Species

By far the most ambitious of all the Species, Humans have forged a grand empire for themselves and have left an indelible fingerprint on the world. Pious and devoted to their patron God Valtus, Humans strive to adhere to the tenets of nobility and chivalry. This often times leads others to believe that Humans are arrogant and find themselves above the “Heathen” Species that they share the realm with.

Appearance: Humans come in all shapes and sizes, with various skin tones and hair colors. Males stand on average about 6 feet in height and females average at about six inches shorter than males. You can always tell the social class of a Human by their dress, as Human Nobles have taken the art of ostentatious fashion to a whole new level, while the commoners they rule over make use of far more simple garb.

Physiology: Rarely does a Human live beyond 100 years, and their blood comes in a rich, deep red color.

Personality: Humans are a proud people, first and foremost. Their empires are the vastest. Their religion the most organized. Their culture the most refined and civilized. These admirable accomplishments all contribute to the typical Human tendency towards arrogance. Humans believe that they should lead by example, and that the less fortunate cultures (read: any non-Human one) should follow their lead towards prosperity. While many Humans are honestly well-meaning in these aims, other Species often find Human boasting about the glorious victories of their Species to be rather tiresome.

Social Hierarchy: To your average Human, social status and hierarchy are of utmost importance. Strong believers in their rigid social order, Commoners defer to their Noble Lords and Ladies with utmost respect, toiling the land and paying taxes to their landed superiors in exchange for protection. The most valuable thing to a Human is their family name, and to bring dishonor or shame to your family is perhaps the greatest fear a Human could imagine. Even the lowest born of Human families has a House crest and colors, and this source of familial pride runs deep indeed.

Religion: Valtus is the patron deity of Humankind. He is the god of Nobility and Chivalry, and a great number of lesser Saints are worshipped beneath him, with each Saint representing a different aspect of the world. All Humans revere Valtus, but each Human chooses a particular Saint that guides their life. Saint Soleece is the Saint of mercy, healing, life and well-being, and is popular among healers, farmers and most family-orientated Humans. Saint Luthras is the Saint of justice and noble warfare, and is most popular among soldiers, mercenaries and generals. Saint Arel is the patron Saint of beauty, courtly love and art, and is revered by painters, entertainers, and artists. Numerous other Saints exist, but to list them all would take far too much time, and the previous three are the most popular. 

Ruler: Valtmoor is a Theocracy, and the ruler is granted the title of Monarch. A Monarch is advised by a powerful council of 10 Grand Priests. When a Monarch dies, a new Monarch is chosen from the ranks of the Grand Priests. The current Monarch Nydrian has recently been voted into power after the suspicious death of the last Monarch.

Homeland: Valtmoor is a bountiful and sun-drenched land dominated by walled keeps, castles and fertile farmland. Fair weather and idyllic conditions make Valtmoor one of the most pleasant places in all the Realm.

Sorcery: Humans draw their magical might directly from their patron god Valtus. Those who practice Divine magic are known as Priests and wield the power to mend the flesh, heal the sick, and smite the sinful. Priests are awarded great respect among Humans, and are awarded even more respect than those of noble birth.

Human Birthrights

Speed: Humans have a Speed of 30 feet.

Adaptability: Humans are quick to acclimatize to new ideas and concepts, and as such, Humans may ignore any and all Requirements when purchasing Edges. Humans also begin with a free 2 levels in a Skill of their choice.

Extended Family: Family is everything to Humans, and your blood is always there to lend a hand when you need it. Once per adventure, a Human can spend a point of Luck to call in a favor from one of their extended family members. While your family will do whatever they can (for the most part) to aid you, they won’t put their life on the line or join you in battle or combat.

Prayer of Valtus: Every Human has an intense faith in their patron deity, Valtus, and can evoke his name to aid in their daily lives. Once per day, a Human can take a Half Action to utter a small prayer to Valtus to gain Advantage on the next roll they take within one minute of uttering their prayer.  

Human Thoughts On Others

Elves: Beware their enchanted Glade, lest your soul be lost forever in the marvel of its beauty.

Dwarf: Their cultured and grand cities are quite worth their rudeness to visit.

Gnome: Delightful! In moderation, of course.

Firbolg: Uncouth and unseemly are some of the more flattering words that come to mind…

Ancient and primordial, the Elves are just recently discovering the world beyond the mist-shrouded borders of their enchanted homeland. These enigmatic beings express both the serene aloofness of the colder months in their Males, as well as the beauty and fertility of the warmer months in their females, living in absolute harmony with the natural world around them.

Appearance: The physical appearance of an Elf depends heavily on their Gender, as male and female Elves have vastly differing appearances. Male Elves are called Dryads, and have brown, grooved skin that has the texture of bark. They are rather tall and willowy (no pun intended), standing between six and seven feet in height, having hair that comes in either green or orange or deep purple hair that has the texture of thin, whip-like vines. Dryads have deep, low voices.

Female Elves are physically striking and supple of figure, having skin tones that come in various greens, and hair that comes in any color that can be found in nature. Their ears are delicately and gracefully pointed, and their eyes come in glowing colors of blue, pink, or purple. Elven females often wear flowers in their hair and naturally smell of sweetly pressed flowers. Aptly named, Nymphs find clothing to be restrictive and stifling, and normally choose to make very little use of any.

Physiology: Elves have bright neon green blood and cease to physically age when they reach the height of their personal beauty. Elves used to be Immortal and immune to all disease. If an Elf was killed in some way, they would merely be reborn in their ancestral garden where all Elves first are given life. However, the foul poison of Hissfah has robbed them of their Immortality, and on an Elf’s 500^th birthday, they are afflicted with a horrifying illness known as The Wilting, where, over the course of the next four seasons, the Elf’s majestic form slowly dry up and wither, until only a fine pile of mulch remains. When the Wilting came, the Elven population was ravaged, as immediately, any Elf over 500 years old began showing signs of the disease.

Nymphs are not born in the typical way, but instead, actually bloom from very rare, very large pods already fully grown. Dryads sprout from the ground itself in a matter of seconds, like some rapidly growing tree. Whenever one Elf dies, another, completely new Elf “sprouts” from the earth of Thistlebloom Glade. In the Spring and Summer Months, Elven females are “born”, and in the Autumn and Winter, Males bloom instead.

Personality: Male Elves have strong ties to Autumn and Winter, and as such, share personality traits relating to those seasons. Dryads are stoic and introspective, speaking little and possessing an air of serenity that borders on melancholy about them. Nymphs are creatures of Spring and Summer, and are vibrant, lively and promiscuous. They like sensation and lots of it.

Social Hierarchy: Nymphs loathe responsibility and boredom, and leave the entirety of rulership to Dryads, who are the far more focused of the two. Dryads are wise and protective sorts, and take positions in Elven society as guardians and law enforcement.  Generally speaking, in Elven society, as long as you don’t go out of your way to disturb or harm others, you can live out your eternity however you please, but arousing the ire of the protective Dryads is not a wise decision.

Religion: The subject of Religion is baffling to the Elven people. They live their lives to the absolute fullest and put very little thought into what happens afterwards. While they have no religious beliefs to speak of, they do revere nature and the elements themselves.

Ruler: While the Elves have no King or Queen to speak of, they are led by a massive and ancient sentient Tree named Yeth’Nelarn, who communes with and advises the Elven people on important matters. It is said that only those of Elven blood can understand the words uttered by this primordial being, and no non-Elf has ever even laid eyes upon him!

Homeland: Thistlebloom Glade is a place of majestic and enchanted beauty, filled with dangerous living plants, enormous mushrooms and all manner of ancient wildlife. A thick blanket of fog makes this sprawling, enchanted forest gleam and sparkle as if it were a setting in some exotic and foggy dream. Thistlebloom Glade is such a beautiful place that non-Elves who visit are in danger of succumbing completely to the enchanting effects of the place, spending an eternity simply lost in the whimsical surroundings for the remainder of their lifetime. For this reason, non-Elves very rarely make their way within the borders of Thistlebloom.

Sorcery: Elves who practice Nature Magic are called Druids. Elven Druidic magic centers on controlling and manipulating the forces of the wild, and can have extremely dramatic effects such as controlling the weather, assuming the form of beasts, and other impressive feats of primal magic.

Elven Birthrights

Speed: Elves have a speed of 30 feet anywhere outside of Thistlebloom Glade. When within the borders of their homeland, an Elf’s speed increases to 40 feet!

Nature’s Allure (Nymphs only): All female Elves are physically attractive, and begin play with the Sex Appeal Edge for free at character creation. In order to play a Nymph, you must have a Presence score of at least 6. Nymphs are lovely and demure, but not very physically strong, and they have a maximum Vigor score of 6.

Oaken Flesh (Dryads only): Male Elves have flesh that has the consistency and strength of warm, living bark that grants them the Thick Skin Edge for free at character creation. When within the borders of Thistlebloom Glade, they gain the benefit of having the Thick Skin Edge x2. If a Dryad already has the Thick Skin Edge at x2, then they gain an extra +3 Armor Bonus while in their native home, for a total Armor Bonus of +9 in Thistlebloom, and an Armor Bonus of +6 outside of Thistlebloom!   

Wild Kin: The Elven people are closely tied to natural beasts, and can communicate verbally with any natural forest animal of at least nominal intelligence. This does not include aquatic wildlife or vermin. Keep in mind that every animal has a different disposition, and just because you can communicate with an animal doesn’t mean that they will be inclined to aid you for free. All elves begin play with a free 2 levels in the Primal Skill. Lastly, due to their general distrust of non-natural things, Elves may never purchase the Tech Training Edge.

Primordial Step: Elves leave no trace of their passing in the wild, and are impossible to track by Non-Elves. However, an Elf can pick up the subtle signs of their kin, and an Elf can attempt to track another Elf normally.

Dryad Thoughts On Others

Humans: This god of theirs concerns me…

Dwarves: Cold, calculating and consumed with their own brilliance.

Gnomes: How can they be so jovial with no home to call their own?

Firbolgs: Mix fire, leaf and wood, and you will never see a harmonious outcome.  

Nymph Thoughts On Others

Humans: The peasant toils and the Lords and Ladies dance. Personally, I’ll dance.

Dwarves: A life spent bickering and scribbling in the dark? Forgive me if I pass.

Gnomes: Their story is a tragic one. I weep for the wanderer shackled to a destination.

Firbolgs: They are feverish and passionate, and so, I understand them…to a point.

Obsessive thinkers and reclusive, eccentric minds, Dwarves are a cerebral people who excel at all things intellectual, creative and artistic. Their obsession with privacy and study has resigned them to deep underground mountain libraries, studios, workshops and hidden kingdoms where they can delve into whatever creative or analytical passion drives them. No other civilization boasts the level of technology that the Dwarves enjoy due to their famed inventors and brilliant minds.

Appearance: Dwarves have skin tones that come in any shade of gray, much like the stone places that they call home. Their hair comes in shades of black, orange, red or white, and fully grown Dwarves stand between four and a half and 5 feet in height, having broad, compact builds. Male Dwarves grow their facial hair thick and often strangely styled. All Dwarves have pure white eyes that lend them a strange, unblinking stare that can easily seem unsettling to non-Dwarves. 

Physiology: Dwarven blood is black and makes a perfect sort of ink that does not smudge. Many Dwarves bottle the stuff to sell for that very purpose, and “Dwarf Ink” is quite in demand to scholars and scribes the world over. Dwarves are long lived and can live well beyond 500 years of age. A Dwarf is considered adolescent until their one hundredth birthday.

Personality: Dwarves are creative, erudite and scholarly. They do not tolerate fools or the ignorant kindly, and have a well-deserved reputation as being impatient or stodgy in their social interactions. While Dwarves do not try naturally to be rude, they harbor distaste for flattery, lies, and wasting time with overt social niceties. All Dwarves prefer to get to the point of the matter and skip the flowery words in the process. Fervent creators, most Dwarves have eccentric personalities and can be difficult to deal with from others who don’t share their creative spark.

Social Hierarchy: To a Dwarf, merit is all. Your place in Dwarven society is directly related to your contributions to whatever field of art or academia that you practice. Dwarves value intellect, creativity and ingenuity above all, and those who display sound reasoning, logic and inspiration in their studies are awarded great respect among their peers. During character creation, a Dwarf player should choose at least one sort of study or art that they devote themselves fully to.  

Religion: Dwarves believe that an afterlife is not granted, but earned through hard work and inspiration. To be remembered and respected for your art (whether you are a mathematician, academic, alchemist, inventor, or even a mortician) by your peers is the ultimate form of immortality, and a Dwarf believes that the creative spirit can inspire others, therefore granting particularly inspired Dwarves true immortality.

Ruler: Dwarves love to argue and debate, and they are led by a large assembly of brilliant minds and capable orators known as the Council of Reasoners. The Council acts as a sort of collective Senate for the Dwarven Species, using logic and pragmatism to lead the race as a whole.  

Homeland: Mount Gorgarodd is the largest mountain in the known world. Within this massive mount lies an immaculately carved kingdom that acts as the ancestral home for the Dwarven people. This technological marvel is the most cultured place in the world, housing the finest works of art, grandest architecture and bleeding edge technological advancements that have ever been unearthed. Dwarves are cautious of who they admit into their legendary city, however, and the deeper a non-Dwarf wishes to travel into the city, the harder an IQ test they must pass to proceed.

Sorcery: Dwarves do not court such childish nonsense as Sorcery, but the Dwarven equivalent is their miraculous Inventors, who can create some truly magnificent technological marvels with a handful of spare parts and some inspiration.

Dwarven Birthrights

Speed: Dwarves have a speed of 25 feet due to their short, stocky legs. While underground or on mountainous terrain, they have a speed of 30 feet.

Darkvision: Due to their natural predilection for living underground, Dwarves can see perfectly in pitch darkness. However, they see in black and white and are unable to see colors. For this reason, most Dwarven cities are at least moderately well lit.

Expansive Mind: All Dwarves are quite intelligent and in order to play a Dwarf, you must have a Smarts score of at least 6. The Dwarven tendency towards solitude and disregard for flowery prose means that they can be rather limited in their charms, however, and have a maximum Presence score of 6. Dwarves also begin play with a free 2 levels in the Tinker Skill as well as the Tech Training Edge for free at Character Creation.

Learning Curve: Dwarves get the absolute most out of their experiences, and at the end of every Adventure, a Dwarf player rolls a Smarts (Lore) check at difficulty 20. A success indicates that they immediately gain an extra Experience point for the adventure.

Dwarven Thoughts On Others

Human: They rely on their god while they should be relying on themselves. Unfortunate.

Elf: Frolic in the trees for all eternity, for all I care!

Gnome: If they could sit still for five minutes, they might just learn something.

Firbolg: Pointless!

Your average Gnome simply cannot sit still for very long, and the Species as a whole suffers from an insatiable wanderlust that finds Gnomes at the forefront of anything adventurous and exciting. Lovers of travel, epic and heroic stories of high adventure and far off places, Gnomes are naturally drawn to exploration and discovery.

Appearance: Gnomes are all slight and sure-footed, standing between four and four and a half feet in height. Their skin comes in tones of dusky brown, and their hair is always a pure snow white color. Gnomish eyes can come in any color, but the right and left eye are always different colors. Gnomish fashion tends to be comfortable and ideally suited for travel, employing bright, flashy colors and impressive designs. Gnomes have a great love of shiny things, and often sport copious amounts of charms, trinkets and jewelry. 

Physiology: Gnomes have bright pink blood, and can live to be up to 300 years of age. Gnomes are considered adults at age 16.

Personality: Gnomes are friendly, curious, and interested in just about everything. They have a great love of grand, heroic stories, games of chance, and have a very difficult time declining dares. Many Gnomish legends entail two Gnomes trying to outdo the other, accomplishing wild feats that the other dares their foe to attempt.

Social Hierarchy: The Gnomish people respect experience, and those who have seen many places and spoken many tongues are awarded great respect among Gnomes. Of all the Species, Gnomes don’t care much for Species or social pecking orders. They are simply polite and friendly to everyone until given a reason to not be. Gnomes rarely settle in one place for long, and are always on the move. Sometimes Gnomes congregate in large traveling bands comprised of wagons known as caravans.

Religion: While Humans are the only Species in the Known World with an organized religion and Deity, Gnomes do revere capricious, fickle forces known as The Fates. The Fates are the embodiment of pure, dumb luck and chance, and do not require worship.

Ruler: The Gnomish people love personal freedom and rarely take mantles of power or leadership. The Gnomes impose no laws on anyone, and follow no unified voice as a person, proving to be too fractured and sparse to form any sort of organized governance. 

Homeland: Unlike the other Species of the Known World, the Gnomes trace their lineage to no known place of origin or capital city. To a Gnome, their only home is the road, and the Species has never taken the time, nor felt the urge to settle down and make a kingdom all their own. They are more than happy to enjoy those of others more suited to the task. Everyone knows that the Gnomes appeared through a great roiling blanket of white fog that blanketed Nezdriodel some time ago, but when asked about where they came from before then, a Gnome will most likely change the subject…

Sorcery: Gnomes practice Fatecraft, a Sorcery that focuses on the powers or fortune and gaining the attention of The Fates to benefit yourself or hinder foes. Fatecrafters are awarded great respect among Gnomes, and many of their abilities can aid greatly in travel.

Gnomish Birthrights

Speed: Gnomes have a Speed of 30 feet despite their demure size.

Chosen of the Fates: Whenever a Gnome spends a point of Luck, they gain Advantage on their re-roll. If a Gnome spends a point of Luck to re-roll any roll made against them, that roll suffers Disadvantage.

Stunted: Because of their short stature and general fleetness of foot, Gnomes gain a +2 Bonus Modifier to their Defense. If you want to play a Gnome, you must have an Agility score of at least 6. Gnomes have limited muscle mass and can have a maximum Vigor score of 6. Gnomes cannot use Heavy weapons under any circumstances. All Gnomes gain a free 2 levels in the Stealth Skill.

World Traveler: Gnomes can never sleep in the same place twice, nor can they own property. All Gnomes instinctively know which way North, East, West and South is relative to their position, and they act as living compasses. Once a Gnome physically travels somewhere, they can always find their way back to that location. Gnomes know all manner of shortcuts, and cut all travel times in half. Lastly, all Gnomes know how to communicate basically with any Species with a written alphabet, and gain the Linguist Edge for free at character creation.

Gnome Thoughts On Others

Humans: Their Nobles have such impressive trinkets! Think I’ll borrow some…

Elves: Oh, the things that must go on in their forbidden Glade! If only I could find a way in.

Dwarves: Their books and stories have far too much math in them for my taste.

Firbolgs: If you choose to travel with these folks, be sure not to wear your good clothes.

Rowdy and hot-tempered, Firbolgs are by far the most chaotic Species in the realm. They enjoy chaos, fighting, and pretty much anything that promises a good, loud time. While they have a well-earned reputation as uncouth and primitive, they are a ferocious force on the battlefield.

Appearance: Firbolgs are…interesting looking people, and have skin tones that come in any shade of yellow, orange or red. Their eyes (Firbolgs can have between one cyclops-like eye, two normally placed eyes, or three eyes, with one eye placed at the forehead) also come in any of these colors, and burn bright as if their gaze is filled with lava. Male Firbolgs are big and bulky, standing at around 7 feet tall, with females being slighter, standing at around 6 feet in height. Firbolg hair is always black, and they dress simply, making use of primitive forms of dress and adornment. The Firbolg people are not very attractive, and often have tusks jutting from the sides of their mouths, warts, and other similarly impressive features. Firbolgs love to fight, and rarely wear numerous scars from previous battles.

Physiology: Firbolgs have glowing orange blood that is very warm to the touch, much like lava. Firbolgs are the shortest lived Species in the Known World, and ritually end their lives when they reach the vaunted age of 66, though many a Firbolg dies on the battlefield far before this time. When a Firbolg breathes, wisps of grey smoke can be seen drifting from their nostrils. Firbolgs mature to adulthood at the age of 9. Firbolgs are not born in a traditional way, and instead, are hatched from large molten eggs that are “burped” seemingly at random from one of the many volcanoes that dot the landscape of their homeland. Once a Firbolg is hatched, they instinctively wander towards the nearest Firbolg settlement, where they are raised by the community.

Personality: Firbolgs are loud, boisterous, and love a good time. To them, life is short, and they want to enjoy every single second of it drinking, fighting, and doing other things that start with “F”.

Social Hierarchy: The goal of every Firbolg is to be bigger, meaner, and tougher than everyone else. Reputation is of grand importance to the Firbolg people, and the more people that you’ve beaten up, intimidated and left bruised and battered, the more upstanding a citizen you are among your peers and the more respect you warrant. Firbolgs do everything big, whether it be drinking, fighting, eating, or the like. Those who gain great respect among their fellows earn the lofty Firbolg title “Boss” in front of their name. Firbolgs congregate in large communal family’s known as “Gangs”, which are led by a Boss.

While all Firbolgs were most likely part of one Gang or another at some point in their lives, a few Firbolgs seek their fortunes alone. Gangless Firbolgs are tough enough to stand on their own, and command respect for their decision to do so. In order to leave a Gang, you have to prove that you are tough enough to do so by ritually rumbling with the entire gang for ten minutes. If you can hold your own against such odds, then you have proven that you have what it takes to go out on your own and perhaps even start your own Gang someday. Firbolg adventurers and members of the Order of the Stone Weasel are examples of gangless Firbolgs.  

Religion: The hot-blooded Firbolgs don’t have any god or religion in particular, but they do revere a massive and ancient Ubersaurus named Hextoon that roams their brutal homeland and is widely regarded as one of the most fearsome beings in all of creation. While Firbolgs do not worship or pray to Hextoon, they do widely respect mean, tough things, and the Ubersaurus is truly one who warrants that respect. The only “religious” ritual a Firbolg undergoes happens if they reach their 66^th birthday. On that time, a Firbolg ventures to their ancestral home and challenges the Ubersaurus to glorious battle. Thus far, the Ubersaurus is undefeated in the many centuries that this tradition has been observed. There is no shame in falling in battle before the Ubersaurus, however, and those that have shown the guts to face this ancient creature in battle are awarded great respect (when remembered by their allies).

Ruler: Firbolgs once were unified under the massive Fire Giant known as Big Chief Gabbergut. While the Big Chief was much more of an idol than a true ruler, he did give the Firbolg people a focus and united them under one common banner. After the death of Gabbergut due to Hissfah’s dreaded poison, the Firbolg people have been split into an endless mob of Gangs. Each community (Gang) of Firbolgs has among it one “Boss” that “leads” the Gang independently. While Gangs clash all the time for various reasons (sometimes simple boredom can count as a perfectly acceptable reason to encroach upon another Gang’s turf and start a rumble), there have been rare cases where Gangs will unite to accomplish some grand purpose or task, but such unity among Firbolgs is certainly the exception rather than the rule.

Homeland: Frak’naz is truly one of the most inhospitable places in all creation. This prehistoric, volcanic place is littered with streams of boiling lava and filled to the brim with dinosaurs, mammoths, and dangerous saber tooth tigers.

Sorcery: Firbolg magic is a dangerous and volatile art called Lavacalling. Lavacallers have “mastered” the chaotic element of fire, and can rain down explosive rains of burning pitch, or choke their foes with great and thick clouds of choking smoke.

Firbolg Birthrights

Speed: Firbolgs have a Speed of 30 feet.

Thermal Vision: Firbolgs can see Heat patterns in addition to viewing things normally. This allows them to see beings that would normally be invisible as long as they radiate body heat (or cold).

Brawny: In order to play a Firbolg, you must have a Vigor score of at least 6. Due to their large size and hardiness, Firbolgs gain 11 Hit Points per point of Vigor they have at Character Creation instead of the normal 10. Firbolgs have smaller brains than most other Species, and can only have a maximum Smarts score of 6. Firbolgs love to fight stuff, and begin play with a free 2 levels in the Close Combat Skill.

Inferno Born: Due to their Volcanic origins, Firbolgs are completely immune to damage from heat, fire or lava. In fact, they find such things refreshing and comforting. Taking long, boiling hot lava baths is a favored method of relaxation and healing for Firbolgs. Bathing in Lava or fire for 1 hour while having at least 1 Hit Point will immediately heal any Firbolg to full health. Amazingly, a Firbolg’s hair is also resistant to flame.

Firbolg Thoughts On Others

Humans: Boorrrrrrrrring…

Elves: Nymphs know how to party, but those Dryads are such sticks in the mud. GET IT?

Dwarves: Hey, I came from a mountain, too! Kinda.

Gnomes: These little runts tell some pretty tall tales, don’t they? Just cuz I listen to ‘em don’t mean I believe ‘em.