Topic: Races of Arrylon

[Tolen]

Ok, the easiest thing to do for the races is to use Races and Cultures.  For obvious reasons, no Shadow World races exist, and in my campaign at least, nothing 'monster-like' either.  (I.e., no Centaurs, kobolds, etc.).  I do like the Hira'razhir, but don't know where to put them, so they would be rare.

Further, instead of spending a lot of effort re-writing the adolescent skill tables again, when I post the information about the different countries, I'll simply list the most common cultural templates used in that land.  It will be pretty obvious, though: countries with a lot of forest will use the Sylvan template, and so forth.

The only real differences, then are in how they fit into the world of Arrylon.  Humans are the most populous, covering all of Amara (except for the dwarven lands), and most of the Audun.  (To the south, the Fan-chi empire is human, as are the Geadhealtad peoples of the East).  Half-elves are rare, but more common in Audun, closer to Medalliana.  Half-orcs are more rare.  Gnomes are pretty common, especially in the North, closest to their island of Durenor.  Halfings can be found anywhere.  Dwarves come in two different types, both racially identical, but culturally different.  Most dwarves come from the Irenien range of mountains in North East Amara, while a few odd ducks might be from Bresdelen in the South.

That really leaves Elves.  By default, player's are discouraged from playing elves, in much the same way that players in other games are discouraged from playing Drow.  Plain and simple, they are the bad guys (not counting all the monstrous horrors of the dark god).  However, should a player wish to play an elf and cannot be disinclined from it, there are only really three types.  The High Elves are members of one of the Twelve Houses.  The Grey Elves pretty much represent everyone else.  In Meddalliana, however, most elves are Wood Elves.  Theoretically, there are also the Eldain, but none have been seen in millennia.  They would be akin to some of the more alien elves from Shadow World.

Finally, there is one race I need to build from scratch.  They would be the changeling.  In d20 terms, they were mostly based on the human, but got bonuses to disguise, plus the ability (obviously) to change their shape more or less at will.  So I am opening the discussion for ideas about that race as a possibility as well.

[Tolen]

Elven Burial Rites
     All elves believe they have a sort of immortality.  When the body dies, the elf moves into the Evertwilight to return to the spirits that created them.  However, this path is not a one-way road.  They believe that they may someday return should they grow to miss Arrylon.
     Therefore, those who can afford to hire the sorcerers and wizards to perform the proper rites have their bodies preserved in amber.  The body is encased in the sap of a Colbona tree which when hardened, forms a clear yellow stone.  The sap is collected, the body suspended in it, and the spells harden the sap in minutes instead of years.  The process is expensive, so usually only the nobility and upper classes can afford it.  Bodies that have been preserved in this fashion are available should the elf return from the Evertwilight.
     Elven tombs are elaborate structures that house only the members of an elf's family.  Those bound by marriage are kept in the husbands tomb, unless the bride's family pays a large dowry to allow her to be kept in their own tomb.  The tombs of the elves often resemble grand halls.  The deceased are displayed standing on end along the walls.  The more important the family member, the the higher the position given them, with the family founder in a special place usually at the end of the hall, and two or more levels above the main floor.
     Those who cannot afford this ritual undergo traditional burials.  The elves believe that the elf has still gone to the Evertwilight, but has no body to return to.  The graveyards are arranged around the tombhalls of the family founder.  Each neighborhood is full of those who can trace their lineage back to one of those encased in the main tomb.  Since the body is allowed to decay, it is believed that elves who return from the Evertwilight are reincarnated.  With appropriate rituals and magic, the elf can be helped to remember his past life (his memories were buried in his original body, and must be found and transferred).
     Those elves deemed most treacherous and evil are cremated.  Their bodies have been destroyed, and they cannot normally return from the Evertwilight.  Should they find a way to return, it is as a ghoul who preys on the living.

Dwarven Beards
     It is often remarked that it is impossible to tell a male dwarf from a female.  this is due to their prodigious beards.  where most cultures rely on heraldry to distinguish one clan from another, dwarves use their beards.  Each clan has a particular style they use.  All dwarves grow their beards and then cut or braid them in the style of their clan.
     Dwarves who have disgraced their clans are shaven clean.  Such dwarves are treated with contempt.  Some clans have been known to spy on other clans during the many minor skirmishes between clans.  Such spies usually adopt the style of beard of the clan they are infiltrating.  Recognized spies are often killed on sight.

Bresdelen Dwarves
     The dwarves of Bresdelen separated themselves from the Irenian dwarves, creating their colony and divorcing themselves from the ways of their kindred.  To mark their differences, Bresdelen dwarves die their hair and beards in outrageous colors, and cut them in styles no self-respecting dwarf would ever wear.  It makes it easy to tell which kind of dwarf you might be dealing with, but adds to the tension when Irenian and Bresdelen meet.

Gnomish Inventors
     It is an unfortunate side effect of their inventiveness that people iften dislike gnomes on sight.  This is in part due to the myth that a gnome and his inventions are dangerous to anyone who happens to be nearby.  this is simply not true.
     While gnomish inventions are not always reliable, it is very rare for a gnome to bring our one of his devices without having fully tested it first.  They understand the value of having reliable equipment.  this does not mean that they will not attempt to build new designs or jury-rig a broken machine into something new, but it does mean that a gnome should be given the benefit of the doubt, no matter how unusual their machines may look or sound.

Changeling Councils
     Under the strictest of security, all of the changelings of the Northwest (and presumably everywhere else) gather together four times each year.  It is unknown for certain what they discuss at these grand meetings, but paranoia and superstition say they are plotting to take over the world.
     The location is always secret, and no non-changeling has ever found the meeting place.  Rumor has it that the location changes every year and that no changeling knows where the next likely possibility is to be.
     Other claim that the chosen site draws the changelings to it through some form of magical influence.  Only changelings can feel this pull.
     Whatever happens, it is common enough that when someone disappears for a few days or weeks at a time, people often remark that the 'changelings must have gotten him.'