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5 years ago ::
Jul 16, 2008 - 10:22AM
#21
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Date Joined:
Sep 24, 2005
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Aieron
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When one thinks of the Ronians the image that comes to mind first is most likely an Aieron. Their feathers are as multicolored as any Mans, and they are by far the most populous of the Ronians. Their flocks are common on Dargonia, Tolen, Dolor, the Sky Lakes, and even the steps leading to Moon. Their culture is a simple on - like most Ronians they avoid lasting settlements, and do not have a formalized form of writing of their own. Aierons are mostly hunters and their ancient arts are mostly dedicated to the rights of the hunt. They worship both the arcons of the skies, and the arcons of the hunt. Unlike some of the Ronians the Aierons are generally welcome amongst Imperials, Taurn tribes, and Orcnin hordes alike.
Some say the ancients ways of Diplomancy were first created by the Aierons. If this is true they have most certainly been surpassed in this art over the centuries. They still retain the arconistic arts of the many tongues, and their wayfinding ways are stronger than the other Ronians, but in this era it is the fey, the water born, that are the true masters of Diplomancy. Even the Elendi are able to create waystones and sure paths, an art that the Aierons have either lost - or never truly had. Perhaps like most of the Ronian peoples - their legends are prone to be aggrandized, but the possibility that it was the Aierons that first created the ways of Diplomancy is very real. They may have begun what others took up and took further than the Aierons ever would have needed to.
Being free of the land - the Aierons are the very definitions of "flighty" in that most are loath to enter into bargains or agreements with them. If a situation becomes difficult or embroiled in conflict beyond the Aieron's comfort they will simply take flight and depart. This tendency prevents the tribes of Aieron's from establishing any sort of strong business or trade relationships with other societies. Hence the Aierons have remained hunters and gatherers over the long centuries. It is difficult to imagine these habits changing with the weight of centuries of history driving a wedge between Aieron culture and the larger mercantile societies of the world. That said they are still always welcome in most cities as their services, if transitory, are always in demand.
Should one be lucky enough to find themselves at the mercy of Aieron hospitality be prepared for a smorgasbord of fine foods. At least if you are a meat eating person. The Aierons are consummate hunters and use their arts to prepare and keep meat in some of the most miraculous fashions. They maintain some of the strongest alliances with the Elemental beings of any culture and can literally cook their meat while in flight. It is rather difficult to keep up with an Aieron tribe if one cannot fly, however if necessary the Aierons will call upon the Air Elementals to carry you. Some tribes, that don't have such a good relationship with the Air, or when the Tribe is flying through Dark wind, craft rope bassinets from the grasses that grow on the stepps of the high skies. Their luggage and guests are able to ride in these if necessary.
A visiting flock of Aierons, or lost Aieron in search of a flock to join, are relatively simple guests to accommodate. Unless wounded severely the Aierons will hunt and cook their own food - a point of pride amongst the Aieron peoples. It can be difficult to convince them to attend such functions as fine dinners. The fact that such events are usually held inside a roofed hall is one of the major reasons for this. A proper host to a Aieron flock would do well to have any events held outside in the open air. Aierons are meat eaters, but are able to stomach fruits and nuts. They would prefer nuts to fruits, and regardless of the sides of a meal meat should remain the primary course. This is a point of contention as their cousins the Kieron are strictly fruit eaters and many a diplomatic disaster has resulted from being unable to discern the difference between the two peoples of Ronian.
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5 years ago ::
Jul 20, 2008 - 8:47PM
#22
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Date Joined:
Sep 24, 2005
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Dragon's of Light
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Like most the Light Dragons are created not born. Light Dragons come from elementals of the the air or fire. During a dragon's rising an elemental will take on a more substantial shape and manifest flesh. Like all dragons each one is unique and forged by the mists with a purpose. In particular Dragons of Light are guardians of civilization. They are perhaps the most common of all dragons - most often found lounging on the walls of cities or flying regally outside of towns. They spend most of their time keeping the mists at bay, and retrieving those lost in the mists with their guiding light. Light Dragons are the friendliest to the peoples of the world and the most dire opponents of those that practice Arconistics.
While many are tempted to treat Light Dragons as friendlier than other dragons - do not fall prey to this temptation. They are as quick to anger as any dragon, and they are generally pre-occupied with their own matters. If you find yourself at ones mercy, or in need of ones aid - make your case quickly and simply and do not pressure them to aid you. Once they have made a decision they will not be swayed. Unlike most dragons there is nothing that can be brought to them as an offering as they survive off that most abundant of energy - the mists themselves.
When a Light Dragon comes to visit - feel honored. The only reason a Light Dragon will ever seek audience in an Imperial court is to barre tidings of either great calamity or wondrous fortune. It is best to accommodate them however they ask - and they should ask very little. There is no need to prepare them food or gifts, though songs and plays have been known to amuse them. Those of the Sky Lakes are regularly visited by Light Dragons - as the great wyrms seem to have some fondness for the chimes and pipes that the Sky Lakelanders make their music with.
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5 years ago ::
Jul 20, 2008 - 10:10PM
#23
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Followed the link in your signature "Clockwork Horrors". Do you also write true horror campaigns by any chance? It seems we're a bit lacking in that department hehe.
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5 years ago ::
Aug 07, 2008 - 2:18PM
#24
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Date Joined:
Sep 24, 2005
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Still slightly confused by the "clockwork horrors" reference, and sadly unable to post as often as I'd like. I started a new thread about horror, join that discussion here. Will-o-Whisp
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Creatures of pure light. Similar in many ways to Air Elementals the Will-o-Whisp is a creature of the air. They are born from the conflicts of Air and Fire and have a unique personality of their own. They draw sustenance from the attention of living beings. They need no other food, but their need to be watched provokes them to perform many odd and otherwise unfathomable deeds. The kinder and more altruistic Will-o-whisps will act as guides to those lost in the woods. Often leading animals about the wilderness for days on end eventually bringing the creature in the path of a hunter or traveler. Will-o-whisps with darker hearts will lead those that have become fascinated by their light into fell traps where they can pester their prey continuously - feeding off the subjects attention while it wastes away in a pit or tangle vine prison.
Those that befriend will-o-whisps are lucky indeed as the creatures are capable of traveling nearly anywhere and finding almost anything on short notice. All that they ask in return is to be watched for a number of hours. Watching such a creatures is, while time consuming, quite amusing. Their aerial acrobatics are beyond compare. They are also able to start small fires with their sparkling bodies. Some Will-o-whisps make their "permanent" homes outside the gates of cities in the hopes of meeting travelers in need of a guide and "flying lamp" and others have been known to ally with a noble houses in larger cities. There they serve as watchmen on the busy streets where the eyes of many can see them.
If a swarm of Will-o-whisps arrive at your palace you are in luck. They need no food, nor lodging. It is a rare treat when all a guest asks is to be watched, particularly when watching them is such an amusing experience. There is reason to be cautious however. Will-o-whisps in large groups can become somewhat vicious. A lone traveler happening upon a large enough collection of will-o-whisps is in dire danger of being contained in a circle of the light beings until they have wasted away. A very large contingent of Will-o-whisps could descend upon a city and fill it full of light for days as the citizens are slowly lulled into a waking slumber that will only end with their deaths.
The most important thing to remember about Will-o-whisps is that they are not elementals, though they share many traits with them. Will-o-whisps have needs and will do what they can to attain them. Like all living creatures some are kind, and some are cruel. Some are willing to steal the attention of their prey and some are willing to work for it. In case of need simply remember that while a Will-o-whisp is difficult to grasp - once you have gotten hold of one destroying it is as easy as snuffing a candle flame. A wash of water, a sheet of dirt of cloth, or even a strong enough blast of wind will extinguish these "lamp-o-lights" (as they are called in Imperial City).
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5 years ago ::
Aug 08, 2008 - 8:06AM
#25
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Date Joined:
Sep 24, 2005
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fyi - this is my tentative checklist for the races I need to "anthropolate" or whatev' checklist
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Dragon Born
1. Sky
2. Flame
3. Earth
4. Water
5. Beast
6. Plant
7. Light
• Beast Born
1. Dwar
• Montaran Dwar
• Imperial Dwar
• Iron Wall Dwar
• Ferry Born Dwaren
• Half Dwaren
• DwarMans
• Goblion Dwari
• Goblidoran
• Elen Dwari
• Feral Dwerein
• Feathered Dwari
• Hoofed Dwarentyr
• Clawed Dwarentyr
• Flipper Dwarentyr
• CenDwaren
• MinoDwaren
• MyroDwaren
• DarinDwari
• PherthanDwar
• MereDwarel
• BarkiDwaren
• Lanalfar Dwari (star)
• Hudder Dwari (stone)
• Derro Dwari (soot)
• Lanvatier Dwari (Kinder Elentsi)
• Gnomen Dwarel
• Sky Born Gnomes
• Star Eyed Gnomes
2. Elendi
• Sky Island Elendi
• Heart Land Elendi
• Feral Elendi
• Sky Born Elani
• Stone Born Elani
• Sand Born Elani
• Sea Crystal Elani
• Malenti Elani
• Dragon Hearted
• Dolorian Elentsi
• Kinder Elentsi
3. Mans
• Vampire / Healers
• Wild Homelanders (Vanara)
• Imperial Citizens
• Tolonese Citizens
• Sky Islanders
• Wight (blues)
• Bottom Landers
• Karnian
• Thalian
• Gemron Aberrants
• Arcon Hearts
4. Orcnin
• Orcnin Sa (Bugbear)
• Orcnin Ha (orcs)
• Orcnin Ka (Kobold)
• Troll
• “Scrag” Water Troll
• Hag (female troll).
• Hobgoblin
• Grimlock
• Gnoll
• Choker
• Ogre
• Shakar
• Fiend
• “The Misshapen” (Athach and Ettin)
• Skum
5. Taurn
• Weran (wolf/kangaroo/weasel)
• Satyr (goats/sheep/emu)
• Hotyr (otter/raccoon/seal)
• Centan (horse/donkey)
• Minotan (bull/buffalo/rhino)
• Dardan (deer/antelope/camel)
• Dolphryn (porpoise/whale/hippo)
• Miryn (mouse/squirrel/rat)
• Pherthan (felines)
• Barkan (dog/fox/pig)
6. Ronian (Achaierai)
• Aieron (wind) All skies
• Keiron (light) High Skies
• Fieron (flame) Mid and Low Skies
• Volturon (stone) Mid Low and Bottom Land
• Icthyron (water) Low Sky and Bottom Land
• Emuron (forests big flightless) Land Based
• Rhearon (plains small flightless) Land Based
• Bog Born
1. Darian
• Two Legs
• Four Legs
• Doomsayers
• Sting Tails
• Araneas (dopplegangers)
• Daritaurn (Drider)
2. (alligator/crocodile) Lizardfolk
3. (mantis/grasshopper)
4. Naga
• Anknaga
• Centipedial
• Two Arms
• Many Arms
• Behirish
• Salamander
5. Formians
• Worker
• Warrior
• Taskmaster
• Myrmarch
• Queen
6. Haggan (Sauhagin)
7. Eadro (Locathah)
8. Trogdorn (lodyte?)
9. Ooze
• Black Pudding
• Gelatinous Cube
• Gray Ooze
• Ochre Jelly
• Phasm
10. Chuul? (crab)
11. Aboleth (worm)
• Green Born
1. Dirt Eaters (plants)
• Treants
• Blooms
• Buds
• Caps
• Phantoms (Phantom Fungus)
• Shrubs
• Running Trees
• Standing Trees
2. Water Eaters (Nymphs)
• Tuathan (palaces)
• Chimera (dangerous places)
• Gorgon (stones and snakes)
• Grig (little lover)
• Pixie (little sleeper)
• Nixie (little killer)
• Bogan (homes, public greens)
• Gremlin (vehicles, machines)
• Gromit (workshops, factories)
• Knockin (tunnels, mines, ore veins)
• Alseid (glens, groves, meadows)
• Auloniad (pasture, vales)
• Crinaeae (fountains, city parks)
• Dryad (forests)
• Hamadryad (trees)
• Hesperides (flowers/gardens)
• Limnades (fresh water lakes)
• Meliae (graves, battlegrounds)
• Naiads (rivers)
• Napaeae (grotto)
• Nereids (shores)
• Oceanids (deep waters)
• Oreads (mountains)
• Pagaeae (springs)
3. Salt Eaters
• Strangling Trees
• Assassin Vines
• The Plauges
• Belker’s Plauge
• Shambler (Tendriculos)
• Bees
• Worker
• Warrior
• Taskmaster
• Apoidean
• Queen
• Kraken
• Volvocales
• Mucilan
• Pinguaca
• Droseran
• Filmsholk (high skies)
• Sky Born
• Will-o-Wisp
• Belker
• Ghaele
• Stone Born
1. Arcon Born (created)
• Gargoyle
• Zombie
• Skeleton
• Mummy
• Golem
• Azera
• Homunculus (tom thumbs)
• Watchers (Invisible Stalker)
2. Sand Born (genie)
• Djinni
• Efreeti
• Janni
• Stones
• Dirt
• Sand
• The Sculpted
• Elementals
• Air Elemental
• Earth Elemental
• Fire Elemental
• Water Elemental
• Giants
• Cloud Giant
• Fire Giant
• Frost Giant
• Hill Giant
• Stone Giant
• Storm Giant
3. Dust Born (ghosts)
• Wraith
• Allip (plant ghost)
• Bodak
• Angel
• Demon
• Shadow (plant ghost)
• Spectre
• Boggy
• Barghest
• Doppelganger (plant ghost)
• Ghilan (ghoul/ghast/genie-ghost/doppelganger)
• Lich
4. Mud Born (natural)
• Mimics
• Cloaker
• Gibbering (mouther)
• Magmin
• Roper
• Thoqqua
• Stalkers (invisible).
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5 years ago ::
Aug 09, 2008 - 4:33PM
#26
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Date Joined:
Sep 24, 2005
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Haggan
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Masters of the endless seas. The Haggan are the reptilian rulers of the seas. Those who live on or in the endless seas know the Haggan well. Their armies control the largest swath of undersea territory of all the aquatic empires. The sheer numbers of the Haggan would make them a terrible opponent to the Empire if they were interested in land. Thankfully for the Empire the Haggan cannot live on the land and will never be a threat to the Empire. Their only opponents are those that live in the seas with them - the Aquan Elendi. The Aquan Elendi call them the Shakataurn, or sometimes the Shakear. There is some question as to whether the Haggan are in fact Taurn at all, and indeed they claim to have always lived below the waves of the endless seas. If that is true then they could not be true Taurn at all.
By most civilized standards the Haggan are vicious barbarians. Their society is brutal and simple. The majority of the population are warriors, and the few rulers of the Haggan live in relative opulence. A Haggan ruler is constantly accompanied with a harem of female Haggan that are both wives and an elite guard. As fierce as the Haggan soldiers are the four armed women of the Haggan are far more fierce. The children of an entire tribe are kept with the king and the women of the Haggan. This royal retinue of women and children rarely moves. The dominar of a Haggan tribe claims a place of calm waters within the territory of the tribe and most often remains there for the entirety of their short life. Even the longest lived Haggan rarely live to a hundred.
The soldiers of the Haggan are sent out from the calm as soon as they have learned the art of the spear or trident. In the vicious Haggan way they are left mostly to their own. They are told to gather together and seek out food or enemies of the Haggan - and capture them dead or alive. Outside of the calm that the dominar lives in the Haggan soldiers swim circles. Many never truly leave the safety of the larger swarm, and that is how the calm remains protected. The majority of the army simply gather fish and other meats for the dominar, the women, and the children. Periodically the dominar of the Haggan band will select the best hunters and give them a gift of having a chance to have children with one of the women. In times of war with other Haggan or Aquan Elendi this reward is given to the most successful warriors.
In the most absurdly remote possibility that any Haggan would ever seek audience personally with any member of the sky landers the first and foremost matter of propriety is of course the water. Haggan cannot live outside of the water for more than a couple hours at best. It is not unheard of for a Haggan diplomat (if one could be called as such) to travel in jars much as some merchant Trees travel in pots. This pot must be maintained with arconistically refreshed sea water. Fresh water, rain water, deluge water none of these will serve. There is some special property in the water of the seas that the Haggan need. It is a point of interest that you cannot drink sea water. It is extremely salty and attempting to drink it will cause uncomfortable side effects for any creature that is not accustomed to it.
Visiting a Haggan calm is something that could come to pass. The Haggan are a powerful force out in the seas and do occasionally barter with surface dwellers for goods and weapons. The Haggan do not have the arts of mining or metal working so any metal weapons they have are either scavenged from sunken ships or traded. It is important to note that Haggan "merchants" are always of the soldier class and are often willing to forgo trade and simply attack if the asking price gets too high. In the presence of the Dominar of a Haggan tribe the only rule is obsequiousness. "Do not disturb the calm" is the advice one elder Aquan Elendi diplomancer gives regarding making court with the Haggan. Quite simply - doing so will result in you becoming the next meal for the tribes children.
Orcnin Ka
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Kobold, Furred Orcnin, Weasel People, or worse. The Orcnin Ka are the least of the true Orcnin. Legends say that when Ogran of the Triune created the Orcnin he made Trolls first, and found them wanting. According to legend the Trolls were too stupid to satisfy Ogran's ideals of a perfect race. Second to be created were the Orcnin Ka. These little furry Orcnin were everything the Trolls were not. Keen and cunning, and small. Where the Trolls were tall, the Ka were short. Where the Trolls were strong, the Ka were weak. Where the Trolls were scaly, the Ka were furry. As with all of elder Ogran's creations he declared the Orcnin Ka a failure and continued with his experiments. Hence the creation of the Sa and the Ha. The Ka were left to find their own way and they have.
Most Orcnin hoards have amongst them the Orcnin Ka. Those Ka that accompany the Hoards are the most brutal and powerful of the Orcnin Ka, and are by far the minority of the Orcnin Ka. Most Orcnin Ka prefer to remain separate from the hoards. Something in their creation sets them apart in mentality. Often a tribe of Orcnin Ka will avoid the hoards of the Orcnin Sa like a plauge - preferring to live in their simply and ancient ways. Most Orcnin Ka live in a very regimented and ceremonial culture. Their language, one of the oldest in the world, is pictographic as opposed to glyphic. Their subterranean halls are filled with images that tell the history of their tribe. The most common arrangement of an Orcnin Ka tribe is a cavern with three chambers. One for the men, one for the women, and one for ceremonial purposes.
Children are kept with the women until the time comes for them to learn the history of the tribe. When that time comes they are lead through a long hall that connects the chambers. Along the walls of the hall are tales of the tribe writ in pictures. The hall from the women's chambers leads to the ceremonial chambers. There the children meet the king of the Ka, and if they are women they are given to the king or one of his chosen, and then they are returned to the women's chambers to begin learning the arts of Arconistics. If they are men they are taken through the chambers, introduced to the king, and the lead through the second hall to the men's chambers. The pictographs of the hall that leads to the men's chambers are intended to teach the young man the arts of war. In a proper Orcnin Ka society the only man that learns any arts of arconistics is the king. The other men learn to fight with weapons.
In a proper Orcnin Ka society the women are never seen save for the occasional ceremony. If visitors come to the tribe the passageway to the women's chambers is covered in an arconistic fog, as well the "secrets" displayed in their murals are concealed as well. Of course these Orcnin Ka tribes have existed without change for countless centuries and their secrets are those that most Imperials could learn in a library. Things such as how to create a staff, or how to work metal. If the Orcnin Ka hold any true secrets they are kept by their mysterious womenfolk. Few have even claimed to have seen a female Orcnin Ka, and those that have are speaking of the Orcnin Ka that travel with the hoards of the Sa and Ha.
Orcnin Ka religiously avoid leaving the demesne of their tribe. They hunt and return. They fight to protect their territory, but rarely to expand it. There are two reasons an Orcnin Ka might find itself seeking audience with an Imperial house. The first is simply a lost or pariah Ka, and in such a case diplomacy is a mere afterthought. They eat their meat raw as most Orcnin. The other eventuality is that an Imperial house is encroaching on an Orcnin Ka's long held territory. Should that be the case an envoy of Orcnin Ka men will arrive with their king. The Orcnin Ka can be remarkably polite for Orcnin, if rather blunt. There will be no negotiations, there will be no need to accommodate them other than to provide them space or access to court, there will be no discussion at all. They will enter, wait for court, attend and declare the land that has been encroached upon theirs ... and then they will leave. They won't even give ultimatums. They will leave "threats" to be implied.
Visiting the Orcnin Ka can be a rare treat if your are interested in such things and not hostile to them simply for being Orcnin. They eat their meat raw and they do not allow visitors to leave the ceremonial chambers, but otherwise they can be quite considerate. Orcnin Ka that are familiar with Mans or Elendi have been known to prepare a special kind of stew they call "outlander soup" in the tongue. The stew is made of roots and tubers seasoned with bugs. Its relatively terrible, but not eating it would constitute an insult to the Orcnin Ka's hospitality. The Orcnin Ka will of course not leave you alone in their ceremonial chambers. The king and many guards will stay with you constantly, and most pleasantly - their primary pastime is singing. Their songs more ancient than the Elendi, and incomprehensible to any but themselves, are quite beautiful. Hence the Dwar saying "When lost listen for Kobold song."
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5 years ago ::
Aug 24, 2008 - 6:54PM
#27
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Date Joined:
Sep 24, 2005
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Gremlin
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The spirits of the mechanics. When a working machine is created the sum of its concept and components combine to create a sprite. These creature are usually invisible and mostly innocuous. For the most part they remain as they are, unawakened from their humming slumber save for the occasional knock on the machine, or a breakdown. Should the device that is their physical body breakdown they will most certainly begin to howl and wail at their "bodies" failure and those that are able to hear the speaking of the sprites will most certainly find their noisomeness disturbing. A Gremlin does not become a "true" Gremlin in its own right until the day that their vessel is destroyed.
Without their physical form to rest in the Gremlin is loosed. Many are rapidly devoured by greater spirits, but some of these wily sprites are able to slink and hide until they can find refuge in a greater machine. Once a Gremlins first form has been broken it can conjoin with another to maintain. Alternatively it can slink silently around corners simply surviving. Should the Gremlin inhabit another machine it will slowly bond with that machine's natural Gremlin until the two are one and greater than before. This more powerful Gremlin grants the machine abilities beyond the mere mechanical function of it, and the process is encouraged by machanics of many disciplines.
The cost of growing gremlins is that, while your machines become capable of wonders beyond their simple function, they are also endowed with certain quirks and attitudes a simple Gremlin would not normally possess. Something of the previous machines nature is carried over to the new and in their synergy the device can become slightly hard headed. Even so much as to refuse to function under certain circumstances. Simple teams of Gremlins are often sacrificed through burning their device when it nears its breaking point in order to prevent their Gremlins from escaping and joining with others.
Gremlins are not polite house guests. Even the greater Gremlins of many composite connections. The great walking contraptions long loosed of any masters control. The Gremlin feed off of motion. Knocks and bangs. Whistles and humms. Far from being willing to sit politely at a dinner table while others eat an adventuring Gremlin is at best in search of some mechanically talented person able to correct some design flaw or component in disrepair. It is said that the greatest of Gremlins transcend physical form and become something more like and Air elemental or genie. Such greater mysteries of the arcon dominions is beyond the scope of this treaties.
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5 years ago ::
Aug 25, 2008 - 2:19PM
#28
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Date Joined:
Sep 24, 2005
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Dardan
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The Dardan are Taurn of few words. More so than their fellows the Dardan are usually quite. Their eyes watch their surroundings carefully and their minds are always looking into the future for any possible eventuality. They are travelers, and have been since before the fall of Taurna. Despite being travelers they are one of the rarer breeds of Taurn. Their numbers have remained few throughout the centuries. Their tribes are most common on Dargonia and Dolor, but a fair population exists on the Bottom Lands. Of course there are Dardan on Wild Home, but as with any that live on Wild Home it is hard to say much in regards to them.
Many mistake the Dardan for the legendary Centan, but the difference is plain to see in their build and feet. Not only their build but also their cultural attitude. The Centan were the ruling breed of Taurn. They have carried the weight of that legacy for centuries. Not so with the Dardan. The quite peoples of the Dardan have remained silently on the sidelines throughout history. While the Centan seem to seek out ways of strengthening their legacy the Dardan look to the skies and watch the changing of the winds, content to travel on when change comes.
A connection to the weather marks the Dardan apart from many of the other Taurn. Something in their quiet nature perhaps grants them an understanding of the Air Elementals that others lack. Due to this connection the Dardan have escaped many calamities simply by not being there. Without cities to call their own the Dardan have no qualms about vanishing from their encampments with little or no notice. Their presence is rarely even noticed by the nobility on an area, and if anyone complains about their arrival it is the Blooms. The Dardan tend to take up the same spaces as the Blooms when they visit a city.
Should an envoy of Dardan arrive to visit your city the foremost thing to consider is space. Dardan tribes prefer room to run and play with the winds. Most likely even a full diplomatic envoy will consist of only a few members of the tribe entering the city or castle. Something in their nature shies away from the enclosures of Mans. The Dardan, unlike the Centan or the Satyr have retained their four legged nature. What that means regarding the curse of Taurn is difficult to say, but nonetheless the Dardan are nearly impossible to seat at a table. That said - chairs are not necessary for them, they will kneel and at most Imperial tables that should suffice. They have historically indicated no dietary proscriptions.
To visit the Dardan is a pleasant affair. They do not keep permanent structures, and they eat mostly nuts and fruits and certain grasses. They do hunt at times, but only for certain light meats. Mostly lizard and bird. They are a welcoming people but do not take their hospitality as foolishness. They are a watchful people. Constantly wary, one step out of line and you will find their spears at your neck. They are protective of what they have, and do not keep more than they need. Try to take what is theirs and they will fight viciously. Asking for aid of the Dardan takes no special ceremonies however.
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5 years ago ::
Aug 26, 2008 - 5:15PM
#29
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Date Joined:
Sep 24, 2005
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Formians
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Formians are a strange bog born race that lives only on the bottom lands. Near the lands of the Darians there is a mountain that is inhabited by a people often confused with the Darians. Like the Darians their skeletons are on the outside of their bodies, and they have an extra pair of limbs. Unlike the Darians the Formians have a consistent number of limbs. While the Darians society is ranked by number of legs, the Formian society is ranked by size. The Grand Mother of all the Formians is the largest. Her husbands the next, and their multitudes of children consecutively smaller.
The Formians are great builders. They work together with using a mental link so that they do not disturb each others work or get in each others way. The majority of the Formians are technically female. Most however are unable to become mothers. The Grand Mother gives birth to all the children on the colony. Amongst the workers and the warriors there are certain special Formains that have the potential to become a Grand Mother. These are called the taskmasters. If the Grand Mother dies the colony goes through a series of internal convulsions as the taskmasters compete for the Myrmarch's attention. When this happens all work in the colony comes to a halt.
The warriors war with each other, the workers become idle. The taskmasters bicker amongst themselves and the Myrmarchs sit back and watch the colony go through upheaval. The exact circumstance that converts Myrmarchs to the side of one taskmaster or another is difficult to determine simply by historical accounts. The three colonies of Formian that live in the swamp lands of the Darians control have not gone through upheaval recently. The details of the transition of power are obscured mainly by the abnormal nature of the Formians. Like most bog born they bear little resemblance to the beast born. Even the Darians are far more fathomable than the strange Formains.
Formians will never send a diplomatic envoy to an Imperial city. A merchant group may pass through led by taskmaster. A war band may find its way to your borders, but the Myrmarchs and the Grand Mother do not leave their colony. In the recorded history of the Darians diplomatic negotiations with the Formians have always taken place within the colonies themselves. An errant taskmaster is one such that it is difficult to anticipate their behavior. To have left the colony implies some irregularity in the taskmaster. The best that can be said is that Formains are scavengers by nature and will eat nearly anything without complaint.
Visiting a Formian colony is not advisable. The environment is bizarre. The workers and warriors are in constant motion. The majority of the colony is underground, and the to visit the Grand Mother you must be led through countless winding tunnels into a deep and dark cavern wherein the Myrmarchs entertain the Grand Mother with their songs written in clicks and hums. Even speaking to a taskmaster on the surface of a colony can be a disturbing experience. Formians are loath to trade, and far more likely to take any visitors as a form of food offering from your people. In general, avoid the Formian colonies.
Stone Elendi
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The Stone Born Elendi are a rare breed. They are found on the Bottom Lands living amongst the Dwar. Deep in the earth these extremely long lived Elendi have watched the dragons rise and fall. They have watched the man-tree wars start and end. They have watched the Empire rise to its great power, and they watched the wizard wars of ascendancy nearly break the empire. They have watched the Dwar nearly destroy their own people through their fanatical sense of racial purity, and all the while the Stone Born Elendi have remained silent in the darkness. Waiting or merely watching it is hard to say.
Stone Born Elendi do not make nations. They create a safe place for themselves. Their skin is hard as stone and their eyes glimmer like gemstones. Slender like all Elendi their bones are brittle like crystal. They are almost impossible to cut, but they are susceptible to being shattered like so much glass. These Stone Born Elendi are able to heal themselves by resting in the earth, and unlike most Elendi the Stone Born do not need to breath. Hence their perpetual silence. Stone Born Elendi are able to talk, but they must make great effort to do so. Their communication is one of hand signals and understanding.
It is hard to say if the Stone Born Elendi hand language is more or less complicated than the Plant hand language. The fact that no one other than the Stone Born Elendi and some Dwar know how to speak it makes it difficult to say. On one had the Stone Born Elendi's hand sign is ancient. These Elendi live longer than most Trees, let alone the lively walking flowers. On the other hand they may not need as complicated a lingo as the merchant plants have developed. The life of the Stone Born Elendi is far simpler than that of the world traveling plants. Perhaps they simply do not have that much to talk about.
Visiting the Stone Born Elendi is nearly impossible. The best you could do is to visit a family of Stone Born Elendi. They are generally amicable, and serve fine meals of underground fare such as bugs and grubs. They keep farms of moss and mushrooms as well. Its a simple life without complications. There is not much to talk about with them, and getting them to talk is somewhat of an imposition as they do not do so naturally. More preferably they play a silent game of strategy that has no name. Attempting to win against a Stone Born is impossible. The Stone Born play their game to pass time, and the rules are so complicated that it would take a Mans lifetime to even begin. Playing for fun however, can be quite enjoyable.
On the rare and magnanimous occasion that a Stone Born Elendi will make an appearance at an Imperial Council or City be prepared to do your best. In some unfathomable way any slights turned on a Stone Born Elendi have carried with them unutterable curses. It is said amongst the Dwar that to offend a Stone Born Elendi is to offend the world itself. Those who dabble in the Arconistic arts claim that the gemstone games of these Elendi is a form of Arconistics that gives them insight into the world that they do not participate in actively. With such a quiet and unknowable people it is hard to say.
Glittering Gold Dust
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A common curse.
Because = Gold floats. Its all over the place. Its worth nothing. Ha!
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5 years ago ::
Aug 27, 2008 - 5:31PM
#30
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Date Joined:
Sep 24, 2005
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Lanalfar Dwar
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The Star Born Dwar. These Dwar are perhaps one of the most astounding peoples of the entire world. They do not truely belong in this world. They are in fact of the worlds beyond the world. There is no way short of miracle or vile arconistics to travel to their homeland in the stars beyond the Dragon's Crown Isle. The only contact the mortal peoples of the world have with the Lanalfar is via their trading ships that descend from the heavens into the upper and mid skies. They are Dwar, their stature and their language reveals this clearly, but their eyes shine with the starlight that is their true home. Their skin glows with the energy celestial and if you touch one you can feel the heat of the realms beyond.
The Lanalfar keep the secrets of their homeland safe with them. They never speak of what their homeland is like, and are never quite clear as to why they are descending from the high realms into the world to trade goods with mortals. The fact is that they do, and are extremely good at it. Their presence is something fearful and causes merchants to react with awe. Their luminescent ships sail in a fashion unlike the Gnomish and Tolenese vessels. Few have been allowed to travel on the Lanalfar ships, but they claim that the vessels are larger on the inside than on the out. It would come as no surprise to anyone if the Lanalfar carried portals to their homelands with them on their miraculous star ships.
Speculations abound regarding the Lanalfar. They are mysterious and rarely speak. They make their transactions and move to the next port. Those that deal with them cannot say that they are not fair, and they pay almost exclusively in barter. It is not that they avoid crystal, but it seems they are more interested in moving goods from one location to another. Those that travel with them say that they do not eat. They do not sleep. They are not mortal. All these things may or may not be true. Such a mysterious people may take pains to increase the mystique of their nature. They are most certainly prone to singing together. Their songs burst from their docked ships with every dawn's light.
Visiting a Lanalfar is as simple as booking passage on their vessels. Despite countless peoples attempting to ride with them back into the stars the Lanalfar have refused to bring any with them to their homeland. They do not seem afraid of anyone. Simply certain that the peoples of the world cannot go with them back to their homeland. Many think that the reason for this is that we who live in this world are unable to survive either the transit or the arrival to the Lanalfar's homeland. The fact that none have ever seen them eat or sleep supports this theory quite strongly. While traveling with the Lanalfar be certain to be ready to prepare your own meals, as they wont.
A visiting Lanalfar crew are obsequies guests. They are quite, but not rude. They are do not eat but they will tell tales of their travels and speak of practical matters from the lands they have been to recently. There is not need to feed them as they will not eat regardless. There is no need to offer them lodging as they will return to their ship to rest. One certain way to make a good impression is to ask them to sing one of their songs. They love to sing and they have an amazing knack of being able to sing together. The language of the Lanalfar is such that while it is Dwar .. it is difficult to decipher the details of the songs. Regardless the sound is beautiful.
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