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 Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:53 am
Races
Lodoss, and all of Forcelia, is inhabited by many races. The majority of these races were created by the gods, summoned spirits from the spirit realm given flesh during the War of Gods. The side of light created elves, grassrunners, and centaurs while their enemies, the dark gods, created dwarves, goblins, ogres, and kobolds. At the end of the war, many of these spirits gave up their bodies to return to their home, but some chose to stay and gave up a little of their spiritual essence to remain. This was how the majority of these races were born.
Player Character Races
These races are the majority of acceptable races, though some other races under the monster list may be accepted in a case-by-case basis.
Humans | Elves | Dwarves | Grassrunners | Centaurs
Afflictions
Afflictions are things that affect beings of nearly every race, causing a radical change in the mind and body of the afflicted individual. Berserkers, werewolves, and vampires all fall under this category.
Berserker | Werewolf | Vampire
Creatures and Monsters
All across the island of Lodoss, unique beings can be found. These range from the humanoid races to animals, monsters, and spirits. Some are dangerous, maliciously or just by animal instinct, others are basically harmless. This section covers a broad variety of beings from the mighty dragons and demons, to lowly goblins and beasts.
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Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 3:34 am
Races: Humans
Humans are the most common and prolific race of Forcelia. They inhabit every continent and split the land into their nations and cities. They are a young race, and unlike the fae races and dwarves, evolved naturally. They were once nomadic hunter-gatherers, but now they attempt to control the land, instead of being controlled by it. Most modern cultures live in towns and cities within nations and cultivate the land to sustain themselves. However, there are still a few tribes that live with nature and hunt and gather.
Humans are a diverse race, culturally and physically. Much shorter lived than the other races, humans breed fast and are constantly expanding. They're a stubborn and persistent race, known for fighting against all odds and rebuilding even after everything has been destroyed. Yet unlike all the others, they are set apart by such a great chaotic streak that they have potential for so much. Good and bad, each human being is completely individual and constantly changing. The average human rarely lives beyond sixty-five, but with the right conditions, they can live into their early hundreds.
Five hundred years ago, human culture reached a pinnacle of knowledge and power. They learned how to tap the natural flows of mana, the energy of magic. The sorcerers of Kastuul learned how to draw even more mana than humans were capable of naturally. The civilized human world was united under the power of Kastuul, until their search for power led to their destruction. In the five hundred years since Kastuul's fall, humanity has tried to regain what they lost.
Physical Appearance
Humans are a taller race, standing at an average height of 6' (1.8m) for males and 5'5” (1.6m) for females. Their ears are small and rounded, a stark difference from the other races of Forcelia. Humans are very diverse physically, compared to other race. Their skin can range from porcelain fair to the deepest, darkest browns; their hair has a broad range of texture and colors; and their eyes are just as varied in color. Thanks to the far-reaching Kastuulian empire, there was quite a bit of inter-cultural breeding which leads to the diverse appearances in just about any population center, though more secluded cultures are less diverse.
Most Lodoss and Alecrastian natives are fair skinned, and often tan well. Brown hair and eyes are the most common coloration, but there is plenty of variety to be found. Human hair comes in many shades of brown and blonde, as well as red and black (Characters can have anime hair colors, but you must state a natural alternative. IE: A character with blue or purple hair would have a natural alternative of black. Green hair could equal blonde or brown hair. Red or pink hair could equate to natural red hair). Eye color comes in shades of brown, blue, green, hazel, gray, purple, and yellow. Red eyes are quite rare in humans, but not undocumented—sometimes it can be attributed to dark elven ancestry.
Magic
Humans, for the most part, have no inherent magic powers, though they are responsible for wielding two thirds of the magic on Forcelia. The power of Kastuul has been lost, but humans still use sorcery, though it is far weaker since it is in the process of rediscovery. Very few humans study sorcery, and those that do, tend to devote their lives to it. For a hundred and ninety-six years, the Academy of Sages trained most of Lodoss' sorcerers, but after it fell in the year 509, aspiring mages had to seek out a wizard to train them. Only recently has the Academy been re-opened, in the year 527.
The other form of magic used by humans is clerical, or Holy magic (Unholy in some cases). Clerical magic is granted to the priests and priestesses who have devoted themselves to a god or goddess and trained in the temple for a set number of years. After graduating from their education, they are given a boon from their patron god and allowed to use that god's magic to work his or her will.
Shamanism is readily used by fae races—elves, grassrunners, and centaurs—but very rarely by humans. It is most likely to manifest in humans in more spiritual tribal cultures, or in lands where the spirits cannot find their fae cousins to speak with. Shamanism requires a profound spiritual awareness that most humans do not cultivate. Human shamans are often called “Spirit Messengers” by elves.
Race Relations
* Humans to High and Common Elves
Human reaction to elves varies, depending on location and education. Since most elves prefer to seclude themselves in their forests, most humans never see them. Uneducated humans from small villages, far from elven forests, may confuse light elves with dark elves, purely for the fact that dark elves are so infamous after the invasion of Kanon.
Elves are beautiful to human standards, and may be the object of adoration and jealousy for their good looks among humans. Some humans may initially distrust elves due to their differences and magical abilities. The average human is unaware of many traits of elves—their long lifespans, their magic ability, and physical abilities.
* Humans to Dark Elves
Only until recently was the existence of dark elves known to the whole of Lodoss. The average human of Lodoss would have never known there were two kinds of elf. After the Marmo invaded Kanon, the evil and malice of dark elves became known. Humans across the whole of Lodoss now fear dark elves. However, on Marmo, there has been a peaceful agreement of co-existence so long as humans don't intrude into the forest.
* Humans to Half-Elves
Half-elves are half-human as well, but because they're half elf, they're often ostracized from human society. However, acceptance for a half-elf depends on many factors. Some half-elves live peaceful lives among humans while others suffer greatly at the hands of humans.
* Humans to Dwarves
Humans and dwarves are usually quite friendly with each other. Dwarven crafted items are highly valued because of their superior quality, and dwarves don't look too different than normal (at least, they don't have the unearthly beauty of elves). Dwarves also don't call upon strange magics that frighten the average villager. Despite their good relations, there is little to no interracial relationships because of the vast difference in opinions of beauty.
* Humans to Grassrunners
Grassrunners are not native to Lodoss, therefore, not many humans even know of their existence. The average human will likely confuse tiny grassrunners with elven children. Despite the fact they use the same magic as elves, humans often don't consider them a threat due to their size.
* Humans to Centaurs
Humans are even less aware of the existence of centaurs than they are of the above races. The average human will be very confused and likely terrified of a centaur.
Cultures and Nationalities
Lodoss
* Alania
Known as the “Thousand Year Kingdom”. Alania is the oldest country in Lodoss, and is most noted for it's academics. Once and now recently again, the capital city is the home of the Academy of Sages, it's city of Tarba is the home of the main temple to Marfa. Alania was hit hard by the Marmo wars, and was invaded for a time, but has since recovered. The nation prefers to educate it's children in arts, history, and sciences, but they still have a military and knighthood. Alanian natives are mostly fair skinned with any number of hair and eye colors.
* Flaim
The Desert Kingdom, founded by Kashue, the mercenary king. The lands Flaim now occupies once belonged to Valis, but were eagerly handed over to Kashue when he ceased the warring between the Wind and Fire tribes. Originally, Flaim was mostly made up of these two tribes, but settlers from Valis and elsewhere began to move into the country when it's cities were built and trade began to pass through the country. The people of the two tribes are dark complected, often with straight black hair and dark eyes (think Arabic). After the Marmo exodus, Flaim claimed the island of Marmo as it's duchy. See Marmo below for more information.
o Wind and Flame Tribes
During the time of Kastuul, these people inhabited the grassland that became the Storm and Fire Desert. They were originally one tribe, protected by a covenant made by the summoner Azhard with the king spirits, Djinn of Air and Efreet of Fire. Fearing this power, Kastuulian sorcerers sealed the spirits, and pitted the two factions against each other. They warred for over five-hundred years, with periods of peace sprinkled throughout. After the final war in NRC 512, the Flame tribe led by Naldia and Azumo, and the Wind tribe led by Kashue, learned the truth of their history and accepted peace.
* Kanon
The nation of Kanon was the most heavily affected nation during the Marmo wars. Being so close to the island of Marmo, they were the first invaded. Kanon was occupied for fifteen years by the Marmo. The people who survived the invasion and escaped the Marmo were spread to all corners of Lodoss, though many refugees have returned home since Kanon's liberation. Before it's invasion, Kanon was similar to Alania in many ways, though it was best known for it's ironworks and it's military academy.
* Marmo
Once known as the Dark Island, Marmo was a chaotic nation in itself. The first humans on the island were a hardy barbarian tribe that were ignored by the Kastuulians. In the first century after the fall of Kastuul, King Kadamos sent an expedition to Marmo and found the island inhospitable. However, the island became Alania's deportation point for criminals and undesirables. Due to the eternally overcast sky, the Alanian deportees who came to call Marmo home were commonly of very fair complexions from the lack of sunshine.
In NRC 525, Marmo was cleansed of the malevolent presence of the goddess Kardis, who was responsible for the darkness of the island. The island had changed and is no longer covered in darkness. At the end of the War of the Destroyer's Resurrection, Lord Ashram of the Marmo led his people on an exodus to find a new land to settle, free of prejudice. Most Marmos left Lodoss to follow their king. Now, the new settlers are mostly of Flaim, Kanon, Alania, or Valis nationality.
o Barbarian Tribe of Marmo
In the Dark Forest lives a tribe of barbarians, who have existed there for as long as their culture remembers. They are a strong people, forged by generations of hardship in an harsh environment. The progenitors of the tribe are as old as Kastuul, though fresh blood has come in from Alania deportees who were either taken as wives by force, or were accepted into the tribe. Being closely in tuned to nature, shamans are more prolific in this culture and are highly honored.
* Moss
The kingdom of Moss was unified under the ancient Golden Dragon, and a king named Mycen (the dragon took the name Mycen to honor the king). Moss is a lush mountain land and has a diverse population, in appearance. Mossians hold dragons in high regard and nearly worship Mycen, the dragon. Since unification, it's not uncommon for children to be named for dragons (Drake, Scale, Claw, Talon, Cave, etc.). Businesses often have dragonic themed names as well.
* Raiden
The Free City of Raiden, the City of Anarchy, Raiden is many things. This ancient city state has no laws, and has existed this way since the time of Kastuul. The city was originally set up as a place to deport Kastuulian criminals, but today it is a thriving port city where trade flourishes and home to many races and cultures. Raiden has a little bit of everything, though it's natives may have a skewed sense of laws and morals.
* Wildlands Tribe¹
The unclaimed Wildlands have very few residents, but deep inside the wilderness there is a hunter-gather tribe of people. There are a few separate clans throughout the lands, but they share the same culture. They have shunned the modern mythologies of Falis, Falaris, Marfa and Kardis, and instead teach their people to believe in the spirits. They believe that the elves are spirits incarnate, and highly respect them when they meet them. These tribes are ruled by shamans and cut themselves off from the rest of the world. Very few tribesmen leave these lands. They are of darker features, with black hair and usually brown eyes (think Native American).
* Valis
The Holy Kingdom. Valis is the religious center of Lodoss. Falis is it's patron god, though the other gods of light are highly respected there as well. This nation has a diverse population, as it originally belonged to an empire, and has brought many pilgrims seeking Falis' blessings.
Alecrast
Alecrast is the large continent to the north of Lodoss. Alecrast is quite similar to Lodoss, and with it's size, is very diverse culturally. It has many nations, however, we have very little information on Alecrast, so we can't say much about what nations are there to choose from. We allow characters from Alecrast, but we have been apprehensive about creating nations for these characters.
Azarn Islands
The Azarns are a large archipelago to the east of Lodoss. The islands are mainly inhabited by the native tribal peoples, who are exotic and dark in their coloration. The larger islands have an assembled government, but the smaller ones are more tied to their traditions. Many Azarnians have found their way into Alecrastian navies and piracy. In Lodoss, you can be sure to find many people of Azarnian decent, or immigrants, in Raiden.
Djana En and Crystania
This continent to the south of Lodoss is where the Marmo exodus ended up. However, the seas between Lodoss and Crystania are treacherous and it's a very long trip. No one besides the Marmo have made the journey to Djana En or Crystania since the time of Kastuul. We do not accept characters from these lands for this reason.
Chaos Land and Far Land
The Far Land is a continent to the northwest of Lodoss. Not many people go there, or come from their. It is a barren land inhabited by barbarian tribes, and the trip between this continent and Lodoss or Alecrast is not one many mariners want to take.
The Chaos Land is a continent to the far north of Forcelia, and probably mostly arctic or sub-arctic in climate. There is even less information on this land, and it can be assumed that it isn't a nice place to visit or live. It is likely inhabited by barbaric tribes as well.
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Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 3:35 am
Races: Elves
The elves originated during the war of the gods. They were spirits of the air and water summoned by Falis and the gods of light as soldiers. The elves fought well for Falis, but a faction was seduced by darkness and sold their souls to Falaris to fight on his side. This was how the elven races was first split in two.
At the war's end, the elves were left scattered across the battlefields of Alecrast and the new continent of Lodoss. Some gave up their physical bodies and returned to the spirit realm, while others chose to remain mortal. The elves who stayed found homes in the forests of Forcelia. In Lodoss, the light elves settled in the Forest of No Return, the Mirror Forest, and the Glassy Woods, all of which had ancient trees. A few elves made homes in smaller forests as well. The dark elves went to the island of Marmo, where Kardis' soul rested and found an ancient tree for themselves deep in the Dark Forest. With the help of the ancient trees and spirit king, Ento, the elves sealed their forests.
Yet there was further dividing amongst the elves to do. Those who chose the forest that would come to be known the Forest of No Return found that their new home had become a portal to the fairy realm. This caused time to flow very strangely, and nearly stop in the case of aging. Children still grew, as did trees, but it appeared that once an inhabitant of the Forest of No Return reached maturity, they aged no further. Thus, these elves effectively became immortal and came to be called the high elves, while their cousins in the other forests lived for around a thousand years before passing on. The other elves became the “common” elves, who still live thousand year lifespans.
Elves are very spiritual beings and care deeply for all things that live. While they may not be friendly with all races, they do their best to preserve the lives of others while protecting themselves. They will kill if it is the only option to defend themselves and are not entirely pacifistic. Elves are also vegetarians. They will eat nothing that cuts short the life of another animal or plant. Their diet consists of mostly fruit, vegetables, and grains. Elves gather their food from the forest and most homes have a small garden. Dark elves may not follow such stringent diets.
Each elven clan is ruled by it's eldest members, though most decisions are voted on by the public before going to the elders for advice. Elven forests generally have only one village, though homes are often spread apart.
Elven senses are more acute than humans', in hearing and sight. The hearing of elves is naturally better than that of humans, and it is helped by their long ears. Their eyesight over distance is better as well, though their near sight is about the same as humans. Elven hand-eye coordination is naturally better than humans as well. In the area of strength, elves lack in comparison to humans, but they make up for that in their agility and speed.
With such long life spans, elven women come into estrus far less often than humans¹. An elven woman can only conceive once every ten years. At some point in her twentieth decade, a female elf will have her first estrus, then the cycle begins, with every consecutive tenth year bringing a new chance to conceive. However, elves that chose to have children often wait until they're over two hundred years of age, and then after marriage. Most elven couples have only one child, and after that, the mother's libido decreases. This is usually the case, but not always, and it happens less often among dark elves. Few elves have siblings, but keep in mind that if they do, they will have to be at least ten years apart in age (or 20, 30, 40, etc.). Twins are almost unheard of among elves and often ill-fated among dark elves. When dark elf twins are conceived, they must split a single soul, and this often leads to their death before their first year.
Physical Appearance
Elves are quite similar to humans in height, but tend to be lighter and slimmer. Due to high metabolisms and a vegan diet, elves seem incapable of gaining body fat. Their musculature is lean, and can never quite compare to the potential strength of a human. What elves lack in physical strength they make up for in agility. While most light elven women are slim, dark elven women tend to be more voluptuous with larger breasts and hips, though they still lack in body fat.
Probably the most notable feature of elves is their long, slender, tapered ears. These long ears extend outward from the head five to seven inches and can move to denote emotion and promote better hearing. Long ears mainly help the naturally superior hearing of elves, creating a greater surface area to catch sound.
As a general rule, elves are beautiful to human standards. Their features are somewhat sharp, yet delicate and often androgynous for males. There are hardly any deformations or birth defects among elves, and those defects that have been observed are often minute. Adult elves appear ageless, and their apparent aging ends in their mid-twenties. Signs of age don't return until the final few decades of an elf's life when their thousand year life spans finally catch up to them². Elves also have very little body and facial hair; some elven men grow mustaches, but they can't grow a full beard.
Light elves have a rather uniform appearance, especially when considering their coloration. Almost all have porcelain fair skin, a shade of blonde hair, and blue or green eyes, though violet eyes are not unheard of. Most elves have straight hair, but a few have wavy hair, though curly hair is unheard of. Dark hair or eyes that are a different color from the norm might be evidence of human or dark elven interbreeding. Dark elves are a little more varied in their coloration; their skin can range through a broad number of shades, though it is often a dusky brown shade. Their hair is commonly silver or white, though blonde is a little less common. Dark elven eye color includes the same shades of blue and green as light elves, but are most commonly red or gold.
Magic
All elves have the ability for shamanism, it is a trait left over from their spiritual roots. Shamanism is cultivated from early childhood in elven society, so virtually all elves are proficient in it's use. Half-elves have the same potential as full elves, though whether or not it's cultivated often depends on their parents.
An elf could learn sorcery, but their shamanism is powerful enough. Sorcery is regarded as a human school, so elves would have little to do with it. Considering their tense history with Kastuul, not many elves would care to learn sorcery. We will not allow elven sorcerers in the game.
Few elves chose to become priests, but some do. It's more likely that a half-elf would become a priest than a full elf, though. Common elves would gravitate more towards Falis or Marfa. In the case of dark elves, many have served as Falaris priests. Elven and half-elven priests would be able to use both shamanism and clerical magic.
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Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 3:36 am
Races: High Elves
The high elves were created when Falis summoned spirits of the water and air and gave them flesh, so that they could serve him on the battle field. In the beginning, they were the only elves, but soon, a fraction joined Falaris, thus creating the dark elves. When the war was finished, the elves settled in the forests of Lodoss and Alecrast, but only one clan would become the high elves. This clan settled in what would become known as the Forest of No Return in Lodoss, at the foot of the central mountains, and west of the land that would become the nation of Alania.
The Forest of No Return lies between the world of fairies and the material world, and it is ruled by an ancient tree, this arrangement has lent itself to the immortality of the high elves. Though the elves of other forests live in the presence of the ancient trees as well, they still exist fully in the material world, and live for a thousand years. Many of the high elves who live now were once the soldiers of Falis, and there are only a couple generations succeeding them. To protect themselves from human incursion, the high elves cursed the forest in a way that would trap any human attempting to traverse it. These individuals would share in the high elven immortality, but exist in a timeless purgatory instead. Only fairies—including elves and those of elven blood—can pass through this curse safely, thus insuring the security of the village. Even after passing through the Forest of No Return, those who wish to enter the village of Talnora must pass through the spirit plane.
High elves are the most noble of all elves, retaining most of their original spiritual nature. The high elves have abandoned their material nature and given up on reproduction, for the most part. Most married couples lives separately. It's their belief that elves, like trees, must have their own space in which to live. Only one high elf has been born in the last thousand years, which would be Deedlit.
The high elven community is quite close knit; everyone knows each other's names, shares in their extended family, and helps each other. Though they all prefer their space, living in such a small community lends itself to such familiarity as well.
Physical Appearances
High elves are more uniform in their appearance than common elves, and have less genetic diversity. Their hair is mostly light to golden shades of blonde which ranges in texture only from sleek and straight to slightly wavy. Their eyes blue or green, and their skin porcelain white. High elves also have an unearthly beauty about them, and they carry themselves with a noble stature.
Magic
Since most high elves are quite ancient, they are incredibly powerful shamans compared to dark or common elves. They also have a more profound connection to the spirits. High elves have some very stringent rules on what can be summoned, what can't, and how to interact with the spirits. They disdain the dark elven style of summoning, and the fact that dark elves often assert themselves over the spirits, as if they were lesser beings. The high elves regard the spirits as their kin, to even a greater degree than most common elves. They also forbid the summoning of dark spirits, fire spirits, and they are not very fond of earth spirits either.
Race Relations
* High Elves to Common Elves
High and common elves rarely meet, but a common elf is more likely than any other race to be welcomed with open arms into the Forest of No Return. Common and high elves regard each other as cousins.
* High Elves to Dark Elves
As a general rule, light and dark elves don't get along. There are exceptions, however, for specific individuals who have tried hard to gain acceptance, and for certain societies. For the most part, however, high elves hate dark elves and everything they stand for.
* High Elves to Humans
Most elves regard humans as a brash and immature race, with whom they don't care to involve themselves with. They find human politics move to fast for them to keep up with. Humans are also very destructive and dangerous in the view of most elves, which is another reason they seal themselves off from humans. High elves have taken their exclusion from humans to extremes.
* High Elves to Half-Elves
There has never been a half-elf born to a high elven parent, but high elves are familiar with how half-elves are ostracized by their human parents. On one end, they feel sympathy, yet on the other, they also fear the potential destructiveness of their human side.
* High Elves to Dwarves
It's no secret that elves and dwarves aren't the best of friends. This dates back to their creation; dwarves were created from the earth, an element which is related to darkness. While dwarves are far from evil, there is still a lot of disdain between these two vastly different races. However, their conflict leads to little more than childish name calling and prideful boasting.
* High Elves to Grassrunners
Grassrunners are spirits of the air just like elves, and are regarded as distant cousins. Due to the distance between their lands, elves of Lodoss see very little of grassrunners, but they are always excited for the chance to meet one, and regard them much in the same vein that they do common elves.
* High Elves to Centaurs
Centaurs are closely related to elves as well, but only the elves of the Glassy Woods are very familiar with them. Centaurs rarely leave their forests, due to humans, so few elves elsewhere have met centaurs unless they've traveled. High elves regard them about the same as they do common elves and grassrunners
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Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 3:37 am
Races: Common Elves
Called "common" if only for their greater proliferation than high elves, these elves are spread across Lodoss and Alecrast. Their populations are in no way as common as humans, however, and usually keep to themselves within their sylvan communities. They have the same roots as the high elves, being spirits of the air and water given flesh by Falis, but when the War of the Gods ended, these elves chose to live in different forests, and never received the benefit of immortality that the high elves have in the Forest of No Return. Instead, common elves live for around a thousand years or more. While the high elves have only seen two or three generations in the thousands of years following the end of the war, the common elves have seen many.
Whereas the high elves have almost entirely given up on reproduction, most common elves will one day have children. They take their time finding the one they will spend their lives with, carefully cultivating a relationship over decades, and even centuries, until they are one day rewarded with a child. However, many common elves are content with one child, and the female libido will often decrease afterwards, yet there are many individuals for whom this is not true, and may have several children.
Physical Appearance
Common elves look quite similar to high elves, though there is more genetic diversity gained over their many generations. They are generally fair skinned with many shades of blonde hair from white to darker blonde. Their eyes are predominately green or blue, but violet can occur as well. However, unique traits like dark hair, or strange eye colors can usually be attributed to distant human, or even dark elf, interbreeding from generations passed.
Magic
Common elves are of varying power, depending on their age. Like high elves, they have the same reservations on summoning dark and fire spirits. However, the spiritual nature of most common elves is not to the extreme of the high elves. Common elves exist more in the material world, though they do have an air of mysticism. Some individuals may chose to pursue a deeper spiritual connection, but unlike the high elves they also concern themselves with matters of love and reproduction.
Common Elf Clans
Glassy Woods Elves
The elves the Glassy Woods chose to seclude themselves from humans with enchantments layered on their forest. The Glassy Woods are home to an ancient tree, which allows the elves to have a direct connection to Ento and enhance their protective spell over the forest. The common elves share this forest with the centaurs, with whom they have close relations. While the forest itself is secluded, many young elves leave home at least once in their life to get a taste of the world outside.
Mirror Forest Elves
The Mirror Forest is another forest home to an ancient tree. However, the elves of this forest no longer rely on barriers to protect themselves from humans. It was nearly sixty years ago when the Demon King was released in the duchy of Skard in what is now Moss. The demon's first attacks were upon the dwarven kingdom of Stone and the Mirror Forest. When the Mirror Forest was invaded by demons, it was humans and dwarves that came to their aid. At first, the elves refused their help, but the humans fought for them anyway, which changed the minds of many elves. Many elves were lost in this sudden attack, but the survivors took up arms and joined forces with humans and dwarves to go to war against the demon.
In the aftermath of the war, the views of the Mirror Forest elves had changed in regards to other races. The entire experience opened their minds and they concluded that the best way to avoid conflicts with other races was understanding through open contacts. The Mirror Forest began to see many elven and human relationships bloom and a number of half-elves were born as a result. While half-elves suffer prejudice through most of the world, the half-elves of the Mirror Forest suffer far less.
The Mirror Forest elves often participate in the Festival of Saint Flaus in a nearby human village that takes place every year. The festival commemorates the Falis warrior priestess Flaus who sacrificed her life to slay the demon. Before that, however, Flaus had passed through the village in the company of six warriors who would become known as the Six Heroes. During their visit, the Demon King attacked the Mirror Forest, and it was Flaus and the Six Heroes who came to the aid of the elves.
Footnote: Any elves native to the Mirror Forest must have something about their involvement in the war written into their history.
Kanon Forests
The forests of Kanon have no ancient tree, but they were home to a clan of common elves. However, during the Marmo invasion, the elves of these forests were nearly eradicated by dark elves. Those that survived escaped to the Mirror Forest and elsewhere across Lodoss. For the most part, the dark elves have been driven out of the forests after the Marmo exodus, and the survivors have returned to their home forest.
Alecrastian Forests
We have little information about what forests there are in Alecrast, but there are many common elf clans on the continent. Some of these forests may or may not have ancient trees. Culturally, the elves are quite similar to Lodoss's common elves, though for the fact they are the only race of elves native to Alecrast, they are simply "elves", not common elves, there.
Other Elven Settlements
There are no major clans elsewhere in Lodoss, but there are common elf individuals who can be found all across Lodoss; be they travelers, outcasts, or in love with humans. Of course, just about any race can be found in Raiden. There is a small population of common elves in Raiden, but no distinct clans.
Race Relations
* Common Elves to High Elves
High and common elves rarely meet, but a common elf is more likely than any other race to be welcomed with open arms into the Forest of No Return. Common and high elves regard each other as cousins, though common elves may have more mixed feelings about their more mature kin. Some may view the high elves as something to be admired and aspire to, while others would rather be seen as equals, and find high elves even too aloof for their liking.
* Common Elves to Dark Elves
As a general rule, light and dark elves don't get along. There are exceptions, however, for specific individuals who have tried hard to gain acceptance, and for certain societies. For the most part, light and dark elves are hostile to each other. However, there have been a few interracial children between common and dark elves.
* Common Elves to Humans
Most elves regard humans as a brash and immature race, with whom they don't care to involve themselves with. They find human politics move to fast for them to keep up with. Humans are also very destructive and dangerous in the view of most elves, which is another reason they seal themselves off from humans. The Mirror Forest clan, however, is more open to relating to humans after it was the humans who came to their rescue when the Demon King attacked their forest.
* Common Elves to Half-Elves
Most elven cultures are apprehensive about half-elves, or at least the creation of them. Half-elves have a hard life, which isn't helped by teasing from full elf peers and a sense of being ostracized from elven society. In the Mirror Forest, several half-elves have been concieved due to the open relations with humans. These children have a relatively easier life than many other half-elves might, but things are never easy for one born between two worlds.
* Common Elves to Dwarves
It's no secret that elves and dwarves aren't the best of friends. This dates back to their creation. Dwarves were created from the earth, an element which is related to darkness. While dwarves are far from evil, there is still a lot of disdain between these two vastly different races. However, their conflict leads to little more than childish name calling and prideful boasting. Many common elves may have forgotten their reasons for disliking the dwarves, but there is also an issue of highly different aesthetic standards between the two people. Mirror Forest elves are more open toward dwarves than other clans of elves, as they were both heavily involved in the War of the Demon King.
* Common Elves to Grassrunners
Grassrunners are spirits of the air just like elves, and are regarded as distant cousins. Due to the distance between their lands, elves of Lodoss see very little of grassrunners, but they are always excited for the chance to meet one.
* Common Elves to Centaurs
Centaurs are closely related to elves as well, but only the elves of the Glassy Woods are very familiar with them. Centaurs rarely leave their forests, due to humans, so few elves elsewhere have met centaurs unless they've traveled. Both high and common elves respect centaurs as they would their own kind. Centaurs and the elves of the Glassy Woods have very close relations.
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Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 3:38 am
Races: Dark Elves
Dark elves were originally created by the gods of light during the War of the Gods and were of one race with those that came to be distinguished as light elves. However, the ancestors of the dark elves were seduced by Falaris and sold their souls to him. At the war's end, the dark elves chose to settle on the cursed island of Marmo, onto which Kardis' soul had fallen. The island was home to a great forest, and an ancient tree, though Kardis' presence had corrupted the tree and the land.
Most Dark Elves, those on Marmo particularly, call themselves the Children of Falaris for they fought for the God of Darkness. Many Marmo dark elves can truly be called evil, and some are made even worse by the malevolent influence of Kardis, yet many dark elves are perfectly normal. The dark elven culture breeds a sense of superiority into it's people, making the dark elves, for the most part, arrogant and smugly superior. However, dark elves are still fae and have a respect for nature, though many of their values vary vastly from light elves. Whereas light elves are vegetarians, dark elves will eat meat when killing animals is good for the population, taking a lesson from predatory beasts. They believe that they have a right to subjugate lesser races and spirits, bending them to their whim and forcing them to do their bidding. The dark elves tame ogres, goblins, and kobolds to use them as they see fit, though also to protect themselves.
While high elves rarely reproduce, and common elves tend to limit themselves to one child, dark elves may have more children and higher libidos. Dark elven families may bear two or three children, perhaps even more, though they still are not as fertile as humans, being limited by the elven reproductive cycle¹. Due to the harsh environment of Marmo, and the potentially deadly coming of age rite preformed at age fifty², not all dark elven children live to see adulthood. As a note, there is a curse upon dark elven twins; any pair of twins born to a dark elven mother will share only one soul. This half life usually kills the twins before their first birthday³.
For centuries, the dark elves have held themselves aloof from the humans of Marmo, only interacting with the barbarian tribes when necessary, and kidnapping humans to be fed to their ogres. However, when Beld sought their aid in his goals of conquering Lodoss, Lusev, the dark elven leader, was swayed by the future emperor and agreed to ally themselves with him. The dark elves would join Beld's army and help his invasion of Lodoss. Joining the military was optional to the elves, but many agreed, mostly to get the chance to fight light elves. The dark elves that remained were either not fighters, or felt that it was beneath them to fight alongside humans. When Ashram led his people on an exodus to a new land, some dark elves left with them.
At the end of the final Marmo war, Kardis was sealed by Marfa. The dark goddess's evil influence was washed away and Marmo was reborn under Marfa's power. It had a powerful effect on dark elven culture, and the entire race is in a process of transformation. For now, there is a shaky truce between the dark elves and the new settlers from Flaim. It basically says “if you don't bother us, we won't bother you.”
Footnote: Please do not use the term "drow" for Lodoss. Drow applies to dark elves from Forgotten Realms and D&D, not all dark elves in all fantasy worlds, and the drow appearance and culture are a specific race copyrighted to Wizards of the Coast. Lodoss dark elves are not the same as drow!
Physical Features
When the original dark elves sold their souls to Falaris, their appearance was changed. Instead of the fair skin they once had, their skin became a dusky shade of brown. Their hair paled to silver and white for contrast, and their blue or green eyes changed to red or gold. While these traits remain the most common and dominant, many features from their light elven past began to appear in succeeding generations. Blue and green eye colors returned, as did blond shades of hair. The average shade of skin is a dusky brown, but more variety in color began to appear in later generations.
Most dark elves, especially women, are just as beautiful as their light elven cousins (some might argue more beautiful). However, many males are not only mentally twisted by Kardis' presence, but physically as well, leading to dark elves with more extreme and unappealing features. While many elves cannot grow much facial hair, dark elven men can grow mustaches, though not a full beard. Female dark elves are considerably more curvaceous than their light cousins, though they are still slim and lean. They tend to have fuller hips and breasts, perhaps a physical manifestation of lust due to their connection with an evil god.
Magic
Like light elves, dark elves are natural shamans. However, their view of shamanism is slightly different, and they readily use spirits that light elves won't use (though Valkyrie, the light elemental, is disinclined to answer the summons of an evil shaman). Dark elves view spirits as their subordinates, which works well in the case of dark spirits, but not many spirits are willing to be used so thanklessly. Dark elves have been known to capture spirits to use later, which is something light elves find abhorrent.
At the age of fifty, dark elven youths go through a coming of age ritual that entails summoning a dark spirit². They must have strength of will power, and a well of negative emotions can be helpful as well. They summon a dark spirit and control it enough to drain the energy of a target. The target is commonly a volunteer—often a more powerful shaman—but in the past, humans were often used. To pass this test, the young shaman must control the spirit long enough to drain a certain amount of energy from their target, then release the spirit. Dark spirits will turn on a shaman who doesn't have the will power to control them. It's usually not fatal, but in the worst case, it can leave the summoner in a coma for a few days or weeks if they fail.
Besides shamanism, many dark elves have chosen to become priests of Falaris in the past. Dark elves tend to prefer Falaris to Kardis, and even if they wanted to, at present time, they wouldn't be allowed to join any other priesthood, except perhaps the Cha Za temple in Raiden.
Dark Elf Settlements
Dark Forest, Marmo
The Dark Forest is where dark elves originally settled at the end of the War of the Gods. The clan lives in a large village in the heart of the Dark Forest, around the twisted ancient tree. This is the dark elven homeland.
Kanon Forests
The forests of Kanon were once home to a common elf clan, but when the Marmo invaded, the dark elves exterminated and drove out the common elves to take the forest for themselves. When the forests were cleared, the dark elves began claiming these forests as their new home away from home. After the Marmo withdrew from Kanon, most of the dark elves followed, but those that remained were mostly driven out by returning common elves and the Kanon Free Army. A few may still be lurking in the forest, but it is predominantly common elf land again.
Blue Dragon Island's Fairy Woods
Several generations ago, a group of dark elves abandoned their evil roots and decided to leave Marmo. They traveled to Lodoss to find a new home, and finally found a small, secluded forest on Blue Dragon Island, just north of Raiden. The island was also home to a clan of centaurs, and Abram, the ancient dragon for whom the island was named. This dark elven clan rarely associates with humans and prefer to live peacefully.
Raiden and Raiden Woods
Over the centuries, many dark elves have been dissatisfied with their lives on Marmo. They want a peaceful existence, without the influence of Kardis and Falaris. So, they left Marmo to find a new home. They found suffering all across Lodoss, until they came to the City of Anarchy, Raiden. Raiden has always been the best place for outcasts to find a home, but it was in a forest outside of Raiden that these outcast dark elves found a new home. After several hundred years, a new clan has formed in this forest.
Aside from dark elven outcasts, many half-dark elves and dark elf/human couples have found homes here. The credo of this village is acceptance. No matter what race a person is, they can find a peaceful home in this forest, so long as they accept the same values. While this community in the forest is the best place for dark elves in the region, there some dark elves to be found living in the city as well.
Race Relations
Suffice it to say, the inherent arrogance of dark elves poisons all their relations. Dark elves feel they are better than all other races.
* Dark Elves to Common and High Elves
Dark and light elves have a long history together, and for the most part, do not get along. Besides the conflict of darkness and light, dark elves feel they are superior in one way or another to their fairer cousins. In recent years, dark elves with Marmo army exterminated the common elf population of the Kanon forests, which hasn't been helpful in relations, but since the war's end and Marmo's cleansing, some dark elves have sought to reconcile the past.
* Dark Elves to Humans
Again, the dark elven superiority complex comes into play here. Many dark elves, at least in centuries past, have believed humans to be little better than goblins, or animals. It was tradition to hunt humans, and capture a few to be fed to ogres to gain the loyalty of the monsters, though in recent years, they have been unable to observe this tradition easily. While dark elves feel superior to humans, they are impressed by unique individuals who possess the charisma to lead them; such Beld and Ashram.
* Dark Elves to Half-Elves
Half-common elves may get the same treatment as either of their parent races from dark elves, and half-dark elves aren't treated much better. Many half-dark elves are the product of rape upon their human mother, but a few are actually born of lustful or even loving relationships between a human and dark elf. However, half-dark elves are not very easily accepted into dark elf society. Many half-dark elves and interracial couples find peace in a settlement outside of Raiden.
* Dark Elves to Dwarves
Since Marmo has no native dwarves, and very few visiting dwarves, dark elves have never interacted much with them. Being creatures of darkness themselves, they don't have the disdain for those born of the earth elementals. However, they do have that pesky superiority complex.
* Dark Elves to Grassrunners and Centaurs
There is little interaction between dark elves and grassrunners and centaurs, though dark elves will regard them much in the way they do light elves.
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Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 3:39 am
Races: Half-Elves
Half-elves are the result of human and elven union. They are rare, and often outcasts in both human and elven societies. Elves and humans are the only races that have children together with any form or regularity, due to their similar values of beauty; elves are beautiful to human standards, and elves are often enthralled with the unique appearances of humans. Humans have features that are new and different to elves, yet in some ways, they aren't all that different. However, half-elves are still rare because of how reclusive and aloof elves tend to be.
In recent years, the half-elf population has shot up due to a number of factors. After the elves of the Mirror Forest opened relations with human and dwarven societies, many human and elf couples started. As for half-dark elves, many are born of rape during the Marmo occupation of Kanon, or from fraternization between Marmo soldiers and dark elven women. There are also certain promiscuous wandering elven men to blame, such as the common elf Azala¹.
Half-elf lifespans are far longer than humans, but half the length of elves. A half-elf's lifespan on average, would be five-hundred years. They would far outlive the humans in their lives, but their elven parent and even grandparents could potentially outlive them. Elven women come into estrus once every ten years, and this cycle sometimes carries onto half-elven daughters. However, they may also inherit the monthly cycle of their human parentage, or a halved elven cycle; meaning coming into estrus once every five years².
There is no culture of half-elves. Their culture depends on where they were raised, and who raised them. Some half-elves are lucky enough to have both parents while others are left with one parent or another, and some are even abandoned by their parents all together. No matter what the case, half-elves will suffer some how. Either they will be ostracized by both elven and human peers, or they will have to deal with the issues of living far longer than humans, or far shorter than elves.
Physical Appearance
The appearances of half-elves vary depending on their human parentage, yet some traits can be counted on. Half-elves inherit the metabolism of their elven parent, making gaining fat nearly impossible. Their musculature is often a combination of elven and human—meaning that they can put on more muscle than elves, but not as much as humans. Half-elves inherit the long ears of the elven parent, but the length is generally half the length of an elven ear; leaving them with long, tapered ears that are 3-4 inches long. The final trait that half-elves always inherit is the agelessness. Their apparent aging will cease in the early twenties, once they reach physical maturity, and not continue until their final decade.
The coloration of half-elves depends on their parentage. They could have the eye color of their elven parent, or human parent. Their hair may often be dark if their human parent had dark hair, since dark hair is a dominant trait and blond is recessive. One thing that elves find physically appealing about humans is dark hair, after all.
In the case of half-dark elves, their skin color ends up being a medium between the color of their human parent and the dark elf parent. However, hair is a different story. Some half-dark elves have ended up having silver and black hair. Black hair is a dominant trait of humans, while silver is a dominant trait in dark elves. This may leave a half-elf with a silver streak in black hair, or a black streak in silver hair, or a motley mix of both.
Magic
Half-elves inherit the elven aptitude for shamanism, though depending on how they're raised, it may not be nurtured. If a half-elf isn't trained from early childhood, spirits may come to them, and they may learn a little shamanism on their own, unless their human parent forces them to deny the ability. However, if they find a tutor later in life, they can easily learn it. If trained from early on like elven children, half-elves can equal their peers in strength, though sometimes their spiritual connection isn't as strong.
No half-elves at this point are sorcerers, but they could possibly learn it, especially if they have never been taught shamanism. Half-common elves may be able to easily find their way into priesthood, but there are very few who have become priests. Half-dark elves in the past have found a place in the Falaris or Kardis priesthood, but those priesthoods are nearly extinct.
Race Relations
Half-elven relations are entirely dependent on their individual history.
Specific Half-Elf Kinds
Half-High Elves
High elves have so rarely interacted with humans that there have never been any half-high elves. However, in our game, Deedlit is currently pregnant with Parn's child, making their child the first half-high elf ever³.
Half-Common Elves
In past centuries, there have been very few half-common elves, but in the last century, partially due to the opening of the Mirror Forest, more have been born. The Mirror Forest is home to a growing population of half-elven children, mostly under sixty years old. Many more half-elves can be found in Raiden, and a few in the region of the Glassy Woods, though the elves of that forest haven't been very accepting of half-elven children. The Kanon forests saw a few half-elven children as well, though many of those families have moved to the Mirror Forest.
One aspect of the boom in the half-elf population can be attributed to a single elven man, Azala of the Glassy Woods¹. This wandering elf has had many flings with human women and has accidentally impregnated some of them, before either himself or the woman realize it. He doesn't know about most of his children, but many of them know about him.
Half-Dark Elves
Equal in population (if not more populous in the past) to half-common elves are half-dark elves. They occurred most often on Marmo, in the city of Salbad. Dark elves generally want little to do with “half-breeds”, so most could be found in the city. The majority of half-dark elves are born of the rape of their human mother by a dark elven man, a few are born of consensual flings and relationships. This population of half-dark elves increased with the invasion of Kanon.
The dark elves of the Raiden settlement have a number of half-elves in their population, and these half-elves have a far better community to support them then half-elves of Marmo or Kanon.
Quarter-Elves
Quarter-elves are the result of a half-elf and a human union, and are far more human than they are elven. The children of half-elves and full elves are considered elves, and aside from some coloration, they are nearly indistinguishable from full elves. Quarter-elves appear mostly human, though they do have high metabolisms and are slim. The only obvious evidence of their elven heritage is the distinct point to their ears.
Quarter-elves have the same potential for shamanism that elves and half-elves do, but an initially weaker spiritual connection. Their lifespans are far longer than the human norm, but half the length of a half-elf's life. They can live for 250-300 years, and their aging ceases from reaching maturity until their final few decades.
At the fourth generation divided from elven parentage, the elven traits began to disappear. Those with an eighth of elven blood may have a slight point to their ears, or not; their metabolisms may be slow or fast; and their shamanist abilities are reduced. Following the rule of halved lifespans of the previous generations, eighth elves are reduced to around 150 years. They will appear ageless between their twenties and into their fifties, but age slowly catches up with them until death. Succeeding generations will have normal human lifespans and will no longer be distinguished from the human population, but may retain a talent for shamanism.
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Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 3:40 am
Races: Dwarves
The dwarves were created by the gods during the War of the Gods, originally summoned as earth elementals and given flesh. At the war's end, they returned to the earth, but as mortals. They made their homes in the caves of Lodoss. While they could not use the shamanism that elves did, they became expert craftsmen.
Dwarves live in their own underground kingdoms, though there is only one left, the Steel Kingdom, in Alania. The dwarven Kingdom of Stone was famous for it's artisans all across Lodoss, however, it was destroyed nearly sixty years ago when the Demon King was released in Skard. The surprise attack from the demon destroyed the dwarven city and wiped out nearly it's entire populace. Their king, Fleve, survived and became one of the Six Heroes who defeated the demon. His nation, however, was lost. It's ruins still stand, but there were far too few survivors to rebuild. Since the destruction of the Kingdom of Stone, the dwarven race was in decline. However, dwarves tend to have large families, so perhaps, in time, the heirs of the Kingdom of Stone will return to rebuild. Many larger cities across Lodoss have a few dwarves, usually working as blacksmiths or craftsmen.
They have far longer lifespans than humans, but dwarves don't live as long as elves. The average dwarven lifespan is between 350 and 500 years. They come of age around twenty, though often don't marry until they've had a couple decades to figure out their life's goal. Dwarves are a people of great strength and stamina, which far surpass the average human. However, due to their height and stout builds, dwarves are not very agile. Their hearing is an improvement over human hearing, and their eyesight is more keen to detail. They have incredibly good night vision, which is combined with infravision; the ability to see heat. Dwarves prefer the dark, but their eyes can adjust easily to daylight.
Physical Appearance
Dwarves are a short people, compared to humans and elves; males stand an an average of 4'5” (1.37m) and females are around 4'2” (1.28m). Dwarves are stout in build, and often wider than the average human, despite their short stature. They often have a bit of fat on them, but also have a thick musculature. Dwarven women are very voluptuous with wide hips, large breasts, and they are usually a little plump.
Like most other races, dwarves have a defined point and length to their ears. The length of their ears is about 2-3 inches, and they are pointed upwards, not outwards like elven ears. Another distinguishing trait of dwarves are their beards. Not only do dwarven men proudly wear beards, but women do as well! Female beards are just as full as the male's, but their hair is often a little finer and more silken¹. To the human or elven eye, this can cause quite an unsettling confusion about a dwarf's gender.
The coloration of dwarves is nearly as varied as humans. Most dwarves are of fair skin, which tans rather easily, despite their subterranean lifestyle. Dwarven hair comes in shades of black, brown, red, and blond. Their eye color includes most of the same colors as humans; blue, green, violet, brown, gold, and red. Hazel eyes do not occur in dwarves, though.
Dwarves live long lives, but do not have the ageless appearance of elves. They age slowly, compared to humans, but they do age over several decades. Many dwarves go gray rather early on, before their hundredth year, while others keep their natural hair color until far later in life.
Magic
Dwarves have no inherent magic powers and rarely study magic, as they prefer to work with their hands. Shamanism remains out of their reach, despite being created from elementals like the elves. They have no interest in sorcery, either. For the most part, dwarves refuse to use magic. However, a few dwarves chose to become priests, often gravitating toward Myrii. So, Holy magic is the only form of magic studied by dwarves, but it is still not common. Those dwarves that do leave to become clerics are often considered a little strange by their peers.
Race Relations
* Dwarves to Humans
Dwarves and humans get along quite well, and many dwarves live in human society. Their workmanship is highly valued by humans, though they might get into conflict with competing human craftsmen. Dwarves have a genial disposition, which makes their relations with humans even easier. However, due to vast differences in standards of beauty, there are practically no interracial relationships between humans and dwarves.
* Dwarves to Common and High Elves
There has been a long running feud between elves and dwarves, because dwarves were created from earth elementals, which are associated with darkness. However, this conflict leads to little more than petty name calling and prideful boasting.
* Dwarves to Dark Elves
Due to the evil reputation of dark elves, dwarves are not very trusting of them, the same as most races. While the conflict between dwarves and light elves is mostly all just show, dwarves are genuinely cautious of dark elves.
* Dwarves to Half-Elves
Depending on how much elven influence a half-elf has, dwarves may regard them as elves, or more as humans. Those who are raised among humans may find a good friend in a kindly dwarf who will lend a sympathetic ear.
* Dwarves to Grassrunners
Since grassrunners are foreign to Lodoss, many dwarves know little about them. They are both quite short, and find some common ground there. However, at first, a dwarf unfamiliar with grassrunners may confuse one with an elven child.
* Dwarves to Centaurs
Dwarves are mostly unfamiliar with centaurs and meeting one would be an exercise in curiosity.
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Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 3:42 am
Races: Grassrunners
Created from air elementals, this diminutive race was one of many created by the gods. They are native to Alecrast, and once on Lodoss while it was a part of Alecrast. According to their legends, at the end of the War of the Gods, when Kardis used the last of her power to curse the land, it sent a firestorm across Lodoss. The elves, dwarves, and three tribes of grassrunners heard her scream her curse. The elves hid in their deep forests and the dwarves escaped underground. However, the grassrunners had nowhere to go. Only one thousand of their kind escaped from the curse, and the rest perished in flame. Thus, to grassrunners, Lodoss is cursed.
The grassrunners call themselves the “faerie people of the grass” in their own language and live on the grasslands of Alecrast. Little more information is available on where their grasslands are located, or their relations with Alecrastians. They are very uncommon in Lodoss, thanks it's ominous connotations in their lore, but ever since they had access to sea travel, they have sent their youths to Lodoss as a test of mettle. It is considered mandatory for the males, but optional for females. This tradition has continued for thousands of years, but recent generations have found little use, aside from getting the chance to see the world. Aside from their youths, grassrunner traders can often be found in Raiden. A few grassrunners live permanently in Raiden, but there are very few that live elsewhere in Lodoss.
Grassrunners are long lived, and the average lifespan is around 500 years, but they have been known to live up to a 1,000 years¹. They reach maturity in their early twenties, and after reaching maturity, they take a quest to Lodoss, often around the age of 25. Like elves, grassrunners do not age after reaching maturity, and don't continue aging until the final decades before death¹. They have a similar estrus cycle—females are only able to conceive once every ten years¹. Also like elves, grassrunners are very agile and have greater vision over distances and better hearing than humans.
Physical Appearance
Grassrunners are very short, males are an average of 3'2” (1m) and females at around 3' (91.4cm). They are almost perfect miniatures of elves and well-proportioned for their size. In fact, grassrunners are often confused with elven children. They have a slight build and do not put on body fat, or heavy muscle. Grassrunner ears are long and tapered, extending about 3-5 inches outwards from their head.
They are rather beautiful, but often considered childlike in their beauty. Grassrunners have softer, more childlike features and large eyes. They are fair, with light skin and blonde hair. They have a little more variety in their eye color than elves, limited to a palette of blue, green, gold, violet, and red. Brown and and hazel eyes do not occur in grassrunners.
Magic
Grassrunners are proficient shamans, and all grassrunners are trained from an early age to use it. Their level of shamanism skill rivals that of elves, though they are unfamiliar with making king spirit contracts. While elves have a disdain for summoning Salamander and it is considered taboo to use the fire elemental, grassrunners outright fear Salamander spirits due to their history with fire.
Grassrunners quite simply, do not study sorcery and have the same reservations about it as elves. They are also rare to join the priesthood. The few grassrunners who become priests would likely follow Falis, Marfa, or Cha Za and be outcasts from grassrunner society.
Race Relations
* Grassrunners to Humans
Grassrunners regard humans much in the same way that elves do, but they spend more time interacting with humans than elves. They find humans an immature and brash race, but at the same time, many grassrunners have come to like the human concept of “money” and have become traders. However, many grassrunners are easily frustrated when humans consistently confuse them with children.
* Grassrunners to Common and High Elves
Grassrunners and elves are like distant cousins who have hardly met. They are always ready to accept grassrunners and keep open lines of communication with them. Grassrunners can find a little comfort among their taller cousins.
* Grassrunners to Dark Elves
Grassrunners have no direct exposure to the evil of dark elves, so most of what they have to judge dark elves by is hearsay.
* Grassrunners to Half-Elves
Grassrunners accept both humans and elves, and have no trouble accepting half-elves.
* Grassrunners to Dwarves
Though elves have a long feud with dwarves, grassrunners do not. They find a little comfort in meeting a race that's short like them, and dwarves are quite friendly.
* Grassrunners to Centaurs
Most grassrunners aren't even aware of centaurs, but upon meeting one, they might be terrified at first because of their sheer size, but once they get over the fear of being stepped on, curiosity should take over.
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Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 3:43 am
Races: Centaurs
During the War of the Gods, a mounted legion of elves fought for the gods of light. They had a deep telepathic bond with their animals and considered their horses friends and family. Yet, both elf and horse wanted to be even closer. They spoke to Marfa about it, and the goddess agreed to bind elf and horse together. Their bodies and minds were combined and became the centaurs.
The centaurs are an elusive race and have an extreme affinity to nature and animals. They hardly ever leave their forests, partially because the human world upsets them, and the fact that humans have a hard time accepting so a strange being as a centaur. In fact, many traveling centaurs run the risk of being hunted and killed as monsters. For this reason, only the most desperately curious youths and outcasts leave home.
Astrology and precognition play an important role in centaurian culture. At least once for every generation, a seer is born into every centaur tribe. Centaur seers and astrological scholars spend many hours a day plotting the course of the cosmos and predicting natural occurrences. As with all fae races, centaurs have long lives. The average centaur lives for around 500 years, while seers can live up to a thousand years. Centaurs come of age in their twenties, and have the same reproductive cycle as elves, only able to conceive once every ten years. Centaurs have a twelve month gestation, longer than elves or horses, and bear a child that is more developed than a human or elf baby. Centaur foals are around the size of horse foals, with a torso of a child that appears to be five or six, and they can walk within hours of birth. Despite the size of their humanoid half as children, newborn centaur foals are little more intelligent than horse foals, but more developed physically and cognitively than elven babies. They age slowly, compared to horses, but at about the same rate of elven children, after their “head start” at least.
It is impossible for a centaur to reproduce with any race or horses. However, there have been some intimate relationships between centaurs and elves. Intimate “relations” with horses is strictly taboo in centaurian culture, but it has been known to happen.
Physical Appearance
Centaurs have the upper body and torso of an elf, which is connected to the withers (shoulders) of a horse's body. There is quite a broad variety in build of both halves of their body. The original horses Marfa bonded to the elves were of a variety of breeds—from lean, leggy runners, to mighty warhorses. Their torsos have to be balanced to match. So, a centaur with the equine build of a warhorse would need a broader, more muscular torso for balance. Their facial structure remains true to their elven roots, being beautiful and sharp, yet delicate. Their ears match elves' ears, being long and tapered, measuring 5-7 inches in length.
Unlike their elven ancestors, centaurs have a broad variety of coloration on both halves of their body. Centaur hair (or manes) match their tails, as a rule. So, centaurs can have any color of hair, brown, blond, silver, red, or black. In the cases of piebald (pinto) centaurs, their manes may be a mix of white and another color. Their skin is commonly fair, but in the case of some dark furred centaurs, their skin may be dark to match their coats. However, no centaurs have black skin on their elven body, even if they have black skin on their equine half, under their fur. Dark brown seems to be the only pigment to match black coats. Centaurs have many eye colors; blue, green, and violet come from their elven side, while brown and gold come from their horse side. Their equine coloration covers a broad range, including, blacks, bays, grays, chestnuts, browns, sorrels, palominos, and piebalds. (See the Horses page for more information about equine colors.)
Centaurs are fond of tattoos and piercings. Many tribes have their own designs used for genders, classes, and ages. A young centaur will get their first tattoo around the age of 20 to signify their passage into adulthood. Tattooing is a painful process, which is why it's first use is in coming of age ceremonies. Most young centaur girls get their ears pierced around the age of thirteen, and receive later piercings throughout life. Eventually, they end up with about five piercings per ear. In some tribes, men pierce only one ear several times over.
Magic
Centaurs are natural shamans like the other fae races. They can equal the elves in power, but few centaurs chose to take their shamanism to the same level of power as elves. Centaur shamans to not seek to make contracts with king spirits for the fact that finding a portal to the realm of a king spirit requires travel.
Due to their seclusion, there are no centaur sorcerers or priests.
Race Relations
* Centaurs to Humans
Centaurs have a number of problems with humans, mainly because humans just don't understand them. Most humans don't even know about centaurs, and when they do encounter humans, centaurs are often mistaken as monsters. They also find that humans are too destructive and don't have enough respect for other living things.
* Centaurs to Common and High Elves
Since no centaurs live in the Forest of No Return, centaurs and high elves are rather unfamiliar with each other. However, they are very familiar with common elves and live in the same forests. They keep their villages separate when they live in the same area as elves, but they still work closely together in protecting their forests. The elves sometimes turn to the centaur seers for guidance as well.
* Centaurs to Dark Elves
For the most part, centaurs despise dark elves because of their history with Falaris. The feel about the same as common elves when it comes to dark elves. The exception is to centaurs and dark elves of Blue Dragon Island. The dark elves who moved to the island abandoned their evil roots and now co-exist with the centaurs of the island.
* Centaurs to Half-Elves
Centaurs have their reservations about dealing with half-elves, because of their human heritage. However, the Glassy Woods centaur tribe has been known to take in half-elf children abandoned by the elves and raise them as herd members.
* Centaurs to Dwarves
Centaurs feel the same way as elves in regards to dwarves, but upon meeting a dwarf and realizing that they're mostly good people, a centaur would more readily accept them than an elf.
* Centaurs to Grassrunners
Centaurs have rarely met grassrunners, but after their initial curiosity, they would accept a grassrunner in the same way they do elves.
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Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 3:46 am
Afflictions
These are things that can permanently change a character's appearance, ability, life, and personality. None of these can be combined, nor can someone be "half" of any of these afflictions. Hyuri only affects living things, so vampires would be unaffected. The magic and spirit resistance of were-wolves wouldn't allow for a Hyuri possession. There cannot be vampire/were-wolf combinations because one must be alive to be afflicted with lycanthropy and the virus that causes it would be nullified by vampirism. There is no way Hyuri could be passed genetically because it is a spiritual affliction. Vampires cannot reproduce sexually to create half-vampires, nor can half-vampires be created by other means explored in other stories. Lycanthropy has a 50/50 chance of being passed from mother to child, but the affliction would be complete for the child.
Hyuri Possession
Hyuri is the shamanist spirit of anger and a very powerful one that that. They are rarely summoned by shamans, but roam the world freely. Usually a Hyuri possesses a person in their greatest moment of need (This is a very rare occurrence, so don't think that every time someone needs protection or is incredibly angry a Hyuri can possess them.). As an example, the character Orson was possessed by a Hyuri spirit as a young boy after he watched his sister be slaughtered by goblins. The spirit found him and entered him, and with the power it gave him, he slew the goblins. Hyuri can also be inflicted by shamans, but this is a dangerous and cruel summon, so with the exception of strange situations, this would not be done defensively or offensively, even by dark elves. Once someone is possessed of a Hyuri, there is no known way to break the possession, not even the high elves know a way. A person can learn to control it, however.
The person afflicted with Hyuri becomes a berserker. Usually something must trigger this, in Orson's case, it was seeing a woman in danger that set it off. In the beginning, a berserker will have little to no control of this possession, and when they come the slightest bit upset, they will lose all control and kill indiscriminately. A berserker loses nearly all their senses and all they know is to kill, the Hyuri triggers a massive release of adrenaline. They become stronger because they can no longer feel pain, they do not notice wounds, even the most grisly, and will continue fighting until they regain control of themselves or run out of things to kill, in some cases, they may die while berserk once their body can take no more punishment.
Most berserkers learn how to shut down their emotions to avoid losing control. The life of a berserker is often empty and lonely because of their cold nature and...the tendency to kill with out discrimination when Hyuri takes them over. It's said when a berserker comes, they leave nothing but death behind them.
Vampirism
This is a curse of undeath, but instead of leaving the victim as a mindless ghoul, they retain their intelligence and become powerful, immortal beings. Being the anti-thesis of all things living and holy, they are hated by elves and clerics. Humans fear them and since the time of Kastuul, have been exterminating them, leaving a very small population.
Vampires are predators, feeding on the blood of the living. They cannot reproduce sexually, but can create other vampires. To become a vampire, one must partake of a vampire's blood and die, after which, they will be reborn as a new vampire. This is rarely done, usually a vampire will only feed on a human and dispose of the body. Becoming a vampire completely changes a person's body, all their body functions cease and they must sustain themselves on the blood of other creatures. Some vampires try to retain their humanity by only feeding on creatures. They are inherently evil and follow the dark gods; a newly turned vampire might fight this change as long as possible, but in the end, they will eventually succumb to evil.
Vampires are vulnerable to a few things. They are mainly nocturnal and have an aversion to sunlight. To much sunlight can kill a vampire, however, with every millennia a vampire exists, he or she gains more resistance to sunlight. Within five thousand years a vampire becomes resistant to the effects of sunlight that affect younger vampires. There are many superstitions regarding vampires and how to kill them. A stake in the heart works, but anything in the heart works just as well. Enchanted Holy weapons do serious damage to a vampire and things that are holy will deter a vampire. Powerful Holy magic can effectively smite a vampire. Though the quickest way to kill a vampire is beheading. Garlic in a person's bloodstream will deter any bloodsucker.
Vampires have enhanced senses; hearing, sight, smell and taste are far above human norms. Their agility and speed improves greatly to surpass even elves. They gain the power of hypnosis to charm their victims. With age and experience, vampires gain more powers such as: ability to drain life force and strength and resistance to sunlight (both starting at 1000 years and slowly increasing with age). Vampires appear as they did upon their rebirth as a vampire, though with time their skin grows paler. Though undead, they often retain a youthful appearance and even gain beauty.
Lycanthropy
This is the curse of the were-wolf. Those afflicted can shift forms into a large, almost human wolf-like creature. Lycanthropy affects a person similar to how Vampirism does, however one does not have to die to become a were-wolf. It is a virus that can be passed blood to blood, altering the genetic structure of it's victim. Usually, this happens when a person is bitten by a wounded were-wolf, granted they can survive a were-wolf mauling.
Were-wolves are not evil creatures, but in their wolf form, they often become violent and blood thirsty—unless they've developed control over it. They appear as normal people, but often become loners, seeking to distance themselves from those they might do harm. Someone spiritually inclined may be able to detect a were-wolf if they know what they're looking for.
Were-wolves shift forms with the lunar cycle, until they learn to control it. On nights with a full moon, they shift to wolf form and loose their sense of humanity, becoming ravenous, blood thirsty creatures. One can learn to control this shape-shifting, but it could take many years to master, and many lives may be lost in the mean time. Once trained, a were-wolf can learn to shift at will, or partially shift to gain claws, fangs or appear as an anthropomorphic wolf. Sometimes, even young were-wolves can shift forms to protect themselves when they are in serious danger.
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Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 3:48 am
Monster Races
Goblins
Goblins are a race that inhabits Marmo and scattered areas of Lodoss. They are reddish-brown creatures who inhabit caves and other dark and damp places. Most humans, elves, and dwarves, however, consider them monsters for all practical purposes. Their sheer numbers are far greater than that of any other race in Lodoss, aside from humans.
Goblins are earth dwellers and live in the darkest regions of the earth, primarily caves, deep forests, or ancient tunnels. They are also quite sensitive to light, as they are so used to living underground.
The strongest goblin always becomes the leader of its group. Goblins stay in groups of ten to twenty, and independent groups do not get along well with each other. Often, it takes the power of a goblin shaman or goblin lords bring several groups together.
Large groups of goblins capture kobolds and used them as slaves. Even larger groups have a mix of ogres as well, and but these ogres are not slaves. Ogres lack intelligence, and often look to the goblins for leadership, joining the larger goblin groups.
Goblins worship the dark gods Falaris and the great goblin heroes of the past. Buajack, also known as "I am as rock", was known to have slain many dwarves and is greatly revered. Another goblin, Zak Urub, is also seen as a hero, though he was neither a shaman nor a goblin lord, simply an exceptional common goblin. He was able to become leader of over a hundred goblin warriors, and showed surprising concern for his people. Zak Urub had several human slaves and wore a cloak dyed with elf blood.
Goblin Lords/Hobgoblins
One out of a hundred goblins are born as a goblin lord. A goblin lord can command a large group of goblins, often fifty to a hundred. Goblin lords often rule tribes of goblins, or command goblin regiments in the Marmo army. Goblin lords are much larger than normal goblins, and are in fact bigger than most humans. They are cunning, intelligent, and highly skilled fighters; indeed, they are creatures to be feared. Goblin lords carry the same social stigma as goblins, and many of the other races simply think they are just bigger versions of the average goblin. On Marmo, however, goblin lords can find themselves in places of power, and in command of military regiments and camps.
Kobolds
Kobolds are basically wild, wolf-like beastmen who inhabit Marmo and some of the forests of Lodoss. They are semi-bipedal (standing and walking on two legs, but run on all four), and look very much like wolf-men. They have dark gray fur, tails, digigrade legs, and the head of a wolf. A kobold's hands are, however, fairly human-like, allowing them to wield weapons. Kobolds are often found wearing armor as well, and are somewhat skilled with a sword.
Ogres
Ogres are massive creatures, three times the size of a man. They have rough, dark brown skin, small bony horns on their head, and mouth with large canine teeth. They have poor vision with their small yellow eyes, but this makes them no less dangerous. Ogres are extremely strong, and usually wield large, devastating weapons such as axes or battle-scythes. Ogres are slow, stupid, and overconfident as to their own abilities.
Dark elves are known to tame ogres by enticing their loyalty through feeding them humans. In the past, it was common place for dark elves to capture humans here and there as ogre food. Unfortunately for the remaining ogres, current agreements between the Flaim nation and dark elven tribe forbid this practice.
Trolls
Trolls are vile creatures, of a similar species to goblins and ogres. Trolls are even less intelligent than the dim witted ogres. Their predatory instincts, however, make them a formidable adversary. Trolls usually travel in packs, and are nocturnal by nature. Goblins are known to use trolls in their armies, but do despise the wretched creatures as an inferior subspecies. When there are trolls in a goblin army, they are treated as little more than cannon-fodder.
Cyclops
A Cyclops is a rare type of giant, not native to the Lodoss Island. They are probably from Alecrast, or some other unexplored land. Cyclopes seem to like small islands, and are very solitary, living alone in a large dark cave. A few Cyclopes live on Blue Dragon Island, the Island of Marmo, and the scattered islands further north of Lodoss.
Giants
In the Central Mountains, south of the Deserts of Fire and Storm, are a race of huge humanoids who inhabit the foreboding cliffs and caves of the impassible mountain ranges. These massive people stand upwards of fifteen feet high, and can mass up to a ton. It is said their skulls are so large as to be used as hovels by goblins. Giants have rarely been seen outside the central region of their mountainous domain, but travelers making the journey through the mountain pass from Adan to Novice often speak of seeing giants watching them from the mountain peeks far above. Explorers who have ventured into the forbidden mountains have returned with tales of a great City of Giants and a valley of bones where the giants have buried their dead for centuries. Whether or not these rumors are true has yet to be seen.
Gillmen
Gillmen are a strange race of aquatic humanoids who live in cities under the ocean. These 'cities' are little more than undersea caves, coral reefs, ship wrecks. Indeed, they are very fond of ship wrecks, to the point that they actually attack ships to sink them. Gillmen look like human-fish hybrids, and can breath in water as well as in the open air. They cannot, however, let their scaly skin dry out, or they will begin to suffer from being out of water. They will eventually die if not returned to the sea. Gillmen are known to prowl the western cost of Lodoss, as well as the dangerous strait between Raiden and Blue Dragon Island.
Lizard Men
A race of reptilian people, they are distantly related to dragons. They have no wings, but long tails and inhabit the swamps of Marmo. They speak Karojit, a language shared with dragons. However, Lizard Men are just as intelligent as Goblins, if not more intelligent. They do not venture from their swamp and are quick to attack human or goblin interlopers. They have both shamans and fighters.
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Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 3:49 am
Monster Races
Goblins
Goblins are a race that inhabits Marmo and scattered areas of Lodoss. They are reddish-brown creatures who inhabit caves and other dark and damp places. Most humans, elves, and dwarves, however, consider them monsters for all practical purposes. Their sheer numbers are far greater than that of any other race in Lodoss, aside from humans.
Goblins are earth dwellers and live in the darkest regions of the earth, primarily caves, deep forests, or ancient tunnels. They are also quite sensitive to light, as they are so used to living underground.
The strongest goblin always becomes the leader of its group. Goblins stay in groups of ten to twenty, and independent groups do not get along well with each other. Often, it takes the power of a goblin shaman or goblin lords bring several groups together.
Large groups of goblins capture kobolds and used them as slaves. Even larger groups have a mix of ogres as well, and but these ogres are not slaves. Ogres lack intelligence, and often look to the goblins for leadership, joining the larger goblin groups.
Goblins worship the dark gods Falaris and the great goblin heroes of the past. Buajack, also known as "I am as rock", was known to have slain many dwarves and is greatly revered. Another goblin, Zak Urub, is also seen as a hero, though he was neither a shaman nor a goblin lord, simply an exceptional common goblin. He was able to become leader of over a hundred goblin warriors, and showed surprising concern for his people. Zak Urub had several human slaves and wore a cloak dyed with elf blood.
Goblin Lords/Hobgoblins
One out of a hundred goblins are born as a goblin lord. A goblin lord can command a large group of goblins, often fifty to a hundred. Goblin lords often rule tribes of goblins, or command goblin regiments in the Marmo army. Goblin lords are much larger than normal goblins, and are in fact bigger than most humans. They are cunning, intelligent, and highly skilled fighters; indeed, they are creatures to be feared. Goblin lords carry the same social stigma as goblins, and many of the other races simply think they are just bigger versions of the average goblin. On Marmo, however, goblin lords can find themselves in places of power, and in command of military regiments and camps.
Kobolds
Kobolds are basically wild, wolf-like beastmen who inhabit Marmo and some of the forests of Lodoss. They are semi-bipedal (standing and walking on two legs, but run on all four), and look very much like wolf-men. They have dark gray fur, tails, digigrade legs, and the head of a wolf. A kobold's hands are, however, fairly human-like, allowing them to wield weapons. Kobolds are often found wearing armor as well, and are somewhat skilled with a sword.
Ogres
Ogres are massive creatures, three times the size of a man. They have rough, dark brown skin, small bony horns on their head, and mouth with large canine teeth. They have poor vision with their small yellow eyes, but this makes them no less dangerous. Ogres are extremely strong, and usually wield large, devastating weapons such as axes or battle-scythes. Ogres are slow, stupid, and overconfident as to their own abilities.
Dark elves are known to tame ogres by enticing their loyalty through feeding them humans. In the past, it was common place for dark elves to capture humans here and there as ogre food. Unfortunately for the remaining ogres, current agreements between the Flaim nation and dark elven tribe forbid this practice.
Trolls
Trolls are vile creatures, of a similar species to goblins and ogres. Trolls are even less intelligent than the dim witted ogres. Their predatory instincts, however, make them a formidable adversary. Trolls usually travel in packs, and are nocturnal by nature. Goblins are known to use trolls in their armies, but do despise the wretched creatures as an inferior subspecies. When there are trolls in a goblin army, they are treated as little more than cannon-fodder.
Cyclops
A Cyclops is a rare type of giant, not native to the Lodoss Island. They are probably from Alecrast, or some other unexplored land. Cyclopes seem to like small islands, and are very solitary, living alone in a large dark cave. A few Cyclopes live on Blue Dragon Island, the Island of Marmo, and the scattered islands further north of Lodoss.
Giants
In the Central Mountains, south of the Deserts of Fire and Storm, are a race of huge humanoids who inhabit the foreboding cliffs and caves of the impassible mountain ranges. These massive people stand upwards of fifteen feet high, and can mass up to a ton. It is said their skulls are so large as to be used as hovels by goblins. Giants have rarely been seen outside the central region of their mountainous domain, but travelers making the journey through the mountain pass from Adan to Novice often speak of seeing giants watching them from the mountain peeks far above. Explorers who have ventured into the forbidden mountains have returned with tales of a great City of Giants and a valley of bones where the giants have buried their dead for centuries. Whether or not these rumors are true has yet to be seen.
Gillmen
Gillmen are a strange race of aquatic humanoids who live in cities under the ocean. These 'cities' are little more than undersea caves, coral reefs, ship wrecks. Indeed, they are very fond of ship wrecks, to the point that they actually attack ships to sink them. Gillmen look like human-fish hybrids, and can breath in water as well as in the open air. They cannot, however, let their scaly skin dry out, or they will begin to suffer from being out of water. They will eventually die if not returned to the sea. Gillmen are known to prowl the western cost of Lodoss, as well as the dangerous strait between Raiden and Blue Dragon Island.
Lizard Men
A race of reptilian people, they are distantly related to dragons. They have no wings, but long tails and inhabit the swamps of Marmo. They speak Karojit, a language shared with dragons. However, Lizard Men are just as intelligent as Goblins, if not more intelligent. They do not venture from their swamp and are quick to attack human or goblin interlopers. They have both shamans and fighters.
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Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 4:00 am
Demons
Many thousands of years ago, when the War of the Gods raged across the heavens and earth, the bowels of hell itself were torn asunder. That infernal realm, once ruled by Barbas and dominated by the Gods of Darkness, now lies in ruin and chaos. Yet, the greater servitors of darkness live on, fighting and warring amongst themselves for the hellish lands of their netherworld realm.
Few demons venture beyond the veil that separates the world of the living from the world of the dead. But they can be summoned by dark mages, priests of darkness and demonalators. They often react poorly to such arrogant interlopers, but those summoned in the name of Barbas, Kardis or Falaris are open to hearing the pathetic request of a mortal sorcerer. Many demons find pleasure in manipulating the sorcerer, making him believe he is in control while it is the demon himself who is pulling all the strings.
Demons are powerful and terrible creatures to be reckoned with. If one is invoked into combat, it will reek havoc with both sides, unless one side is fast enough and smart enough to strike a deal. But remember, any deal struck with a demon is never in your favor. Consider your soul damned for eternity. And if a demon is ever actually losing a fight, it can summon a half dozen allies from the depths of hell itself.
Demons are horrifying creatures to behold. They are large, strong, and often red or black in color. Their appearance varies, but many have mighty bat-wings and twisted goat horns on their ferocious, bestial heads. Demons are masters of magic, and cast spells faster than any mortal mage could ever hope to achieve.
Lower Demons
The easiest to summon, they are weak and less intelligent than most demons, but not to be underestimated. These demons are Imps, minions, and trickster spirits.
Higher Demons
These include most sorts of demons, with a greater intelligence than most humans. Incubus and Succubus are included in this rank. These Demons have powerful sorcery at their disposal. To hide amongst humans, they can cast illusion spells to appear human.
Demon Lords
The most powerful of all demons, these devils rule over the netherworld. A demon lord summoned to Lodoss in NRC 473 nearly conquered the island, but was defeated by the Six Heroes.
Hell Hound
Hell hounds are demonic creatures from the bowels of the netherworld. They rarely come to the world of the living, but may be summoned by sorcerers, or sent by their demon masters on some dark task. Hell hounds are not creatures to be taken lightly. They are often capable of magic, and powerful magic at that. Many demons have hell hounds as pets, and extremely powerful sorcerers may have them as familiars.
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Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 4:03 am
Undead
The Undead are creatures which have no life-force, but rather a potent death-energy that constitutes their existence. Undead may exist as physical bodies (ghouls, zombies, vampires, etc.), or as ghostly apparitions (wights, wraiths, ghosts, etc.). Undead are simply "creatures who have returned from the grave". This may happen accidentally, that is to say, by the magical forces of Creation and Destruction (residual energies of the battle between Marfa and Kardis), those who died in disturbing or dreadful (or are exceedingly evil) may come back from the dead. Also, many evil sorcerers and necromancers can cast spells that raise the dead or summon spirits from the netherworld. Sleep, Charm, and similar spells will not work on undead, but mind control spells will. Turn Undead is an especially useful spell for casting against any undead creature. In any event, the more powerful an undead's will, the more difficult it will be to use such magic against it.
See Afflictions for information on vampires.
Dark Hood
A Dark Hood is a sinister being from the netherworld. It is unknown if they are simply extremely powerful wraiths, or if they are in fact demonic monsters sent from the bowls of hell to terrorize the land of the living. In any event, a Dark Hood is one of the most powerful of the undead. They have several necromantic spells at their disposal, in addition to other spells. Being an apparition, they are unaffected by physical attacks. Magical attacks have full effect.
Dragon's Tooth Warriors
Dragon's Tooth Warriors (called such as dragon teeth are a requirement of the spell used to summon them), are basically skeleton's with armor and swords, somewhat skilled in fighting. They are invoked by dark wizards with a Level 2 Summon Undead spell, which has the added requirement of "Requires A Dragon Tooth". One invocation will create a Dragon's Tooth Warrior for every dragon tooth thrown onto the ground. They will only last for 5 minutes, unless destroyed earlier. Dragon teeth can be found on dragons (of course), and often in dragon's lairs (but be careful). They can be bought or sold for 3 Raidens a piece.
Ghoul
Ghouls are hideous undead creatures, living corpses that return from the grave. They usually appear partially decayed, and smell of rotting flesh. Soulless, they have little memory of their previous lives and only an extremely profound condition may cause their memories to resurface. Even so, their minds are little more than vegetables. Ghouls must consume rotting flesh to sustain their existence, and usually prefer the flesh of their former race. Thus, ghouls often prowl graveyards, catacombs, and crypts.
Haunt
A haunt is a residual echo of a tragically murdered soul. The actually spirit of this person has departed, but an echo, or spiritual impression,of the person remains bound to the location where he died. This can take a specter-like form, which, like a specter, can grow into a wraith or other malicious apparition if left unchecked. As they are not true apparitions at this point, merely a force of energy, they cannot take damage. However, Turn Undead can generally dispel a haunt completely.
Mummy
Mummies are magically embalmed bodies, wrapped in linen and placed inside a tomb. Mummification was a common practice in the Kingdom of Kastuul,and many mummy tombs still exist in the desolate Storm and Fire Desert. Though most mummies are simply anointed bodies wrapped in cloth, a few were actually enchanted by a special necromantic curse—when their tomb is transgressed upon, them mummy awakens to destroy the infidels! Being magical, mummies are strong, powerful, and may even have a few necromantic spells of their own. They are not really intelligent beings, however, and like ghouls carry no memories of their past lives. Mummies can be found in catacombs, tombs, and ancient crypts.
Phantom
A Phantom is an angry spirit of a recently dead. They can manifest shortly after the tragic or unjust death of an individual, but they may also evolve from Wraiths, Specters, or Haunts. Phantoms appear vaguely human, and may look similar to the appearance of their previous life. Many are only composed of the upper torso, arms, and head, with the lower body and legs being a ghostly mist. Their entire body is misty blue and semi-transparent. Phantoms can attack with telekinesis, and may also have a few necromantic spells. Being an apparition, they are unaffected by physical attacks. Magical attacks have full effect.
Skeleton
Skeletons are reanimated bones (or very decayed bodies) brought up by necromancer's and evil wizards. They can be found in tombs, dungeons, ancient ruins, dark temples, and in some places on Marmo. Skeletons have no soul or memory of their past life, and are in fact magically assembled from a myriad of different bodies by the spell which "summons" or creates them (a typical low level Summon Undead spell).
Specter
A specter is a spirit of a recently dead person that was unable to depart to the netherworld. Reasons for this may vary, but it often has to do with their being "unfinished business", or a certain condition which prevents them from passing on, such as a curse. Specters are, for the most part, powerless and many are not evil or malicious. Their presence does cause terror, and they can slowly change into a wraith or phantom over the course of time. Specters should be sent on to the netherworld, so it is important to clear up whatever condition is preventing them from moving on before it is too late. Being an apparition, they are unaffected by physical attacks. Magical attacks have full effect.
Wraith
A wraith is a spirit that has actually returned from the netherworld to seek revenge on his murderer, or the living in general. Such happens only rarely, for it is difficult for any spirit to escape the Land of the Dead. Nevertheless, when it does occur, a wraith can be a powerful adversary. Wraiths usually have one necromantic spell at their disposal, which they use to attack. Being an apparition, they are unaffected by physical attacks. Magical attacks have full effect.
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