PG Character Creation
Nov 6, 2018 22:32:32 GMT -8
Post by Daos on Nov 6, 2018 22:32:32 GMT -8
Races of Krynn
This is an overview of the playable and non-playable races of the setting. They will be divided into the following categories: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Very Rare, and Restricted. "Common" means these races are found in large numbers in Southern Ergoth. "Uncommon" means these races are found in Southern Ergoth, but not in large numbers but their presence can still be explained. "Rare" means these races aren't usually found in Southern Ergoth at all, and some explanation will be needed for their presence. "Very Rare" means these races would need a very detailed justification for why they are in Southern Ergoth. "Barred" means these races are not playable at all, unless the DM gives special permission (note that some of these races do not exist yet in the current timeline).
Common - Humans (Solamnic, Ergothian, Nomadic), Elves (Kagonesti, Qualinesti, Silvanesti), Goblinoids (Goblins, Hobgoblins, Bugbears), Ogres (Fallen)
Uncommon - Hill Dwarves (Neidar), Gully Dwarves (Aghar), Gnomes (Tinker), Half-Goblins, Kender (True), Half-Ogres, Half-Elves
Rare - Humans (Abanasinians, Kharolians, Nerakans, Nordmen, Khurs, Icefolk), Half-Dwarves, Half-Gnomes, Half-Kender, Minotaurs
====================
Humans
Humans are by far the most populous race on Ansalon. They are also the most adaptive and ambitious, dominating whatever land in which they live through sheer numbers and collective force of will. Much of this stems from a deep-seated desire to experience and accomplish as much as possible during their comparatively brief lives. Being the children of the gods of balance, humans fully embrace the gift of free will. Humans run the gamut from the purest, shining example of good to the most debased, vile specimen of evil, in contrast to the elves and ogres who tend towards either end of the moral spectrum.
Humans can be divided into two distinctly different, yet still physically similar, groups. Civilized humans are the men and women who have chosen towns and cities over the wilderness, while the nomads remain close to nature, living and dying at the whims of the land. Neither group is inherently better than the other, but both look at life in very different ways. Both groups tend to look at the other with disdain; the city dwellers considering their nomadic cousins to be ignorant savages, while the different tribes tend to think of city folk as pampered and weak.
History
When they were born into the world in the Age of Dreams, the Ogres had already claimed the mountains, and the elves had claimed the forests. The humans were left to dwell in the plains for a period of time, and the wild nomads comprised shelters and lived off the land as best they could. However within a few generations, the ogres left their mountain realm and began enslaving the humans to work in their mines. For the first several thousand years, humans were completely subjugated by the ogres, until their mighty slavers were thrown into disarray during Igraine's heresy in 5980 PC.
The fall of the ogres was the rise of the humans. Throwing off the shackles of oppression, the humans returned to the plains in great numbers and began developing their settlements further. Learning of bronze-smelting in 3900 PC, amongst other developments, humans began to properly arm themselves against their enemies, and developed their borders further a field. Minor warlords sprung up across Ansalon, however it wasn't until the united tribes under Ackal Ergot, that the first true human empire was created in 2600 PC. In the later part of the Age of Dreams, more and more human kingdoms were formed, until the short-lived race has developed kingdoms across most of the face of Ansalon. Humans even began to create a number of organizations, including a knighthood, which only they may be part of, excluding all other races as members. The Knights of Solamnia were formed.
The continued advancements of humans and their empire building continued throughout the Age of Might, and culminated with the ever-growing holy nation of Istar. Humans installed a Kingpriest as the moralistic and righteous leader of all mortals, who ruled Istar. The "benevolence" of the Kingpriest and Istar, forced all other races to bow before the goodly humans or face the Istarian legions.
The might of the Solamnic Knights waned before the power of holy Istar. Human arrogance led to the enslavement of many other races and ultimately resulted in the gods throwing a mountain upon Istar. The Cataclysm was caused by the arrogance of humans and the people of Ansalon are punished. A human was given the chance to stop the Cataclysm (Loren Soth), however he failed in his duty and the ravages of the Cataclysm are felt by all.
With the Cataclysm, humans abandoned all faith in the gods, feeling betrayed by them. After a number of centuries, the true gods were spoken about in the same breath as legends and folklore. Cults and false religions sprang up throughout human communities to fill the void. Without the aid of clerical magic, disease ran rampant throughout settlements, leading to a great many deaths.
The War of the Lance returned the true gods to Krynn, and saw humans choosing sides between the Whitestone Forces and the Dragonarmies. The cults and false religions mostly vanished, to be replaced by human clerics of the true gods, wielding the legendary divine magic of old. The age saw a return for many to darkness, as people resume following the dark gods and the forming of further organizations.
Common Traits
Humans are the most diverse of all the races of Ansalon. They are often incapable of seeing the other races as more than humans with additional traits or extremes of personality, perhaps because of their own incredibly varied physical appearance, cultural diversity, and sheer numbers. Humans are tall or short, dark-skinned or lightskinned, slender or stocky. Those physical characteristics they do have in common with one another are, as a result, characteristics they share with all other humanoid races.
As a general rule, humans are Medium-sized, usually between five and six feet in height, although there are significant examples of taller or shorter individuals. Their average weight falls between 115 and 225 pounds. Women are usually shorter and lighter than men, but in some cultures, this may be reversed. Humans have no inherent extraordinary or supernatural abilities, such as enhanced vision; however, their ability to learn, grow, and acquire extraordinary talents is well known. Indeed, some of Krynn’s greatest mages, priests, warriors, and artisans have been human.
Ergothians
For almost one thousand years, Ergoth was the dominant human nation on Ansalon. Ergothians ruled from the northern and western shores of the continent to the Kharolis Mountains in the south and the forest of Silvanesti in the east. Through mismanagement and rebellion, Ergoth was slowly whittled down in size. The final blow came with the Cataclysm; Ergoth was torn asunder with the rest of Ansalon, much of it sinking into the sea. Only two islands were left of the once mighty empire, Northern and Southern Ergoth. Since the Cataclysm, when one speaks of Ergothians, they are referring to the dark-skinned, sea-faring folk from Northern Ergoth, even though close to a fifth of the population are light-skinned. Most other vestiges of the old empire and its people have been lost to time.
While there is obviously no one alive in the Empire who experienced the glory days of Ergoth, there is a sense that they are something less than they once were. Stemming from that feeling, most Ergothians approach life as though it is something to be conquered, both for the betterment of themselves and Ergoth as a whole.
Much of everyday life for Ergothians is geared toward the sea and the trade it generates. Even if their occupation does not put them in contact with water, almost every Ergothian somehow contributes to this driving force in the nation’s economy. The few who don’t, innkeepers and other service jobs, still benefit from the sea trade. For the sailors, life is a mix of the exciting and boring. Boring are the days out at sea with no land in sight. Exciting are the port calls all over Ansalon. Exciting and dangerous are the clashes with pirates, minotaurs, and creatures of the sea. To Ergothians, the sea is life, and their mastery of it will restore them to the forefront of Ansalonian politics.
The culture and customs of Ergothians today are little like the Ergoth of old. While some things may be similar, such as the Emperor and the Imperial Senate, many of the every day customs have changed. Many customs, like most everything else in an Ergothian’s life, revolve around the sea. The churches of the Blue Phoenix (Habbakuk) and Rann (Zeboim) each have great influence in the lives of Ergothians. However, Zeboim tends to be worshiped just enough to placate the tempestuous goddess, while Habbakuk is genuinely revered. Ergoth’s aristocratic warrior class, the Cavaliers, keep faith in Corij (Kiri-Jolith) strong, but his congregation is much smaller than in earlier eras.
Solamnics
For centuries, the people of Solamnia were known for their relationship with the Knights of Solamnia. While some Solamnics would argue, most people not of Solamnia said the people of the region were just extensions of the Knighthood. In many ways, those people were right. Living with the Solamnic Knights instilled much of the knightly honor and way of life into the Solamnic people, making them generally hard working and trustworthy. They remained as such even through the years of hardship after the Cataclysm, though a bit a cynicism crept into their psyche. Now that their country has played an integral role in winning the War of the Lance, the Solamnic people can see great things on the horizon.
The average Solamnic citizen is steadfast, loyal, and hard working. Centuries of living under the rule of the Knights of Solamnia reinforced these traits in most of the population. The Cataclysm left much of the population cynical and bitter, though still good under the surface.
For most of Solamnia, the culture of the people and the culture of the Solamnic Knights is the same. Holidays, customs, and naming conventions are all shared between the Knighthood and the people they protect. The Solamnic Knights embody the principles and the culture of the people of Solamnia, for it is said all Knights are sons and daughters of Solamnia. Thus, the Order grows and changes as its members grow and change, sometimes for the worse but usually for the better.
Solamnics are light-skinned people of Ergothian and Kharolian stock, although they are essentially an ethnicity all their own after 1,500 years of independence. Their hair color ranges from black to light brown and occasionally blonde, with redheads more common in the western isles such as Sancrist. Although the Solamnic Knights are famous for their distinctive moustaches, few Solamnic men outside of the Orders affect one.
Nomadic
A tribe of horselords known as the Zenol dwell on the Plains of Kri, a cold, dry grassland located on the southernmost shore of Southern Ergoth. The Zenol are tall and well muscled, with olive-colored skin and black hair. Gold, leather, and semi-precious stones, like onyx, jacinth, and turquoise, are common in their clothing and equipment.
There are also numerous Sea Nomads living mostly on Cristyne, Enstar and Nostar. Sea Nomad men and women alike keep their lustrous curly black hair cropped close to the scalp. They dress in bright, flamboyant clothing made from silks and expensive cloth and wear gold earrings, bracelets, and other trinkets. When they go into battle, they often strip to the waist and brandish a cutlass or trident; the sight of such a fearless pirate is enough to send most opponents running. Their culture includes a significant percentage of mixed-race individuals, such as half-elves, half-ogres, and half-kender. These nomads are given just as much opportunity as their fully human kin, although many make an effort to pass as human when consorting with drylanders.
Elves
The favored of E’li. The fair folk. The immortal children of light. The bastion of civilization. The elves have been called these things and more, by themselves and others, for millennia. Other descriptions have not been so flattering: arrogant devils, pretentious egotists, callous recluses. All of these have at least a grain of truth to them. Until recently, the elves had the most advanced and elaborate civilization on Krynn. The study of the arts, magic, and philosophy reached their heights under the elves, whose lives span centuries. They have developed a well-deserved reputation for arrogance, self-importance, and superiority—attitudes other races often resent. Recently, however, elves have begun hearing themselves called things they’ve never heard before: filthy beggars, unwelcome vagrants, desperate transients. The loss of their homelands has introduced poverty, homelessness, and hopelessness, problems they have never dealt with before. Their societies are in turmoil; while some accept exile and seek a new home, others insist on continuing to fight for their ancestral lands. They have become a race of stark contradictions, an ancient people steeped in tradition whose future is uncertain.
History
The elves awoke in the Age of Dreams. Not yet an organized nation, they watched from their forests as the ogres enslaved the humans, only to lose control in a civil war that brought ruin to both races. As the ogres and humans slaughtered one another mercilessly, the elves kept their distance, staying out of the conflict.
Silvanos Goldeneye, a young and charismatic warrior among the elves, declared their race could rise above such savagery. As the ogre civilization descended into barbarism, Silvanos inspired the elves to take their place. The elves scavenged the ruins of ogre cities and built their own civilization, beginning in the forest known in the present day as Silvanesti, where they believe life began. Silvanos ruled as the first Speaker of the Stars and took a woman named Quinari as his wife. Those who would not join with Silvanos were led by a Wilder elf by the name of Kagonos; Silvanos offered to allow them to become the servant caste in Silvanesti. Kagonos refused and led his people, the Kagonesti, back to Ansalon’s forests.
However, as they soon discovered, this forest was already occupied; ancient chromatic dragons attacked the elves, beginning the First Dragon War. Thousands of elves died in the fighting, and it appeared the dragons might wipe the elves from the face of Ansalon. Just when the situation turned hopeless, the elves were granted by the gods of Magic the knowledge and means to create dragonstones, rune-bearing crystals that could trap a dragon’s soul. Using these new weapons, the elves defeated the dragons and cast their trapped souls into the abyss of Nemith-Otham.
Years later, dwarves delving in Thoradin discovered the dragonstones hidden since the end the First Dragon War and awakened the dragons within. The dragons drew armies of bakali and ogres to themselves, and the Second Dragon War began as these hordes were unleashed on Silvanesti. The elves fought valiantly, but soon the dragons and their armies of evil laid siege to Silvanost. A trio of sorcerers called forth the magic of the land and sky and ordered Krynn itself to swallow the dragons once and for all.
Once it was unleashed, the magic couldn’t be stopped. Arcane storms of wild magic raged across Krynn, slaughtering thousands and laying waste to vast areas. The sorcerers cried out to the gods for help, and the gods of magic came to their aid. They swept the three sorcerers away, together with the tower they occupied. Gradually the wild magic abated, but the three weren’t seen for one hundred years. Finally, the sorcerers returned, having been taught the art of focused arcane magic by the gods of magic; these elves were the founding mages of the Orders of High Sorcery.
Over the next few centuries, tension began to build along the borders of Silvanesti lands and the Ergothian Empire. The Kinslayer War broke out when Speaker of the Stars Sithel was killed by a human. His successor Sithas declared war and placed his brother Kith-Kanan in command of the Silvanesti armies. General Giarna led the Ergothians and their allies, which sometimes included Kagonesti. The Kagonesti had continued to live much as all elves did during the Age of Dreams, and the Silvanesti elves had repeatedly attempted to civilize them—whether the Kagonesti liked it or not. Much to the Silvanesti’s surprise, they didn’t like it and took up arms against their would-be slave masters.
The Kinslayer War was one of the most disastrous wars ever fought on Ansalon. For fifty years, vast armies of Silvanesti elves, Thorbardin Dwarves and Ergothian humans met on the fields of southern Ansalon and slaughtered each other. The numbers of dead were beyond count, and it eventually became clear that the only ones benefiting from the war were the buzzards and crows feasting on the slain. Their appetite for death lost, both sides agreed to a truce. General Giarna lay dead, and Kith-Kanan was scarred and tired of war. The Swordsheath Scroll cemented the peace between elf, human, and dwarf, who had been drawn into the fighting as well. The Hammer of Honor, forged by the dwarves, was passed back and forth among the three nations as a reminder of the destruction of war and the strength of unity.
Perhaps the most significant casualty of the war was the trust Speaker Sithas had in his brother Kith-Kanan, as during the war Kith-Kanan married a human woman, Suzine des Quivalin—the former consort of General Giarna. Kith-Kanan settled with the thousands of elven veterans who had made the borderlands their homes. When he declared the nation of Qualinesti, thousands more elves from the east flocked westward. Speaker Sithas objected and tried to stop the migration; blood was shed, and the schism between the nations was complete. The hatred and mistrust between Silvanesti and Qualinesti would not be bridged for thousands of years.
However, the unlikely friendship between the Qualinesti and the dwarves of Thorbardin was sealed with the construction of the fortress Pax Tharkas—literally Peace Among Friends—a jointly built fortress used by both elf and dwarf. The seeds of this friendship would truly flower during the War of Souls thousands of years later. The Ergothian Empire, seeking further assurances of peace after the disastrous wars of the past century, joined in the Peace Among Friends.
For one thousand years, history shifted its focus away from the elves. The Third Dragon War was fought and won by a ragged band of upstarts called the Knights of Solamnia. An age of peace and prosperity followed. The elves turned inward, building their own civilizations. However, soon the power of a formerly minor city-state called Istar began to grow. Solamnia, which by this time had replaced Ergoth as the preeminent power in western Ansalon, convinced the elves to recognize the addition of Istar to the Swordsheath Scroll, hopefully ensuring peace among the great powers of Ansalon.
Istar’s corruption soon became apparent. The Kingpriests developed into tyrants, forcing their view of morality on the entire continent. Wizardry was suppressed. Nonhuman races were held in suspicion. The elves of Qualinesti and Silvanesti defied the Kingpriests, but that soon became irrelevant. The gods could tolerate Istar no longer and destroyed it with the Cataclysm.
The Cataclysm and subsequent absence of the gods were disasters for the elves. Qualinesti was torn asunder. Both major elven nations became militantly isolationist. Few outsiders visited elven lands and lived to speak of it.
Three hundred years later, the dragons returned in the War of the Lance. Unseen since the Third Dragon War, chromatic dragons swept across the land, with vast hosts of draconians, ogres, goblins, and other servants of evil, all inspired by the lurking Takhisis. The elves were caught completely unprepared. For the first time in history, they were unable to defend their forest homes. Both Qualinesti and Silvanesti were abandoned, the people fleeing to Southern Ergoth and founding the cities of Silvamori and Qualimori. While most would return home after the War of the Lance, many stayed behind to build a new life there.
Common Traits
Throughout the population of Ansalonian elves, there is considerable variation in culture, politics, language, and physical characteristics. However, the commonalities of the different elven nations are even greater.
Elven features tend to be more delicate and severe than most humans. Pointed ears, almond-shaped eyes, prominent cheekbones, and a generally slender and willowy build are immediate identifiers. Most are shorter in stature than the typical human, rarely reaching 5 and 1/2 feet tall. Although elves have no body hair, they are usually gifted with luxuriously thick tresses which many wear in extravagant arrangements. They tend to move with an effortless grace, entrancing members of other races the first time they see them, and most humans find elves to be preternaturally beautiful.
Elves have remarkably keen senses. Their sight and hearing are particularly sharp; their vaunted elvensight allows them to see both in the dark and at great distances, and they can pick out the faintest and most remote sounds from the ambient noise of the woods. They have an uncanny ability to notice secret passageways, doors, and hiding places.
Well aware of their race’s achievements and place in history, elves tend to be proud to a fault, looking down in disdain, pity, or both at the shorter-lived and backward races. This led to policies of isolationism and racial supremacy in the elven nations of old. This superiority complex is deeply ingrained and difficult to overcome, even for elves who spend a great deal of time among the other races of Ansalon.
No matter their nation of origin, elves share an affinity for the natural world. Whether encouraging it to do their bidding, working together with it as a partner, or embracing it in its wild and untamed state, elves appear to have a bond with Krynn’s wild places.
• Infravision out to 60 feet.
• Goblins can detect new or unusual construction in an underground area 25% of the time (1 or 2 on 1d8).
• Bright light hurts goblin eyes, giving them a -1 penalty to hit when in sunshine or other bright illumination.
This is an overview of the playable and non-playable races of the setting. They will be divided into the following categories: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Very Rare, and Restricted. "Common" means these races are found in large numbers in Southern Ergoth. "Uncommon" means these races are found in Southern Ergoth, but not in large numbers but their presence can still be explained. "Rare" means these races aren't usually found in Southern Ergoth at all, and some explanation will be needed for their presence. "Very Rare" means these races would need a very detailed justification for why they are in Southern Ergoth. "Barred" means these races are not playable at all, unless the DM gives special permission (note that some of these races do not exist yet in the current timeline).
Common - Humans (Solamnic, Ergothian, Nomadic), Elves (Kagonesti, Qualinesti, Silvanesti), Goblinoids (Goblins, Hobgoblins, Bugbears), Ogres (Fallen)
Uncommon - Hill Dwarves (Neidar), Gully Dwarves (Aghar), Gnomes (Tinker), Half-Goblins, Kender (True), Half-Ogres, Half-Elves
Rare - Humans (Abanasinians, Kharolians, Nerakans, Nordmen, Khurs, Icefolk), Half-Dwarves, Half-Gnomes, Half-Kender, Minotaurs
Very Rare - Mountain Dwarves (Hylar, Daewar, Klar), Dwark Dwarves (Theiwar, Daergar, Zhakar), Sea Elves (Dimernesti, Dargonesti), Ogres (Irda), Centaurs, Kyrie, Phaethons, Thanoi, Ursoi, Draconians (Baaz, Kapak, Bozak, Sivak, Aurak), Noble Draconians (Frost, Venom, Vapor, Flame, Lightning), Gnomes (Thinker)
Barred - Humans (Ithin’carthians), Gnomes (Wild), Kender (Afflicted)====================
Humans
Humans are by far the most populous race on Ansalon. They are also the most adaptive and ambitious, dominating whatever land in which they live through sheer numbers and collective force of will. Much of this stems from a deep-seated desire to experience and accomplish as much as possible during their comparatively brief lives. Being the children of the gods of balance, humans fully embrace the gift of free will. Humans run the gamut from the purest, shining example of good to the most debased, vile specimen of evil, in contrast to the elves and ogres who tend towards either end of the moral spectrum.
Humans can be divided into two distinctly different, yet still physically similar, groups. Civilized humans are the men and women who have chosen towns and cities over the wilderness, while the nomads remain close to nature, living and dying at the whims of the land. Neither group is inherently better than the other, but both look at life in very different ways. Both groups tend to look at the other with disdain; the city dwellers considering their nomadic cousins to be ignorant savages, while the different tribes tend to think of city folk as pampered and weak.
History
When they were born into the world in the Age of Dreams, the Ogres had already claimed the mountains, and the elves had claimed the forests. The humans were left to dwell in the plains for a period of time, and the wild nomads comprised shelters and lived off the land as best they could. However within a few generations, the ogres left their mountain realm and began enslaving the humans to work in their mines. For the first several thousand years, humans were completely subjugated by the ogres, until their mighty slavers were thrown into disarray during Igraine's heresy in 5980 PC.
The fall of the ogres was the rise of the humans. Throwing off the shackles of oppression, the humans returned to the plains in great numbers and began developing their settlements further. Learning of bronze-smelting in 3900 PC, amongst other developments, humans began to properly arm themselves against their enemies, and developed their borders further a field. Minor warlords sprung up across Ansalon, however it wasn't until the united tribes under Ackal Ergot, that the first true human empire was created in 2600 PC. In the later part of the Age of Dreams, more and more human kingdoms were formed, until the short-lived race has developed kingdoms across most of the face of Ansalon. Humans even began to create a number of organizations, including a knighthood, which only they may be part of, excluding all other races as members. The Knights of Solamnia were formed.
The continued advancements of humans and their empire building continued throughout the Age of Might, and culminated with the ever-growing holy nation of Istar. Humans installed a Kingpriest as the moralistic and righteous leader of all mortals, who ruled Istar. The "benevolence" of the Kingpriest and Istar, forced all other races to bow before the goodly humans or face the Istarian legions.
The might of the Solamnic Knights waned before the power of holy Istar. Human arrogance led to the enslavement of many other races and ultimately resulted in the gods throwing a mountain upon Istar. The Cataclysm was caused by the arrogance of humans and the people of Ansalon are punished. A human was given the chance to stop the Cataclysm (Loren Soth), however he failed in his duty and the ravages of the Cataclysm are felt by all.
With the Cataclysm, humans abandoned all faith in the gods, feeling betrayed by them. After a number of centuries, the true gods were spoken about in the same breath as legends and folklore. Cults and false religions sprang up throughout human communities to fill the void. Without the aid of clerical magic, disease ran rampant throughout settlements, leading to a great many deaths.
The War of the Lance returned the true gods to Krynn, and saw humans choosing sides between the Whitestone Forces and the Dragonarmies. The cults and false religions mostly vanished, to be replaced by human clerics of the true gods, wielding the legendary divine magic of old. The age saw a return for many to darkness, as people resume following the dark gods and the forming of further organizations.
Common Traits
Humans are the most diverse of all the races of Ansalon. They are often incapable of seeing the other races as more than humans with additional traits or extremes of personality, perhaps because of their own incredibly varied physical appearance, cultural diversity, and sheer numbers. Humans are tall or short, dark-skinned or lightskinned, slender or stocky. Those physical characteristics they do have in common with one another are, as a result, characteristics they share with all other humanoid races.
As a general rule, humans are Medium-sized, usually between five and six feet in height, although there are significant examples of taller or shorter individuals. Their average weight falls between 115 and 225 pounds. Women are usually shorter and lighter than men, but in some cultures, this may be reversed. Humans have no inherent extraordinary or supernatural abilities, such as enhanced vision; however, their ability to learn, grow, and acquire extraordinary talents is well known. Indeed, some of Krynn’s greatest mages, priests, warriors, and artisans have been human.
Ergothians
For almost one thousand years, Ergoth was the dominant human nation on Ansalon. Ergothians ruled from the northern and western shores of the continent to the Kharolis Mountains in the south and the forest of Silvanesti in the east. Through mismanagement and rebellion, Ergoth was slowly whittled down in size. The final blow came with the Cataclysm; Ergoth was torn asunder with the rest of Ansalon, much of it sinking into the sea. Only two islands were left of the once mighty empire, Northern and Southern Ergoth. Since the Cataclysm, when one speaks of Ergothians, they are referring to the dark-skinned, sea-faring folk from Northern Ergoth, even though close to a fifth of the population are light-skinned. Most other vestiges of the old empire and its people have been lost to time.
While there is obviously no one alive in the Empire who experienced the glory days of Ergoth, there is a sense that they are something less than they once were. Stemming from that feeling, most Ergothians approach life as though it is something to be conquered, both for the betterment of themselves and Ergoth as a whole.
Much of everyday life for Ergothians is geared toward the sea and the trade it generates. Even if their occupation does not put them in contact with water, almost every Ergothian somehow contributes to this driving force in the nation’s economy. The few who don’t, innkeepers and other service jobs, still benefit from the sea trade. For the sailors, life is a mix of the exciting and boring. Boring are the days out at sea with no land in sight. Exciting are the port calls all over Ansalon. Exciting and dangerous are the clashes with pirates, minotaurs, and creatures of the sea. To Ergothians, the sea is life, and their mastery of it will restore them to the forefront of Ansalonian politics.
The culture and customs of Ergothians today are little like the Ergoth of old. While some things may be similar, such as the Emperor and the Imperial Senate, many of the every day customs have changed. Many customs, like most everything else in an Ergothian’s life, revolve around the sea. The churches of the Blue Phoenix (Habbakuk) and Rann (Zeboim) each have great influence in the lives of Ergothians. However, Zeboim tends to be worshiped just enough to placate the tempestuous goddess, while Habbakuk is genuinely revered. Ergoth’s aristocratic warrior class, the Cavaliers, keep faith in Corij (Kiri-Jolith) strong, but his congregation is much smaller than in earlier eras.
Solamnics
For centuries, the people of Solamnia were known for their relationship with the Knights of Solamnia. While some Solamnics would argue, most people not of Solamnia said the people of the region were just extensions of the Knighthood. In many ways, those people were right. Living with the Solamnic Knights instilled much of the knightly honor and way of life into the Solamnic people, making them generally hard working and trustworthy. They remained as such even through the years of hardship after the Cataclysm, though a bit a cynicism crept into their psyche. Now that their country has played an integral role in winning the War of the Lance, the Solamnic people can see great things on the horizon.
The average Solamnic citizen is steadfast, loyal, and hard working. Centuries of living under the rule of the Knights of Solamnia reinforced these traits in most of the population. The Cataclysm left much of the population cynical and bitter, though still good under the surface.
For most of Solamnia, the culture of the people and the culture of the Solamnic Knights is the same. Holidays, customs, and naming conventions are all shared between the Knighthood and the people they protect. The Solamnic Knights embody the principles and the culture of the people of Solamnia, for it is said all Knights are sons and daughters of Solamnia. Thus, the Order grows and changes as its members grow and change, sometimes for the worse but usually for the better.
Solamnics are light-skinned people of Ergothian and Kharolian stock, although they are essentially an ethnicity all their own after 1,500 years of independence. Their hair color ranges from black to light brown and occasionally blonde, with redheads more common in the western isles such as Sancrist. Although the Solamnic Knights are famous for their distinctive moustaches, few Solamnic men outside of the Orders affect one.
Nomadic
A tribe of horselords known as the Zenol dwell on the Plains of Kri, a cold, dry grassland located on the southernmost shore of Southern Ergoth. The Zenol are tall and well muscled, with olive-colored skin and black hair. Gold, leather, and semi-precious stones, like onyx, jacinth, and turquoise, are common in their clothing and equipment.
There are also numerous Sea Nomads living mostly on Cristyne, Enstar and Nostar. Sea Nomad men and women alike keep their lustrous curly black hair cropped close to the scalp. They dress in bright, flamboyant clothing made from silks and expensive cloth and wear gold earrings, bracelets, and other trinkets. When they go into battle, they often strip to the waist and brandish a cutlass or trident; the sight of such a fearless pirate is enough to send most opponents running. Their culture includes a significant percentage of mixed-race individuals, such as half-elves, half-ogres, and half-kender. These nomads are given just as much opportunity as their fully human kin, although many make an effort to pass as human when consorting with drylanders.
Elves
The favored of E’li. The fair folk. The immortal children of light. The bastion of civilization. The elves have been called these things and more, by themselves and others, for millennia. Other descriptions have not been so flattering: arrogant devils, pretentious egotists, callous recluses. All of these have at least a grain of truth to them. Until recently, the elves had the most advanced and elaborate civilization on Krynn. The study of the arts, magic, and philosophy reached their heights under the elves, whose lives span centuries. They have developed a well-deserved reputation for arrogance, self-importance, and superiority—attitudes other races often resent. Recently, however, elves have begun hearing themselves called things they’ve never heard before: filthy beggars, unwelcome vagrants, desperate transients. The loss of their homelands has introduced poverty, homelessness, and hopelessness, problems they have never dealt with before. Their societies are in turmoil; while some accept exile and seek a new home, others insist on continuing to fight for their ancestral lands. They have become a race of stark contradictions, an ancient people steeped in tradition whose future is uncertain.
History
The elves awoke in the Age of Dreams. Not yet an organized nation, they watched from their forests as the ogres enslaved the humans, only to lose control in a civil war that brought ruin to both races. As the ogres and humans slaughtered one another mercilessly, the elves kept their distance, staying out of the conflict.
Silvanos Goldeneye, a young and charismatic warrior among the elves, declared their race could rise above such savagery. As the ogre civilization descended into barbarism, Silvanos inspired the elves to take their place. The elves scavenged the ruins of ogre cities and built their own civilization, beginning in the forest known in the present day as Silvanesti, where they believe life began. Silvanos ruled as the first Speaker of the Stars and took a woman named Quinari as his wife. Those who would not join with Silvanos were led by a Wilder elf by the name of Kagonos; Silvanos offered to allow them to become the servant caste in Silvanesti. Kagonos refused and led his people, the Kagonesti, back to Ansalon’s forests.
However, as they soon discovered, this forest was already occupied; ancient chromatic dragons attacked the elves, beginning the First Dragon War. Thousands of elves died in the fighting, and it appeared the dragons might wipe the elves from the face of Ansalon. Just when the situation turned hopeless, the elves were granted by the gods of Magic the knowledge and means to create dragonstones, rune-bearing crystals that could trap a dragon’s soul. Using these new weapons, the elves defeated the dragons and cast their trapped souls into the abyss of Nemith-Otham.
Years later, dwarves delving in Thoradin discovered the dragonstones hidden since the end the First Dragon War and awakened the dragons within. The dragons drew armies of bakali and ogres to themselves, and the Second Dragon War began as these hordes were unleashed on Silvanesti. The elves fought valiantly, but soon the dragons and their armies of evil laid siege to Silvanost. A trio of sorcerers called forth the magic of the land and sky and ordered Krynn itself to swallow the dragons once and for all.
Once it was unleashed, the magic couldn’t be stopped. Arcane storms of wild magic raged across Krynn, slaughtering thousands and laying waste to vast areas. The sorcerers cried out to the gods for help, and the gods of magic came to their aid. They swept the three sorcerers away, together with the tower they occupied. Gradually the wild magic abated, but the three weren’t seen for one hundred years. Finally, the sorcerers returned, having been taught the art of focused arcane magic by the gods of magic; these elves were the founding mages of the Orders of High Sorcery.
Over the next few centuries, tension began to build along the borders of Silvanesti lands and the Ergothian Empire. The Kinslayer War broke out when Speaker of the Stars Sithel was killed by a human. His successor Sithas declared war and placed his brother Kith-Kanan in command of the Silvanesti armies. General Giarna led the Ergothians and their allies, which sometimes included Kagonesti. The Kagonesti had continued to live much as all elves did during the Age of Dreams, and the Silvanesti elves had repeatedly attempted to civilize them—whether the Kagonesti liked it or not. Much to the Silvanesti’s surprise, they didn’t like it and took up arms against their would-be slave masters.
The Kinslayer War was one of the most disastrous wars ever fought on Ansalon. For fifty years, vast armies of Silvanesti elves, Thorbardin Dwarves and Ergothian humans met on the fields of southern Ansalon and slaughtered each other. The numbers of dead were beyond count, and it eventually became clear that the only ones benefiting from the war were the buzzards and crows feasting on the slain. Their appetite for death lost, both sides agreed to a truce. General Giarna lay dead, and Kith-Kanan was scarred and tired of war. The Swordsheath Scroll cemented the peace between elf, human, and dwarf, who had been drawn into the fighting as well. The Hammer of Honor, forged by the dwarves, was passed back and forth among the three nations as a reminder of the destruction of war and the strength of unity.
Perhaps the most significant casualty of the war was the trust Speaker Sithas had in his brother Kith-Kanan, as during the war Kith-Kanan married a human woman, Suzine des Quivalin—the former consort of General Giarna. Kith-Kanan settled with the thousands of elven veterans who had made the borderlands their homes. When he declared the nation of Qualinesti, thousands more elves from the east flocked westward. Speaker Sithas objected and tried to stop the migration; blood was shed, and the schism between the nations was complete. The hatred and mistrust between Silvanesti and Qualinesti would not be bridged for thousands of years.
However, the unlikely friendship between the Qualinesti and the dwarves of Thorbardin was sealed with the construction of the fortress Pax Tharkas—literally Peace Among Friends—a jointly built fortress used by both elf and dwarf. The seeds of this friendship would truly flower during the War of Souls thousands of years later. The Ergothian Empire, seeking further assurances of peace after the disastrous wars of the past century, joined in the Peace Among Friends.
For one thousand years, history shifted its focus away from the elves. The Third Dragon War was fought and won by a ragged band of upstarts called the Knights of Solamnia. An age of peace and prosperity followed. The elves turned inward, building their own civilizations. However, soon the power of a formerly minor city-state called Istar began to grow. Solamnia, which by this time had replaced Ergoth as the preeminent power in western Ansalon, convinced the elves to recognize the addition of Istar to the Swordsheath Scroll, hopefully ensuring peace among the great powers of Ansalon.
Istar’s corruption soon became apparent. The Kingpriests developed into tyrants, forcing their view of morality on the entire continent. Wizardry was suppressed. Nonhuman races were held in suspicion. The elves of Qualinesti and Silvanesti defied the Kingpriests, but that soon became irrelevant. The gods could tolerate Istar no longer and destroyed it with the Cataclysm.
The Cataclysm and subsequent absence of the gods were disasters for the elves. Qualinesti was torn asunder. Both major elven nations became militantly isolationist. Few outsiders visited elven lands and lived to speak of it.
Three hundred years later, the dragons returned in the War of the Lance. Unseen since the Third Dragon War, chromatic dragons swept across the land, with vast hosts of draconians, ogres, goblins, and other servants of evil, all inspired by the lurking Takhisis. The elves were caught completely unprepared. For the first time in history, they were unable to defend their forest homes. Both Qualinesti and Silvanesti were abandoned, the people fleeing to Southern Ergoth and founding the cities of Silvamori and Qualimori. While most would return home after the War of the Lance, many stayed behind to build a new life there.
Common Traits
Throughout the population of Ansalonian elves, there is considerable variation in culture, politics, language, and physical characteristics. However, the commonalities of the different elven nations are even greater.
Elven features tend to be more delicate and severe than most humans. Pointed ears, almond-shaped eyes, prominent cheekbones, and a generally slender and willowy build are immediate identifiers. Most are shorter in stature than the typical human, rarely reaching 5 and 1/2 feet tall. Although elves have no body hair, they are usually gifted with luxuriously thick tresses which many wear in extravagant arrangements. They tend to move with an effortless grace, entrancing members of other races the first time they see them, and most humans find elves to be preternaturally beautiful.
Elves have remarkably keen senses. Their sight and hearing are particularly sharp; their vaunted elvensight allows them to see both in the dark and at great distances, and they can pick out the faintest and most remote sounds from the ambient noise of the woods. They have an uncanny ability to notice secret passageways, doors, and hiding places.
Well aware of their race’s achievements and place in history, elves tend to be proud to a fault, looking down in disdain, pity, or both at the shorter-lived and backward races. This led to policies of isolationism and racial supremacy in the elven nations of old. This superiority complex is deeply ingrained and difficult to overcome, even for elves who spend a great deal of time among the other races of Ansalon.
No matter their nation of origin, elves share an affinity for the natural world. Whether encouraging it to do their bidding, working together with it as a partner, or embracing it in its wild and untamed state, elves appear to have a bond with Krynn’s wild places.
Kagonesti (Wilder Elves)
Truly Children of the Wood, the Kagonesti, of all the different varieties of elves, are the most at home in the deep wilderness. Their lifestyle has changed little in four thousand years of elven civilization.
Truly Children of the Wood, the Kagonesti, of all the different varieties of elves, are the most at home in the deep wilderness. Their lifestyle has changed little in four thousand years of elven civilization.
Physical Appearance
Kagonesti look the least like the stereotypical elf. They tend to be shorter in stature but more muscular than other elves. Their skin is usually a rich brown—darker than their more civilized cousins—ranging from the hue of honeystained oak to the deep bronze of weathered mahogany. Their hair is often darker than other elves’ as well, with shades from the silky red-black of ironwood to the sandy tan of pine. Some Kagonesti have been known to have silvery white hair, starkly contrasting with their darker complexion. Many women wear their hair in a long single braid, a fashion popularized by Kerianseray. Their eyes are almost always the brown of hazel nuts. Their faces tend to be more weathered than other elves, a consequence of spending so many years in the elements. Despite this, even the most rugged and weather-beaten Kagonesti face appears the very picture of perfection compared to most humans.
Kagonesti look the least like the stereotypical elf. They tend to be shorter in stature but more muscular than other elves. Their skin is usually a rich brown—darker than their more civilized cousins—ranging from the hue of honeystained oak to the deep bronze of weathered mahogany. Their hair is often darker than other elves’ as well, with shades from the silky red-black of ironwood to the sandy tan of pine. Some Kagonesti have been known to have silvery white hair, starkly contrasting with their darker complexion. Many women wear their hair in a long single braid, a fashion popularized by Kerianseray. Their eyes are almost always the brown of hazel nuts. Their faces tend to be more weathered than other elves, a consequence of spending so many years in the elements. Despite this, even the most rugged and weather-beaten Kagonesti face appears the very picture of perfection compared to most humans.
Kagonesti frequently decorate themselves with body art. They love designs inspired by life in their native forests, and they often fuse geometric patterns with smooth organic shapes. The geometric shapes are usually surrounded by stylized vines, leaves, or indistinct long flowing strokes suggesting life; this symbolizes to them that artificial constructs, whether manufactured buildings or cultures and societies, can never truly escape their natural roots. Sometimes these designs are applied temporarily using natural dyes and inks. Other times, they are permanent tattoos. They serve purposes ranging from simple vanity to deep spiritual expression. Most who receive body art favor the forearms, the back, and the face, but the entire body is a potential canvas for a skilled Kagonesti tattoo artist.
Typical Kagonesti clothing consists of sturdy buckskin or other leather, but it is far from primitive. Kagonesti tanners often embroider intricate patterns into the material, usually a combination of geometric designs surrounded by smooth, organic lines inspired by the natural world, similar to the designs used in Kagonesti body art. An elaborately embroidered sleeveless leather tunic is very common among Kagonesti, often adorned with heavy fringe and closed by a leather belt either tied or clasped with a silver buckle. Both sexes typically wear leather or linen leggings and supple deerskin boots. In colder months, they might add a long sleeved shirt of linen or silk under the tunic and don fur-lined oilskin cloaks to keep warm and dry. Kagonesti often add feathers and jewelry made from silver and semiprecious stones; some believe these to be talismans, warding off danger. Sturdy leather bracelets or laced bracers are nearly ubiquitous among the archery-loving Kagonesti.
When dressing for comfort rather than ruggedness, Kagonesti usually wear loose, airy blouses and trousers of linen and silk. Kagonesti men and women wear similar loose-fitting tops and frequently go barefoot. When attending joyful communal celebrations, some Kagonesti women will wear colorfully dyed and embroidered skirts rather than leggings.
Psychology
In many ways, Kagonesti are the variety of elf most similar to humans psychologically. Kagonesti tend to be impulsive, quicker to act on their emotions than their more circumspect kin; many Qualinesti and Silvanesti find them little better than humans in this regard. The Kagonesti are less likely to take the long view—sometimes to their benefit, other times not. Given the chance, a Kagonesti might kill an enemy soldier occupying his forest, where as a Qualinesti or Silvanesti might first ponder the political and military consequences. Wounding a Kagonesti’s pride is a very dangerous thing for anyone to do, especially an outsider.
Stubbornness is another trait shared by most Kagonesti. It’s said by some that there are only two creatures more obstinate—a drunken dwarf and a sober ogre. This trait has helped the Kagonesti immeasurably during their history, as enslavement by their elven cousins threatened to wipe their culture and society out of existence; they dug in their heels and refused to fold. On the other hand, individual Kagonesti with this trait sometimes find themselves in over their heads.
Kagonesti often have a more pragmatic moral outlook than the Qualinesti and Silvanesti. Sometimes willing to let the ends justify the means, Kagonesti are less likely than other elves to have a problem with committing violence against their enemies. Many of the elves’ human allies, who sometimes bristle at the Qualinesti’s unwillingness to bend their principles to get the job done, find kindred spirits in the Kagonesti.
An intensely spiritual outlook on life is very common among the Kagonesti. Living so close to their forests, they don’t see nature as a gift from the gods; rather, they believe it is a manifestation of the gods themselves. Animistic beliefs have blended with respect for the gods manifested as the natural world. As such, Kagonesti have a sense of relationship to Krynn—it is simultaneously their mother, their brother, and their ward. See Religion for more details.
Nearly every Kagonesti on Ansalon can be described as suspicious. For thousands of years, this was simply the natural xenophobia of a primitive people fending for themselves. In recent years, however, enemies ranging from the servants of the Dark Queen to their own flesh and blood have conquered them, slaughtered them, and enslaved them. In the minds of most Kagonesti, suspicion of outsiders is not a flaw to be overcome but a necessary tool of survival.
Typical Kagonesti clothing consists of sturdy buckskin or other leather, but it is far from primitive. Kagonesti tanners often embroider intricate patterns into the material, usually a combination of geometric designs surrounded by smooth, organic lines inspired by the natural world, similar to the designs used in Kagonesti body art. An elaborately embroidered sleeveless leather tunic is very common among Kagonesti, often adorned with heavy fringe and closed by a leather belt either tied or clasped with a silver buckle. Both sexes typically wear leather or linen leggings and supple deerskin boots. In colder months, they might add a long sleeved shirt of linen or silk under the tunic and don fur-lined oilskin cloaks to keep warm and dry. Kagonesti often add feathers and jewelry made from silver and semiprecious stones; some believe these to be talismans, warding off danger. Sturdy leather bracelets or laced bracers are nearly ubiquitous among the archery-loving Kagonesti.
When dressing for comfort rather than ruggedness, Kagonesti usually wear loose, airy blouses and trousers of linen and silk. Kagonesti men and women wear similar loose-fitting tops and frequently go barefoot. When attending joyful communal celebrations, some Kagonesti women will wear colorfully dyed and embroidered skirts rather than leggings.
Psychology
In many ways, Kagonesti are the variety of elf most similar to humans psychologically. Kagonesti tend to be impulsive, quicker to act on their emotions than their more circumspect kin; many Qualinesti and Silvanesti find them little better than humans in this regard. The Kagonesti are less likely to take the long view—sometimes to their benefit, other times not. Given the chance, a Kagonesti might kill an enemy soldier occupying his forest, where as a Qualinesti or Silvanesti might first ponder the political and military consequences. Wounding a Kagonesti’s pride is a very dangerous thing for anyone to do, especially an outsider.
Stubbornness is another trait shared by most Kagonesti. It’s said by some that there are only two creatures more obstinate—a drunken dwarf and a sober ogre. This trait has helped the Kagonesti immeasurably during their history, as enslavement by their elven cousins threatened to wipe their culture and society out of existence; they dug in their heels and refused to fold. On the other hand, individual Kagonesti with this trait sometimes find themselves in over their heads.
Kagonesti often have a more pragmatic moral outlook than the Qualinesti and Silvanesti. Sometimes willing to let the ends justify the means, Kagonesti are less likely than other elves to have a problem with committing violence against their enemies. Many of the elves’ human allies, who sometimes bristle at the Qualinesti’s unwillingness to bend their principles to get the job done, find kindred spirits in the Kagonesti.
An intensely spiritual outlook on life is very common among the Kagonesti. Living so close to their forests, they don’t see nature as a gift from the gods; rather, they believe it is a manifestation of the gods themselves. Animistic beliefs have blended with respect for the gods manifested as the natural world. As such, Kagonesti have a sense of relationship to Krynn—it is simultaneously their mother, their brother, and their ward. See Religion for more details.
Nearly every Kagonesti on Ansalon can be described as suspicious. For thousands of years, this was simply the natural xenophobia of a primitive people fending for themselves. In recent years, however, enemies ranging from the servants of the Dark Queen to their own flesh and blood have conquered them, slaughtered them, and enslaved them. In the minds of most Kagonesti, suspicion of outsiders is not a flaw to be overcome but a necessary tool of survival.
Social Structure
Kagonesti tend to live in small, isolated communities scattered across the continent. As such, they have no institutions that supersede the importance of the family. The tragedies that have befallen the Kagonesti since the War of the Lance have most often strengthened their familial bonds rather than weakened them. Their families are the only people the Kagonesti can truly count on to stand with them and defend them to the bitter end.
Kagonesti families generally prefer to live together in groups called clans. The clans take on nature-inspired names such as White Osprey. Often, Kagonesti clan communities are small; rarely do more than one hundred elves live in the same village. Clans are led by elders who also carry the title Pathfinder, a title passed down from Kagonos Pathfinder. The title is used somewhat loosely; clan elders as well as the chief elder bear it.
Kagonesti tend to live in small, isolated communities scattered across the continent. As such, they have no institutions that supersede the importance of the family. The tragedies that have befallen the Kagonesti since the War of the Lance have most often strengthened their familial bonds rather than weakened them. Their families are the only people the Kagonesti can truly count on to stand with them and defend them to the bitter end.
Kagonesti families generally prefer to live together in groups called clans. The clans take on nature-inspired names such as White Osprey. Often, Kagonesti clan communities are small; rarely do more than one hundred elves live in the same village. Clans are led by elders who also carry the title Pathfinder, a title passed down from Kagonos Pathfinder. The title is used somewhat loosely; clan elders as well as the chief elder bear it.
Family Life
Marriage practices vary among the Kagonesti. A few Kagonesti communities practice arranged marriages, with clan elders sealing alliances by marrying off their children to each other. Others reject the practice. Whether a clan does this is often related to how remote it is; the more remote, the less likely a young Kagonesti is to meet someone she is unrelated to, and the more likely she will find administrative assistance acceptable. Kagonesti marry for life; traditionally, no Kagonesti community will recognize remarriage, even after a spouse’s death. However, given the long lifespan of the Kagonesti, widows and widowers sometimes take permanent but informal companions or lovers. This is generally accepted by the community. Most recognize that the lifespan of an elf is a long time to be lonely.
Families and clans come together and form close bonds when their children marry. The Kagonesti marriage ritual itself is attended by only the bride, groom, their parents, and the officiant—usually a clan elder or a druid, priest, or some other person recognized as holy by both families. The parents or even the bride and groom themselves can officiate when necessary. The bride and groom each draw a few drops of blood, blending it to symbolize their bond. With words such as “by blood and water, soil and sky, leaf and limb,” the couple swears their unending love. The brief private ceremony is followed by a boisterous public celebration featuring a great deal of feasting and drinking.
The family and clan welcome new children with a ceremony common among Kagonesti, Qualinesti, and Silvanesti: the Life-Gift. This ceremony, traditionally performed as soon as the child’s mother had recovered enough to participate, is an outdoor ritual cleansing of the child, at which time the child’s parents declare her name. Often, the Mother of Forests (Chislev), the Blue Phoenix (Habbakuk), or Astra (Branchala) is invoked to bless the child. The parents and community elders ask the spirits of the locale of the child’s birth to watch over her and nurture her growth.
As the child nears adulthood, a rite of majority is performed. Usually upon reaching the age of sixty or seventy, the child is asked to prepare a demonstration of skills useful to the community. Demonstrations of archery, survival skills, craftwork, artistic talent, healing arts, martial prowess, and lore-keeping are common. While not a test in the sense that one who fails will be cast out, those who do not put forth at least a good effort in this rite lose the respect of the clan. The newly adult Kagonesti takes on a new name related to her skills, often suggested by the witnesses of her rite of majority.
Kagonesti funeral rites share the general elven aversion to below-ground burial. In the ancient form of the ritual, the corpse is typically washed, wrapped in linen, and taken to the bank of the River of Death, the Thon-Tsalarian. The corpse is blessed; the gods are invoked; and the local spirits are asked to guide the deceased on to the next world. The corpse is let go into the river; if it sinks to the riverbed or eventually goes out to sea, it’s believed the spirit of the deceased is free. There is an island, Dir-Tsalarian, near the river’s mouth thought to be inhabited by ghosts, banshees, and other horrible creatures; if the corpse washes ashore on this island, it’s believed the spirit will dwell there with the dead.
Marriage practices vary among the Kagonesti. A few Kagonesti communities practice arranged marriages, with clan elders sealing alliances by marrying off their children to each other. Others reject the practice. Whether a clan does this is often related to how remote it is; the more remote, the less likely a young Kagonesti is to meet someone she is unrelated to, and the more likely she will find administrative assistance acceptable. Kagonesti marry for life; traditionally, no Kagonesti community will recognize remarriage, even after a spouse’s death. However, given the long lifespan of the Kagonesti, widows and widowers sometimes take permanent but informal companions or lovers. This is generally accepted by the community. Most recognize that the lifespan of an elf is a long time to be lonely.
Families and clans come together and form close bonds when their children marry. The Kagonesti marriage ritual itself is attended by only the bride, groom, their parents, and the officiant—usually a clan elder or a druid, priest, or some other person recognized as holy by both families. The parents or even the bride and groom themselves can officiate when necessary. The bride and groom each draw a few drops of blood, blending it to symbolize their bond. With words such as “by blood and water, soil and sky, leaf and limb,” the couple swears their unending love. The brief private ceremony is followed by a boisterous public celebration featuring a great deal of feasting and drinking.
The family and clan welcome new children with a ceremony common among Kagonesti, Qualinesti, and Silvanesti: the Life-Gift. This ceremony, traditionally performed as soon as the child’s mother had recovered enough to participate, is an outdoor ritual cleansing of the child, at which time the child’s parents declare her name. Often, the Mother of Forests (Chislev), the Blue Phoenix (Habbakuk), or Astra (Branchala) is invoked to bless the child. The parents and community elders ask the spirits of the locale of the child’s birth to watch over her and nurture her growth.
As the child nears adulthood, a rite of majority is performed. Usually upon reaching the age of sixty or seventy, the child is asked to prepare a demonstration of skills useful to the community. Demonstrations of archery, survival skills, craftwork, artistic talent, healing arts, martial prowess, and lore-keeping are common. While not a test in the sense that one who fails will be cast out, those who do not put forth at least a good effort in this rite lose the respect of the clan. The newly adult Kagonesti takes on a new name related to her skills, often suggested by the witnesses of her rite of majority.
Kagonesti funeral rites share the general elven aversion to below-ground burial. In the ancient form of the ritual, the corpse is typically washed, wrapped in linen, and taken to the bank of the River of Death, the Thon-Tsalarian. The corpse is blessed; the gods are invoked; and the local spirits are asked to guide the deceased on to the next world. The corpse is let go into the river; if it sinks to the riverbed or eventually goes out to sea, it’s believed the spirit of the deceased is free. There is an island, Dir-Tsalarian, near the river’s mouth thought to be inhabited by ghosts, banshees, and other horrible creatures; if the corpse washes ashore on this island, it’s believed the spirit will dwell there with the dead.
Names
Kagonesti are given a name at the ceremony of their Life-Gift. These names are usually evocative of nature; the Kagonesti Elven words for Greenleaf, Nighthawk, Whitestag, and the like are common infant boys’ names, while Ashwood, Running Brook, and Star-Eyes are acceptable little girls’ names.
During their rite of majority, Kagonesti will take on a new name, each related somehow to the individual’s life at the time. Some Kagonesti will further change their names as the circumstances of their lives change. They do not take on surnames or family names, instead referring to themselves as being of a certain clan (Kerianseray of White Osprey, for instance). Kagonesti love nicknames, and each can expect to have many applied to her throughout her life.
Kagonesti are given a name at the ceremony of their Life-Gift. These names are usually evocative of nature; the Kagonesti Elven words for Greenleaf, Nighthawk, Whitestag, and the like are common infant boys’ names, while Ashwood, Running Brook, and Star-Eyes are acceptable little girls’ names.
During their rite of majority, Kagonesti will take on a new name, each related somehow to the individual’s life at the time. Some Kagonesti will further change their names as the circumstances of their lives change. They do not take on surnames or family names, instead referring to themselves as being of a certain clan (Kerianseray of White Osprey, for instance). Kagonesti love nicknames, and each can expect to have many applied to her throughout her life.
Everyday Activity
Whether fighting in their ancestral forests or elsewhere, life for a Kagonesti is a constant struggle for survival. Everywhere they go, they are unwelcome, even among their own Qualinesti and Silvanesti kin.
They spend their time hunting and fishing, gathering wild fruit when it’s in season, crafting most items they need, and trading for what little they can’t make themselves. In short, they endure lives of austerity.
Whether fighting in their ancestral forests or elsewhere, life for a Kagonesti is a constant struggle for survival. Everywhere they go, they are unwelcome, even among their own Qualinesti and Silvanesti kin.
They spend their time hunting and fishing, gathering wild fruit when it’s in season, crafting most items they need, and trading for what little they can’t make themselves. In short, they endure lives of austerity.
Arts and Industry
Wilder elves have no true industry. However, the Kagonesti spend a great deal of time crafting handmade items of practical value. Almost every Kagonesti child is taught the basic building skills of a woodland hunter, with bowmaking and fletching practiced daily by thousands of Kagonesti young and old—out of tradition and out of necessity. The Kagonesti have raised these two crafts to an art form; a handmade Kagonesti longbow and quiver of arrows will fetch a very high price in human lands. Kagonesti tanners and leather artists are quite skilled, and their leather garments are both rugged and beautiful. The artwork found in their clothing and jewelry is usually inspired by the forms and shapes of the plants and animals of their traditional lands; vines, leaves, and stylized animal shapes adorn their clothing and hammered silver jewelry. Sculptors create talismans and fetishes out of turquoise, wood, and silver; many Kagonesti favor bears, wolves, and dragons.
Kagonesti music is often unaccompanied vocals. Haunting chants preserve their oral history, while more melodic fare evokes subjects both comedic and tragic. Kagonesti will also sometimes play wooden pipes and whistles, handmade drums, and a two-stringed lute called the shuurtob. Dance almost always accompanies instrumental music in Kagonesti villages.
Wilder elves have no true industry. However, the Kagonesti spend a great deal of time crafting handmade items of practical value. Almost every Kagonesti child is taught the basic building skills of a woodland hunter, with bowmaking and fletching practiced daily by thousands of Kagonesti young and old—out of tradition and out of necessity. The Kagonesti have raised these two crafts to an art form; a handmade Kagonesti longbow and quiver of arrows will fetch a very high price in human lands. Kagonesti tanners and leather artists are quite skilled, and their leather garments are both rugged and beautiful. The artwork found in their clothing and jewelry is usually inspired by the forms and shapes of the plants and animals of their traditional lands; vines, leaves, and stylized animal shapes adorn their clothing and hammered silver jewelry. Sculptors create talismans and fetishes out of turquoise, wood, and silver; many Kagonesti favor bears, wolves, and dragons.
Kagonesti music is often unaccompanied vocals. Haunting chants preserve their oral history, while more melodic fare evokes subjects both comedic and tragic. Kagonesti will also sometimes play wooden pipes and whistles, handmade drums, and a two-stringed lute called the shuurtob. Dance almost always accompanies instrumental music in Kagonesti villages.
Magical Practices
Few, if any, Kagonesti practice arcane magic. A few have taken the Test of High Sorcery over the centuries, but the academic work necessary to begin that life is usually not practical for a young Kagonesti.
More common, but still rare, is the practice of divine magic. The Mother of Forests and the Blue Phoenix both bless Kagonesti druids. Divine magic, with its healing and providential abilities, may well be the art that can pull the Kagonesti back from disaster.
Few, if any, Kagonesti practice arcane magic. A few have taken the Test of High Sorcery over the centuries, but the academic work necessary to begin that life is usually not practical for a young Kagonesti.
More common, but still rare, is the practice of divine magic. The Mother of Forests and the Blue Phoenix both bless Kagonesti druids. Divine magic, with its healing and providential abilities, may well be the art that can pull the Kagonesti back from disaster.
Religion
In general, Kagonesti revere the gods of light and balance. Astra (Branchala) and the Blue Phoenix (Habbakuk) are traditionally thought of as patrons of the Kagonesti. Devotees of the Blue Phoenix in particular believe firmly in reincarnation and live their lives fully expecting to return after death. The World Tree (Zivilyn) has followers among more contemplative Kagonesti. The Mother of Forests (Chislev) also has a strong hand in Kagonesti beliefs. Her cult is growing among Kagonesti, as druids devoted to the Mother begin to encourage the people to embrace their predatory instincts and retake their rightful place in the order of nature as Children of the Wood, driving the invaders out once and for all.
The gods of darkness take an interest in the Kagonesti when this predatory instinct crosses the line into vengeance and bloodlust. The Red Condor (Sargonnas) rejoices when Kagonesti let enraged desperation rule their emotions. Cults of the Bloody Condor have begun to appear in Kagonesti communities as they yearn for lands of their own. While Kagonesti grudgingly respect the gods of darkness, any Kagonesti found to actively revere the Red Condor, or any of the dark pantheon, is cast out of the community as a dark elf—one banished from his people.
Most Kagonesti who are granted divine power by the gods are druids or rangers. Due to the isolation of most of their communities, Kagonesti generally don’t have the opportunity to join a Holy Order. Kagonesti paladins are even more rare than clerics; no known examples exist.
Kagonesti faith in any of the gods tends to be a shamanistic faith. To the Kagonesti, the gods aren’t entities separate from nature—they are nature. They see the Mother of Forests when they look at a mighty oak. They see the Blue Phoenix when they look at a trout-filled mountain stream. They hear the sweet voice of Astra when the wind blows through the leaves of the trees. They see the wrath of the Red Condor when the grizzly attacks a village without provocation.
In addition to respect for the gods, a great deal of animism colors Kagonesti beliefs. Most believe strongly that the world is full of spirits, and every animal, tree, creek, river, spring, every rock, hill, and mountain has a spirit of its own. Ordinary Kagonesti are as likely to offer a prayer to the local spirits to aid them in their tasks as they are to pray to the gods. Many humans often assume animism of this sort might lead a people to disdain hunting and consuming meat. Quite to the contrary, Kagonesti revere the hunt. They believe every mortal creature has its rightful place in life’s grand circle, and as some are fated to be predators, others are fated to be prey; the Kagonesti embrace their role as predator.
In general, Kagonesti revere the gods of light and balance. Astra (Branchala) and the Blue Phoenix (Habbakuk) are traditionally thought of as patrons of the Kagonesti. Devotees of the Blue Phoenix in particular believe firmly in reincarnation and live their lives fully expecting to return after death. The World Tree (Zivilyn) has followers among more contemplative Kagonesti. The Mother of Forests (Chislev) also has a strong hand in Kagonesti beliefs. Her cult is growing among Kagonesti, as druids devoted to the Mother begin to encourage the people to embrace their predatory instincts and retake their rightful place in the order of nature as Children of the Wood, driving the invaders out once and for all.
The gods of darkness take an interest in the Kagonesti when this predatory instinct crosses the line into vengeance and bloodlust. The Red Condor (Sargonnas) rejoices when Kagonesti let enraged desperation rule their emotions. Cults of the Bloody Condor have begun to appear in Kagonesti communities as they yearn for lands of their own. While Kagonesti grudgingly respect the gods of darkness, any Kagonesti found to actively revere the Red Condor, or any of the dark pantheon, is cast out of the community as a dark elf—one banished from his people.
Most Kagonesti who are granted divine power by the gods are druids or rangers. Due to the isolation of most of their communities, Kagonesti generally don’t have the opportunity to join a Holy Order. Kagonesti paladins are even more rare than clerics; no known examples exist.
Kagonesti faith in any of the gods tends to be a shamanistic faith. To the Kagonesti, the gods aren’t entities separate from nature—they are nature. They see the Mother of Forests when they look at a mighty oak. They see the Blue Phoenix when they look at a trout-filled mountain stream. They hear the sweet voice of Astra when the wind blows through the leaves of the trees. They see the wrath of the Red Condor when the grizzly attacks a village without provocation.
In addition to respect for the gods, a great deal of animism colors Kagonesti beliefs. Most believe strongly that the world is full of spirits, and every animal, tree, creek, river, spring, every rock, hill, and mountain has a spirit of its own. Ordinary Kagonesti are as likely to offer a prayer to the local spirits to aid them in their tasks as they are to pray to the gods. Many humans often assume animism of this sort might lead a people to disdain hunting and consuming meat. Quite to the contrary, Kagonesti revere the hunt. They believe every mortal creature has its rightful place in life’s grand circle, and as some are fated to be predators, others are fated to be prey; the Kagonesti embrace their role as predator.
Folklore
Kagonesti folklore is dominated by tales of the heroics of Kagonos Pathfinder, the legendary first patriarch of the Kagonesti people. Tales are told of Kagonos battling the mighty Quithas Griffontamer, who is variously depicted as a vicious and evil general serving the hated Silvanos or as a sympathetic foil for the great Kagonos, highlighting the tragic aspects of elf forced to struggle against elf. In almost every one of these tales, Kagonos is defending Grandfather Ram, who is actually a silver dragon called Darlantan. In return for saving his life, Darlantan gives Kagonos the Ram’s Horn of the Elderwild, symbolizing the friendship between metallic dragons and Kagonesti, an artifact which has recently resurfaced. See Racial Relations for more details.
Further tales of Kagonos involve his adventures fighting the ogres in the First Dragon War. Most of the stories are of a daring raid to liberate an artifact called the Blue Dragonstone from Barc Darrontale, lord of the ogres. This artifact drove the blue dragons away from the armies of Silvanos, saving the combined elven armies from destruction. Tellings of this tale usually end with the true birth of the Kagonesti nation; after the war was won, Silvanos invited Kagonos and his people to join them as House Servitor. Kagonos, recognizing this would essentially condemn his people to an eternity of servitude, refused and led his people to the forests to live as wild elves. In some versions of the tale, Kagonos was advised to take this course by his dragon friend Darlantan, who lay dying of wounds sustained in the fighting.
Other folk heroes include various freedom fighters who struggled for Kagonesti independence during the Kinslayer War, such as Anaya the woodland huntress and first consort of Kith-Kanan. Ashtaway, hero of the Dragon Wars, is another favorite Kagonesti folktale protagonist.
Superstition is a common theme in Kagonesti folktales. Kagonesti believe in omens, signs, and premonitions, and their folktales are filled with them. Kagonesti also have a firm belief in the existence of evil spirits and malevolent forces from beyond the grave.
Kagonesti creation myths largely mirror the other elvish cultural beliefs. Kagonesti believe the great god E’li (Paladine) created the elves before any other mortal race. They believe that, after E’li gave them life, the Mother of Forests, Blue Phoenix, and Astra gave them the forest in which to live. They believe that, at the time of their creation, all elves lived as the Kagonesti strive to—in harmony with the natural world, rather than struggling against it.
Additionally, Kagonesti folklore assumes the nearly ubiquitous existence of spirits in the world. All living things—animals or plants—as well as important inanimate objects, such as rivers and mountains, have their own spirits. Legends of ordinary Kagonesti encountering and interacting with these spirits are part of their heavily animistic spirituality.
Kagonesti folklore is dominated by tales of the heroics of Kagonos Pathfinder, the legendary first patriarch of the Kagonesti people. Tales are told of Kagonos battling the mighty Quithas Griffontamer, who is variously depicted as a vicious and evil general serving the hated Silvanos or as a sympathetic foil for the great Kagonos, highlighting the tragic aspects of elf forced to struggle against elf. In almost every one of these tales, Kagonos is defending Grandfather Ram, who is actually a silver dragon called Darlantan. In return for saving his life, Darlantan gives Kagonos the Ram’s Horn of the Elderwild, symbolizing the friendship between metallic dragons and Kagonesti, an artifact which has recently resurfaced. See Racial Relations for more details.
Further tales of Kagonos involve his adventures fighting the ogres in the First Dragon War. Most of the stories are of a daring raid to liberate an artifact called the Blue Dragonstone from Barc Darrontale, lord of the ogres. This artifact drove the blue dragons away from the armies of Silvanos, saving the combined elven armies from destruction. Tellings of this tale usually end with the true birth of the Kagonesti nation; after the war was won, Silvanos invited Kagonos and his people to join them as House Servitor. Kagonos, recognizing this would essentially condemn his people to an eternity of servitude, refused and led his people to the forests to live as wild elves. In some versions of the tale, Kagonos was advised to take this course by his dragon friend Darlantan, who lay dying of wounds sustained in the fighting.
Other folk heroes include various freedom fighters who struggled for Kagonesti independence during the Kinslayer War, such as Anaya the woodland huntress and first consort of Kith-Kanan. Ashtaway, hero of the Dragon Wars, is another favorite Kagonesti folktale protagonist.
Superstition is a common theme in Kagonesti folktales. Kagonesti believe in omens, signs, and premonitions, and their folktales are filled with them. Kagonesti also have a firm belief in the existence of evil spirits and malevolent forces from beyond the grave.
Kagonesti creation myths largely mirror the other elvish cultural beliefs. Kagonesti believe the great god E’li (Paladine) created the elves before any other mortal race. They believe that, after E’li gave them life, the Mother of Forests, Blue Phoenix, and Astra gave them the forest in which to live. They believe that, at the time of their creation, all elves lived as the Kagonesti strive to—in harmony with the natural world, rather than struggling against it.
Additionally, Kagonesti folklore assumes the nearly ubiquitous existence of spirits in the world. All living things—animals or plants—as well as important inanimate objects, such as rivers and mountains, have their own spirits. Legends of ordinary Kagonesti encountering and interacting with these spirits are part of their heavily animistic spirituality.
Language
While all elves speak a language called Elven, in reality it’s not quite as simple as that. Each elven nation has its own distinct dialect, all evolved from a now-dead protolanguage scholars call Nestari. This language is now only understood by a handful of elven scholars and some Gileanite archivists, but it has given rise to the dialects of Elven spoken today. The various Elven dialects are similar enough that speakers of different dialects can understand each other without a great deal of difficulty, but the accent is often very strong, especially between Kagonesti and Silvanesti.
The Kagonesti dialect of Elven is the least formal of the Elven languages. Rules of grammar and syntax are far more relaxed than in Silvanesti Elven. For instance, context and vocal inflection often determine plurality, intensity, and verb tense rather than affixations or derivations. Gestures and hand signals have also worked their way into the language, accompanying the spoken word as ways to alter the semantics of what’s being said verbally.
Early wilder elves heavily borrowed vocabulary from the Sylvan languages of the fey folk with whom they shared their wilderness homes. Many of these Sylvan words have survived in various forms over the millennia, and a Sylvan speaker will recognize many words a Kagonesti elf says, even if he doesn’t grasp the entire meaning. Sylvan terms that have been “Elvenized” are often words used to capture very subtle semantic differences in natural phenomena. A spring which feeds a cold stream is referred to as a suwara. A spring emptying into a muddy pond is a subatga. A spring with undrinkable or poisoned water is a suduza.
They also have incorporated whistles and chirps inspired by woodland birds into their speech. While stalking prey in the forest, Kagonesti hunters and scouts frequently call to each other with whistles and hand signals. Scouts throughout Kagonesti culture have adopted a common code for these signals. “Prey” is a shrill heeeooo, heee-ooo. “Ready your bow” is a lower-pitched chika-tee. Dozens of these signals have been devised, all based on bird calls. They are often accompanied by silent hand signals; simple pointing indicates direction, while other gestures represent distance. These whistles and gestures have worked their way into the everyday dialect as slang used by Kagonesti scouts and warriors.
The Kagonesti do not have a native written language. Those who do learn to write in their dialect borrow Qualinesti or Silvanesti script.
Like almost every language, Kagonesti Elven has its share of old sayings and figures of speech. “Domma yzindah ene koynek,” literally “hiding behind your grandmother’s skirt,” is a common dismissal of a coward. “Kithpah goray” literally means “spirits protect us/me” and is one of the most common Kagonesti expressions of both relief and exasperation.
While all elves speak a language called Elven, in reality it’s not quite as simple as that. Each elven nation has its own distinct dialect, all evolved from a now-dead protolanguage scholars call Nestari. This language is now only understood by a handful of elven scholars and some Gileanite archivists, but it has given rise to the dialects of Elven spoken today. The various Elven dialects are similar enough that speakers of different dialects can understand each other without a great deal of difficulty, but the accent is often very strong, especially between Kagonesti and Silvanesti.
The Kagonesti dialect of Elven is the least formal of the Elven languages. Rules of grammar and syntax are far more relaxed than in Silvanesti Elven. For instance, context and vocal inflection often determine plurality, intensity, and verb tense rather than affixations or derivations. Gestures and hand signals have also worked their way into the language, accompanying the spoken word as ways to alter the semantics of what’s being said verbally.
Early wilder elves heavily borrowed vocabulary from the Sylvan languages of the fey folk with whom they shared their wilderness homes. Many of these Sylvan words have survived in various forms over the millennia, and a Sylvan speaker will recognize many words a Kagonesti elf says, even if he doesn’t grasp the entire meaning. Sylvan terms that have been “Elvenized” are often words used to capture very subtle semantic differences in natural phenomena. A spring which feeds a cold stream is referred to as a suwara. A spring emptying into a muddy pond is a subatga. A spring with undrinkable or poisoned water is a suduza.
They also have incorporated whistles and chirps inspired by woodland birds into their speech. While stalking prey in the forest, Kagonesti hunters and scouts frequently call to each other with whistles and hand signals. Scouts throughout Kagonesti culture have adopted a common code for these signals. “Prey” is a shrill heeeooo, heee-ooo. “Ready your bow” is a lower-pitched chika-tee. Dozens of these signals have been devised, all based on bird calls. They are often accompanied by silent hand signals; simple pointing indicates direction, while other gestures represent distance. These whistles and gestures have worked their way into the everyday dialect as slang used by Kagonesti scouts and warriors.
The Kagonesti do not have a native written language. Those who do learn to write in their dialect borrow Qualinesti or Silvanesti script.
Like almost every language, Kagonesti Elven has its share of old sayings and figures of speech. “Domma yzindah ene koynek,” literally “hiding behind your grandmother’s skirt,” is a common dismissal of a coward. “Kithpah goray” literally means “spirits protect us/me” and is one of the most common Kagonesti expressions of both relief and exasperation.
Racial Relations
Kagonesti are a highly suspicious people. This should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with their history, especially since the War of the Lance.
Kagonesti are a highly suspicious people. This should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with their history, especially since the War of the Lance.
The Kagonesti have never gotten along very well with the Qualinesti or Silvanesti. Their very founding was a rebellion against an attempt to subjugate their culture. Since then, other elves have viewed the Kagonesti as uncouth barbarians, and the Kagonesti have been all too happy to return the enmity. Since the War of the Lance, with their Qualinesti and Silvanesti kin enslaving them under the pretense of civilizing them, tension between the Kagonesti and other elves has risen to near hatred.
Along with the rest of the elves, the Kagonesti blame humans for the Cataclysm. However, the Kagonesti already had ample reason to hate humans; whether to harvest fuel for their forges, clear land for their farms, or make room for their cities, humans seem to bring deforestation with them wherever they go. Over the years, many violent and bitter encounters between the relentless, adaptable humans and stubborn, desperate Kagonesti have convinced both races that it’s probably best if they stay out of each others’ ways.
Dwarves have had a rocky relationship with the Kagonesti, but they have shown they can work together when circumstances force it. On the other hand, dwarves’ industriousness offends many Kagonesti sensibilities. Smoke from their forges fouls the sky. Minerals better left underground seep from their mines, infecting the water.
Many Kagonesti can’t help but like kender. While they find the frivolous natures of kender irritating, they admire the little folk’s indomitable refusal to give in to despair. Their childlike taunting of foes far beyond their ability to defeat has inspired many Kagonesti freedom fighters. Kagonesti find gnomes to be utterly unfathomable and go to great lengths to avoid the little tinkers.
Ogres are blood enemies of the Kagonesti. Ogres have been foes for millennia, with war between the races going back to Kagonos himself.
Kagonesti have an excellent relationship with the fey creatures of the forest—the dryads, fairies, pixies, and other mysterious residents of the wilderness. Both sides know the other truly respects the wild places of Ansalon, and they support each other in their preservation efforts.
From the days of Darlantan the Silver, who befriended Kagonos in the First Dragon War, metallic dragons have had a special relationship with the Kagonesti. Legend has it that Darlantan presented Kagonos with the Ram’s Horn of the Elderwild, a spiraled pair of ram’s horns. One side is the elven horn, the other the draconic horn. The draconic horn, when blown, can be heard by all silver dragons across Ansalon; the elven horn—held by the silver dragons, according to legend—can be heard by all wilder elves across Ansalon. The draconic half of the Ram’s Horn is rumored to still be in existence.
Kagonesti do not fight like soldiers; they are hunters, and they use their predator instincts when at war. The bow is their favorite weapon, and they have a well-deserved reputation as snipers without equal. Shortbows and longbows are equally favored, longbows for raw power and shortbows for ease of use in confined spaces. Kagonesti are masters of the ambush and can make life a terror for occupying forces. Their lack of experience with organized militaries makes them ill-suited to serve as regular frontline troops in a large army, but as scouts and skirmishers, they are without peer.
Dwarves have had a rocky relationship with the Kagonesti, but they have shown they can work together when circumstances force it. On the other hand, dwarves’ industriousness offends many Kagonesti sensibilities. Smoke from their forges fouls the sky. Minerals better left underground seep from their mines, infecting the water.
Many Kagonesti can’t help but like kender. While they find the frivolous natures of kender irritating, they admire the little folk’s indomitable refusal to give in to despair. Their childlike taunting of foes far beyond their ability to defeat has inspired many Kagonesti freedom fighters. Kagonesti find gnomes to be utterly unfathomable and go to great lengths to avoid the little tinkers.
Ogres are blood enemies of the Kagonesti. Ogres have been foes for millennia, with war between the races going back to Kagonos himself.
Kagonesti have an excellent relationship with the fey creatures of the forest—the dryads, fairies, pixies, and other mysterious residents of the wilderness. Both sides know the other truly respects the wild places of Ansalon, and they support each other in their preservation efforts.
From the days of Darlantan the Silver, who befriended Kagonos in the First Dragon War, metallic dragons have had a special relationship with the Kagonesti. Legend has it that Darlantan presented Kagonos with the Ram’s Horn of the Elderwild, a spiraled pair of ram’s horns. One side is the elven horn, the other the draconic horn. The draconic horn, when blown, can be heard by all silver dragons across Ansalon; the elven horn—held by the silver dragons, according to legend—can be heard by all wilder elves across Ansalon. The draconic half of the Ram’s Horn is rumored to still be in existence.
Kagonesti do not fight like soldiers; they are hunters, and they use their predator instincts when at war. The bow is their favorite weapon, and they have a well-deserved reputation as snipers without equal. Shortbows and longbows are equally favored, longbows for raw power and shortbows for ease of use in confined spaces. Kagonesti are masters of the ambush and can make life a terror for occupying forces. Their lack of experience with organized militaries makes them ill-suited to serve as regular frontline troops in a large army, but as scouts and skirmishers, they are without peer.
Character Classes and Kits
Kagonesti tend toward physically-oriented classes, with skills reflecting their connection to the natural world.
Kagonesti tend toward physically-oriented classes, with skills reflecting their connection to the natural world.
Barbarian: With their tendency toward chaos over law, Kagonesti are well suited to this class. Kagonesti excel as individual warriors, and barbarian is the ultimate individual warrior; additionally, receiving Survival and Tracking for free complements the Kagonesti very well. Consider taking this class if you would like your Kagonesti warrior to be impulsive and ruled by her emotions. The Forest Lord kit from The Complete Barbarian's Handbook fits them very well.
Bard: Bards often get their knowledge, skills and spells from their travels, and most Kagonesti are xenophobic and prefer to stay in their homelands, so there have been very few bards among them.
Cleric: Currently, Kagonesti clerics are extremely rare; in fact, some say there are none at all. This was not always the case, as the Mother of Forests, the Blue Phoenix, and others have blessed Kagonesti clerics in the past.
Druid: Kagonesti divine spellcasting has largely rested on druidic traditions. In the past, The Mother of Forests, the Blue Phoenix, Quen Illumini, the World Tree, and Astra have called forth Kagonesti druids, and there is some indication that druidic practice is once again taking root among the Kagonesti people. Kagonesti druids have also served as the primary lore-keepers of the people. The Kagonesti focus on wilderness adventuring suits this class very well; consider the druid class if you would like your Kagonesti to have a true spiritual connection with the land he defends and the people who live on it.
Cleric: Currently, Kagonesti clerics are extremely rare; in fact, some say there are none at all. This was not always the case, as the Mother of Forests, the Blue Phoenix, and others have blessed Kagonesti clerics in the past.
Druid: Kagonesti divine spellcasting has largely rested on druidic traditions. In the past, The Mother of Forests, the Blue Phoenix, Quen Illumini, the World Tree, and Astra have called forth Kagonesti druids, and there is some indication that druidic practice is once again taking root among the Kagonesti people. Kagonesti druids have also served as the primary lore-keepers of the people. The Kagonesti focus on wilderness adventuring suits this class very well; consider the druid class if you would like your Kagonesti to have a true spiritual connection with the land he defends and the people who live on it.
Fighter: The pure combat prowess of the fighter appeals to many Kagonesti characters. The Beast-Rider or Wilderness Warrior kits from The Complete Fighter's Handbook go well with this class.
Mariner: Few go to sea aboard the large ships, but a Kagonesti mariner is a valid character concept. Consider mariner if your Kagonesti is an outcast who goes to sea to escape his home, or perhaps a character whose clan lives on the coast of Southern Ergoth or Cristyne and fishes rather than hunts.
Paladin: Kagonesti, with their tendencies toward chaotic and neutral alignments, have rarely been called to be paladins. However, when a god, such as Quen Illumini or the Blue Phoenix, chooses a Kagonesti to serve as an instrument of his or her might, he does not usually fit the typical knight-in-shining-armor image of the paladin. Consider the paladin class if you wish to play against type—a holy warrior with the skills and tools of a hunter rather than a soldier.
Ranger: Ranger is a natural choice for a Kagonesti. The ranger can represent the ultimate hunter, a woodland warrior without peer. This is an excellent class to consider no matter what your character concept. Hunting animals, such as birds of prey or wolves, are the most common choices for animal companions.
Thief: As Kagonesti don't spend much or any time in cities or towns, there aren't too many thieves among them. Those that do take this class often focus more on stealth and spying skills over picking locks or pockets. The Scout kit (The Complete Thief's Handbook) works pretty well with Kagonesti.
Paladin: Kagonesti, with their tendencies toward chaotic and neutral alignments, have rarely been called to be paladins. However, when a god, such as Quen Illumini or the Blue Phoenix, chooses a Kagonesti to serve as an instrument of his or her might, he does not usually fit the typical knight-in-shining-armor image of the paladin. Consider the paladin class if you wish to play against type—a holy warrior with the skills and tools of a hunter rather than a soldier.
Ranger: Ranger is a natural choice for a Kagonesti. The ranger can represent the ultimate hunter, a woodland warrior without peer. This is an excellent class to consider no matter what your character concept. Hunting animals, such as birds of prey or wolves, are the most common choices for animal companions.
Thief: As Kagonesti don't spend much or any time in cities or towns, there aren't too many thieves among them. Those that do take this class often focus more on stealth and spying skills over picking locks or pockets. The Scout kit (The Complete Thief's Handbook) works pretty well with Kagonesti.
Wizard: Kagonesti culture is not structured to support wizards. The disciplined study necessary to pursue either career is simply not available within Kagonesti society. A Kagonesti taking this class was probably raised among other peoples outside Kagonesti lands.
Kagonesti Racial Traits
Kagonesti have all the elven racial traits listed in the Player’s Handbook except as follows:
• +1 Dexterity, –1 Intelligence. Kagonesti are shorter but more muscular than other elves, with a tendency to focus upon the physical over the cerebral.
• Kagonest gain the standard +1 to hit with bows, like their cousins, but instead of a similar bonus with long swords, they instead get it with spears.
Kagonesti have all the elven racial traits listed in the Player’s Handbook except as follows:
• +1 Dexterity, –1 Intelligence. Kagonesti are shorter but more muscular than other elves, with a tendency to focus upon the physical over the cerebral.
• Kagonest gain the standard +1 to hit with bows, like their cousins, but instead of a similar bonus with long swords, they instead get it with spears.
• All Kagonesti get the Survival [Forest] proficiency for free. If they take a class or kit that also gives that proficiency for free, then they get a +1 to it instead.
Qualinesti
An elf of Ansalon is a mixture of contradictions. Each has a wild, primitive side, one seeking unity with the natural world around him; the Kagonesti embrace this. Conversely, there is also a side that aspires to learn, create, and raise mortal civilization to new heights; the Silvanesti have taken that mantle.
The Qualinesti have taken what could be considered the middle path, but in truth, it’s much more than simply an amalgamation of Silvanesti cultural refinement with Kagonesti conscience. The Qualinesti represent the progressive side of elvendom and are more willing to engage the wider world than other elven nations.
An elf of Ansalon is a mixture of contradictions. Each has a wild, primitive side, one seeking unity with the natural world around him; the Kagonesti embrace this. Conversely, there is also a side that aspires to learn, create, and raise mortal civilization to new heights; the Silvanesti have taken that mantle.
The Qualinesti have taken what could be considered the middle path, but in truth, it’s much more than simply an amalgamation of Silvanesti cultural refinement with Kagonesti conscience. The Qualinesti represent the progressive side of elvendom and are more willing to engage the wider world than other elven nations.
Physical Description
Qualinesti tend to be a shade taller and noticeably slighter than their Kagonesti brethren. Their build is willowy and graceful with a complexion the light color of sun-bleached oak. Their hair color runs from a rich walnut to the golden of autumn aspen leaves and is, almost without exception, thick and full. Many Qualinesti women wear their long hair in luxurious and complex braids. Qualinesti facial features are fine and delicate, with high cheekbones and sharp, piercing eyes of chestnut brown or sky blue.
Qualinesti dress is designed to be functional yet beautiful, with men favoring woven trousers and jerkins. Women prefer long dresses or skirts with a form-fitting bodice. Browns, muted greens, and other rich earth tones dominate Qualinesti traditional dress. The clothing of both sexes is generally plainer than the clothes the Kagonesti wear—there’s less intricate embroidery, except in formalwear, which is extravagantly decorated with all manner of patterns.
When dressing for function, Qualinesti prefer rugged leathers similar to those worn by the Kagonesti. A buckskin tunic and leggings with stout boots and hardened leather armor is common for Qualinesti scouts. Qualinesti warriors will add metal armor: elven chain for lightly armored warriors, high quality full plate and mail for heavy troops.
Both Qualinesti men and women wear jewelry. Earrings are extremely common among women, and some men wear them as well. Bracelets, necklaces, and pendants are also frequently worn by both sexes. For formal occasions, women will wear tiaras, circlets, coronets, ornate barrettes, and other ornamentation in their hair.
Qualinesti tend to be a shade taller and noticeably slighter than their Kagonesti brethren. Their build is willowy and graceful with a complexion the light color of sun-bleached oak. Their hair color runs from a rich walnut to the golden of autumn aspen leaves and is, almost without exception, thick and full. Many Qualinesti women wear their long hair in luxurious and complex braids. Qualinesti facial features are fine and delicate, with high cheekbones and sharp, piercing eyes of chestnut brown or sky blue.
Qualinesti dress is designed to be functional yet beautiful, with men favoring woven trousers and jerkins. Women prefer long dresses or skirts with a form-fitting bodice. Browns, muted greens, and other rich earth tones dominate Qualinesti traditional dress. The clothing of both sexes is generally plainer than the clothes the Kagonesti wear—there’s less intricate embroidery, except in formalwear, which is extravagantly decorated with all manner of patterns.
When dressing for function, Qualinesti prefer rugged leathers similar to those worn by the Kagonesti. A buckskin tunic and leggings with stout boots and hardened leather armor is common for Qualinesti scouts. Qualinesti warriors will add metal armor: elven chain for lightly armored warriors, high quality full plate and mail for heavy troops.
Both Qualinesti men and women wear jewelry. Earrings are extremely common among women, and some men wear them as well. Bracelets, necklaces, and pendants are also frequently worn by both sexes. For formal occasions, women will wear tiaras, circlets, coronets, ornate barrettes, and other ornamentation in their hair.
Psychology
Qualinesti psychology is difficult to summarize. As a group, they are not as stubborn as the Kagonesti, nor as arrogant as the Silvanesti, but they show hints of both traits. They are not as suspicious as the Kagonesti, nor as xenophobic as the Silvanesti, but at times, they can demonstrate both.
Generally, the Qualinesti are a principled people. Most believe good must be pursued in all cases, that innocents must never be harmed, and the end never justifies the means. They are willing to fight for causes right and just; Laurana the Golden General, a Qualinesti princess, led the Whitestone forces against the Dragonarmies in the War of the Lance. They aided, at least in a small way, human refugees from Abanasinia fleeing the Red Dragonarmy as it approached Qualinesti by providing them sanctuary as they escaped.
Qualinesti tend to have an air of superiority and arrogance, though not to the same extent as the Silvanesti. Most are convinced that their culture and social structure are far more advanced than those of any other race. This trait overwhelmed their principles when, during their sojourn in Southern Ergoth, they took a great many Kagonesti prisoners in order to civilize the barbarians.
Qualinesti have historically been isolationists. They allowed no non-elf to enter their lands mistakenly; uninvited guests in the Qualinesti Forest were removed–sometimes gently, sometimes not. They ferociously defended the borders of their forest, retreating only once, when faced by certain defeat—against Verminaard and his Red Dragonarmy. However, the isolationism has not historically gone as far as outright xenophobia; the Qualinesti have typically been the most open of all elven nations, commonly sending traders, scholars, and adventurers out into the world. Dozens of Qualinesti wizards have enjoyed successful careers in the Orders of High Sorcery, traveling all over Ansalon.
Among elven cultures, Qualinesti is the nation with the most variance between individuals. Any generalization made about the psychology of the Qualinesti is bound to be somewhat off the mark for many.
Qualinesti psychology is difficult to summarize. As a group, they are not as stubborn as the Kagonesti, nor as arrogant as the Silvanesti, but they show hints of both traits. They are not as suspicious as the Kagonesti, nor as xenophobic as the Silvanesti, but at times, they can demonstrate both.
Generally, the Qualinesti are a principled people. Most believe good must be pursued in all cases, that innocents must never be harmed, and the end never justifies the means. They are willing to fight for causes right and just; Laurana the Golden General, a Qualinesti princess, led the Whitestone forces against the Dragonarmies in the War of the Lance. They aided, at least in a small way, human refugees from Abanasinia fleeing the Red Dragonarmy as it approached Qualinesti by providing them sanctuary as they escaped.
Qualinesti tend to have an air of superiority and arrogance, though not to the same extent as the Silvanesti. Most are convinced that their culture and social structure are far more advanced than those of any other race. This trait overwhelmed their principles when, during their sojourn in Southern Ergoth, they took a great many Kagonesti prisoners in order to civilize the barbarians.
Qualinesti have historically been isolationists. They allowed no non-elf to enter their lands mistakenly; uninvited guests in the Qualinesti Forest were removed–sometimes gently, sometimes not. They ferociously defended the borders of their forest, retreating only once, when faced by certain defeat—against Verminaard and his Red Dragonarmy. However, the isolationism has not historically gone as far as outright xenophobia; the Qualinesti have typically been the most open of all elven nations, commonly sending traders, scholars, and adventurers out into the world. Dozens of Qualinesti wizards have enjoyed successful careers in the Orders of High Sorcery, traveling all over Ansalon.
Among elven cultures, Qualinesti is the nation with the most variance between individuals. Any generalization made about the psychology of the Qualinesti is bound to be somewhat off the mark for many.
Social Structure
Qualinesti social and institutional structures have been modeled loosely on that of the Silvanesti. Qualinesti’s founder Kith-Kanan, a prince of Silvanesti, brought many of the conventions of Silvanesti social structure with him, including a caste system and a hereditary patriarchal monarchy.
The leader of the Qualinesti is known as the Speaker of the Sun. Although elves typically do not use the term “king,” the office is in most ways indistinguishable from that of a traditional human monarch. It has always been held by a direct descendant, usually in the male line, of the great Kith-Kanan and is currently held by Portios Kanan.
The Speaker rules alongside the Senate, the Thalas-Enthia. The role and power of the Speaker versus the Thalas-Enthia is only loosely defined, relying on tradition rather than statute to define the powers of each; traditionally, the Thalas-Enthia has served in an advisory role for the Speaker, but there have been instances in the past of a particularly strong senator temporarily tipping the balance of power in favor of the Thalas-Enthia. During the current exile, the Thalas-Enthia has become nearly irrelevant.
The Qualinesti have a house-based caste system as the Silvanesti do, but it is far less rigid and hierarchical—and far less important—than that of their eastern cousins. Qualinesti houses bear a great deal of resemblance to trade guilds, and mobility between houses is common; a Qualinesti with a talent for jewelry-making might be invited to join House Gemcutter, even though his family is traditionally of House Celestial, for instance. Even among the nobility, very little of a Qualinesti’s reputation and prestige is wrapped up in house membership, and most Qualinesti commoners ignore the house system altogether.
Qualinesti social and institutional structures have been modeled loosely on that of the Silvanesti. Qualinesti’s founder Kith-Kanan, a prince of Silvanesti, brought many of the conventions of Silvanesti social structure with him, including a caste system and a hereditary patriarchal monarchy.
The leader of the Qualinesti is known as the Speaker of the Sun. Although elves typically do not use the term “king,” the office is in most ways indistinguishable from that of a traditional human monarch. It has always been held by a direct descendant, usually in the male line, of the great Kith-Kanan and is currently held by Portios Kanan.
The Speaker rules alongside the Senate, the Thalas-Enthia. The role and power of the Speaker versus the Thalas-Enthia is only loosely defined, relying on tradition rather than statute to define the powers of each; traditionally, the Thalas-Enthia has served in an advisory role for the Speaker, but there have been instances in the past of a particularly strong senator temporarily tipping the balance of power in favor of the Thalas-Enthia. During the current exile, the Thalas-Enthia has become nearly irrelevant.
The Qualinesti have a house-based caste system as the Silvanesti do, but it is far less rigid and hierarchical—and far less important—than that of their eastern cousins. Qualinesti houses bear a great deal of resemblance to trade guilds, and mobility between houses is common; a Qualinesti with a talent for jewelry-making might be invited to join House Gemcutter, even though his family is traditionally of House Celestial, for instance. Even among the nobility, very little of a Qualinesti’s reputation and prestige is wrapped up in house membership, and most Qualinesti commoners ignore the house system altogether.
Family Life
With less pressure to cement clan alliances than the Kagonesti and less pressure to respect political concerns than the Silvanesti, the Qualinesti are the most likely among elven cultures to see marriage as a purely joyous celebration of love. Ceremonies vary from lavish, formal affairs in expansive temples (at least, before the exile) to simple outdoor rituals. In front of as many witnesses as they can gather, the couple pledges their love, and the union is traditionally blessed jointly by clerics of E’li and Quen Illumini. Qualinesti marry for life although, like the Kagonesti, it is socially acceptable for those widowed at a young age to eventually form a marriage-like bond of love and companionship with another. Qualinesti family units would seem very familiar to most humans, with a mother and father living in a home with their children; grandparents and great-grandparents are often members of the family units as well.
Much like the Kagonesti, children are welcomed to the community with a Life-Gift ceremony, with a priest of E’li, if a priest is available at all—blessing the child in a public ritual. As the child grows, she is educated in a wide variety of subjects from mathematics to athletics. Education is somewhat informal, although it is socially expected that all children will receive some form of education outside the home. Lectures and large class settings were once a part of this education; apprenticeships and tutorials have, for the most part, replaced them in the days of exile. Like the Kagonesti, the Qualinesti have a coming-of-age ceremony young elves undergo. It’s much more passive than the Kagonesti ceremony, typically involving ceremonial blessings rather than demonstrations of expertise or knowledge. Education, usually specialized in a particular field, often continues into adulthood.
Qualinesti funeral rites and traditions are as variable as marriage rites. Many Qualinesti are averse to burial, but underground burial is not without precedent. While in their sojourn in Southern Ergoth during the War of the Lance, a few Qualinesti took up the Kagonesti tradition of water burial. The most common burial method, however, is to place the departed’s remains into a stone or hardy wooden sarcophagus and inter it in a mausoleum. Royalty is sometimes treated differently. For example, Kith-Kanan’s remains were discovered sitting on a throne by the Heroes of the Lance in the catacombs connected to the ancient fortress of Pax Tharkas. Traditionally, the deceased’s friends and family gather at the mausoleum, and a cleric of E’li or Quen Illumini speaks words of blessing, asking the gods of light to guide the soul along its next journey. A few devotees of the Blue Phoenix, who hold the mildly heretical belief in reincarnation, prefer a simple, unadorned underground burial and ritual in the wilderness. This burial method favored by the faithful of the Blue Phoenix and those borrowed from the Kagonesti have become much more common since the exile began.
With less pressure to cement clan alliances than the Kagonesti and less pressure to respect political concerns than the Silvanesti, the Qualinesti are the most likely among elven cultures to see marriage as a purely joyous celebration of love. Ceremonies vary from lavish, formal affairs in expansive temples (at least, before the exile) to simple outdoor rituals. In front of as many witnesses as they can gather, the couple pledges their love, and the union is traditionally blessed jointly by clerics of E’li and Quen Illumini. Qualinesti marry for life although, like the Kagonesti, it is socially acceptable for those widowed at a young age to eventually form a marriage-like bond of love and companionship with another. Qualinesti family units would seem very familiar to most humans, with a mother and father living in a home with their children; grandparents and great-grandparents are often members of the family units as well.
Much like the Kagonesti, children are welcomed to the community with a Life-Gift ceremony, with a priest of E’li, if a priest is available at all—blessing the child in a public ritual. As the child grows, she is educated in a wide variety of subjects from mathematics to athletics. Education is somewhat informal, although it is socially expected that all children will receive some form of education outside the home. Lectures and large class settings were once a part of this education; apprenticeships and tutorials have, for the most part, replaced them in the days of exile. Like the Kagonesti, the Qualinesti have a coming-of-age ceremony young elves undergo. It’s much more passive than the Kagonesti ceremony, typically involving ceremonial blessings rather than demonstrations of expertise or knowledge. Education, usually specialized in a particular field, often continues into adulthood.
Qualinesti funeral rites and traditions are as variable as marriage rites. Many Qualinesti are averse to burial, but underground burial is not without precedent. While in their sojourn in Southern Ergoth during the War of the Lance, a few Qualinesti took up the Kagonesti tradition of water burial. The most common burial method, however, is to place the departed’s remains into a stone or hardy wooden sarcophagus and inter it in a mausoleum. Royalty is sometimes treated differently. For example, Kith-Kanan’s remains were discovered sitting on a throne by the Heroes of the Lance in the catacombs connected to the ancient fortress of Pax Tharkas. Traditionally, the deceased’s friends and family gather at the mausoleum, and a cleric of E’li or Quen Illumini speaks words of blessing, asking the gods of light to guide the soul along its next journey. A few devotees of the Blue Phoenix, who hold the mildly heretical belief in reincarnation, prefer a simple, unadorned underground burial and ritual in the wilderness. This burial method favored by the faithful of the Blue Phoenix and those borrowed from the Kagonesti have become much more common since the exile began.
Names
Some Qualinesti names are many syllables long, and most will have a shortened version used by family and friends; examples include Lauralanthalasa “Laurana” and Tanthalas “Tanis.” Like the Kagonesti, most do not take on surnames.
Some Qualinesti names are many syllables long, and most will have a shortened version used by family and friends; examples include Lauralanthalasa “Laurana” and Tanthalas “Tanis.” Like the Kagonesti, most do not take on surnames.
Arts and Industry
As elves tend to do, the long-lived Qualinesti have thrown themselves into art, with some of their artists spending centuries perfecting their chosen medium. The Qualinesti are masters of the visual arts of sculpture and painting, although current circumstances haven’t allowed much creative effort to be expended.
The performing arts have become less important to the Qualinesti. They were once known for their large orchestral-style music compositions, but this type of performance is impossible in exile. Additionally, a part of Qualinesti culture was lost forever when every known rassi, a large stringed instrument traditionally played at court, was lost in the destruction of Qualinost. Surviving the flight into exile were portable instruments, such as flutes, whistles, and drums.
The Qualinesti are also builders. Their capital of Qualinost was one of the most beautiful cities on Ansalon. First built in cooperation with dwarven architects and stonemasons, it became a wonderful testament to the skill of Qualinesti builders. Additionally, Qualinesti have mastered the art of forging amazingly strong, resilient, and sharp blades. The keen edge and look of a Qualinesti longsword is unmistakable across Ansalon, and swordsmen of many races seek Qualinesti-forged blades for their quality and their ability to intimidate foes just by being drawn.
Perhaps above all, however, Qualinesti have learned how to work in cooperation with nature in their architecture and city construction. Qualinost was a city that worked with nature, not against it. Every building seemed to be in its appointed place; every garden and tree was meticulously cared for and allowed to seek its own potential as the Qualinesti lived around it. Qualimori is building up to be similar.
As elves tend to do, the long-lived Qualinesti have thrown themselves into art, with some of their artists spending centuries perfecting their chosen medium. The Qualinesti are masters of the visual arts of sculpture and painting, although current circumstances haven’t allowed much creative effort to be expended.
The performing arts have become less important to the Qualinesti. They were once known for their large orchestral-style music compositions, but this type of performance is impossible in exile. Additionally, a part of Qualinesti culture was lost forever when every known rassi, a large stringed instrument traditionally played at court, was lost in the destruction of Qualinost. Surviving the flight into exile were portable instruments, such as flutes, whistles, and drums.
The Qualinesti are also builders. Their capital of Qualinost was one of the most beautiful cities on Ansalon. First built in cooperation with dwarven architects and stonemasons, it became a wonderful testament to the skill of Qualinesti builders. Additionally, Qualinesti have mastered the art of forging amazingly strong, resilient, and sharp blades. The keen edge and look of a Qualinesti longsword is unmistakable across Ansalon, and swordsmen of many races seek Qualinesti-forged blades for their quality and their ability to intimidate foes just by being drawn.
Perhaps above all, however, Qualinesti have learned how to work in cooperation with nature in their architecture and city construction. Qualinost was a city that worked with nature, not against it. Every building seemed to be in its appointed place; every garden and tree was meticulously cared for and allowed to seek its own potential as the Qualinesti lived around it. Qualimori is building up to be similar.
Magical Practices
Qualinesti elves hold arcane magic in high regard. It is considered a mark of prestige for any family to have a member pass her Test of High Sorcery and don white robes. Qualinesti Wizards of the White Robes find welcome in almost any Qualinesti home; in fact, a white robed wizard of any race is likely to be received well by a Qualinesti. Many Qualinesti pursue limited arcane skill; a sizeable percentage of the population has studied to one degree or another.
Wizards of the Red Robes are not quite so welcome. Qualinesti who earn the Red Robes will find that they are no longer welcome at home; if they push the matter and insist on returning to the community after their test, they may find themselves cast out as dark elves. Of course, those of the Black Robes are immediately banished from the community, and black robed wizards of any race find most Qualinesti quite openly hostile. See the Dark Elves sidebar for more details.
Divine magic is also welcome, if rare, among the Qualinesti, provided it comes from one of the gods of light. They are particularly devoted to E’li, but also Blue Phoenix and Quen Illumini, as well.
Religion
For thousands of years, the Qualinesti have thought of themselves as the chosen of E’li and the other gods of light.
While they turn to Quen Illumini for comfort, Qualinesti call upon the Blue Phoenix for endurance. Many Qualinesti find that Habbakuk provides them with the strength to pick up and carry on, even though everything they’ve known has been torn asunder. Some in exile are learning to see him in the forests of Southern Ergoth as they saw him in the forests of Qualinesti; through that recognition, they are rediscovering their spiritual connection with Krynn. Some Qualinesti have felt a different calling to the Blue Phoenix and have taken up the more solitary life of druidry.
Saddened that a once-joyful people have been struck with so much despair, Astra has been a refuge for those needing to feel the spark of happiness. The perceived frivolity of appealing to the god of bards in times such as these angers some Qualinesti; others think those who are annoyed by it are the most in need of Astra’s healing.
The Mantis of the Rose (Majere) also holds a place of honor among the Qualinesti. Contemplatives studied in his ways of mental discipline have aided many of the Qualinesti wrestling with emotional wounds; some of those suffering from post-traumatic stress and severe depression have found relief in the serenity the Mantis can inspire.
As many Qualinesti become more militaristic, worship of Kiri-Jolith is increasing. They beg for the military strength to win back their old homeland or gain a new one.
Worship of the gods of Neutrality is uncommon but not unprecedented. Those who do must be very careful to maintain a low profile. Personal devotion is tolerated, but too much open proselytizing can risk the scorn of the community. Shinare and Chislev each have cults among the Qualinesti, and Zivilyn is often respected as a sponsor of sages and philosophers.
Service to the gods of darkness is not tolerated among the Qualinesti. The Dark Queen Takhisis and her servants have repeatedly attempted to wipe the elves from Ansalon, and the Qualinesti wisely do not trust her or any of her fellows. The Qualinesti attempt to convince anyone found to be devoted to the gods of darkness to repent of their errors. Even so, Kinis (Sargonnas) seems to have taken more than a passing interest in the Qualinesti’s current plight. Some Qualinesti have aligned themselves with the Cult of the Bloody Condor, giving in to their despair and turning it into a thirst for vengeance. Additionally, Hiddukel finds that despair and desperation make fertile ground for his seductive lies.
Qualinesti elves hold arcane magic in high regard. It is considered a mark of prestige for any family to have a member pass her Test of High Sorcery and don white robes. Qualinesti Wizards of the White Robes find welcome in almost any Qualinesti home; in fact, a white robed wizard of any race is likely to be received well by a Qualinesti. Many Qualinesti pursue limited arcane skill; a sizeable percentage of the population has studied to one degree or another.
Wizards of the Red Robes are not quite so welcome. Qualinesti who earn the Red Robes will find that they are no longer welcome at home; if they push the matter and insist on returning to the community after their test, they may find themselves cast out as dark elves. Of course, those of the Black Robes are immediately banished from the community, and black robed wizards of any race find most Qualinesti quite openly hostile. See the Dark Elves sidebar for more details.
Divine magic is also welcome, if rare, among the Qualinesti, provided it comes from one of the gods of light. They are particularly devoted to E’li, but also Blue Phoenix and Quen Illumini, as well.
Religion
For thousands of years, the Qualinesti have thought of themselves as the chosen of E’li and the other gods of light.
While they turn to Quen Illumini for comfort, Qualinesti call upon the Blue Phoenix for endurance. Many Qualinesti find that Habbakuk provides them with the strength to pick up and carry on, even though everything they’ve known has been torn asunder. Some in exile are learning to see him in the forests of Southern Ergoth as they saw him in the forests of Qualinesti; through that recognition, they are rediscovering their spiritual connection with Krynn. Some Qualinesti have felt a different calling to the Blue Phoenix and have taken up the more solitary life of druidry.
Saddened that a once-joyful people have been struck with so much despair, Astra has been a refuge for those needing to feel the spark of happiness. The perceived frivolity of appealing to the god of bards in times such as these angers some Qualinesti; others think those who are annoyed by it are the most in need of Astra’s healing.
The Mantis of the Rose (Majere) also holds a place of honor among the Qualinesti. Contemplatives studied in his ways of mental discipline have aided many of the Qualinesti wrestling with emotional wounds; some of those suffering from post-traumatic stress and severe depression have found relief in the serenity the Mantis can inspire.
As many Qualinesti become more militaristic, worship of Kiri-Jolith is increasing. They beg for the military strength to win back their old homeland or gain a new one.
Worship of the gods of Neutrality is uncommon but not unprecedented. Those who do must be very careful to maintain a low profile. Personal devotion is tolerated, but too much open proselytizing can risk the scorn of the community. Shinare and Chislev each have cults among the Qualinesti, and Zivilyn is often respected as a sponsor of sages and philosophers.
Service to the gods of darkness is not tolerated among the Qualinesti. The Dark Queen Takhisis and her servants have repeatedly attempted to wipe the elves from Ansalon, and the Qualinesti wisely do not trust her or any of her fellows. The Qualinesti attempt to convince anyone found to be devoted to the gods of darkness to repent of their errors. Even so, Kinis (Sargonnas) seems to have taken more than a passing interest in the Qualinesti’s current plight. Some Qualinesti have aligned themselves with the Cult of the Bloody Condor, giving in to their despair and turning it into a thirst for vengeance. Additionally, Hiddukel finds that despair and desperation make fertile ground for his seductive lies.
Folklore
Kith-Kanan, founder of the Qualinesti nation, is the single greatest folk hero of the Qualinesti. The tragic love between Kith-Kanan and the wilder elf Anaya, his first wife and mother of his son Silveran, is the subject of many folktales and legends. It’s considered one of the rites of passage for young Qualinesti children to put on plays retelling the tale of Anaya and Kith-Kanan.
Other stories of Kith-Kanan surround his founding of Qualinesti. Most are tall tales; there are stories that tell of Kith-Kanan single-handedly defeating entire companies of Ergothian cavaliers, stories of him casting powerful spells to raise up the Forest of Qualinesti, and a legend that the Tower of Wayreth existed within Qualinesti’s borders only with his permission and that the Orders of High Sorcery paid him an annual tribute. While some children and common folk believe such things, serious Qualinesti scholars have a more realistic view of their nation’s founder.
Another folktale among the Qualinesti is that of Inath-Wakenti. Legend has it that this green and fertile land is the location where the gods first set foot on Krynn in physical form. In order to maintain the peace between them, they agreed to refrain from speaking while there—thus its more common name, the Vale of Silence. In every instance of its mention in Qualinesti records—visits by ancient human tribesmen, Istaran explorers, dwarven miners, and Solamnic scouts—it is surrounded by misfortune and death. Another legend says in ancient days, a powerful Silvanesti wizard was banished there for crimes so foul that all record of them was erased. There are some Qualinesti who wonder if Southern Ergoth is, in fact, this sacred land.
Language
The Qualinesti dialect of Elven is closely related to that of the Silvanesti. Linguists and Qualinesti historians mark the founding of Qualinesti, about 2050 PC, as the point the two dialects diverged. At this time, the two populations of elves separated themselves, taking their languages down different evolutionary paths.
In many ways, Qualinesti Elven is a superset of Silvanesti. Like much of Qualinesti culture, the dialect is partially the result of taking Silvanesti and relaxing the tight control Silvanesti scholars exercised over it. However, rather than make the language simpler, it became more complex than Silvanesti Elven. Rules of syntax and grammar gradually loosened, vocabulary was left unprotected, and spelling drifted; as a result, there are a myriad of exceptions to rules of grammar, spelling, and even pronunciation in Qualinesti Elven. Qualinesti sometimes use this to poke fun at their more linguistically protective Silvanesti cousins who, it’s said, are irritated to no end by what the Qualinesti have done to the tongue. Nevertheless, the two dialects remain close, and except for variations in grammar and some vocabulary (Qualinesti have borrowed some words of Abanasinian from nearby humans, dwarven from contacts in Thorbardin, and words of Sylvan origin from the Kagonesti), a speaker of one will easily understand a speaker of the other.
The Qualinesti have a great love of aphorisms, short (often humorous) statements expressing some great truth, profound opinion, or both. Compilations of aphorisms are among the more successful popular publications among the Qualinesti literati. “Trust in E’li, but carry an extra bowstring,” is a very popular aphorism believed to date back to the days of Speaker Silveran. “Pretend to competence and purpose, and few will suspect otherwise,” is another, which is believed to have originated centuries ago in the ranks of the Senate bureaucracy. The saying “Stay far away from dragons and bored kender,” has been echoed by amused kender and people frustrated with kender for centuries. “The biggest fish in a small pond still swims in a small pond,” began as a Qualinesti dig at wealthy human merchants who found themselves awestruck when visiting Qualinost for the first time, but it has expanded to be a general put-down of anyone in charge of a weak institution.
Kith-Kanan, founder of the Qualinesti nation, is the single greatest folk hero of the Qualinesti. The tragic love between Kith-Kanan and the wilder elf Anaya, his first wife and mother of his son Silveran, is the subject of many folktales and legends. It’s considered one of the rites of passage for young Qualinesti children to put on plays retelling the tale of Anaya and Kith-Kanan.
Other stories of Kith-Kanan surround his founding of Qualinesti. Most are tall tales; there are stories that tell of Kith-Kanan single-handedly defeating entire companies of Ergothian cavaliers, stories of him casting powerful spells to raise up the Forest of Qualinesti, and a legend that the Tower of Wayreth existed within Qualinesti’s borders only with his permission and that the Orders of High Sorcery paid him an annual tribute. While some children and common folk believe such things, serious Qualinesti scholars have a more realistic view of their nation’s founder.
Another folktale among the Qualinesti is that of Inath-Wakenti. Legend has it that this green and fertile land is the location where the gods first set foot on Krynn in physical form. In order to maintain the peace between them, they agreed to refrain from speaking while there—thus its more common name, the Vale of Silence. In every instance of its mention in Qualinesti records—visits by ancient human tribesmen, Istaran explorers, dwarven miners, and Solamnic scouts—it is surrounded by misfortune and death. Another legend says in ancient days, a powerful Silvanesti wizard was banished there for crimes so foul that all record of them was erased. There are some Qualinesti who wonder if Southern Ergoth is, in fact, this sacred land.
Language
The Qualinesti dialect of Elven is closely related to that of the Silvanesti. Linguists and Qualinesti historians mark the founding of Qualinesti, about 2050 PC, as the point the two dialects diverged. At this time, the two populations of elves separated themselves, taking their languages down different evolutionary paths.
In many ways, Qualinesti Elven is a superset of Silvanesti. Like much of Qualinesti culture, the dialect is partially the result of taking Silvanesti and relaxing the tight control Silvanesti scholars exercised over it. However, rather than make the language simpler, it became more complex than Silvanesti Elven. Rules of syntax and grammar gradually loosened, vocabulary was left unprotected, and spelling drifted; as a result, there are a myriad of exceptions to rules of grammar, spelling, and even pronunciation in Qualinesti Elven. Qualinesti sometimes use this to poke fun at their more linguistically protective Silvanesti cousins who, it’s said, are irritated to no end by what the Qualinesti have done to the tongue. Nevertheless, the two dialects remain close, and except for variations in grammar and some vocabulary (Qualinesti have borrowed some words of Abanasinian from nearby humans, dwarven from contacts in Thorbardin, and words of Sylvan origin from the Kagonesti), a speaker of one will easily understand a speaker of the other.
The Qualinesti have a great love of aphorisms, short (often humorous) statements expressing some great truth, profound opinion, or both. Compilations of aphorisms are among the more successful popular publications among the Qualinesti literati. “Trust in E’li, but carry an extra bowstring,” is a very popular aphorism believed to date back to the days of Speaker Silveran. “Pretend to competence and purpose, and few will suspect otherwise,” is another, which is believed to have originated centuries ago in the ranks of the Senate bureaucracy. The saying “Stay far away from dragons and bored kender,” has been echoed by amused kender and people frustrated with kender for centuries. “The biggest fish in a small pond still swims in a small pond,” began as a Qualinesti dig at wealthy human merchants who found themselves awestruck when visiting Qualinost for the first time, but it has expanded to be a general put-down of anyone in charge of a weak institution.
Racial Relations
The Qualinesti’s relationship with the Kagonesti has been marred by the horribly misguided Qualinesti attempt to civilize their cousins by enslaving many of them and putting them to work in Qualinesti communities. The hope was that, by exposing them to the supposedly superior culture and society in Qualinost, they would abandon their barbaric ways. Rather, it bred contempt and rebellion; the fiercely proud Kagonesti resisted their captors—some openly, some covertly. This enslavement continues to this day, and the relationship between the two nations remains extremely rocky.
The separation of the Silvanesti and Qualinesti nations was not a peaceful one. The migration of elves to Qualinesti was resisted by Sithas of Silvanesti, beginning an enmity that continues to the present day. However, as both nations find themselves in exile and their homelands occupied by hostile forces, they’re finding that they have more in common than they previously thought, and many hope relations will improve.
Half-elves, who the Qualinesti call half-humans, are often pitied by the Qualinesti. They are grudgingly accepted, but most never quite feel at home among the full-blooded elves.
Like most elves, the Qualinesti almost universally blamed humans for the Cataclysm. This resentment was difficult to overcome, and many Qualinesti continue to hold humans in contempt.
The Qualinesti have a decent enough relationship with the Neidar. Not quite allies, but not enemies, either. They tend to prefer to leave each other alone when possible, but they do often trade with each other. The Mountain Dwarves of Thorbardin, however, have almost no relationship at all with the Qualinesti.
Like most races, Qualinesti patience is put to the test around kender. Qualinesti generally find them to be meddlesome and often unintentionally dangerous. If a kender is found in Qualinesti lands—including Qualimori—they are usually politely but firmly escorted out.
Qualinesti mistrust gnomish science and technology. Mechanical and electrical devices are not well understood by elves, and the gnomes’ reliance on this technology, as well as Qualinesti reliance on magic which the gnomes reject, inhibits true understanding between the races.
Qualinesti, as a creation of E’li, share the general elven hatred of ogres, children of the Queen of Darkness. Minotaurs fare no better in Qualinesti eyes.
Metallic dragons are longtime allies of the Qualinesti. The silver dragon D’Argent and Qualinesti prince Gilthanas, brother of current Speaker Porthos, discovered the treacherous plan of the Dark Queen to corrupt metallic dragon eggs in the War of the Lance. The metallic dragons entered the war in force on the side of the Whitestone forces. Gilthanas fought many battles with D’Argent, and Laurana led the Whitestone armies alongside many metallic dragons.
War is as important a part of Qualinesti culture as it has ever been. Most Qualinesti of military age in good health serve as warriors in some capacity, no matter their location on Ansalon. Many are with Speaker of the Sun Porthos in Qualinesti, looking to rebuild. But many more have remained in Qualimori on Southern Ergoth, waiting for their home to be rebuilt or even looking to build a new nation there.
Traditionally, the Qualinesti can field an impressive army. Cavalry on swift elven-bred horses can attack with bow, lance, and sword. Their infantry consists of archers and swordsmen of the finest quality, outfitted with arms and armor that are the envy of every knightly order in the world. Their scouts are excellent, surpassed in skill only by their Kagonesti kin. The elite Windriders ride into battle on griffon-back.
The Qualinesti’s relationship with the Kagonesti has been marred by the horribly misguided Qualinesti attempt to civilize their cousins by enslaving many of them and putting them to work in Qualinesti communities. The hope was that, by exposing them to the supposedly superior culture and society in Qualinost, they would abandon their barbaric ways. Rather, it bred contempt and rebellion; the fiercely proud Kagonesti resisted their captors—some openly, some covertly. This enslavement continues to this day, and the relationship between the two nations remains extremely rocky.
The separation of the Silvanesti and Qualinesti nations was not a peaceful one. The migration of elves to Qualinesti was resisted by Sithas of Silvanesti, beginning an enmity that continues to the present day. However, as both nations find themselves in exile and their homelands occupied by hostile forces, they’re finding that they have more in common than they previously thought, and many hope relations will improve.
Half-elves, who the Qualinesti call half-humans, are often pitied by the Qualinesti. They are grudgingly accepted, but most never quite feel at home among the full-blooded elves.
Like most elves, the Qualinesti almost universally blamed humans for the Cataclysm. This resentment was difficult to overcome, and many Qualinesti continue to hold humans in contempt.
The Qualinesti have a decent enough relationship with the Neidar. Not quite allies, but not enemies, either. They tend to prefer to leave each other alone when possible, but they do often trade with each other. The Mountain Dwarves of Thorbardin, however, have almost no relationship at all with the Qualinesti.
Like most races, Qualinesti patience is put to the test around kender. Qualinesti generally find them to be meddlesome and often unintentionally dangerous. If a kender is found in Qualinesti lands—including Qualimori—they are usually politely but firmly escorted out.
Qualinesti mistrust gnomish science and technology. Mechanical and electrical devices are not well understood by elves, and the gnomes’ reliance on this technology, as well as Qualinesti reliance on magic which the gnomes reject, inhibits true understanding between the races.
Qualinesti, as a creation of E’li, share the general elven hatred of ogres, children of the Queen of Darkness. Minotaurs fare no better in Qualinesti eyes.
Metallic dragons are longtime allies of the Qualinesti. The silver dragon D’Argent and Qualinesti prince Gilthanas, brother of current Speaker Porthos, discovered the treacherous plan of the Dark Queen to corrupt metallic dragon eggs in the War of the Lance. The metallic dragons entered the war in force on the side of the Whitestone forces. Gilthanas fought many battles with D’Argent, and Laurana led the Whitestone armies alongside many metallic dragons.
War is as important a part of Qualinesti culture as it has ever been. Most Qualinesti of military age in good health serve as warriors in some capacity, no matter their location on Ansalon. Many are with Speaker of the Sun Porthos in Qualinesti, looking to rebuild. But many more have remained in Qualimori on Southern Ergoth, waiting for their home to be rebuilt or even looking to build a new nation there.
Traditionally, the Qualinesti can field an impressive army. Cavalry on swift elven-bred horses can attack with bow, lance, and sword. Their infantry consists of archers and swordsmen of the finest quality, outfitted with arms and armor that are the envy of every knightly order in the world. Their scouts are excellent, surpassed in skill only by their Kagonesti kin. The elite Windriders ride into battle on griffon-back.
Character Classes and Kits
Qualinesti are versatile and suffer fewer social and environmental restraints than the other elven races. A Qualinesti character can take just about any class.
Barbarian: Qualinesti culture prides itself on its civility; a Qualinesti barbarian would be an outcast. It’s most appropriate to use this class to represent a Qualinesti who was raised outside his homeland among uncivilized people.
Bard: True bards are fairly rare, but often celebrated among the Qualinesti. A number of kits in the Complete Bard's Handbook would be appropriate for them, including Herald, Loremaster, Meistersinger and Minstrel.
Cleric: The Qualinesti once have a strong tradition of clerics, with priests and priestesses of E’li, Quen Illumini, and Astra having been trained in the past decade since the gods returned. Note that clerics of neutral or evil deities will likely be shunned or even cast out by the Qualinesti.
Druid: Druidry is not a common tradition among the Qualinesti. Some who have lived among the Kagonesti, have taken up the call, but they are all but unknown at the current time. If you wish to play a Qualinesti druid, it is likely your PC will be seen not only as an invaluable healer at a time of great crisis, but also as a bridge between the worlds of the Kagonesti and Qualinesti.
Fighter: With their proud martial history, Qualinesti are commonly fighters; most of the legendary Windriders are of the fighter class. Their natural agility and good equipment often makes up for their natural frailty.
Mariner: Seafaring is not a common career for a Qualinesti, but it’s not unheard of. Since the War of the Lance and the founding of Qualimori, Qualinesti sailors have mastered the route between the western coast of Abanasinia and Southern Ergoth and on to Cristyne. Consider this kit if your PC is one of those sailors.
Qualinesti are versatile and suffer fewer social and environmental restraints than the other elven races. A Qualinesti character can take just about any class.
Barbarian: Qualinesti culture prides itself on its civility; a Qualinesti barbarian would be an outcast. It’s most appropriate to use this class to represent a Qualinesti who was raised outside his homeland among uncivilized people.
Bard: True bards are fairly rare, but often celebrated among the Qualinesti. A number of kits in the Complete Bard's Handbook would be appropriate for them, including Herald, Loremaster, Meistersinger and Minstrel.
Cleric: The Qualinesti once have a strong tradition of clerics, with priests and priestesses of E’li, Quen Illumini, and Astra having been trained in the past decade since the gods returned. Note that clerics of neutral or evil deities will likely be shunned or even cast out by the Qualinesti.
Druid: Druidry is not a common tradition among the Qualinesti. Some who have lived among the Kagonesti, have taken up the call, but they are all but unknown at the current time. If you wish to play a Qualinesti druid, it is likely your PC will be seen not only as an invaluable healer at a time of great crisis, but also as a bridge between the worlds of the Kagonesti and Qualinesti.
Fighter: With their proud martial history, Qualinesti are commonly fighters; most of the legendary Windriders are of the fighter class. Their natural agility and good equipment often makes up for their natural frailty.
Mariner: Seafaring is not a common career for a Qualinesti, but it’s not unheard of. Since the War of the Lance and the founding of Qualimori, Qualinesti sailors have mastered the route between the western coast of Abanasinia and Southern Ergoth and on to Cristyne. Consider this kit if your PC is one of those sailors.
Paladin: E’li and Quen Illumini have each blessed Qualinesti paladins, usually calling them from among aspirants to the Holy Orders.
Ranger: Ranger is an excellent choice for a Qualinesti warrior. Part scout and part soldier, Qualinesti rangers serve in almost every military role. Ranger is a very versatile option for any Qualinesti PC, with the only drawback of the elven Constitution penalty making them not as tough as many of their counterparts in other races.
Thief: Qualinesti make excellent thieves, but they tend to focus more on the skills that can be used outdoors (Move Silently, Hide in Shadows) over skills used in more urban environments (Open Locks, Pick Pockets).
Wizard: Qualinesti wizards have historically been among the best on Ansalon. As long as they join the White Order upon finishing their Test, they are welcome and respected in Qualinesti lands. Otherwise, they can be expected to be shunned or exiled.
Ranger: Ranger is an excellent choice for a Qualinesti warrior. Part scout and part soldier, Qualinesti rangers serve in almost every military role. Ranger is a very versatile option for any Qualinesti PC, with the only drawback of the elven Constitution penalty making them not as tough as many of their counterparts in other races.
Thief: Qualinesti make excellent thieves, but they tend to focus more on the skills that can be used outdoors (Move Silently, Hide in Shadows) over skills used in more urban environments (Open Locks, Pick Pockets).
Wizard: Qualinesti wizards have historically been among the best on Ansalon. As long as they join the White Order upon finishing their Test, they are welcome and respected in Qualinesti lands. Otherwise, they can be expected to be shunned or exiled.
Qualinesti Racial Traits
Qualinesti have all the elven racial traits listed in the Player’s Handbook except as follows:
Qualinesti have all the elven racial traits listed in the Player’s Handbook except as follows:
• Qualinesti receive one free NWP that is dependant on whichever House they grew up in. A partial list includes gardeners (agriculture), limners/gilders (artistic ability), mariners (seamanship), traders (bartering or appraising), wildrunners (survival or tracking or hunting), builders (carpentry, masonry), mysticals (religion, spellcraft), orators (persuasion, oratory), and weavers/sewers (seamstress/tailor, weaving).
Silvanesti, High Elves
Proud and aloof, the Silvanesti consider themselves to be the first children of the gods, the oldest and wisest mortal race, and the keepers of the pinnacle of mortal civilization. They had grown frustrated with the world and removed themselves from it as much as possible, hoping to maintain the purity of their inherent superiority. Recently, however, Lorac’s nightmare has thrown their society into disarray.
Proud and aloof, the Silvanesti consider themselves to be the first children of the gods, the oldest and wisest mortal race, and the keepers of the pinnacle of mortal civilization. They had grown frustrated with the world and removed themselves from it as much as possible, hoping to maintain the purity of their inherent superiority. Recently, however, Lorac’s nightmare has thrown their society into disarray.
Physical Description
Most Silvanesti are taller and slighter than the Qualinesti, noticeably more so than the Kagonesti. The grace and beauty of a Silvanesti is often described as ethereal; while humans and many other races find Kagonesti and Qualinesti elves beautiful, most find the beauty of Silvanesti entrancing and otherworldly. Their skin is the color of white pine, with some even fairer still. Their hair ranges from the light brown of maple to aspenbark white, and it’s often worn in long, elaborate braids and arrangements. A few Silvanesti are born with hair the charcoal black of fire-tested firs; Alhana Starbreeze of House Royal is a notable example. Alone among elves, a few very elderly Silvanesti men, even those with undisputedly pure bloodlines, have sometimes been known to grow a thin, wispy beard; this is considered the mark of a man worthy of great respect, and most Silvanesti scoff at other races whose men dare grow beards before they reach the ripe old age of six hundred or so. Silvanesti eyes are usually the rich color of walnut.
Silvanesti dress is designed to showcase luxury. Loose fitting blouses and trousers with suede slippers or boots are the norm for men and a full-length gown or dress for women. Both men and women finish the ensemble with flowing robes and cloaks—even the commoners are fond of such fashion. Both sexes wear a great deal of jewelry; rings, bracelets, earrings, ornately buckled belts, necklaces, pendants, and brooches are common. Women add extensive ornamentation in the hair. However, much of this extravagance had to be left behind when they fled Silvanost during the end of the War of the Lance.
When the situation calls for utility, Silvanesti will put away the formalwear and use clothing more in line with what their Qualinesti cousins favor: sturdy leathers for wilderness scouts, utilitarian yet beautiful breeches and shirts with vests for artists, craftsmen, and other workaday Silvanesti, and slightly less ostentatious court clothing for wizards, scholars, and priests.
Most Silvanesti are taller and slighter than the Qualinesti, noticeably more so than the Kagonesti. The grace and beauty of a Silvanesti is often described as ethereal; while humans and many other races find Kagonesti and Qualinesti elves beautiful, most find the beauty of Silvanesti entrancing and otherworldly. Their skin is the color of white pine, with some even fairer still. Their hair ranges from the light brown of maple to aspenbark white, and it’s often worn in long, elaborate braids and arrangements. A few Silvanesti are born with hair the charcoal black of fire-tested firs; Alhana Starbreeze of House Royal is a notable example. Alone among elves, a few very elderly Silvanesti men, even those with undisputedly pure bloodlines, have sometimes been known to grow a thin, wispy beard; this is considered the mark of a man worthy of great respect, and most Silvanesti scoff at other races whose men dare grow beards before they reach the ripe old age of six hundred or so. Silvanesti eyes are usually the rich color of walnut.
Silvanesti dress is designed to showcase luxury. Loose fitting blouses and trousers with suede slippers or boots are the norm for men and a full-length gown or dress for women. Both men and women finish the ensemble with flowing robes and cloaks—even the commoners are fond of such fashion. Both sexes wear a great deal of jewelry; rings, bracelets, earrings, ornately buckled belts, necklaces, pendants, and brooches are common. Women add extensive ornamentation in the hair. However, much of this extravagance had to be left behind when they fled Silvanost during the end of the War of the Lance.
When the situation calls for utility, Silvanesti will put away the formalwear and use clothing more in line with what their Qualinesti cousins favor: sturdy leathers for wilderness scouts, utilitarian yet beautiful breeches and shirts with vests for artists, craftsmen, and other workaday Silvanesti, and slightly less ostentatious court clothing for wizards, scholars, and priests.
Psychology
The Silvanesti are members of the oldest and, by many measures, most advanced civilization on Ansalon. Some of the greatest mages, warriors, and artists ever known on Ansalon have been Silvanesti. The Silvanesti know this and take it to heart, leading to a vast cultural superiority complex. They are among the most arrogant and self-important mortals in existence, and their air of assumed superiority regularly insults those of other races.
The superiority complex carried by most Silvanesti has led them to become intensely isolationist, to the point of xenophobia. For thousands of years, they cut off most contact with the outside world. The Silvanesti zealously guarded their borders, often violently expelling anyone unlucky enough to cross it without permission. In times of war, they were likely to outright kill any non-elf found in their beloved forest. Since Lorac's Nightmare evicted them from their ancestral lands in the War of the Lance, they have been forced to deal with other races far more than any time since the ancient past.
Silvanesti pride and assumptions of superiority have also led to an intense sense of vanity. Before the exile removed the luxury to engage in such things, Silvanesti were extremely fashion conscious, and even to this day, those whose physical perfection is marred by visible scars or disability are sometimes driven to breach the elven taboo against suicide.
Recent history has not been kind to the Silvanesti, as their homeland was infested by the Nightmare of Lorac. This defeat has left many Silvanesti bitter. Rather than the depressed malaise suffered by many Qualinesi, Silvanesti have been more likely to react by becoming caustic and angry.
In contrast to the bitterness and anger expressed by some Silvanesti, others have remained undaunted and optimistic. As caretakers of one of the oldest and most advanced civilizations on Ansalon, the Silvanesti have historically been a very confident people. They believe nothing is beyond their grasp as long as they expend enough effort and patience. Lorac Caladon, the Speaker of the Stars during the War of the Lance, personified this confidence when he unsuccessfully attempted to master the dragon orb. Surprisingly, even after being evicted from their lands, the morale of many Silvanesti remains fundamentally strong.
The Silvanesti are quick to anger. Over the millennia, their highly regimented and precise social structures evolved an overdeveloped sense of etiquette and political protocol; offense became easily given and quickly taken. Public airing of grievances and litigation were common ways for Silvanesti from different Houses to resolve disputes. Within the same House, Silvanesti pride sometimes drives escalation of disputes to the point where only a duel can resolve it. While dueling is usually forbidden between members of different houses, two members of the same house can resolve a dispute this way. The antagonists agree on a weapon usually a rapier, but sometimes a longsword—and fight to the first cut. The duel is meticulously refereed; great care is taken that the fight is not fatal and permanent scarring does not result. Purposely attacking the face or hands, for instance, is grounds for immediate disqualification and disgrace.
The Silvanesti are members of the oldest and, by many measures, most advanced civilization on Ansalon. Some of the greatest mages, warriors, and artists ever known on Ansalon have been Silvanesti. The Silvanesti know this and take it to heart, leading to a vast cultural superiority complex. They are among the most arrogant and self-important mortals in existence, and their air of assumed superiority regularly insults those of other races.
The superiority complex carried by most Silvanesti has led them to become intensely isolationist, to the point of xenophobia. For thousands of years, they cut off most contact with the outside world. The Silvanesti zealously guarded their borders, often violently expelling anyone unlucky enough to cross it without permission. In times of war, they were likely to outright kill any non-elf found in their beloved forest. Since Lorac's Nightmare evicted them from their ancestral lands in the War of the Lance, they have been forced to deal with other races far more than any time since the ancient past.
Silvanesti pride and assumptions of superiority have also led to an intense sense of vanity. Before the exile removed the luxury to engage in such things, Silvanesti were extremely fashion conscious, and even to this day, those whose physical perfection is marred by visible scars or disability are sometimes driven to breach the elven taboo against suicide.
Recent history has not been kind to the Silvanesti, as their homeland was infested by the Nightmare of Lorac. This defeat has left many Silvanesti bitter. Rather than the depressed malaise suffered by many Qualinesi, Silvanesti have been more likely to react by becoming caustic and angry.
In contrast to the bitterness and anger expressed by some Silvanesti, others have remained undaunted and optimistic. As caretakers of one of the oldest and most advanced civilizations on Ansalon, the Silvanesti have historically been a very confident people. They believe nothing is beyond their grasp as long as they expend enough effort and patience. Lorac Caladon, the Speaker of the Stars during the War of the Lance, personified this confidence when he unsuccessfully attempted to master the dragon orb. Surprisingly, even after being evicted from their lands, the morale of many Silvanesti remains fundamentally strong.
The Silvanesti are quick to anger. Over the millennia, their highly regimented and precise social structures evolved an overdeveloped sense of etiquette and political protocol; offense became easily given and quickly taken. Public airing of grievances and litigation were common ways for Silvanesti from different Houses to resolve disputes. Within the same House, Silvanesti pride sometimes drives escalation of disputes to the point where only a duel can resolve it. While dueling is usually forbidden between members of different houses, two members of the same house can resolve a dispute this way. The antagonists agree on a weapon usually a rapier, but sometimes a longsword—and fight to the first cut. The duel is meticulously refereed; great care is taken that the fight is not fatal and permanent scarring does not result. Purposely attacking the face or hands, for instance, is grounds for immediate disqualification and disgrace.
Social Structure
Silvanesti society is highly structured and regimented; each member knows her place and is expected to fulfill it. Social structure is dominated by the House system. Silvanesti Houses are groups of families who share the same family vocation, trade, profession, or scholarly expertise.
All Silvanesti, from the lowest born ladysmaid to the Speaker of the Stars himself, are members of one of the great Houses. Membership is hereditary; children enter their parents’ house upon their birth and remain unless marriage takes them to another. Elves of different houses may only marry with permission of the Speaker of the Stars or a representative of his bureaucracy, at which time one or the other of the couple formally changes houses to match his or her new spouse.
House affiliation is of vital social importance in Silvanesti culture, even during the exile. It determines who one may marry, who one’s friends may be, and what one will do with his life. Rank within the House is of importance as well; the head of each House sits on a committee called the Sinthal-Elish or Council of the High. This council serves as official advisors to the Speaker. While each house legally has an equal place on this council, historically House Protector, House Cleric, and House Mystic have vied with each other for dominance and, with it, the ear of the Speaker.
The great Houses of Silvanesti are as follows:
House Royal - This house consists of the direct descendants of Silvanos, founder of the Silvanesti nation. The Speaker had always been a member of this House. The current Speaker is Alhana Starbreeze, daughter of Lorac.
House Cleric - Once the most powerful House next to House Royal, House Cleric lost significant prestige during the absence of the gods, following the Cataclysm. They responded by turning to lorekeeping and temple administration; even during the times of the gods’ absence, the temple buildings were lovingly maintained. Even though the gods were gone, the Silvanesti still found solace in the temples, and House Cleric maintained them through the years. House Cleric has members in every Holy Order of the gods of light; E’li is held in the highest esteem, but Quenesti Pah (Mishakal) and Astarin (Branchala) were revered by most Silvanesti. The Blue Phoenix, Matheri (Majere), and Kiri-Jolith also have beautiful temples—see the Religion section for more details about Silvanesti religious practices. While House Cleric revered Solinari, they left his worship to the wizards of House Mystic. House Cleric does not forbid the marriage of its priests and priestesses; the hereditary nature of the House requires children.
House Protector - House Protector is the Silvanesti nation’s sword and shield. The Wildrunners, the Windriders, and the Speaker’s personal guard detail must be members of House Protector. See the Racial Relations section for details about the Wildrunners and Windriders. As such, it is the only House a Silvanesti can voluntarily join without marrying a current member. A Silvanesti wishing to serve his people in a martial role may apply for membership in one of these units; those demonstrating the basic ability to serve are inducted into the House and trained as a warrior.
Not all Silvanesti under arms are members of House Protector; the kirath, a highly skilled force of irregulars called to duty when necessary, remain members of whichever House they were born into.
House Mystic - The Silvanesti are widely thought of as masters of the arcane arts. While human wizards like Par-Salian, Justarius, and the great Raistlin Majere often find more fame, no race has produced as great an arcane tradition as that of House Mystic. The Silvanesti have had great success in educating their children in the ways of wizardry, and for thousands of years, House Mystic has had the support of the Orders of High Sorcery (the White Robes, at least) as responsible teachers of magic.
Silvanesti society is highly structured and regimented; each member knows her place and is expected to fulfill it. Social structure is dominated by the House system. Silvanesti Houses are groups of families who share the same family vocation, trade, profession, or scholarly expertise.
All Silvanesti, from the lowest born ladysmaid to the Speaker of the Stars himself, are members of one of the great Houses. Membership is hereditary; children enter their parents’ house upon their birth and remain unless marriage takes them to another. Elves of different houses may only marry with permission of the Speaker of the Stars or a representative of his bureaucracy, at which time one or the other of the couple formally changes houses to match his or her new spouse.
House affiliation is of vital social importance in Silvanesti culture, even during the exile. It determines who one may marry, who one’s friends may be, and what one will do with his life. Rank within the House is of importance as well; the head of each House sits on a committee called the Sinthal-Elish or Council of the High. This council serves as official advisors to the Speaker. While each house legally has an equal place on this council, historically House Protector, House Cleric, and House Mystic have vied with each other for dominance and, with it, the ear of the Speaker.
The great Houses of Silvanesti are as follows:
House Royal - This house consists of the direct descendants of Silvanos, founder of the Silvanesti nation. The Speaker had always been a member of this House. The current Speaker is Alhana Starbreeze, daughter of Lorac.
House Cleric - Once the most powerful House next to House Royal, House Cleric lost significant prestige during the absence of the gods, following the Cataclysm. They responded by turning to lorekeeping and temple administration; even during the times of the gods’ absence, the temple buildings were lovingly maintained. Even though the gods were gone, the Silvanesti still found solace in the temples, and House Cleric maintained them through the years. House Cleric has members in every Holy Order of the gods of light; E’li is held in the highest esteem, but Quenesti Pah (Mishakal) and Astarin (Branchala) were revered by most Silvanesti. The Blue Phoenix, Matheri (Majere), and Kiri-Jolith also have beautiful temples—see the Religion section for more details about Silvanesti religious practices. While House Cleric revered Solinari, they left his worship to the wizards of House Mystic. House Cleric does not forbid the marriage of its priests and priestesses; the hereditary nature of the House requires children.
House Protector - House Protector is the Silvanesti nation’s sword and shield. The Wildrunners, the Windriders, and the Speaker’s personal guard detail must be members of House Protector. See the Racial Relations section for details about the Wildrunners and Windriders. As such, it is the only House a Silvanesti can voluntarily join without marrying a current member. A Silvanesti wishing to serve his people in a martial role may apply for membership in one of these units; those demonstrating the basic ability to serve are inducted into the House and trained as a warrior.
Not all Silvanesti under arms are members of House Protector; the kirath, a highly skilled force of irregulars called to duty when necessary, remain members of whichever House they were born into.
House Mystic - The Silvanesti are widely thought of as masters of the arcane arts. While human wizards like Par-Salian, Justarius, and the great Raistlin Majere often find more fame, no race has produced as great an arcane tradition as that of House Mystic. The Silvanesti have had great success in educating their children in the ways of wizardry, and for thousands of years, House Mystic has had the support of the Orders of High Sorcery (the White Robes, at least) as responsible teachers of magic.
Even so, all members of House Mystic have traditionally taken the Test of High Sorcery at the Tower of Wayreth; Silvanesti aspirants enjoyed greater success than any other race, leading many wizards to try to discover the Silvanesti methods of training. House Mystic managed to keep their methods to themselves, and Ansalonian wizards, shrugging their shoulders at the Silvanesti’s amazing success, credit it to longstanding tradition or the favor of the gods. Despite their successes, wizards of House Mystic generally have not participated in the activities of the Conclave or Orders of High Sorcery to any great degree; thus, despite their amazing natural aptitude, few Silvanesti mages are ever known beyond the borders of their forest. One notable exception is Dalamar the Dark, who was actually a member of House Servitor. He was banished as a dark elf for two reasons: the crime of practicing magic as a wizard of the Black Robes and the equally unforgivable crime of overstepping his station in the social order. While House Mystic does not have a monopoly on the use of arcane magic in Silvanesti, its use by anyone in House Servitor is strictly limited to cantrips and very minor magic.
House Metalline - Like their Qualinesti kin, the Silvanesti are known as artists in metalworking. The Silvanesti are especially noted for their skill with mithral. From jewelry to weapons, the smiths of House Metalline coax beauty from metal of which most others on Ansalon can only dream. House Metalline supports not only smiths, but also miners and merchants specializing in metal trade. Members of House Metalline are often able to continue their trade in exile, and many members are among the most successful of those Silvanesti in Southern Ergoth.
House Advocate - The teachers, scholars, lawyers, judges, diplomats, and civil servants who kept the Silvanesti’s highly regimented society running smoothly belong to House Advocate. Now that the nation is in exile, House Advocate is taking upon itself the responsibility of preserving as much of the social fabric as possible. Most members take pride in remaining staunchly neutral in Silvanesti politics, preferring the role of disinterested adjudicator and apolitical bureaucrat.
House Mason - Members of House Mason are one part artist and one part engineer, with a bit of mage on top of both. They were the architects and builders who constructed the stunningly beautiful city of Silvanost, the skilled workers who maintained its glory, and perhaps among those who wept most bitterly at it being swallowed up by the nightmare. Many of them now are engaged in building up Silvamori to make it more like home.
House Gardener - Made up of Silvanesti’s farmers, horticulturalists, and produce merchants, House Gardener provided most of the nation’s food supplies for thousands of years. Hundreds of small farms and thousands of tiny gardens dotted the forest, each carefully tended by botanists of House Gardener. In addition to the grain and vegetables that made up the staple of the typical Silvanesti diet, florists of House Gardener have developed stunningly beautiful varieties of flowers and ornamental plants. Gardens designed by House Gardener are widely considered works of art.
House Woodshaper - The Silvanesti nation’s foresters, hunters, and many other nature-minded citizens belong to House Woodshaper. Many members wield a sort of magic that will guide the growth of the forest, allowing them to perform feats of landscape and structural architecture using living trees as their medium. They also act as the protectors and nurses of the forest; this often put them at odds with House Mason in the classic conflict between preservation and progress.
House Servitor - The lowest of all the great Houses of Silvanesti, House Servitor encompasses all the unskilled and much of the skilled, manual labor that maintained the lavish lifestyle of the nation. Its highest-ranking members may serve in roles requiring great responsibility, such as chief steward of a large estate or the personal valet of the Speaker of the Stars. Its lowest members are slaves, performing whatever dangerous or backbreaking labor needs to be done.
House Metalline - Like their Qualinesti kin, the Silvanesti are known as artists in metalworking. The Silvanesti are especially noted for their skill with mithral. From jewelry to weapons, the smiths of House Metalline coax beauty from metal of which most others on Ansalon can only dream. House Metalline supports not only smiths, but also miners and merchants specializing in metal trade. Members of House Metalline are often able to continue their trade in exile, and many members are among the most successful of those Silvanesti in Southern Ergoth.
House Advocate - The teachers, scholars, lawyers, judges, diplomats, and civil servants who kept the Silvanesti’s highly regimented society running smoothly belong to House Advocate. Now that the nation is in exile, House Advocate is taking upon itself the responsibility of preserving as much of the social fabric as possible. Most members take pride in remaining staunchly neutral in Silvanesti politics, preferring the role of disinterested adjudicator and apolitical bureaucrat.
House Mason - Members of House Mason are one part artist and one part engineer, with a bit of mage on top of both. They were the architects and builders who constructed the stunningly beautiful city of Silvanost, the skilled workers who maintained its glory, and perhaps among those who wept most bitterly at it being swallowed up by the nightmare. Many of them now are engaged in building up Silvamori to make it more like home.
House Gardener - Made up of Silvanesti’s farmers, horticulturalists, and produce merchants, House Gardener provided most of the nation’s food supplies for thousands of years. Hundreds of small farms and thousands of tiny gardens dotted the forest, each carefully tended by botanists of House Gardener. In addition to the grain and vegetables that made up the staple of the typical Silvanesti diet, florists of House Gardener have developed stunningly beautiful varieties of flowers and ornamental plants. Gardens designed by House Gardener are widely considered works of art.
House Woodshaper - The Silvanesti nation’s foresters, hunters, and many other nature-minded citizens belong to House Woodshaper. Many members wield a sort of magic that will guide the growth of the forest, allowing them to perform feats of landscape and structural architecture using living trees as their medium. They also act as the protectors and nurses of the forest; this often put them at odds with House Mason in the classic conflict between preservation and progress.
House Servitor - The lowest of all the great Houses of Silvanesti, House Servitor encompasses all the unskilled and much of the skilled, manual labor that maintained the lavish lifestyle of the nation. Its highest-ranking members may serve in roles requiring great responsibility, such as chief steward of a large estate or the personal valet of the Speaker of the Stars. Its lowest members are slaves, performing whatever dangerous or backbreaking labor needs to be done.
Family Life
Every Silvanesti family is a member of one of the great Houses. Individual Silvanesti families, however, across every House and caste, share more similarities than they might care to admit.
Like the Qualinesti, home life typically consists of a mother and father living with their children and often grandparents and great-grandparents. Marriage is a very formal affair in Silvanesti culture. The process of choosing a mate is one that sometimes involves over a dozen people in addition to the couple themselves. The couple may privately exchange a starjewel, or a pair of them, demonstrating their love for each other. Starjewels are magnificently crafted pieces of jewelry, often worn as a brooch or pendant. They create a magical connection, allowing the giver to constantly sense the health and well being of the recipient.
Marriage of two young elves of different Houses requires the permission of the Speaker and the heads of both Houses. For elves of low caste within their Houses, this is simply a matter of having the appropriate paperwork signed and stamped by the proper bureaucrats. For wealthy and powerful Silvanesti, however, political considerations are paramount; a marriage that might tilt political influence away from one power center and to another might be vetoed by the Speaker or one of her powerful advisors on the Sinthal-Elish. Some Houses, during some times of history, only allow marriage within the House or to members of certain other houses; these policies are driven by equal parts politics and intense focus on the purity of one’s bloodline. Even marriages within a House are subject to the approval of the head of the House. Arranged marriage is not officially practiced among the Silvanesti, but unofficially, many Houses play, for political reasons, such insistent and coercive matchmaker that arranged marriages are for all practical purposes a common reality.
The ceremony itself is also a formal and ritualized occasion. The bride is escorted from her parents’ home by the groom’s designated second, usually his brother or occasionally his best friend. She travels to the temple of Quenesti Pah, where a priestess of a rank fitting the bride’s station blesses her. Similarly, a priest of E’li, also of rank matching his station, blesses the groom. From there, they both travel to the place of the wedding. Members of House Royal are married by the Speaker herself in the Palace of Quinari, at least until the war. Other Houses hosted weddings within appropriate halls, and House Cleric often opened its temples to weddings between the pious. Even in exile, they try to maintain the pomp and ceremony with as much extravagance as is practical.
Especially now that the nation is depleted, weary, and in a strange land, children are a joyous blessing. Silvanesti children are blessed and welcomed according to the Life-Gift ceremony also celebrated by the Kagonesti and Qualinesti. As the child grows, she is educated in a broad spectrum of subjects: philosophy, magical theory, literature, art, mathematics, and history. All young Silvanesti receive similar instruction in these topics. Once reaching twenty years of age, they receive education particular to the duties and talents of their House. Upon reaching seventy to eighty years of age, they are considered adults and are fully inducted into their House. Those of House Cleric receive their medallions of faith at this point, and those of House Mystic prepare to journey to Wayreth for their Tests of High Sorcery.
Silvanesti funeral rites are every bit as formal as the rest of their rituals. When a Silvanesti dies, his body is ritually washed by a special caste of House Servitor. Once washed and dressed in his funeral clothes, the body is laid reverently on a granite slab, House Cleric recites lengthy and formal prayers, and mourners burn incense and bid their final goodbyes. Silvanesti culture traditionally discourages below ground burial; instead, mortal remains are consigned to a sarcophagus in a mausoleum. In exile, this is very difficult, and many Silvanesti prefer below ground burial to the barbaric rituals of their Kagonesti brethren. The thought of leaving their body to the scavengers of the land or sea disgusts Silvanesti.
Different Houses have different variations on the ritual. House Mystic adds, with great ceremony, the deceased’s personal spellbooks to the House library. House Protector salutes a departed warrior with loud clapping.
Every Silvanesti family is a member of one of the great Houses. Individual Silvanesti families, however, across every House and caste, share more similarities than they might care to admit.
Like the Qualinesti, home life typically consists of a mother and father living with their children and often grandparents and great-grandparents. Marriage is a very formal affair in Silvanesti culture. The process of choosing a mate is one that sometimes involves over a dozen people in addition to the couple themselves. The couple may privately exchange a starjewel, or a pair of them, demonstrating their love for each other. Starjewels are magnificently crafted pieces of jewelry, often worn as a brooch or pendant. They create a magical connection, allowing the giver to constantly sense the health and well being of the recipient.
Marriage of two young elves of different Houses requires the permission of the Speaker and the heads of both Houses. For elves of low caste within their Houses, this is simply a matter of having the appropriate paperwork signed and stamped by the proper bureaucrats. For wealthy and powerful Silvanesti, however, political considerations are paramount; a marriage that might tilt political influence away from one power center and to another might be vetoed by the Speaker or one of her powerful advisors on the Sinthal-Elish. Some Houses, during some times of history, only allow marriage within the House or to members of certain other houses; these policies are driven by equal parts politics and intense focus on the purity of one’s bloodline. Even marriages within a House are subject to the approval of the head of the House. Arranged marriage is not officially practiced among the Silvanesti, but unofficially, many Houses play, for political reasons, such insistent and coercive matchmaker that arranged marriages are for all practical purposes a common reality.
The ceremony itself is also a formal and ritualized occasion. The bride is escorted from her parents’ home by the groom’s designated second, usually his brother or occasionally his best friend. She travels to the temple of Quenesti Pah, where a priestess of a rank fitting the bride’s station blesses her. Similarly, a priest of E’li, also of rank matching his station, blesses the groom. From there, they both travel to the place of the wedding. Members of House Royal are married by the Speaker herself in the Palace of Quinari, at least until the war. Other Houses hosted weddings within appropriate halls, and House Cleric often opened its temples to weddings between the pious. Even in exile, they try to maintain the pomp and ceremony with as much extravagance as is practical.
Especially now that the nation is depleted, weary, and in a strange land, children are a joyous blessing. Silvanesti children are blessed and welcomed according to the Life-Gift ceremony also celebrated by the Kagonesti and Qualinesti. As the child grows, she is educated in a broad spectrum of subjects: philosophy, magical theory, literature, art, mathematics, and history. All young Silvanesti receive similar instruction in these topics. Once reaching twenty years of age, they receive education particular to the duties and talents of their House. Upon reaching seventy to eighty years of age, they are considered adults and are fully inducted into their House. Those of House Cleric receive their medallions of faith at this point, and those of House Mystic prepare to journey to Wayreth for their Tests of High Sorcery.
Silvanesti funeral rites are every bit as formal as the rest of their rituals. When a Silvanesti dies, his body is ritually washed by a special caste of House Servitor. Once washed and dressed in his funeral clothes, the body is laid reverently on a granite slab, House Cleric recites lengthy and formal prayers, and mourners burn incense and bid their final goodbyes. Silvanesti culture traditionally discourages below ground burial; instead, mortal remains are consigned to a sarcophagus in a mausoleum. In exile, this is very difficult, and many Silvanesti prefer below ground burial to the barbaric rituals of their Kagonesti brethren. The thought of leaving their body to the scavengers of the land or sea disgusts Silvanesti.
Different Houses have different variations on the ritual. House Mystic adds, with great ceremony, the deceased’s personal spellbooks to the House library. House Protector salutes a departed warrior with loud clapping.
Names
Silvanesti are unusual among elven cultures in that many, especially among the nobility, have surnames. Men and women usually follow different traditions in the selection of a surname. The determination of men’s surnames is straightforward and follows a simple patronymic system; the son of Maradoc Caladon was Lorac Caladon, as the father of Jahran Kaldeist was Yilan Kaldeist. Women’s surnames are a bit more complex. One method is a matronymic system, where the daughter takes her mother’s surname. Another fashion is for the mother and father to each choose a one-word descriptor of the environment as it is during the child’s birth. Names like Oakleaf, Starbreeze, and Moonborn are chosen this way. Further confusing matters is that these systems occasionally cross gender lines, and a boy may acquire a name like Swiftcloud or Brightwind; a daughter may take her father’s less poetic name. Examples of given names for Silvanesti include: Lorac, Silvanoshei, Avonathalonus, Pellarin, Silvanas, and Terevalis for men and Aleaha, Ladine, Lisindrela, Maleesa, Roselenna, and Telisina for women.
Silvanesti are unusual among elven cultures in that many, especially among the nobility, have surnames. Men and women usually follow different traditions in the selection of a surname. The determination of men’s surnames is straightforward and follows a simple patronymic system; the son of Maradoc Caladon was Lorac Caladon, as the father of Jahran Kaldeist was Yilan Kaldeist. Women’s surnames are a bit more complex. One method is a matronymic system, where the daughter takes her mother’s surname. Another fashion is for the mother and father to each choose a one-word descriptor of the environment as it is during the child’s birth. Names like Oakleaf, Starbreeze, and Moonborn are chosen this way. Further confusing matters is that these systems occasionally cross gender lines, and a boy may acquire a name like Swiftcloud or Brightwind; a daughter may take her father’s less poetic name. Examples of given names for Silvanesti include: Lorac, Silvanoshei, Avonathalonus, Pellarin, Silvanas, and Terevalis for men and Aleaha, Ladine, Lisindrela, Maleesa, Roselenna, and Telisina for women.
Everyday Activity
Like the Qualinesti, the Silvanesti’s daily life after the exile bears little resemblance to life in their old home. Once the Silvanesti dedicated themselves to the pursuit of scholarship or magic; now they must concentrate on simple survival. Like the Qualinesti, they live in conditions far below the standard they were used to. They left Silvanesti hastily, with little more than what they could carry.
Like the Qualinesti, the Silvanesti’s daily life after the exile bears little resemblance to life in their old home. Once the Silvanesti dedicated themselves to the pursuit of scholarship or magic; now they must concentrate on simple survival. Like the Qualinesti, they live in conditions far below the standard they were used to. They left Silvanesti hastily, with little more than what they could carry.
Arts and Industry
The Silvanesti are great lovers of the visual arts. Sculpture and engraving were seen almost everywhere in Silvanost; the city was dominated by statues and sculptures of elves, animals, and dragons—some realistic, some stylized. The delicacy of the sculpture makes it seem ethereal, almost as if the air itself coalesces as guided by the artist’s will. Jewelry and clothing are ornately engraved and embossed with beautiful designs of gold and silver. Silvanesti jewelers also work in gemstones, jade, and malachite, producing stunning rings, earrings, bracelets, and pendants.
Astarin continues to inspire poetry and song, which pass on history and culture to the next generation; this is especially important in these days of exile. Just in the past few years, an anonymous Silvanesti poet has composed a long epic poem about the terrible nightmare and how the Silvanesti escaped and hope to rebuild.
Silvanesti bowyers make fine weapons. While they haven’t achieved the artistry of their Kagonesti cousins, Silvanesti bows are among the finest made on Ansalon. However, the real talent of Silvanesti weaponsmiths is in the forging of swords. The steel and mithral blades forged by Silvanesti smiths rival the work of the greatest masters from Thorbardin. Few have ever been seen outside Silvanesti and are rumored by many to be magic. The hilts and handles are magnificent works of art, often festooned with gemstones, highly polished oak and mahogany, and precious metals. Silvanesti longsword and rapier blades are intricately engraved with gold filigree in patterns resembling leaves, vines, trees, and sometimes stylized zoomorphic designs of griffons, wolves, and dragons. A mithral sword in the hands of a skilled Silvanesti swordsman is an awe-inspiring sight. The perfection of the metal is enhanced by a beautiful rippling effect, giving the weapons the appearance of being made from liquid; there are reports of ogre and minotaur warriors telling of invincible Silvanesti swordsmen wielding blades of enchanted quicksilver.
The Silvanesti are great lovers of the visual arts. Sculpture and engraving were seen almost everywhere in Silvanost; the city was dominated by statues and sculptures of elves, animals, and dragons—some realistic, some stylized. The delicacy of the sculpture makes it seem ethereal, almost as if the air itself coalesces as guided by the artist’s will. Jewelry and clothing are ornately engraved and embossed with beautiful designs of gold and silver. Silvanesti jewelers also work in gemstones, jade, and malachite, producing stunning rings, earrings, bracelets, and pendants.
Astarin continues to inspire poetry and song, which pass on history and culture to the next generation; this is especially important in these days of exile. Just in the past few years, an anonymous Silvanesti poet has composed a long epic poem about the terrible nightmare and how the Silvanesti escaped and hope to rebuild.
Silvanesti bowyers make fine weapons. While they haven’t achieved the artistry of their Kagonesti cousins, Silvanesti bows are among the finest made on Ansalon. However, the real talent of Silvanesti weaponsmiths is in the forging of swords. The steel and mithral blades forged by Silvanesti smiths rival the work of the greatest masters from Thorbardin. Few have ever been seen outside Silvanesti and are rumored by many to be magic. The hilts and handles are magnificent works of art, often festooned with gemstones, highly polished oak and mahogany, and precious metals. Silvanesti longsword and rapier blades are intricately engraved with gold filigree in patterns resembling leaves, vines, trees, and sometimes stylized zoomorphic designs of griffons, wolves, and dragons. A mithral sword in the hands of a skilled Silvanesti swordsman is an awe-inspiring sight. The perfection of the metal is enhanced by a beautiful rippling effect, giving the weapons the appearance of being made from liquid; there are reports of ogre and minotaur warriors telling of invincible Silvanesti swordsmen wielding blades of enchanted quicksilver.
Magical Practices
Silvanesti have a long and proud tradition as spellcasters. White-robed wizards and clerics of the gods of light have called upon the power of magic for thousands of years.
House Mystic regulates the use of arcane magic among the Silvanesti. They do not maintain a monopoly on the use of wizardly magic, although they might wish they did. Many other Houses use minor arcane spellcraft in their work, and a few of other Houses have even taken the Test of High Sorcery (with special permission of the Speaker) and been awarded the white robes. Typically, however, House Mystic is the only one to routinely produce wizards. Even now, in the exile, they have restarted their education of young wizards, teaching the precepts of magic in Silvamori. Silvanesti wizards who pass the Test of High Sorcery and do not earn white robes are typically not welcome to return to Silvanesti society. One who earns the Red Robes may sometimes avoid being branded a dark elf if he voluntarily stays away, but he can expect to be so labeled if he forces the issue. See the Dark Elves sidebar for more details. A Black Robe will be afforded no such benefit of doubt and will be banished as soon as word of his Test’s outcome gets back to the Speaker.
Divine magic has, in the past, been wielded most powerfully by the priests of House Cleric. As formal representatives of the gods, they dominated the use of the gods’ power among the Silvanesti. A few of other Houses have also sometimes found favor with a god; healers of Quenesti Pah have sometimes appeared in House Protector, druids of the Blue Phoenix have sometimes arisen from Houses Woodshaper and Gardener, and the Winged One (Shinare) has been known to bless minor priests among House Advocate.
Religion
For millennia, Silvanesti religious practices have been dominated by reverence for E’li. They look to the king of the gods for inspiration, protection, and guidance.
Quenesti Pah, E’li’s wife and companion, is also quite important in the Silvanesti point of view. Many despairing Silvanesti, their familes and friends slain in the slaughter of the War of the Lance, now see Quenesti Pah as a source of comfort. While most of the universe may be cold and uncaring, surely the Blue Lady will hear, understand, and answer. Other Silvanesti take refuge in Astarin, the Song of Life, who inspires joy and determination among his followers. The peace and serenity offered by the Blue Phoenix, Lord of the Land, Sea, and Sky, and Matheri, friend of E’li, comfort many. Silvanesti devotees of these gods believe the way forward is to accept what has happened and work tirelessly to set things right. The more militaristic Silvanesti turn to Kiri-Jolith, son of E’li and the bringer of righteous fury from the heavens. Silvanesti steel and Kiri-Jolith’s might, his followers believe, will someday drive the dark nightmare from their beloved homeland. While many Silvanesti favor one or another of the gods of light, almost all Silvanesti publicly show reverence for the entire pantheon. Even Solinari, usually only acknowledged by wizards, is given a place of honor by the Silvanesti people.
Folklore
Silvanesti folklore is largely centered around two periods of time: the creation of the elves and the reign of Silvanos, founder of the Silvanesti nations. Elven creation mythology generally credits Chislev and Reorx with creating the world and the High God with populating it. The Silvanesti forest is, according to myth, the place where life first appeared on Krynn. The elves themselves awakened in the Age of Dreams, even before the dragons (according to many Silvanesti legends, anyway), taking the forests for their home.
Silvanos unified many of the elves, bringing them together as a nation rather than scattered tribes of forest folk. Legends of his prowess as a warrior are many; tales of daring raids against the ogres, valiant battles against human barbarians, and failed assassination attempts by jealous compatriots are numerous. His first calling of the Sinthal-Elish, on the hill of Sol-Fallon, is the stuff of legend among the Silvanesti as the first true organization of the nation. As detailed in the Chronicles of Silvanos, Silvanos became much more than a charismatic warrior that night—he became the Speaker of the Stars. His brilliant oratory under the crystal-clear night sky inspired the clan chieftains to join him; for centuries thereafter, the heads of what became the great Houses of Silvanesti boasted that they were there the night the great Silvanos united the elves.
Further legend tells of Balif, a close friend of Silvanos, who led elven armies in battle during the First Dragon War. As written in the Song of Home Coming, Balif and his Cloud-Legion, later to become the Windriders, fought on griffon-back for the first time and captured the spirits of great chromatic dragons in runestones. Folklore says their bodies formed the Khalkist Mountains. Other Silvanesti legends speak of the Pit of Nemith-Otham, where Lord Balif cast these runestones.
Silvanesti have a long and proud tradition as spellcasters. White-robed wizards and clerics of the gods of light have called upon the power of magic for thousands of years.
House Mystic regulates the use of arcane magic among the Silvanesti. They do not maintain a monopoly on the use of wizardly magic, although they might wish they did. Many other Houses use minor arcane spellcraft in their work, and a few of other Houses have even taken the Test of High Sorcery (with special permission of the Speaker) and been awarded the white robes. Typically, however, House Mystic is the only one to routinely produce wizards. Even now, in the exile, they have restarted their education of young wizards, teaching the precepts of magic in Silvamori. Silvanesti wizards who pass the Test of High Sorcery and do not earn white robes are typically not welcome to return to Silvanesti society. One who earns the Red Robes may sometimes avoid being branded a dark elf if he voluntarily stays away, but he can expect to be so labeled if he forces the issue. See the Dark Elves sidebar for more details. A Black Robe will be afforded no such benefit of doubt and will be banished as soon as word of his Test’s outcome gets back to the Speaker.
Divine magic has, in the past, been wielded most powerfully by the priests of House Cleric. As formal representatives of the gods, they dominated the use of the gods’ power among the Silvanesti. A few of other Houses have also sometimes found favor with a god; healers of Quenesti Pah have sometimes appeared in House Protector, druids of the Blue Phoenix have sometimes arisen from Houses Woodshaper and Gardener, and the Winged One (Shinare) has been known to bless minor priests among House Advocate.
Religion
For millennia, Silvanesti religious practices have been dominated by reverence for E’li. They look to the king of the gods for inspiration, protection, and guidance.
Quenesti Pah, E’li’s wife and companion, is also quite important in the Silvanesti point of view. Many despairing Silvanesti, their familes and friends slain in the slaughter of the War of the Lance, now see Quenesti Pah as a source of comfort. While most of the universe may be cold and uncaring, surely the Blue Lady will hear, understand, and answer. Other Silvanesti take refuge in Astarin, the Song of Life, who inspires joy and determination among his followers. The peace and serenity offered by the Blue Phoenix, Lord of the Land, Sea, and Sky, and Matheri, friend of E’li, comfort many. Silvanesti devotees of these gods believe the way forward is to accept what has happened and work tirelessly to set things right. The more militaristic Silvanesti turn to Kiri-Jolith, son of E’li and the bringer of righteous fury from the heavens. Silvanesti steel and Kiri-Jolith’s might, his followers believe, will someday drive the dark nightmare from their beloved homeland. While many Silvanesti favor one or another of the gods of light, almost all Silvanesti publicly show reverence for the entire pantheon. Even Solinari, usually only acknowledged by wizards, is given a place of honor by the Silvanesti people.
Folklore
Silvanesti folklore is largely centered around two periods of time: the creation of the elves and the reign of Silvanos, founder of the Silvanesti nations. Elven creation mythology generally credits Chislev and Reorx with creating the world and the High God with populating it. The Silvanesti forest is, according to myth, the place where life first appeared on Krynn. The elves themselves awakened in the Age of Dreams, even before the dragons (according to many Silvanesti legends, anyway), taking the forests for their home.
Silvanos unified many of the elves, bringing them together as a nation rather than scattered tribes of forest folk. Legends of his prowess as a warrior are many; tales of daring raids against the ogres, valiant battles against human barbarians, and failed assassination attempts by jealous compatriots are numerous. His first calling of the Sinthal-Elish, on the hill of Sol-Fallon, is the stuff of legend among the Silvanesti as the first true organization of the nation. As detailed in the Chronicles of Silvanos, Silvanos became much more than a charismatic warrior that night—he became the Speaker of the Stars. His brilliant oratory under the crystal-clear night sky inspired the clan chieftains to join him; for centuries thereafter, the heads of what became the great Houses of Silvanesti boasted that they were there the night the great Silvanos united the elves.
Further legend tells of Balif, a close friend of Silvanos, who led elven armies in battle during the First Dragon War. As written in the Song of Home Coming, Balif and his Cloud-Legion, later to become the Windriders, fought on griffon-back for the first time and captured the spirits of great chromatic dragons in runestones. Folklore says their bodies formed the Khalkist Mountains. Other Silvanesti legends speak of the Pit of Nemith-Otham, where Lord Balif cast these runestones.
Language
The Silvanesti dialect of Elven is a descendant of a dead protolanguage called Nestari, which was spoken by elves in the days before Silvanos. Currently, Nestari is known only by a handful of elven linguists and Gileanite scholars and is of use only to academics.
Upon the founding of Silvanesti, scholars set about formalizing the language; they recorded definitive forms of letters and spelling (Silvanesti and its close relative Qualinesti use an alphabetic written script), formalized rules of grammar, and discouraged colloquialisms and regional variation. The language they developed is surprisingly easy to learn. Its rules made sense, and irregularities were corrected. It remained a beautiful and poetic language, however.
Much of the artistry in Silvanesti Elven is in its written form. Calligraphy is a serious artistic pursuit among many Silvanesti. The first members of House Advocate engaged in meticulous record-keeping, and they sought a way to make their records pleasant to the eye while standardized enough that variation between recorders wouldn’t affect legibility. Their early calligraphic techniques were admired by some members of House Royal, who imitated it. From there, it grew quickly; members of House Royal were, and still are, the makers of fashion. Extravagantly handwritten books are among some of the few material treasures rescued from Silvanost as the nightmare advanced.
Like any language, Silvanesti Elven has common sayings and catch phrases. “May your life be green and golden,” was once an ancient salutation said by a commoner taking leave of her lord, but it has evolved into a general farewell. Dozens more nature-inspired metaphors have become cliché; far too many to list here. “By E’li!” is a common, if vaguely vulgar, expression of astonishment. A Silvanesti might declare scorn by saying someone or something is “unfit for an ogre.”
Some words in Elven have even made it into more common usage among other races. Dalamar Argent’s use of the word shalafi (or “master”) has been adopted by many young wizards in the last decade, for instance.
The Silvanesti dialect of Elven is a descendant of a dead protolanguage called Nestari, which was spoken by elves in the days before Silvanos. Currently, Nestari is known only by a handful of elven linguists and Gileanite scholars and is of use only to academics.
Upon the founding of Silvanesti, scholars set about formalizing the language; they recorded definitive forms of letters and spelling (Silvanesti and its close relative Qualinesti use an alphabetic written script), formalized rules of grammar, and discouraged colloquialisms and regional variation. The language they developed is surprisingly easy to learn. Its rules made sense, and irregularities were corrected. It remained a beautiful and poetic language, however.
Much of the artistry in Silvanesti Elven is in its written form. Calligraphy is a serious artistic pursuit among many Silvanesti. The first members of House Advocate engaged in meticulous record-keeping, and they sought a way to make their records pleasant to the eye while standardized enough that variation between recorders wouldn’t affect legibility. Their early calligraphic techniques were admired by some members of House Royal, who imitated it. From there, it grew quickly; members of House Royal were, and still are, the makers of fashion. Extravagantly handwritten books are among some of the few material treasures rescued from Silvanost as the nightmare advanced.
Like any language, Silvanesti Elven has common sayings and catch phrases. “May your life be green and golden,” was once an ancient salutation said by a commoner taking leave of her lord, but it has evolved into a general farewell. Dozens more nature-inspired metaphors have become cliché; far too many to list here. “By E’li!” is a common, if vaguely vulgar, expression of astonishment. A Silvanesti might declare scorn by saying someone or something is “unfit for an ogre.”
Some words in Elven have even made it into more common usage among other races. Dalamar Argent’s use of the word shalafi (or “master”) has been adopted by many young wizards in the last decade, for instance.
Racial Relations
The Silvanesti are often said to be the only Ansalonian race that does not even get along with itself. This isn’t entirely true—the humans certainly don’t seem to be without internal conflict—but it reveals a sad truth: Silvanesti, generally, are difficult to get along with.
The Silvanesti are well assured of their superiority. Kagonesti are considered uncouth barbarians in terrible need of someone to thrust civilization upon them. Of course, the Silvanesti are the perfect ones to do it. The Qualinesti are lost, heretical cousins who have no appreciation of the civilization they chose to leave behind. Humans are the cause of most of the world’s grief and misery, having caused the Cataclysm and the War of the Lance. The dwarves are dirty little creatures who reek of charcoal and hot iron and should just stay underground where they belong. The kender are thieves. Gnomes are simply mad. Half-humans, called half-elves by humans, are affronts to Silvanesti purity and are to be cast out of the community, lest they sully the blood with their human heritage. Ogres and minotaurs, of course, are to be killed on sight. The only race that the Silvanesti respect is the metallic dragons, with whom they’ve allied frequently.
It’s not surprising that this sort of attitude has led the Silvanesti to come into conflict with many other races on a fairly regular basis. They’re not a nation easily defeated in war, however. They have highly competent and magnificently equipped armies, even after the defeats they suffered in Silvanost. House Protector does its job well—they would likely have held off the Red Dragonarmy but for the terrible strategic mistake made by Lorac in the War of the Lance to use the Dragon Orb.
The Silvanesti are often said to be the only Ansalonian race that does not even get along with itself. This isn’t entirely true—the humans certainly don’t seem to be without internal conflict—but it reveals a sad truth: Silvanesti, generally, are difficult to get along with.
The Silvanesti are well assured of their superiority. Kagonesti are considered uncouth barbarians in terrible need of someone to thrust civilization upon them. Of course, the Silvanesti are the perfect ones to do it. The Qualinesti are lost, heretical cousins who have no appreciation of the civilization they chose to leave behind. Humans are the cause of most of the world’s grief and misery, having caused the Cataclysm and the War of the Lance. The dwarves are dirty little creatures who reek of charcoal and hot iron and should just stay underground where they belong. The kender are thieves. Gnomes are simply mad. Half-humans, called half-elves by humans, are affronts to Silvanesti purity and are to be cast out of the community, lest they sully the blood with their human heritage. Ogres and minotaurs, of course, are to be killed on sight. The only race that the Silvanesti respect is the metallic dragons, with whom they’ve allied frequently.
It’s not surprising that this sort of attitude has led the Silvanesti to come into conflict with many other races on a fairly regular basis. They’re not a nation easily defeated in war, however. They have highly competent and magnificently equipped armies, even after the defeats they suffered in Silvanost. House Protector does its job well—they would likely have held off the Red Dragonarmy but for the terrible strategic mistake made by Lorac in the War of the Lance to use the Dragon Orb.
The majority of the army is made up of the Wildrunners, the ground forces of Silvanesti. Few nations can field an army of finer swordsmen, pikes, and archers. Add their magnificent cavalry, and a force of Silvanesti Wildrunners is extremely difficult to overcome short of overwhelming numbers or outright treachery. Footmen are typically armed with a longsword, heavy wooden shield, and elven chain or finely crafted scale mail. Dedicated pikes will carry a polearm and short sword instead of the longsword. Archers carry longbows and short swords. Wildrunner archers often serve as woodland scouts and reconnaissance troops as well. Silvanesti horse cavalry is extremely versatile and can serve as light, mobile mounted swordsmen and archers as easily as they can be heavy lancers.
In addition to the Wildrunners, House Protector has a wing of Windriders, who are griffon-mounted flying cavalry. Excellent as troops to conduct reconnaissance, rapidly attack targets of opportunity, or provide a light but highly mobile reserve force, the Windriders have a long and proud tradition dating back to the founding of Silvanesti. When their metallic dragon allies join them, Windriders will sometimes ride and fight from dragonback, as they did in the War of the Lance. The kirath represent the third major Silvanesti armed force and are described down below.
In addition to the Wildrunners, House Protector has a wing of Windriders, who are griffon-mounted flying cavalry. Excellent as troops to conduct reconnaissance, rapidly attack targets of opportunity, or provide a light but highly mobile reserve force, the Windriders have a long and proud tradition dating back to the founding of Silvanesti. When their metallic dragon allies join them, Windriders will sometimes ride and fight from dragonback, as they did in the War of the Lance. The kirath represent the third major Silvanesti armed force and are described down below.
Dragonsingers
Among the only races which the Silvanesti truly respect are the metallic dragons, with whom alliances have long been established. In fact, it has always been a Silvanesti who has held the legendary mantle of Dragonsinger. The tradition of the Dragonsinger goes back to Quinari, wife of Silvanos. Given a gift from the gods of light that enable them to find the bodies of fallen dragons and gently guide them to their final resting place in the Dragons’ Graveyard. Only one is ever chosen and carries the mantle until her death. It is said that candidates have already been identified among the Silvanesti in exile, and some may soon find their way to the Dragons’ Graveyard to test their worthiness.
Character Classes and Kits
Silvanesti characters should stress the nobility they once held and their determination to get it back at almost any cost.
Silvanesti characters should stress the nobility they once held and their determination to get it back at almost any cost.
Barbarian: The incivility marking a barbarian is unacceptable in Silvanesti society. A Silvanesti barbarian PC would have been raised among non-Silvanesti folk.
Bard: Although Silvanesti are patrons of the art, the purpose of a bard is to share that art with the world. And Silvanesti prefer to keep their music and art to themselves. Thus, there are very few Silvanesti bards.
Cleric: House Cleric is among the most powerful cabals of priests on Ansalon. Clerics of Good are revered and treated almost like nobility. But Clerics of Neutrality and Evil are another story altogether.
Druid: Druidry is historically uncommon among the civilized Silvanesti. As such, there are not many Silvanesti druids.
Fighter: Fighter is an excellent choice for a Silvanesti combatant. Silvanesti fighters can be kirath, Wildrunners or Windriders of House Protector, members of the Speaker’s personal guard detail, or any number of other roles.
Mariner: The Silvanesti House Mariner was very nearly wiped out before the War of the Lance, but over the last decade, its surviving members continued their traditions. If you are a Silvanesti mariner, you most likely belong to this House.
Paladin: E’li and Quenesti Pah bless many Silvanesti paladins. It is not uncommon to find them in House Protector.
Ranger: Ranger is an excellent choice for a Silvanesti warrior, especially a kirath. While not all kirath are rangers—fighter and thief are also popular choices—it is perhaps the most natural fit.
Thief: Thief is a common multiclass option for Silvanesti fighters looking to add additional stealth and ambush capabilities to their repertoire. With their Dexterity bonus, Silvanesti make excellent thieves.
Wizard: Most Silvanesti Mages are of House Mystic. Silvanesti make excellent wizards, but they are limited in that only the White Robes are acceptable to Silvanesti society.
Bard: Although Silvanesti are patrons of the art, the purpose of a bard is to share that art with the world. And Silvanesti prefer to keep their music and art to themselves. Thus, there are very few Silvanesti bards.
Cleric: House Cleric is among the most powerful cabals of priests on Ansalon. Clerics of Good are revered and treated almost like nobility. But Clerics of Neutrality and Evil are another story altogether.
Druid: Druidry is historically uncommon among the civilized Silvanesti. As such, there are not many Silvanesti druids.
Fighter: Fighter is an excellent choice for a Silvanesti combatant. Silvanesti fighters can be kirath, Wildrunners or Windriders of House Protector, members of the Speaker’s personal guard detail, or any number of other roles.
Mariner: The Silvanesti House Mariner was very nearly wiped out before the War of the Lance, but over the last decade, its surviving members continued their traditions. If you are a Silvanesti mariner, you most likely belong to this House.
Paladin: E’li and Quenesti Pah bless many Silvanesti paladins. It is not uncommon to find them in House Protector.
Ranger: Ranger is an excellent choice for a Silvanesti warrior, especially a kirath. While not all kirath are rangers—fighter and thief are also popular choices—it is perhaps the most natural fit.
Thief: Thief is a common multiclass option for Silvanesti fighters looking to add additional stealth and ambush capabilities to their repertoire. With their Dexterity bonus, Silvanesti make excellent thieves.
Wizard: Most Silvanesti Mages are of House Mystic. Silvanesti make excellent wizards, but they are limited in that only the White Robes are acceptable to Silvanesti society.
Silvanesti Racial Traits
Silvanesti have all the elven racial traits listed in the Player’s Handbook except as follows:
• +1 Dexterity, –1 Constitution, +1 Intelligence, –1 Charisma. Silvanesti are graceful and cerebral, taking pleasure in beauty and knowledge. They are frail compared to other races, and their arrogance is often abrasive—even to other Silvanesti.
• Silvanesti receive the Spellcraft and Cantrip proficiencies for free, regardless of class. If they take a kit that grants these proficiencies for free, they get a +1 to them instead.
Silvanesti have all the elven racial traits listed in the Player’s Handbook except as follows:
• +1 Dexterity, –1 Constitution, +1 Intelligence, –1 Charisma. Silvanesti are graceful and cerebral, taking pleasure in beauty and knowledge. They are frail compared to other races, and their arrogance is often abrasive—even to other Silvanesti.
• Silvanesti receive the Spellcraft and Cantrip proficiencies for free, regardless of class. If they take a kit that grants these proficiencies for free, they get a +1 to them instead.
Dark Elves (Cast from the Light)
Elven justice tends to be very merciful. Elves extend every effort to bring elven criminals back into the fold. Punishment is certain, but for most elven criminals, if repentance is genuine, forgiveness is certain as well. One of the strictest taboos among elven nations is that one elf may never intentionally slay another; even the most heinous elven criminals are allowed to keep their lives. The gallows and the headsman are saved for non-elves: ogre brigands, minotaur spies, human lumber thieves, and similar foreign criminals.
There are a small number of irredeemable criminals among the elves—those who will not reform or those crimes are unforgivable. Those worshipping the gods of darkness, wizards who take the black robes, unrepentant murderers, traitors, those who consort with the enemy, and those who repeatedly defile the forest are among those for whom the ultimate punishment in elven society is reserved: banishment and exile.
Elves are an extremely communal race. Without the support of their culture, history, and peers, elves succumb to despair, as many in exile have discovered. Elves who are banished as punishment for unforgivable crimes are labeled dark elves. This term is metaphorical, not literal—they are “cast from the light.” They are forbidden from any contact with any elf of any nation and are warned never to return.
The different elven nations have different techniques for declaring a dark elf. A Kagonesti banished as a dark elf faces a council of his clan’s elders. They put the accused through a sacred trial; those who fail find their tattoos twisted and ugly, now a permanent reminder of their guilt and their lost heritage. A Qualinesti is tried in a setting many humans would find familiar; a legal scholar and representative of the Speaker preside, witnesses are interviewed, and an impartial panel of the accused’s peers determines his fate. The Silvanesti use a more mystical ceremony called the Ceremony of Darkness. Through magical means, the accused is forced to view his crimes through a mirror while bound tightly by a platinum chain. His reaction is observed carefully through divination magic. Representatives of House Cleric, House Protector, and House Mystic vote on his punishment. If banished, House Advocate removes his name from the birth records and adds it to the roll of dark elves.
Once an elf has languished in exile for a length of time commensurate with his crimes, his home nation may entertain a plea for forgiveness. If the supplicant is determined to be sincere, the dark elf may—may—be provided an opportunity to redeem himself. The Kagonesti usually require the dark elf to combat a terrible evil or undertake a dangerous quest. The Qualinesti and Silvanesti may require a test of combat, a dangerous quest, or may instead require some act of selflessness on a grand scale; each case is tailored specifically for the dark elf in question. Even those who do not survive their redemption ordeal sometimes have their names cleared anyway, if the judges determine the dark elf had purified himself through his actions and intent.
Dalamar the Dark, the powerful Silvanesti Black Robe mage who studied under Raistlin Majere, is perhaps the most famous dark elf. Even his calloused, granite-cold heart still occasionally longs for the verdant hills of his homeland.
There are a small number of irredeemable criminals among the elves—those who will not reform or those crimes are unforgivable. Those worshipping the gods of darkness, wizards who take the black robes, unrepentant murderers, traitors, those who consort with the enemy, and those who repeatedly defile the forest are among those for whom the ultimate punishment in elven society is reserved: banishment and exile.
Elves are an extremely communal race. Without the support of their culture, history, and peers, elves succumb to despair, as many in exile have discovered. Elves who are banished as punishment for unforgivable crimes are labeled dark elves. This term is metaphorical, not literal—they are “cast from the light.” They are forbidden from any contact with any elf of any nation and are warned never to return.
The different elven nations have different techniques for declaring a dark elf. A Kagonesti banished as a dark elf faces a council of his clan’s elders. They put the accused through a sacred trial; those who fail find their tattoos twisted and ugly, now a permanent reminder of their guilt and their lost heritage. A Qualinesti is tried in a setting many humans would find familiar; a legal scholar and representative of the Speaker preside, witnesses are interviewed, and an impartial panel of the accused’s peers determines his fate. The Silvanesti use a more mystical ceremony called the Ceremony of Darkness. Through magical means, the accused is forced to view his crimes through a mirror while bound tightly by a platinum chain. His reaction is observed carefully through divination magic. Representatives of House Cleric, House Protector, and House Mystic vote on his punishment. If banished, House Advocate removes his name from the birth records and adds it to the roll of dark elves.
Once an elf has languished in exile for a length of time commensurate with his crimes, his home nation may entertain a plea for forgiveness. If the supplicant is determined to be sincere, the dark elf may—may—be provided an opportunity to redeem himself. The Kagonesti usually require the dark elf to combat a terrible evil or undertake a dangerous quest. The Qualinesti and Silvanesti may require a test of combat, a dangerous quest, or may instead require some act of selflessness on a grand scale; each case is tailored specifically for the dark elf in question. Even those who do not survive their redemption ordeal sometimes have their names cleared anyway, if the judges determine the dark elf had purified himself through his actions and intent.
Dalamar the Dark, the powerful Silvanesti Black Robe mage who studied under Raistlin Majere, is perhaps the most famous dark elf. Even his calloused, granite-cold heart still occasionally longs for the verdant hills of his homeland.
Goblinoids
Some call them the slave race. Others refer to them as the unwashed mob. Still more consider them worse than gully dwarves. They have been dominated for centuries and forced to serve in mines or made to work as foot soldiers and messengers. In some of the worst realms of Ansalon, goblins struggle ceaselessly as lackeys for humans or ogres. Stray dogs and kender are treated better than goblins. The free goblins who roam across Krynn are a skittish lot, cowardly unless their tribe is of significant numbers, and always fearful they’ll end up under the thumb of a more powerful people. Cunning and resourceful, they manage to survive in the shadow of Krynn’s greater races, foraging and raiding the smallest human settlements for food, clothes, and weapons. In some cases, they even form cities.
Their bigger cousins, hobgoblins and bugbears, are slightly more respected because of their size and ferocity. When hobgoblins or bugbears are found with goblins, the former are almost always in charge and receive the best of the spoils. Their presence motivates and emboldens the smaller goblins, which in sometimes has elevated goblinkind to rare heights of glory. For the most part, however, a goblin is a goblin—the weak, sniveling, scavenging underdog, waiting for a chance to break out of its cursed fate.
Their bigger cousins, hobgoblins and bugbears, are slightly more respected because of their size and ferocity. When hobgoblins or bugbears are found with goblins, the former are almost always in charge and receive the best of the spoils. Their presence motivates and emboldens the smaller goblins, which in sometimes has elevated goblinkind to rare heights of glory. For the most part, however, a goblin is a goblin—the weak, sniveling, scavenging underdog, waiting for a chance to break out of its cursed fate.
A Brief History
The goblin race first surfaced in the Age of Dreams, following the wandering path of the Graygem upon the landscape. Prior to the Graygem’s mutagenic effects, legend does speak of high ogre breeding projects designed to produce a slave race to make up for the loss of humankind. These tales suggest that smaller ogres were interbred with captive elves, and the commingling of these bloodlines with the foul work of the high ogre priests of the Darklady was to blame. Others dispute this, claiming ogrekind was beginning to splinter into various offshoot races already, and the proto-goblins had no elven blood at all.
Kept as slaves, like so many other races before them, goblins spent the Age of Dreams changing, separating into the three major subraces of the current era. Whole tribes of escaped goblins, led by larger and more intelligent members, spread from the ogre-controlled lands of the Taman Busuk, Kharolis, and Blöten. The larger goblins, thanks to the incredibly high birth rate among their people, became the hobgoblins and bugbears after only three or four generations. The smaller goblins shrunk even smaller, to a size and stature similar to the kender and gnomes.
The goblin race first surfaced in the Age of Dreams, following the wandering path of the Graygem upon the landscape. Prior to the Graygem’s mutagenic effects, legend does speak of high ogre breeding projects designed to produce a slave race to make up for the loss of humankind. These tales suggest that smaller ogres were interbred with captive elves, and the commingling of these bloodlines with the foul work of the high ogre priests of the Darklady was to blame. Others dispute this, claiming ogrekind was beginning to splinter into various offshoot races already, and the proto-goblins had no elven blood at all.
Kept as slaves, like so many other races before them, goblins spent the Age of Dreams changing, separating into the three major subraces of the current era. Whole tribes of escaped goblins, led by larger and more intelligent members, spread from the ogre-controlled lands of the Taman Busuk, Kharolis, and Blöten. The larger goblins, thanks to the incredibly high birth rate among their people, became the hobgoblins and bugbears after only three or four generations. The smaller goblins shrunk even smaller, to a size and stature similar to the kender and gnomes.
Only a handful of goblin tribes managed to remain independent as the other races claimed larger and larger territories left behind by the fading light of the ogre civilizations. As humans built cities, elves raised their forests, and dwarves delved into their mountains, the goblins of Krynn slipped through the spaces in between, usually coming up into bitter conflict with these races. The consequence of this long period of growth and warfare was a people divided into small, self-identifying, and selfloathing tribal groups.
As other periods of war arose, so too did the presence of the goblins in history. During the Second and Third Dragon Wars, goblins were forced into military service as foot soldiers and disposable cavalry. Goblin slingers and wolf-riders supported the Dark Queen’s army under Warlord Crynus against the Knights of Solamnia. In skirmishes along the borders of Ergoth and the ogre lands, goblins were a constant presence. When the Kingpriest signed the Declaration of Manifest Virtue in 118 PC, goblins were near the top of the list of races to wipe from the land.
Although the might of Istar did much to reduce the goblin population, the goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears were able to escape annihilation in some parts of Ansalon. Ergoth, in opposition to some of the policies of Istar, was home to a very persistent and stubborn tribe of goblins living in the Sentinel Mountains. These goblins, led by a wily goblin chieftain named Snagglefang, had fought for many years against the Empire of Ergoth, but when Istar flexed its religious muscle and began making demands of the West, both sides found they had a common enemy. This alliance between goblinkind and humankind was entirely one-sided for two generations; the humans had no idea Snagglefang and his united tribes were aiding them against Solamnia and Istar. Snagglefang’s son Deathwielder eventually convinced Emperor Gwynned V of his people’s remarkable understanding of tactics and warfare, and from that point onwards, he and his descendants formed a small but important element of Ergoth’s military.
The Cataclysm was devastating to all of Ansalon’s inhabitants, although it affected the goblins least of all. Within the first century of the Age of Despair, the population of the goblin race had surged across Ansalon. Those on the new mainland who had survived Istar quickly settled in ruins, abandoned cities, and regions stricken with loss of life. Ergoth’s goblins formed the nation of Sikk’et Hul on Northern Ergoth, following a somewhat distracted Emperor’s gift of land to the goblin chieftain Shadowstalker.
The War of the Lance was a pivotal period for the goblins. Not only had some of their kind found success in the Dark Queen’s armies, such as the cunning hobgoblin Toede, but the forced migration and invasion of Ansalon’s people by the Dragonarmies left some regions open to settlement by marauding goblin bands. Throt was the most significant of these; the city of Throtl was seized and the plains of the Throtyl Gap between Solamnia and Estwilde held. This occupation has continued through the past decade.
As other periods of war arose, so too did the presence of the goblins in history. During the Second and Third Dragon Wars, goblins were forced into military service as foot soldiers and disposable cavalry. Goblin slingers and wolf-riders supported the Dark Queen’s army under Warlord Crynus against the Knights of Solamnia. In skirmishes along the borders of Ergoth and the ogre lands, goblins were a constant presence. When the Kingpriest signed the Declaration of Manifest Virtue in 118 PC, goblins were near the top of the list of races to wipe from the land.
Although the might of Istar did much to reduce the goblin population, the goblins, hobgoblins, and bugbears were able to escape annihilation in some parts of Ansalon. Ergoth, in opposition to some of the policies of Istar, was home to a very persistent and stubborn tribe of goblins living in the Sentinel Mountains. These goblins, led by a wily goblin chieftain named Snagglefang, had fought for many years against the Empire of Ergoth, but when Istar flexed its religious muscle and began making demands of the West, both sides found they had a common enemy. This alliance between goblinkind and humankind was entirely one-sided for two generations; the humans had no idea Snagglefang and his united tribes were aiding them against Solamnia and Istar. Snagglefang’s son Deathwielder eventually convinced Emperor Gwynned V of his people’s remarkable understanding of tactics and warfare, and from that point onwards, he and his descendants formed a small but important element of Ergoth’s military.
The Cataclysm was devastating to all of Ansalon’s inhabitants, although it affected the goblins least of all. Within the first century of the Age of Despair, the population of the goblin race had surged across Ansalon. Those on the new mainland who had survived Istar quickly settled in ruins, abandoned cities, and regions stricken with loss of life. Ergoth’s goblins formed the nation of Sikk’et Hul on Northern Ergoth, following a somewhat distracted Emperor’s gift of land to the goblin chieftain Shadowstalker.
The War of the Lance was a pivotal period for the goblins. Not only had some of their kind found success in the Dark Queen’s armies, such as the cunning hobgoblin Toede, but the forced migration and invasion of Ansalon’s people by the Dragonarmies left some regions open to settlement by marauding goblin bands. Throt was the most significant of these; the city of Throtl was seized and the plains of the Throtyl Gap between Solamnia and Estwilde held. This occupation has continued through the past decade.
Common Traits
All goblins share a number of physical and mental characteristics that set them apart from the other sentient races of Krynn. A goblin, hobgoblin, or bugbear is a typically flat-faced, bandy-legged, and odoriferous individual. Their facial features may be pronounced, moreso with bugbears, but their noses appear to be squashed underneath sunken eyes and above wide, toothy mouths. All goblins have spindly limbs, hunched shoulders, and an awkward gait, though this is far more noticeable in the smaller goblins and larger bugbears than in hobgoblins. The smell of goblinkind is pungent, and while it serves as another mark of identification for goblins, to non-goblins it is foul and reminiscent of rotting cloth, swamp muck, and spoiled grain.
Mentally, all goblin breeds are renowned for their tendency towards violence, brutality, and reckless behavior. In certain tribes or locations, this is much worse, with goblins and hobgoblins fighting constantly with their neighbors and each other; in other regions, a goblin is barely given the time or opportunity to express itself, even in anger, which leads to intensely depressed and frustrated servants and slaves. Scholars debate whether the goblin drive to kill, loot, and strip the land of its resources is merely a twisted remnant of their ogre heritage or a set of behaviors enforced by their squalid culture. Regardless of the nature of the goblin psyche, it is true some have risen above their base instincts and become true agents of their own will.
All goblins share the same basic approach to the question of gender: females are for breeding and magic. The latter is the preferred exit strategy for an exceptional female goblin; the former is the lot of 90% of the others. Even civilized goblins share this particular stereotype of female goblins; the Sikk’et Hul, who have only the heavily patriarchal and male-dominated Ergothians to base their enlightened ways upon, would never consider a female leader unless she had an equally powerful male consort and was able to use magic.
All goblins share a number of physical and mental characteristics that set them apart from the other sentient races of Krynn. A goblin, hobgoblin, or bugbear is a typically flat-faced, bandy-legged, and odoriferous individual. Their facial features may be pronounced, moreso with bugbears, but their noses appear to be squashed underneath sunken eyes and above wide, toothy mouths. All goblins have spindly limbs, hunched shoulders, and an awkward gait, though this is far more noticeable in the smaller goblins and larger bugbears than in hobgoblins. The smell of goblinkind is pungent, and while it serves as another mark of identification for goblins, to non-goblins it is foul and reminiscent of rotting cloth, swamp muck, and spoiled grain.
Mentally, all goblin breeds are renowned for their tendency towards violence, brutality, and reckless behavior. In certain tribes or locations, this is much worse, with goblins and hobgoblins fighting constantly with their neighbors and each other; in other regions, a goblin is barely given the time or opportunity to express itself, even in anger, which leads to intensely depressed and frustrated servants and slaves. Scholars debate whether the goblin drive to kill, loot, and strip the land of its resources is merely a twisted remnant of their ogre heritage or a set of behaviors enforced by their squalid culture. Regardless of the nature of the goblin psyche, it is true some have risen above their base instincts and become true agents of their own will.
All goblins share the same basic approach to the question of gender: females are for breeding and magic. The latter is the preferred exit strategy for an exceptional female goblin; the former is the lot of 90% of the others. Even civilized goblins share this particular stereotype of female goblins; the Sikk’et Hul, who have only the heavily patriarchal and male-dominated Ergothians to base their enlightened ways upon, would never consider a female leader unless she had an equally powerful male consort and was able to use magic.
Goblins
While the term “goblin” applies to all examples of goblinkind, it is usually used to describe the lesser, common goblin of Krynn. Short in stature but large in number, common goblins make up almost seventy percent of the goblin population on Ansalon, even more on other continents. Although they outnumber their larger cousins, the hobgoblins and bugbears, they are hindered by a racial imperative to remain subservient to them.
A few goblins break out of this groveling mindset, and these are the chieftains and heroes of legend, like Snagglefang, Deathwielder, and Shadowstalker. Predictably, the bards and skalds of humans, elves, and dwarves have never heard of these legendary goblin champions. For the goblins, this is considered more a sign of the other races’ ignorance than a sign of their own kind’s doomed future. A well-known aphorism among the bards of other races is this: “Set a goblin free, and you free a hundred others.” This saying is possibly more prophetic than the bards will ever know.
Physical Appearance
Common goblins are small, spindly-limbed humanoids with skin ranging from a pale yellow through russet-orange to a dark reddish-purple, depending on climate and other influences. They have dark hair, usually thin and stringy or growing in tufts from their cheeks and chins, and dull red or yellow eyes. Never more than three and 1/2 feet tall, goblins weigh between 40 and 45 pounds and are marked by their pointed ears, sharp fang-like teeth, and swift movement.
Goblins dress in leathers, skinned from any animal they can swarm upon and bring down; some tribes decorate or tattoo their warriors and chieftains with vivid markings or practice ritual scarification. Jewelry, mostly copper or bronze, is favored by females in the form of body-piercings and by males in the form of bracelets, torcs, and trinkets.
Psychology
Goblins value and respect power and strength. They aspire towards it, although most accept they cannot be powerful and strong themselves. They quickly adopt mob rule and mob mentality when brought together in a large group. This strongly resembles the manner in which wolves move as packs behind a strong leader. By himself, a goblin is more likely to focus on non-group traits, such as survival, cunning, and the use his size and speed to get what he wants. A goblin without a tribe or group often appears to be lost or alone, cut off from society, but in truth many lone goblins are entirely confident.
Goblins skulk, hide, and sneak whenever possible. Outside of combat, they emphasize their smaller size and generally try to remain out of sight or unnoticed. Because they are so used to being bullied or abused by larger creatures, including humans, even the more civilized goblins of Sikk’et Hul are constantly on guard for a smack on the back of the head, a knife in the guts, or something poisonous in the food.
When engaged in a conversation, a goblin speaks rapidly and nervously. Although they are small and forced to look up at their superiors, goblins almost always avert their gaze. There is safety in numbers, so many goblins in social situations will gravitate towards a cluster of other people of similar size. Failing that, they will hover in the shadow of a superior or a stronger character.
Social Structure
In the absence of bugbears or hobgoblins, the strongest and largest of the common goblins rules a tribe. Often leadership is won in combat, whether honorably or through trickery and assassination. Some leaders, called rukras, have been known to slay other strong members of the tribe, especially if they might pose a threat to their leadership. Rukras lead through strength, viciously striking down those who oppose them or who are weak and ill, forcing the tribe to slow down on their constant march. Despite their callousness, the rukras have the best interest of the tribes at heart—food, survival, and staying miles ahead of their enemies.
In mixed-breed communities of goblins, which include the larger subraces, the leader will always be a hobgoblin or bugbear, known as a murza. A murza will sometimes work with existing goblin rukras if the tribe is particularly large, delegating authority. Normally, the sheer difference in size and physical power makes it difficult for any goblin to stand up to the larger goblinoid breeds, so falling into the rukra-murza relationship is quite natural. Goblin tribes that live in mountains are more likely to have bugbear murzas, while goblin tribes living in warmer climates or near hills are more likely to have hobgoblin murzas.
While the term “goblin” applies to all examples of goblinkind, it is usually used to describe the lesser, common goblin of Krynn. Short in stature but large in number, common goblins make up almost seventy percent of the goblin population on Ansalon, even more on other continents. Although they outnumber their larger cousins, the hobgoblins and bugbears, they are hindered by a racial imperative to remain subservient to them.
A few goblins break out of this groveling mindset, and these are the chieftains and heroes of legend, like Snagglefang, Deathwielder, and Shadowstalker. Predictably, the bards and skalds of humans, elves, and dwarves have never heard of these legendary goblin champions. For the goblins, this is considered more a sign of the other races’ ignorance than a sign of their own kind’s doomed future. A well-known aphorism among the bards of other races is this: “Set a goblin free, and you free a hundred others.” This saying is possibly more prophetic than the bards will ever know.
Physical Appearance
Common goblins are small, spindly-limbed humanoids with skin ranging from a pale yellow through russet-orange to a dark reddish-purple, depending on climate and other influences. They have dark hair, usually thin and stringy or growing in tufts from their cheeks and chins, and dull red or yellow eyes. Never more than three and 1/2 feet tall, goblins weigh between 40 and 45 pounds and are marked by their pointed ears, sharp fang-like teeth, and swift movement.
Goblins dress in leathers, skinned from any animal they can swarm upon and bring down; some tribes decorate or tattoo their warriors and chieftains with vivid markings or practice ritual scarification. Jewelry, mostly copper or bronze, is favored by females in the form of body-piercings and by males in the form of bracelets, torcs, and trinkets.
Psychology
Goblins value and respect power and strength. They aspire towards it, although most accept they cannot be powerful and strong themselves. They quickly adopt mob rule and mob mentality when brought together in a large group. This strongly resembles the manner in which wolves move as packs behind a strong leader. By himself, a goblin is more likely to focus on non-group traits, such as survival, cunning, and the use his size and speed to get what he wants. A goblin without a tribe or group often appears to be lost or alone, cut off from society, but in truth many lone goblins are entirely confident.
Goblins skulk, hide, and sneak whenever possible. Outside of combat, they emphasize their smaller size and generally try to remain out of sight or unnoticed. Because they are so used to being bullied or abused by larger creatures, including humans, even the more civilized goblins of Sikk’et Hul are constantly on guard for a smack on the back of the head, a knife in the guts, or something poisonous in the food.
When engaged in a conversation, a goblin speaks rapidly and nervously. Although they are small and forced to look up at their superiors, goblins almost always avert their gaze. There is safety in numbers, so many goblins in social situations will gravitate towards a cluster of other people of similar size. Failing that, they will hover in the shadow of a superior or a stronger character.
Social Structure
In the absence of bugbears or hobgoblins, the strongest and largest of the common goblins rules a tribe. Often leadership is won in combat, whether honorably or through trickery and assassination. Some leaders, called rukras, have been known to slay other strong members of the tribe, especially if they might pose a threat to their leadership. Rukras lead through strength, viciously striking down those who oppose them or who are weak and ill, forcing the tribe to slow down on their constant march. Despite their callousness, the rukras have the best interest of the tribes at heart—food, survival, and staying miles ahead of their enemies.
In mixed-breed communities of goblins, which include the larger subraces, the leader will always be a hobgoblin or bugbear, known as a murza. A murza will sometimes work with existing goblin rukras if the tribe is particularly large, delegating authority. Normally, the sheer difference in size and physical power makes it difficult for any goblin to stand up to the larger goblinoid breeds, so falling into the rukra-murza relationship is quite natural. Goblin tribes that live in mountains are more likely to have bugbear murzas, while goblin tribes living in warmer climates or near hills are more likely to have hobgoblin murzas.
Family Life
For the most part, goblins are nomadic. Because they are frequently bullied and enslaved by more powerful races, they have learned not to settle in one place for too long. Those who live above ground tend to carry their communities with them, their lodgings being little more than small hide tents and a collection of tools and baubles. Often they only carry crude weapons and personal wealth, such as it is, making tents from the hides of animals they kill in their new location or from the goods and wagons of traveling merchants they raid. These goblins leave their makeshift homes behind, scarring the land with the refuse and carcasses of their kills.
Goblins living in the caves and underground passages rife in Ansalon’s mountain ranges have an easier life, as they always have shelter from the elements. Mountain goblins move into existing or abandoned mines, tunnels, and ruined dwarf settlements; the densest population of cave-dwelling goblins on Ansalon lies near the lower Dargaard Mountains beside Throt.
Whether above or below ground, goblin communities are noted for being unkempt and filthy, littered with the bones of creatures they’ve snared or the discarded spoils from travelers they’ve raided. They make no attempt to clean up after themselves, so often a goblin camp can be smelled before it is seen.
The goblin tribes in Sikk’et Hul are a clear example of goblins trying to become civilized despite their shortcomings. Their homes are made of wood and stone, often patterned off the buildings in nearby human settlements, though on a smaller scale. Most of the homes are built against hill slopes; only three walls need to be constructed. A few of these tribes keep livestock and have been known to trade with merchant caravans traveling through the passes. Goblins in other regions of Ansalon, outside of the Sikk’et Hul influence, will only live in permanent dwellings if they can find them already made by humans or other races.
For the most part, goblins are nomadic. Because they are frequently bullied and enslaved by more powerful races, they have learned not to settle in one place for too long. Those who live above ground tend to carry their communities with them, their lodgings being little more than small hide tents and a collection of tools and baubles. Often they only carry crude weapons and personal wealth, such as it is, making tents from the hides of animals they kill in their new location or from the goods and wagons of traveling merchants they raid. These goblins leave their makeshift homes behind, scarring the land with the refuse and carcasses of their kills.
Goblins living in the caves and underground passages rife in Ansalon’s mountain ranges have an easier life, as they always have shelter from the elements. Mountain goblins move into existing or abandoned mines, tunnels, and ruined dwarf settlements; the densest population of cave-dwelling goblins on Ansalon lies near the lower Dargaard Mountains beside Throt.
Whether above or below ground, goblin communities are noted for being unkempt and filthy, littered with the bones of creatures they’ve snared or the discarded spoils from travelers they’ve raided. They make no attempt to clean up after themselves, so often a goblin camp can be smelled before it is seen.
The goblin tribes in Sikk’et Hul are a clear example of goblins trying to become civilized despite their shortcomings. Their homes are made of wood and stone, often patterned off the buildings in nearby human settlements, though on a smaller scale. Most of the homes are built against hill slopes; only three walls need to be constructed. A few of these tribes keep livestock and have been known to trade with merchant caravans traveling through the passes. Goblins in other regions of Ansalon, outside of the Sikk’et Hul influence, will only live in permanent dwellings if they can find them already made by humans or other races.
Names
Goblins are named by their parents at birth. Birth names are often quickly lost, especially if a goblin does something to distinguish himself. Initially, a goblin is named either to reference a parent, leader, or landmark, such as Wee Gnasher of the Crooked Khur Peak or Belter’s Son of Sharpteeth’s Tribe. The longer the name, the more likely it will be discarded. Goblins change their names when something momentous happens. If a warrior slays a bear by himself, the tribe could rename him Bearkiller or Redfur Bearkiller, if the fight was particularly bloody. Such a name is likely to stick with the goblin for the rest of his life, unless an even more momentous event occurs to warrant another renaming.
Names can be derived from horrendous events, too. The lone survivor of a Solamnic Knight attack might be called Lone Griever or Lone Walker. Goblins who do something shameful can be marked with a name that draws attention to their misdeed and could ultimately force a break with the tribe, such as Pelt-Stealer, Dung-Eater, Backstabber, or Always-Hides.
A goblin joining an adventuring party likely will make up a new name for himself, no doubt one sounding important. Unless the other members of the band are familiar with goblinish customs, they will not know that their new companion has renamed himself.
Goblins are named by their parents at birth. Birth names are often quickly lost, especially if a goblin does something to distinguish himself. Initially, a goblin is named either to reference a parent, leader, or landmark, such as Wee Gnasher of the Crooked Khur Peak or Belter’s Son of Sharpteeth’s Tribe. The longer the name, the more likely it will be discarded. Goblins change their names when something momentous happens. If a warrior slays a bear by himself, the tribe could rename him Bearkiller or Redfur Bearkiller, if the fight was particularly bloody. Such a name is likely to stick with the goblin for the rest of his life, unless an even more momentous event occurs to warrant another renaming.
Names can be derived from horrendous events, too. The lone survivor of a Solamnic Knight attack might be called Lone Griever or Lone Walker. Goblins who do something shameful can be marked with a name that draws attention to their misdeed and could ultimately force a break with the tribe, such as Pelt-Stealer, Dung-Eater, Backstabber, or Always-Hides.
A goblin joining an adventuring party likely will make up a new name for himself, no doubt one sounding important. Unless the other members of the band are familiar with goblinish customs, they will not know that their new companion has renamed himself.
Everyday Activity
Goblins are simplistic but tied strongly to their cultural obsession with fighting, killing, being browbeaten by larger goblins, and doing what others tell them to do. As shortsighted as they are, most goblins cannot plan ahead more than a day at the most, which means their society is one of impulses if left to their own devices.
Goblins can be found anywhere on Ansalon, even in the coldest and harshest of places. They prefer temperate climates to extremes of temperature, and the largest concentration of goblins can be found in scattered tribes in eastern Solamnia, Throt, Northern Ergoth, Qualinesti, and the Taman Busuk. Mountain tribes share territory with nomadic humans, while goblins of the plains and forests continually struggle against centaurs, humans, and elves.
Goblins are simplistic but tied strongly to their cultural obsession with fighting, killing, being browbeaten by larger goblins, and doing what others tell them to do. As shortsighted as they are, most goblins cannot plan ahead more than a day at the most, which means their society is one of impulses if left to their own devices.
Goblins can be found anywhere on Ansalon, even in the coldest and harshest of places. They prefer temperate climates to extremes of temperature, and the largest concentration of goblins can be found in scattered tribes in eastern Solamnia, Throt, Northern Ergoth, Qualinesti, and the Taman Busuk. Mountain tribes share territory with nomadic humans, while goblins of the plains and forests continually struggle against centaurs, humans, and elves.
Religion
In centuries past, goblins worshiped Krynn’s gods—namely Hiddukel, known to the goblins as Usk-Do, and Takhisis, known as Mwarg. A small percentage still reveres those gods, but they tend to do so secretly. The majority of the lesser goblin tribes worship no one, and these goblins proudly call themselves the Godless Folk. The gods did nothing to help them, they reason. The gods allowed goblinkind to be subjugated, beaten, and enslaved. The gods made the other races, even the hobgoblins and bugbears, stronger; they allowed goblinkind to be hunted. The gods forced goblins to be like rats, scurrying from one hole to the next to avoid being someone’s puppet or meal. These goblins have decided that they do not need Krynn’s gods. They rely only on each other, hoping to someday elevate one of their own to godhood.
Folklore
Goblin legend relates that goblins were birthed in the valley of Neraka, shaped by Usk-Do from the yellow-red clay that stripes the land; the largest of them went into the Khalkist Mountains, evolving into hobgoblins and bugbears. Some goblin elders claim there are places of power hidden in the Khalkists and the valley of Neraka, places where the first goblins came into being and the arcane energy is a strong pulse beating through the ground. However, the presence of the Dragonarmy and other humans prevents the goblins from searching for that magic and tapping into it.
In centuries past, goblins worshiped Krynn’s gods—namely Hiddukel, known to the goblins as Usk-Do, and Takhisis, known as Mwarg. A small percentage still reveres those gods, but they tend to do so secretly. The majority of the lesser goblin tribes worship no one, and these goblins proudly call themselves the Godless Folk. The gods did nothing to help them, they reason. The gods allowed goblinkind to be subjugated, beaten, and enslaved. The gods made the other races, even the hobgoblins and bugbears, stronger; they allowed goblinkind to be hunted. The gods forced goblins to be like rats, scurrying from one hole to the next to avoid being someone’s puppet or meal. These goblins have decided that they do not need Krynn’s gods. They rely only on each other, hoping to someday elevate one of their own to godhood.
Folklore
Goblin legend relates that goblins were birthed in the valley of Neraka, shaped by Usk-Do from the yellow-red clay that stripes the land; the largest of them went into the Khalkist Mountains, evolving into hobgoblins and bugbears. Some goblin elders claim there are places of power hidden in the Khalkists and the valley of Neraka, places where the first goblins came into being and the arcane energy is a strong pulse beating through the ground. However, the presence of the Dragonarmy and other humans prevents the goblins from searching for that magic and tapping into it.
Language
Goblins and their larger kin share a language, Goblin, which to outsiders sounds like a series of grunts and clacks. In truth, it is a rich, complex tongue relying on pauses, intakes of breath, and gestures to convey whole meanings. It varies little from tribe to tribe, though those goblins living isolated on islands have developed different dialects.
Some goblins, especially slaves, have picked up human regional languages, such as Nerakese or Estwilde, having learned them from their masters. Others have learned a smattering of languages like Solamnic or Ergot from merchants they’ve captured or from studying nearby human settlements. Sikk’et Hul goblins attempt to learn to read and speak Ergot in order to present a more civilized front to the humans of Northern Ergoth. Some goblins will repeat and use phrases uttered by their superiors, even if they don’t speak the language.
Goblins have no written language. However, some of the underground tribes use symbols to indicate safe or treacherous passages. Educated goblins find that their racial tongue is best represented by the Ogre language or, in the case of those living in Sikk’et Hul, the Ergot script.
Goblins and their larger kin share a language, Goblin, which to outsiders sounds like a series of grunts and clacks. In truth, it is a rich, complex tongue relying on pauses, intakes of breath, and gestures to convey whole meanings. It varies little from tribe to tribe, though those goblins living isolated on islands have developed different dialects.
Some goblins, especially slaves, have picked up human regional languages, such as Nerakese or Estwilde, having learned them from their masters. Others have learned a smattering of languages like Solamnic or Ergot from merchants they’ve captured or from studying nearby human settlements. Sikk’et Hul goblins attempt to learn to read and speak Ergot in order to present a more civilized front to the humans of Northern Ergoth. Some goblins will repeat and use phrases uttered by their superiors, even if they don’t speak the language.
Goblins have no written language. However, some of the underground tribes use symbols to indicate safe or treacherous passages. Educated goblins find that their racial tongue is best represented by the Ogre language or, in the case of those living in Sikk’et Hul, the Ergot script.
Racial Relations
Goblins rarely get along with other races, as almost all of them are more powerful and present a threat. They view humans, elves, dwarves, ogres, and even kender and gnomes with hatred and contempt. They associate primarily with their hobgoblin and bugbear cousins, and they have been known to welcome a number of other somewhat related creatures into their tribes, such as grimlocks.
The relationship between goblins and the intelligent worg-wolves of Ansalon is widely known. Even unintelligent wolves, such as dire wolves, have formed a strong partnership with their goblin allies. A successful goblin tribe keeps one or more packs of wolves around as mounts and aid for hunting. Rarely, a pack of barghests from the Abyss or one of the smaller border realms near that evil plane finds its way to Krynn, and the ability of these fiends to assume goblin shape has allowed them to integrate into a tribe for mutual benefit.
Goblins rarely get along with other races, as almost all of them are more powerful and present a threat. They view humans, elves, dwarves, ogres, and even kender and gnomes with hatred and contempt. They associate primarily with their hobgoblin and bugbear cousins, and they have been known to welcome a number of other somewhat related creatures into their tribes, such as grimlocks.
The relationship between goblins and the intelligent worg-wolves of Ansalon is widely known. Even unintelligent wolves, such as dire wolves, have formed a strong partnership with their goblin allies. A successful goblin tribe keeps one or more packs of wolves around as mounts and aid for hunting. Rarely, a pack of barghests from the Abyss or one of the smaller border realms near that evil plane finds its way to Krynn, and the ability of these fiends to assume goblin shape has allowed them to integrate into a tribe for mutual benefit.
Character Classes and Kits
Barbarian: Goblins generally prefer ranged combat whenever possible, but now and again one is born strong enough to be a heavy hitter in melee, and these goblins often become barbarians.
Bard: Suffice to say, there are very few goblin bards. Most do not have the education, nor the love of music and art, to become one. But it's not impossible. Consider the Skald or Whistler kits for this class from The Complete Bard's Handbook.
Cleric: As most goblins are godless, there aren't many clerics among them. But those who still follow the gods can become clerics, although most are more like shamans or witch doctors. Goblins usually follow the gods of darkness, but it's not unheard of for them to worship one of the other gods.
Druid: Goblins are often tied to the land, so druidism is an acceptable path for them to take.
Fighter: Due to their strength penalty, goblin fighters usually prefer archery over melee.
Mariner: Goblins tend not to brave the high seas very often, but there are goblins that sail large lakes or down rivers, and these ones could become mariners.
Paladin: Can a goblin be a paladin? In theory. Has a goblin ever been a paladin? Not that I've ever heard of. But it's not impossible. And the idea of a goblin riding a celestial dire wolf as a mount sounds pretty awesome.
Ranger: Goblins make good rangers, as they are tied to the land around them. Their animal companions are almost always lupines of some kind. Consider the Beastmaster kit from The Complete Ranger's Handbook if you want to start with a wolf companion right away.
Thief: Goblins make excellent thieves thanks to their high DEX. Consider the Beggar kit from The Complete Thief's Handbook or maybe Scavenger or Shadow from The Complete Book of Humanoids.
Wizard: Despite what some may think, there are goblin wizards, but almost never does one even attempt to take the Test and join the Orders of High Sorcery. Most are simple dabblers, hedge wizards or outright renegades. Few are brave enough to attempt the Test, and most fall under the Conclave's radar, so it's fairly easy for them to slip through the cracks unnoticed.
Goblin Racial Traits
Goblins possess the following racial traits:
• –1 Strength, +1 Dexterity, –1 Charisma. Goblins are somewhat weak and socially awkward, but nimble and quick.
Bard: Suffice to say, there are very few goblin bards. Most do not have the education, nor the love of music and art, to become one. But it's not impossible. Consider the Skald or Whistler kits for this class from The Complete Bard's Handbook.
Cleric: As most goblins are godless, there aren't many clerics among them. But those who still follow the gods can become clerics, although most are more like shamans or witch doctors. Goblins usually follow the gods of darkness, but it's not unheard of for them to worship one of the other gods.
Druid: Goblins are often tied to the land, so druidism is an acceptable path for them to take.
Fighter: Due to their strength penalty, goblin fighters usually prefer archery over melee.
Mariner: Goblins tend not to brave the high seas very often, but there are goblins that sail large lakes or down rivers, and these ones could become mariners.
Paladin: Can a goblin be a paladin? In theory. Has a goblin ever been a paladin? Not that I've ever heard of. But it's not impossible. And the idea of a goblin riding a celestial dire wolf as a mount sounds pretty awesome.
Ranger: Goblins make good rangers, as they are tied to the land around them. Their animal companions are almost always lupines of some kind. Consider the Beastmaster kit from The Complete Ranger's Handbook if you want to start with a wolf companion right away.
Thief: Goblins make excellent thieves thanks to their high DEX. Consider the Beggar kit from The Complete Thief's Handbook or maybe Scavenger or Shadow from The Complete Book of Humanoids.
Wizard: Despite what some may think, there are goblin wizards, but almost never does one even attempt to take the Test and join the Orders of High Sorcery. Most are simple dabblers, hedge wizards or outright renegades. Few are brave enough to attempt the Test, and most fall under the Conclave's radar, so it's fairly easy for them to slip through the cracks unnoticed.
Goblin Racial Traits
Goblins possess the following racial traits:
• –1 Strength, +1 Dexterity, –1 Charisma. Goblins are somewhat weak and socially awkward, but nimble and quick.
• Infravision out to 60 feet.
• Goblins can detect new or unusual construction in an underground area 25% of the time (1 or 2 on 1d8).
• Bright light hurts goblin eyes, giving them a -1 penalty to hit when in sunshine or other bright illumination.
Hobgoblins
Brawny and militaristic, the hobgoblins of Ansalon occupy a significant place in the hierarchy of goblinkind. They are stronger than the smaller common goblins and more disciplined and organized than their larger bugbear kin. Hobgoblins thrive on war, terror, and the ever-present impulse within them to oppose all other races. There is hope yet, however, for within their ranks are many independent hobgoblins whose understanding of social networks exceeds their thirst for conquest. Rising out of the hobgoblin war machine, these donek, or renegades, are but one sign of the changing face of goblinkind’s strongest breed. The most famous hobgoblin of Ansalon is Lord Toede, the current Mayor of Flotsam and former Dragon Highlord. His situation is somewhat unique; other famous hobgoblins are nowhere near as well known outside of goblin, ogre, and Nerakese circles.
Physical Appearance
Hobgoblins resemble their smaller goblin cousins—flattened facial features, pointed ears, sharpened teeth, foul odor—but they are much stronger and at least as large as an adult male human. They have deep tan to dark red skin, yellow eyes, and black or brown hair. Compared to a human, a hobgoblin is faster and can withstand more punishment. Often clad in heavy leather brigandine or chainmail, hobgoblins favor the appearance of disciplined soldiers and use either the traditional longsword or a keenbladed axe in battle.
Psychology
Hobgoblins enjoy structure, order, and an established hierarchy within which to operate. They prefer the vertical rungs of command rather than the horizontal qualities of a team; it is easier to motivate a hobgoblin with promises of promotion, recognition, or reward than it is to reinforce any kind of equity with his peers. Although they favor battle and glory, hobgoblins are almost always honorless fighters. They do not see the value in upholding some kind of higher code, like the Oath and the Measure, and see such things as chains worn by the weak-minded. Hobgoblins love to fight, debate strategy, and be called on to achieve some kind of objective. When left to his own devices, a hobgoblin bores easily and will pick fights with his inferiors. A hobgoblin in an adventuring party quickly determines where he is in the group’s chain of command and will stand between weaker members and their opponents.
Social Structure
Hobgoblin tribes, or auls, are lead by a murza, who surrounds himself with a troupe of bodyguards, assassins, shamanic advisors, and at least one traitor who wishes to see him dead. If bugbears are in the group, many hobgoblins answer to them and not their own murza. If lesser goblins are in a group with the hobgoblins, the murza finds he has an army of willing followers.
Family Life
Hobgoblins live in semi-nomadic auls, dedicated to warfare and conquest. Many also live within much larger goblin tribes, forming an elite caste from which the murza comes. A rare few hobgoblins eschew their auls and either become donek or find work in a human mercenary company, such as those in Lemish. Hobgoblin settlements are much like common goblin villages—largely tent-like or built from wood in such a way that they can be uplifted and moved across most hilly or plains terrain. Otherwise, they stay where they are, clustered around a hill for burials, rituals, and forming defensive positions. It is not uncommon for hobgoblins to have permanent winter homes, which they leave in the early spring and return to in the late autumn, after a long year of nomadic life.
Names
Hobgoblin names are very much like goblin names and consist of one or more syllables. Common male names are Kargam, Mogrut, Nezgam, Tazkar, and Zorok. Hogni, Laka, Ozjura, Simka, and Ulgi are female names. A hobgoblin will usually abandon his birth name in the same manner as a goblin, not because he finds it immature or weak but because all hobgoblins aspire to some level of greatness. Thus, fierce-sounding epithets are even more common among hobgoblins than among their smaller kin.
Brawny and militaristic, the hobgoblins of Ansalon occupy a significant place in the hierarchy of goblinkind. They are stronger than the smaller common goblins and more disciplined and organized than their larger bugbear kin. Hobgoblins thrive on war, terror, and the ever-present impulse within them to oppose all other races. There is hope yet, however, for within their ranks are many independent hobgoblins whose understanding of social networks exceeds their thirst for conquest. Rising out of the hobgoblin war machine, these donek, or renegades, are but one sign of the changing face of goblinkind’s strongest breed. The most famous hobgoblin of Ansalon is Lord Toede, the current Mayor of Flotsam and former Dragon Highlord. His situation is somewhat unique; other famous hobgoblins are nowhere near as well known outside of goblin, ogre, and Nerakese circles.
Physical Appearance
Hobgoblins resemble their smaller goblin cousins—flattened facial features, pointed ears, sharpened teeth, foul odor—but they are much stronger and at least as large as an adult male human. They have deep tan to dark red skin, yellow eyes, and black or brown hair. Compared to a human, a hobgoblin is faster and can withstand more punishment. Often clad in heavy leather brigandine or chainmail, hobgoblins favor the appearance of disciplined soldiers and use either the traditional longsword or a keenbladed axe in battle.
Psychology
Hobgoblins enjoy structure, order, and an established hierarchy within which to operate. They prefer the vertical rungs of command rather than the horizontal qualities of a team; it is easier to motivate a hobgoblin with promises of promotion, recognition, or reward than it is to reinforce any kind of equity with his peers. Although they favor battle and glory, hobgoblins are almost always honorless fighters. They do not see the value in upholding some kind of higher code, like the Oath and the Measure, and see such things as chains worn by the weak-minded. Hobgoblins love to fight, debate strategy, and be called on to achieve some kind of objective. When left to his own devices, a hobgoblin bores easily and will pick fights with his inferiors. A hobgoblin in an adventuring party quickly determines where he is in the group’s chain of command and will stand between weaker members and their opponents.
Social Structure
Hobgoblin tribes, or auls, are lead by a murza, who surrounds himself with a troupe of bodyguards, assassins, shamanic advisors, and at least one traitor who wishes to see him dead. If bugbears are in the group, many hobgoblins answer to them and not their own murza. If lesser goblins are in a group with the hobgoblins, the murza finds he has an army of willing followers.
Family Life
Hobgoblins live in semi-nomadic auls, dedicated to warfare and conquest. Many also live within much larger goblin tribes, forming an elite caste from which the murza comes. A rare few hobgoblins eschew their auls and either become donek or find work in a human mercenary company, such as those in Lemish. Hobgoblin settlements are much like common goblin villages—largely tent-like or built from wood in such a way that they can be uplifted and moved across most hilly or plains terrain. Otherwise, they stay where they are, clustered around a hill for burials, rituals, and forming defensive positions. It is not uncommon for hobgoblins to have permanent winter homes, which they leave in the early spring and return to in the late autumn, after a long year of nomadic life.
Names
Hobgoblin names are very much like goblin names and consist of one or more syllables. Common male names are Kargam, Mogrut, Nezgam, Tazkar, and Zorok. Hogni, Laka, Ozjura, Simka, and Ulgi are female names. A hobgoblin will usually abandon his birth name in the same manner as a goblin, not because he finds it immature or weak but because all hobgoblins aspire to some level of greatness. Thus, fierce-sounding epithets are even more common among hobgoblins than among their smaller kin.
Everyday Activity
Most of Ansalon’s hobgoblins live in and around Throt, the windy and desolate pass between Solamnia and the Qlettaar midlands of Estwilde. Prior to the War of the Lance, this large population lived in the Taman Busuk mountain region. However, they can be found all over Ansalon.
Most of Ansalon’s hobgoblins live in and around Throt, the windy and desolate pass between Solamnia and the Qlettaar midlands of Estwilde. Prior to the War of the Lance, this large population lived in the Taman Busuk mountain region. However, they can be found all over Ansalon.
Religion
Religion among hobgoblins varies in extent from aul to aul, sometimes being little more than knowing what oath to say before removing a foe’s head in a battle. When a shamanic advisor channels the will of one of the gods, it is seen more as a means to engender fear, despair, and grief than as a revelation. Hiddukel is chief among the hobgoblin faithful. Known to goblins as Usk-Do, the Prince of Lies has deep roots in the hobgoblin auls. Those hobgoblins who have made the pilgrimage to Sikk’et Hul are satisfied with their own martial dogma, seldom investing in the external connection with the gods.
Language
Hobgoblins speak and use Goblin, the same language as goblins and bugbears. Hobgoblins make use of Camptalk more than other goblins, and many officers and warlords seek to learn the language of the enemy. Unlike bugbears, who have a sense of racial pride in the Goblin tongue, hobgoblins regard it merely as a tool to bring about a stronger and more unified goblin culture.
Racial Relations
Hobgoblins as a people have, at one time or another, been involved in open conflict with almost every other sentient race on Ansalon. They pride themselves in quickly turning a discussion into a declaration of war. They get along, so to speak, with goblins and bugbears; many murzas make brief alliances with ogres, trolls, even humans. Otherwise, hobgoblins maintain a considerable level of belligerent détente with their neighbors.
Religion among hobgoblins varies in extent from aul to aul, sometimes being little more than knowing what oath to say before removing a foe’s head in a battle. When a shamanic advisor channels the will of one of the gods, it is seen more as a means to engender fear, despair, and grief than as a revelation. Hiddukel is chief among the hobgoblin faithful. Known to goblins as Usk-Do, the Prince of Lies has deep roots in the hobgoblin auls. Those hobgoblins who have made the pilgrimage to Sikk’et Hul are satisfied with their own martial dogma, seldom investing in the external connection with the gods.
Language
Hobgoblins speak and use Goblin, the same language as goblins and bugbears. Hobgoblins make use of Camptalk more than other goblins, and many officers and warlords seek to learn the language of the enemy. Unlike bugbears, who have a sense of racial pride in the Goblin tongue, hobgoblins regard it merely as a tool to bring about a stronger and more unified goblin culture.
Racial Relations
Hobgoblins as a people have, at one time or another, been involved in open conflict with almost every other sentient race on Ansalon. They pride themselves in quickly turning a discussion into a declaration of war. They get along, so to speak, with goblins and bugbears; many murzas make brief alliances with ogres, trolls, even humans. Otherwise, hobgoblins maintain a considerable level of belligerent détente with their neighbors.
Character Classes and Kits
Barbarian: Hobgoblins make decent barbarians with their CON bonus, and generally enjoy melee combat in general. The Ravager kit particularly suits them.
Bard: Suffice to say, there are very few hobgoblin bards. Most do not have the education, nor the love of music and art, to become one. But it's not impossible. Consider the Skald or Chanter kits for this class from The Complete Bard's Handbook.
Cleric: As most hobgoblins are godless, there aren't many clerics among them. But those who still follow the gods can become clerics, although most are more like shamans or witch doctors. Hobgoblins usually follow the gods of darkness, but it's not unheard of for them to worship one of the other gods.
Druid: Hobgoblins are often tied to the land, so druidism is an acceptable path for them to take.
Fighter: Most hobgoblins are warriors and soldiers, so the Fighter class is a natural pick for them. Their CON bonus makes them adequate tanks in battle.
Mariner: Most hobgoblins live on dry land, but there are those who take to the seas to become pirates and raiders. These hobgoblins would most likely become mariners.
Paladin: There has been no recorded instances of a paladin hobgoblin, but it's not impossible.
Ranger: Hobgoblins make decent rangers, as they are tied to the land around them. Their animal companions are usually lupines of some kind. Consider the Beastmaster kit from The Complete Ranger's Handbook if you want to start with a wolf companion right away.
Thief: Hobgoblins aren't much for sneaking and stealth, but they do enjoy taking things from other people. Consider the Thug or Bandit kits for them from The Complete Thief's Handbook.
Wizard: Despite what some may think, there are hobgoblin wizards, but almost never does one even attempt to take the Test and join the Orders of High Sorcery. Most are simple dabblers, hedge wizards or outright renegades. Few are dedicated enough to attempt the Test, and most fall under the Conclave's radar, so it's fairly easy for them to slip through the cracks unnoticed.
Hobgoblin Racial Traits
Hobgoblins possess the following racial traits:
• +1 Constitution, –1 Charisma. Hobgoblins are sturdy but confrontational and violent.
• Infravision out to 60 feet.
• Hobgoblins can detect new construction, sloping passages and shifting walls in an underground area 40% of the time (1-4 on 1d10).
Barbarian: Hobgoblins make decent barbarians with their CON bonus, and generally enjoy melee combat in general. The Ravager kit particularly suits them.
Bard: Suffice to say, there are very few hobgoblin bards. Most do not have the education, nor the love of music and art, to become one. But it's not impossible. Consider the Skald or Chanter kits for this class from The Complete Bard's Handbook.
Cleric: As most hobgoblins are godless, there aren't many clerics among them. But those who still follow the gods can become clerics, although most are more like shamans or witch doctors. Hobgoblins usually follow the gods of darkness, but it's not unheard of for them to worship one of the other gods.
Druid: Hobgoblins are often tied to the land, so druidism is an acceptable path for them to take.
Fighter: Most hobgoblins are warriors and soldiers, so the Fighter class is a natural pick for them. Their CON bonus makes them adequate tanks in battle.
Mariner: Most hobgoblins live on dry land, but there are those who take to the seas to become pirates and raiders. These hobgoblins would most likely become mariners.
Paladin: There has been no recorded instances of a paladin hobgoblin, but it's not impossible.
Ranger: Hobgoblins make decent rangers, as they are tied to the land around them. Their animal companions are usually lupines of some kind. Consider the Beastmaster kit from The Complete Ranger's Handbook if you want to start with a wolf companion right away.
Thief: Hobgoblins aren't much for sneaking and stealth, but they do enjoy taking things from other people. Consider the Thug or Bandit kits for them from The Complete Thief's Handbook.
Wizard: Despite what some may think, there are hobgoblin wizards, but almost never does one even attempt to take the Test and join the Orders of High Sorcery. Most are simple dabblers, hedge wizards or outright renegades. Few are dedicated enough to attempt the Test, and most fall under the Conclave's radar, so it's fairly easy for them to slip through the cracks unnoticed.
Hobgoblin Racial Traits
Hobgoblins possess the following racial traits:
• +1 Constitution, –1 Charisma. Hobgoblins are sturdy but confrontational and violent.
• Infravision out to 60 feet.
• Hobgoblins can detect new construction, sloping passages and shifting walls in an underground area 40% of the time (1-4 on 1d10).
Bugbears
The largest and wiliest of goblins are the bugbears, so named by humans because of their hairy pelts and bearlike noses. They have become the worst nightmares of many human settlements in mountainous areas. Aggressive, muscular, and quick, bugbears represent the segment of the goblin population about which the more civilized races—and the goblins of Sikk’et Hul—have the most to be concerned. Unhindered by the strict militaristic dogma of the hobgoblins or the tendency towards groupthink of the common goblins, bugbears are the ideal marauder race.
The largest and wiliest of goblins are the bugbears, so named by humans because of their hairy pelts and bearlike noses. They have become the worst nightmares of many human settlements in mountainous areas. Aggressive, muscular, and quick, bugbears represent the segment of the goblin population about which the more civilized races—and the goblins of Sikk’et Hul—have the most to be concerned. Unhindered by the strict militaristic dogma of the hobgoblins or the tendency towards groupthink of the common goblins, bugbears are the ideal marauder race.
Physical Appearance
Bugbears are large, muscular goblins, standing as tall as 7 feet and towering over other goblin races. They are covered in coarse brown, black, or piebald hair; coloration varies greatly even among family groups. Bugbears have the same flattened faces as other goblins, although their ears are even more pronounced, their noses broader and more ursine, and their mouths filled with sharp teeth and tusks. Despite their hulking shapes and awkward gait, bugbears are just as stealthy, swift, and agile as their smaller cousins.
Bugbears are large, muscular goblins, standing as tall as 7 feet and towering over other goblin races. They are covered in coarse brown, black, or piebald hair; coloration varies greatly even among family groups. Bugbears have the same flattened faces as other goblins, although their ears are even more pronounced, their noses broader and more ursine, and their mouths filled with sharp teeth and tusks. Despite their hulking shapes and awkward gait, bugbears are just as stealthy, swift, and agile as their smaller cousins.
Psychology
Aggression is the number one bugbear personality trait. It can reach levels of animal-like ferocity at times, especially in bugbear barbarians. Others tend to express it in terms of being possessive, wanting more from life than it gives them, and bullying any creature smaller than they are in order to get what they want. Bugbears will stand up to anyone.
Bugbears are always keen to get into a fight, although unlike other warlike races, such as ogres, they don’t rush into conflict. They aren’t just violent; they’re stealthy, so a bugbear’s general attitude towards conflict is to come in from the side and never give their opponent a chance to react. This is true even in social situations; a bugbear will only speak in a direct fashion when making a decision. When at rest, they seem awkward and uncoordinated. When in motion, however, a bugbear is a frightening display of grace and speed, ignoring three hundred pounds of hair and muscle in the process. Bugbears are savage, almost bestial, but capable of subtle nuances that other races completely miss, because they’re still looking for the beast.
Aggression is the number one bugbear personality trait. It can reach levels of animal-like ferocity at times, especially in bugbear barbarians. Others tend to express it in terms of being possessive, wanting more from life than it gives them, and bullying any creature smaller than they are in order to get what they want. Bugbears will stand up to anyone.
Bugbears are always keen to get into a fight, although unlike other warlike races, such as ogres, they don’t rush into conflict. They aren’t just violent; they’re stealthy, so a bugbear’s general attitude towards conflict is to come in from the side and never give their opponent a chance to react. This is true even in social situations; a bugbear will only speak in a direct fashion when making a decision. When at rest, they seem awkward and uncoordinated. When in motion, however, a bugbear is a frightening display of grace and speed, ignoring three hundred pounds of hair and muscle in the process. Bugbears are savage, almost bestial, but capable of subtle nuances that other races completely miss, because they’re still looking for the beast.
Social Structure
The leader of a bugbear tribe is called a murza. These are usually the biggest and meanest of their tribes. Murzas administrate all forms of authority, deciding who the bugbears are going to war with, who they are making deals with, and who is going to be ignored. From time to time, a murza will be challenged by another bugbear. One of the two will win, or if both are evenly matched, the tribe will sometimes split in half. The newer murza spends a great deal of time asserting his new power, and if he has caused a tribal split, he can look forward to weeks of dissent and complaints.
Bugbears who share a tribe with hobgoblins find their leadership styles differ greatly. Usually, if a hobgoblin murza can demonstrate to a bugbear murza that he has either more power or more support than he does, the bugbear murza will accept a lower position of power. Of course, as soon as the hobgoblin displays any weakness, the bugbear will immediately attempt to seize control.
Family Life
When not combined with lesser goblins in tribes, bugbears form tightly knit bands of aggressive semi-nomadic warriors and hunters. These bugbears take care of their non-combatant families by pillaging nearby settlements, raiding and ambushing merchant caravans, and killing rival bands. They are by far the most voracious, greedy, and aggressive of all goblins.
Names
Bugbears have similar names to goblins, only they tend to keep their birth names and simply add more onto the end as they get older or acquire greater and more impressive epithets. Common male names include Baslag, Dulgudzad, Iskmadzor, and Yogtrovag, while Aggadeen, Lomgaas, Moggaruug, and Sellinvoor are female names. By the time they are adults, bugbears may have multi-syllabic names combined with such descriptors as “the Bloody” or “the Fierce.” Few adult males affect a name that does not in some way reflect their own perceived skill at killing other creatures or taking their possessions.
The leader of a bugbear tribe is called a murza. These are usually the biggest and meanest of their tribes. Murzas administrate all forms of authority, deciding who the bugbears are going to war with, who they are making deals with, and who is going to be ignored. From time to time, a murza will be challenged by another bugbear. One of the two will win, or if both are evenly matched, the tribe will sometimes split in half. The newer murza spends a great deal of time asserting his new power, and if he has caused a tribal split, he can look forward to weeks of dissent and complaints.
Bugbears who share a tribe with hobgoblins find their leadership styles differ greatly. Usually, if a hobgoblin murza can demonstrate to a bugbear murza that he has either more power or more support than he does, the bugbear murza will accept a lower position of power. Of course, as soon as the hobgoblin displays any weakness, the bugbear will immediately attempt to seize control.
Family Life
When not combined with lesser goblins in tribes, bugbears form tightly knit bands of aggressive semi-nomadic warriors and hunters. These bugbears take care of their non-combatant families by pillaging nearby settlements, raiding and ambushing merchant caravans, and killing rival bands. They are by far the most voracious, greedy, and aggressive of all goblins.
Names
Bugbears have similar names to goblins, only they tend to keep their birth names and simply add more onto the end as they get older or acquire greater and more impressive epithets. Common male names include Baslag, Dulgudzad, Iskmadzor, and Yogtrovag, while Aggadeen, Lomgaas, Moggaruug, and Sellinvoor are female names. By the time they are adults, bugbears may have multi-syllabic names combined with such descriptors as “the Bloody” or “the Fierce.” Few adult males affect a name that does not in some way reflect their own perceived skill at killing other creatures or taking their possessions.
Everyday Activity
Bugbears make their homes in cave complexes high up in the mountains, often with numerous points of entry and cliffside balconies. Bugbears bring their prizes back to these lairs, filling room after room with stolen equipment and provisions. Slaves or prisoners are also brought back and locked away in cages hanging over a precipice. All settlements are well guarded. If goblins live among the bugbears, they form the basis of the labor crews set to expand and dig out more space. Otherwise, the bugbears will usually go out and capture some other tough race, such as dwarves, to do their work for them.
Bugbears prefer higher altitudes in temperate climates to all others. The Taman Busuk (including Neraka), the Kharolis Range in Abanasinia, and the southern mountains of the Desolation are all home to bugbears. A bugbear tribe will carve out a niche in a mountain range or upon a plateau or mesa, sending out bands of hunters to the extent of a day’s travel or more. This allows them to seize large areas of mountainous territory without having large numbers. If the bugbears live alongside goblins, they may even be found in hilly or valley environments, mostly to accommodate their smaller cousins and their talents.
Religion
Bugbears share the same basic beliefs and keep the same basic traditions as all goblins. Because they are less likely to have been abused and enslaved, however, bugbears are also much more likely to retain faith in the gods. Bugbear priests of Mwarg are common.
Language
Bugbears approach language the same way as goblins. The key difference with bugbears is that they are far less likely to want to speak in the tongue of another race, because they have no reason to genuflect or admit inferiority. Thus, most bugbears will force the issue in Goblin, resorting to Common or any other language only to prove they’re not dull-witted.
Bugbears speak loudly in grunts and clicks. A bugbear’s use of language reflects his mood; if he is angry, a bugbear speaks louder than usual. If he is happy, then he rambles on both fast and loud.
Racial Relations
The simplest measure of determining how a bugbear tribe is getting along with another group, whether it is another tribe of goblins, a nearby community of humans or elves, or a larger neighboring nation, is to look at the tribe’s murza. This individual dictates how the tribe will get along with any outsiders, and he will often affect trophies, issue commands and statements, or direct raids upon those outside groups that are enemies of the tribe. Bugbears don’t usually form alliances, although with a powerful enough overlord (such as the Dragonarmies in the War of the Lance), relations can be eased between the tribe and another group. During this time, the murza will seek to learn as much as he can about the other leader in case he needs to exploit the information later.
Bugbears make their homes in cave complexes high up in the mountains, often with numerous points of entry and cliffside balconies. Bugbears bring their prizes back to these lairs, filling room after room with stolen equipment and provisions. Slaves or prisoners are also brought back and locked away in cages hanging over a precipice. All settlements are well guarded. If goblins live among the bugbears, they form the basis of the labor crews set to expand and dig out more space. Otherwise, the bugbears will usually go out and capture some other tough race, such as dwarves, to do their work for them.
Bugbears prefer higher altitudes in temperate climates to all others. The Taman Busuk (including Neraka), the Kharolis Range in Abanasinia, and the southern mountains of the Desolation are all home to bugbears. A bugbear tribe will carve out a niche in a mountain range or upon a plateau or mesa, sending out bands of hunters to the extent of a day’s travel or more. This allows them to seize large areas of mountainous territory without having large numbers. If the bugbears live alongside goblins, they may even be found in hilly or valley environments, mostly to accommodate their smaller cousins and their talents.
Religion
Bugbears share the same basic beliefs and keep the same basic traditions as all goblins. Because they are less likely to have been abused and enslaved, however, bugbears are also much more likely to retain faith in the gods. Bugbear priests of Mwarg are common.
Language
Bugbears approach language the same way as goblins. The key difference with bugbears is that they are far less likely to want to speak in the tongue of another race, because they have no reason to genuflect or admit inferiority. Thus, most bugbears will force the issue in Goblin, resorting to Common or any other language only to prove they’re not dull-witted.
Bugbears speak loudly in grunts and clicks. A bugbear’s use of language reflects his mood; if he is angry, a bugbear speaks louder than usual. If he is happy, then he rambles on both fast and loud.
Racial Relations
The simplest measure of determining how a bugbear tribe is getting along with another group, whether it is another tribe of goblins, a nearby community of humans or elves, or a larger neighboring nation, is to look at the tribe’s murza. This individual dictates how the tribe will get along with any outsiders, and he will often affect trophies, issue commands and statements, or direct raids upon those outside groups that are enemies of the tribe. Bugbears don’t usually form alliances, although with a powerful enough overlord (such as the Dragonarmies in the War of the Lance), relations can be eased between the tribe and another group. During this time, the murza will seek to learn as much as he can about the other leader in case he needs to exploit the information later.
Character Classes and Kits
Barbarian: Bugbears make good barbarians with their STR bonus, and generally enjoy melee combat in general. The Ravager kit particularly suits them.
Bard: Suffice to say, there are very few bugbear bards. Most do not have the education, nor the love of music and art, to become one. But it's not impossible. Consider the Skald or Chanter kits for this class from The Complete Bard's Handbook.
Cleric: Bugbears usually follow the gods of darkness, but it's not unheard of for them to worship one of the other gods.
Druid: Bugbears are often tied to the land, so druidism is an acceptable path for them to take.
Fighter: Many bugbears are warriors, so the Fighter class is a natural pick for them. Their STR bonus makes them useful in battle.
Mariner: Most bugbears live in mountainous areas, so very few ever become mariners.
Paladin: There has been no recorded instances of a bugbear paladin, but it's not impossible.
Ranger: Hobgoblins make decent rangers, as they are tied to the land around them. Their animal companions are usually lupines of some kind. Consider the Beastmaster kit from The Complete Ranger's Handbook if you want to start with a wolf companion right away.
Thief: Bugbears are fairly stealthy. Consider the Assassin kit from The Complete Book of Thieves.
Wizard: Despite what some may think, there are bugbear wizards, but almost never does one even attempt to take the Test and join the Orders of High Sorcery. Most are simple dabblers, hedge wizards or outright renegades. Few are dedicated enough to attempt the Test, and most fall under the Conclave's radar, so it's fairly easy for them to slip through the cracks unnoticed.
Bugbear Racial Traits
Hobgoblins possess the following racial traits:
• +1 Strength, –1 Charisma and Intelligence. Bugbears are strong but brutish and short-sighted.
• Infravision out to 60 feet.
• Bugbears receive an additional 3 HP at 1st level.
Barbarian: Bugbears make good barbarians with their STR bonus, and generally enjoy melee combat in general. The Ravager kit particularly suits them.
Bard: Suffice to say, there are very few bugbear bards. Most do not have the education, nor the love of music and art, to become one. But it's not impossible. Consider the Skald or Chanter kits for this class from The Complete Bard's Handbook.
Cleric: Bugbears usually follow the gods of darkness, but it's not unheard of for them to worship one of the other gods.
Druid: Bugbears are often tied to the land, so druidism is an acceptable path for them to take.
Fighter: Many bugbears are warriors, so the Fighter class is a natural pick for them. Their STR bonus makes them useful in battle.
Mariner: Most bugbears live in mountainous areas, so very few ever become mariners.
Paladin: There has been no recorded instances of a bugbear paladin, but it's not impossible.
Ranger: Hobgoblins make decent rangers, as they are tied to the land around them. Their animal companions are usually lupines of some kind. Consider the Beastmaster kit from The Complete Ranger's Handbook if you want to start with a wolf companion right away.
Thief: Bugbears are fairly stealthy. Consider the Assassin kit from The Complete Book of Thieves.
Wizard: Despite what some may think, there are bugbear wizards, but almost never does one even attempt to take the Test and join the Orders of High Sorcery. Most are simple dabblers, hedge wizards or outright renegades. Few are dedicated enough to attempt the Test, and most fall under the Conclave's radar, so it's fairly easy for them to slip through the cracks unnoticed.
Bugbear Racial Traits
Hobgoblins possess the following racial traits:
• +1 Strength, –1 Charisma and Intelligence. Bugbears are strong but brutish and short-sighted.
• Infravision out to 60 feet.
• Bugbears receive an additional 3 HP at 1st level.
• Bugbears gain an additional +3 to dexterity reaction adjustment, making it easier to surprise foes.
• Bugbears take damage as Large creatures.
Ogres
At the dawn of time, the ogres were the favored race of the Queen of Darkness and called themselves the Abaqua, or First Children. They were tall, strong, and fair—yet also cruel and greedy. Many of them viewed the world through the same harsh eyes as their goddess. Their beauty was severe, yet it surpassed that of all the other races.
It was not meant to last. During their Fall, the Abaqua degenerated from creatures of timeless grace to bloodthirsty savages. Though they had once been physically beautiful, the ugliness in their hearts corrupted their forms, causing them to become hideous and robbing them of their great intelligence. The Fall haunts the ogres; a racial memory they cannot shake free. The ogres always project their aggression over the Fall onto other races, despising the graceful elves most of all, who mock the ogres with their beauty. An ogre will never admit his race’s culpability. Always, it is the humans and elves who are to blame.
The ogres have sought to regain their fallen majesty throughout the eons. Only recently, with the rise of the titans, have they met with any success; however, the titans are a falsehood. The titans represent how ogres perceive their ancestors, yet the truth remains markedly different. So it is that the ogres, a race of brutes, seek to regain lost glory as they live amongst the ruins of a civilization long gone. They revel in pain and suffering, inflicting hatred on others, distilled from the memory of the Abaqua, the First Children of the Stars.
A Brief History
In the Age of Dreams, the Abaqua were the Darklady’s favored creatures, until the human race rose among them. The humans showed a free will that threatened the other races enslaved by the Dark Queen. She hated the humans and demanded the ogres enslave and control them. The ogres obeyed the Darklady, and enslaved the humans for centuries, using them to build a great civilization.
In the Age of Dreams, the Abaqua were the Darklady’s favored creatures, until the human race rose among them. The humans showed a free will that threatened the other races enslaved by the Dark Queen. She hated the humans and demanded the ogres enslave and control them. The ogres obeyed the Darklady, and enslaved the humans for centuries, using them to build a great civilization.
The greed and cruelty of the ogres was unparalleled, and eventually caused their fall and degeneration. The one turning point that most historians point to is known as the Heresy of Igrane. The legend says that the daughter of the high ogre noble Igrane was saved by a human slave who could easily have let the ogress die. Igrane was struck by the human’s compassion and regard for life. It also made him aware of the path to destruction the ogres were on. He freed his slaves and encouraged others to do the same. The result was civil war. Instead of fight their kin, Igrane and his followers removed themselves from contact with the world and traveled to a distant land, magically concealing their path. These high ogres became known as the Irda.
Over the next few centuries, the ogres fell deeper into ignominy. Their appearance became hideous, matching the ugliness they harbored in their souls. Their civilization fell into ruin, becoming naught but a reminder of their former glory. By the close of the Age of Dreams, the ogres had completely degenerated into the slow-witted brutes of modern Krynn. The Darklady had not forgotten her once-favored children, though. They became part of the armies under the warlord Crynus and the renegade wizard Galan Dracos, fighting fiercely against the Knights of Solamnia. During these years, the ogres had conquered the minotaurs, making them slave-soldiers for the glory of the Dragonqueen. Thus began a relationship of hatred between the two races and a tradition of enslavement that persists even today.
The ogres survived through the Age of Might and the reign of the Kingpriests. This became the darkest of times for the ogres, who faced Knights of Solamnia in the west and Istar’s Knights of the Divine Hammer in the east. Though most of Ansalon saw the Cataclysm and the fall of Istar as apocalyptic, the ogres were pleased. The loss of the gods was a small price to pay for the destruction of the greatest of their enemies. Above all, the Cataclysm allowed the ogres to go into the world once more to torture, pillage, and enslave.
Indeed, shortly after the Cataclysm, hordes of ogres rushed the plains to the east of the Khalkist Mountains, seeking out their enemies and destroying them. They had not truly understood the devastation until their eyes beheld barren grassy plains which gave way to a great sea; Istar was gone. Hundreds of miles of continent had vanished beneath the Courrian Ocean. The ogres traveled the new coastline, slaughtering any survivors in their path. Reaching the end of a peninsula, the ogres claimed the land as their own. Thus the ogre region of Kern was established in the early Age of Despair.
Throughout the Age of Despair, tribes of ogres made their way across the broken landscape, exploring, looting, and killing all who stood in their way. Unafraid of this new world that was bereft of gods and left open to intimidation, the ogres established many villages and strongholds across the continent. Living by brute strength, they rejoiced in the suffering and pain of mankind.
Nearly two centuries after the Cataclysm, the ogres of Blöde and Kern faced a new threat. An ancient black dragon by the name of Talon awoke from his slumber and began harassing the ogres. He demanded tribute and terrorized them for decades until his untimely demise battling another of his kind. The ogres were among the first races to deal with the return of the dragons.
Following these years of torment, the ogres grew agitated and restless. Raids into neighboring territories increased. In the decades leading up to the War of the Lance, emissaries of the Dark Queen contacted the ogre chieftains and gave them the option of joining the Dragonarmies of Takhisis, or face her anger when they reached the Abyss. Their own instinct for violence aided in the decision. In the name of a goddess they had thought long gone from the world, the ogre nations eagerly allied with the Dragonarmies, serving as ground troops and mercenary units.
Following the War of the Lance, the ogres took to raiding villages that had been hit by the onslaught of the Dragonarmies. Finding easy pickings, they soon amassed a small slave force and expanded on their territories.
The ogres survived through the Age of Might and the reign of the Kingpriests. This became the darkest of times for the ogres, who faced Knights of Solamnia in the west and Istar’s Knights of the Divine Hammer in the east. Though most of Ansalon saw the Cataclysm and the fall of Istar as apocalyptic, the ogres were pleased. The loss of the gods was a small price to pay for the destruction of the greatest of their enemies. Above all, the Cataclysm allowed the ogres to go into the world once more to torture, pillage, and enslave.
Indeed, shortly after the Cataclysm, hordes of ogres rushed the plains to the east of the Khalkist Mountains, seeking out their enemies and destroying them. They had not truly understood the devastation until their eyes beheld barren grassy plains which gave way to a great sea; Istar was gone. Hundreds of miles of continent had vanished beneath the Courrian Ocean. The ogres traveled the new coastline, slaughtering any survivors in their path. Reaching the end of a peninsula, the ogres claimed the land as their own. Thus the ogre region of Kern was established in the early Age of Despair.
Throughout the Age of Despair, tribes of ogres made their way across the broken landscape, exploring, looting, and killing all who stood in their way. Unafraid of this new world that was bereft of gods and left open to intimidation, the ogres established many villages and strongholds across the continent. Living by brute strength, they rejoiced in the suffering and pain of mankind.
Nearly two centuries after the Cataclysm, the ogres of Blöde and Kern faced a new threat. An ancient black dragon by the name of Talon awoke from his slumber and began harassing the ogres. He demanded tribute and terrorized them for decades until his untimely demise battling another of his kind. The ogres were among the first races to deal with the return of the dragons.
Following these years of torment, the ogres grew agitated and restless. Raids into neighboring territories increased. In the decades leading up to the War of the Lance, emissaries of the Dark Queen contacted the ogre chieftains and gave them the option of joining the Dragonarmies of Takhisis, or face her anger when they reached the Abyss. Their own instinct for violence aided in the decision. In the name of a goddess they had thought long gone from the world, the ogre nations eagerly allied with the Dragonarmies, serving as ground troops and mercenary units.
Following the War of the Lance, the ogres took to raiding villages that had been hit by the onslaught of the Dragonarmies. Finding easy pickings, they soon amassed a small slave force and expanded on their territories.
Common Traits
The various ogre races share little in common, though each possesses a memory of the former grandeur of the high ogres, and all share great strength, either physical or magical. Likewise, each of the ogre races also shares a pervasive racial pride. This pride proved to be the undoing of the high ogres, and in many ways, shapes and drives the existence of all ogres along their great and terrible destiny.
Ogre magi and hags retain hints of the magic of their ancestors, drawing on primal sorcery naturally. Likewise, the Irda remember the time of the high ogres, seeking to preserve their way of life in an isolated fashion and fighting the seed of evil within them.
Ogres (Fallen)
By far the most common of the ogre races in the current era are those who have fallen from grace, a far cry from their Abaqua high ogre ancestors. They are widely regarded as being dull of wit and hideous to look upon. To be an ogre is to know a lost splendor and that once, ogres were the greatest of races. Now the ogres are a mockery of their former selves and looked upon by the other races in horror. With an idealization of what they should be, which varies greatly from the truth, they seek to regain their former prominence and reassert themselves as the Firstborn.
The Fall sparked a history of hate and violence among the ogres. Utterly selfish, their every action centers on fulfilling their wants and desires. Full of hate, they seek to inflict pain on others as pain has been inflicted on them. Haunted by a racial memory of a time of supremacy, the ogres seek to restore that which was lost.
Physical Appearance
Ogres stand between 8 and 10 feet tall. Their skin is a dull yellow, covered in uneven patches of hair, blotches, pustules, and scars. Some ogres tend towards obesity, but many are lean. Due to their height, ogres develop a hunched posture. Almost all ogres have black hair worn long (clan ogres) or tied back in ponytails or braids (city ogres).
Ogres of the clans, such as those in Kern or Estwilde, wear a combination of leather and animal hides, cloaked with thick furs for those who live in the cold mountains. Tribes that live in the warmer, northern climes wear leather to ward off the hot sun. Love of jewelry, tattoos, piercings, and ritual scarification is an almost universal ogre trait. Some tribes have certain symbols of allegiance that help identify an ogre’s loyalty at a glance.
Ogres of the cities, such as those in Blöde or Daltigoth, also wear leather, but typically with an attempt at finery or civilization. Thick-spun woolen tunics, shirts, and trousers are common. Robes and coats stitched together from those of smaller races are further modified with garish dyes or stained in various foul shades.
The various ogre races share little in common, though each possesses a memory of the former grandeur of the high ogres, and all share great strength, either physical or magical. Likewise, each of the ogre races also shares a pervasive racial pride. This pride proved to be the undoing of the high ogres, and in many ways, shapes and drives the existence of all ogres along their great and terrible destiny.
Ogre magi and hags retain hints of the magic of their ancestors, drawing on primal sorcery naturally. Likewise, the Irda remember the time of the high ogres, seeking to preserve their way of life in an isolated fashion and fighting the seed of evil within them.
Ogres (Fallen)
By far the most common of the ogre races in the current era are those who have fallen from grace, a far cry from their Abaqua high ogre ancestors. They are widely regarded as being dull of wit and hideous to look upon. To be an ogre is to know a lost splendor and that once, ogres were the greatest of races. Now the ogres are a mockery of their former selves and looked upon by the other races in horror. With an idealization of what they should be, which varies greatly from the truth, they seek to regain their former prominence and reassert themselves as the Firstborn.
The Fall sparked a history of hate and violence among the ogres. Utterly selfish, their every action centers on fulfilling their wants and desires. Full of hate, they seek to inflict pain on others as pain has been inflicted on them. Haunted by a racial memory of a time of supremacy, the ogres seek to restore that which was lost.
Physical Appearance
Ogres stand between 8 and 10 feet tall. Their skin is a dull yellow, covered in uneven patches of hair, blotches, pustules, and scars. Some ogres tend towards obesity, but many are lean. Due to their height, ogres develop a hunched posture. Almost all ogres have black hair worn long (clan ogres) or tied back in ponytails or braids (city ogres).
Ogres of the clans, such as those in Kern or Estwilde, wear a combination of leather and animal hides, cloaked with thick furs for those who live in the cold mountains. Tribes that live in the warmer, northern climes wear leather to ward off the hot sun. Love of jewelry, tattoos, piercings, and ritual scarification is an almost universal ogre trait. Some tribes have certain symbols of allegiance that help identify an ogre’s loyalty at a glance.
Ogres of the cities, such as those in Blöde or Daltigoth, also wear leather, but typically with an attempt at finery or civilization. Thick-spun woolen tunics, shirts, and trousers are common. Robes and coats stitched together from those of smaller races are further modified with garish dyes or stained in various foul shades.
Psychology
It is said that ogres are born angry, ready to fly into a rage at the slightest provocation. They are creatures of appetite and greed, spending hours every day satisfying their wants and desires. Ogres believe anything they have the strength to slay, the luck to find, or the cunning to steal is theirs by right. They love the scent of blood in battle, going into a frenzy that makes them nearly unstoppable.
Ogres are social creatures, however, attempting to crudely re-create their once great civilization by dwelling in ruined cities or constructing rudimentary villages. They lack the maturity of other races, having the mentality of a brutish adolescent at best.
Ogres are perpetual bullies, taking out their aggressions on any who they deem to be inferior. Ogre tribes often make prisoners their slaves, for they feel superior by debasing others. They have a certain sense of paranoia that causes them to see provocation where none exists. The false provocation, in turn, becomes justification for retribution. They gain great pleasure in inflicting pain on others. Bullying can be seen in all aspects of ogre life. Ogres abuse mates and children alike. By inflicting pain on their children, a young ogre in turn learns the path of hate and continues the cycle of violence.
It is said that ogres are born angry, ready to fly into a rage at the slightest provocation. They are creatures of appetite and greed, spending hours every day satisfying their wants and desires. Ogres believe anything they have the strength to slay, the luck to find, or the cunning to steal is theirs by right. They love the scent of blood in battle, going into a frenzy that makes them nearly unstoppable.
Ogres are social creatures, however, attempting to crudely re-create their once great civilization by dwelling in ruined cities or constructing rudimentary villages. They lack the maturity of other races, having the mentality of a brutish adolescent at best.
Ogres are perpetual bullies, taking out their aggressions on any who they deem to be inferior. Ogre tribes often make prisoners their slaves, for they feel superior by debasing others. They have a certain sense of paranoia that causes them to see provocation where none exists. The false provocation, in turn, becomes justification for retribution. They gain great pleasure in inflicting pain on others. Bullying can be seen in all aspects of ogre life. Ogres abuse mates and children alike. By inflicting pain on their children, a young ogre in turn learns the path of hate and continues the cycle of violence.
In battle, ogres charge their enemy with gleeful abandon and blood lust. Few ogres train formally for combat. They rely on their massive strength and toughness, combined with wild but powerful attacks, to blow through any opposition. Ogres are not particularly adept at teamwork or fighting as a unit. Even when part of a larger force, ogres typically charge ahead as a mob. They compensate for their lack of tactics through sheer ferocity. Even when their weapons break or they are wounded, ogres keep fighting.
Outside of the actual fight, ogres often have more concern for their own fate. Fearless in battle, the thought of torture or imprisonment terrifies most ogres. Any situation in which they no longer have control makes them ill at ease.
Outside of the actual fight, ogres often have more concern for their own fate. Fearless in battle, the thought of torture or imprisonment terrifies most ogres. Any situation in which they no longer have control makes them ill at ease.
Social Structure
The chieftain of Blöde is often the ogre who holds control over Blöten. Each of the other ogre cities pays a tithe to the Chieftain’s Manor, the tower in the center of Blöten, each year--an amount that presumably equals one-tenth of each city’s spoils from raids. In truth, most ogres cannot figure one-tenth, and they probably wouldn’t want to give it up if they could.
Each city makes a show of paying tribute, though the amount isn’t very much. Each city chooses its own rulers, or Wardens, from the most powerful neighborhood districts. These Wardens have little power, save for that which they can hold for themselves. They are in charge of the annual tribute to Blöten and can muster the army when duty calls. In most cases, the Warden also collects a tax for himself.
The ogres of Kern live in family groups known as clans. Each clan has a single settlement they hold as their own. These towns normally have between fifty and two hundred family units in them. The average ogre family consists of five ogres, giving most communities a population of around five or six hundred. The head of each clan is called a chieftain. The chieftain receives the greatest spoils of ogre raids. The chieftain will live in the Hall of the Chieftain, always the largest building in an ogre settlement, typically built from the ruins of high ogre settlements. The Grand Khan of Kern typically comes from the Kern clan.
Western ogres, fewer in number than those described above, share this organization into so-called savage and civilized tribal groups. In Estwilde, Southern Ergoth, and Kharolis, ogre tribes will either form nomadic clans akin to the ogres of Kern or inhabit ruins and conquered settlements like the ogres of Blöde.
The chieftain of Blöde is often the ogre who holds control over Blöten. Each of the other ogre cities pays a tithe to the Chieftain’s Manor, the tower in the center of Blöten, each year--an amount that presumably equals one-tenth of each city’s spoils from raids. In truth, most ogres cannot figure one-tenth, and they probably wouldn’t want to give it up if they could.
Each city makes a show of paying tribute, though the amount isn’t very much. Each city chooses its own rulers, or Wardens, from the most powerful neighborhood districts. These Wardens have little power, save for that which they can hold for themselves. They are in charge of the annual tribute to Blöten and can muster the army when duty calls. In most cases, the Warden also collects a tax for himself.
The ogres of Kern live in family groups known as clans. Each clan has a single settlement they hold as their own. These towns normally have between fifty and two hundred family units in them. The average ogre family consists of five ogres, giving most communities a population of around five or six hundred. The head of each clan is called a chieftain. The chieftain receives the greatest spoils of ogre raids. The chieftain will live in the Hall of the Chieftain, always the largest building in an ogre settlement, typically built from the ruins of high ogre settlements. The Grand Khan of Kern typically comes from the Kern clan.
Western ogres, fewer in number than those described above, share this organization into so-called savage and civilized tribal groups. In Estwilde, Southern Ergoth, and Kharolis, ogre tribes will either form nomadic clans akin to the ogres of Kern or inhabit ruins and conquered settlements like the ogres of Blöde.
Family Life
Ogres do not place a high importance on family. There is such overcrowding that the dividing line between one family and the next is often blurred. Privacy is practically non-existent. Ogres steal from one another regularly, including mates and children. Family is not so important as the neighborhood districts of the ancient high ogre cities. These districts are often overcrowded, leading to violence which is often taken out on the next district over. Ogres know one another in a district and strangers are definitely not welcome.
Very few ogres live to be considered elderly. Those who do are not treated well. Ogres who die at home are buried somewhere outside the village or city; ogres have no graveyards. Since the vast majority of ogres die while away from home, finding a place for the few domestic deaths seldom proves difficult. The ogres do little to remember their dead in the way of monuments or grave markers. They will gather together to drink and tell stories about the departed, especially if he was well respected in the community. Traditionally, when a particularly inspiring ogre leader dies, the community shaman names the next child of the same gender for that leader, so his memory and fighting spirit can continue to serve the community for many years to come.
Ogres do not place a high importance on family. There is such overcrowding that the dividing line between one family and the next is often blurred. Privacy is practically non-existent. Ogres steal from one another regularly, including mates and children. Family is not so important as the neighborhood districts of the ancient high ogre cities. These districts are often overcrowded, leading to violence which is often taken out on the next district over. Ogres know one another in a district and strangers are definitely not welcome.
Very few ogres live to be considered elderly. Those who do are not treated well. Ogres who die at home are buried somewhere outside the village or city; ogres have no graveyards. Since the vast majority of ogres die while away from home, finding a place for the few domestic deaths seldom proves difficult. The ogres do little to remember their dead in the way of monuments or grave markers. They will gather together to drink and tell stories about the departed, especially if he was well respected in the community. Traditionally, when a particularly inspiring ogre leader dies, the community shaman names the next child of the same gender for that leader, so his memory and fighting spirit can continue to serve the community for many years to come.
Ogres and Mountains
Ogres love mountains. The ancient ogres built magnificent cities high in the mountains of Ansalon, so they could look down on the rest of creation from their lofty perch. Though some texts say this is due to conceit and hubris, the ogres believe their ancient forbears merely were taking their rightful place in the heavens. The ogres were never farmers or workers. From the earliest days of recorded history, the ogres had slaves, mostly humans, who gathered their food, mined their ore, and performed every other menial task imaginable. This left ogres to pursue more appropriate pursuits, such as art, music, literature, and magic.
After the Fall, the ogres remained in the mountains, though they had no slaves or magic. The fallen ogres made the transition from masters to predators and scavengers. They remained in the mountains not to be closer to the gods but for protection. With their great strength and resilience, the ogres could live the harsh life of a mountain dweller without too many difficulties. Other races had a hard time scaling the mountains, and no army could move through the peaks as effectively as the ogres. The mountains offered safety and shelter from a world that was no longer theirs to command.
As ogre populations grew throughout the years, ogre homes grew beyond their capacity. As predators, the ogres relied primarily on what they could steal from others. By the laws of nature, a given environment can hold only so many predators. Some of the ogres decided to move on to other mountain ranges and, for the first time, into the fields and valleys below. Ogres settled the hot and humid land of Kern. While the ancient ogres had maintained outposts and keeps on the Kern peninsula, ogres had not lived in the region in a long while. The great ogre migration drove off hundreds of thousands human residents, many of whom became meals for the ogres.
In the west, the ogres who once inhabited the Last Gaard Mountains of Ergoth drove the humans from the southern Ergothian plains after the Cataclysm. Again, the ogre tendency to divide into warring tribes resulted in nomadic savage ogres and civilized ogres who inherited the ruins of Daltigoth. Over the next few centuries, dominant leaders from both groups rose and fell, eventually allying with the Dragonarmies during the War of the Lance.
After the Fall, the ogres remained in the mountains, though they had no slaves or magic. The fallen ogres made the transition from masters to predators and scavengers. They remained in the mountains not to be closer to the gods but for protection. With their great strength and resilience, the ogres could live the harsh life of a mountain dweller without too many difficulties. Other races had a hard time scaling the mountains, and no army could move through the peaks as effectively as the ogres. The mountains offered safety and shelter from a world that was no longer theirs to command.
As ogre populations grew throughout the years, ogre homes grew beyond their capacity. As predators, the ogres relied primarily on what they could steal from others. By the laws of nature, a given environment can hold only so many predators. Some of the ogres decided to move on to other mountain ranges and, for the first time, into the fields and valleys below. Ogres settled the hot and humid land of Kern. While the ancient ogres had maintained outposts and keeps on the Kern peninsula, ogres had not lived in the region in a long while. The great ogre migration drove off hundreds of thousands human residents, many of whom became meals for the ogres.
In the west, the ogres who once inhabited the Last Gaard Mountains of Ergoth drove the humans from the southern Ergothian plains after the Cataclysm. Again, the ogre tendency to divide into warring tribes resulted in nomadic savage ogres and civilized ogres who inherited the ruins of Daltigoth. Over the next few centuries, dominant leaders from both groups rose and fell, eventually allying with the Dragonarmies during the War of the Lance.
Names
Female variations of names and words are often followed by an apostrophe and a vowel. For example, male names may include Baloth and Grul, while female variations are Baloth’a and Grul’i. What significance this may have is largely unknown, as scholars have been unable to get close enough to an ogre to ask and live to tell about it.
Female variations of names and words are often followed by an apostrophe and a vowel. For example, male names may include Baloth and Grul, while female variations are Baloth’a and Grul’i. What significance this may have is largely unknown, as scholars have been unable to get close enough to an ogre to ask and live to tell about it.
Everyday Activity
Though ogres share many similar traits, the ogres of Ansalon may adopt remarkably different cultures. Most ogres live in the ruins of ancient high ogre cities in the mountains. Ogres try to live up to the glory of their high ogre ancestors, even if their best is a pale imitation. They live in festering, unsanitary conditions, all the while playing at being more civilized.
Ogre festivals vary greatly from community to community. Usually, the festivals are impromptu events held after a particularly successful raid or a great victory in battle. Other communities have developed rigid schedules, based on the turning of seasons or the anniversaries of important events. The singing of songs and telling of tales are important parts of the festivals, almost as important as eating or drinking. Storytelling can go on for hours, with those present at battles telling their own account of the events. The ogres love to listen to tales of depravity and violence, never growing tired of hearing the same bloody acts described repeatedly. Typically, tales come from events within an ogre’s lifetime.
Ogre festivals also include the ritual slaying of prisoners taken in battle. Some communities have their own version of gladiatorial games, while others simply slaughter the prisoners outright. In either case, the ogres feast upon the recently defeated as part of the festival, thus proving their superiority over their rivals.
Though ogres share many similar traits, the ogres of Ansalon may adopt remarkably different cultures. Most ogres live in the ruins of ancient high ogre cities in the mountains. Ogres try to live up to the glory of their high ogre ancestors, even if their best is a pale imitation. They live in festering, unsanitary conditions, all the while playing at being more civilized.
Ogre festivals vary greatly from community to community. Usually, the festivals are impromptu events held after a particularly successful raid or a great victory in battle. Other communities have developed rigid schedules, based on the turning of seasons or the anniversaries of important events. The singing of songs and telling of tales are important parts of the festivals, almost as important as eating or drinking. Storytelling can go on for hours, with those present at battles telling their own account of the events. The ogres love to listen to tales of depravity and violence, never growing tired of hearing the same bloody acts described repeatedly. Typically, tales come from events within an ogre’s lifetime.
Ogre festivals also include the ritual slaying of prisoners taken in battle. Some communities have their own version of gladiatorial games, while others simply slaughter the prisoners outright. In either case, the ogres feast upon the recently defeated as part of the festival, thus proving their superiority over their rivals.
Arts & Industry
Ogres prey upon all those weaker than them and scavenge what is left behind by the stronger. Ogre society typically doesn’t produce many artisans. Instead, ogres steal from other races. Ogres will often be seen in battle wearing mismatched armor from other races. No longer able to create objects of beauty as ancient ancestors, they detest beauty in all its forms. At the same time, a dichotomy exists. Ogres see beauty in great craftsmanship, stealing only the best armor and weapons. Ogres may even see beauty in the flesh of humans, though few survive an ogre’s passions. Those who do often wish they hadn’t, especially females who give birth to half-ogre children. Ogre brutality is widely known. They will wear the skin of an enemy to show their might in conquering their enemies. Necklaces laced with elven ears, human scalp headdresses, and helms affixed with minotaur horns are common sights.
Religion
The fallen ogres have served Takhisis since the very dawn of their creation. They are her favored pawns and have been the muscle behind her schemes for centuries. The Darklady appears as the most majestic of ogre titans, with dark skin and beautiful features. The ogres cursed the absent Dark Queen after the Cataclysm in the belief that she had abandoned them in their hour of need. Her memory became a bitter one.
Ogres began worshipping the god Gonnas (Sargonnas) during the Third Dragon War. After being master to the minotaurs for so long, the ogres began taking on certain minotaur traits including taking on Gonnas as a patron deity, although the minotaurs know of him as Sargas. Gonnas the Devastator is seen as a powerful ogre, who has the blood of elves on his hands.
Some ogres and offshoot ogre races worship the other gods of evil as well. Chemosh the Bone Lord calls out to their need to kill. Though Hiddukel is seen as a weakling, the Prince of Demons takes great pleasure in the ogres, who he views as a false vision of their former selves. Morgion the Fallen has taken interest in the ogres over the years, watching them degenerate and fall from glory.
Ogres despise the gods of good, especially Paladine who they believe cursed them into their current degenerative forms. The gods of neutrality are seen as weak and indecisive. Tribal ogres don’t have clerics within the Holy Orders of the Stars as other races do, but ogre shamans lead them spiritually. Ogre shamans are not only powerful physically but spiritually as well. Nearly every ogre community has a shaman, who often leads the community as well. Civilized ogres have been known to join the Holy Orders, however, and from time to time, ogre priests rise among the cults of Sargonnas, Chemosh, or Hiddukel to dominate local chapters.
Ogres prey upon all those weaker than them and scavenge what is left behind by the stronger. Ogre society typically doesn’t produce many artisans. Instead, ogres steal from other races. Ogres will often be seen in battle wearing mismatched armor from other races. No longer able to create objects of beauty as ancient ancestors, they detest beauty in all its forms. At the same time, a dichotomy exists. Ogres see beauty in great craftsmanship, stealing only the best armor and weapons. Ogres may even see beauty in the flesh of humans, though few survive an ogre’s passions. Those who do often wish they hadn’t, especially females who give birth to half-ogre children. Ogre brutality is widely known. They will wear the skin of an enemy to show their might in conquering their enemies. Necklaces laced with elven ears, human scalp headdresses, and helms affixed with minotaur horns are common sights.
Religion
The fallen ogres have served Takhisis since the very dawn of their creation. They are her favored pawns and have been the muscle behind her schemes for centuries. The Darklady appears as the most majestic of ogre titans, with dark skin and beautiful features. The ogres cursed the absent Dark Queen after the Cataclysm in the belief that she had abandoned them in their hour of need. Her memory became a bitter one.
Ogres began worshipping the god Gonnas (Sargonnas) during the Third Dragon War. After being master to the minotaurs for so long, the ogres began taking on certain minotaur traits including taking on Gonnas as a patron deity, although the minotaurs know of him as Sargas. Gonnas the Devastator is seen as a powerful ogre, who has the blood of elves on his hands.
Some ogres and offshoot ogre races worship the other gods of evil as well. Chemosh the Bone Lord calls out to their need to kill. Though Hiddukel is seen as a weakling, the Prince of Demons takes great pleasure in the ogres, who he views as a false vision of their former selves. Morgion the Fallen has taken interest in the ogres over the years, watching them degenerate and fall from glory.
Ogres despise the gods of good, especially Paladine who they believe cursed them into their current degenerative forms. The gods of neutrality are seen as weak and indecisive. Tribal ogres don’t have clerics within the Holy Orders of the Stars as other races do, but ogre shamans lead them spiritually. Ogre shamans are not only powerful physically but spiritually as well. Nearly every ogre community has a shaman, who often leads the community as well. Civilized ogres have been known to join the Holy Orders, however, and from time to time, ogre priests rise among the cults of Sargonnas, Chemosh, or Hiddukel to dominate local chapters.
Folklore
Ogres relay folklore through oral traditions, dating back thousands of years. These tales are filled with brutal conquest against inferior races. Often, ogre tales tell of an ogre hero who was wronged by a lesser race, who would in turn lash out against his assailant, enlightening him with ogre superiority.
Perhaps one of the most famous of ogre tales dates back to the Third Dragon War. Mortash the Slaver was an ogre champion who conquered many of the minotaurs. His legend states that his strength was so great that he could break off a minotaur’s horns bare handed, and that he was favored by Takhisis. Mortash is said to have met his doom by the treachery of Huma Dragonspittle and his partner, Kaz Ogrekiller, a minotaur who lashed out against his benevolent ogre masters. This tale of tragedy ends with Huma driving the Darklady from the world of Krynn. Without her champion, the Darklady could not withstand the treachery of Huma and his god, Paladine.
Mortash’s son, Morkaf Elf-Reaver, took it upon himself to avenge his father’s death. Since Paladine was responsible for the Darklady’s banishment from the world and his father’s death, he avenged himself of Paladine’s chosen, the elves. Morkaf was a particularly brutal ogre who took great pride in killing elves, adding their ears to the chain he wore around his neck. He enjoyed the taste of fresh elf meat, especially that of elven maidens. Morkaf is said to have killed over two hundred elves single-handedly. The Neck Chain of Morkaf will appear to ogre champions who harbor great feelings of vengeance against an elf.
During the War of the Lance, tales began circulating about the twin ogre warriors Ogg and Mogg. The two were said to be very different. Ogg was short (for an ogre), but he possessed a warrior’s rage and strength. Mogg was taller and thin, a trained warrior as intelligent as the firstborn ogres. Though the two often didn’t agree, they always fought side-by-side for the betterment of the ogre race. The two were sent by the Darklady on a quest to retrieve the Great Sword of Morrag, an ancient ogre artifact. When they found it, the two brothers fought over it. In a fit of rage, Mogg used the sword to slay his dim-witted twin. The Darklady blessed Mogg for slaying his inferior brother, and he used the sword against the Whitestone forces in the war. It took five Solamnic knights to slay Mogg.
Language
The ogre language is very guttural, even more so than the Kothian tongue of minotaurs. In the Age of Dreams, they spoke a language referred to as Kolshet, or High Ogre. Kolshet has a complex alphabet, but it became smaller and merged with simple pictographs after the Age of Dreams.
The modern language is simply referred to as Ogre. The ogre word for their language is nearly impossible to pronounce by other races and generally unfit for polite conversation. There are some variations between the language of the ogre nation as a whole and that spoken by each clan, but the Ogre tongue is simple enough that it can be understood from one side of Ansalon to another.
The ogre tongue includes a series of grunts and deep growls conveying not only a message, but also emotion and mood. An ogre will not only understand what another ogre says, but exactly what he means when he says it. Sometimes this can lead to translation problems when someone other than another ogre is the translator.
Ogres make extensive use of body language. A word itself does not convey the same meaning as action. Ogres bare their teeth as a warning to other ogres, particularly concerning territory or an ogre’s mate. Ogres also make regular use of arm movements. Wide arm movements may be used to accentuate the conversation. Ogre body language is more physical when an ogre is about to battle. At the end of a battle, ogres will often raise their hands in the air with clenched fists, giving a victory howl.
In battle, ogres make use of war chants, designed to keep the dim-witted minds of the ogres focused. Humans who employed ogres in the past learned this secret, which in turn has been adopted into ogre culture. Chants produce a steady rhythm by which to march and coordinate movements. Though not fully successful, this tactic offers some semblance of order where none would normally exist.
Ogres relay folklore through oral traditions, dating back thousands of years. These tales are filled with brutal conquest against inferior races. Often, ogre tales tell of an ogre hero who was wronged by a lesser race, who would in turn lash out against his assailant, enlightening him with ogre superiority.
Perhaps one of the most famous of ogre tales dates back to the Third Dragon War. Mortash the Slaver was an ogre champion who conquered many of the minotaurs. His legend states that his strength was so great that he could break off a minotaur’s horns bare handed, and that he was favored by Takhisis. Mortash is said to have met his doom by the treachery of Huma Dragonspittle and his partner, Kaz Ogrekiller, a minotaur who lashed out against his benevolent ogre masters. This tale of tragedy ends with Huma driving the Darklady from the world of Krynn. Without her champion, the Darklady could not withstand the treachery of Huma and his god, Paladine.
Mortash’s son, Morkaf Elf-Reaver, took it upon himself to avenge his father’s death. Since Paladine was responsible for the Darklady’s banishment from the world and his father’s death, he avenged himself of Paladine’s chosen, the elves. Morkaf was a particularly brutal ogre who took great pride in killing elves, adding their ears to the chain he wore around his neck. He enjoyed the taste of fresh elf meat, especially that of elven maidens. Morkaf is said to have killed over two hundred elves single-handedly. The Neck Chain of Morkaf will appear to ogre champions who harbor great feelings of vengeance against an elf.
During the War of the Lance, tales began circulating about the twin ogre warriors Ogg and Mogg. The two were said to be very different. Ogg was short (for an ogre), but he possessed a warrior’s rage and strength. Mogg was taller and thin, a trained warrior as intelligent as the firstborn ogres. Though the two often didn’t agree, they always fought side-by-side for the betterment of the ogre race. The two were sent by the Darklady on a quest to retrieve the Great Sword of Morrag, an ancient ogre artifact. When they found it, the two brothers fought over it. In a fit of rage, Mogg used the sword to slay his dim-witted twin. The Darklady blessed Mogg for slaying his inferior brother, and he used the sword against the Whitestone forces in the war. It took five Solamnic knights to slay Mogg.
Language
The ogre language is very guttural, even more so than the Kothian tongue of minotaurs. In the Age of Dreams, they spoke a language referred to as Kolshet, or High Ogre. Kolshet has a complex alphabet, but it became smaller and merged with simple pictographs after the Age of Dreams.
The modern language is simply referred to as Ogre. The ogre word for their language is nearly impossible to pronounce by other races and generally unfit for polite conversation. There are some variations between the language of the ogre nation as a whole and that spoken by each clan, but the Ogre tongue is simple enough that it can be understood from one side of Ansalon to another.
The ogre tongue includes a series of grunts and deep growls conveying not only a message, but also emotion and mood. An ogre will not only understand what another ogre says, but exactly what he means when he says it. Sometimes this can lead to translation problems when someone other than another ogre is the translator.
Ogres make extensive use of body language. A word itself does not convey the same meaning as action. Ogres bare their teeth as a warning to other ogres, particularly concerning territory or an ogre’s mate. Ogres also make regular use of arm movements. Wide arm movements may be used to accentuate the conversation. Ogre body language is more physical when an ogre is about to battle. At the end of a battle, ogres will often raise their hands in the air with clenched fists, giving a victory howl.
In battle, ogres make use of war chants, designed to keep the dim-witted minds of the ogres focused. Humans who employed ogres in the past learned this secret, which in turn has been adopted into ogre culture. Chants produce a steady rhythm by which to march and coordinate movements. Though not fully successful, this tactic offers some semblance of order where none would normally exist.
Racial Relations
Ogres are born into the world full of hate. They consider themselves the rightful rulers of the world, with all other races destined to become their slaves. At the same time, they feel wronged by the other races, which mock them with their existence and deny them their rightful place.
Ogres despise humans, considering them too weak to be a threat, even as history reminds them that the rebellion of human slaves spelled the end of their once-great empire. At the same time, ogres find certain humans to be attractive and will seek to have their way with them, often leading to half-ogre offspring. Humans make particularly good slaves, being the most adaptable of all the races.
The ogres particularly despise the elves, who usurped their place as the most beautiful and enlightened race. Their grace and lithe movements stand in stark contrast to the ogres’ bulky frames. Ogres enjoy enslaving elves to do their bidding. Those elves who aren’t enslaved may find a worse fate as an ogre delicacy.
Dwarves and ogres have often been rivals over the course of history, competing for the same mountainous terrain. Ogres respect the tenacity of dwarves in battle and admire their craftsmanship. Dwarven equipment and weaponry is often plundered by the ogres.
Ogres look upon kender as nuisances, gnats to be swatted. The perpetual cheerfulness of kender infuriates ogres, as do their taunts. They also hate the cheerfulness and playful mentality of the centaurs. Gnomes are despised for their keen intellect, a reminder of the intellect the ogres once possessed. Though ogres are not the brightest of races, they are smart enough to know to stay away from a gnomish machine, which may explode at any minute.
Ogres hold a certain amount of respect for the minotaurs, though they see them as an abomination to the purity of the ogre race. The minotaurs have been enslaved by the ogres more than once throughout history, though most notably during the Third Dragon War.
Draconians are the bitter rivals of the ogres. Once the favored children of the Darklady, they soon found the draconians had taken their place. During the War of the Lance, this created a bitter rivalry that would last to this day.
Ogres are born into the world full of hate. They consider themselves the rightful rulers of the world, with all other races destined to become their slaves. At the same time, they feel wronged by the other races, which mock them with their existence and deny them their rightful place.
Ogres despise humans, considering them too weak to be a threat, even as history reminds them that the rebellion of human slaves spelled the end of their once-great empire. At the same time, ogres find certain humans to be attractive and will seek to have their way with them, often leading to half-ogre offspring. Humans make particularly good slaves, being the most adaptable of all the races.
The ogres particularly despise the elves, who usurped their place as the most beautiful and enlightened race. Their grace and lithe movements stand in stark contrast to the ogres’ bulky frames. Ogres enjoy enslaving elves to do their bidding. Those elves who aren’t enslaved may find a worse fate as an ogre delicacy.
Dwarves and ogres have often been rivals over the course of history, competing for the same mountainous terrain. Ogres respect the tenacity of dwarves in battle and admire their craftsmanship. Dwarven equipment and weaponry is often plundered by the ogres.
Ogres look upon kender as nuisances, gnats to be swatted. The perpetual cheerfulness of kender infuriates ogres, as do their taunts. They also hate the cheerfulness and playful mentality of the centaurs. Gnomes are despised for their keen intellect, a reminder of the intellect the ogres once possessed. Though ogres are not the brightest of races, they are smart enough to know to stay away from a gnomish machine, which may explode at any minute.
Ogres hold a certain amount of respect for the minotaurs, though they see them as an abomination to the purity of the ogre race. The minotaurs have been enslaved by the ogres more than once throughout history, though most notably during the Third Dragon War.
Draconians are the bitter rivals of the ogres. Once the favored children of the Darklady, they soon found the draconians had taken their place. During the War of the Lance, this created a bitter rivalry that would last to this day.
Fallen Ogre Racial Traits
• +2 Strength, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma. Ogres are strong but are neither educated nor encouraged to think through problems.
• Ogres receive +4 HP at first level.
• Ogres can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
• Ogres have a base AC of 5.
• Ogres take damage as Large creatures and suffer attack penalties when attacking small creatures like gnomes, dwarves or halflings.
• Ogres can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
• Ogres have a base AC of 5.
• Ogres take damage as Large creatures and suffer attack penalties when attacking small creatures like gnomes, dwarves or halflings.
