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RacesThe races of Plemar are many and varied. All should be familiar as the standard fare of the fantasy genre, but little tweeks have been added to give our world character. Below is a brief overview of the history and customs of the major civilized races and their sub races. Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, Half-elves, Halflings, Humans, Hobgoblins, Orcs Dwarves:Dwarves are the masters of the Upper Underdark. They've carved their stone palaces and cities out of the unforgiving rock and the Dwarven kingdoms stand as an unyielding shield between the evil hordes of the under dark and the lands above. As tough as the steel they forge and as steady as the earth itself, dwarves tend to be practical and pragmatic, but never above a nice round of ale at the local tavern. Society: Dwarves live in numerous kingdoms carved into the rock of Plemar. Dwarven kingdoms are ruled by a hereditary emperor known as a don. The don usually leads the dwarves in matters of war and racial importance while Moradin's clergy do much of the day today governing of society. Dwarven society is strictly structured with children being selected and trained for a certain vocation from a young age. All dwarves serve a tenor in the UnderDark Legion. Dwarves trade readily with humans and gnomes and any underdark races they consider reasonable, they rarely trade with the lunar elves and halflings because they put little value on the things those races create. Trading families known as the Davochi take care of most of the commerce between the dwarves and the surface. In general dwarves value such things as loyalty, craftsmen ship, and martial skill, as well as material goods such as rare metals and gems. Lands: Dwarves live in the underdark of the southern continent, Haukni. They generally live closer to the surface that the underdark's more fearsome inhabitants, with whom they are constantly at war. Dwarves in no way discourage other races from visiting their cities, but few other than a few venture-some gnome delve into their buried halls. |
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Statistics: The dwarves of Plemar use the racial statistics from the Player's Handbook except as follows:
Note: A subset of dwarves migrated to the northern continent at some time in the past. They now reside mainly in the area known as the Westerlies as traveling clans of craftsmen. These dwarves use the same statistics as their southern brethren and are known as the Kapleef, which means "displaced". Elves: Solar Elves, Lunar Elves, DrowElves are one of the most varied as well as oldest races on Plemar. In general you will find that their history is one of violence and betrayal, which has lead to the fracturing of the elven people. There are three elven sub races of note on Plemar: the drow, the lunar elves, and the solar elves. Solar Elves-SocietySolar were the first elves and have spent most of their long existence at war with the orcs on the northern continent of Osclog. About two thousand years ago they became disillusioned with their unending racial war, abandoned their old god, Corellion Larethan, and headed south in search of peace. Solar elves are the tallest of their brethren. They generally have dark skin and eyes with hair that ranges in shade from chestnut brown to blonde. Lands The solar elves live in the Trade Islands of the Great Ocean, and are the cause of the islands' popular name, The Elven Isles. Recently they have been forced onto some of the islands smaller isles due to increased human migration. The elves live in crowded, if loose knit marble cities left by some ancient race which they have added to with sculpted wood structures. Statistics Solar elves are virtually identical to the elves presented in the PG except that they can choose either wizard or fighter as their favored class, (decision must be made at first level). Most solar elves worship either Lady Sol or Pelor. Solar elves tend to be NG instead of CG. Note A subset of solar elves remained behind in the north after the elven migration. They continue to cling to their old ways and patron deity, and in a gorilla fashion carry on their eternal war on goblinoids and orcs. These throwbacks tend towards a more neutral alignment. Lunar Elves-Lunar elves were separated from their cousins, the solar elves, long ago after the fracturing of the super-contenent. Divided from their war-like cousins by both space and situation, there being no orcs on the southern continent, the lunar elves grew to dislike the violent philosophy of their patron, Corellon Larethian, and turned instead to the Moon Maiden, Elestree for spiritual guidance. Lunar elves received their name due to their worship of the Moon Maiden, their fair complexions and their fondness for staying out at night. Lunar elves tend to have pale, almost translucent skin, and hair ranging from soft lavender, to streaked silver to stark white. Their eyes are generally gray, blue or lavender, though other shades are possible. Lunar elves tend to be four to six inches shorter than solar elves. Society Lunar elven society tends to be loose and care free. More attention is given to music and dance than arts of war. Lunar elves encourage their young to travel for they believe that to create great things in art and music you must have some experience to base it on. Some lunar elves have even traveled north to the Trade Islands, but they are generally baffled by their cousins' more stoic and practical demeanor. Lands Lunar elves have spread far and wide across the continent of Haukni. They live in isolated villages that serve as way stations where travelers can stay for awhile before moving on. You are more likely to find a lunar elven settlement in a place of great beauty than in a practical location. Statistics Lunar elven statistics are the same as the elves presented in the PH except they can see four times as far under low-light conditions as humans and can choose either a bard or a wizard as their favored class, (the choice must be made at first level) Note Both lunar and solar elves use a clan naming system based on the great dinosaur species of old. Common Family names include Diplodocus, Pteridon, and Elasmasaurus among others. DrowDark and twisted drow are the sinister cousins of the surface elves. Drow were once solar elves who were tricked by Lloth into entering her domain and were never allowed to leave. The drow have become the cruel masters of the lower underdark, subjugating all lesser creatures to their will. Drow are the shortest of the elven races standing at approximately four feet. They have dark gray to black skin and red or yellow eyes. Their hair tends to be faded gray or white, sometimes with brilliant streaks of red, blue, or purple. Drow wear their hair and clothing in flamboyant styles. Society The drow's society is a brutal one where only the strong survive. Cunning and malevolent machinations dominate society as each individual tries to out do and undo his or her fellows through skill and treachery. Drow society is matriarchal and dominated by the priesthood. Males are at best second class citizens and at worst cannon fodder. Lloth's clergy preaches a doctrine that says drow are the chosen race of Plemar and that when they are strong enough they will emerge from the darkness and conquer all of the weak, unworthy races that inhabit the surface. Lands Drow live in the deep reaches of the underdark in fortified cities that are both beautiful and dangerous. Much of the land and tunnels that the drow claim as theirs boarders on the dwarven kingdoms which leads to constant, if sporadic, war between the two races. Drow often find themselves in conflict with other drow as well as underdark monstrosities such as the illithids. Statistics Drow use the same statistics presented for them in the monster manual. Their favored class for females is cleric while males favored class is fighter. Gnomes: Noclog, Ice Kin, ShiverryNo matter where they are found, gnomes are known for their inquisitive minds, nimble fingers, and devious sense of humor. Though the forms it takes seem to vary from one subrace to the next all gnomes have some inborn talent for magic. There are three major subraces of gnomes on Plemar. NoclogThe noclog are the most common of their cousins. Their general easy going nature and perchant for making friends is summed up in the name they give themselves, noclog means "friends" in Halic, the gnomish language. Noclogic gnomes were probably the first race of gnomes on Plemar. Supposedly they were created when Glittergold grew bored with a pile of gems he was cutting and turned them into gnomes to keep him company. Noclog gnomes stand between 3 and 3.5 feet tall. They have dark, reddish skin and flamboyant hair colors with reds, oranges, browns and blacks being the most common. The noclog are fond of colors and sparkles and generally incorporate as much of both as possible into their daily dress. It is not at all uncommon for a gnome to grow his hair and beard long so that he can weave in as many bits of glass and gems as possible. Society Noclog society is formed of close knit clans that generally specialize in one area of expertise. The common bond in these clans is not family relation but, technical affinity. It is not unusual for a sorcerer born to a clan of tinkers to go off in search of others who share his or her gift. Noclog gnomes care little for racial identity and often integrate interested elves and humans into their clans. Do to the focused nature of these clans noclogic gnomes generally can not support themselves and as a result spend most of their time rendering their services to other races in exchange for other necessities of survival. Lands Noclogic gnomes claim no lands as their own but rather wander freely about the lands and empires claimed by dwarves, elves, and humans on the southern continent of Haukni. Statistics Noclogic gnomes use the statistics from the players handbook except as follows:
The IceKinKnown simply as "the people" in their own language the icekin are a hardy race of gnomes that live on the frozen iceflows of the Solid Sea. In their own mythology the icekin are the only race spared by their goddess when fire rained from the sky. The Ramelgla ia a lesser goddess whose power extends through out the Solid Sea. She is a cruel and rather harsh goddess of the winter lands but does have a soft spot for her chosen people. Icekin gnomes are generally short and broad of stature with dark, wind-marked faces. Their hair is almost always coarse and black and is often greased with oil to retain heat. Ice kin gnomes dress in warm seal skin furs. Society Icekin society is centered around their frozen goddess and the constant rigors of survival on the ice flows. Icekin are extremely xenophobic, particularly because they believe that they are the only survivors of a world wide cataclysm. All outsiders are seen as devils come to tempt them away from the blessing of their goddess. The icekin have four yearly festivals on equinox and solstice which involve long periods of chanting and wailing, as well as fasting and the sacrifice of the hunters catches to their goddess. The life of the icekin isn't all dreary though, they take great pride in fashion tools, sculptures, and weapons out of ice, both magical and mundane. Often little concern is put into the practicality or utility of the sculptures and walking across the Solid Sea can be like walking in a surreal reality of fantastic shapes. Lands The icekin call the frozen waters of the Solid Sea their home. They roam the ice flows in a nomadic fashion following the trail of walrus migration, their most sacred animal both as a primary food source and as an embodiment of their goddess. Icekinkin cut caves into the ice for their homes, packing many furs over the entrance to keep the cold out and the warmth in. Statistics Icekin gnomes use the statistics from the PH except as follows:
ShiverryIn the eastern atolls of Haukni dwells a third subrace of gnomes, the shiverry. The shiverry are natural born mariners who fish the rich costal waters around their isles and trade with both aquatic and land dwelling races in the region. The shiverry likely descended from gnome clans trapped on an ancient peninsula at the time of the great floods and had little contact with other gnomes until recently which explains their large cultural differences. The shiverry are tall for gnomes, sometimes standing as tall as four feet. They have pale colored eyes and hair but deep tan skin with multiple black freckles being common. They tend to dress in loose rather plain clothing unlikely to impede them in the rigging or if they need to dive overboard. Society Shiverry society is notoriously roguish. Besides fishing their main livelihood comes from the tolls they exhort from the costal villages of other races. These fees work as protection from any piracy the shiverry might be inclined to, as well as a promise for protection from sea born threats. Generally when a costal community fails to pay their tithe they find all sorts of things start to go wrong around their village as a result f gnomish pranks.
Lands The Shiverry control the Tagrin Island Chain as well as much of the shoreline on the eastern side of Haukni. They live mainly in small villages, but have three major trade cities: Hawkenii, Klilips, and Bipplisp. Recently there have been reports of shiverry piracy on the North/South shipping lines, but these have yet to be confirmed. Statistics Shiverry have the same stats as gnomes from the PH except as follows:
Half-elves: The resultant crossbreed of a successful mating between a human and an elf, half-elves are very rare due to the difficulty of such a conception. When they do exist their options in life are largely determined by where they were born. If a half-elf was lucky enough to be born on Haukni they can readily find acceptance in either the Lunar elven or human communities. HalflingsThey don't deserve their reputation as wily eyed tricksters, but the average halfling does see life with a cunning and calculating eye. Halflings cultivate their quick minds through a hard life living off the whims of the land, where it often takes all other smarts and the combined effort of many people to survive. Halflings stand about 2 to 3 feet tall. They have dark brown to nearly black skin and the same color of hair. Both genders wear their hair long and braided often with all sorts of totems and beads; a halfling with short hair is an outcast who has been kicked out of their clan. Halflings wear little to no clothing on a daily basis, but for ceremonial or other important occasions they wear extensively beaded and decorative hide garments. Society Halflings, also known as the lizard riders live in large familial clans that travel around the Bonsani Plains with the dinosaur herds. They live close to the land in a hunter gatherer style and worship many animal gods united under the mother goddess Yolanda. Halfling clans are ruled by a counsel of elders from each of the represented families; these elders have complete control over the actions on the tribe, and the power to expel any of its members. Expulsion is the ultimate disgrace because it means that the individual no longer has a family. As an errant person with no ties they are no longer even considered part of the natural world, which is to Halfling perceptions just an extension of their blood. To a halfling dinosaurs are also a very sacred animal because they depend upon them for transportation and food. Perhaps because their close relationship with the dinosaurs is one of both predator and prey, halflings are one of the few races that get along well with the intelligent raptors that also inhabit their plains. Some of the larger halfling tribes are the Little Dragon, the Blue Fox, the Black Crow, the Sand Lizard, and the Silver Fish but many more exist Lands Halflings live in the large expanse of lowland plains on the eastern side of Haukni known as the Bonsani Plains, (the origin of that name is unknown). While fertile with many rivers the halflings do not set up permanent farming communities and are rather resistant to other races attempts to. Instead they follow the annual migrations of the dinosaurs herds, visiting ancient sacred places and renewing the cycle of life. Of the main halfling clans that exist they generally get along peacefully by staying out of each others way. If for some reason two halfling tribes try to live off the same herd things can get ugly. Statistics Halflings keeps their statistics from the PH except as follows:
Notes Halfling tribes speak a wide variety of different languages that would make communication between them all but impossible if it weren't for a type of sign language that is used to communicate between tribes, creatively known by other races as Halfling Sign. HumansElven history describes the humans as a plague of locus that descending upon the world some three thousand years ago, but far from destroying Plemar humans have enriched it dramatically. Since they are so numerous and their customs so varied it would be pointless to try to describe all of the various human kingdoms and municipalities. I'll stick with giving you a brief overview of some of their more influential states: The Kingdom of Kalishar, the Harbien Confederation, and the southern Empire of Chao Lin. Special Note Humans seem to be the only being on Plemar capable of wielding a strange type of mental magic, termed Psyonics by the people of Chao LIn. This "magic" appears to be no magic at all but rather the redefining of the physical world through intense training of the mental one. While all humans can develop this power naturally, it was unheard of in Plemar before their appearance and only in certain areas where magical radiations are very intense to mutant members of other races display an aptitude towards these strange powers. The Kingdom of KalisharKalishar is said to be as ancient as the human race. Certainly it has existed for all of recorded history. What has made this expansive kingdom of the north so lasting is hard to say, but it is easy to see how blessed they are, Kalishar truly lives under the wing of the Silver Falcon. The people of Kalishar have always had one god, Heironious the shinning light of truth and justice, to die defending his word it their highest honor. Perhaps it is for this dedication that they have been blesses with capable rulers, fertile lands and brilliant generals. As fair of skin as they are of heart Kalishens are almost all blonde of head and blue of eye with some variations to the lighter shades of brown. They speak High Valorian. Society Kalishen society is divided into strict classes. At the top is the ruling family, those exualted in the light of the Falcon and partially sharing his divinity. Next comes the nobles, ancient families chosen as wards of the people, by divine edict they rule under the emperor/empress and maintain order in the land. Third is the warrior-priesthood which is often intertwined and indistiguishable from the nobility. Below them are the merchants and free traders, and finally the peasants. Lands The Kalishen empire is very extensive, between their actual lands and those of satellite kingdoms that own allegiance to them, Kalishar encompasses over a third of Osclog. Kalishar runs as far west as the Bitter Sea, if you count their nominal control over the area know as the Westerlies. In the north the kingdoms borders directly on the unassailable Glippen Heights. Their North Eastern Border banks up against southren edge of the Marches of Darkennor, the territory controlled by Kalishar's ancient advisory, Hobgoblins. The eastern edge of Kalishar is harder to pin down, as it consists of multiple satellite states and kingdoms whose alliances is more questionable the farther you get. Back to topThe Harbian ConfederationOne might imagine Kalishar's influence overshadowing that of any civilizations that might arise near it but the loosely aligned Harbian Confederation has proved otherwise. A coalition of about ten individual states that band together for mutual defense and solidify their alliance with beneficial trade agreements, the Harbian Confederation have managed to hold their own in the shifting alliances and tumultuous politics of Osclog. The Harbian states are mostly human in population but with a fair orcish minority. Society It has been said that half the population of Harbia are involved in bureaucracy. While that may be an overstatement it is certainly true that the Harbian Confederation stays together only under the extensive padding of many layers of government. Theoretically each state or nation is independent and sovereign in its own right, guided by its own senate or counsel of nobles. By on top of the national governments, that Harbian people have added a so called Grand Essemble, compiled of the most influential nobles from each nation. This grand essemble, conducts trade negotiations between the nation states and also with nations outside of the confederacy. It should be noted that this layering of bureaucracy is common on the local level as well as national with towns and territories all having their own counsels. Knowing that their system is unwieldy in times of war when decisive action is called for, each nation proposes a general to the Grand Essemble, one is elected to lead the confederations troops into war and give extensive emergency powers. The Grand General can serve for no more than one year without reelection. Lands The Harbian Confederacy lays to the east of Kalishar. The various nation states sit perched around the edge of the Borean Gulf like so many vultures waiting for a kill. For all intense and purposes the Harbian Confederation controls all commerce within the Gulf. Their ships ply the waves while privateers employed by the governments patrol on watch for pirates. That these privateers are often used to promote political agendas with in the Confederation is well known, but largely ignored. Harbian Confederation has tried multiple time to gain control of Inisii, the island to the south, by the islands more "primitive" inhabitants, the Vocalelii, have so far staved them off. Note The Confederacy does not have a single standard language that is used throughout its boarders, national and even local dialects and separate languages are common. The three most prominent languages are Flemish, Oshmelon, and Jegimen. It should be noted that government within the Grand Essemble is conducted in High Valoryen, perhaps as a way of winning respect from their powerful neighbor. The Kingdom of Chao-LinIf Plemar's northern continent, Osclog, is best know for its relentless wars and brooding politics, than Haukni is best known for its peace. Nestled between the Barrier Mountains and the Great Sea is the Kingdom of Chao-lin, or literally "the home of the Chao". It is a land of ancient customs and great monuments, Strict tradition and great beauty. the people of Chao-Lin are generally petite in form, have almond shaped eyes brown eyes, olive to cream skin and black hair. Both males and females were brightly colored and embroidered robes, though of different designs and both sexes wear their hair long. Society Saved from the rigors of constantly sending their sons to war the people of Chao-lin have devoted enormous amounts of effort to the great construction projects of their country. Whether they are building towering pyramids to serve as staircases for the gods of dusk to come down to earth, or digging extensive canals so that their crops may prosper, the works of the Chao-Lin are steeped in religion and devotion. A traveler to Chao-lin would be struck by two things: first the enormity and impracticality of most of the buildings, and two the great eagerness with which the people work on them. Lands The lands of Chao-lin are quite extensive, consisting of nearly the entire costal low lands between the Desert of Wrath and the Barrier Mountains. The plain is low lying at laced with many rivers which flood often. This means their land are very rich but also that building is difficult. The facilitate their great building projects the Chao have raised great mounds of earth beneath their cities which sit like imposing giants against the flat skyline. Even villages are protected by an impressive system of dykes and canals. Notes The Chao speak Takani. coming soon coming soon
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Art work and story line are copy write to me, most of the characeters belong to my players and most of the random rules information/spells comes from the Dungeons and Dragons core rule books. This is after all an illustrated campaign.
Also, now that the second phase of the comic has begun I must include a shout-out to Dungeon and Dragon Adventures, whose mask campaign setting lies at the heart of the story from here on out. Check them out.
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