Races

All adjustments below should be assumed to replace those listed in the Player's Handbook or other sources.

Elves

Of all of the races of the world, perhaps none are so divided as the elves. With the long racial memory of the elves, the greatest divide between them comes from the simple question of where they came from. 11,500 years ago, when the Grey Elves emerged from the mountains into the Silver Valley, and there encountered the Wood Elves of the Silverwood, it was the first recorded meeting of two races of elves. While first meeting was reasonably peaceable, tensions grew as both discovered different histories, even different creation myths. The Grey Elves's belief in abandonment by their high gods created a good deal of strife with the more traditional Wood Elves, but both sides finally agreed to disagree and keep to themselves.

As Elvish relations go, it was a success story.

Today, the various types of elves continue to largely segregate themselves from each other. They worship different gods, or worship in drastically different fashions. They hold their own beliefs of creation and the nature of the world, and almost everyone can remember some offense committed by another race that keeps them divided save in the times of greatest trouble.

Interbreeding is rare, save in Brelandia, where the union of the Queen and the High General, combined with the constant threat of war, and the fanaticism against a country-wide enemy has begun to break down some barriers.

Aerdrie Elves:

Rare and reclusive, the Aerdrie live in the eastern Drachensreach mountains, with a few having moved into the Silver Valley. They are generally peaceable, and prefer, in general, to hide or back down rather than face conflict, a testament to their small numbers, fragile forms, and love of harmony and discomfort with discord, whether political or social.

No one knows their origins, though they believe themselves to be Grey Elves who were blessed by Aerdrie Faenya, giving them their name. They believe there was a great divide in times past, when the Grey Elves ceased worshiping Corellon, and chose to follow Kirith Sotheril and her magical ways instead. The Aerdrie believe they split from this contingent then, but without family or tribe, were sure they would not survive in the hostile mountains. They called to Faenya, and she answered her favored children, turning them into the Aerdrie.

They have no knowledge of what came before, sharing a general oral history with the Grey Elves going before this time, going back to belief in a great catastrophe that reshaped the world, followed by a time of war with the Hobgoblins and dragons that further drove them out of their ancestral homelands and into the mountains. There is only one major settlement of the Aerdrie, ruled by a king and queen with equal power, and the high priestess of the church of Faenya, who makes little policy, but has veto power over any declarations of royalty, even if made jointly.

The Aerdrie tend to stay out of politics, and are reclusive enough that many outside of the valley still believe them to be myths. Those who do emerge tend to be skilled diplomats, and their tradition of worship through song has allowed them to produce some skilled minstrels as well as many highly devoted priests and priestesses. Worship of any other deity than Faenya is virtually unknown among them, though a few do follow her close companions Hanali Celanil or Sehanine Moonbow, or worship all three goddesses.

Aerdrie Elves are always fair skinned, with silver or golden hair, with the occasional pure white showing up. Their eyes are usually some shade of light blue, though silver isn’t unknown.

Racial adjustments:

Dark Elves:

The Dark Elves, since the ascendancy of Blackmar, have become almost two different species in a very short time. The followers of Lolth are the most widespread of all of the Elven races, with representatives in underground cities under Blackmar, in the Drakensreach mountains, in the Northlands, and even in the Southern continent. None of the great cities are allied or linked, and no one is quite certain what caused the wide spread of their civilizations. Indeed, while the cities under Blackmar, and under the Drakensreach are aware of each other, the other civilizations believed, until contact came from outsiders, that there were no other Drow.

While the Drow of the central Northern Continent have one of the longest unbroken histories of the world, and their cities seem to pre-date anything above the surface, they do not share, and what little has been recovered from the deep cities indicates that each time there has been a major regime change, the official histories have been edited to favor the new views. As each of the cities have had at least 6 such changes (most have more, but the city under Blackmar has been stable, by Drow standards) the histories are deemed untrustworthy. At least one legend of the Drow, which is somewhat supported by the architectural style, suggests that the oldest portion of the central city was once above the surface, and fell into the underdark in an earthquake, and was rebuilt and repaired by the Drow.

In general, the underdark Drow hate all of their cousins, though their greatest hatred is reserved for the traitors among the suntouched Drow in the City of First Light and beyond.

The Drow usually are led by a Queen, who controls the overall region through holding the allegiance, theoretically, of the matrons of each of the major houses. The Suntouched worship Elistraee almost exclusively, and have made strong alliances with Blackmar and their high Elven cousins, but are still deemed untrustworthy by most other types of elves. The Dancers in the Dark, Elistraee's priestesses, now lead the third largest religion in Blackmar, following the pantheists who hold the Olympian pantheon as a whole as their following, and the Hill Dwarves dedicated to the Soul Forger. They have strong relations particularly with the Knighthood, and with the royalty of the kingdom, who themselves have a lot of mixed Suntouched blood and even a few full-blooded Drow.

Racial Adjustments: as the MM, see world-specific feats.

Desert Elves:

Desert Elves are the only race that regularly crosses the Endless Desert, and provide the only trade route between the great Jeweled City and the lands of the west. They are an extremely social people, traveling in vast caravans, and never keep any kind of permanent settlement. The greatest punishment among the desert elves is exile, and an exiled desert elf is considered a pariah to all others, even from different caravans. No one in the trading posts to the west or east will do business with a desert elf known to be an exile.

The Desert Elves long ago gave up worship of the Elven pantheon, though their oldest records indicate they once followed some aspect of the pantheon. Instead they follow Elemental beings of great power, worshiping them as gods.

Desert Elf social behavior is a headache for anyone but a Desert Elf to figure out. Elves of either gender may marry as many husbands and wives as they can support. Other than the gender designation of husband or wife, there is no distinction made in social responsibilities of either. Bisexuality is very common, and its not unusual for a female desert elf to have multiple wives, vice versa for males/husbands. Marriages are simultaneously out of love, and for financial arrangements between families within, and between caravans. A desert elf asking someone to marry them is expected to be able to afford to meet the needs of their husbands and wives, though those elves may have others they’re supporting at the same time. There is no change of name or exchange of property or holdings, but marriage is a vow of alliance with the immediate family an elf marries into, and marriage is considered an agreement to provide at least basic support for all husbands and wives if they should fall on hard times.

Marriage to a non-Desert Elf isn't done within caravans, and Desert Elves will not recognize any outside marriages a Desert Elf enters into.

Desert Elves prefer simple contracts; carrying large legal agreements around on the space-conscious caravans, especially with many, many contracts to keep, does not work well. Trying to make a long, complicated deal with Desert Elves is a good way to get ignored. They typically have plenty of other people vying for their services. Unless a particular Desert Elf truly wants something, they typically keep agreements as simple as possible, and simply leave if they feel a deal is getting too complex. On the other hand, once a deal is signed, or they shake hands on a deal, all but the rarest Desert Elves will risk their lives to keep their word. Proof that a Desert Elf has intentionally broken a contract is grounds for exile.

Finally, almost all Desert Elves have a hobby or collection. They spend a lot of time traveling, and these serve to occupy the long times between trade stops. None of these tend to take much space, and Desert Elf collections, a common hobby for the avid traders, are a particular item of note. Because space and weight are of constant importance, Desert Elf collections are never for /numbers/ of items collected, but for /quality/. A sword collector, for example, may constantly be trying to trade in their lower valued or less beautiful swords, collectively or singly, to gain a better sword. At any time, he likely has no more than three to five swords in his collection, but they will be the highest quality three to five swords that Desert Elf has been able to collect, and he'll be constantly looking to "trade up". Collections are the one area where Desert Elves are occasionally willing to bend their rules about simplicity in a deal, if they want a particular item badly enough.

Desert Elf Caravans each have a caravan leader, who selects a series of advisors from acknowledged masters of trade, as well as military leaders. Large decisions are usually made by a democratic gathering, with each wagon within a caravan sending one representative.

Desert Elves are small and slight, but compact in build. Their hair ranges from sandy brown to strawberry blonde, leaning towards light shades. Their eyes are usually darker, mostly browns and greens. Their skin is dark, covering a wide range of deep tans.

Racial Adjustments:

Grey Elves:

The Grey Elves are the second rarest of the elves, after the Aerdrie. Despite this, they hold an esteemed position, and the general ill-will of their cousins far out of proportion with their numbers.

The Grey Elves live almost exclusively in the Silver Valley, and the northern reaches of the Silverwood, with a small population near the capital of Brelandia. Grey Elven society centers around the Great Library, also known as the silver Library, a sprawling, towering structure the size of a large town on its own, with the main civilization of the Grey Elves circling around it, though many Grey Elves live in the library itself.

Social status is almost solely determined through the level of "library card" an elf possesses. Almost all Grey Elves receive one, and the greater their contributions to the library and the Grey Elven race in general, the greater and greater amount of the library they're allowed to access. Getting a card is possible, but rare, for non Grey-Elves, and even when it occurs, its often restricted to the lowest levels.

During the first Dragon Wars, the Grey Elves collected the books, artifacts and other items of historical importance from many of their cousins among the high, wood and wild elves, promising to return them when the threat to these items ended. When the Second war with the dwarves followed on the heels of the Dragon Wars, the Grey Elves deemed their cousins too warlike to protect such items of importance, and have sworn to hold onto them until their cousins become "more civilized."

This single event has caused much of the strife between the races of Elvenkind, with little chance of compromise in the future. Several hundred years ago, relations worsened when a tribe of Wild Elves made the only successful raid on the library in its history, somehow getting past the wards, traps, guards and spells of the Grey Elves; the raiders stole a single book, and demolished the shelves of the section it was in, and the filing drawers, somehow knowing just how to make /which/ book it was impossible to determine. It has never been recovered, and the Grey have never determined what they're missing. No amount of magics have proven capable of discerning anything of its fate. To the Grey Elves, this event has been held up as a sign of the other Elven races' unsuitability to handle the responsibility of knowledge.

While there has been a truce for centuries, relations are still poor, and few Grey Elves wander very far from the library, except in pursuit of their studies.

Grey Elves are theoretically led by a king and queen, sharing power. In reality, the royalty are mostly figureheads and diplomats, while the actual main decisions on almost everything are made by the greatest scholars and mages from the Library, as part of a Library Council, which advises the king and queen. In reality, the king or queen simply pass on the 'advice' they get as law, and contradictions to the decisions of the Library Council are virtually unheard of. Even outlying civilizations are usually led by a mage who gets their direction from the Library.

Only the Grey Elves who've moved to Brelandia break from this structure. Most still communicate with the library, but put the word and decision of Queen Arian ahead of any other authority.

In addition to study of magic, most Grey Elves also have 1-3 "hobbies", fields of knowledge which they pursue almost fanatically. And while most other elves and their allies bear them some ill will, all will admit that there's no greater sources of knowledge than the Grey Elves.

Racial Adjustments:As the MM, plus:

-2 Cha, +2 Com

Library Card: Most Grey Elves get a library card upon their birth. This allows them entry into the Silver Library, which has resources to count as "Masterwork Tools" for a +2 Bonus to most knowledge checks, in addition to research material. It does not grant any bonus to spellcasters, as that portion of the library is restricted, as are many resources for dangerous information and creatures. See the Library Card Feat for information on getting a better card.

High Elves:

The High Elves share few of the animosities of their brethren, the average High Elf seeing the fracture in Elven society as the real tragedy. Their societies are further apart, and have less communication with others of their own kind than most, but they are generally amicable to both other High Elves, and most other types of elves, with individual exceptions.

The majority of the High Elves live in Blackmar's forested regions, or on the far borders of the Silverwood, and act as go-betweens for many of their cousins. High Elves, on the other hand, generally share a strong dislike of the mountain dwarves, and, to a lesser extend, hill dwarves, due to the fact that their borderland communities were the hardest hit during past years.

High Elves revere Corellon Latherian, at least on a societal level, with lesser deference paid to the other gods of the Seldarine, and many believe that it was the fracturing of Elvenkind that led to the general silence of their gods from the priesthood, not the other way around.

High Elves are so dispersed, they have no single authority. Most civilizations follow the structure of following a king or queen, though a few acknowledge the rulership of their home countries, for those living within Blackmar or Brelandia. Within the latter, there are some wide divisions between following the authority of the Queen or the High General, with some in both camps, when the direction from each of the country's rulers differ.

Racial Adjustments:As PHB Elves, plus:

+2 Com, +2 Per

Jungle Elves:

Very few of the northern continent elves are even aware of their distant cousins, and even the Grey Elves are generally at a loss to explain where the mutual heritage comes in. Likewise, the Jungle Elves have almost no knowledge of other elves, but get along well with the few Wild and Wood Elves from Brelandia they've met.

The Jungle Elves don't revere the Seldarine, worshiping ancestor spirits instead. They believe that the ancestors once worshiped even greater "ancestral elves", but lost their ancestors' voices long ago.

The Jungle Elves are ruled by a joint system, each tribe having a tribal elder, a war leader, and a council of shamans. Two of the three leading groups must be in agreement for any change in policy or any important decision, with each group carrying equal weight. Even in times of peace, the war leader remains a critical voice, as the Jungle Elves face near constant threats from around them.

The most famous feature of the elves is what they call the ancestor trance, in which the warriors blessed enough to receive guidance from their warrior ancestors are able to enter a trance in battle, where their motions blur to the point their movements can be hard to follow. The battle dance they go into during the ancestor trance is referred to by most tribes as "Dancing the Raindrops", and warriors in the trance are believed to be able to move so quickly as to be able to dance between raindrops. Tales of groups of the Jungle elves sacred warriors in battle have reached Brelandia, Most others consider them myths at best.

Jungle Elves are typically animists, believing everything living has a spirit, and even those who are not druids or spirit shamans often casually speak to trees, animals and other such things, believing it to be good fortune to greet their spirits.

Jungle elves are usually about 3-5 inches shorter than High Elves, but due to their sturdier builds, often 10-15 pounds heavier. They have extremely long fingers and toes, with wide hands and feet. Their skin is usually nut brown, ranging up to almost charcoal. Their hair is usually brown, with extremely rare specimens having silver hair. Jungle Elves see those with this trait as destined to be spirit speakers. Their eyes are often dark, though they have a huge range of colors: greens, browns, violet, grey, and very rare blues.

Racial Adjustments:

Snow Elves:

The Elves of the Northern Wastes are a hardy, rugged people, especially by Elven standards. They follow traditions that date back much further than any written history they possess, and in general, insist on following an oral tradition. Those who know how to read and write use the skill almost exclusively for map making.

Snow Elves are typically regarded as rude, stubborn, and horribly egotistical by most other beings. They remember their accomplishments, and tell their own stories often, as well as those of their families. While the actual tradition of many families stretches back tens of generations, the snow elves also have a tendency to exaggerate and alter stories, making them better, in their opinion. The only time that tends to concern snow elves is "now"; Where are the herds? Is it growing season? What needs to be done? Beyond this, they have a very fluid view of time, and on the rare occasion they feel any need to justify embellishments and changes to their stories and histories, the response is often "As elves grow older, they gain experience and skill. Why shouldn't stories?"

This, of course, drives Grey Elves insane.

Snow Elves also have a deserved reputation for rudeness. They survived on their own for centuries. Snow Elves don't need anyone else, and are used to finding most other races either becoming enemies, or trying to exploit them and their knowledge and ability to survive in the wastes. As such, most feel that if something is important to someone, they'll go to lengths to pursue the subject. If it isn't, then its not important to the Snow Elf either. They also possess a very gallows sense of humor that doesn't sit well with most beings.

Snow Elves follow tribal chieftains, and while rare, war between tribes is not entirely unheard of.

Snow Elves tower over most others around them, ranging from about six and a half to seven and a half feet tall, with a powerful, but lithe build, that typically puts them at about the same weight as most Half-Orcs. They have pale skin, hair that ranges from light gold to platinum to white, and almost all have blue or green eyes.

Racial Adjustments:

Stormsea Elves:

The aquatic elves of the Stormseas tend to be reclusive, favoring life in the deep seas, and far below the storm-tossed surface. Also far away from the Scrags that infest much of the shores of the Stormsea.

The Stormsea Elves generally believe that at one point in time, they were abandoned by most of the Seldarine, and were forced to flee into the seas, transforming themselves through magic, and devotion to Deep Sashelas to survive a catastrophe. As far as any keep track, they believe they were once Wild Elves, and do give the Wild Elves more leeway than others, believing that most others abandoned the ways of the gods, which helped lead to the catastrophe somehow.

The Stormsea Elves are constantly at war with the Sahuagin and their devilish allies. The Stormsea Elves rely upon strong ties with the natural world, and a great amount of druidic magic. They also consider the dolphins and whales their strongest allies. Hunting either is strictly forbidden, and both, especially dolphins, are often used as hunting partners, and the elves and their allies will both act to protect one another.

Almost all civilizations of the wide-spread Stormsea Elves follow a king, queen, or joint rulership, though a couple have formed councils of elders, replacing the structure of royalty. Many of the civilizations have no contact with other Stormsea Elves, and there's little unity beyond a civilization's hunting grounds.

Stormsea elves tend to be about 1-2 inches taller than most elves, but weigh almost the same, slightly more slender, with many appearing almost underfed. They have a bluish tint to their skin. Their hair runs from dark seaweed green to black, with many shades of darker blues in between.

Racial Adjustments:

Wild Elves:

Wild Elves refers to two major populations of elves on near opposite ends of the country, but follow similar enough lifestyles, cultural mores, and, surprising to most, similar tales and beliefs in their histories, leading both to identify themselves as of the same blood once they learned of each other. Racially they are virtually identical, with the population in Brelandia being larger and stronger than their cousins in the deep Silverwood. Both types of Wild Elves prefer to avoid the trappings of civilization in general, preferring to exist in the deep wood, relying on the natural world, alliance with the creatures of the wilds, druidic and sorcerous magic, and self-reliance. Both have made their homes in the deepest sections of the woodlands in their homes, with the Wild Elves of Brelandia having much more focus and participation in the Endless War over any other antipathy, and have little quarrel with the population of Grey Elves near their home, while the Silverwood Wild Elves have few regular enemies beyond the dangers inherent in the depths of their home, and remain much more focused on the centuries old arguments with their cousins, helping to keep the difficult relations going. There has been an uneasy peace for centuries, but much of this is because both populations prefer to remain in their homes.

Both races of Wild Elves revere Fenmarel Mestarine and Solonor Thelandira almost exclusively, considering the rest of the Seldarine to have abandoned the Wild Elves in favor of the study of high magic and the corruptions of civilization.

After the last Dragon War, the population of Silverwood Wild Elves was devastated, though they were ultimately the forces that ended the Green Dragon scourge, save for never being able to breach Blight's lair. The population is only slowly recovering.

In the East, Wild Elves follow tribal leadership, typically chieftains, advised by a high druid or priest of their gods. In Brelandia, the High General's word is as good as command for virtually all of the tribes, which largely function as a single widely scattered tribe, with leadership of their own for day to day issues and direction.

Both types of Wild Elves are muscular as elves go, and of sturdy build. They have light to dark brown skins, and red or brown hair in almost all cases. Their eyes tend to be either brown or green. Silverwood Wild Elves are close to the same size as High Elves, though usually about 5-10 pounds heavier, while the stronger Brelandish Wild Elves are 3-4 inches taller on average, and add another 20-30 pounds.

Racial Adjustments:

Silverwood: As MM, plus +2 Com, +2 Per, and gain Speak with Animals as an innate ability for woodland creatures only.

Brelandish:

Favored Class: Ranger

Wood Elves:

Similarly to the Wild Elves, Wood Elf refers to multiple populations of elves with similar racial traits that spread across the continent in numerous wooded areas over the land. They tend to be adaptable, with different populations showing small differences, but most acknowledge themselves as the same subspecies of elf. In general, they prefer lands deeper in the woodlands than the High Elves, though they cover a wide array of climes and forest types. Some are primarily nomadic hunters, while others have settled into a single territory, and are near vegetarian. While somewhat reclusive, they're certainly not so actively anti-outsider as the wild elves or snow elves, but nor are they as open as the High Elves or desert elves.

They take a similar view of the conflicts between their kin. While traditionally the wood elves have sided with their Wild Elf cousins, they're not nearly as aggressive, and have tended to join with the High Elves in situations where a moderate solution is available, or to settle disputes.

The Wood Elves worship all of the Seldarine, as the High Elves do, though some tribes favor one deity over others, and many revere Rillifane Rallathil as the highest god over Corellon, and several tribes follow Sehanine Moonbow as their high deity, in her role as goddess of the Moon. Most of the latter are among the numerous elves who believe that the overall Seldarine have abandoned the elves in the past in their hour of greatest need.

Wood Elves are diverse in their political structure, almost as much so as the High Elves. Some, especially in Brelandia, follow the dictates of the country's rulership. Elsewhere, they follow either royalty of their own, the occasional tribal structure chieftain, and a few follow a high druid. Most Wood Elves retain good relations with others of their kind, but rarely share political views.

Wood Elves tend to be stronger and sturdier than many elves. Their skins tend to be lighter shades of tan to light brown, while their hair is typically light brown, sometimes with hints of reds or streaks of darker shades, while their eyes are usually brown or grey, with occasional green.

Racial Adjustments: As MM, plus

+2 Com, +2 Per.

Dwarves:

There are numerous subraces of the Dwarven race, which, for the most part, recognize each other as distantly related. Despite this, at least among three of the four subraces, there aren't the deep divisions among the dwarves that exist in the Elven races.

Dwarves, in general, are recognized as the undisputed masters of siegecraft, engineering and architecture.

Three of the four subraces of dwarves tend towards worship of the Dwarven pantheon, led by Moradin, with almost equal devotion in many strongholds to Clanggedin Silverbeard and Berronar Truesilver. The Duergar revere Abbathor, who tends to hold a small temple in most major holds.

With the exception of a single population of hill dwarves in northern Brelandia, Dwarves rarely consider themselves part of any country, save for those that are almost entirely in Dwarven hands, such as the Shield Hills. Most dwarves consider their first allegiance to be to their Karak (stronghold).

Genealogy is important to dwarves, as the Dwarven religion holds that the gods are far too hard working and busy to listen to most dwarves directly, but their ancestors can entreat the gods to look well on their descendants, so doing right by one's ancestors, and building on their family's reputation for honor, courage, industry and fortitude is very important across the race, though the Duergar consider their ancestors to care little for these virtues, their attention only able to be drawn by greater wealth and status.

Deep Dwarves:

Deep Dwarves consider themselves to be related to mountain dwarves, believing that in the far past, they were separated from their cousins as a test by the gods, and both races had to live with a divided society during troubled times. They likewise believe that they passed this test, signified by one of the largest Deep Dwarven karaks discovering their cousins in Karak Trollhammer during a time of war, the first recorded meeting of the type, though the ancient histories of both hint at once having a larger society, and suffering many losses during a time when the mountains shook.

The two races are closely aligned, though they consider themselves separate societies now, with the Deep Dwarves generally disliking association with most of the other races, preferring a quiet life of hard work.

For the most part, they're able to pull this off, as no one really wants the Deep Dwarven lands. Despite rich mineral deposits, they live near or occasionally over lava vents, too hot and difficult to breathe for most races, while the deep dwarves find it perfectly comfortable, and most places too cold.

A Deep Dwarf city is almost always built underneath a Mountain Dwarf Karak, taking advantage of their cousins' martial traditions to protect them from most foes, especially those of the overworld, letting their cousins handle trade and other matters for them. A Deep Dwarven karak tends to be a sprawling, single level structure with few entrances, surrounded and defended by lava vents, sinkholes and other dangers. The city constantly resounds with the noise of industry, with virtually every shop used by at least three masters, sharing tools and space to use every inch to its optimal potential, and keep every trade going round the clock. When work shifts overlap, which is often, as ten to twelve hour days are the norm, the less experienced craftsmen or workers give way, and act as assistants to the most experienced master of the trade, even long past their apprenticeships.

Most cities are ruled by a collection of guildmasters from a number of trades, with the most senior master craftsman usually acting as something of a chairman. They will answer calls to arms by their cousins, and do maintain a militia, but rarely have nearly the prowess or strength to bring to bear. On the other hand, they often have high quality weapons and armor to make up the difference.

Deep Dwarves are rarely taller than 4', tending to be smaller and lighter than most of their cousins. They have dark brown to charcoal skin, almost all have black hair, with occasional dark, dark reds, and their eyes tend to be deepset and very dark.

Racial Adjustments:

Duergar:

The Duergar were once united with their cousins, or so most of Dwarvenkind believes. They have the traditional Dwarven love of gold, gems and industry, as well as typical Dwarven patience. However, they've long since put any sense of honor and courage aside in favor of their high virtues of greed and cunning. The tales go that they often rushed to find the choicest veins of minerals, and often attempted to hide their wealth at the expense of the rest of Dwarvenkind. They chiseled out hiding places in the mountains, rather than standing and fighting when called. And, most Dwarves believe, in the times of the Dragonwars, they used the chaos to steal the wealth of those who gave their lives, and secreted it away.

Regardless, the Duergar were eventually banished into the darkness. They survived, but resent and hate their cousins, and believe that the power and respect garnered by Dwarvenkind should rightly be theirs.

Duergar, while organized, are constantly vying for position within their societies, and the general belief is that if a leader isn't strong enough and cunning enough to hold his position, he doesn't deserve it.

The Duergar have set aside all other deities, and venerate only the Lord of Greed, Abbathor. Like other dwarves, they believe their ancestors speak to the god for them, but only those who have sufficient wealth hidden away, and/or deeds of sufficient cunning, often with the goal of obtaining wealth and power will gain the respect of their ancestors. Those with no money or status are on their own; though it can be hard to tell, as almost all Duergar dress in rags, and make no display of wealth, lest they become targets for their neighbors. A Duergar's money is between himself and his ancestors, and typically to be spent only to obtain more wealth or power.

Duergar would be on the taller end of Dwarvenkind, but they have a hunched posture as a racial trait, leading most to end up with a total height around the Hill Dwarven average. They have thin limbs by Dwarven standards, with dexterous hands, and surprisingly quick reactions. Their skin is usually olive brown to a light charcoal, their hair is almost always grey or black. Their eyes are typically hazel, grey or black.

Racial Adjustments:

Hill Dwarves:

When most people of the Northern continent think of dwarves, Hill Dwarves are what they think of. Steady, hardworking, hard-drinking, with a hint of a dark sense of humor that most don't understand, amidst a generally dour outward personality.

Hill Dwarves believe they were once the same race as their mountain cousins, but left the mountains in search of a place to live following an unknown catastrophe, hinted at in the oldest Dwarven tales, before any of the written histories. There is little animosity between the races of dwarves. If there is any single point of contention, it would be in the tales; the stories are similar, but in the Hill Dwarven version, they left into the outside world, boldly exploring so their relatives would have a chance to survive on little food and limited resources, while the mountain dwarves' versions talk about how those who couldn't handle the mountains leaving to find an easier life elsewhere while the hardiest rebuilt the civilization.

Hill Dwarves are fairly jovial and easy to get along with by Dwarven standards. Despite the wars with the elves of the Silverwood, they maintain generally good relations with most nations, and one large karak has even agreed to officially become part of Brelandia, due to the advantages in trade they gain by exporting the results of their mines on Brelandish ships.

While notoriously conservative by the standards of most races, hill dwarves boast far more explorers and adventurers than all the other races of Dwarvenkind combined. They are also more closely allied with outsiders, and almost every war in recorded history has included large contingents of Hill Dwarves. The other major difference: while Mountain Dwarves primarily consider their individual karaks and its outlying strongholds to be like nations, and owe their allegiance there, and may consider other Karaks allies, but little more, Hill Dwarves often consider themselves loyal to Hill Dwarves first, and most Hill Dwarven karaks will welcome any Hill Dwarf as a native. Indeed, this open relationship has led to a lot more interbreeding between karaks, and with it, many more alliances between families.

Hill Dwarves are typically ruled by a king, who shares power on a roughly equal basis with a council of elders, who can overrule the king if they can come to a 2/3rds majority vote. The council often has representatives of the merchants, various craft guilds, priests of the high three deities, and so on, representing the most important facets of Dwarven life.

Hill Dwarves are as those presented in the PHB, except as mentioned above. Plus, -2 Com.

Mountain Dwarves:

Mountain Dwarves are the second most common representatives of Dwarvenkind, after their lowland cousins. The Mountain Dwarves are, militarily and resource-wise, the strongest and richest of the Dwarves, however. The Mountain Dwarves are just as industrious as their Deep Dwarven allies, but apply it across a wider spectrum of trades. The best known outside the mountains are the elite warriors of the various Karaks, who throw themselves into drilling and training with a zeal unmatched in any other race.

With the many enemies present in the Drachensreaches --- Duergar, Drow, Illithid, Fire Giants, Mountain Giants and particularly the great Red Dragons that gave the mountains their names, the Mountain Dwarves have a deserved reputation for military creativity and valor. Almost every Mountain Dwarf would gladly trade his life for the safety of his Karak; anything less than total devotion, and many of the great city-fortresses would long since have disappeared. The first and best of everything goes to the military --- they're armed with the best weapons and armor possible, they're kept well fed, even in lean times, the siege weaponry and countless defensive traps are kept constantly maintained and checked on regularly, all of which pays off often. Most Karaks are literally surrounded by enemies, holding off foes on multiple fronts, with only those with a Deep Dwarven city beneath them having any 'safe' side, or at least an early warning of danger. This lifestyle leads Mountain Dwarves to be, by the standards of virtually any race, dour, pessimistic, practical, militaristic and focused. If they have a sense of humor, its a gallows humor. Mountain Dwarves, meanwhile, prefer terms such as realistic, pragmatic and industrious.

In times of wealth and safety, Mountain Dwarves often turn their focus to aiding and strengthening their allies, believing that strong allies with a debt to repay may eventually benefit the dwarves in turn.

Most Karaks are ruled by a King with absolute power, due to the common necessity of quick decisions being made without bureaucracy and corruption. Every king, so long as they are physically able, are also commanders of the Elite Guardsmen, and heirs to the throne are always trained to act as part of the Elite until they're ready to inherit. Many kings step down when they are no longer capable of surveying the battlefront and defenses, and fighting for their home themselves, even if its typically insisted they remain near the rear, though with some notable exceptions in Dwarven history. Retired kings often become master tacticians, or advise their children.

Mountain Dwarves follow traditions of near ancestor worship even more than most dwarves, believing that those who are truly worthy may be possessed by their departed ancestors in times of greatest trouble, to lend them extra strength, resolve and endurance.

Most Mountain Dwarves are 4-6 inches taller than the average, reaching heights up to 5'4, and often 40-65 pounds heavier then Hill Dwarves. Their skins tend towards dark tans, with similar, but usually darker shades of hair and eyes than those of Hill Dwarves.

Racial Traits:

Gnomes:

Gnomes are one of the great anomalies, where most races are concerned. They hold only one country, a tiny one given to them by a pact between elves and dwarves, and kept in Gnomish hands at their neighbor's insistence. They have no warrior tradition, few resources of their own of any note, and they don't really care about any of this. Despite which, gnomes may be one of the most important races in the known world.

Gnomes are typically constant wanderers. Most love nothing better than seeing new places and beings, and, most importantly, collecting new stories.

The defining trait of Gnomes is their complete lack of ego. While most gnomes, even non bards, have at least a traveling journal that sees a lot of use, their stories and histories are made distinct by often being told either from a third person perspective, with little note of the gnome's place in events save faithfully noting accurate accounts of their deeds, or minimizing their importance in events to enhance the contribution to history of their comrades, a fashion that typically sits well with said comrades. Pride is generally considered a nigh mortal sin in Gnomish societies, with only a couple small exceptions. They rarely seek any wealth or position, though many powerful individuals treasure Gnomish advisors, which can almost always be trusted to advise what truly is for the greater good rather than for the good of the gnome.

Gnomes are actually a blending of two distinct species, forest gnomes and rock gnomes. The gnomes themselves make no distinction, never did, and are so interbred at this point that the distinctions are academic anyway. The blending of traits has just made them more suited to a wider variety of environs and allowed their communities to have a mix of beneficial traits. They have a cousin species, the Deep Gnomes, but Svirfneblin are so different as to be almost another species entirely, and neither they, nor the surface gnomes acknowledge any but the most minor kinship.

Gnomish philosophy on ownership is generally that if one has nothing worth stealing, one doesn't have to worry about thieves. If one only has what one needs, few people will see fit to war on you. They're quite happy to settle in mixed race villages and cities, blending with the populace, and following the local manners. In fact, Gnomes prefer this arrangement. Many end up settling among halflings in particular, favoring retirement in the fashion of the halflings, glad to trade stories and craftsmanship with the halflings, though there's also gnomes to be found among almost every other race, often in small knots of Gnomes surrounded by the primary race of the region. Indeed, when the elves and dwarves first encroached into gnomish territory, the gnomes welcomed them, and were the first ones to agree that the lands were now Elvish or Dwarvish land, so long as they were allowed to continue living there, and allowed to become productive members of society, and from there, to begin traveling into their neighbors lands.

Gnomes' cooperation-focused perspective makes them excel as diplomats, and many learn skills that help them entertain, along with almost every gnome picking up a few crafting skills so they can be more self-sufficient.

There are a few things the gnomes take some pride in. First is their noses. The larger the nose, in general, the more attractive most gnomes consider another gnome. Gnomish celebrations often have contests to judge longest nose, widest nose, best sense of smell, and so on. There's prizes for the winners, often small works of craftsmanship, or some home grown vegetables, or something else minor. There's a lot of children's competitions as well at these events, though the array of categories is such that most children end up with a prize. Gnomes tend to feel this encourages self-esteem and proper esteem for one's nose, while preventing unhealthy competitive urges.

Secondly, gnomes love their pipes. Almost every family has a 'secret recipe', passed down through generations, and guarded tightly. Some families insist that a gnome may only reveal their recipe to another gnome on their wedding night, and only to their spouse, while others are a bit less protective. Gnomish pipes tend to be exceedingly light on tobacco or other addictive substances, producing only a very mild rush, but are very heavy on blends of scented herbs and spices, trying to produce pleasant scents. Most gnomish homes have long since absorbed the smell of the family's secret recipe pipe mix. Most gnomes also insist on crafting their own pipe. Sniffing another gnome's home or pipe too closely to try and figure out what a recipe consists of is considered rude in the extreme.

Finally, most gnomes keep a journal and a walking stick. The latter often doubles as a weapon if needed, though few gnomes lean to martial paths or much desire to be anywhere near the front of a battle, though many, many gnomes become adventurers, filling in in support roles.

Gnomes tend to live among other races so often that they often simply follow the dictates of whatever society they're in. When among gnomes, there's little real need for strong central leadership, as gnomes first thoughts are almost always what's best for the community. When decisions need to be made, they tend to be made by a gathering of the best educated among the gnomish society. Each town will also have a mayor who deals with diplomacy with outsiders and day to day bureaucracy.

Gnomes have a wide mix of traits. Though all are short, they cover a wide range of heights and builds, from little over 2'6 to almost 4', from almost elfishly slender to nigh Dwarven shouldered. Their hair runs from blonds to browns to reds to white and grey, with many gnomes developing grey or white streaks in their hair and beards early in life. Their eyes are almost always bright: blues, greens, soft browns and the occasional light grey.

Racial Adjustments:

Halflings:

To call halflings rustic is almost an understatement. They have little territory truly of their own, but live near other races, often mimicking at least a few of their neighbors' habits, while maintaining a non-aggressive stance, and many distinctively hobbitish habits.

Halfling communities are almost always self-supporting, the hard working people growing their own food, hunting a little, building their own homes, crafting their own goods. While they don't have the reputation for engineering or architecture, and certainly not the smithcraft of the dwarves, halflings often make extremely high quality tools, and seem to have a relationship with the land itself. Indeed, when halfling lands have been occupied, the occupiers almost always ended up returning the lands to the halflings and simply taxing them heavily, as no one matches the output of halfling tended fields, year in, year out.

Halflings are also masters of animal husbandry, especially where it comes to dogs. Most communities are self-admittedly dependent on their dogs. Different breeds serve as riding animals, companions, watchmen, guardians of children or storehouses, vermin-catchers, hunting companions and herders. Few halfling families are without at least two or three working dogs, depending on their trade. Every village has breeders and trainers that are often deemed some of the most important people in town.

Halflings love their creature comforts --- a comfortable chair at the end of a hard day's work, a good home cooked meal, a slightly overstuffed feather bed, a good ale --- these are the favorite things of most halflings, or inspiration to put in a hard day's work.

Family is also vitally important to most halflings, and any house will often contain grandparents, parents, children, aunts and uncles, cousins and so on. At the very least, most halflings live next door to family. Most small children are raised by grandparents, or sometimes great grandparents, with some help from the family's dogs keeping kids out of too much trouble. An almost constant element of halfling families is story-time, with the oldest member of a household telling the house's children stories of the world beyond. At times these are filled with inaccuracies, and they're often full of warnings about the dangers of the big, bad world, and often end up talking about the virtues of hard work and appreciating what one has. In a trait inspired originally by the gnomes, almost all halfling adults smoke, though their pipes tend to be mild mixes full of aromatics, just as their alcohol tends to be rich in flavor and light on alcohol.

Halflings tend to be suspicious of outsiders, but generous to their neighbors. They love a celebration, and have numerous holidays at the end of any growing season for various crops, full of competitions and the like, with a very county fair feel to almost all of them. Most outsiders, other than gnomes, are assumed to just bring trouble, and while polite and willing to trade, most halflings quietly urge outsiders not to stay long. The most common way of doing this is by assuring that there's no accommodations big enough for guests who aren't gnomes or halflings, unless a halfling village has particular friends in a nearby settlement.

Halfling adventurers are rare, and many villages consider those with a desire to adventure to be somewhat odd, but in seemingly contradictory fashion, there's often an air of celebration as a new local boy or girl goes out into the world, often supplied with plenty of food and basic provisions by their neighbors and family. A successful adventurer returning with new stories is often reason for a village-wide celebration, and almost every village has its own patron hero or two.

Halflings tend to be heavier than those presented in the PHB, and not as lithe and slender, though they remain quick and dexterous. They tend towards blonde or brown hair, and brown or blue eyes.

Tallfellows, Hairfeet, Stouts: these are largely trivial distinctions, and while the halfling race does have these variations, they're primarily an appearance based difference, and villages, especially in the Dragonscale hills, are often mixed without the halflings themselves making much distinction.

Racial Traits: As PHB, or MM in case of tallfellows/stouts, except as above and:

Half-Elves:

Half Elves have little history to call their own, with the exception of the half-Drow of Blackmar, where the Half-Drow, Tinara Blackmar, led the assault on the former kingdom of demons, freeing the land from the rule of the tanar'ri worshippers. The humans of high families since that time, and the worshippers of Elistraee have often intermarried, and many of the royal family possess Drow blood, or are more Drow then human.

Half-Elves will mix the features of their human parent and whatever species of Elven parent they have.

Racial Traits:

Half-Orcs:

The majority of the world's Half-Orcs are the result of actions of the slavers of the eastern Drachensreaches, a mix of humans and Orcs who trade with the demon kingdom, the bandit valley, and a few of the settlements in the north. Many Half-Orcs are slavers themselves, or at least get their beginnings within the culture.

A small handful are born between the Orcs of the Scar, and either the few humans still living there, or along the borders. Regardless, the cultural choices are often few, and typically violent, either among the raids into Blackmar and its neighbors, or in the heart of the territory involved with the Endless War with Brelandia.

Those that are raised by their human parent most often grow up hearing about the horrors of the Orcs, particularly within Brelandia.

A lucky few might be adopted into the thieves or assassins' guilds --- the Midnight Children and those they sponsor have a number of half-Orcs among their number. A few more might find a home among the people of the Bandit Valley, relatively peaceful compared to some of the other options.

Regardless, being born Half-Orc is almost a guarantee of a violent life, and due to the predations of the Orc tribes, there is a great deal of prejudice against any who show signs of Orcish blood, and even those of good intent will have to work ten times as hard to establish trust with most beings outside of the Orc or bandit factions. Within those cultures, they can become valued members of the societies.

Racial Adjustments: As PHB, plus -2 Com.

Humans:

Humanity is almost as diverse as Elvenkind, having spread over a large section of the world, with accompanying differences, even from other human cultures. Unlike the elves, they largely don't recognize the differences on a sub-species level, though in cases such as the peoples of the southern continent, or the Northmen, many cultures will question whether some peoples are human at all.

All adjustments below are in addition to the normal Human profile, except as specifically noted under each entry.

Despite the listed variants of the human race, the majority of the humans of Blackmar, The Demon Lands, the various Barbarian lands, many of the borders, the Bandit Kingdoms, the Hurricane Plains and the regions north of the mountains follow the standard human profile and abilities. Not counting the people of the Southern Continent, there is more baseline humans than all the variant cultures combined. Racial Adjustments:Per PHB

Brelandish:

The peoples of Brelandia are little different, in most ways, from the majority of the southland humans, save in their upbringing. All citizens of Brelandia grow up with visits and directions from druids being normal events, being told what to hunt, though also where, how many trees can be cut, and so on. In exchange, they tend to be well fed, their harvests enormously productive, the woodcutting goes without threat or challenge, and so on --- so long as they follow their instructions.

Children are taught from their earliest days that if an attack comes, the safest place to flee is into the thickest woods, and most often, the teachings are right. Travelers rarely fear to travel, though most well know they're being watched.

Most Brelandish people are better traveled and know more of their land than typical of other places. Children spend most of their youths camping, hiking and hunting. Farmers, ranchers, woodcutters and others have more free time, due to the relative ease of working with the land.

Racial Adjustments: All humans of Brelandia consider Handle Animal, Knowledge: Nature, Ride and Survival to be class skills, regardless of their class. All citizens of Brelandia learn these skills growing up, and tend to know their way around both animals and the land.

Brelandish humans must put their initial 4 bonus skill points into purchasing at least 1 rank each of Handle Animal, Knowledge: Nature, Ride and Survival. They do not gain an additional skill point per level after first unless the level taken is in Barbarian, Druid, Ranger or Scout, in which case apply the points as normal for levels of those 4 classes only. (Prestige classes with at least 3 of the 4 'bonus' skills as class skills may also gain the bonus skill point per level, GM's option.)

Favored Class: Druid, Ranger or Scout (choose 1 at chargen)

Darktouched and Hightouched:

The Darktouched are unique to the lands of Blackmar. After centuries of intermingling with the High Elves and Drow, many people, especially those near the pits and Blackmar city, have trace Elvish or dark Elvish blood. Not enough to lend them the strong Elven traits of half-elves, but they often have one or two distinctive features showing their heritage. Gold, silver, or pure white hair, odd skin tones, slanted eyes, pointed ears --- typically subtle, and only one or two hints.

They intermingle with the humans and Elven societies of Blackmar with little difficulty, but in other lands, their features draw more notice. For the most part, the advantages of Elven blood has passed out of them, but occasionally signs remain of lingering Elvish blood.

Racial Adjustments:

Dust People:

The Dust People are the civilization of the Jeweled City and its surrounds that few people ever see. They depend upon the rulers of the Jeweled City for water, and its protection. While comprising over seventy percent of the population, they have little political power. The Dust People comprise a lower class, doing most of the labor, while the families of the Jeweled people serve the political, military, and clerical structures, though many Dust People still serve in militias and are permitted to become soldiers and even priests or priestesses, though few rise high among the clergy.

Despite this, there is little discontentment among the 'lower class people' of the Jeweled City. They are provided for, protected, and most importantly, given water. Given the dangers of the desert, and the precarious position of the single great oasis of life in the desert, most Dust People really have no desire to bear the burdens of leadership, or having a population dependent on them.

Few Dust People become adventurers, and few people outside the Jeweled City have ever seen one, most people deal with the more visible residents who involve themselves in active trade. While some Dust People do exist in nomadic bands, or gather around Oases in the desert in small numbers, few people ever wander out far enough to encounter them. The Desert Elves, certainly, are aware of the differences, but few others would know the difference.

There have been attempts to 'liberate' the populations from the oppression of the acknowledged rulers of the city, sometimes from outside groups who are more independent, a few from helpful outsiders. None ever met with much success, mostly due to lack of enthusiasm from the native populations of the Dust People themselves. The one exception to the general social stratification is among the Servants of the Eye --- any willing to utterly devote themselves to the order and its fanatical pursuit of the evils of the world are welcome to join, and fanaticism tends to determine advancement there more than birth.

In appearance, Dust People are very similar to the Jeweled People, though smaller overall, and of more slender build, though typically more lithe and fit. They often have coarse features, desert life giving them aging lines very early in life, and those who don't know the culture will often see Dust People as ten to fifteen years older than they are. They have dark skin running over a range of shades. Most have black hair which often ends up salt-and-peppered or streaked with grey by thirty. Their eyes are almost universally brown.

Racial Adjustments:

Jeweled People:

The other human civilization of the Desert, the Jeweled People are those most people think of when talking of the single true civilization of the East. The Jeweled people comprise only thirty percent of the easterners, but handle all the trade, diplomacy, and political interaction. In addition, the majority of the priesthood, and the vast majority of military officers are Jeweled People.

As a whole, they're well educated and wealthy, given the amount and value of trade with the East. The priesthood controls most of the water of the city, which the entire city depends on. The merchants keep the city maintained and clean with the extensive taxes they pay, and the military serves more to protect the city from the creatures of the desert, and maintain order in the sprawling city then they do as a force against invasion --- a virtually unheard of thought on any real scale. But the other functions are enough to keep those in power firmly in power.

Families of the Jeweled People have a strict requirement: the first child, whether male or female, inherits the parents' land and business, picking up whatever trade they followed if any is applicable. Technically, only this child is generally to reproduce --- population controls are necessary to keep the city from growing faster than their water supply can support. The second child joins the priesthood, which is seen as a great honor. The great number of clerics is needed to produce the water the city requires for survival, but also monitor the exacting devotion of the city to their gods. The third child goes to the military, which also acts as police force. Alternately, third children may seek out the Servants of the Eye to try and meet their requirements to join. If a family has more than three children, the rest either replace a deceased sister or brother, or act as indentured servants to the first child, helping maintain the land and career of the family, until their oldest sibling dies, at which point they inherit. The second and third child are given over to their callings at age eight to begin training, and only ever inherit if the oldest dies before they reach the age of training. The vast majority of adventurers among the Jeweled People are fourth or fifth children.

Jeweled people tend to be about the size of the average human. They have very rich, dark skin with a deep lustre. Often once they reach their mid-twenties, they rarely show any sign of aging for some time thereafter, developing graying, lined faces or other hints of aging late in life. Their hair is typically black, though red hair does occur, but is considered a very bad omen. Their eyes are almost always brown, and very bright.

Racial Adjustments:

Northmen:

The Northmen are little more than a legend to the majority of people. They haven't ventured into the south in any number in thousands of years, and there is no active trade, save for a small amount of trade being sent through the Snow Elves of the wastes, trading seeds, preservable food, alcohol and wooden tools in exchange for ore, worked metal, weapons and gems, items the Northmen have in abundance. Other than those occasional shipments of metal goods and gems, most people in the south would have little idea there even is a culture far, far to the North.

The people of the Northlands are a people under almost constant siege. The white dragons, remnants of the Hades invasion, the Drow beneath the mountains, and particularly the Frost Giants are almost constant and continual enemies of the north, along with the handful of creatures capable of surviving the harsh climes. There is only a growing season of any sort due to the druids within their number, though under the mountains there is some farming for various fungi, and the tiny handful of remnants of the mountain dwarves of the far north have been able to carefully maintain some livestock and fungal farming of their own, and trade with the Northmen. Otherwise, hunting and fishing provides for survival. Both hazardous, as the Frost Giants have much the same requirements.

The Northmen have a warrior culture, divided into strict castes. While actual warriors are only one caste, even people belonging to the other castes --- the peasants, who provide most of the labor, but have little military responsibility, and the women (a somewhat deceptive title, females may opt to follow any of the castes once they reach age 13, but may not change once they've chosen) learn to defend themselves and their families. Warriors are simply more intensely trained.

Women make most of the political decisions as part of a council. They tend to be better educated, and indeed, most others are illiterate. Women also own all of the property other than weapons and a fishing boat, with the one exception being mead halls: if a warrior has enough status to have his own mead hall, then that is considered his; this includes the Jarl's Hall, of course. Property and names pass down matrilinearally, a facet of the culture made necessary by the high mortality rates of the warriors.

The Jarl is the political leader, but truly only makes decisions regarding fishing, hunting, defense and war. Because of the dangers involved with hunting and fishing, they are often regarded as virtually the same thing. No one else has any say in these decisions, once the Jarl has made a decision, but others may advise him, at his discretion. A Jarl will often select two or three advisors, often a priest of Odin or Thor, and a strong warrior or tactician. The Jarl is always of the Warrior caste, and always owns his own mead hall.

By human standards, Northmen are huge, often at least six foot tall, and up to seven. They tend to have very fair skin, blue eyes, and hair that runs from blond to white. There are occasional exceptions, throwbacks to earlier connections to the rest of humanity, but these are rare.

Racial Adjustments:

Pygmies:

Pygmies are one of the two human races of the Southern Continent. They exist, along with the Jungle Elves, mostly in the deep Dark, where they exist mostly as hunter-gatherers. They've seen the civilization offered by the other humans of their homelands, and have rejected it as against the wishes of the land and their spirits. A few tribes do some trade with their neighbors, while others refuse contact save with the Elves, but almost universally, they have elected to remain mostly out of sight of outsiders, and maintain the ways of life they always have.

Pygmies maintain an oral culture, and few ever learn to read and write. They have their own language, and also learn a complex series of signs with which they mark the jungle to indicate trails, food sources, danger, and a thousand other messages that would be all but invisible to anyone else, but are easy to read for any pygmy. A few jungle elves have learned this written language, but few others are even aware of it. The Southlanders mostly attribute the pygmies with having a mystical awareness of the jungle. (And most Southlanders are terrified of pygmies, at least in groups, and eye even the occasional individual who wanders out of the Jungle warily, and treat them with a great degree of respect, for fear the pygmy will curse them, or worse, that the Jungle will take retribution for any harm done to "her" children.)

Different tribes of pygmies do not necessarily have any contact or alliance with others, despite a shared language present in most tribes around the jungle. War is even possible, but rare. Other than the jungle elves, even most tribal peoples within the jungle have a healthy respect for the pygmies, and tend to give their territory wide berth.

Other than the creatures of the Jungle, they have few enemies due to this long-standing respect and fear.

Racial Adjustments:

Southern Continent:

In general, the people of the Southlands are very like their kin in the north. They tend towards a range of darker skin tones, and most have black hair and dark eyes. The cultures are widely varied, with followers of the Heliopolis pantheon towards the eastern edges, which surprised those who first met them to find any connection with the people of the Endless Desert. Those in the west tend more towards animistic viewpoints, or follow an odd pantheon which lies somewhere between gods and ancestor spirits.

The people of the Southern Continent don't have the magical resources of the north. Far fewer have any kind of advanced education, and wizards are almost unheard of. On the other hand, they often show a far greater knowledge of the world around them, and tend towards a more practical outlook, mysticism and superstitions aside. And even those seem to have some basis in practicality, according to northern continent observers.

Racial Adjustments:

-2 Int, +2 Wis

Otherwise as human

Ravenlands:

The people of the Ravenlands aren't much different from the people south of the mountains, other than some odd traits cropping up among them.

The rulers of the northlands in ancient history were the Ravensi families. And while they've intermixed with the population ever since the days of Jakob Ravensi's rule, the Ravensi traits still show up in many among the populace, and a disproportionate number of such people end up in positions of power on the charisma that seems to come with the blood, as well as the interest in politics and diplomacy that also seems to accompany the pale features, raven black hair and pale eyes that are sure signs of the Ravensi heritage.

The other bloodline which still shows up in many people, especially in Raven's Reach, is the signs of Northman blood. Typically six to six and a half foot tall, these people also tend towards lighter skin, blond hair and blue eyes, all rarities among the primarily darker skinned, dark haired people native to the majority of the Northern Continent.

Neither of these bloodlines has any true deviation from base humanity, but do allow access to some feats typical of those of Ravensi or Northlander descent.

M'inah Zvema:

No one is quite certain of the origins of the M'inah Zvema, which have roamed the jungles of the Southern Continent for centuries, at the least. Given the many necromancers and the abundance of undead within the jungles, they're assumed to have likely either resulted from a failed necromantic ritual, a successful ritual with unforeseen consequences, or people who were mostly drained by some type of life essence draining undead, then had their lives saved, if barely, or were rescued from death's door somehow. In any case, whatever created the first M'inah Zvema, they can breed, and breed true, whether among themselves, or with humans. There are no M'inah Zvema of any other race, but humans of pygmy stock are included in their numbers, though rarer by far.

Their name means half-dead, which is almost precisely what they seem to be. Slow moving, somewhat mentally dull, and with grayed flesh, dull eyes, stringy hair and prominent bones. Even well fed M'inah Zvema look like they're only a couple meals away from wasting away. Despite their frail appearance, they're amazingly resilient, have almost no sense of pain, and are virtually tireless.

The most common types wander through the jungles in packs in search of food, able to digest anything normal humans can, but needing raw meat to truly sustain them. Some of the more intelligent have attempted to build some type of home for themselves, use traps, and occasionally manage to establish reasonable terms with other sentient beings near them. A few have put their durability to use as adventurers, and some of these have become guides into the Dark.

The peoples of the Southern Continent are aware of them and their nature. The first reaction from most people is revulsion mixed with pity. A single M'inah Zvema is rarely considered a threat, as they're slow moving, and those who travel alone tend to be the non-hostile ones. Groups of them are usually assumed to be hunting, and will be held at bay aggressively or attacked, even if individuals within the group are known to those they're approaching, as hungry enough M'inah Zvema have been known to lose all mentality save the overwhelming desire to feed. The people, especially the Jungle Elves, certainly consider them to be cursed. There is no known cure.

Racial Attributes:

Humanoids:

Humanoid races are scattered all about the known world, though there are four which have had the greatest impact upon the rest of the world, and still hold large territories acknowledged to be theirs.

Goblins:

Goblins are widespread through the world, living in numbers in the wilderness of the lands north of the mountains, at the outskirts of the Drachensreaches, in wilder areas of Blackmar and the rest of the north, among the Slavers of the valley, among the Bandit Kingdoms, and especially in the Scar. The majority of Goblins in the world are seen as something of a servant race, often seen as scouts for slavers, front line expendables for Orcs, servants of hags and giants, and as the stealthy spies and assassins of the Hobgoblins. They were once common among the Demon Kingdom, holding large swatches of territory and worshipping their Demon prince. When the Demon Kingdom fell, they were scattered to wherever they could find shelter.

Only in one place in the world can Goblins really claim to live free and as they will: in the Scar, in the Goblindrowns.

Even in a stark and desolate land, the Goblindrowns are known as lands long since forsaken by anything benevolent. The vast stretch of marsh and swamp is treacherous through virtually every inch. Sinkholes, patches of land which are really just mud patched over fragile tree trunks, stirge swarms, hungry trolls, disease infested bogs, and all sorts of other obstacles confront any traveler. The Orc tribes that surround it consider entering the Goblindrowns to be a reasonable way of committing suicide. The Goblins, on the other hand, have thrived.

There is no scout in all of the known world that can command a price equal to an experienced Goblindrowns born Goblin who has established a reputation for not betraying those he scouts for. The combination of Goblins who leave the ‘Drowns and pass through Orcish territory are few enough. Those who also establish themselves as trustworthy are fewer still. but if you can find one, there is usually considered to be none better.

Most Goblins worship the Demon Prince Maglubiyet, though those living among other people often turn to following that race's gods instead. Their rulership is fluid when among their own kind, usually the strongest leads, with his or her authority extending as far as they, or their most loyal guards can see.

Racial Stats:

As MM except:

Orcs:

The Orcs have become one of the world's more influential races through merit of sheer numbers. Having fallen under the rulership of the Hobgoblin tribes early in their existence, the bulk of the Orcish peoples are more civilized and organized than in most other worlds, though they remain savage, competitive and brutal. The strongest don't always rule, but only because the strongest are usually under the sway of the most cunning. The priests of Gruumsh hold a great deal of sway in most tribes, but almost never act as King, preferring to support a king so long as he follows their general wishes.

Orcs breed at a frightening rate, and multiple births are common. Twins don't surprise anyone, triplets only make for mild news. The childhood mortality rate is almost as frightening though, with the children being encouraged to compete from early in life, leading to the survival of the strongest, the most cunning, or the most charismatic and manipulative. Those who have a good degree of all three traits are often those who become chiefs or priests.

Orcish towns are often filthy and dark, but much more organized than one would expect. The Orcish mentality, combined with Hobgoblin influence leads them to imposing draconian punishments on anyone found shirking their duties.

The worship of the Orcish gods is an almost fanatical drive in most Orcs, in part because the priesthood is almost everywhere, though a handful, especially those of a more chaotic bent than is typically welcomed in Orcish towns follow the Ogre and Troll deity Vaprak the Destroyer instead. For the most part, this is acceptable to most Orcs, those individuals just tend to end up segregated and put near the front lines of any battle.

Racial Traits:

As PHB, except:

Favored Class: Fighter

Hobgoblins:

The Hobgoblins boast the longest continuous known history of any race. At one time they held an empire that spanned most of the Southlands, with Orcs, Goblins, Ogres and others as their subjects. Almost everywhere south of the Drachensreaches has a history of once belonging to the Hobgoblins. That time is long since past, to anyone except the Hobgoblins.

They retain a staunch hatred of elves, believing that the elves of all kind had something to do with the breaking of the Empire and scattering of the armies over 10,000 years ago. No one, including the elves, is quite certain what that might have been.

Otherwise, the Hobgoblins remain a frighteningly organized martial society. Their children are well educated, though they study mostly from history and tactical text. Their warriors drill and train with a devotion matched only by the Mountain Dwarves. Even with comparatively tiny numbers, the skill and spectacle of the Hobgoblins ensures that many Hobgoblin tribes have many followers among the other humanoid peoples.

The Hobgoblins are also the backbone of the Scar's side of the Endless War. Seeing Darce Breland, a Wild Elf ruler, as an extraordinary insult, they have signed off on at least limited peace pacts with virtually every other neighbor to focus their influence on their long term goal of destroying the High General and his country.

Outside of Brelandia, Hobgoblins are encountered in one of two ways. One is as small settlements allowed to settle outside of a city --- many have discovered the benefits to both sides. Hobgoblins are fanatically clean and organized, they post their own well-trained sentries, and they'll quickly come to the side of those who've allowed them a place to live near resources of use in any armed conflict without asking questions (unless the enemy is other Hobgoblins, and even then, different tribes are often quite willing to war on each other)

The other way is the Red Guard. The Red Guard goes beyond all tribal affiliations to the Hobgoblins. They are the elite of the elite, collected from all tribes by the Hobgoblins of the Red Hand --- those who can trace their lineage back to the days of the dwindling empire. Now, most of the Guard serves as mercenaries, willing to sell their swords to almost any cause other than Brelandia's, who send most of their pay back home to support the war effort. While they never come cheap, most acknowledge that when you need something done, few will get it done more efficiently than the Red Guard Bands.

Racial Adjustments: As MM

The Blooded:

Due to the long influence of the lower planes on the world, many remain infused with the blood of Demons, or with the taint of the Hordes of Hades.

Hordelings still wander the frozen wastes of the north. Goblins and cultists still call on fiendish powers for aid. In the Demon Valley, remnants of the most powerful empire of recent times still follow their ancient rites, and continue to swear to one day rule again.

Tieflings:

While not quite a "common" race, there are enough Tieflings that they wouldn't be considered truly out of place in most lands, though they are always viewed with suspicion and occasional outright hatred.

Racial Adjustments: As listed

Blooded:

For those with demonic taint in their bloodstream further back than a Tiefling or Half-Demon would indicate, see the Demon-Blooded Feat.

For those with some remnant of the Hades War to them, see the Horde-Blooded Feat.