The Races of Amia

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The Races of Amia

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This thread contains useful information and tips about some races that live on Amia. This will be expanded in the future.


Information
Roleplay Tips
Moonseer Sui'Aerl Valis - Guardian of Moonpier
Ailahra - Servant of Nature
---
Also seen as [DM] Hlal or [DM] Dragonlady.
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Racial Starting Traits

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Racial Starting Ages

Random Racial Base Starting Ages in Years
  • Code: Select all

            Adulthood   Middle Age  Old Age  Venerable Age  Max Age
    Human      15          35          53         70        +2d20 years
    Dwarf      40          125         188        250       +2d100 years
    Elf        110         175         263        350       +4d100 years
    Gnome      40          100         150        200       +3d100 years
    Half-elf   20          62          93         125       +3d20 years
    Half-orc   14          30          45         60        +2d10 years
    Halfling   20          50          75         100       +5d20 years

Random Character Starting Age = Adulthood Age + the Following Based on Class

Barbarian, Rogue, Sorcerer
  • Code: Select all

    Human      +1d6 years
    Dwarf      +3d6 years
    Elf        +4d6 years
    Gnome      +4d6 years
    Half-elf   +1d6 years
    Half-orc   +1d4 years
    Halfling   +2d4 years

Bard, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger
  • Code: Select all

    Human      +1d6
    Dwarf      +5d6    
    Elf        +6d6   
    Gnome      +6d6  
    Half-elf   +2d6 
    Half-orc   +1d6 
    Halfling   +3d6
Cleric, Druid, Monk, Wizard
  • Code: Select all

    Human      +2d6
    Dwarf      +7d6     
    Elf        +10d6    
    Gnome      +9d6    
    Half-elf   +3d6   
    Half-orc   +2d6  
    Halfling   +4d6
Racial Starting Height & Weight

Note that not all of these races are standard subraces. Some will need to be requested before being played.


The dice roll given in the Height Modifier column determines the character’s extra height beyond the base height. That same number multiplied by the dice roll or quantity given in the Weight Modifier column determines the character’s extra weight beyond the base weight.

Eg.
Arctic Dwarf, Male.
Step A - Roll Height Modifier (example result = 2d4 = 4)
Step B - Add result to Base Height (example result = 2'8" + 4" = 3'0")
Step C - Multiply Height Modifier (Using the same roll) by the Weight Modifier (example result = 4 x (1d4) = 4 x (3) = 12)
Step D - Add result to Base Weight (example = 12 + 40 = 52)

Example Result = 3'0". 52lb.

Code: Select all

DWARVES                 Base    Height    Base      Weight
                        Height   Mod.    Weight      Mod.
  Arctic, Male.         2'8"     +2d4     50lb     x(1d4)lb 
  Arctic, Female.       2'4"     +2d4     40lb     x(1d4)lb
  Gold, Male.           3'9"     +2d4     130lb    x(2d6)lb
  Gold, Female.         3'7"     +2d4     100lb    x(2d6)lb
  Gray, Male.           3'9"     +2d4     110lb    x(2d4)lb
  Gray, Female.         3'7"     +2d4     80lb     x(2d4)lb
  Shield, Male.         4'2"     +2d4     145lb    x(2d4)lb
  Shield, Female.       4'0"     +2d4     110lb    x(2d4)lb
  Urdunnir, Male.       4'2"     +2d4     180lb    x(2d8)lb
  Urdunnir, Female.     4'0"     +2d4     150lb    x(2d8)lb
  Wild, Male.           2'8"     +2d4     50lb     x(1d4)lb
  Wild, Female.         2'6"     +2d4     40lb     x(1d4)lb

ELVES                   Base    Height    Base      Weight
                        Height   Mod.    Weight      Mod.
  Aquatic, Male.        4'10"    +2d10    100lb    x(2d4)lb
  Aquatic, Female.      4'5"     +2d10    80lb     x(2d4)lb
  Avariel, Male.        5'0"     +2d8     70lb     x(1d6)lb
  Avariel, Female.      4'8"     +2d8     65lb     x(1d6)lb
  Drow, Male.           4'5"     +2d6     85lb     x(1d6)lb
  Drow, Female.         4'5"     +2d6     80lb     x(1d6)lb
  Moon, Male.           4'10"    +2d10    90lb     x(2d4)lb
  Moon, Female.         4'5"     +2d10    70lb     x(2d4)lb
  Sun, Male.            4'10"    +2d10    90lb     x(2d4)lb
  Sun, Female.          4'5"     +2d10    70lb     x(2d4)lb
  Wild, Male.           4'10"    +2d10    100lb    x(2d4)lb
  Wild, Female.         4'5"     +2d10    80lb     x(2d4)lb
  Wood, Male.           4'10"    +2d10    100lb    x(2d4)lb
  Wood, Female.         4'5"     +2d10    80lb     x(2d4)lb

GNOMES                  Base    Height    Base      Weight
                        Height   Mod.    Weight      Mod.
  Deep, Male.           3'0"     +2d4     40lb     x(1)lb
  Deep, Female.         2'10"    +2d4     35lb     x(1)lb
  Forest, Male.         2'0"     +1d10    25lb     x(1)lb
  Forest, Female.       2'10"    +1d6     20lb     x(1)lb
  Rock, Male.           3'0"     +2d4     40lb     x(1)lb
  Rock, Female.         2'10"    +2d4     35lb     x(1)lb

HALF-ELVES              Base    Height    Base      Weight
                        Height   Mod.    Weight      Mod.
  Aquatic, Male.        4'10"    +2d10    120lb    x(2d4)lb
  Aquatic, Female.      4'5"     +2d10    85lb     x(2d4)lb
  Common, Male.         4'10"    +2d10    110lb    x(2d4)lb
  Common, Female.       4'5"     +2d10    80lb     x(2d4)lb
  Drow, Male.           4'7"     +2d8     100lb    x(2d4)lb
  Drow, Female.         4'5"     +2d8     80lb     x(2d4)lb

ORCS / HALF-ORCS        Base    Height    Base      Weight
                        Height   Mod.    Weight      Mod.
  Gray, Male.           4'10"    +2d12    150lb    x(2d6)lb
  Gray, Female.         4'5"     +2d12    110lb    x(2d6)lb
  Half, Male.           4'10"    +2d12    150lb    x(2d6)lb
  Half, Female.         4'5"     +2d12    110lb    x(2d6)lb
  Mountain, Male.       5'8"     +2d10    150lb    x(2d6)lb
  Mountain, Female.     5'0"     +2d10    115lb    x(2d6)lb
  Orog, Male.           5'10"    +2d10    160lb    x(2d6)lb
  Orog, Female.         5'2"     +2d10    125lb    x(2d6)lb

HALFLINGS               Base    Height    Base      Weight
                        Height   Mod.    Weight      Mod.
  Ghostwise, Male.      2'8"     +2d4     30lb     x(1)lb
  Ghostwise, Female.    2'6"     +2d4     25lb     x(1)lb
  Lightfoot, Male.      2'8"     +2d4     30lb     x(1)lb
  Lightfoot, Female.    2'6"     +2d4     25lb     x(1)lb
  Strongheart, Male.    2'8"     +2d4     30lb     x(1)lb
  Strongheart, Female.  2'6"     +2d4     25lb     x(1)lb

HUMANS                  Base    Height    Base      Weight
                        Height   Mod.    Weight      Mod.
  Human, Male.          4'10"    +2d10    120lb    x(2d4)lb
  Human, Female.        4'5"     +2d10    85lb     x(2d4)lb

AASIMAR
 >As base race

GENASI
 >As base race

TIEFLING
 >As base race
Moonseer Sui'Aerl Valis - Guardian of Moonpier
Ailahra - Servant of Nature
---
Also seen as [DM] Hlal or [DM] Dragonlady.
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Jes
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Roleplay Tips: Playing A Dwarf

Post by Jes »

Roleplay Tips: Playing A Dwarf

Roleplaying a Dwarf
by: Richard Di Ioia

Dwarven Mentality
  • Dwarves enjoy creating and doing. They are not a people given over to introspection and hypothetical outcomes. They are a patient, hard working people to who laziness and indulgence is seen as a sin. A dwarf will be single-minded in his tasks and will never accept anything less than his 100% effort. Many dwarven craftsmen have destroyed works that they felt were inferior to their best even though from other people's perspective the work was of greatest quality. Although given over to ensuring every detail is perfect, dwarves are not the sort to worry about those details. From a dwarven point of view, the details will be taken care of when it is their time to be looked into. This patient and steady work ethic has been so in-bred to the dwarven mentality that it becomes difficult to get a dwarf to rush a job or to cut corners even if his life is at stake. Dwarves will work only on one task at the time and rarely (if ever) do multiple tasks at once. If, for example, it takes three hours for a forge to be hot enough to work, a dwarf will patiently sit there and stare at the fire until it has reached the proper temperature. This has caused much confusion among humans who alternatively perceive dwarves as being hard working and industrious but then see them lazily sitting down smoking a pipe while watching a fire grow. A popular misconception among other races is that dwarves enjoy working. This is not completely true, a dwarf enjoys seeing the final result of his work. The work itself is a means to an end. For a dwarf, the final result is what counts.
Dwarven Family Life
  • Much like everything else in their lives, dwarven family life is patiently planned. Much like humans, a dwarf will remain married until death separates them. The dwarf will mourn the loss of his spouse for at least three years. These three years will be dedicated to creating a permanent reminder of what the spouse represented to the dwarf and to the community. Children are important to dwarves as they represent the ultimate opportunity for creation. Dwarven couples dedicate themselves to teaching as much as they can so that their children become the best at what they do. Within dwarven communities, having your children surpass your achievements is seen with great pride as it means that the parents are particularly gifted in raising children. Inversely, having a dwarven child turn out badly is one of the greatest disgraces that can be inflicted upon dwarven parents. The implications are that the parents have failed in this, their most important task. Many parents of troubled children have left their community with their spirits crushed. Their workmanship in all other tasks has almost always suffered as a result and their products become inferior to what they have worked before.
The Learning Process
  • A dwarven child will stay with his parents until he has reached his age of maturity. It is up to the parents of the child to raise him and to teach him a craft. It is very rare for a dwarf to have his child taught by someone else. This would entail some risk that the child grows up with less than perfect dwarven temperament. Dwarves will spend as many years as necessary learning their craft until they have achieved what their parents believe is the most they can be taught. From that point on, the dwarf is considered an adult and he moves out of his parent's home. The teaching process itself varies from family to family and is highly craft dependent. There is one craft that is not taught by the parents and that is the art of warfare. Starting at a young age, dwarven men and women are sent for training in the arts of combat. It must be noted that the warrior training is in addition to their regular training within their family craft. This training is given by the senior warriors of the clan and is geared towards teaching dwarves to work within a team as well as alone. Although this training is common to most dwarven clans, the dedication and level of training is highly dependent on the location of the clan. Dwarven clans living within peaceful lands will spend less time training for warfare and more on their regular crafts.
Dwarven Clans
  • The dwarven people are divided into autonomous and self-sufficient clans. This stems from the historical difficulties of communication and support between clans divided by mountain ranges. Although all dwarves share a common heritage and will do their outmost to support other dwarven clans, reality makes this a highly difficult task. Each clan has a hereditary clan chief that wields absolute power. A dwarven clan chief's word is law.
Dwarven Decision-Making
  • Dwarves make decisions through their clan chief or from their elders. A clan chief is the dwarf that has shown the greatest leadership ability in the clan. A clan chief is a life-time position but not hereditary. If a clan chief no longer feels that he is able to fulfill his responsibilities or has found another dwarf within the clan that would be a better leader, he will step down. Otherwise, he is only replaced once he dies. Unlike humans, dwarves do not go senile with age but continue in gaining wisdom. A dwarf's sense of tradition and learning has made it difficult for them to accept decisions made by those that are younger than them. For dwarves, age does mean wisdom and respect. For simple decisions the clan chief decides and the clan responds. For more complicated decisions, or those that have major ramifications, the clan chief calls a meeting with the elders of the clan. The elders discuss and debate while the clan chief listens. Once the clan chief feels that he has heard enough to make a proper decision, he calls the meeting to an end and states what the clan will do.
Dwarven Nobility
  • Dwarven nobility is not hereditary. Dwarven nobility is not the idle indulgence of the rich and powerful though. A dwarven noble is expected to work as hard, if not harder, than those that he leads. Dwarven nobles are a subset of the clan chiefs that comprise the overall dwarven people of a geographical area. The clan chiefs gather and choose one among them to lead them when a combined dwarven decision must be made. These decisions include calls for war, repopulating lands, signing of treaties, the amount of dwarven knowledge to release to non-dwarves, etc.
Dwarven Religion
  • The dwarves believe in a small pantheon of deities, with each deity overseeing the daily tasks that the dwarven people accomplish. As such, dwarves will pray to a deity whenever they work on a task for which that deity has a portfolio. Dwarven deities are rarely frivolous, but are mostly serious and task oriented. Dwarven prayers are short and practical with very little embellishments.
Dwarves at War
  • The dwarven warriors take to the task of killing with as much fervor and perfection as they do all other tasks. Once a dwarf has entered into combat he will never surrender and never work with half a heart. What makes dwarves particularly deadly in combat is their tenacity in the face of adversity. Dwarves will not hesitate in attacking even in situations where the losses would be horrendous. A perfectly planned campaign is what the dwarves strive for, with each dwarf doing his task of killing with the utmost efficiency. A dwarf will not hesitate for a split second in combat. If he has decided that there is a need to fight, he will fight even if at half strength or unarmed.
Moonseer Sui'Aerl Valis - Guardian of Moonpier
Ailahra - Servant of Nature
---
Also seen as [DM] Hlal or [DM] Dragonlady.
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Roleplay Tips: The Fey Races

Post by Jes »

Roleplay Tips: The Fey Races


This is a compilation of some parts of the D&D Sourcebook, The Complete Guide to Fey. On Amia, you can play your character as you deem appropriate, but these facts might be of interest to players of fey and feytouched characters alike.

Take the time to read this if you intend to request a fully fey character, or you can use it for fluff for your feytouched characters.

---

Physiology
  • When we examine a fey being, we notice that it appears to have been pulled, prodded, and warped, as indeed it has, though not physically. A fey’s features are an external view into its soul. The flesh that contains it is altered by the nature of the soul in many ways. Form follows the state of the soul, and the sight of a fey creature with features pulled taut is a revelation of the tenuous hold that beings that have come to this state have on existence.

    Fey are spirits bound into a fleshly form. They have skeletons but no naturally occurring internal organs or muscles as humans know them. They have blood of a sort, as all living things must, but they do not pump it through their systems by physical means. Instead, each has a hollow chamber within its ribcage that holds its heart, the focus of its soul. A fey heart is composed of energy, but it takes the illusory (figment) form of some symbol that represents the state of the fey’s soul.

    Each fey heart is different. A shee may have a glowing gemstone or a golden acorn, while a grogan might have a ball of brambles. A fey heart is the pattern that ties the spirit to the flesh, and its blood is the conduit that translates the will of that soul into action. Of course this heart is rarely if ever seen by others, but the fey knows it is there. It is a symbol that may recur in dealing with the individual or in his idioms, and he may bestow a gift that resembles it upon any he cares for.

    When a fey creature dies, its soul enters its heart, which then leaves his body in an ethereal form. Cast about on the winds of the Ethereal Plane, the lost fey soul begins to dissolve. Over time, this fragile soul will be torn apart completely, and it will be as if the fey had never existed.

Basic Needs
  • The creatures of faerie do not need to eat, sleep or breathe as a mortal does, though some choose to. Instead they are sustained by siphoning of the sparest amounts of magic and life energy from their surroundings. They are so efficient at this that they are able to do so without doing harm to plants or animals that may be in the area.
    • Eating
      Most times, fey do not need to eat at all. When they are in the wilds, they are able to sip in the nourishment they need from their surroundings. When they enter even the most slightly civilized area, however, they cannot find sustenance so easily. In such cases, they may eat by drawing the essence of food or drink into themselves. Such foodstuffs are destroyed in the process and turn gray and tasteless, leaving intact any water or other elements such as an apple’s skin that the delicate fey find difficult to digest, but turning all matter to something akin to ash. Unlike ash, however, this substance is useless, though thankfully without odor. An apple or two is often enough to feed a medium-sized being. Feeding upon the foyson of intoxicants has the same chance of bestowing the substance’s intoxicating (but not poisonous) effects upon the fey as if it had eaten or drank the substance.

      Sleeping (Reverie)
      Fey do not need to sleep or trance whatsoever. By default, spells and abilities are regained at dawn, though members of the Nightmare Court regain them at midnight. Not all fey are understanding of the mortal need for sleep, just as not all mortals are understanding of the boundless energy of the fey. This can create unusual conflicts when parties of mortal and fey cohabitate. Luckily there is an option that alleviates fey boredom when mortals need to “lie down for the whole night” as it has been put.

      Though a fey cannot sleep, it can dream. By relaxing, perhaps with a bit of wine, a fey creature can slip into a state of “reverie”: a focused delirium not unlike the state of being drugged, or a waking dream in which the fey creature can interact with whimsical characters and scenes, or even, with enough power, divine the past, present or future. The reverie is personal to each fey, though some are able to share it in the form of illusions or by projecting it into another’s mind. As a fey grows older, the draw of the reverie becomes stronger and stronger, for within it, the fey feels no pain and indeed is too euphoric to even pay much attention to his surroundings.

      Many if not most fey choose to live their entire lives in reverie, conducting both business and play according to rules based on dream logic to further compound the strictures of fey existence.


      Aging
      Fey do not age, unless they choose it for themselves. They may age or reverse apparent aging at the rate of one year per day, or slower if they wish. Most prefer to remain in a perpetual state of youth, but others choose the forms of children or the ancient. As they “age” in this way, they gain the outward traits of a mortal, such as white hair and wrinkles.

      Breathing
      Fey do not truly need to breathe as mortals do, as they have no natural lungs. Instead, they draw air or water, if they are able to breathe it, into their chest cavity, where their heart pulls the life energies they require into itself. However, this does not make them immune to the ill effects of suffocation or drowning or of attacks that depend on their victim’s breath. Air becomes devoid of life energies as living creatures take it in, so unless the air is replenished, a fey is just as susceptible to “suffocation” as a mortal. Each is attuned to the environment that surrounds him, and in order to maintain a link to life, he must use the air or water of his surroundings as a medium. In addition, unless the fey has developed the capability to extract the life energies from water (or another medium), he will not be able to sustain himself on it. So in essence, though he does not need to breathe, he might as well have to.

The Laws of the True Cycle (The Law)
  • The world of mortals is full of cycles: the seasons, the moon, the tides, and life itself. Beyond all of these things is the True Cycle, the hand or will that comprises and moves all of these things. Fey are outside of the True Cycle; it is not for them. The True Cycle is simply everything natural. Plants, animals, rocks, the sea, and even humans are actors in it. The world is the theater of life, and the True Cycle is the script. The act of performing magic rewrites this script and changes events from what they should be into what the spellcaster desires. Such petty spells are but ripples in the river that is the True Cycle, but beings like the fey are boulders or dams built in its way. Because fey are made of the very stuff of magic, their very being reworks the True Cycle in such a way that can threaten its existence. Like any natural thing, the True Cycle seeks the path of least resistance, and sometimes that means removing fey from its way. It is a force of nature, devoid of intellect, uncaring and unknowing.

    Every fey must respect the True Cycle and never interfere with it, unless it first interferes with them. They are not allowed to come into direct conflict with it, except to preserve themselves in the moment, though they are able to hasten its course, or to repair it should another damage it.

    Essentially, the Law says that fey are not allowed to interfere with the natural order of things. Therefore, they may not resurrect a mortal in its natural form after its years are done, they may not cause it to snow in an equatorial desert, and they may not cause the extinction of a race. Smaller influences may escape the force of the True Cycle, as the damage they do is undone quickly enough that the Cycle doesn’t build up behind the obstacle created. Below are the specific laws of the True Cycle. They apply mainly to spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities used by the fey, but truly egregious non-magical acts might bring them into effect. No matter the source of a fey’s spells, they must abide by these laws. Thus, for example, a fey sorcerer is still subject to them.
    • The Law of Balance
      If one gains, another must suffer. If a fey heals an innocent, it must also cause harm to one; if it gives wealth to one, it must take from another. The good give of themselves, while the evil take from others. In the above example, simply casting heal on an ally and doing damage to an enemy is not enough. Another innocent must be injured, with whatever alignment issues that might bring up. This is why many fey are neutral.

      The Law of Final Truth:
      One cannot deceive the True Cycle – at least for very long. A fey may quickly conjure or alter an item, to great effect. However, these changes are not truly real. Food conjured from nothingness offers no nourishment, and fey are at best temporarily in another place when they translocate to another area. In addition, a sorcerer cannot simply conjure an attack, unless this attack causes another to break a law or reveals the fact that it is breaking such a law in its own magics. For example, a fey may “heal” another without giving of himself or taking from another, but when the magic fades, all effects of wounds will accumulate on his person. Spells that create matter or that alter reality and have a duration of instantaneous or permanent, cause the fey to enter crux a number of hours equaling the fey’s level after they are cast, unless they are rectified.

      The Law of Propagation
      One can change the flow of the True Cycle, but one must be careful. Anything real that is to be done must arise from the original conditions of nature, as they are altered over time. There can be no truly instant creations, though more powerful fey may be able to act very quickly. This law means that the only time fey can safely “create” lightning is when there is a storm overhead. Another example is that to throw a fireball, the fey must first have at least a candle flame to build from. Matter may not be created or destroyed, but it can be pulled from the surrounding area. In other words, a fey must take something that already exists as the seed for any spells that it casts, if it is to avoid the possibility of crux. To safely use spells of a permanent nature, a fey must increase their casting times to a year and a day. A year indicates the length of one turn of the True Cycle on a given world, and a day allows the alteration to become real; it bridges two turns of the Cycle, and thus the Cycle’s flow is changed to accept it. Fey are able to cast the spells on their lists as they are written and without hindrance, even if casting them conflicts with the laws. However, doing so without heed can quickly lead to the fey’s demise. Each time that a (non-permanent, non-instantaneous) spell is cast without heed to the laws or that tries to find a loophole (there are none), the fey receives a grace period of a number of days equal to his caster level squared. If he has not brought the effects of his deeds back in line by this time, he reaches a crux.

Cynosures
  • Like undead, fey are incomplete souls, lacking in some fundamental resource. Unlike undead, however, most fey do not harm that which they need; they coexist with the object of their completion symbiotically. Rather than feeding them, per se, this need, when fulfilled, ties them to the world, preventing them from fading to nothingness. The thing that ties the fey to this world is called its cynosure. A cynosure is some being, place, idea or group which reinforces a fey being’s existence. It is a hand reaching out from the darkness that keeps them from falling from a precipice. By tying itself to a cynosure, the fey is able to borrow time. Even if the Overmind has already begun to forget, why not cast one’s lot with a race, the land, or the gods? As long as they remember, the Overmind cannot forget so easily.

    In a very real sense, the fey are stories told by the Overmind to itself, and sometimes other beings learn the secrets of these stories, and the fey live on in their tales, even when the Overmind has already begun to forget. A cynosure, once chosen, may not be abandoned unless the fey survives a crux imposed by forsaking it, but it may be slowly altered over time, as the object of the fey’s passion changes. Fey can take multiple cynosures, but this is usually not wise. Multiple fey may and usually do share a cynosure. More fey inhabiting an area increases their ability to protect it from threats that come from many angles at once.

    • Locale
      Fey who choose a locale as their cynosure must choose a contiguous feature of landscape, such as a river, forest, mountain, or lake. Even something so large as the sea could be chosen, in theory, but at great risk. This area must be protected. If any part of it is destroyed or damaged to the point that it can’t support life, the fey will enter a crux. They may leave it under normal circumstances but do so at their own risk. Most fey will resist changes to their locale, but some are content to allow mortals to inhabit it and to change it over generations. These fey change with the land, adopting local customs slowly and often seeming anachronistic where they are found. The typical portune exemplifies of this kind of adaptation.

      Group
      This may be a number of specific types of plants, creatures or sentient beings. This can range from a type of violet or a breed of fox, a fey host, or a subculture or tribe within a race, as long as it is clearly definable. If this group is ever wiped out or assimilated into another one, the fey will enter a crux.

      Rememberer
      A Rememberer is a single individual who has utter power over the fey who follow him. Casting one’s lot with such a being can be a very good decision, or a very bad one. On one hand, the being will seek to preserve itself and thereby the fey beneath him, but if the Rememberer so chooses, the fey can be destroyed on a whim. Most often, fey take a Rememberer as their cynosure out of ignorance or desperation.

      Ideal
      Only the most powerful and ancient fey have tied themselves to an ideal; for when they were formed, there were precious few places in creation. These ideals might be peace, justice, vengeance, truth, or rage ... or any other objective. If a fey ever fails to embody this ideal by directly acting against it, he will enter crux. A fey tied to an ideal may never abandon it, though they might change their interpretation of it, becoming darker or lighter. This cynosure is best reserved for NPCs, because it is a powerful and vague one. If a fey Rememberer chooses, it might have an ideal as its cynosure.

Cycles
  • Every fey has a purpose, either one chosen for herself or given to her at creation. Since fey are not part of the True Cycle, they must find their own. Cycle is as close to religion as most fey get. It is a set of ideals that those bound to it adhere to, and it grants powers to those in association with it. The cycle that a fey being belongs to defines the way that he or she uses and consumes natural energies, and the way that the fey creature may use the power he or she is given. It also serves as a measure of the fey’s remaining life force, for a fey can change the cycle he is aligned to by his actions. In this way cycle can be seen as a ladder. Descending this ladder is risky, for to travel beyond the lowest rung is certain death to the fair folk. As a fey lives through the ages, it most often will move down this ladder, rather than up.

    These cycles are more than simple delineations for fey; they are echoes of the cycles present in all of nature and in all of nature’s creations. Each cycle has a day when it is strongest and when its fey are at the peak of their power. On this day, a fey creature gains one bonus spell for each spell level he is able to cast. There are eight primary cycles of fey existence, just as there are eight phases of a moon, or eight turning points in a year. The cycles are:

    • Destiny
      The Destiny Cycle is one of promise. It is what makes kind beget its own kind, allows the sun and moon to rise every day and the seasons to change. Fey who are bound to the Destiny Cycle are among the most powerful and honor-bound of their kind. On extremely magical worlds, they help to maintain the natural order of time and keep nature’s schedule. The Destiny Cycle is also farthest removed from the petty concerns of mortals. What is a single lifetime in the grand theater of history?

      The Day of Destiny is the Summer Solstice. The host that upholds Destiny is the gentry.


      Transformation
      The Transformation Cycle is about change, such as the birth of a child or the butterfly that emerges from its chrysalis. It is the spark that is kindled into a flame, the moment that one thing becomes another or when a new role is taken in life. Members of the Transformation cycle are the tricksters and wise folk among the fey. They enjoy their supernatural abilities to walk in the shoes of another and are drawn to artistic performance. Their primary concern is knowledge, whether it be gained or given.

      The Day of Transformation is Midsummer’s Day. The host that upholds Transformation is the revelry.


      Creation
      The Creation Cycle is about genesis. It is the beginning of a long journey, or of the hope of spring to come. It is gestation, the first thaw of winter, the first stirrings within a seed. It is pattern untouched by decay, a pure idea at the moment of conception. It is as close to perfection as any mortal can come, for deeds can rarely meet the promise of ideas. Fey belonging to the Creation Cycle are the builders and architects of history and of matter. Those who fall into this cycle tend to be the fey that are most concerned with humanity, for it is by their deeds that all future history shall be written. Whatever course they take, they are often drawn into the beauty of their own work and are prone to covet what they create.

      The Day of Creation is the Spring Equinox. The portunes are the host that upholds Creation.


      Growth
      The Growth Cycle is present in the tree that strives to touch the sky, the yearling who becomes a stag, and the moon as it grows from a sliver into a disc. The growth cycle is the one that has given fey their false reputation as creatures of nature. Fey who belong to the Cycle of Growth are the protectors of life. They possess the most powerful healing magics of all the fey. The Growth Cycle is the one most concerned with the True Cycle.

      The Day of Growth is Mid-Spring’s Day. The yarthkin uphold the Growth Cycle.


      Mystery
      The Mystery Cycle is about secrets. It is evidenced in the power of an obscure blossom to cure a mortal plague, the markings that hide a predator or its prey, the fog that leads wanderers astray. It is dark truths whispered to a child as he sleeps, or the disheartening truth of a lover’s infidelity. Mystery Cycle fey are the most deceptive, the most vile, of all the Nightmare Court. They prefer stealth and numbers to a fair fight and have the least honor of the fey. Wicked and ugly, they wear cloaks of innocence and beauty to better set up their victims for the kill.

      The Day of Mystery is the Winter Solstice. The horde upholds the Mystery Cycle.


      Fortune
      The Fortune Cycle deals with luck. It represents the force that gives one child his father’s strength and another his stupidity. It is the early thaw that comes in time, or the early frost that kills the harvest – the give and take of nature’s whim. Fortune Cycle fey are the ones most concerned with material gain, and they hoard their riches to the detriment of others. Fey of the Fortune Cycle are the most likely to actually steal, rather than borrow, what they covet. These evil beings will allow suffering in others, even when they have plenty to spare.

      The Day of Fortune is Midwinter’s Day. The bogeys uphold the Fortune Cycle.


      World
      The World Cycle is about consequences and rewards. It is the time of harvest or famine, the ability of nature to give or to take. It is burnished gold, glittering silver, and the sparkle of a newly bought soul within a gem. Fey who uphold the World Cycle are the buyers and sellers, those who know a man’s price and are willing to meet it. These fey are the ones who steal mortals from their worlds and remake them as loyal new fey for the Nightmare Court. They are the most likely to wander dark roads at night and to come to a mortal in the hour of his greatest need and tempt him with what he desires most. They seek to gain power, to better corrupt civilizations, in order to cause their downfall.

      The Day of the World is the Autumn Equinox. The uninvited uphold the World Cycle.


      Death
      The Death Cycle is one of endings. The Death Cycle is about the chance at renewal that destruction brings. It is the teeth of the wolf biting at the stag’s throat, the setting of the sun, the dying ember. It is also the interval between notes, the heartbeat before a lunge, the child’s first step. For fey of the Dream Court, the Death Cycle is natural: predation to preserve a species, the last leaf falling from the trees before winter’s sleep. Nightmare Court fey come to this cycle when they have no further recourse for existence. For them, it is desperate, selfish, and cruel. They seek only destruction for nonfey creatures.

      The Day of Death is Mid-Autumn’s Day. The grims upholds the Death Cycle.


      Twilight
      The Twilight Cycle was destroyed for reasons unknown to most people.

Crux
  • The state of being fey is fragile at best. It is a walk along a thin precipice, and one misstep can cause a fall. When a fey being has committed an act that is exceedingly good, evil, lawful or chaotic or has betrayed the role of his cycle, he may come to a crux – a turning point with the power to kill, maim or leave the fey forever changed. “Crux” is the closest translation of the name the fey have for a transformation, an anagnorisis of some kind with the power to change the entire psyche and physicality of the creature.

    Any time a fey violates the Law, changes alignment, or violates his host restrictions, he comes to a crux. The results of this change may cause him to change host or court or even to die. Upon reaching a crux, the fey must make a Will save against a DC of 15 plus his own character level. Failure means he immediately and permanently loses two HD or levels, and is forced to save again or suffer the same fate immediately. Of course new save DCs are based on the current level. This process continues until either the fey makes his save or dies, as outlined below.

    Even if the save is made, the fey will dwindle, losing one level or hit die unless he opts to leave his court and enter another. Dream court fey may opt to enter the opposing host in the Nightmare court at any time after the transgression (including after a failed Will save but before the moment of death). They must change their alignment to evil, but for many this is better than to suffer the effects of dwindling or death. The dark ones welcome them with open arms. The reasons a good fey might opt to join the Nightmare court are twofold. He may rationalize at that last instant that he can work his way back into the good graces of his former allies, and he may fear for his life. For the nightmare court, there is no such option.

    A crux is a catastrophic event for a fey. If he even survives, he will be transformed; how much is simply a matter of how truly selfish he is.

    A crux is a spectacular if terrifying sight, and no two are alike. The energies of the True Cycle wash over the victim, and he suffers incredible agony. Those who stand by may hear incredible thunderclaps or feel powerful winds, which only adversely affect the victim of the crux. The fey may burst into flames, be struck by lightning, or be thrown violently around in an invisible zephyr or any number of primal tortures.

    At the moment of such an event, the entire cosmos is out to harm the transgressor, and no magic is powerful enough to stop it. Regardless of what happens, the one who suffers the crux is the only one in real danger, although if another fey attempted to interfere, he would call a crux down upon himself.

Cold Iron vulnerabity
  • All fey have a weakness in common, regardless of type. It is well known that they are unable to bear the touch of cold iron. This is because cold iron is the ultimate symbol of the prosaic world of mortality. What can be more ordinary, less magical, than a lump of iron prone to rust and decay? Iron, black as death or red as blood, is anathema to the fair folk. Cold iron is raw ore, with a high enough iron content to be worked, that has been beaten into shape without the use of heat. It is incredibly difficult to work properly, requiring an appropriate Craft check with a base DC of 20 plus the DC for crafting a similar item out of steel. Despite the ordinary nature of cold iron, this difficulty and its power over fey makes an item created from cold iron cost five times its normal price. Cold iron may not be enchanted with any magics aside from necromancy-based effects, or it loses its properties against fey.
    All fey are susceptible to cold iron. They will not willingly touch it, and if they are forced to do so, they receive a -4 penalty to all actions while they remain in contact with it. Any damage reductions they receive are bypassed by attacks from cold iron. In addition, fey may acquire additional weaknesses over the ages, as they change cycles.

Lexicon of Fey Terminology
  • All, The: Everything, everywhere, and every-when. Anything that can be named or conceived is a part of The All. The closest thing to a god for most fey.
    Blood, The: The source of the fey’s power, and the common link between them. The physical blood of a fey creature, and a metaphor for what they are. The Blood is revered as almost holy.
    Court: One of two groups of fey, based on alignment. These are the Court of Dreams, who are good (or neutral); the Court of Nightmare, who are evil (or neutral);
    Crux: When a fey has transgressed against the forces that sustain him and runs the risk of death, losing power, or changing from what he is into something else.
    Cycle: One of nine paths a fey may follow in order to maintain his hold on life.
    Cynosure: A person, place or thing that binds a fey to the world and prevents him from fading away.
    Gentry, The: Noble, trooping fey of the Dream Court. They are the protectors of the fey realm.
    Grims: Nightmare Court counterparts to yarthkins. Tend to live under bridges, in old dilapidated buildings and other such places.
    Hobs: Nightmare Court counterparts to portunes, concerned with greed and suffering.
    Horde, The: Nightmare Court counterparts to the gentry. Cowardly and violent, they wish to destroy all mortals.
    Host: Subgroups within the Court of Dreams and Nightmare who fulfill a purpose that helps their court. A host can serve as a fey’s cynosure.
    Dwindling: What happens to a fey who has entered crux, unless he opts to change court.
    Muryan: An ex-fey or his descendants. Muryans are mortal and part of the True Cycle. They are simultaneously pitied and admired among the fey.
    Overmind, The: The sentient part of The All. Fey believe that they are but dreams of the Overmind.
    Portunes: Host of Dream Court worker fey who are often the most concerned with mortals of any host.
    Rememberer: An intelligent being who serves as cynosurefor a group of fey. With this responsibility come certain powers and restrictions.
    Revelry, The: Dream Court fey who embody the pleasures of existence. Entertainers, tricksters, and hedonists. Among the fey, the role this host plays is highly respected.
    True Cycle: The natural order of things. The fey exist outside the True Cycle and must create their own, specialized cycles merely to interact with it.
    Uninvited, The: Nightmare Court Counterparts to the revelry. Concerned with making dark deals with humans, stealing children, and other diabolical pursuits.
    Yarthkins: Dream Court fey most concerned with protecting and nurturing natural places. Tend to live in unspoiled wilderness areas.
Moonseer Sui'Aerl Valis - Guardian of Moonpier
Ailahra - Servant of Nature
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Also seen as [DM] Hlal or [DM] Dragonlady.
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Jes
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Roleplay Tips: Playing a Drow

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Roleplay Tips: Playing a Drow

The drow, or dark elves, are an offshoot of the surface elves. Once a glorious nation, they were cast down during the Crown Wars for the terrible crimes they committed. They now live in the depths of the Underdark, the endless tunnels and caverns below Faerûn’s surface. The drow are built much like surface elves – slim and lithe. They tend to be marginally smaller than their surface-dwelling kin, however. Their dark, charcoal skin and contrasting white hair sets them apart from the rest.

Most drow worship Lolth. These evil drow compete with each other constantly; manipulation, subtlety and betrayal are the tools of drow politics. In Lolthite society, status is everything. The cities are matriarchal, with females ruling over males. While drow are generally chaotic, their society is very orderly on the outside, even to the extent of being totalitarian. They think of themselves as better than the barbaric lesser races, and will seemingly respect the hierarchy. However, this is only the facade: as long as you’re not caught, everything goes.

Those drow who abhor Lolth’s ways usually flee to the surface, where they often turn to Vhaeraun. Some may take to the ways of Eilistraee, as well. These drow are quite unorganized and not common, though they flock to Amia in hopes of finding sanctuary at Eilistraee’s Shrine located on the island.



General Drow Websites:
Moonseer Sui'Aerl Valis - Guardian of Moonpier
Ailahra - Servant of Nature
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Also seen as [DM] Hlal or [DM] Dragonlady.
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Jes
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Roleplay Tips: Shadovar

Post by Jes »

Roleplay Tips: Shadovar

The following is OOC information designed to aid those wishing to request a Shadovar character in generating their character's history and reasons for being in the Amia region, and is not to be taken as IC information except by approved Shadovar characters.


Amia Shadovar
  • Though Shadovar on Amia are not unheard of, they remain altogether rare due to the relatively low numbers which are sent from Thultanthar and due to their own affinity for sticking to the shadows. Despite the bulk of the Shade Enclave's resources being committed to combating the many threats the Enclave has faced since it's re-emergence onto the Prime Material - most notably the threat of Mystra's Chosen and the Northern Alliance - there remain two things about the Amia region which have caused them to divert some small amount of those resources.

    Several permanent and stable connections between the Shadow Plane and the Prime Material can be found either on Amia itself, or in areas such as Brogendenstein and the Frozenfar, as well as (it is rumored) other less traveled locations. For the Shadovar whose home has been the Shadow Plane for the last millennium, such ease of egress between these two planes is of particular interest to them from a strategic perspective.

    Of primary interest to the Shade Enclave however, was the presence of another Enclave of the ancient Netherese Empire, the island city-state known as Tarkuul which once frequented the waters around Amia and its neighboring environs. As Thultanthar continues its attempts to rebuild the long-shattered Empire in its own image, a second, functional Enclave would have proven an immense boon towards those efforts. Efforts over the years to draw Tarkuul under its wing had proven sluggish, and Tarkuul's recent destruction is viewed as a terrible loss to Thultanthar's goals. As such, the isle of Amia is viewed as an enemy to Shade Enclave and it is vitally important to gather information on the locale and its residents in the coming years.

    Of the twelve Princes of the Shade Enclave, two have shown particular interest in matters concerning Amia and Tarkuul's destruction. The ever-crafty Melegaunt had sent a Shade Agent to the Enclave of Tarkuul to oversee Thultanthar's interests there, but the agent has since relocated to Demonreach. It is well understood that any Shadovar sent to the region ultimately report to that Agent. Brennus the scholar, given his insatiable appetite for all knowledge and relics of the bygone Empire, has also taken a keen interest in the treasures Tarkuul may have left behind in the wake of its destruction. Though his primary responsibilities remain with the larger works of the Shade Enclave and its efforts to scour the Aunaroch, he does send the occasional Shadovar to aid in the efforts to reclaim any remnants of Tarkuul's former glory - and to ensure that said remnants lie firmly under the thumb of the Shade Enclave.

    Though exceedingly rare, some Shadovar have been known to flee Thultanthar now that it has returned to the Prime Material. Though the reasons for their decision vary - growing disillusioned with the Sharran faith as they learn of wider Faerun and the other religions therein, a desire to simply explore their newfound world, or any number of possibilities - the result is always the same. All Shadovar who desert the Shade Enclave are considered traitors to be executed by any loyal Shadovar agent who might find them. Only Shadovar under express orders are permitted to even leave the confines of the Enclave, and the strict hierarchy of the castes ensure that one's superiors - often the only ones who can confirm those orders - are kept safe above all others. Not only does military code demand it, but to ensure that one isn't branded a traitor for being "out without orders", one must ensure that the one who gave those orders lives to affirm them.
Moonseer Sui'Aerl Valis - Guardian of Moonpier
Ailahra - Servant of Nature
---
Also seen as [DM] Hlal or [DM] Dragonlady.
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