Post by stabs felcher on Jun 16, 2006 4:00:45 GMT -5
From the book: "Demihumans of Crescentium" by Mintarin Maezorl
The Elves:
Of the tall, point-eared creatures known as elves there are two breeds; the fair folk known as the High Elves in the far west over the Stonewall Mountain Ranges, and the ghostly white folk known as the Majinar in the deep southern forests south of the Taridan Empire.
The fair folk exist primarily in a distant forest kingdom known as Letherin, which, near as I can translate, means "Forget Me" in their tongue. And the elves have done much to be forgotten by the human invaders to Crescentium. Indeed, I have discovered evidence which may even suggest that the Stonewall range was raised by the elves by a great magickal spell to close off their lands to the humans.
I have only ever met one elf, and he refused to confirm or deny my proposition, tricky and evasive folk that they are. However, a few do make it over the mountain range to Crescentium to live for a period about as long as a human life time. The elf I spoke to told me of the tragedy of outliving his friends, and gave the death of his adventuring company by old age as a reason for returning home.
As for the Majinar, I prey I never meet one. Swift and deadly, they only leave their forests to wreak terror among the humans who they consider to have infringed on their territory.
The Dwarves:
Perhaps the most outgoing of the demi-human races, it is not unheard of for the dwarves who live in the warrens beneath the Stonewall Mountains to venture forth and meet with humans, not for trade, not for treaties, but most often for drink and good times. Quite often the Adventurer's Society finds themselves with a few dwarves in their ranks, eagre for adventure, though one must be sure not to mention the scavenging taking place in their ancestral mines just east of Lorcae.
The Gnomes:
A good deal more reclusive than dwarves, gnomes meet with humans only when there is trading to be done. It is understood that their own coal mines have run dry, and so in recent years they have struck numerous deals with the humans of Lorcae, trading in trinkets which seem to fascinate the simple minded operators of the mining town. Gnomes seem the least likely to take up the life of adventuring, though one of the most famous members of Grey Ventures Incorporated was a gnome of noble birth among his people.
The Halflings:
Halflings are unusual in that they are the only demihuman species to have not abandoned the flatlands when the Astoran humans invaded. For good reason. The halflings are ravenously anthropophagic, and will attack and consume other humanoids on sight. Wandering humans seem to be their prime food source, though when pressed they will eat other demihumans, resorting only to animal life during times of great desperation.
The halflings largely dwell around the forests to the south of Holmgard, living in primitive dwellings and dressing in rags and furs. They ensure the mercenary trade enjoys good business guarding the caravans frequenting the roads between the northern and southern empires.
The Orcs:
There was a time when the orcs were a savage and warlike people. Thankfully, the brutish warlike clans have been purged from the lowlands, and only those willing to submit to human customs are allowed to live among us. Only one wartribe remains sovereign, the Gr'mache Clan who live far to the north, beyond even the freezing plateau where the highlanders now dwell.
In years past, racism towards orcs was rampant, and such attitudes prevail in the north where the people there have endured decades of warfare with the tribes. In contrast, the southern empire has many orcish businessmen and regard the greenskinned folk as on a level about equal to the highlanders, though the subject of interspecies breeding remains a taboo in the region.
The Monstrous Folk
Trolls, Ogres, Goblins and other monstrous humanoids largely stick to the outlying reaches of the empire nowadays. There was a time when they were hunted all but to extinction, however raids into the mountains and into the southern forests have become too costly and often return only one or two skins. These days their numbers grow all too high for comfort.
What is known is that these ancient creatures are much older than men, but they have deteriorated significantly over time. I once heard a tale of an ogre that had learned a few words of common, but I'm fairly sure the tale is purely apocrophyl, and designed to emote sympathy on the part of the monsters.
The Last of the Dragons
Massive. Lumbering. Barely of animal intelligence. Unimaginably powerful. These are the words my evil ancestor Maltarin used to describe the last of the dragons, now over 100 years dead. The dragon's tomb is now a major tourist attraction, and the slain beasts bones remain encased in lucite for any gawker to view for a mere silver piece.
As for how many dragons there might have been throughout the history of the continent, one has a hard time guessing. Perhaps no more than a dozen lived at any one time, and archeological evidence suggests that around thirty have lived and died in the lowlands since the time of the Eluthiites.
From the book: "The Elder Days" by Mintarin Maezorl
Chapter 2: The Before People:
It is believed that around a thousand years before the Astoran explorers first beached on the shores of Crescentium, an ancient humanoid race ruled over the land. Benevolent masters of the highlanders, native lore still contains many tales of the "Before People."
Believed to be vastly superior in intellect to the simple highlanders, the Before People, known in the academic world as the "Elluthiites" had vast empires spanning the breadth of the continent. Even today, it is not uncommon for a farmer plowing his fields to discover the cap of one of their buried civilizations, though for a people apparently so widespread, there are precious little artifacts remaining from their reign.
One remarkable development made by the Eluthiites however, is the concept of Magelock technology. The Eluthiites managed to fuse the two opposing concepts of magick and technology into one supremely functional force. Today, Magelock artifacts are generally confined to museums in Graven, and all efforts to study the devices have ended in vain.
The Elves:
Of the tall, point-eared creatures known as elves there are two breeds; the fair folk known as the High Elves in the far west over the Stonewall Mountain Ranges, and the ghostly white folk known as the Majinar in the deep southern forests south of the Taridan Empire.
The fair folk exist primarily in a distant forest kingdom known as Letherin, which, near as I can translate, means "Forget Me" in their tongue. And the elves have done much to be forgotten by the human invaders to Crescentium. Indeed, I have discovered evidence which may even suggest that the Stonewall range was raised by the elves by a great magickal spell to close off their lands to the humans.
I have only ever met one elf, and he refused to confirm or deny my proposition, tricky and evasive folk that they are. However, a few do make it over the mountain range to Crescentium to live for a period about as long as a human life time. The elf I spoke to told me of the tragedy of outliving his friends, and gave the death of his adventuring company by old age as a reason for returning home.
As for the Majinar, I prey I never meet one. Swift and deadly, they only leave their forests to wreak terror among the humans who they consider to have infringed on their territory.
The Dwarves:
Perhaps the most outgoing of the demi-human races, it is not unheard of for the dwarves who live in the warrens beneath the Stonewall Mountains to venture forth and meet with humans, not for trade, not for treaties, but most often for drink and good times. Quite often the Adventurer's Society finds themselves with a few dwarves in their ranks, eagre for adventure, though one must be sure not to mention the scavenging taking place in their ancestral mines just east of Lorcae.
The Gnomes:
A good deal more reclusive than dwarves, gnomes meet with humans only when there is trading to be done. It is understood that their own coal mines have run dry, and so in recent years they have struck numerous deals with the humans of Lorcae, trading in trinkets which seem to fascinate the simple minded operators of the mining town. Gnomes seem the least likely to take up the life of adventuring, though one of the most famous members of Grey Ventures Incorporated was a gnome of noble birth among his people.
The Halflings:
Halflings are unusual in that they are the only demihuman species to have not abandoned the flatlands when the Astoran humans invaded. For good reason. The halflings are ravenously anthropophagic, and will attack and consume other humanoids on sight. Wandering humans seem to be their prime food source, though when pressed they will eat other demihumans, resorting only to animal life during times of great desperation.
The halflings largely dwell around the forests to the south of Holmgard, living in primitive dwellings and dressing in rags and furs. They ensure the mercenary trade enjoys good business guarding the caravans frequenting the roads between the northern and southern empires.
The Orcs:
There was a time when the orcs were a savage and warlike people. Thankfully, the brutish warlike clans have been purged from the lowlands, and only those willing to submit to human customs are allowed to live among us. Only one wartribe remains sovereign, the Gr'mache Clan who live far to the north, beyond even the freezing plateau where the highlanders now dwell.
In years past, racism towards orcs was rampant, and such attitudes prevail in the north where the people there have endured decades of warfare with the tribes. In contrast, the southern empire has many orcish businessmen and regard the greenskinned folk as on a level about equal to the highlanders, though the subject of interspecies breeding remains a taboo in the region.
The Monstrous Folk
Trolls, Ogres, Goblins and other monstrous humanoids largely stick to the outlying reaches of the empire nowadays. There was a time when they were hunted all but to extinction, however raids into the mountains and into the southern forests have become too costly and often return only one or two skins. These days their numbers grow all too high for comfort.
What is known is that these ancient creatures are much older than men, but they have deteriorated significantly over time. I once heard a tale of an ogre that had learned a few words of common, but I'm fairly sure the tale is purely apocrophyl, and designed to emote sympathy on the part of the monsters.
The Last of the Dragons
Massive. Lumbering. Barely of animal intelligence. Unimaginably powerful. These are the words my evil ancestor Maltarin used to describe the last of the dragons, now over 100 years dead. The dragon's tomb is now a major tourist attraction, and the slain beasts bones remain encased in lucite for any gawker to view for a mere silver piece.
As for how many dragons there might have been throughout the history of the continent, one has a hard time guessing. Perhaps no more than a dozen lived at any one time, and archeological evidence suggests that around thirty have lived and died in the lowlands since the time of the Eluthiites.
From the book: "The Elder Days" by Mintarin Maezorl
Chapter 2: The Before People:
It is believed that around a thousand years before the Astoran explorers first beached on the shores of Crescentium, an ancient humanoid race ruled over the land. Benevolent masters of the highlanders, native lore still contains many tales of the "Before People."
Believed to be vastly superior in intellect to the simple highlanders, the Before People, known in the academic world as the "Elluthiites" had vast empires spanning the breadth of the continent. Even today, it is not uncommon for a farmer plowing his fields to discover the cap of one of their buried civilizations, though for a people apparently so widespread, there are precious little artifacts remaining from their reign.
One remarkable development made by the Eluthiites however, is the concept of Magelock technology. The Eluthiites managed to fuse the two opposing concepts of magick and technology into one supremely functional force. Today, Magelock artifacts are generally confined to museums in Graven, and all efforts to study the devices have ended in vain.