovereign Host is the region's faith of choice. Most dwarves revere in particular the Sovereign of World and Wealth, Kol Karan. And in the southern Mror Holds, the dwarves consider an active volcano called the Fist of Onatar to be sacred to its namesake, the Sovereign of Forge and Flame. Dream dwarves pay homage to these gods, but their true creed is that of reverence for the earth dream, and the earth itself.

Language:
Dream dwarves speak Dwarven

Names:
Dream dwarves understand that there is great power in a name, even in their most simplified forms. This extends to their personal names, upon which they place great significance. A dream dwarf will add to their name over time as they accrue portentous experiences within the earth dream, believing that syllables of mystical significance may be literally unearthed within its depths and revealed to them. This they do, in part, out of reverence for the earth dream, in deference to its power, and as a mark of their growing understanding. Dream dwarves are particularly prone to making additions or modifications to their name after perilous or harrowing experiences. As a result, dream dwarves that partake in adventure tend to have long and intricate names which, to those with the right context and understanding, tell a compelling story.

Below are some common examples of dream dwarf names.

Male Names: Bren-Iol, Bollinak, Car-Innul, Derinar, Harar, Malanath
Female Names: Allalia, Assanae, Giallin, Kula-Tai, Mala, Shelbath
Clan Names: Brekaran, Esstranak, Penathan, Quwerthena, Skarnath

Adventurers:
A dream dwarf might be driven toward adventure by a need to seek the wisdom of experience: to look upon that which they have seen only in the dream; to better understand cryptic aspects of the dream; to see and experience other parts of the dream in new places. Some seek to escape the dream entirely, migrating away in search of a different one. As one might expect from their outlook, the dream dwarves' favoured class is druid, and a need to gain a deeper, broader understanding of the world and the earth dream is usually what pushes them to emerge from their contemplative reveries and into action.

Settings:
Dream Dwarves are exclusive to the Eberron setting.

Game Stats:

Spoiler: show

Sources: Races of Stone, p88, Player's Guide to Eberron, p54

MAB77 · « **Reply #65 on:** February 04, 2021, 04:49:03 AM »

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Kogolor Dwarf

The kogolor are the primeval dwarves of the world of Mystara and have a distinct culture unlike that of modern rockborn dwarves. Thought extinc following the Great Rain of Fire, some of them actually found their way to the Hollow World, where their civilization recovered and thrived.

Physical description:
Kogolor dwarves stand about four and a half foot tall, have ruddy complexions, and thend to have bushy, coarse hair, usually red or brown, They're usually stocky and muscular, quite strong looking. They typically wear brightly colored tunics (usually red, orange or yellow), lederhosen, suspenders and short, stout boots, as well as two-sided camouflage cloaks for protection in the wilderness. The typical kogolor wears a small hat decorated with a jaunty feather and carries a stout walking cane that doubles as a club if the kogolor gets into trouble.

History:
The Kogolor Dwarves are direct (and unmodified) descendants of the original dwarf-race of the outer world. These dwarves ruled numerous mountain ranges in the ancient past, but persistant sickness caused by the Great Rain of Fire and the subsequent rise of the human culture sent them into decline.

At that time, the Immortal named Kagyar the Artisan decided to create a new dwarven race. He thought that something like the dwarves, but more resistant to the diseases caused by Blackmoorian devices, more inclined to live in safe below-ground homes, would have a greater chance of survival in case something like the Blackmoor disaster ever threatened the world again. So Kagyar took up all the dwarves on the world. He took the healthiest of them and modified them into the modern Rockborn dwarven race, establishing them in the Rockhome mountain ranges. The others he unceremoniously dumped in a mountain range of the Hollow World.

The Kogolors were dropped onto a range of mountains just north of the great equatorial range. They were high enough in the mountains that the Neathar men of the mountain foothills, and the forests and plains beyond, mostly left them alone. The healthier environment allowed the Kogolors to gradually recover from the effects of the Great Rain of Fire.

The northern Immortals Fredar and Fredara granted spells to their dwarven clerics and helped the dwarves prosper. Garal Glitterlode, an Immortal who had once been a dwarf of that ancient race, later joined the effort to help them grow in numbers and strength. The Kogolor clan, the most numerous of the Hollow World dwarves, lent their name to the whole race and became its leaders. They managed the construction of strong castles.

About 2400 years ago, a colonizing expedition of Schattenalfen Shadow Elves from the outer world emerged right into the middle of Kogolor territory. Hateful beings, they immediately attacked the dwarves intent of driving them out of this land. And because they were numerous, motivated, and magical they stood a good chance of succeeding. But Kagyar the Artisan, at the request of the immortal Garal Glitterlode, sent the dwarf-hero Denwarf to aid the Kogolors. Denwarf was actually a dwarf-shaped golem created to lead the outer-world Rockhome dwarves; placed in suspended animation after his duties were done, he was "dusted off" and brought back into service to aid the Kogolors. The unstoppable Denwarf led the Kogolor counterattacks again the Schattenalfen and turned the fight back against them; eventually the Schattenalfen were forced to flee and settle in the west.

The Kogolors remained secure in their mountains for a millennium. But about BC 400, the Krugel Horde appeared in the plains and deserts to the northeast. The Krugel orcs, nearly annihilated by the dwarves of Rockhome on the outer world, were the avowed enemies of all dwarves. As soon as they discovered that there were dwarves in the south, and ever afterwards, they began sending raiding expeditions into the mountains. Though there are not at their best in mountain territory, they have occasionally sacked and destroyed whole dwarven citadels there, driven by an ancient desire for revenge.

Outlook:
Kogolor dwarves, unlike outer-world dwarves, are cheerful, merry and outgoing, even with complete strangers. They are a very sociable race, very found of entertaining their visitors, meeting outsiders dancing, drinking, music, and merriment.

Society:
Most Kogolor dwarves live in stoutly-built citadel-cities made of stone and constructed high up on mountain slopes. Only a small amount of them will actually live in caverns or caves. Males have more political power among the Kogolors, but females can own property, learn to fight and take officer positions in the military or civilian elected positions.

They are famous for their brewing skills which is unmatched by other races of the Hollow-World. They have their fair share of good crafstmen and metalsmiths, but they do not share the outer-world dwarves affinity and greed for mining and mineral wealth. Kogolor mountain dwarves are loggers, woodworkers, trappers and furriers, goatherds, brewers, weaponsmiths and farmers.

A particularity of the Kogolors is their yodelling ability which allows them to send complicated messages over great distances when sound carries like it does on their mountain slopes. Another distinction of the Kogolor dwarf is that their traditionnal weapons are swords, longbows and polearms, which they prefer over axes or hammers.

Relations with other races:
The Kogolors, by nature, are amiable with just about everyone. They deal with the northwestern Neathar tribal humans and the mountain dwelling Oltec humans, trading meal, ale and metal goods for furs, crops of maize and game.

The Krugel orcs and Kogolor Dwarves are fierce enemies and violence erupts whenever representatives of those two races meet. The Kogolor dwarves are bitter enemies of the Schattenalfen to the west. Raiding parties are constantly moving back and forth across the vague borders between their territories.

Alignments:
Kogolor dwarves tend toward good alignments.

Religion:
The Kogolor dwarves Immortal patrons are Fredar (Frey), Fredara (Freyja) and Garal Glitterlode.

Language:
These dwarves speak a language called Kogolor, which is totally different from the outer-world Rockhome dwarf tongue. Kogolor dwarves also speak Neathar human and the Krugel dialect of orcish.

Names:
All dwarven names derive from a fairly small number of stems, to which are added any of a number of traditional suffixes: the male suffixes are -ar, -ed, -ic, -in, -lum, -or, -to, and -ur; the female suffixes are -a, -as, -i, -ia, -if, -il, -is, and -la. Family tradition usually dictates that a child will share either the stem or suffix of the parent of the same sex (thus, Belfin�s son might be named Durin or Belfic).

Male names: Belfin, Belfur, Bifin, Bofin, Bolto, Dofin, Dorfin, Dorto, Duric, Dwalur, Glofur, Goric, Korin, Kuric, Morur, Noar, Oic, Orin, Thoric, Thrumbar, Thuric
Female names: Bali, Balis, Bifi, Bifia, Dia, Duris, Fara, Filia, Gilia, Konla, Kori, Koris, Nais, Noris, Thori, Thrais, Toris, Wharif

Prefixes: Bal-, Bof-, Dur-, Glo-, Kor-, Nor-, Thor-, Tor-.
Suffixes (Female): -a, -as, -il, -is, -la.
Suffixes (Male): -dur, -gun, -ic, -in, -ur.

Adventurers:
The Kogolors tend toward the fighter class and are supported by clerics. Being alpine forest dwellers they would likely count a fair number of rangers. Druids or arcane spellcasters are virtually unheard of.

Settings:
The Kogolors are exclusive to the Mystara setting

Game Stats:

Spoiler: show

Source: Hollow World Campaign Setting

MAB77 · « **Reply #66 on:** February 04, 2021, 05:24:43 AM »

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Aghar (Gully Dwarf)

The Aghar, or Gully Dwarves, are a dwarven subrace that has managed to eke out a meager existance wherever they can, mainly in refuse heaps and other places most civilized races would not care to touch.

Physical description:
Gully dwarves are short and squat, averaging 3 � to 4 feet in height. They are not as stocky as other dwarves, with slender arms and fingers. Most gully dwarves, regardless of gender, have potbellies. Skin tones range from pasty, pale white to dirty gray brown. Eye colors run from a pale watery blue to dull hazel. Males have long, scruffy beards, while females have small tufts of hair on their cheekbones. A gully dwarf will dress in anything, or nothing at all, depending on what is available. Warts and sores cover a good portion of a gully dwarf �s body; a thin coat of filth is always present.

History:
Gully dwarves have spread to every corner of Ansalon. They exist in small groups in nearly every city and in larger tribes in many ruins. Where other races only see destruction and devastation, gully dwarves see opportunity and riches. The largest collection of gully dwarves can now be found in the ruins of Thorbardin. Once, the Aghar clan claimed a small stretch of land on the outskirts of Daerforge, known as Agharbardin. After the Chaos War, however, all the cities under the mountain were left in ruin, and now the gully dwarves have spread throughout the entire kingdom. The gully dwarves have uncovered mountains of riches and magical artifacts. Grumple Nagfar, the current Thane under the High King Jungor Stonesinger, has been tasked with retrieving as many of the objects as possible. Other than Thorbardin, other tribes have found lives in other places: the sewers of Palanthas, under the docks of Flotsam, in the cavern systems below Sanction, and numerous ruins throughout the continent. Gully dwarves have never had an ancestral land; they have always been nomadic. When some disaster occurs or the High Chief of the tribe decides it is time to move on, the tribe dutifully follows their leader in search of This Place. No one is quite sure of where This Place is, but when the High chief finds it, he knows. The entire tribe settles down once again.

Outlook:
Gully dwarves are a race many scholars consider to be the lowest form of sentient life. They are considered members of the dwarven race. Among the dwarves, their clan name is Aghar, meaning �Anguished�, a sentiment many true dwarves feel this race embodies. Most races know them as gully dwarves. Dirty, smelly, socially inept, and natural scavengers, the dwarves of the Aghar clan are rarely seen in public, unless they have been put into the service of someone brave enough to use them. Occasionally, the rare gully dwarf climbs out of his or her dung heap in order to start an adventuring career.

Survival lies at the core of a gully dwarf personality; everything hinges on living one more day. Gully dwarves are very alert and observant. They pride themselves on their abilities and are quick to point out when they do something right. They are also incredibly stupid, which hampers their ability to understand complex situations. When things are not going their way or if they are at fault, gully dwarves are quick to grovel and ask for forgiveness. Gully dwarves are not afraid of getting dirty or trying new things. They are naturally curious creatures, and they will often try something others may find disgusting or dangerous. Gully dwarves are wise in a way that help them preserve their lives, but intellectually, they often fail to work out the logistics of cause and effect before it is too late.

Society:
The greater Aghar clan is split into a number of different tribes. Each tribe has its own leader whose name is the specific tribe�s name with �High� added to the front, such as Highbulp of the Bulp clan or Highglorp of the Glorp clan. While the High Chief of Thorbardin serves as the Thane on the Council of Thanes, he does not represent all the tribes across Ansalon. It is doubtful that many of the tribes outside of Thorbardin even know of the place. Each High Chief is usually any gully dwarf who asserts himself and can build up enough support from friends and family. Once a High Chief has been established, their rule is law. Very rarely has a female gully dwarf become leader of a tribe. Each High Chief is different and has his own agenda; most of the time it simply includes making sure he is fat, safe, rich, and happy. Secondary considerations are caring for the tribe and making sure they know how to make the High Chief fat, safe, rich, and happy.

Gully dwarves live together in large interconnected families. Each family has gully dwarves who inevitably fall into different roles; some are the best hunters and some the best gatherers. They do this out of an instinct for survival more than anything else. The ruler of the entire clan is usually the most charismatic dwarf who is strong enough or crafty enough to take away leadership from the last ruler.

Relations with other races:
Most gully dwarves spend their entire lives running away from the other races of the world, so most have little knowledge of what to expect when confronted. Most simply assume all the other races of the world are out to get them. If they are with other gully dwarves, they often feel comforted and safe until any threat presents itself. In Thorbardin, the gully dwarves live off the refuse of the other dwarves. Most consider it a form charity, but they still realize they are not accepted. In Kayolin, gully dwarves are treated fairly and given jobs, such as cleaning city streets or harvesting poison mushrooms. In either case, the gully dwarves are simply content to live their lives as they always have. Sometimes, they cannot distinguish the difference between an evil race and a good race. Ogres and elves appear to treat them with the same revulsion and arrogance. Universally shunned by nearly all races, gully dwarves often assume they are never wanted and rarely form any lasting opinions.

Alignments:
Survival knows no laws and neither do the gully dwarves. The concept of a codified set of �rules� is alien to them. Gully dwarves are strongly inclined toward chaotic behavior, and see little difference between the forces of good and those of evil � neither onecares about the gully dwarves, so the Aghar don�t care about them.

Religion:
Reorx, the high god of all dwarves, failed the gully dwarves. While other folk live lives of luxury, gully dwarves live in squalor. It�s not that they mind, but it only proves Reorx forgot them. So gully dwarves in turn do the same. They have discovered that the only people you can truly rely on are your own friends and family. To this end, the gully dwarves tend to worship their ancestors. They believe their loved ones are watching and guiding them. Giving thanks now and again can improve your fortune. Aghar also believe inanimate objects can be given true magical powers. This usually coincides with some personal event and an object they are holding at the time. A tribe usually has a shaman of some sorts, a wise dwarf who has ideas and grasps the concept that there are numbers beyond two. Sometimes these shamans claim to speak with the spirits of the dead. In the Age of Mortals, a number of gully dwarf shamans have found that the dead have started talking back. In some cases, the gully dwarves have somehow discovered the use of mysticism, and in others, it appears the gods are working through the dwarf. Which god and for what purpose is still unknown.

Language:
The gully dwarf language is an amazing thing. Known as Gullytalk, it seems to be a constantly evolving language. To non-Aghar, it is harsh and headache-inducing. Even to full-blooded dwarves, the language is a seemingly incomprehensible garble of slang and broken regional words. Hand gestures are an intricate part of Gullytalk and serve to communicate as much as words. Gullytalk does not support any complex or detailed conversation.

Names:
When gully dwarves are born, they are often given simple names. Names like Jeb, Pog, Grub, Blip, Bupu, and Guk are common. As gully dwarves grow older, they often change these names, depending on new words they have heard or deeds they have performed, such as Clout, Squat, Ratt, Rags, Twitch, Scab, Thump, Scatter, Verm, Maggot, and so on. Tribe names follow the same pattern of simple one or two syllable words: Gug, Plug, Hak, Churp, and Bung.

Adventurers:
Gully dwarves are survivors. However, they are not fighters. They tend to shy away from combat, unless they are unable to escape it. In adventuring parties, gully dwarves work best as rogues. Naturally stealthy, highly resistant to poisons, and small, they are usually able to avoid or resist many types of traps. Of course, parties that include gully dwarves often find their companion trying at best.

Settings:
Gully dwarves are exclusive to the Dragonlance setting.

Game Stats:

Spoiler: show

Source: Races of Ansalon

EO · « **Reply #67 on:** February 04, 2021, 08:45:38 PM »

Furchin (Polar Halfling)

History:
This rarest subrace of halflings originated on Falakyr (which simply means "the World" in the Furchin tongue), a frigid world of ice, mountain, and glacier. The Furchin are the dominant intelligent race there, though dwarves also inhabit some of Falakyr's underground regions; humans, elves, and gnomes are not found on Falakyr.

The Furchin would probably still exist in blissful isolation, had not an evil spelljamming wizard come across their world in his travels and decided these bearded halflings would make good slaves. Consequently, many were captured and taken to different worlds by the wizard's ships. Some escaped in various ports and eluded recapture until their ship had departed; thus, while they are extremely rare, Furchin can conceivably be met with in any campaign setting.

Physical Description:
The most distinguishing feature of this subrace is the full, long beard that sprouts from the chin of the mature males. These beards are a matter of great pride, and in older Furchin often extend as far as the waist. The race favors warm clothing, woven of animal hair or lined with fur. They regularly wear snowshoes and boots.

Furchin halflings resemble Stouts in both height and girth, though their average life expectancy (80 years) is considerably shorter, no doubt due to their harsher native environment. Hair and skin color vary widely, but tend to be pale, though eyes are usually dark. Those few Furchin born with green eyes are accorded much status--they are believed to be emissaries of the gods and are treated to a life of near-royal privilege.

Society:
In their own environment, the Polar Halflings are primarily nomadic, ranging across icy glaciers and barren tundra, following great herds of migrating animals. They have become adept at surviving in these very harshest of conditions.

The Furchin dwell in small clans, usually no more than thirty individuals in a community. In summer they live in tents of leather; in winter they make small, domed shelters of ice. Their clothing is made of fur, their equipment from leather, bone, and ivory; wood is almost unknown on Falakyr. Tribal leaders often wield metal weapons and tools acquired through trading with the dwarves inhabiting Falakyr's interior.

Having developed a number of specialized skills, the Furchin halflings are among the most adept demihumans in existence at surviving in their grueling environment--and seemingly having a good time while they're doing it! In general, the Furchin are a goodhumored people who enjoy practical jokes, funny stories, and bawdy songs. Both parents care for the young with great tolerance and tenderness, teaching their children early on the secrets of surviving in their harsh clime.

Relations with others:
Strangers--especially those who bring gifts, objects for trade, or interesting stories to tell--will be welcomed by the Furchin with warm hospitality. Although their lives are hard, they are an unselfish people and will treat visitors with kindness and generosity (unless given reason to do otherwise).

Hunting:
Members of this subrace are very proficient in specialized skills suited to their environment, some of which will carry over quite effectively into other locations. They are among the most patient trappers in the known worlds and skilled hunters, tanners, and leatherworkers as well. Their characteristic boat is a miniature kayak, a virtually watertight shell of leather covering a sturdy bone frame. While only one of their skilled boatwrights can craft these vessels, virtually all adult Furchin are adept at piloting them. When hunting, the Furchin use leather slings for small game and long, barbed spears for more formidable foes; a strong line can be attached to the spear to allow it (and whatever it has impaled) to be drawn back toward the launcher. In melee combat (which they avoid if at all possible), the Furchin use short handled axes and daggers. Because of their small numbers and an absence of potential foes, the members of this subrace are unused to war and have developed no tactics for fighting an organized formation of soldiers.

In the realm of hunting and stalking, however, the Furchin are second to none. Occasionally, a few Furchin led by an experienced warrior will embark on an mission to slay some dangerous threat to the tribe--such as a band of yetis or a frost giant. Through clever use of terrain and diversion, as well as patiently planned and executed ambush, these halflings have been known to vanquish foes many times their own size. In this respect, obviously, they are not so different from their cousins who live in warmer climes.

Languages:
The Furchin speak their own racial language, Furchin, and Dwarven.

Settings:
Furchin are exclusive to the Spelljammer setting.

Game Stats:
+2 Dex, +2 Con, -2 Str, -2 Wis*
+4 saving throws vs cold
Skill affinity (listen)
Skill affinity (move silently)
Lucky
Fearless
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 Con, -2 Wis will be applied once the subrace is selected in-game.

EO · « **Reply #68 on:** February 04, 2021, 09:10:01 PM »

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Anadian Halfling

Personality:
Anadian halflings are the epitome of extremes. When they like something, they love it, but when they don't like it, they abhor it. This extremist attitude is exhibited in everything they do or say. The southern halflings hate anything that is not part of their family unit, while the northern halflings hate anything that does not contribute to the law and order of their community.

Physical Description:
Anadian halflings average 3� feet in height and have dark, almost jet black skin. Their eyes and hair are very dark colored as well. Their clothing is usually white or any other light color that helps reflect the Sun's intensity away from the skin.

Society:
Halfling counties in the Northern Polarate generally have 10 to 30 villages, with each village containing 50 to 500 or more halflings. There are a total of 13 counties in the Northern Polarate.

The main government consists of a group of 39 men and women. This group of halflings ensures that the county governments are not passing laws that could limit the freedoms of the people in any way.

The Southern Polarate halflings have no set governmental standard. Any single family able to take control from the current ruling family becomes the new law. This creates complete anarchy in many areas, because no family is able to maintain a sense of control over all areas for any amount of time. This also means that the southern halflings have a very short life span. Since every family is fighting everyone else, the life expectancy is only about 25 years.

A southern polarate family's most important possession is a fertile woman. To combat the incredible population losses from war, the survivors breed like rabbits. Not many of the halflings in the Southern Polarate enjoy life, but no one is willing to stop the fighting because no one can trust anyone else.

Combat:
Anadian halflings fight with great ferocity when in defense of their homes or beliefs.

When equipped for battle, the halflings wear non-metallic armor because of the shortage of metals on Anadia - what metal is mined is used in the construction of defense walls for important buildings, or for heavy weaponry. When fighting hand to hand, the Anadians usually use hand axes, short swords, and daggers.

Language:
The Anadian halflings have their own tongue which resembles common in many ways. This makes communication between Anadians and visiting spelljamming races possible, but excruciatingly slow.

Names:
Male Names: Beckner, Dral, Fjord

Family Names: Deepskull, Hammerhead, Ironjaw

Settings:
Anadian Halflings are exclusive to the Spelljammer setting.

Game Stats:

Spoiler: show

Sources: Spelljammer - Realmspace

MAB77 · « **Reply #69 on:** February 05, 2021, 06:01:20 AM »

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Qualinesti, High Elf of Krynn

Spurned by the Kagonesti and divergent from the Silvanesti, the Qualinesti compose the most diverse nation of elves found in Ansalon who carry themselves with notable arrogance and pride. They hold a fierce passion to reclaim their lost homeland.

Physical description:
Qualinesti tend to be a shade taller and noticeably slighter than their Kagonesti brethren. Their build is willowy and graceful with a complexion the light color of sun-bleached oak. Their hair color runs from a rich walnut to the golden of autumn aspen leaves and is, almost without exception, thick and full. Facial features are fine and delicate, with high cheekbones and sharp, piercing eyes of chestnut brown or sky blue.

History:
The Kinslayer War was one of the most disastrous wars ever fought on Ansalon. For fifty years, vast armies of Silvanesti elves, Thorbardin Dwarves and Ergothian humans met on the fields of southern Ansalon and slaughtered each other. The numbers of dead were beyond count, and it eventually became clear that the only ones benefiting from the war were the buzzards and crows feasting on the slain.

Their appetite for death lost, both sides agreed to a truce. General Giarna lay dead, and KithKanan was scarred and tired of war. The Swordsheath Scroll cemented the peace between elf, human, and dwarf, who had been drawn into the fighting as well. The Hammer of Honor, forged by the dwarves, was passed back and forth among the three nations as a reminder of the destruction of war and the strength of unity.

Perhaps the most significant casualty of the war was the trust Speaker Sithas had in his brother Kith-Kanan, as during the war Kith-Kanan married a human woman, Suzine des Quivalin�the former consort of General Giarna. Kith-Kanan settled with the thousands of elven veterans who had made the borderlands their homes.

When Kith-Kanan declared the nation of Qualinesti, thousands more elves from the east flocked westward. Speaker Sithas objected and tried to stop the migration; blood was shed, and the schism between the nations was complete. The hatred and mistrust between Silvanesti and Qualinesti would not be bridged for thousands of years. However, the unlikely friendship between the Qualinesti and the dwarves of Thorbardin was sealed with the construction of the fortress Pax Tharkas�literally Peace Among Friends�a jointly built fortress used by both elf and dwarf. The seeds of this friendship would truly flower during the War of Souls thousands of years later. The Ergothian Empire, seeking further assurances of peace after the disastrous wars of the past century, joined in the Peace Among Friends.

For one thousand years, history shifted its focus away from the elves. The Third Dragon War was fought and won by a ragged band of upstarts called the Knights of Solamnia. An age of peace and prosperity followed. The elves turned inward, building their own civilizations. However, soon the power of a formerly minor city-state called Istar began to grow. Solamnia, which by this time had replaced Ergoth as the preeminent power in western Ansalon, convinced the elves to recognize the addition of Istar to the Swordsheath Scroll, hopefully ensuring peace among the great powers of Ansalon. Istar�s corruption soon became apparent.

The Kingpriests developed into tyrants, forcing their view of morality on the entire continent. Wizardry was suppressed. Nonhuman races were held in suspicion. The elves of Qualinesti and Silvanesti defied the Kingpriests, but that soon became irrelevant. The gods could tolerate Istar no longer and destroyed it with the Cataclysm. The Cataclysm and subsequent absence of the gods were disasters for the elves. Qualinesti was torn asunder. Both major elven nations became militantly isolationist. Few outsiders visited elven lands and lived to speak of it.

Outlook:
As a group, they are not as stubborn as the Kagonesti, nor as arrogant as the Silvanesti, but they show hints of both traits. They are not as suspicious as the Kagonesti, nor as xenophobic as the Silvanesti, but at times, they can demonstrate both. Generally, the Qualinesti are a principled people. Most believe good must be pursued in all cases, that innocents must never be harmed, and the end never justifies the means.

Society:
Qualinesti social and institutional structures have been modeled loosely on that of the Silvanesti. Qualinesti�s founder Kith-Kanan, a prince of Silvanesti, brought many of the conventions of Silvanesti social structure with him, including a caste system and a hereditary patriarchal monarchy. The leader of the Qualinesti is known as the Speaker of the Sun. Although elves typically do not use the term �king,� the office is in most ways indistinguishable from that of a traditional human monarch.

The Qualinesti have a house-based caste system as the Silvanesti do, but it is far less rigid and hierarchical�and far less important�than that of their eastern cousins. Qualinesti houses bear a great deal of resemblance to trade guilds, and mobility between houses is common; a Qualinesti with a talent for jewelry-making might be invited to join House Gemcutter, even though his family is traditionally of House Celestial, for instance. Even among the nobility, very little of a Qualinesti�s reputation and prestige is wrapped up in house membership, and most Qualinesti commoners ignore the house system altogether.

Relations with other races:
The Qualinesti�s relationship with the Kagonesti has been marred by the horribly misguided Qualinesti attempt to civilize their cousins by enslaving many of them and putting them to work in Qualinesti communities. The separation of the Silvanesti and Qualinesti nations was not a peaceful one. The migration of elves to Qualinesti was resisted by Sithas of Silvanesti, beginning an enmity that continues to the present day. Half-elves, who the Qualinesti call half-humans, are often pitied by the Qualinesti. They are grudgingly accepted, but most never quite feel at home among the full-blooded elves. Like most elves, the Qualinesti almost universally blamed humans for the Cataclysm. This resentment was difficult to overcome, and many Qualinesti continue to hold humans in contempt. The dwarves of Thorbardin worked tirelessly to help rescue the elves of Qualinesti from occupation by excavating hundreds of miles of escape tunnels from Qualinost during the War of Souls. In doing so, they have earned the friendship of the Qualinesti for the foreseeable future.

Like most races, Qualinesti patience is put to the test around kender. Qualinesti generally find them to be meddlesome and often unintentionally dangerous. They mistrust gnomish science and technology. Mechanical and electrical devices are not well understood by elves, and the gnomes� reliance on this technology, as well as Qualinesti reliance on magic which the gnomes reject, inhibits true understanding between the races. Qualinesti, as a creation of E�li, share the general elven hatred of ogres, children of the Queen of Darkness. The disappearance of their divine sponsors has not lessened the hatred between these races. Minotaurs fare no better in Qualinesti eyes.

Alignment:
Their more diverse nation and sharp differences from their other kin culturally has lead the Qualinesti to be more accepting of the world around them, but still able to display arrogance and superiority all the same. Their culture and well-to-do attitudes push them as neutral to good.

Religion:
For thousands of years, the Qualinesti thought of themselves as the chosen of E�li, the god known as Paladine to humans, and the other gods of light. E�li�s fall from divinity has challenged Qualinesti spirituality in a very fundamental way, but the flexibility of Qualinesti culture is aiding in their transition. Some Qualinesti, believing the gods have abandoned the elves, have taken on a secular outlook. Most Qualinesti disagree, and while their faith in the gods has changed, it still remains in some form. Members of the Holy Orders are rare among the Qualinesti, but those who do exist are held in very high regard.

Quen Illumini has replaced E�li as the primary object of worship among the pious Qualinesti, and her clerics, called Light Bearers by the Qualinesti, bring healing to Qualinesti individuals and communities.

While they turn to Quen Illumini for comfort, Qualinesti call upon the Blue Phoenix for endurance. Many Qualinesti find that Habbakuk provides them with the strength to pick up and carry on, even though everything they�ve known has been torn asunder. Some in exile are learning to see him in the shifting dunes of Khur as they saw him in the forests of Qualinesti; through that recognition, they are rediscovering their spiritual connection with Krynn.

Saddened that a once-joyful people have been struck with so much despair, Astra has been a refuge for those needing to feel the spark of happiness.

The Mantis of the Rose (Majere) also holds a place of honor among the Qualinesti. Contemplatives studied in his ways of mental discipline have aided many of the Qualinesti wrestling with emotional wounds; some of those suffering from post-traumatic stress and severe depression have found relief in the serenity the Mantis can inspire.

As many Qualinesti become more militaristic, worship of Kiri-Jolith is increasing. They beg for the military strength to win back their old homeland or gain a new one.

Language:
The Qualinesti dialect of Elven is closely related to that of the Silvanesti. linguists and Qualinesti historians mark the founding of Qualinesti, about 2050 PC, as the point the two dialects diverged. At this time, the two populations of elves separated themselves, taking their languages down different evolutionary paths.

Names:
Some Qualinesti names are many syllables long, and most will have a shortened version used by family and friends; examples include Lauralanthalasa �Laurana� and Tanthalas �Tanis.� Like the Kagonesti, most do not take on surnames.

Adventurers:
As the most varied elven nation, Qualinesti go adventuring for a wide variety of reasons. Currently, most Qualinesti who have taken up the sword are fighting to regain their ancient homeland or to defend the remnants of the nation in Khur. Qualinesti in the Diaspora are the most likely of any elven nation to be willing to cooperate with non-elves, so Qualinesti are found pursuing almost every imaginable goal, be it serving with the Legion of Steel toward some idealistic cause or a simple money-making venture.

Settings:
Qualinesti elves are exclusive to the Dragonlance Setting.

Game Stats:

Spoiler: show

Sources: Races of Ansalon p. 65. Recommanded reading: The War of the Lance

MAB77 · « **Reply #70 on:** February 05, 2021, 06:22:22 AM »

Maztican/Wild Halfling (Little Folk)

While humans are the most common of races in Maztica, there are tribes of halflings in many parts of the continent, invariably living in forested or jungled lands.

Physical description:
Maztican halflings tend to be leaner, and darker-complexed than their counterparts across the Trackless Ocean. The physical differences are obvious at a glance, not to mention the simple furs and hides they use to wear, very much in accordance to their savage way of jungle life.

History:
Halflings originated in Maztica completely independent of their origins elsewhere. There are some Faerunian halflings in Maztica but these are exceedingly rare. Far more populous are the Little Folk; jungle-dwelling halflings who envenom their arrows with a powerful paralytic poison known as kurari. It is said that the goddess Kiltzi created the Little Folk in imitation of Kukul�s crafting of the human race. Though one particular tribe has left the jungles and can work well alongside the �big folk,� most jungle halflings are violent and savage.

Outlook:
Maztican halflings are savages, living in small tribes deep within the jungles of Maztica, they view the world as a struggle for survival where the fittest prevail.

Society:
The halflings live in the deepest jungles, and generally do not encroach upon lands used by the Itzas (humans). They live by hunting as much as by farming, and have developed a poison that they call kurari which aids them in the harvesting of game. The poison is a paralyzing agent which only rarely kills the victim; generally it renders it helpless until the hunter can dispatch it with a knife.

Each village is devoted to a powerful chief, who generally bullies and cajoles the obedience of his flock. The social structure of the Little Folk is rigid, with the chief making many dictatorial decisions (arranging marriages, distributing food and property, commanding migration) alone.

Males are free to take as many wives as they can comfortably support. Occasionally a challenger will approach a male halfling and demand one of his wives; the two fight a duel with knives to determine who claims the female.

Each village is totally self-sufficient, so they have little system of economics. Occasionally a brave outsider - generally one who has convinced the halflings that he has great powers, whether this is true or not - will reach a village of Little Folk to trade for kurari.

Their villages are located in several places along the bases of the Far Payit mountain ranges. Generally they are well-hidden, with constant guards maintained on the two most likely approaches. These villages are a collection of straw huts, with overhanging roofs of heavy thatch and low, rounded doorways. Racks in the center of the structures hold a variety of meats over low coals.

There are a total of two to four dozen villages in all of the Far Payit forests.

Relations with other races:
The halflings of Far Payit live a far more simple life than do the humans. There is little mixing of the two races, primarily because of mutual fear: the Little Folk have made a practice of ritually sacrificing every human who falls into their hands. Consequently, the Itzas tend to avoid the halflings, or drive them off, when they encounter them.

Each village has a chosen method of dispatching captives. Several have fierce animals held as captive - several jaguars, or a jaguar lord, or even a hakuna (dragonne) have been imprisoned for such a purpose. Others have a test, involving a perilous traverse across a cliff, or through a bed of fire, or a battle to the death with several halfling champions. It takes a rare and surprising approach, such as a convincing demonstration of magic, or tremendous strength, to win the respect of the Little Folk. Once it is won, however, they make loyal friends and allies.

There are cases, however, of halflings entering human society and living among the Itzas, generally absorbing the ways of the surrounding culture. Such characters are rare, but generally well-known and colorful when they can be found.

Alignments:
Maztican halflings tend toward chaotic alignments, leaning towards evil or neutral. Adventuring halfling are less likely to fit the common mold, however, since they are more likely to be those who did not fit perfectly into their society.

Religion:
The Little Folk worship Zaltec and Nula most prominently among the Maztican deities. Their sacrifices, however, are limited to those rare humans taken prisoner by the halflings. For Nula they are inclined to make an offering of a bit of each piece of game slain by a hunter.

Their culture is full of many superstitions. Many of these apply to the intermixing of married females with adult males who are not their husbands - �fights, duels, and even slayings can result from a casual word, look, or gesture.

Language:
Maztican halflings speak their own language, and the elders and more experienced members of a village (some 10%) will speak Payit as well.

Names:
The naming convention for wild halflings name is unknown.

Adventurers:
Very few Maztican halflings leave their tribes, and very few of those that do survive and turn to the life of an adventurer, those that do have been probably forced into it by being banished from their tribe, looking for a living on their own.

Settings:
Maztican Halflings are exclusive to the Forgotten Realms, and only come from the Maztican continent.

Game Stats:
+2 Dex, +2 Con, -2 Str, -2 Int*
Skill affinity (listen)
Skill affinity (move silently)
Lucky
Fearless
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 Con, -2 Int will be applied once the subrace is selected in-game.

Source: Maztica Campaign Set

MAB77 · « **Reply #71 on:** February 05, 2021, 01:29:11 PM »

Quote

Imago (Chaos Gnome)

Gnomes infused with an essence of restless, reckless, exuberant chaos, as their name implies, chaos gnomes refer to themselves as "imago". Imago are always on the go, rarely pausing to rest. Boundless zest, colourful flamboyance and magnetic charm make them difficult creatures to miss, and they are known for their innate aptitude for sorcery and uncanny good luck. Those imago who take up the arcane arts are sometimes called "chaos mystics".

Personality and Outlook:
Imago are innately fascinated by probability theory, uncertainty and randomness. They also have an abiding love of the arcane. Like their kin, they are curious and impulsive. Though their thought processes can be alien, and sometimes even a little deranged, they possess a spark of intuitive genius few others can compare to. They can sometimes surprise with a rapid deduction most would find incredibly non-obvious, but that nonetheless pans out. Perhaps more surprisingly, chaos gnomes lack the trickster nature of their gnomish kin, and do not feel the same impulse towards pranks or japes. Their sense of humour is nonetheless well-developed, and the imago have little trouble finding mirth around every corner.

Physical description:
In height and build, they are not too dissimilar to their kin, standing 3 to 3� ft tall with slender proportions. Their eyes range in colour through shades of red, blue, green, and violet, but can also shift with their mood: anger and excitement can see them flare bright red, while boredom or disappointment might prompt their eyes to turn dull green or blue. The hair of an imago may range in colour from bright red to bright blonde, and they favour similar colours in their clothing. They also adorn themselves with colourful beads, strung together with seemingly little rhyme or reason.

History and Geography:
The wealthy, educated gnomish nation of Zilargo in southern Khorvaire is one of the oldest on the continent. It's widely known for its rich bardic and literary traditions, a famous national newspaper, impossibly complex intrigues, its talent for international diplomacy. Chaos gnomes are generally found there, dwelling in small communities near gnomish settlements, but at arms length from Zil society proper. Zilargo begrudgingly prefers it that way, reasoning it better they remain close than cause chaos elsewhere.

Society:
Typically, chaos gnomes form their own small communities in proximity to other gnome settlements. While these are hardly nomadic communities, they are transient over the span of a decade or two: one may be founded by an enterprising family or two, grow into a bustling town within a few years, and then fade away as time goes by; imago rarely put down deep roots.

Relations with other races:
Imago get on well with those of a contrasting nature: many a great friendship has been forged between a chaos gnome and a stoic companion. They get on particularly well with other gnomes, but are not well-liked in Zilargo, it being an orderly nation founded upon a strong social contract. Nevertheless, the Zil gnomes are even less enthused by the idea of letting them wander freely beyond their borders where - as they see it - they may give gnomes a bad name. Zil society being what it is, they are particularly appalled by their chaos gnome cousins' inability to keep secrets.

With a tendency to test their patience and make questionable, impulsive decisions, chaos gnomes do not get on with the lawful, ordered and traditionalist dwarves either. But with the halflings of Khorvaire, imago find kinship in a shared love of nomadic wandering. Elves and chaos gnomes also typically get along pleasantly.

Like whisper gnomes, chaos gnomes often enjoy the company of half-orcs. An intolerant imago is a rare thing, and so half-orcs commonly find an acceptance in their communities they do not find in many others.

Alignment:
Imago are drawn inexorably towards chaos, though they share the naturally kind heart of their kin, leading them to a Chaotic Good alignment. They place an exceptionally high value upon freedom as a sacred ideal, and while few topics will hold an imago's attention for long, emancipation is often an exception.

Religion:
While far from atheistic, the constraints of organised faith can chafe upon imago. A chaos gnome joining a new church is certainly not uncommon, but sooner or later they inevitably move on to the next thing that catches their eye, such as when an attraction to heterodox thought becomes a problem, or simply when the novelty wears off. Boredom is the death of piety among chaos gnomes, but if a particularly interesting faith may hold their attention momentarily. Gods of fortune and luck may be something of a partial exception to this, as evidenced by the number of chaos gnome multiclass sorcerer/clerics with the Luck domain. It should be noted that even in such cases, they can rarely sustain their devotion for long enough to develop any serious divine magical power.

Language:
Imago speak Gnome, though they are natural linguists with a flare for learning other tongues, and often borrow words and idioms from other languages to incorporate into their own dialect.

Names:
Chaos gnome names are - as one might expect - varied, and chaotic. They are named at or shortly after birth, but this name is considered only temporary. After a decade or so of life, an imago will pick their own: perhaps the closest thing the imago have to tradition. The name they pick is good for six or seven years. And thereafter, the imago will rename themselves at their whim, sometimes even adopting random words of which they enjoy the feel. Imago do ultimately have a great love of names, and so have a habit of collecting the ones they like.

Below are some "common" examples of chaos gnome names, though variation is in their nature:

Male Names: Aidien, Doolian, Chainion, Pellia, Rookinoniak, Zingnoff
Female Names: Gonnynock, Pella, Tarralin, Zernaelian
Family Names: Chebwith, Kalliess, Nornock, Parrington, Smothings

Adventurers:
Imago adventure for much the same reason as most other gnomes: they are insatiably curious, filled with wanderlust, and crave experiential novelty. Most chaos gnomes spend the majority of their youth on the move, sometimes even accompanied by their parents until they're old enough to wander alone. Owing to their love of magic, most imago cultivate innate arcane talents as sorcerers. Occasionally they will have levels in Cleric (Luck domain), but given their commitment issues rarely take more than a few.

Settings:
Chaos gnomes are exclusive to the Eberron setting.

Game Stats:

Spoiler: show

Sources:
Sources: Races of Stone, p86-88, Player's Guide to Eberron, p54

MAB77 · « **Reply #72 on:** February 07, 2021, 09:08:08 PM »

Shiye Elf

Reclusive elves from the world of Mystara reputed to be malicious tricksters.

Physical description:
The Shiye are commonly of tall stature, and have very pale skin and black, or even silver, hair. Their eye colors can be green, golden or purple.

History:
The Shiye are a clan of elf that followed Ilsundal to the Sylvan Realm at the time of the Great Rain of Fire. When the time came in turn to flee this realm in the face of invading humans, they were among the clans that started to follow Mealiden Starwatcher to another continent. They would however not reach their intended destination and were rather led astray by the mischievous immortal Eiryndul, elven patron of tricksters and cleverness. The Adventurer, as he is also called, instead led his people to the continent of Alphatia where they founded the nation of Shiye-Lawr as part of the Alphatian Empire some 500 years after the Alphatian Landfall. The continent of Alphatia sank in 2009 AY following the events of the War of the Immortals, and Shiye-Lawr was seemingly destroyed in its aftermath. Alphatia and its nations, including Shiye-Lawr, were in fact saved by the combined efforts of several immortals that moved them to the Hollow World. Alphatia is now the largest floating continent under the Red Sun. Shiye Elves are still found in the Known World throughout former Alphatian territories such as Norwold and Bellissaria. One colony of Shiye elves also settled in Eusdria on the Savage Coast.

Outlook:
The Shiye have a reputation for being malicious and threatening. This is said to be because they terrify those who wander unwanted into their realm, but they are still staunch allies of the Empire, and many elves leave the deep forests of Shiye-Lawr for decades or centuries to adventure in the outer world. However it often happens that the Shiye can be serious and melancholy, with the same emotional variability that also affects members of the fairy people. The Shiye almost always have intense but non-lasting emotional relationships.

Society:
Shiye elves are always interested in magic and knowledge, and make use of magical powers to a greater extent than other elves. Their woodland realm is cloaked in mystery and closed to non-elves, unless they are people of proven trust and respectful of nature. Obviously the term does not include the fairy people, who instead are numerous and have always been among the Shiye. It is known throughout Alphatia that those entering the realm uninvited will have to suffer an incessant series of jokes, often very scary, until they have decided to leave. Humans of neighboring Alphatian nations consider the forest haunted and they do not set foot in it for any reason. There have been almost no crimes in Shiye Lawr in its entire history, and the Shiye trust each other absolutely. Also, while they are ready to mock and make malicious jokes at the expense of outsiders, among themselves the Shiye love to laugh and feast, and their life is a series of games and parties, in which magic always has a great importance, as the attendance by members of the fairy people attests.

Relations with other races:
Shiye elves appear mysterious and proud when dealing with other races and are reluctant to trust outsiders. They also have a reputation for being masters of deception, and it is true that they have no qualms about using any means against their enemies. However, this distrust towards outsiders is balanced by a great cohesion within the nation.

Alignments:
Shiye elves embrace the values of their patron immortal for cleverness, trickery and freedom. Despite their reputed "maliciousness" they tend toward benevolent chaotic attitudes.

Religion:
Shiye elves venerate Eiryndul, the patron Immortal of their clan and Kingdom of Shiye-Lawr. Eiryndul is a trickster, playing tricks on mortals and Immortals alike, with them varying from harmless to lethal. His domains are Energy, Chaos, Good, Deceit, Illusion.

Language:
Shiye elves speak their own dialect of elvish as well as alphatian.

Adventurers:
Despite their dislike for outsiders, Shiye elves often leave their Kingdom to become adventurers, due to their natural wanderlust.

Settings:
Shiye elves are exclusive to the Mystara setting.

Game Stats:
+2 Dex, -2 Con*
Sleeplessness
Hardiness vs. Enchantments
Bonus Proficiencies (Longsword, Rapier, Shortbow, Longbow)
Hide + 2
Skill Affinity (Move Silently)
Keen Senses

* At character creation, remember that the game engine automatically applies the default +2 Dex, -2 Con adjustment for standard elves.

Sources: Dawn of the Emperors, Wrath of the Immortals

MAB77 · « **Reply #73 on:** February 12, 2021, 05:49:10 PM »

Quote

True Kender

Halfling-like creatures afflicted with intense wanderlust and a knack to cause trouble wherever they go.

Physical description:
Kender typically stand no more than 3 to 4 feet tall, with the males usually being taller than the females. They weigh between 80 and 100 pounds. Adult kender are well muscled, despite being thin and light of build. Kender are sometimes mistaken for young humans, but closer inspection reveals the pointed ears, face wrinkles, and many pouches indicative of kender. Kender find their face wrinkles, also called crow�s feet or laugh-lines, highly attractive. Kender hair color ranges from light blond to deep brown to black with a few sporting red-orange hues. Most kender wear their hair long. The most common hairstyle is the topknot. It�s also common among kender nobility to braid their sideburns as a sign of their status. Kender typically favor bright colors and gaudy apparel that is at the same time rugged and rustic. Most kender add accents to their clothing and weapons by tagging them with ribbons, feathers, beads, or colorful scarves. All kender-made clothing, regardless of what it is, has pockets and lots of them. The staple of all kender outfits, however, is the many pouches. It is rare to see a kender with less than two pouches, though they usually have many more than that.

History:
Shortly after their creation by the Graygem in 3951 PC, the kender race, looking for a place to call their own, began to follow Balif, an elven general of Silvanesti and honorable rival of Silvanos, the leader of the Silvanesti elves. During their journey, Balif befriended the kender, and offered them a place in the lands east of Silvanesti that were given to him by Silvanos. Balifor was slated to be the next great elven nation; elven households had been making plans to settle the region and establish a second great elven city for years. Balif granted the kender the rights to settle in the forests of Balifor. Balif �s relationship with the kender made him something of an outcast among his people. The animosity of some elves towards Balif, and those jealous of the protection Silvanos afforded him, came to an end in 2750 PC when Balif was murdered. The Silvanesti blamed the kender and closed their borders. Kagonesti loyal to Balif assisted the kender in preventing the Silvanesti from retaking the lands the elven general had given to them. For the next thousand years, the kender civilization spread throughout the region of Balifor. Many small villages popped up in the far corners of the forests and even the sparse grasslands on the edge of the desert wastes. Those kender on the borders of the wastelands dealt with goblins and sligs that raided their villages from time to time. Fierce kender fighters were born in these parts, and eventually, some of these kender took up the nomadic lifestyle of the human tribes that survived off the desert lands.

Around 2600 PC, a clan of kender discovered a floating citadel. The accounts of its discovery are still unclear, as records pertaining to the creation of the first flying citadels are a closely guarded secret. Some stories say it was found abandoned; others claim the kender were slaves or servants to a group of wizards who were constructing it. However it occurred, these kender boarded the citadel and caused it to take off. It flew across the continent and crashed in the foothills of the Sentinel Mountains of Ergoth. The surviving kender settled this lush forestland and named it Hylo, because the citadel that brought them there was first high and then low. They lived among the forest for almost two hundred years without the intrusion of other races. They spread out around a giant bay they named the Bay of Monsters. It was called this because they wished it were full of monsters, not because it was. Over the years, many rulers looked to the lush forests of Hylo, intent on conquest, but none prevailed. In 2200 PC, Emperor Ackal VII annexed Hylo, renaming it Kenderhome. This meant they were now subject to taxes and forced conscription, but the kender never minded sharing and were happy to visit new places with the armies of Ergoth. However, by 1886 PC, the kender of Hylo had enough of Ergoth. The tax collections had steadily increased, and the honor of traveling with the army had lost its novelty as kender were usually given thankless jobs. A group of kender complained to the imperial governor, and he had them killed, their bodies hung from his palace walls. This act caused all of Hylo to rise up and wage a fierce guerrilla war against the Ergothian occupation force. The battle lasted until 1810, when the emperor at the time decided Kenderhome was not worth the trouble it cost to occupy and withdrew his troops. In 1801 PC, Hylo officially declared their independence from Ergoth after hearing of Vinas Solamnus�s rebellion. The Statement of Rebellion confused Ergoth, as it had considered Hylo independent for almost ten years. In the following years, to better control international trade, Istar aggressively imposed and enforced trade and fair-price standards on neighboring nations, including the kender of Balifor. Kender, enjoying the barter and haggling system, refused to obey the strict trade tariffs. Years of Istaran military action, failed lawsuits, and kender manipulation of supplies resulted in Istar�s near economic crash. In 727 PC, with a special tariff exception known as the Kender Tax, kender ceased their market manipulations, resulting in the Kendermeld.

In the centuries leading up to the Cataclysm, missionaries from Istar repeatedly visited Balifor and Hylo in an attempt to convert the heathen kender and teach them the ways of the true gods. Unfortunately, these new methods were very tedious and required complex rules and meditation, something with which the kender quickly grew bored. They also failed to understand the concept of tithing and were reprimanded when trinkets and baubles started replacing coins in the collections for Istar. Eventually, in both kender nations, all Istaran clerics were driven out. In turn, the Kingpriest of Istar eventually established in the Proclamation of Manifest Virtue, that all kender were inherently evil. Bounty hunters captured kender for a fee and some even took their tongues to keep them from talking.

The Cataclysm was particularly devastating to the kender of Balifor. More than half of the region was submerged. The flooding was instant, and thousands of kender were lost to the violent waters. Some of the surviving kender of Balifor and Kenderhome were scarred emotionally. They couldn�t understand why the gods had punished them along with Istar. Many of these kender seemed very subdued, scared, and meek. They became paranoid and were prone to fits of violence. However, within three generations, most of these kender�s offspring had returned to being their normal, happy-go-lucky selves. In the centuries following the Cataclysm, the kender of the east settled the newly formed peninsula, naming
it Goodlund. The city of Kendermore was built within walking distance of a strange magical ruin. Kendermore prospered for hundreds of years until the arrival of the Dragon Overlord Malystryx.

The dragon destroyed Goodlund and Kendermore, magically transforming the land into a great waste renamed to the Desolation. Most survivors of the attack on Kendermore migrated across Ansalon in a great Diaspora called the Kender Flight to Hylo. Many of these kender were emotionally scarred, much like the kender following the Cataclysm. These afflicted kender have had a hard time living among the true kender of Hylo. However, an afflicted kender, Belladonna, took control of Hylo and currently rules the kender there.

Outlook:
Kender are the children of the Krynn. They are an adventure-loving, curious, spontaneous race that embodies the youthfulness and lust for life many adventurers share. Their closest relation on other worlds would be halflings, but even halflings cannot compare to a kender�s curiosity, fearlessness, or knack for finding trouble. Almost every kender encountered is in the thrall of wanderlust, an affliction striking kender hard during their late teen and early adult years. Wanderlust causes kender to pick-up and travel the world far and wide in search of one exciting adventure after another. They roam aimlessly and are not known for following orders, unless they believe they came up with the idea themselves or are interested enough in what might happen if they followed that order. Every race on Krynn has encountered the kender. A kender�s curiosity and fearlessness take them to places no sane being would think to go. This includes pockets, private homes, and locked chests. However, the majority of kender are appalled at the thought of stealing. Most true kender do not steal; they handle. Handling is simply the act of picking up an item and examining it out of curiosity. They are often so involved with examining the item that they wander away and forget to return it. To a kender, this makes perfect sense, but to other races, it�s just another word for stealing.

An old kender proverb goes: �If you find an open door, go inside, and if you find a locked door, open it.� Kender are born with the heart of an explorer and an intense curiosity that can not be denied. This leads them to explore every nook and cranny, check behind every door, and snoop in every pocket. Over time, a kender can learn to understand the need for caution in some situations, such as when their friends may be hurt as a direct result of their actions. Kender are attracted to magic and gadgets like dwarves to ale. Kender are in awe of anything magical; items, spells, and creatures pique a kender�s interest, and they can often be found wandering around places rumored to be magical. Gnomes are very fond of kender, because they are fond of anyone who shares an interest in their creations; however, a kender will rarely hang around for the full explanation of an invention�s specifications.

Kender do not feel fear, magical or otherwise. In the face of the most intense fear, most kender have stated that they have felt an odd fluttering in their stomach, similar to getting a bad case of indigestion. This is usually enough to let the kender know they are in a perilous situation. They are unaffected by dragon fear, the fear of the undead, and any fear created through magical means. This does not mean that kender are entirely reckless and without a sense of self-preservation, however. The only thing a kender usually fears is the loss of a close friend. Kender are fiercely independent. This independence, coupled with their fearlessness and irrepressibility, often gets the kender and his companions into trouble. �I know you told me not to open the door with the magical writing on it, but it had such an interesting lock, much like the one my Uncle Lefty had the accident with, and it was much closer than that other ordinary looking door. Sorry about the whole banshee thing, but I think it�ll be morning soon and we�ll be able to crawl out any time now.� The most feared statement any fellow traveler can hear from a kender companion is �Oops!�.

Kender have a unique concept of personal property. If they see something not being used, they will pick it up and take it with every intention of giving it back to the owner when they are done using it or looking at it. It�s really not their fault they forget to give it back. Naturally, most others term this as thieving, but kender see it as simple handling and are simply curious about the world around them. This absentminded approach to others� personal property can make the owner view a kender as a liar when he is caught in the act. In most situations, the kender will automatically have an excuse ready:

"You left it, so I didn�t think you wanted it anymore."
"I was just holding it for you."
"I was gonna give it back, but you wandered off somewhere."
"It must be magical, because it just appeared in my pouch!"
"Someone was going to steal it, so I'm holding it for safekeeping."
"Just because I have it, and you didn't know that I took it, doesn't mean I stole it."

Even more frustrating for the owner, the kender is totally sincere and truly believes what they have just said. Kender do not always realize what they are doing might be wrong.

Society:
A minor collection of kender elders presides over most kender communities. In smaller communities, one or two older, more experienced kender are often looked up to and consulted for their wisdom. They are unofficially given the authority to act as arbiters of local disputes. In larger communities, this usually manifests as a Council of Elders. In addition to the every day problems of the community, the Council of Elders usually makes laws (that are rarely followed) and makes important decisions (like what color every one must wear on the third day of every month). Ruling over most councils is one individual who has somehow found himself in the esteemed position of ruler. Kender often follow anyone who has a high enough Charisma. Kender tales tell of communities ruled by all manner of beings: a kindly barbarian ogre, a traveling minotaur bard, an insane wizard, a ghost, a sphinx, and even a mysterious wooden totem pole that the kender swore spoke to them when the wind blew. Although some of these may simply be kender tales, they are not far from the truth. The present ruler of Hylo, Belladonna, rudely took the reigns of power from the Windseed family, rulers for an unprecedented twelve years!

The majority of the kender nation is located primarily in the region of Hylo in Northern Ergoth. Sometimes referred to as Kenderhome, the inhabitants of Hylo are a content group of people. They are well protected on all sides from outside threats, and due to the fact that there is very little there others would want, the citizens of Kenderhome have lived in relative ease for thousands of years.

Since the majority of the inhabitants are kender, most other races steer well clear of this region of Northern Ergoth. The kender here are typical kender. They are interested in other races, open, friendly, and willing help outsiders. The region is populated with kender tree villages, ancient ruins, and small hamlets. To most people, the homes in these areas look unfinished. The motley collection of domiciles are mismatched and run together. Ladders run straight from some homes up into tree dwellings and rope bridges connect others. People from other races just shake their heads and wonder how the kender survive and know where they�re going. Kender are also known to reside in small villages and cities on the outskirts of the Desolation in the east. These kender are often dark and sullen folk, afflicted by the taint of magic corrupting their former homeland of Goodlund.

Relations with other races:
True kender are optimistic, openhearted, and trusting. They get along with most all other races and are highly friendly to most everyone they meet. They make strong friendships and are quick to defend against those who would hurt their friends. However, other races don�t particularly feel the same about kender. Kender find dwarves to be amusing. Their constant grumbling and complaining fascinates kender, who cannot understand how dwarves can view the world as such a horrible place. Nearly every kender considers it their duty to show dwarves just how positive life can be, although this usually only serves to make the dwarves complain even more. Kender find most elves to be kind but often boring. Silvanesti elves can be downright rude, while Qualinesti elves are friendly. Kagonesti are by far the most fascinating and exciting of all the elves. Gnomes are intriguing and often have wonderful inventions. They also speak funny and are on friendly terms with most kender. Kender and gnomes seem to get along very well. Kender usually treat half-elves with courtesy and enthusiasm. They view the idea of belonging to both humans and elves as a blessing in which the half-elf only inherits the best traits from both races. Humans are just plain remarkable. Despite the fact that humans have some strange ideas and laws concerning what is private property and public property, many of them are quite polite. Since humans are as varied as pouch items, it�s always hard to tell just what kind you�ll discover at any moment. Kender don�t inherently dislike any race, but they are often more careful around draconians than other races. Because of their intense curiosity, kender will often pester civilized draconians about their heritage, eating habits, lack of ears, and other such minor details. Minotaurs are often rude and smelly. Occasionally, a minotaur won�t want to kill a kender outright, but it is rare. Most minotaurs are easily annoyed by kender and consider them bad luck. Ogres are even worse than minotaurs. They have a terrible attitude and a worse smell. Ogres are violent and don�t have a sense of humor. Kender often try to make themselves scarce when ogres are around.

Alignments:
Most kender just don�t have it in their souls to be truly evil, they are an optmistic goodhearted people, hence leaning strongly towards the neutral and good alignments. Many of them also much more inclined to the chaotic side of the law-chaos axis - being lighthearted and even (while not conciously aware of it) pranksters.

Religion:
Early in the Age of Might, many kender found that worshiping the gods could be fun and exciting despite the strict rules many churches imposed. Eventually, kender clerics brought the teachings into the kender communities, and religion spread. These early clerics did not build temples to their gods. They instead took to the roads, like all good kender eventually do, and walked across Ansalon spreading their faith.

Some clerical organizations started to question the wisdom of allowing kender to be clerics. They were hard to keep track of because they were always wandering away and refusing to stay in one location for very long. Worse than that, however, it was common knowledge that all kender engaged in petty theft at one time or other, which reflected poorly on the church to which the kender cleric belonged. The kender clerics also tended to be disrespectful and engaged in name calling if provoked, instead of assuming a demeanor of holiness and piety. Despite these drawbacks, the kender themselves were very dedicated and sensitive to the needs of their flock and could always be depended on to defend those in need. The Cataclysm struck a horrible blow to all religions. Kender clerics and druids vanished, and no amount of searching could find them. Many kender wandered the world looking for a sign of the true gods, but no evidence to their whereabouts was ever revealed. New generations began to think of the gods as just another kender tale, and they investigated the various cults and religious factions that sprang up in the absence of the true gods. Very few kender ever remained part of these false religions for long. They found them lacking and decided they would be content to live their life without the gods as best they could.

After the War of the Lance and early into the Age of Mortals, a number of kender returned to the worship of the gods. The tales of the legendary Tasslehoff Burrfoot and his good friend Fizban became popular, and a number of kender took to worshiping Paladine in their own odd way. In the aftermath of the War of Souls, kender clerics tend to follow three gods. Branchala is considered the highest god of the kender. His love of music and enthusiasm for life is embraced by all kender. Kender followers of Mishakal are welcomed in any kender community. They often wander from one kender village to the next, lending their aid any who need it. A number of kender bards and storytellers also worship Gilean for his collection of knowledge. Kender clerics of Gilean often carry journals and ink to record their adventures during their wanderlust years.

Although the gods of darkness have been worshiped by kender over the years, it is usually out of curiosity and not because the kender is truly devoted to doing bad things. Kender clerics of Chemosh often grow bored of animating corpses. Clerics of Sargonnas don�t to have the heart for revenge, and priests of Morgion only ever seem to be able to produce terrible head colds. Most kender just don�t have it in their souls to be truly evil.

Language:
Kender primarily speak Common, but they also have their own language of Kenderspeak. True to kender nature, Kenderspeak borrows heavily from other cultures. While Kenderspeak is primarily Common, there are so many other words, phrases, and slang adopted from other cultures that it would take a master linguist to identify where each particular word originated. As a kender learns a new word or phrase they find interesting, they borrow it and begin using it. Eventually, when it is used enough and by enough kender, it is adopted into their language. Since kender are always finding new words and phrases, Kenderspeak changes rapidly. Sometimes kender who have been wandering for a time must take a couple days to familiarize themselves with the new lingo. Fortunately, kender are quick studies when it comes to speaking languages, and this transition time doesn�t usually take long.

Other than their clerics of Gilean, kender rarely keep written records. Nearly all of their history is handed down orally from one generation to the next. Of course, this also greatly distorts actual events, as kender try to make it more exciting and appealing than what really happened. The kender race has an innate ability to manipulate words into tapestries of verbal abuse. Coupled with their ability to scrutinize and read an individual, it provides a kender the uncanny capability of knowing just how to push an opponent�s buttons. When a kender is angry or being threatened, they can determine just the right words to say that will cause their opponent to fly into an uncontrollable rage, thus making the attacker focus on the kender and give less consideration to their own defense. A kender�s enemies aren�t just ugly; they are so ugly that it looks like their face caught fire and then was stomped out. This subtle wordplay is common among kender, and taunting contests between young kender are common. Kender have a number of phrases handed down through the ages. These phrases often change slightly, but the meaning remains the same. �Why insult a door�s purpose by locking it?� This phrase is usually uttered when the kender is frustrated about something. It also comes in handy when facing a locked door. �If the milk is spilt, the cat will lick it.� Kender seem to leap before they look, and this rationalization just confirms that. �Anything easy is more trouble than it�s worth.� Kender prefer to jump through hoops to get where they are going. They long for new experiences and bore easily. This phrase emphasizes the longing for excitement. It is usually uttered by a kender to his companions when he has concocted a spur-of-the-moment plan. �Oops!� Unfortunately, this phrase is uttered by kender far more often than it should be. While it is common knowledge that kender are extremely lucky, their companions, as a general rule, are not. Companions of kender have often learned to duck, cover, and run when a kender says this.

Names:
Tradition dictates kender parents select a name for their child around the moment of birth. The child�s first name can be based off any combination of factors. The most common method is to name the child after an existing relative; Kipper, Kronin, Tavin, Rufus, or Meridon are a few. Occasionally, parents name the kender after an event in a recent adventure, such as Triplever, Mudskipper, or Thistleprick, or after common kender objects like Lockpick, Toolkit, and Topknot. There are countless other variations of kender first names. Each kender takes their parent�s last name. There are specific family names, which have survived the ages; Metwinger, Thistleknott, Thistleswitch, and Burrfoot are some examples, but it is common practice for kender to adopt a more descriptive name later on in life after their adventures, such as Springheel, Lightfingers, Pakslinger, or Lampwick. Usually during their wanderlust, they leave home to make a name for themselves, literally. Some also decide that they want to be like famous kender who came before them, and take on that kender�s name. This happened in the decades following the War of the Lance when a large number of kender took the name Tasslehoff Burrfoot.

Adventurers:
Wanderlust is a phase in a kender�s life that throws a kender�s curiosity into overdrive. Their desire for action is multiplied, and the simple joys of living from day to day are simply not enough. They must investigate the world and meet new people. They must experience everything there is to experience. Wanderlust is responsible for kender packing up their meager belongings and moving out across Ansalon.

Much like puberty in humans, wanderlust is slightly differently for each kender, but it always happens. It is simply a part of growing up. Some kender start wanderlust earlier than others. Kender as young as 15 and as old as 25 have felt the desire to investigate just beyond the next hill and then just beyond the one after that, until they are far from home and journeying across the world. Some kenderkin think they feel the call earlier than their mid teens, but these treks almost always end up back where they began a week or so later. False starts are rare but not unheard of. Once on the road, wanderlust keeps most kender mobile. As the kender saying goes, �Kender feet have a mind of their own, and they tend to wander away now and again.�

Eager to know what adventure the next city, cave, or sailing ship will hold, kender wander from one place to the next, always looking forward to the next great adventure or the possibility of making a new friend. This does not mean kender must constantly be on the move. Many kender make close friends with other adventurers, and find a home away from home is a common occurrence. As long as the kender has enough adventure to keep their wanderlust satisfied, they will make a home or adopt a home of their own. Sometimes, the drive for adventure is too strong, and they simply live a vagabond life, wandering from town to town, making due with what they can find on the road, and looking for places to stay during the winter months.

Settings:
True Kenders are exclusive to the Dragonlance setting.

Game Stats:

Spoiler: show

Source: Dragonlance Campaign Setting 3E, Races of Ansalon

MAB77 · « **Reply #74 on:** February 13, 2021, 06:00:44 AM »

Afflicted Kender

A breed of kender that became nervous and paranoid following the destruction of Kendermore by the dragon overlord Malystryx.

Physical description:
Kender typically stand no more than 3 to 4 feet tall, with the males usually being taller than the females. They weigh between 80 and 100 pounds. Adult kender are well muscled, despite being thin and light of build. Kender are sometimes mistaken for young humans, but closer inspection reveals the pointed ears, face wrinkles, and many pouches indicative of kender. Kender find their face wrinkles, also called crow�s feet or laugh-lines, highly attractive. Kender hair color ranges from light blond to deep brown to black with a few sporting red-orange hues. Most kender wear their hair long. The most common hairstyle is the topknot. It�s also common among kender nobility to braid their sideburns as a sign of their status. Kender typically favor bright colors and gaudy apparel that is at the same time rugged and rustic. Most kender add accents to their clothing and weapons by tagging them with ribbons, feathers, beads, or colorful scarves. All kender-made clothing, regardless of what it is, has pockets and lots of them. The staple of all kender outfits, however, is the many pouches. It is rare to see a kender with less than two pouches, though they usually have many more than that.

History:
After the Chaos War, when the gods made a pact with Chaos and the great Dragon Overlords first appeared on Krynn, Malystryx arrived soaring over the Misty Isles. The great red dragon claimed all the lands from the Dairly Plains to the Bay of Balifor. She took up residence and began to use her magic to transform the surrounding lands into a habitat more suitable for her. Once lush forests withered and died. Forest fires broke out. The land became arid and dry, and animals became sick from the blight Malystryx brought to the land.

Eventually, every living thing on the Goodlund Peninsula was affected by her magic. The kender living there could feel it, and it changed them. It saddened them to see the lands that they called home dying, knowing there was nothing they could do to stop it. They were powerless to prevent this perversion. Within a year of Malystryx�s arrival, she had made her way to Kendermore. Once there, she slaughtered thousands of kender. The destruction was so horrible and on such a grand scale that any living kender who was tainted by the Overlord�s magic or witnessed the horrors of the attack learned the one thing kender had blissfully been immune to since their creation: fear. The survivors headed west toward Hylo, the only other major kender nation on Ansalon, each bringing some atrocious tale of death and destruction. Led by Moonsong, daughter of Goldmoon and Riverwind, they traversed thousands of miles of hostile territory to get to Hylo. This became known as the Kender Flight.

Outlook:
Some afflicted kender are depressed, timid and jump at every encounter. Others are similar to true kender, those whose parents experienced the Kender Flight, but they always seem to shy away from anything too dangerous. Those kender from the Desolation have a harder edge to their personalities than the fun-loving kender of Hylo. They are more confident in their abilities and shocked at the relative comfort other races take for granted. Afflicted kender tend to over analyze situations. They don�t like surprises and do their best to discover them before they happen or avoid them completely. If this means checking every chest, opening every door, and rifling through people�s pouches when necessary, so be it. Afflicted kender are motivated by a need to feel safe and secure at all times. This need does not make them shutins, but instead, they feel motivated to do what they can to ensure their own safety and that of their friends and companions.

There are afflicted kender whose personalities have changed in drastic ways. These afflicted kender, who bear emotional scars from the Kender Flight, can be dangers to themselves and others. These kender have an attitude unlike any kender before them. They are distrusting, overly cautious, brooding, quiet, and vengeful. They suffered the worst of the attack in Kendermore and often have physical scars to show for it. These kender have been known to become thieves, bandits, and assassins, professions from which any true kender would naturally steer clear. The only possible good coming from this insanity is the focus of their anger against the Dragon Overlords and their minions.

Many of the children of afflicted kender are not similarly affected by the malady. In Hylo, more children of afflicted kender seem to show signs of being adventurous and fearless, much like any ordinary kender. Of course, this annoys and worries their afflicted parents to no end. The exception to this seems to occur for the kender living in or near the Desolation. Whatever magic altered the peninsula continues to affect the kender of that region. The fate of afflicted kender in the east may be tied to the restoration of the Desolation.

Society:
The refugees that made their way to Hylo were welcomed with open arms by their kindly, distant relatives. However, it was clear the kender from Goodlund had been changed by their experience. They were no longer the carefree kender they used to be. They retained that lust for life but had lost their innocence. They formed their own villages and communities and distanced themselves from their cousins.

The afflicted kender of the Desolation live in small, scattered tribes across the broken landscape of the Desolation. Opposed to the communities of true kender, afflicted kender prefer to live in more structured and safer family groups. Wanderlust is much more mild in afflicted kender. The urge to protect their family and tribe prevents afflicted kender from staying away for too long. Afflicted kender of the Desolation dwell in small settlements that are expertly camouflaged and always have multiple escape routes. Natural cavern systems are ideal locations for afflicted kender villages. The kender always make sure the caverns are fully explored and collapse any tunnel they can�t trust. The entrances to these settlements are almost always trapped in some way, and only the afflicted kender who dwell within know the safest way through. Homes built of wood are of no use, as they are too easily destroyed by passing dragons and not easily defended.

In the forests of Kenderhome, most afflicted kender dwell with true kender. They prefer to live in villages that afford them the most protection against invasion. You can always tell the home of any afflicted kender, as they have locks on the doors and shutters on the windows, foreign concepts to any true kender.

The leadership of afflicted kender tribes usually consists of an elder or group of elders. These are usually kender who escaped the destruction of Kendermore over forty years ago. Kender warriors comprise a large part of the tribe. These kender have grown up in the Desolation and learned how to survive its dangers. Those kender who do not hunt perform various tasks around the hidden villages of the Desolation, setting traps and keeping watch in the nearby region for threats to the security of the tribe. Older kender look out for the kender children within the confines of village and only take them out to teach the dangers of the land around them.

Relations with other races:
Afflicted kender usually keep to themselves. While they feel safest with other kender, they often find true kender to be foolish and irresponsible. Some afflicted kender don�t mind dealing with humans, elves, dwarves, and gnomes, but they are at least always initially suspicious of the motives of other races, and those races must prove themselves before the kender will trust them. Within the Desolation, afflicted kender only trust the Kagonesti. The afflicted kender and wild elves of that region have worked together for decades to battle the evil creatures of the land.

Alignments:
Lacking the optimistic and goodhearted inclination of the True Kender, the afflicted kender are less inclined to the good and chaotic alignments as their True Kender kin.

Religion:
Afflicted kender have little use for the gods. The kender who were alive during the Chaos War will not forgive the gods for abandoning them, and the kender born after the Chaos War were raised in a time without gods. Now that the gods have returned, they are largely untrusted. The idea of a being who can see you at all times and kill you with a mere thought unnerves the fearful, distrusting kender. Unfortunately, there has only been one deity who has made an impression on afflicted kender�Hiddukel the Prince of Lies. Hiddukel promises safe haven for those kender who learn to utilize deception and trickery for protection and to make themselves stronger than their enemies.

Language:
Afflicted kender share the same language as true kender. They speak Common and Kenderspeak. At one time, the language of Kenderspeak was relatively consistent between the kender nations of east and west, as the kender freely traveled between both. Now the language has grown more fractured, as the afflicted kender of the Desolation have coined new terms and meanings. Afflicted kender don�t talk as much as other kender. In fact, sometimes they don�t talk at all.

Names:
A simple first name is given to kender by their parents upon their birth. Once the kender has grown up, he may take a new first name if desired. Male names include Blight, Cutter, Rusty, Scar, Shade, and Trundle, while common female names are Ash, Blister, Cindra, Drifter, Moonwillow, and Tepid. Last names tend to be family names or descriptive names from their adventures, such as Darkwatcher, Emptypouch, Lockbreaker, Milerunner, Shadewalker, Singeheel, and Tripspring. Many afflicted kender took on new names after the Kender Flight to represent their physical and emotional wounds.

Adventurers:
Afflicted kender do experience wanderlust, although the calling is much less powerful than with true kender. This diminished wanderlust and strong connection to safeguard their friends and family make adventuring afflicted kender a rarity. There are some afflicted kender who do travel the world. The most likely reason for an afflicted kender to leave home is to discover outside threats, so they can return some day to report their findings and begin working on ways to defend themselves. Other afflicted kender may form a bond with a trusted individual and feel more comfortable traveling the world with their friend.

Settings:
Afflicted Kenders are exclusive to the Dragonlance setting.

Game Stats:
+2 Dex, -2 Wis, -2 Str*
Hide +2
Spot +2
Open Lock +2
Pick Pocket +2
Skill Affinity (Move Silently)
Lucky
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.

Source: Dragonlance Campaign Setting 3E, Races of Ansalon