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Here's the rules:
1. Roll a d100 five times, either with real dice or on Invisible Castle or some other dicerolling website if you wish to confirm your numbers here.
2. The corresponding numbers will show you the five races on the list that will be the player races for your setting. These five races are the only "default assumption" choices for your setting's player race options.
3. Write up a setting with those five races! It can be as simple or as highly developed as you want. From a few short paragraphs to an essay. The only requirement is that all five of your races must have a place in the setting. None of them can just be a footnote compared to the rest. You might want to consider the environment, how the races relate to each other, their origins, cultures, etc.
4. Assume that all of your races are "powered down" (or in rare cases, "powered up", so that they are balanced within reason. You can assume this works any number of ways, from the Savage Species route where races start weak "level up" as their race or that they're just watered down variants of those races.
5. If you get the same number more than once, you have two(or more) very different variants of that race, like the divide between elves and drow.
6. Individuals of all five races must be able to be in a party together.
7. Have FUN. Make it a world you would enjoy playing in or running. If you get a race you really don't like, put a new spin on them. You're not bound to flavor, alignment, aesthetics, or setting expectations save for what you want in your new setting. Make these races your own.
Who knows, you might have some new ideas you want to use in your games, or some that someone else may want to use!
1. Human
2. Elf
3. Dwarf
4. Half-Orc
5. Half-Elf
6. Halfling
7. Gnome
8. Orc
9. Goblin
10. Hobgoblin
11. Drow
12. Tiefling (humanoids with fiend ancestry)
13. Aasimar (humanoids with celestial ancestry)
14. Fetchling (humanoids with shae ancestry)
15. Ifrit (humanoids with efreet ancestry)
16. Undine (humanoids with marid ancestry)
17. Sylph (humanoids with djinn ancestry)
18. Oread (humanoids with shaitan ancestry)
19. Suli (humanoids with jann ancestry)
20. Dhampir (half-humanoid/half-vampire)
21. Changeling (hag-kin) (the children of humanoid males and hags)
22. Catfolk
23. Lizardfolk
24. Ratfolk
25. Vanara (monkey-folk)
26. Vishkanya (humanoids with slight snake-like features and poisonous blood)
27. Strix (black, avian humanoids with harpy-like builds)
28. Tengu
29. Merfolk
30. Gillmen
31. Duergar
32. Derro
33. Svirfneblin
34. Kitsune (shapechanging fox-folk)
35. Nagaji (reptilian humanoids originally created by the naga as a servant race)
36. Samsaran (reincarnated blue-skinned humanoids)
37. Wayang (gnome-like beings with roots in the Shadow Plane)
38. Grippli
39. Kobold
40. Ogre
41. Dryad
42. Satyr
43. Pixie
44. Nymph
45. Sprite
46. Forlarren (bipolar fey born from the unions of nymphs and fiends)
47. Nereid (aquatic nymph-like fey)
48. Nixie
49. Treant
50. Faun
51. Centaur
52. Harpy
53. Medusa
54. Naga
55. Gargoyle
56. Minotaur
57. Troll
58. Gnoll
59. Adlet (barbaric wolf-like humanoids)
60. Vegepygmy
61. Sahuagin
62. Cecaelia (merfolk-like humanoids, with octopus tentacles instead of a fish tail)
63. Grindylow (the goblin equivalent of Cecaelia)
64. Locathah
65. Derhii (winged, intelligent gorillas)
66. Girtablilu (centauroids with a scorpion-like lower half + claws)
67. Sasquatch
68. Tanuki (short raccoon-like humanoids)
69. Thriae (all female-race of bee people)
70. Spriggan
71. Dark Folk
72. Drider
73. Mongrelman
74. Serpentfolk
75. Ettercap
76. Shae (humanoids made of solid shadow)
77. Flumph
78. Vodyanoi (salamander-like humanoids)
79. Ghoul
80. Vampire
81. Gearman/Warforged (mechanical humanoids)
82. Changeling(doppleganger-kin) (descendants of humanoids and dopplegangers)
83. Shifter (descendants of humanoids and lycanthropes)
84. Uldra (small blue-skinned fey adapted for cold environments)
85. Darfellan (powerful humanoids with orca-like skin)
86. Asherati (desert-dwelling hairless elf-like beings capable of swimming through sand)
87. Illumian (human-like beings infused with sorcery with glowing sigils floating around their heads)
88. Raptoran (winged and taloned elf-like race)
89. Goliath (tall, strong humanoids with stony appearances and tough hides)
90. Dragonborn (draconic humanoids)
91. Aberration-based Humanoid (wildcard, make your own!)
92. Construct-based Humanoid (wildcard, make your own!)
93. Dragon-based Humanoid (wildcard, make your own!)
94. Ooze-based Humanoid (wildcard, make your own!)
95. Plant-based Humanoid (wildcard, make your own!)
96. Thri-Kreen (four armed insectoid race)
97. Bariaur (centauroid with a mountain goat-like lower half)
98. Rogue Modron (free-willed box-like construct)
99. Mul (half-human/half-dwarf hybrid)
00. Pseudodragon
If you need more information on any of these races, just ask!
Credit where credit's due:
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Once inhabited by an expansive and advanced human empire, this half-drowned world is only now recovering from a dark age brought about by that same empire's hubris.
This empire was built largely on the backs of an instectoid slave race, engineered by humans to be their labor, their soldiers, and in some cases their food. Towering spires and expansive cities built of chitin and resin gleamed in the light of a sun humanity was sure would always shine on them, even as they descended into decadence and cruelty. When the slave race showed signs of developing sentience and free will, this cruelty only grew sharper in purpose. When the Sun Empress decreed that their slaves be re-engineered to "correct" this anomaly, the wrath of the gods fell upon the world.
The sun was blotted out, casting the world into darkness. The oceans flooded and washed over the great cities of mankind. Creatures of the night that had once been held at bay by the slaves fell upon their defenseless masters, bringing in the short age of the vampire kingdoms.
As the humans struggled for survival, the slave race that would become the thri-kreen turned towards weathering the storm. They went into the mountains, creating their hive cities where they would continue to evolve and determine their own uncertain future. Meanwhile, the former masters of the world were left at the mercy of the undead, which was now flourishing in the dark and as the waters drove the living into their embrace.
Then, from the darkness came the Shae. And from the waters came the marids. Both of these capricious and proud otherworldly races made humanity an offer: They could be slaves and food to the vampires, or they could be slaves and safe under their generous protection. Once haughty humanity chose to survive.
An age passed, with the Shae and Marids reshaping humanity to suit thier needs and whims. Many of the vampire kingdoms imploded as poor planning and a lack of restraint drained their food supply dry, leaving only the sturdier half-breeds in their place. And the thri-kreen continued to develop, nurturing a battered ecology through the long darkness.
Then the sun finally rose once again. The age of darkness ended. The world was no longer so appealing to the Shae, most of whom left it and their subjects behind to find another, more interesting world. The marids as well had largely grown weary of this world and their tamed subjects, and likewise mostly left them behind save for a few of the nobility. The marid-borne undines and the gillmen slave caste ventured back to what little land was left. The shadowy fetchlings ventured back out into a blindingly bright world. And the dhampir dared to strike their masters.
All of these disparate scions of humanity found that the archipelagos that now comprised most of the land of this world were slowly recovering, the old flora and fauna returning alongside those that had adapted for the long dark and the deep flood. And this was by the thri-kreen's hands, who had been the first to re-establish civilization in the Age of the Risen Sun. Where humanity had been subjugated and tamed, the thri-kreen had been elevated. Those human-descended that remembered something of the old Age of the Sun recalled that the Thri-Kreen had once been their slaves, and some blamed them for the fall of Man. In some lands, new-humanity has attempted to subjugate the thri-kreen once more. In others, the thri-kreen have enslaved the descendants of their former masters, offering them the same measure of protection as the Shae and Marid lords.
But in most, the five races, all former slaves, live alongside each other, often with difficulty, but sometimes less than one would have assumed during the First Age.
Yet still, the masters of old remain, some of them all too eager to retake what was once theres. Some marids wish to complete the flooding of the world. Some Shae wish for a return of an eternal twilight. The surviving vampire kingdoms wish to reclaim their pride. And a few "pure" humans, largely unknown to the modern world, wish for a return to the old age, an age without the tainted bloodlines of the fetchlings, dhampir, undines, or gillmen. An age where "true" humans walked upon the labor of thri-kreen backs. Such is the demand of the withered Sun Empress.
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I'm going to give this a go. Won't include any races that have already come up.
1. 1d100 ⇒ 63 ⇒ Grindylow
2. 1d100 ⇒ 87 ⇒ Illumian
3. 1d100 ⇒ 91 ⇒ Aberration-based Humanoid (wildcard, make your own!)
4. 1d100 ⇒ 94 ⇒ Ooze-based Humanoid (wildcard, make your own!)
5. 1d100 ⇒ 98 ⇒ Rogue Modron (free-willed box-like construct)
... This one will be weird.
So we have carnivorous shark-goblin-octopi, psychic people I know nothing of, the two weirdest wildcards, and Rogue Modrons.
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I'm going to give this a go. Won't include any races that have already come up.
1. 1d100 ⇒ 63 ⇒ Grindylow
2. 1d100 ⇒ 87 ⇒ Illumian
3. 1d100 ⇒ 91 ⇒ Aberration-based Humanoid (wildcard, make your own!)
4. 1d100 ⇒ 94 ⇒ Ooze-based Humanoid (wildcard, make your own!)
5. 1d100 ⇒ 98 ⇒ Rogue Modron (free-willed box-like construct)... This one will be weird.
So we have carnivorous shark-goblin-octopi, psychic people I know nothing of, the two weirdest wildcards, and Rogue Modrons.
Okay.
Here we go.
The Ilumians dominate most of the planet, and seek to , well, understand everything, and master every skill.
The plane that the planet is in is located near mechanus, and occasionally Modrons spring up in the world, unconnected to the modrons of mechanus, or eachother.
The Illumians and the Modrons run large metropoli together, with the modrons serving as civil servants, and the Illumians serving in the other roles.
The seas are ruled by Grindylow, unusual goblinoids who keep sharks and octopy as pets. They occasionally raid coastal cities. Grindylow, at some point in history found an ambitious illumian who wanted to master the creation of life. The grindylow were pleased to fund his research. He created several creatures for them, most were aquatic beasts, which the grindylow were able to tame. He also created a sort of parasite, which consume small quantities of blood, breathe air, and excrete water, as well as plants that create air from water. The Grindylow use these parasites for extended surface raids. The most terrifying beast the illumian made for the grindylow is the Sharktopus.
The illumians and grindylow have a common enemy: An oozelike creature which will seep into an illumian or grindylow host, take over their body, and spread chaos and destruction. Unfortunately, when in a host, these oozelike creatures are hard to detect. They are regenerative, and resilient against most forms of damage, with the exception being sound hurst them normally (DR something/Sonic).
As for the aberration: I got nothing. I'd need to doodle something up first.
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Shandko-Lat: The Endless Canopy
None have seen the sky in the unending jungle of Shandko-Lat. The trees dwarf even the greatest of the gargoyle cities, their vast branches choke the light from the sun. It is in the endless dappled shadow that the creatures of Shandko-Lat live.
The Gargoyles were the first, carved from the rough stone of the Livestone Rift. None among the Gargoyles know who it was that carved them, or the grand cities that exist among the roots of Shandko-Lat's impossibly large trees. Yet all among the gargoyle race feel a powerful connection to the ruined cities. The Sylph maintain it was genie kind who breathed elemental life into the Gargoyles, but the alien faces carved into the facades of the old temples say otherwise. Among the Gargoyles there is a phrase: "We are the stone we're cut from", it means many things to the race but chiefly that destiny is precarved for all. Gargoyles are obsessed with protecting the ruined places of the world, and gargoyle adventurers often seek out ancient treasures among the abandoned cities of Shandko-Lat in order to retrieve them and keep them safe in the grand Cathedrals of the race.
Driven from the underworld of Shandko-Lat by the mad Derro, Shae have become a part of the cities of Shandko-Lat. Haughty, mysterious and beautiful Shae often see the other races of Shandko-Lat as lesser beings or useful tools. Yet now that they are displaced they are forced to rely on the grace of the Gargoyles and Sylphs, living in the shadows of these lesser races. Shae adventurers are usually unhappy with life in their alienages and seek to return to their beautiful glittering spires in the underworld of Shandko-Lat, although it pains them to admit that they may need the help of others to do so.
In the high branches of Shandko-Lat are the Sylph cities, strung between branches of trees like glittering webs. The Sylph are all that remains of the Genie culture that once dominated the skies of Shandko-Lat before the trees crowded out the sky. They believe that they were once full-blooded genie, but with the sky blocked by Shandko-Lat's extensive canopy their connection to the plane of air is waning. Occasionally a Sylph drops to the surface of Shandko-Lat, rarely do the cities have a direct connection to the surface. As such Sylph adventurers often adventure to gain enough power or magic to fly or climb back to their cities in the high branches.
Burrowing through the trees of Shandko-Lat are the termite-like Thri-Kreen. These insectile creatures are all almost overwhelmingly male, the rare female are treated as queens among their race. Many Thri-Kreen enjoy the closeness of their hive-cities and will gladly lay down their lives to protect the lives of everyone within them. Others though feel disconnected from the bustle of the city, and often seek remote areas of the world to become hermits and yogis. Adventuring Thri-Kreen are usually males seeking to gain a glorious reputation in order to win the right to mate and father the next generation of Thri-Kreen. Rarely a Thri-Kreen is an individualist seeking enlightenment and answers to the most vexing spiritual questions through a life of personal testing.
The last of the races, spontaneously generating from the undergrowth of Shandko-Lat are the Vegepygmies. Wild and unpredictable, Vegepygmies travel the undergrowth and branches of Shandko-Lat in order to protect the environments of the world. Occasionally a tribe of Vegepygmies adopt a tree to protect and often worship Dryads as direct emissaries of nature. Adventuring Vegypygmies are often on a vision quest, usually mandated by a tribal shaman or a dryad, sometimes these quests are simple but occasionally they can be life-long endeavors such as "see all threats to the Red Tree of Shulat destroyed" or "Find the Chalice of Dust". Occasionally an adventuring Vegypygmy has failed a vision quest and can't bear the shame of returning to their tribe as a failure seeking a new life in the Gargoyle cities.
There are many threats in Shandko-Lat, shadow monsters stalk the darkened undergrowth of the world, draining what energy they can. The plants of Shandko-Lat are particularly aggressive often growing to monstrous proportion and feeding on the flesh of the world's denizens. Dinosaurs and Dire Animals of all kind stalk the world. In the underworld the mad Derro squat in the once beautiful glittering Shae cities, from there they send forth their aberrant to the surface for reasons still unknown to the mortal races of Shandko-Lat.
Rolled some dice earlier and got
Medusa
Satyr
Pixie
Elf
Suli
4 out of 5 suggest a woodland themes world. Will work on this over the next couple of days.
OOOHHHH.... I likey.
=Lizardfolk
=Samsaran
=Ooze-Based Humanoid
=Sasquatch
=Kobold
Hmm... that's... tough. We'll see what I think up.
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16. Undine(Aquaman)
24. Rat folk (Splinter)
50. Faun( Deer people?)
56. Minotoaur ( Cow people w/o hats)
95. Plant based humanoid( Poison Ivy circa. 1997)
AfterEarth
In a land where modern people have been naturalized by Guya, the Spirit of Earth; people have been turned into beastly forms as punishment for their sins.
The cities are now inhabitied by Ratfolk, not willing, but able to leave their homes during the day.
Those of islands and coastal lands have transformed into Undine.
Those from the plains have become nomadic minotaurs.
The forests are home to the Faun.
Leading the endless revitalization of Earth, are the Guyians ( Plant people). They long for the day when all that was natural returns.
I was thinking d20 modern.
(Mind you, I am currently in the hospital, and I wrote this all on my iPad.)
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Wow Dudemeister. Awesome Setting.
I like that theres no guarantee youll get humans elves or dwarves.
Thanks DH! The races were a really odd mix and while Gargoyles and Shae lent themselves to a neat gothic setting, the elemental, plant and insectile nature of the other races would have been a difficult fit.
I've always been fascinated by the ruins of Angkor Wat and the idea of lost temples and cities deep in the jungle. So I decided to fit the Shae and Gargoyles into the Jungle, I feel it works well. I also love a sense of scale, and the idea of the races of a world being almost ant-like compared to world they inhabit. In any case Shadko-Lat would make an interesting demi-plane for a group of PCs to visit. Perhaps created by an ancient cyclops wizard before the Age of Darkness.
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Maelstrom
The planet of Maelstrom is still forming. Pools of magma and water form and change constantly. Maps are inconstant, as the landscape can change year by year. The elements are in constant conflict, with the earth opening and crashing together into new, dark mountain ranges as the plates shift, the wind whistling and storming as the lightning crashes to the earth, the waters shifting and the oceans moving in decades rather than millennia and the volcanoes and harsh sun throwing fire into and from the sky. Each of the races holds a connection to these ancient elements of Maelstrom.
Kobolds are the little dragons. A race of fire-loving and living creatures, they believe that the planet is truly one great fire dragon, held imprisoned by the other elements. They worship this 'Life Dragon' as their god, and believe that those elevated enough by its power will become Dragons themselves, a goal every kobold strives for. They also believe that the sun, which hurts them so much, is the 'Dark Dragon' and that it's rays are pure hatred, burning down on the Life Dragon, who forgives his brother. Kobolds tend to think of every action for a long time, trying to decide if it would bring pride to the Life Dragon, making them a very conservative and careful people. Kobold adventurers tend to be the voice of reason and caution in a group and gravitate toward mystic pursuits.
Sasquatch are the earth peoples, given the power of the land in their very bones. They are often brash and impulsive, always happy to share a tale or a tankard of mushroom spirits (Weak but flavorful). The Sasquatches are not a warlike people, though they are fierce in martial battle when provoked and their earth shamans can change the battlefield to suit them. Living within the stone houses or caves in large family clans of hundreds, the Sasquatch families are fiercely protective of home and clan. Sasquatch adventurers tend to be chaotic to the point of confusion, and tend toward martial classes.
Samsaran are the intelligent and dour people of the skies. Worshipping the wind as 'the souls of those not yet reborn', the Samsaran remember snippets of their past lives, giving them a far better grasp of the intricate arts of sorcery than many of the other races, and far less fear of death. The Samsaran give no thought to creating things to outlast them, as they know that their seers will still have memories from the ancestors, meaning that creating a mark on the world is as easy as living in it. The blue people are naturally communal, helping all their neighbors with anything they can. Samsaran adventurers are often arcane or divine casters, though they have a decent warrior tradition which focuses more on defence than offence.
Uden are the shifting people of the seas. With a fluid, shifting form and attitude, they are alike in only one aspect. A distrust for solid beings. The Uden fight constantly among themselves and the territories of each tribe shift constantly. Xenophobic and high strung, the Uden avoid more than passing contact with the other races on average, though some tribes use members to train under outsiders or with them to gain new techniques. Uden who touch mingle into a very 'intimate' melding. This means that all members avoid physical contact unless absolutely necessary. The most legendary of Uden weapons are created from the substance of their honored dead, and passed down through families, who unlock their secrets as they grow in power. The water people favor great numbers in combat, using little strategy beyond raw force. The Uden have no genders. They have small amounts of natural born magic users but very very little in the way of training for using magic. Uden adventurers are likely learning to become great in their own tribe or to help crush others, or rebel against their elders ideas that outsiders cannot be trusted.
Lizardmen are an anomaly. Tied to no element, the Lizardmen have instead thrown their lot behind their vast intelligence, building clever and powerful machines to subjugate small sections of Maelstrom enough to build stable cities. The Lizardmen live a life of constant work, each citizen pitching in to keep the city from falling apart in the face of the elemental fury of their planet. This fosters a constant life of sacrifice and struggle. Each Lizardman would give his life so that two others could survive, only to ensure that their species survives. The Lizardmen fight with more advanced weaponry than the other races, even using their technology to augment their own bodies. Lizardmen adventures are often on a quest given by the Council of their cities to help it survive, or attempting to learn from the other races to keep themselves together. The rarest of times an adventurer may manage to bring together like-minded others and start a new city.
There... damn thing took forever.
Cecaelia
Half-Orc
Thri-Kreen
Rogue Modron
And Kobolds...
Hmm. This should be interesting
Of Sand and Sea looks awesome. I'd love to roll up a columbus type Asherati, trying to find a new home for their race.
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Popping this down here for later...
-> Ifrit
-> Shifter
-> Naga
-> Construct-Based Humanoid (Brass Men)
-> Forlarren
Hmmm, I'm already getting an idea for a setting.
Algrabar: The Ashen Desert
The black desert of Algrabar. 1,001 Arabian Nights meets Tiki Volcano Gods.
More tonight when I get home from work.
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Well, this looks way too interesting not to get involved in somehow. Let's see what I roll, and I'll post something in a few hours (or days, if it's really difficult).
: Undine
: Merfolk
: Vodyanoi
: Girtablilu
: Aberration-based humanoid
Wow, that's looking like quite the potential for aquatic stuff. I'll have to hit up the Advanced Race Guide playtest to make that last race. Also, I have no idea what a Girtablilu is; I'm going to need help with that.
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Warforged/Gearman
Gnoll (Arctic)
Minotaur (Arctic)
Derro
Human
Envision a land where the magic’s of technology and alchemy hold sway, where intrepid explorers fly dirigibles into the unknown, and mad inventors use alchemy to make crystal powered clockwork golems to be companions on their mad quests. A realm were great steam powered engines pull great trains along iron tracks between vast destinations. This is a land of wonder and beauty where all the modern conveniences can be had for those who have the money. Mostly medieval technology mixed with Victorian advancements. Where Humans invented Mechanical Men to help with their wars on the Minotaurs and Gnolls of the Far North.
Come explore great cities with great clock towers, crystal or gas lit avenues, gearwork elevators, and blown glass windows, where people wear wire rimed glasses and top hats. Or travel the “Underground” a vast subway network of steam powered railcars that take the passengers from one place to another through underground tunnels. Stay in fancy hotels and dine on the finest foods, or take in the opera. Hobnob with the elite- have dinner with President Elect.
Or travel great railways through vast areas of open country through towns, hamlets and farms that are more familiar as they are not quite so advanced as the modern city. Here some remote farmers say they have encountered faerie folk or “wee ones” from time to time.
Join an expedition to the far north on an Airship, where arctic Gnolls and arctic Minotaurs hunt and talking animals hold court, to map the stars and take reconnaissance of that vast trackless wilderness to see if the beastmen are amassing for war on the civilized humans of the south.
Check out the undercity realms of the Morlock Tunnels where many strange creatures dwell deep beneath the city streets such as Derro, Goblins, and Morlocks, and try to come out alive. Or visit the mines where Goblin slaves mine for ore for their human masters.
Strap on an Ectometer and search out ghosts and other undead on their terms in the name of science.
Use science and strange devices to open doorways into the unknown and encounter things better left unknown.
Stop an impending political war between the President Elect’s Secret Police, the Guildmasters of the Cogs and the Alchemists League.
Grippli
Uldra
Bariaur
Ratfolk
Uldra
Please roll catfolk.
...Rats.
Mountainous arctic/subarctic/cold temperate island chain. I can tell you that right now. For the rest, you'll have to wait.
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Mikaze join us at Kobold Quarterly on Journeys to the West, and Midgard and help us build adventures, and Islands and stuff on the Open Design staff :)
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=Goblin
=Drider
=Sahuagin
=Shae
=Flumph
This is a subterranean setting.
Goblins are the basic race, who are the most numerous and can excel in any role.
Flumphs are intelligent and long-lived, but physically weak. They make up the ruling classes of the goblin civilization.
Driders are a peaceful people, gifted at art and arcane magic, who live in isolated citadels made of spider silk, spun between the stalactites of the largest caverns.
Shae are mystic nomads that try to protect the unsullied natural darkness of the caves, from which they are born and to which they return.
Sahuagin have fierce tribal societies in the still underground seas, but they also form an underclass of servants and slaves in the flumph/goblin civilization. They are the most physically powerful race.
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82. Changeling
56. Minotaur
8. Orc
81. Warforged
34. Kitsune
I have limited world building experience, but late is better than never. Plus, my races don’t seem to mesh in any way. But I have a thing for random stuff, so I can’t pass this up. Not going to use any ideas I’ve personally had before.
It's a lot longer than I had thought it would be..
So you’re interested in Thaves, are you? Well, that’s quite a tale.
You know that the changelings, minotaur, orcs, warforged, and kitsune make up most of the populace. Well, before any of them were even thought of, Thaves was as it is today. But we should start at the beginning.
As is their way, the Creators, also known as the Elder Gods, well, created. They lifted the mountains, filled the sea, and painted the sky. Though they worked tirelessly, they knew that those that would be raised to inhabit this world would eventually destroy their creation, as they always did before. And so the land of Thaves was formed, holding vast resources that renew quicker than in other lands – trees mature quicker, crops are healthier, even the water always seems to be pure. With natural shields such as steep mountains and treacherous seas, the Creators hoped it would be protected from the inevitable warfare and devastation that would originate from the lesser beings.
Once the physical world was complete, the Creators spawned the gods and gave them authority over their respective domains. They left them with only two commands: to create life, and Thaves was to remain empty until only the stronger races were left and required it as a resource. The gods agreed and set to work.
It is during this time of initial creation that the minotaur and the orcs were created. Both created with a love of battle, both races became tribal and warred constantly with each other and other races. But you probably are familiar with that part.
Some say the gods are unable to make mistakes, but most don’t realize, the world was young when they made their first. Three of them, what we know as the Triad, worked together, created a powerful race, known as the Aurel, which was far superior to what the rest had made. As was the Triad’s intent, the Aurel were the first to raise an empire, ruling the land for hundreds of years. Some of the other gods looked at their own weaker races, and divine jealousy was brought into the world. Without the Triad’s knowledge, these other gods created a race to hunt the Aurel – thus the doppelgangers were born. With their ability to catch their prey unaware, the Aurel began to die out quickly.
As the threat of losing their empire grew, they had to begin to consider if they must give dominion to the lesser races, so as to not spread too thin. However, overflowing with pride and stubbornness to relent, the Aurel instead created the powerful constructs with intelligence to defend them.
Now, I know you might be wondering if I’ve forgotten you asked about Thaves, but don’t fret, I’m getting there.
The dopplegangers were not suited to fight the constructs – they simply weren’t designed for it, and after decades of hunting only what came naturally to them, they ironically didn’t possess the ability to change their style of hunting. They slowly stopped and grew complacent, with many taking on permanent disguises and settling for a life within society. And thus the changelings began to appear.
Despite their predators backing down, the Aurel weren’t in the clear. They had been thinned enough that they could no longer hold the other races beneath their boot. The lesser beings worked together and began to overthrow those that had enslaved them since the beginning of time. The Aurel Empire grew smaller and smaller, and fewer of the race remained alive. Their constructs were indeed the only reason they lasted as long as they did, but with no natural way of reproducing and dying left and right in battles, they began to become extinct. The Aurel’s last act of desperation was to give the constructs full sentience and the ability to create their own, with the hope that they would acknowledge that it was the Aurel that gave them life and thus should be protected. As you might already know, this didn’t work. The warforged saw themselves as allies to the lesser races: dominated and enslaved for years. The Aurel lost their empire and scattered.
Now, the Triad didn’t like this turn out one bit. They had almost lost their prized possession. They wanted to raise the Aurel back up, but they knew that they wouldn’t last against the others if they were set on the world to build again from scratch. So they looked towards Thaves – you thought I’d forgotten, eh? – and hoped that their creations could build back up unhindered until they were strong enough to fight full force.
The very moment the first Aurel stepped on Thaves land, the other gods realized the Triad was willing to break the Creators’ commands. And so they followed suite. They brought the minotaur and the orcs first, to disrupt their attempts to build back up. Bloodthirsty and very practiced at war, the two races continued to fight each other and the Aurel. Then the warforged and the changelings followed, drawing upon their natural dislike for the Aurel. These two were meant to be more organized and methodical in their takedowns.
Now, you might be thinking the gods just picked up some people and dropped them in Thaves, but this was when the Tunnel of Dogr was created by the Triad, the giant cavernous path through the Dogr mountain range, from Thaves to the rest of the world. And this was known as the Age of Visions, when the gods gave numerous prophecies to the races, bringing them to Thaves of their own volition to appease the deities.
One of the gods neutral in the divine struggle looked on with sadness as Thaves, a place the Creators had wished to remain a sanctuary against war, was immediately filled with constant bloodshed, spurning from a lasting bitterness. She created the kitsune, a race of peace, to keep some measure of the notion of Thaves alive.
Now, it didn’t take long for the four races to remove Aurel presence once again. The Triad, with no place to turn, gave up on them and tried to make peace with the other gods. After countless ages of hate, they were left as outcasts. Their only hope was to remain a team, and they still do today. The other group eventually faded off to focusing on their own domains, and so only the one true allegiance is left. Interesting, how the ones widely disliked are the ones who still watch each other’s backs, regardless of their beliefs. But that’s not really relevant, is it?
Thaves was left with the five races who inhabit it today. The kitsune created a republic that still exists today, with the warforged and changelings (who were already used to living in structured civilization) almost seamlessly blending with them, creating a new society.
It was a while longer before the orcs and minotaur stopped fighting each other. However, with the prevalence of the republic, they were forced to either give in to living in cities or bond together and maintain their tribal lifestyle. Well, they liked living off the land, I suppose, because they grudgingly agreed. Over time, however, their hunger for battle has faded (relatively, anyway – you know how they are still), and while they still maintain their own land and rulers within Thaves, they don’t fight that much with the republic anymore.
Now that the dust in Thaves is finally starting to settle, it seems the nations that have risen in the other lands might have their eye on us and our superior land. I hear the republic is already in talks with the tribes about an alliance, to defend against this foreign threat. It’s really too bad. The Creators, with all their wisdom and power, seemed to have made an area that is going to be unable to avoid war.
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My wife picked 5 random numbers and got me:
88. Raptoran
56. Minotaur
47. Nereid
33. Svirfneblin
28. Tengu...I don't know what I've just gotten myself into. This may take me until tomorrow. I'll check back then.
High mountains and plunging valleys make this endless forest a verdant paradise. However, not all is well, as the vicious minotaur empire makes short work of the alliance of the raptoran, masters of the sky, and the svirfneblin, lords of the deep earth domain. Unless these races can persuade the neutral tengu, merchants and craftsmen of the highest caliber, to finally choose a side in the ages-long conflict, they may soon be extinguished. The tengu laugh in a harsh cawing at the misfortune and "feeble attempts to sway what is a profitable venture for all of us", and say that if the raptoran and svirfneblin can enlist the help of the mythical nereids, they will assist the alliance in whatever way they can. "Good luck! *cawcawcaw!*"
24. Ratfolk
48. Nixie
52. Harpy
55. Gargoyle
86. Asherati
I really like the ideas that have been posted so Im going to attempt to contribute as well.
. . . Ok this might take a little time.
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Ok This is what I came up with.
This ruined world is covered in an ever shifting desert. The ruins of long dead empires are evidence of a more prosperous time.
One thousand years ago Navinda was ruled by a magically superior race of humanoids, called Navindar by scholars, that could change the world as they pleased. They would clear forests or raise mountains as they saw fit. Many wars were fought over lands that contained ley lines or where the veil between planes was weaker.
They used a slave labor force of rodent like humanoids that they had created to do the most disgusting jobs. These slaves breed quickly to replace those lost in wars or to the creatures that inhabited the sewers and dumps where they worked.
The nobility in the empire enjoyed the arts, especially singing and dance. When they became bored of watching others of their own kind perform they used magic to give songbirds a new form that would allow them to sing and dance to entertain the nobles. Most nobles had at least one of these poor creatures locked in large cages on their estates.
A Navindar lich, Kulltorres, had lived for over 6 centuries when he discovered a ley line of incredible power in the Scouring Desert. He set up an arcane lab here and remained undisturbed for almost 100 years. Eventually the other empires learned of this ley line and began to covet it. When they attacked Kulltorres he began a ritual that would destroy his annoying rivals and give him the peace to continue his research. Upon completion of the ritual Kulltorres released a massive wave of arcane energy that stripped many of the Navindar of their power, but also ripped the ley line open allowing more and more energy to flow into this world.
The power flowing from the torn ley line spread from the Scouring Desert, bringing the climate with it. After a century the world was covered in deserts and the Navindians great empires were beginning to crumble. After another 500 years no one even remembered who used to live within the ruins that dot the desert.
The Navindar, having lost most of their power, quickly lost control of their slaves. The ratfolk fled to deep caves to escape the spreading heat and lack of available food. The song birds banded together into flocks and began searching the growing deserts for roosts. The lingering aura of magic released from Kulltorres’s ritual infused the sculptures that decorated the Navindar architecture, eventually granting them life.
As the world changed, so too did the Navindar. Their bodies have adapted to the deserts they now dwell in and they call themselves the Asherati. They have forgotten their ancestry and commonly raid or live within the ruins of the Navindar empires.
The Ratfolk have begun to return to the surface slowly due to overcrowding in the caverns they have called home for centuries. They are still quite distrustful of other races, but are smart enough to understand that they don’t yet know enough about survival on the surface to deny any aid.
Harpies, as the song birds of old have taken to calling themselves, are renowned as scouts. They commonly join with groups of Asherati or Ratfolk to act as lookouts or hunters. The magical aura that covers this world has given the voice of a Harpy a captivating quality. Some Harpies use this to soothe their companions, while others use it to prey on the weak or weary.
The Gargoyles live in family groups that usually inhabit the ruins of the old world. They will defend their homes tenaciously but can be dealt with if you make your intentions clear with offerings of food or water. Most permanent settlements do well to attract a family of Gargoyles as allies. Once a family grows too large some of its younger members will leave to try and start a new family.
With many of the rivers and lakes of the world drying out the population of Nixies has become increasingly concentrated around the remaining water sources. Anyone wishing to collect water from a river or oasis must deal with these small fey. Though small they will defend their watery homes to the death. Sometimes a tribe will send some of its own out into the desert to seek out new sources of water.
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Followed DemonicEgo's form (the Wife Method) and ended up with:
10 Hobgoblin
26 Vishkanya
30 Gillmen
42 Satyr
89 GoliathsIdeas are brewing... stay tuned!
I am officially calling it the "Wife Method" from now on. My new Wife Method races are:
37. Wayang
48. Nixie
23. Lizardfolk
97. Bariaur
73. Mongrelman
...Hmmm. I may have an easier time with this set. I'll check back in a few hours.
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So we have Strix (harpyfolk), Elves, Pixies, Derro, and Lizardfolk.
The setting will be called the Wilds of Stormwood (until I can think of something better). It will be a relatively small region, comprised largely of forest, bordering on a vast sea. Where the land dips, there will be a floodplain/marsh area, and a vast mountain range to the west, impassable if not due to harsh terrain and weather, then to fierce monsters that live there. There are are almost no plains areas. The climate is generally temperate to warm. Deep caverns empty out into the forest from the mountains, leading to a dangerous underworld.
The elves are self appointed guardians of the forest. Their settlements are likely what most would call recognizable civilization, although they tend to be small and sparse, scattered through the vast forest that makes up much of the realm. They alternately are allied with and bicker with the mischievous pixies, who are of a wilder nature and live nomadically between realms of the forests and the marshes.
The lizardfolk live in the marshes and balance their warlike nature with a deep piety toward the god of the marshes; in their own way they are protectors of their land as the elves are of theirs. They often fight with the elves, but have been known to make truces when a greater threat comes out of the mountains or the caves.
The Strix (this is a race I know nothing about so I'm making this up from scratch) live in the treetops and the mountains. They have a few settlements but are very disorganized. They trade with the elves and have a superstitious fear of pixies. When Strix come of a certain age they follow an overwhelming urge to fly off into the mountains never to be seen again.
The derro come from the caves and the underworld beneath. They are mad and sadistic creatures, but some derro are, more or less, too sane for derro society, such as it is, and flee for the surface (or are exiled there). Those lucky enough to survive might be taken in by the Strix, elves or lizardfolk but they are never fully trusted. However, because they know the underworld better than any other, derro exiles are often accepted out of necessity for their value as guides--and these derro also have no love of their own kind.
The underworld is rumored to contain a portal to another world, a plain of chaos and unbridled magic---its influence makes the underworld a very dangerous and unpredictable place. Some try to venture into the underworld to close the gate, but none have survived the trip so far. But some worry if it opens further, it may swallow the land whole.
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95- Plant-based Humanoid
03- Dwarf
27- Strix
23- Lizardfolk
32- Derro
This was interesting, but very fun to do!
Swequedine is a world of perpetual peaks and valleys, where brackish rivers and humid marshy lowlands meander among mountain peaks that dot the landscape like the islands of an archipelago. Each mountain is the home of a different clan of dwarves, who have over the centuries carved their mountain home into a stronghold city of tunnels and spires that house thousands of dwarves and extend as far underground as they do into the sky. The similarities among dwarven cities ends there, however, as each clan has little trade or contact with other clans due to the difficulties in crossing the swamps between them, and so each city and each clan has diverged over the years. Some dwarven clans pride themselves on their metallurgy and build their walls and weapons of the finest steel, others are masters of glassblowing and have turned their cities into gleaming stained-glass jewels that illuminate the surrounding lowlands for miles when the sun hits them. Still others turn their creative drive towards the arcane arts and use magic as the mortar upon which their society is founded.
One other similarity between the dwarven clans, however, is that they all inevitably share their cities with the subterranean derro. The derro are peculiar, secretive types who seem to originate from the deep earth itself, and seem to view the aboveground races with a mix of curiosity and covetousness. The only thing a derro can't bring himself to do to another intelligent being is leave it alone. Frequently the derro will attempt to kidnap dwarves they find in the deeper tunnels, but what they do with said dwarves, and how the dwarves respond, is never the same twice. Some dwarven clans see derro as a vermin and kill them on sight. Others seem to be at an uneasy peace with the derro, even trading with them or allowing derro ambassadors to sit at their courts. A few dwarven clans claim to not know what a derro is, and it is here that the derro commit their most unspeakable acts. Either these dwarves are unaware of what lurks in the shadows, or they are lying to conceal the dealings and dalliances they have committed with derro.
Meanwhile, in the lowlands, the marshes and rivers are home to two races: the lizardfolk and the flowerkin. The lizardfolk are a warlike carnivorous race that stalks the swampy undergrowth looking for fish and other game. They tend to form fairly tightknit communities that also serve as hunting parties. Lizardfolk magic tends to be primal, and most lizardfolk learn the ways of magic simply by figuring it out for themselves or having innate talent for it.
The flowerkin, by contrast, are a race of intelligent plant-based humanoids. Flowerkin derive all their nutritional requirements through sunbathing and through drinking the nutrient-rich water that flows through the bayou, and such have no concept of hunting. They are a peaceful race of artisans and artists. Most flowerkin live in villages in the middle of the swamp where the water is knee-deep and slow-moving, and all the tall trees have been stripped of their branches, to let more sun in on their skin. This love of sunlight makes flowerkin all the more fascinating to derro, who sometimes venture forth into the lowlands under cover of canopy and fog. Usually a flowerkin village has a bonfire going in the village square all night, and the citizens will gather around it to sing songs and to brew tea and coffee-- the only things they ever "cook".
Surprisingly, lizardfolk and flowerkin are on good terms despite their extreme differences in temperament. This is likely because flowerkin are plants and lizardfolk are meat-eaters, thus the latter does not hunt the former.
Lizardfolk and flowerkin are also brought together through similar attitudes toward the strix-- a race of humanoid ravens who tend to look down on lizardfolk, flowerkin, and dwarf alike-- literally and figuratively. Strix are fairly solitary, making homes for themselves in tall trees or city spires and scavenging what they need, sometimes by swooping down and taking it right out of the hands of a dwarf or flowerkin. Lizardfolk's skulking habits are in part a way to prevent harassment by the strix, and the dwarves consider them nuisances at best, but the flowerkin admire the strix's unfettered nature and frequently beckon strix they see flying overhead to come down and join their frolicking. The strix, opportunistic as they are, make themselves tolerated by the other races by offering services as spies, scouts, oracles, or sell-swords. They fancy themselves as having insights that those who live on the ground don't have, and a rare few are justified in thinking so. Finding a strix is usually as easy as looking up and waiting a while, and so many a groundbound race has sought advice from a passing strix, or received it without asking from a strix who "happened to overhear" and couldn't resist the chance to meddle.
81 = Gearman
58 = Gnoll
24 = Ratfolk
14 = Fetchling
00 = Pseudodragon
Though it's a rather strange mix, I'm already getting all sorts of ideas for a sort of post-apolcalyptic fantasy world set in the ruins of an ancient magical civilization. It'll take me a while to actually write something up though.
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22. Catfolk
71 Darkfolk
78 Vodyanoi
79 Ghoul
99 Mul
Alright, here's my attempt (with sincere thanks and apologies to David Eddings, China Mieville and Stephen R. Donaldson)
When the lands of Aegys first emerged from the primordial chaos, there were three brother gods who sought to give it shape: Ul-Ra, Vod-Ya and Na-Gho. The all-consuming fires of Na-Gho forged the chaos into a molten orb, which Ul-Ra shielded beneath the Great Sky Dome, and Vod-Ya's waters quenched into a solid mass of land. Upon this stone the forces of fire, air and water worked their will, and brought forth from it the shape of Ysos, the mother goddess. Each of the brother gods embraced her in turn, and brought forth a child. From Ul-Ra came Sekhat, feline goddess of mystery. From Vod-Ya came Gebeth, god of craftsmanship. From Na-Gho came Zoth, god of understanding.
Together the seven gods set about filling the world with wonders, but all was not well. Na-Gho was possessed of an overwhelming hunger, and even as the others created, he set to devouring their creations. Aghast to find his works destroyed, Gebeth appealed to Vod-Ya and Ul-Ra to stop the depredations of their brother. Yet their efforts were in vain, for when they attempted to reason with their sibling, he gnashed his teeth and threatened to devour them as well. Having no recourse, the two set upon the third, and trapped him within a hollow in the earth.
As the great stones ground in place, the son of the entombed, Zoth, the All-Seeing stepped forward to confront his uncles. "No man or god knows better than I how necessary this action is, but only a fool would consider this the end of the matter. Know this; One day the teeth of my father shall rend the belly of Ul-Ra and make such a terror on the land that he shall flee to the farthest skies rather than look upon it. And yea, Vod-Ya shall by his own hand offer up all he holds dear as fodder for my father's gullet. Only then shall Na-Gho's hunger be sated." This dire warning delivered, the god of scholars retired to his studies, leaving his family to continue their work in the fervent hope that his vision would prove false.
For millenia, the mortal races created in the image of the gods lived in relative peace along the banks of the sacred river Vod, their lives in tune with the rhythm of the River's flooding, and paid homage to their gods with the construction of great monuments in the sands beyond the river banks. Then came the age of conflict, as the Northern Kingdoms of the Ur-Uls (humans) spread into the Southern Kingdoms of the Mur (dwarves). A terrible war erupted, and the Ur-Ul aggressors were forced back, but the Mur, ever a proud people and keen to hold grudges, were not satisfied with mere victory. They pushed forward into the Ur-Ul homelands and made slaves of those they captured before being driven out in turn. The hostilities between the realms would continue on and off for centuries, and all the while both sides accumulated large numbers of captured slaves. Inevitably, this cultural interaction resulted in the first minglings of the two races, and thus were born the Muls, children and slaves of both races alike.
Two thousand years ago, Epophys,a powerful serpentine being from the Primordial Chaos succeeded in piercing the Great Sky Dome and found its way into the realms of Aegys. Seeing the great works of the gods filled it with a sense of both awe and revulsion, but most of all it was moved by the plight of the enslaved mortals who toiled to build in the name of gods who seemed to care not a whit for their creations' individual accomplishments. Insinuating itself among the slaves, it planted the seeds of rebellion, doing what it could do defy the will of the gods. In time, it became revered as a god itself, inspiring legions of slaves to throw off their shackles and rise up against their masters.
One such slave was a Mul gladiator named Nurg, or "Slayer" in the Mur tongue. After leading a successful slave revolt,he engaged in a campaign of guerilla warfare against the corrupt system that had enslaved him. In time, he gained a great number of followers, a veritable army mustering in caves beneath the desert sands. Yet even if he should succeed in defeating the armies of nations, he knew that he was no match for the gods which stood behind them. Thus, he began to search for signs of the great hollow in the earth in which lay the dark god Na-Gho.
When Nurg finally discovered the dark god's resting place, it took him days to make the mad god listen to his pleas. Ultimately, Na-Gho agreed to give Nurg two of his teeth to be fashioned into a terrible weapon, and to instruct some of his followers in the ways of dark magic. Armed with these powers, Nurg lead his armies against the kingdom of the Ur-Uls, crushing them utterly. When Ul-Ra appeared to end the warlord's reign of terror, the two engaged in a deadly battle. Impossibly, the god fell beneath the blade of Nurg, the teeth of Na-Gho from which it was crafted biting deeply into Ul-Ra's body as the prophesy of Zoth had foretold. As Ysos carried Ul-Ra into the sky to recouperate, Nurg licked the god's blood from his weapon, absorbing a piece of his divine essence into himself and began his ascension to divinity as Nurg-Ul, the Slayer of Gods.
As Nurg-Ul's armies tore the lands of the Ur-Uls assunder, the Mur prepared a desperate plan. Expecting no mercy from the Mul hordes, the Mur set about a plan to dam the River Vod, preventing its life-giving waters from reaching the lands that Nurg-Ul had conquered. That it cost the lives of thousands of Mul slaves, preventing them from joining the rebellion once Nurg-Ul's forces arrived at their doorstep only encouraged the unforgiving pace of the project's construction.
With the life-giving flow of the River Vod cut off, Nurg-Ul's army found themselves in an untenable situation. If the dam were not brought down, the lands of his hard-won kingdom would wither and die under the desert sun, insuring an pyrhic victory for the fallen Sky God despite their accomplishments. Yet already his men were tired and running low on supplies, in no shape to launch an assualt across hundreds of miles of desert.
As if in answer to his unspoken prayers, the priests of Na-Gho set about reanimating those slain in past battles as an army of the undead. Those Ur-Uls who survived the Mul rebellion were denied food and water, and systematically infected with a virulent disease which gave terrible unlife to those it slew, creating a plague of ravenous dead who would serve as shock troops for Nurg-Ul's armies. These terrible once-men they called Ghouls in honor of dread Na-Gho. In short order, the swollen ranks of the dead legions marched across the empty desert to lay seige to the Mur.
The seige wore on for years, the numbers of the living slowly adding to those of the undead in a terrible attrition. When at last their defenses were breached, Nurg-Ul called out to Vod-Ya to face him in combat, but the god would not be goaded. "You have been nothing but a pawn in my brother's revenge, slave-born, and now you stand victorious over a kingdom of ghouls. How long do you think it will take before they consume you as well? No, I will not fight you today, Nurg-Ul, godling of madness, for you have already destroyed everything you fought for and all that I sought to protect. There can be no victors today, only victims."
Then, in a final act of desperation to ensure that the kingdom of Nurg-Ul would never again enjoy the flow of the River Vod, Vod-Ya shattered the earth beneath the dam, sending the river's waters plunging along a new course deep into the hollow places of the earth, where Na-Gho waited with an open maw to receive this final offering. It is said that even as the water fell in a torrent, Nurg-Ul stood in the deluge, raging at his fate like a madman before the flood, until at last he was swept away and never seen on the mortal plane again.
In the two thousand years since the end of the Age of Conflict, the survivors of the great wars and plagues have rebuilt their lives. On the islands beyond the northern shore, in the depths of the earth, and amid the shifting sands and ruined monuments of a dead empire, life goes on, and history is lost to living memory in a world where gods fear to tread.
Sekhati (Catfolk)- While never the most numerous of Aegys' races, the children of the goddess of mystery have managed well for themselves, and can be found in virtually every forested isle, desert oasis, or bastion of civilization. Aloof and self-centered, prone to sudden mood swings and fickle affections, the catfolk are simultaneously familiar and unknowable to the other races, and they revel in it. Consumate manipulators and explorers, Catfolk do well in any occupation that involves constant change and activity to keep their interests, often becoming merchants, sailors, thieves, assassins and perfomers. Adventuring Sekhati often favor the Bard, Rogue,and Sorcerer classes, and despite their reputation for a lack of wisdom, a surprising number are clerics of Sekhat or rangers.
Mul (dwarf/human hybrid) While the Muls owe their current freedom to the revolt of Nurg-Ul, most modern Muls recognize that in the end, his quest to bring down the gods only resulted in his own ruin, and that they are all lucky to be alive after the disaster he caused. Hardy and practical to a fault, the Muls nonetheless still carry with them a sliver of the resentment against a world that allowed them to be enslaved, even centuries after the last pure blood Ur-Uls and Murs have perished.
Muls tend to be stoic and suspicious around other races, and expect a certain amount of distance in their interpersonal relations, literally and physically. Generations of living in crampt quarters have lead the Muls to place a great value on personal space. Muls excel as crafstmen, laborers and warriors, but if given an opportunity to expand their horizons, many can find surprising talents they never knew they had. Adventuring Muls often favor the Barbarian, Fighter, Monk and Ranger classes, although they might excel in any field they choose. Mul clerics understandably are rare and often misunderstood by their peers.
Ghouls True to the words of Zoth's prophecy, the terrible hunger of the dark god Na-Gho was sated by the flow of the River Vod into his subterranean realm. As a side-effect, the ghouls found themselves for the first time not driven by a supernatural hunger that could not be supressed. Although no ghoul remembers its life before its unholy transformation, they slowly began to realize that they were in fact just as much people now as they had been before. Free to choose other pursuits, the ghouls slowly rebuilt their kingdom, eventually reaching out to the living races for trade, with hands now devoid of a paralyzing curse. While the ghouls are no longer tempted to nibble on their neighbors at the drop of a hat, they do occassionally practice cannibalism, which has lead to a surreal arrangement in which the living races employ the ghouls as undertakers. More commonly however, the ghouls use their long lifespans and clinical detachment to serve as clerks, scribes, physicians and other such scholarly pursuits. Adventuring ghouls often seek to explore their unique condition through magic, often becoming alchemists, magi, witches and wizards,and occassionally clerics.
Ulramog(Darkfolk) Not all of the Ur-uls were exterminated or transformed into ghouls during Nurg-Ul's rise to power. A few managed to seek shelter beneath the earth after witnessing the fall of Ul-Ra in the climactic battle, only to find themselves cut off from the surface when the River Vod was redirected into the Earth Hollows. Lead by fanatic priests of Ul-Ra, desperate to maintain their power in the face of their deity's defeat, these poor souls were fed on a steady diet of guilt. It was their fault that Ul-Ra had fallen, their doubts and faithlessness had made the god falter and strengthened their enemy. Only by committing themselves fully to the cause of Ul-Ra could they hope for their god to recover and forgive them for their transgressions.
Many generations passed, and in time, the Ur-uls became the Ulramog, the Forsaken of Ul-Ra. Stunted and misshapen, they wear heavy concealing layers of shabby clothing, adding new layers as the old ones rot to tatters, believing that they are unfit to be seen until the Sky God forgives them. More disturbingly, as each Darkfolk dies, their bodies discorporate in a burst of light, which the priests of Ul-Ra insist is their soul being transformed into healing light that strengthens Ul-Ra in their sacrifice. The most fanatical sect of the Ulramog believe that the Sun is Ul-Ra's dying light, and that it never shown in the sky until the day he was laid open by Nurg-Ul, the Enemy. In any case, no Ulramog wishes to see another's dying light, for to do so is to capture a fragment within their eyes and memories, thereby denying it to Ul-Ra. Likewise, to look upon the Sun is to take power from Ul-Ra, and thus is forbidden to all but those chosen for holy missions on the surface world...
Of course, any society as fanatical as that of the Ulramog's has its runaways, rebels and detractors who live peacefully on the surface well away from their more zealous brethren. These Ulramog often find employment in positions where discretion and wariness are strengths, such as couriers, guards, bounty hunters, guides, private investigators, customs inspectors and tax collectors. Adventuring Ulramogs often pursue the roles of clerics of Ul-Ra, Inquisitors, Monks, Rangers and Rogues.
Vodyanoi The Mur survivors of Nurg-Ul's assault followed the sacred River Vod as it plunged deep into the Earth Hollows, and like the Ulramog, they were changed by the long centuries spent in the dark. Although superficially they resemble the Mur from which they descend, their slimey skins, wide mouths, goggle eyes and tendril-like beards lend them the look of dwarf-newt hybrids.
Although the largest numbers of the Vodyanoi can be found along the twisting subterranean path of the River Vod, over time they have spread to the sea coasts and major lakes throughout the surface world. It is said that "Where there is water, there are Vodyanoi", and this is not far from the truth, as a Vodyanoi far from a body of water is probably carrying a substantial amount of water with him, both to keep himself moist and to sell to other travellers in the desert.
Cantankerous and contrary at first brush, Vodyanoi take some getting used to. They enjoy trading insults and practical jokes, and are not above petty acts of property destruction when their enemies displease them, although they tend to avoid direct violence if at all possible. Vodyanoi, like their watery god, prefer to let their enemies struggle futily against an enemy unmoved by their demands for a fair fight. Most vodyanoi make a living from the river or the sea, diving for pearls, fishing, ferrying travelers, sailing and loading cargo for ships, and occassionally selling water in the desert. Adventuring Vodyanoi favor the Barbarian, Cleric of Vod-Ya, Druid, and Ranger classes, and are seldom arcane casters.
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@DeathQuaker: Seriously? My post comes right after someone who rolled three of the same races as me? *sigh* I think you did a good job with it though. I had never heard of strix either, but it was pretty clear they're supposed to be humanoid ravens so I used what I knew about ravens in designing them. Your "portal to another world" idea is a pretty good hook too.
@DeathQuaker: Seriously? My post comes right after someone who rolled three of the same races as me? *sigh* I think you did a good job with it though. I had never heard of strix either, but it was pretty clear they're supposed to be humanoid ravens so I used what I knew about ravens in designing them. Your "portal to another world" idea is a pretty good hook too.
I noticed that, it was a bizarre coincidence. And we both felt compelled to include marshy regions. But I am enjoying the differences between the two--the exercise helps to highlight that different concepts can come out of even similar ideas.
For the Strix, I keep picturing Wingers from Suikoden.
If only this game had a weaponize anything like in the Suikoden series.
...
That would be a good topic idea.
/ derailing topic.
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90. Dragonborn (draconic humanoids)
65. Derhii (winged, intelligent gorillas)
49. Treant
10. Hobgoblin
6. Halfling
This world is dedicated to my desire to live in a treehouse or at the very least have the local municipality fine me vigorously when I make one for my kids!
At the start of all things Verdon (typically depicted as a great bird with for heads; one a great red drake, one of a noble silver ape, one of a fierce green hobgoblin, and one a wise halfling) spit fourth the fire of the heavens which burst forming the sun and stars. He breathed the churning breeze moved throughout all that was known. He brought fourth the waters from the great rock and planted the World Oak. As the eons past the World Oak grew boundless and seemingly endless. The first born were the Treants tenders of the World Oak. The Treants ever faithful servants of Verdon shaped the World Oak. Vast steppes and plains spread in its branches. Forests giving homage to the World Oak grew in its limbs. Rivers fall from the leaves high above running ever downward forming lakes and rivers.
After countless ages Verdon created the Veradil each tribe separate aspects of the 4 headed creator:
The Drakuni (dragonborn) noble, steadfast and industrious. While the Drakuni can befound throughout the World Oak most live in the great cities that encircle the trunk and thick branches.
The Derhii riders of the swirling winds their burning desire for exploration drives them further and further from the tree were it not for the Derhii the other Veradil would never know the nature of the World Oak.
The Hobgoblin mariners of the great lakes that have pooled amongst the twisting roots of the World Oak. All the races of World Oak value the sap that lies beneath the wooden earth, it was the Hobgoblin that first developed the secrets of refining the golden sap into the steely alloy amber.
The Burrow-folk (Halflings) have dealings throughout World Oak but live in the hollow spaces of the tree and carve great causeways on the interior of the vast tree.
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Also, I have no idea what a Girtablilu is; I'm going to need help with that.
Girtablilu are from Bestiary 3. Basically "centaur-ish" shaped, dark-skinned humans from the waist up with the body of a large scorpion below the waist. They have human arms on their human torso, but IIRC(I don't have my book on me at the moment) they have large scorpion claws coming out of the usual spot of their scorpion body. Plus that poisonous, stinging tail.
Desert dwellers, tribal society, highly religious but often towards obscure deities or concepts. They were somewhere on the CN-N-LN range, but I couldn't say for certain where without my books.
Rollin' for later:
98 Rogue Modron
100 Pseudodragon
19 Suli
06 Halfling
51 Centaur
This looks really interesting - and I love the list. I haven't read everyone elses efforts yet, just in case I get a duplicate.
Rolling.......
74 Serpentfolk NE medium (6ft, 120lb, 120lb) magic
69 Thriae LN medium (6ft 200lb, 200yr) all female, spiritual
58 Gnoll CE Warm plains or desert medium
48 Nixie N or NE aquatic (freshwater) small (4 ft 25lb)
25 Vanara LG deep forests and jungles medium
Really odd combo,but I guess I can see some connections
This is a battered world, filled with disappointment. The main motivation for each race as a whole is protecting their own from the other 4, except in the case of the Gnoll. All of the races are also looking to improve their holdings, knowledge and divine magic stolen back and forth between the Thriae and the Serpentfolk. The Thriae and Vanara pretty much get along, and sometimes even share cities.
Each of the races has their own distinct natural habitat, and is therefore fairly safe from invasion.
You know what? This is really hard. Ok, there has to be a city where all the races intermingle, but how does that work?
Cities that are shared by several races are multi-leveled, with Thriae mainly living on residences on posts, spires, and rooftops; Vanara living in the midlevels, with ropes, hanging bridges, and ladders connecting residences and shops; and Gnolls, Serpentfolk, and Nixies being found on the ground level and below. Nixietown has shades of normal halflingtowns, but is always damp. The top level and the mid level are well-patrolled, safe, civilized places to live. The ground level is ruled more by might makes right. The gates are also guarded by Thriae and Vanara guards. If you cannot brachiate or fly, and you are not very well defended and travelling in company, you will quickly become prey.
That's as far as I can get. Thanks for a fun excercise. Now I'll go back and read everyone elses.
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27. Strix (black, avian humanoids with harpy-like builds)
11. Drow
32. Derro
60. Vegepygmy
98. Rogue Modron (free-willed box-like construct)
Oh my.
Nazahrel's Veil was always very thin, very weak. The fae, in their awesome terror, took advantage of this. They would cross the Veil and steal away first children, but eventually families, farms, then entire villages. These actions only served to weaken the Veil, and so fiends and angels crossed over and used Nazahrel as a battleground.
The war was brutal. The Celestials and the Fiends both were numberless, but the mortals caught between the factions were not. Countless people died, and soon a collection of Human and Elven people fled deep within Nazahrel's massive, cavernous underground. The underground had enough to sustain them; fungus and strange beasts for food, underground lakes and rivers for water, and stone for construction. However, the depths of Nazahrel held strange energies, and soon the men and elves found themselves changing. The end result of this mutation was the Drow, a xenophobic, byzantine, and matriarchal society that is nonetheless idealistic about one day reclaiming the surface.
The fae didn't just vanish during the war of course. Many were caught between the horrors of the Great Soul War, and some of the fae even fled underground along with the Drow. The alien nature of the material world and the dark energies found underground warped the fae into an almost unrecognizable shape, and the Derro were born. Scavengers and nomads, the Derro are nevertheless cunning and capable.
The arcadian magic of the fae also created the Vegepygmies as servants by twisting the plantlife of Nazahrel into sapient life. When the fae left, however, to avoid the Great Soul War, the Vegepygmies felt betrayed and forgotten. The Vegepygmies now stay deep within the few forests of Nazahrel that are not scorched to ash, and await the day they can get revenge or at least make a new purpose for themselves.
Of course, not all creatures hide deep below Nazahrel or within her forests. Some shelter so high above, the War seems insignificant. These are the Strix, the Ashen Bird-Men. Their vast cities built into mountain peaks are a true wonder to behold, and their fighting prowess is similarly astounding. They too, wish to reclaim Nazahrel for the native peoples of the land, and Strix adventurers are a common sight.
Finally, are the Modrons. Creations of the Dwarves (who are now all mad), the Modron were mindless servants until the Great Soul War began, and somehow, the Modrons became alive. Most fled the Dwarven Mountainhomes, and found themselves welcomed by the Drow and sometimes even Derro. Some seek to cure their masters, while others seek to usurp their strongholds. Either way, a Modron is a great ally indeed.
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d100
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d100So we have Strix (harpyfolk), Elves, Pixies, Derro, and Lizardfolk.
The setting will be called the Wilds of Stormwood (until I can think of something better). It will be a relatively small region, comprised largely of forest, bordering on a vast sea. Where the land dips, there will be a floodplain/marsh area, and a vast mountain range to the west, impassable if not due to harsh terrain and weather, then to fierce monsters that live there. There are are almost no plains areas. The climate is generally temperate to warm. Deep caverns empty out into the forest from the mountains, leading to a dangerous underworld.
The elves are self appointed guardians of the forest. Their settlements are likely what most would call recognizable civilization, although they tend to be small and sparse, scattered through the vast forest that makes up much of the realm. They alternately are allied with and bicker with the mischievous pixies, who are of a wilder nature and live nomadically between realms of the forests and the marshes.
The lizardfolk live in the marshes and balance their warlike nature with a deep piety toward the god of the marshes; in their own way they are protectors of their land as the elves are of theirs. They often fight with the elves, but have been known to make truces when a greater threat comes out of the mountains or the caves.
The Strix (this is a race I know nothing about so I'm making this up from scratch) live in the treetops and the mountains. They have a few settlements but are very disorganized. They trade with the elves and have a superstitious fear of pixies. When Strix come of a certain age they follow an overwhelming urge to fly off into the mountains never to be seen again.
The derro come from the caves and the underworld beneath. They are mad and sadistic creatures, but some derro are, more or less, too sane for derro society, such as it is, and flee for the surface (or are exiled...
Because whenever I make up a world, even one for a random exercise in randomization, I feel an insatiable urge to make a world map...
I whipped this up. I continued my trend of non-creative place names for this setting.