An Introduction to the Races of Adylheim

Dae'vol

The Dae'vol are a race of telepathic humanoids who live in a magical society south of the fiefdoms. They are generally slender and tall, with red to yellow skin striped with black. Dae'vol are incapable of communicating orally as they have no mouth. They make excellent magi and are in fact dependant on High Magic to stay alive.

Dragonkin

Dragonkin were created by the dragons to act as their servants. They are winged reptilian humanoids. Despite their reptilian appearance, they are warmblooded. They look much like dragons might have looked had they taken humanoid shape. Thanks to their hollow bones, Dragonkin are also lighter than a comparably sized human. Dragonkin live in temple cities on the tops of mountains which are rarely accessible except by flying.

Elves

Elves are perhaps the race which is the most similar to humans. They are a little shorter than humans and usually a lot lighter than them. Much like Dragonkin, they have hollow bones which enable to them to perform great feats of acrobatics. Though not typically a very beautiful race, Elves have an innate ability which allows them to create illusions called Glamours which make them look especially beautiful.

Half-Elves

As Elves are capable of producing offspring with humans, the end result ends up somewhere in between the two races. Not as long lived or as agile as the elves, and without their characteristic Glamours, yet stronger and more durable than most elves.

Ghosts

Ghosts are available as a playable race option only to characters that have died in character.

Humans

Humans are the primary race in Adylheim. They are the ones who have populated the seven fiefdoms. One of the major differences between humans and other races is that humans quickly evolve new cultures; other races are relatively monocultural.

Ogres

Ogres are a semi-amphibian race living to the east of the fiefdoms, capable of remaining submerged in water for over an hour thanks to their partially formed gills. They are known for their savage and warlike ways. In size, they are larger than any of the other races, with the exception of Ursidaen in bear form. Their appearance is generally taken to be physically repulsive by humans.

Half-ogres

Though Ogres are considered repulsive, mating between ogres and humans does happen and the resultant offspring ends up somewhat less than both races. They lack the strength and size of the Ogres, as well as their gills, but are somewhat smarter than Ogres and better at learning things of an abstract nature.

Ursidaen

Ursidaen are said to be a cursed offspring of humanity. They live in small villages in the northern mountain ranges, where they occasionally participate in raids on the northern fiefdoms. They are set aside from humans in that they are capable of transforming into bears at will.

Dae'vol

What the Other Races Know

What is immediately noticeable about Dae’vol society to an outsider is how much of a mystery it is. More is known about any of the other known races than is known about the Dae’vol and much of what is known is conflicting.

Diplomatic relations with the Dae’vol have always remained just cordial enough for trade to take place with them, selling both gems and precious metals at decent rates. In return, the Dae'vol often ask for furs, books or fine luxury items created by humans. They seem especially interested in trading things for books about themselves. This trading relationship is one sided though; Dae’vol merchants always approach human cities, not the other way around. No human has been known to set foot on Dae’vol lands for many years.

Their origin and biology is as much of a myth and a legend as their society is. Some claim that they are merely the surface version of the Mefici, others say they are the servants of the Mefici, or their masters. How they feed themselves without a mouth is as much of a mystery as anything else. Some claim they draw sustenance from the air itself, others that they absorb nutrition through their skin in regular baths.

What can definitely be said about them though is that their society uses powerful magic, no scrying magic has ever penetrated a Dae’vol city and trying too hard has killed more than one wizard. They never trade for any human-made magic items, claiming they are of little interest to them.

Another thing which can be said about them is that they purposely obscure any knowledge of their race. Their merchants are famous liars and have absolutely no problems with spreading conflicting stories about the same issue. Dae’vol merchants are infamous for cheating human merchants in what they consider entirely fair trades. The best advice for any merchant dealing with Dae’vol is to check the wares twice. This cultural difference has occasionally lead to some problems, with Dae’vol merchants being put in jail or even executed over claims of cheating. Dae’vol reactions to this always follow a pattern; Dae’vol will appear to get any Dae’vol out of jail and ensure he is not tested by magi, or the Dae’vol will kill the magistrate, the executioner, the plaintiff and anyone trying to inspect the body, before returning the body to Dae’vol lands. With this reputation, it is no surprise that the phrase “Honest as a Dae’vol” has become a phrase used to describe spinners of tall tales and liars.

Society

Dae’vol society is an intricate one, with multiple layers of nobility, clans and families ranging throughout. Every single position in Dae’vol society is said to come with at least four different allegiances. A Dae’vol name is usually a good way to indicate someone’s rank as they come in an order where the first part of a name is their official rank or position, the second is their family name and the third is the given name. One such name might be Dae Vol Menar. With the Dae being a position similar to a merchant or an ambassador.

Amongst themselves, the Dae’vol are known as the Dee’Gar (roughly pronounced Deyh Gahr), which translates roughly to the Awakened People. The reason they are named Dae’vol among the humans is that the first Dee’Gar to contact humans were Dae of the Vol family. The Dee’Gar have never bothered to fix this assumption among the humans, because it does not matter to them what they are called.

As a people, Dee’Gar are generally lacking in empathy for anyone not Dee’Gar and all have a taste for indulgence which often marks them as decidedly selfish when among other races.

Almost all Dee’Gar are raised with an innate High Magic talent. Those few who do not have have it do not live very long as their bodies are unable to sustain them. The vast majority are either Earth or Fire Magi, with those developing other talents often being given places high in the hierarchy of Dee’Gar society.

At the head of Dee’Gar society is the Council of Elders, who answer to the giant Mind Crystal which houses the minds of many of the greatest thinkers of the Dee’Gar race.

Physiology

Dee’Gar are tall and slim for the most part, recognizable by their skin, which goes the gamut from yellow to red, usually with black stripes of varying intensity. A few Dee’Gar end up with an entirely grey skin. Perhaps the most distinguishing feature of the Dee’Gar though is their lack of a mouth and nose where most other humanoids have them. The lower half of their face is left blank save for the odd stripe. Those Dee’Gar who end up with entirely black skin are taken aside and either put to death or work as the Aja’nak, the official assassins of the Council of Elders.

Their eyes, much like their skin, can go from yellow to red, with the odd blue appearing seemingly at random.

The innate High Magic talents the Dee’Gar possess is what allows them to feed. They take energy from this talent to energize their bodies. Unfortunately for them, while this process is mainly subconscious, it does require them to be in the presence of the necessary element to be fed. Luckily they can go for days without feeding.

These bodies are not the natural form of the Dee’Gar, but rather, has been carefully developed over the centuries, mostly in imitation of the other sentient races, though no Dee’Gar will admit to such a thing. They claim to be the first race and see themselves as perfecting the form used by others. Due to this Dee’Gar achieve a lot of stillbirths and children who are born different from how Dee’Gar generally look like. These children are usually killed at birth.

Dae’Vol Lands

The Growling Marshes

A plain some distance to the south of Andragoria, it is generally somewhat swampy though only very strange life forms find any purchase there. Lightning strikes are so common that no tree grows on this plain and the water is tainted by the ashes raining down from the nearby volcanoes. Crossing the Growling Marshes is considered extremely hazardous and most Dee’Gar avoid it.

Tek-hattn

The capital city of the Dee’Gar is a city of wonders. It is built into the wall of an active volcano and the air is too hot and poisonous for humans to handle for very long. The buildings are caves created by shifting the very rock around, all created through the use of High Magic, with expansive wards protecting the city from any unwanted magical intrusion. A large part of the city hangs directly over the molten lava of the volcano, with the volcano itself powering an array of magical machinery.

In the central spire, the Mind Crystal is held, protected by some of the most potent spells of protection to be found in Adylheim. Around it is the council hall of the Council of Elders who rule over the Dee’Gar. Tek-hattn has a population of 9,000 inhabitants.

Cria-thu

The second large city of the Dee’Gar contains just as many wards and magical machines as Tek-hattn. This one is built right on top of a convocation of a series of very potent leylines, and it is this energy which keeps the island city floating in the air. The large hunk of rock which Cria-Thu is made of floats with giant chains that keep it from drifting away and also offering one of the few options open to anyone wishing to enter the city. Cria-thu has a population of 7,000 inhabitants.

Dragonkin

Dragonkin are a race of reptilian humanoids created in the image of the dragons for which they originally toiled. They usually live secluded from other civilizations on the tall mountaintops of the Ribs, access to which is just about only achieved through the use of flight.

Physical Description

Dragonkin are warm-blooded reptiles. They often claim kinship to basilisks, lizards and other similar creatures, though they are truthfully not related to any of them. Their skin is covered with scales, whose colouring differs between the individual dragonkin, though one might be able to tell their family through the colouring. Their hands have four fingers, including a thumb, each adorned with a talon, each foot has four toes, though one of them protrudes from the heel, allowing them to grasp prey while in flight with their feet, or to land comfortably on branches. Perhaps their most distinguishing feature is the wings they have got on their backs. With these wings Dragonkin can fly comfortably, though injuries can ground them quickly enough.

Dragonkin are strong, especially in upper body strength, their bodies often tapering down to a slim waist beneath a bulky upper body. It is often hard for those who are not Dragonkin to see if a Dragonkin is female or not as there are no obvious visual signs of gender. Dragonkin lay eggs and do not breast feed their young.

Psyche and Demeanour

While it is, of course, wrong to make general statements regarding an entire race as there will always be exceptions, certain things can be said to be true of the Dragonkin. In general they are quick to comply to authority, they generally work well together and teach the subservience of the individual to the community.

While they are deeply religious, they keep their religion mainly to themselves. Dragonkin do not share their religion or culture with others, to do so is generally considered a crime and punishable by having one’s wings clipped. This lack of sharing insider information also extends to other areas. Dragonkin are known for their ability to keep secrets and is the origin of the phrase “Dragonkin Gossip”, which refers to something which does not exist.

History

The Dragonkin were created to be servants to the Dragons. There is no shame in this for them, they consider the Dragons to be their ancestors and worship them almost as gods. They spent their first years as a race learning to work in the service the Dragons and were expected to be obedient and good servants to them, those that failed to meet these expectations were destroyed or cast out for the greater good.

During the Dragonwars they were often used as soldiers and scouts. Though they proved to be fit to the task of soldiering, they were secondary to the vast magical clashes of the Dragons and they were slaughtered in these wars. As their usefulness became less, they were once more relegated to the roles of servants while other, more horrific creations took up the role of soldiers.

When the Dragons left the Dragonkin started what they called the Time of Mourning. It was during this time that they started building their nation, if it can be called such. The Dragonkin live in separate cities, all on top of mountains, which took generations to build. Although they all communicate and trade with each other, they are independent city states, sharing a common religion and race. In all the history of the Dragonkin since the Time of Mourning, they have not waged war on each other. Lacking a Dragon to direct them, their mountaintop cities maintain their isolation.

Territory

Dragonkin have series of cities at the top of mountains, creating their temple cities there. There is rarely any way up to these temples except flying.

Elves

Elves are a race which in appearance are very similar to that of humans. They do, however, tend to be somewhat shorter than humans and they are often much lighter than humans due to their hollow bones. By most they are considered to be rather lazy and whimsical creatures and since they lack any kind of permanent settlements, this is not a claim without virtue.

Physical Characteristics

Elves are short, though they still manage to appear thin and elegant. Many are tall enough to be mistaken for adult humans. Their ears end in points, rather than round off like human ears, though this gives them no special advantages when it comes to hearing. Their skin colours range from a pale white to a dark black without this having any kind of cultural significance among them.

They tend to move in quick bursts of speed rather than continuous movement. This serves them well in catching small animals. Their hollow bones also mean that they are lighter than a human of the same size and elves have been shown to be capable of feats of acrobatics which may astound any human.

Their lifespans tend to be much longer than those of humans, some living up to 200 years.

Culture & Organisation

Elven organisation is the potential butt of many human jokes, who do not see any organisation in their nomadic nature. Despite this, the elves are separated into several tribes which all have designated territories that they choose as their wandering, even though these frequently overlap. They often follow certain patterns in their constant migrations, where they choose to go to one area after another.

Elven society is ultimately a mobile one. They are nomads which travel from area to area, where they help themselves to the resources of the wild, before they move on once more. Elven tribes move over such vast territories that though they never stay longer than a single season in one place; it may be decades before they return to it. The sites elves use for their camps are usually deep within forests or places which are otherwise outside what many consider the civilization of humans. Elves do trade with human settlements, offering treated skins of superior quality and cured meats and delicious fruits for goods which they are not capable of producing on their own, though on the whole they prefer to stay out of the way of humans.

They mainly live in tents and abodes in the trees themselves, if they do not simply choose to sleep beneath the open sky. They rarely bring with them anything they do not need and this need to pack light mean they rarely collect items such as a human might. They treasure small and light valuables which are easy to move.

Their culture remains enigmatic to most humans, who rarely see any of it. Certainly they price music and dance highly and many of their more elaborate ceremonies deal with this. Their religion often seems to centre around Adienna, Il’unno and the Green Man. Which way they are going often depends on the Shaman, who is something of a mix between a priest and a mage. The Shaman uses a kind of scrying magic coupled with mantra to decide where to go next.

Magic

Elves rarely practise Low Magic, the amount of tools necessary for such a practise is usually contrary to the nomadic lifestyles of the elves. The exception to this rule is the Shaman, who practices simple scrying and mantra magic.

High magic practitioners among elves are more common than among humans. However, the majority of these have Plant Talent, which allow them to manipulate plants around them.

All elves possess a talent similar to High magic however, which is usually referred to as Glamour. These Glamours which elves cast are, at least in the beginning, fairly simple illusions. Usually they make the caster seem more elegant, prettier and generally better than they would without it. If the caster should choose to become more proficient in the use of Glamours, they have proven to be able to create great illusions, some trapping humans in snares of illusions which they are never able to get out of, forever chasing after sounds and figures which do not really exist.

Because Glamours are disrupted by iron, it is considered incredibly offensive to give an elf a ring or necklace or something similar of iron. Of course, the mere presence of iron on an elf is enough to keep it from casting Glamours, yet wearing a ring of iron or similar will not protect a human from Glamours. However, touching an illusion with iron will shatter it.

Half-Elves

Occasionally elves may produce offspring with humans, though this does not happen often. As all half-elves are infertile, no such thing as a quarter-elf exists. Half-elves usually end up somewhere in between humans and elves; they are usually stronger and larger than elves, but lack some of the speed and agility which serve the elves so well.

Their ears take on a more rounded shape than those of the elves, but do not entirely lose their points. No half-elves have the ability to produce Glamours.

Half-elves lead curious lives wherever they go. If they are born to human society, they will often long survive their peers and outlive their children, whereas if they live in elf society, they will age much faster than anyone else present. Due to the relative rarity of half-elves being born, half-elves rarely meet any of their own kind.

Ghosts

Ghosts are the insubstantial spirits of persons who have died. Freed of their flesh they can roam the world without needing to eat. Please note that Ghosts are currently only available as a race choice for PCs that died in character.

Physical Characteristics

Ghosts are insubstantial creatures who are extremely limited in their interaction with the real world. They have substance in the Spirit Realm, but are not able to easily affect the world. However, older ghosts can learn to not only appear as visions in the real world, but also move objects and take possession of mortals.

Organisation & Goals

Ghosts often spend their time seeking revenge on those who took their life or making sure to wrap up any business they had left before they die. Those who choose to linger around as a ghost will often not leave before this task is complete.

Skills

Ghosts retain the skills they had before their death. However, they are not capable of advancing these skills any further. The only skill ghosts are capable of picking up is the skill of manifestation.

Manifestation

0. This is where ghosts start out right after they have left their body. At this point they appear as nothing more than a cold breeze in the real world, though those who have access to the Spirit Realm may be able to talk to them.
1.
2. At this point the ghost may be able to appear as something of a blur in the air.
3.
4. The ghost has started gaining enough power to move small objects around.
5. The ghost can walk through walls.
6.
7. The ghost may appear as a distinct, albeit still somewhat transparent, figure.
8.
9.
10. The ghost can start move heavier objects around.
11.
12. At this level the ghost can take possession of a body for a limited time.
13.
14. The ghost may look indistinguishable from a normal person.
15.
16. The ghost can create convincing illusions.
17. At this point the ghost can take possession of a body for an extended period of time.
18.
19. At this level the ghost can start lifting heavy objects with ease.
20.
21.
22. At this point the ghost can lift multiple heavy objects at once with ease.
23.
24.
25.

Humans

Humans are the most populous of the races. They are the primary race in Adylheim; it is their nations which make up Adylheim and they are the primary inhabitants of it, though other races are also represented there. Humans are the most diverse of the races. Their culture depends vastly on where they are born and who they were born to, whereas other races are relatively monocultural.

Threakians

The Northmen of Adylheim, they are fair of eyes, hair and skin. They mainly populate the Northern fiefdoms, with some living further south. They’re a large people, though slow to anger and slow to joy. They value their appearance to others above all else and will go to great lengths to keep this image intact. They are related to the barbarians to the North, though they consider these people backwards and uncivilized.

Arameians

The Arameians are named after their primary city of Aram. They are a race of tall, pale humans. Most of them having dark hair and eyes. Across Adylheim they are often found in important positions if not always the top ones. Among the Arameians are counted some of the best administrative minds in Adylheim.

Arameians have a long history, stretching back to the start of the Empire. Though they allowed rival chieftains to keep their power, they subjected them to the Arameian throne and made them dependant on the administration of Arameian nobles. As the imperial system started to collapse, many of these nobles retained their positions.

Maradin

The dark skinned people of the seas, these men came from another continent long ago, they have settled along the coastlines of Adylheim. Their presence can be found on almost all ships patrolling off the coast of Adylheim, they are spread along the coast for the most part.

They are given to worshipping Erina, their rites of sacrifice often include throwing their sacrifice to the seas. Maradin are known for their wanderlust, rarely wishing to settle in any one place for too long. It is perhaps for this reason that some look upon them with suspicion, thinking they perhaps flee before their crimes are found out.

Soilien

The Soilien are the southern people; their olive skin and easy mood makes them one of the generally best liked peoples in Adylheim. They are known to be good hosts, generally hospitable and friendly, though with a great flair for drama and a tendency to be somewhat showy. Exaggerated gestures and long curses are often the order of the day, but where they are quick to condemn, they are equally quick to forgive. Soilien cuisine is known for being the best in Adylheim and is sought after in most places.Soilien mainly populate the southern fiefdoms, though they can be found elsewhere.

Ogres

Ogres are a large race, their brawn serving them more readily than their brains. They are viewed with extreme suspicion by humans, given their history of warfare with the humans of Adylheim. Regardless of this Ogres may occasionally be seen throughout Adylheim working as guards and warriors. Ogres have earned respect for their abilities in wartime, if nothing else.

Physical Characteristics

As a race Ogres are generally taller and wider across the shoulders than humans. Adapted as they are to life in the swamps their skin is usually various shades of green, grey or brown, often mottled. Though this skin may sometimes border on the translucent, offering those watching them an insight into the organs of the Ogre. Their eyes too follow this coloration, while the sclera is usually white (albeit just as often a pale yellow), the iris is usually green or brown.

They have a limited amphibian ability, and can stay submerged for almost an hour before needing to breathe. They are not capable of getting air from water as efficiently as they are from other sources and as such they can stay underwater for a long time, but must eventually come up to breathe again. Their fingers and toes are also webbed, making them excellent swimmers when they need to be.

It should be noted that where humans might have hair, Ogres have none, their eyes lack eyebrows and eyelashes, and are protected by an extra pair of eyelids instead.

Culture & Organisation

Ogres live in a tribes which are more or less constantly at war with each other over one thing or another. The eastern fiefdoms go to great lengths to keep this internecine warfare up so that they do not have to deal with a unification of the Ogran tribes, which might pose a substantial threat to the fiefdoms.

Within these tribes, Ogres often attain positions based on feats of strength and combat ability. The strongest and best fighter is ultimately the leader of his tribe, until someone deposes him by becoming stronger and better.

Ogre males run Ogre society to a great extent. Often the chief of any tribe of Ogres decides who gets to procreate, sometimes only giving himself and his chosen female this privilege and coups where the young are killed are common within Ogre society. Ogre women are often treated as little better than cattle, their purpose, according to the Ogres, is to gather and prepare food as well as caring for the young.

Half-Ogres

Half-Ogres occur only very infrequently, normally as the result of rape during raids on human villages. Since humans generally find ogres and their women rather repulsive, this happening any other way is rare in the extreme. The fate of half-ogres depend entirely on where they grow up. If they grow up in human society, they are usually outcasts because of their strange appearance, whereas in ogre society they are considered the runts and lack the true strength needed to rise high in ogre society.

Where half-ogres have a head start on ogres though is in terms of brain power. While ogres are by no means dumb, they could hardly be considered the height of intellect. They do, however, lack much of the amphibian ability of ogres and are not natural swimmers the way ogres are either, having to learn how to do even the most basic of strokes. Half-ogres are infertile so cannot produce offspring of their own.

Ursidaen

Ursidaen are generally considered to be an offshoot of the human race, their sole difference is the ability to turn into bearlike form at will. They live in small isolated communities in the North and are rarely seen in Adylheim.

Physical Characteristics

Ursidaen are, in most respects, entirely similar to humans. Their physique is similar, even though some have remarked that they are usually relatively short, sturdy and in possession of more body hair than is usual. Curly hair is especially common amongst the Ursidaen.

When they shapeshift they take on a bear-like form. They are different from normal bears in that they have opposable thumbs, though their paws are not nearly as good for fine manipulation as are human hands. They may look like different types of bear, some looking like black bears, other like brown bears, some even ending up as polar bears or grizzly bears. There is no known reason for why someone ends up as a specific type of bear.

Due to the relatively unstable nature of the Ursidaen, their children are often deformed and if their children are not either fully human or fully bear at birth, they are usually killed by their parents. Because of this unstable nature, mating with any other races do not produce desirable results.

The Transformation

Changing from their bear form to their human form (or the other way around) is a painful process for the Ursidaen. Their body physically changes and they are fully conscious while their bones shift inside their bodies, their muscles grow in record time and hairs sprout or fall off all over their body. The transformation usually takes around half an hour to an hour. Due to the painful nature of the transformation and the length it takes to complete, they may stay in one shape for months without reversing to their other form.

Culture & Organization

Ursidaen live in small villages led by the Council of the Elders. These attend to any day to day needs of those who live there, including picking those who will survive birthing. Decisions are usually made by consensus of the village.

Amongst themselves they speak a language called Sidaen, which can best be characterised as a series of growls and barks. The primary purpose of Sidaen is to be a tongue which can be spoken both in bear and human form.

Ursidaen rely primarily on primitive Low Magic for their magical rites, many of which involve Summoning and contacting local spirits to aid them and their village. Their religion is mainly animistic in origin, often offering sacrifice to local spirits rather than the Gods, though they do not claim the gods do not exist, merely that they do not have time for them and have better things to spend their time on.