Races of Rhunaria, Tallfolk

Races will be moved from this page to their own individual pages as their full descriptions are completed.

Humans

Appearance: Similar to Player's Handbook humans. Come in two breeds, one with dark skin like
milk chocolate and one with lighter caucasian skin. The dark-skinned humans developed their
skin tone after settling the tropical region that most still inhabit, while the lighter-skinned humans
became slightly pale from staying further south and settling a cooler region with less direct
sunlight. The humans of brown complexion tend to be taller and thinner, with less body hair and
less frequent facial hair on men. They have eyes of brown and hair of black. The caucasian
humans have blue, green, amber, or brown eyes, with hair of black, brown, or dark blonde.

Description: Dark-skinned humans settled the Hadra Desert, Khasidra Marshes, Tikaminari
Jungle, and Sidraman Savannah, while lighter-skinned humans settled further south, staying in the
Broken-Crest Hills, Forest de'Saliendro, Isles de'Lassiter, Ikari Yama (Ikari Mountains), Kinu
Heigen-Umi (Silk Coast), and Hae Moete Mori (Firefly Forest). The humans of chocolate-brown
complexion are simply called northerners, while the caucasian-skinned humans are called
southrons, and each have developed two distinct cultures. The northerners who inhabit the Hadra
Desert and Khasidra Marshes are a civilized and orderly people, with a strict social heirarchy and
many laws, living under the Theocracy of Riza. These northerners have advanced knowledge of
astronomy, architecture, and mathematics, as well as surgery and herbalism to a somewhat lesser
extent. Rizans live in simple houses of stone, using large blocks of white, yellow, orange, and red
stone. Wealthy or noble citizens live in pyramid structures of varying styles, and government
buildings are also frequently pyramidal. Their styles of clothing and architecture can be likened to
the ancient Egyptians of Earth.

Other northerners prefer a tribal culture, living in the Tikaminari Jungle and Sidraman Savannah.
Each tribe has its own name. The tribal humans maintain a simple lifestyle that keeps them closer
to nature and the old ways, so they retain the greatest number of traditions and stories from the
time of the original humanoid felines, from whom all current humanoids are descended. These
northerners have little technology and varying customs between their tribes, living as
hunter-gatherers without any agriculture, but their knowledge of medicine, surgery, and herbalism
is unequaled by any other race, while their wise-men and wise-women are likewise skilled
alchemists. They live in small huts and longhouses built with wood and thatch. They can be
likened to the tribes of Africa on Earth.

The somewhat-pale southrons, however, live a more refined and civilized lifestyle than their
northern counterparts, but have fewer numbers and smaller territory. Many southrons belong to
the haughty but noble Majestic Kingdom of the Gilded Throne, usually just called Gild by others.
Gild occupies the Isles de'Lassiter in the Platinum Sea, Broken-Crest Hills, and Forest
de'Saliendro, just east of the Kinu Heigen-Umi (Silk Coast), and they also have a few mining
outposts in the Ikari Yama (Ikari Mountains) just northeast of the Forest. Gildens pride
themselves on their fencing and archery skills, as well as their architecture and glassmaking, but
they are a prideful people in general, so some of their vaunted skills are often exaggerated. They
also possess keen mechanical and engineering skills, which has allowed them to develop crude
firearms and cannons, though only after a little trade with dwarves to learn certain mechanical
principles. Their homes are built of wood or stone, with shingled roofs, and elaborate
construction. The Gildens may be likened somewhat to the French of early-Renaissance Earth.

The rest of the caucasian-skinned southrons are part of the Hirotashi Empire, and are usually
referred to as Tashi. They live along the grassy and fertile Kinu Heigen-Umi (Silk Coast) and the
Hae Moete Mori (Firefly Forest), with many towns and villages in the Ikari Yama (Ikari
Mountains) to the north. These humans have a very strict and orderly society, harshly disciplined
as a warrior culture. They are masterful swordsmen, acrobats, and unarmed combatants, but also
use a myriad of exotic weaponry. Their fishing, sailing, farming, cooking, tailoring, and
blacksmithing skills are highly developed, as is their knowledge of herbs, alchemy, and folk
remedies. Their homes are built of various types of wood, from teak to bamboo, with floor mats
and paper screens, while their religious, governmental, and military buildings often incorporate
stone construction in their bases. The Tashi pride themselves on being a sophisticated and
courteous society, despite their culture's emphasis on warfare. They eschew firearms and have
not yet developed nor traded any, and rely instead on the skill of their warriors and their
diplomats, as well as their magically-powerful yamabushi caste. The Hirotashi Empire may be
likened to feudal Japan in Earth's history.

Relations: The humans of Rhunaria have varying relations with the other races, sometimes
warring with them and sometimes trading with them. The Rizan humans trade occasionally with
halflings, hobgoblins, and gnomes, but tend to fight with the other humans frequently. The tribal
humans are insular and do not interact with anyone very much, just occasionally trading with
others or eachother, and occasionally warring with others or eachother. The Gilden humans trade
occasionally with the Tashi, and also trade frequently with halflings, gnomes, and sea elves, but
often go to war with the orcs, hobgoblins, and tribal humans. The Tashi humans trade frequently
with the halflings and gnomes, but war frequently with everyone else nearby.

Basic Stats: Medium Humanoid; Base Speed (30 feet); Extra Skill Points (+4 skill points at
1st-level, +1 at each additional level); Bonus Feats (extra feat at 1st-level, another at 10th-level,
yet another at 19th-level); Bonus Class Skill (one skill of their choice counts as a permanent class
skill for them, considering all Craft, Knowledge, and Profession skills to be separate); Human
Ingenuity (once per day, may re-roll a single check, save, attack roll, or threat confirmation roll);
Automatic Language (one regional language, that being either Gilden, Rizan, Tashi, or Tribal);
Intelligence Bonus Languages (any except restricted languages); Favored Class
(highest-level class at any given time).

Jungle Elves

Appearance: Jungle elves have pale caucasian skin with a greenish tint, and stand approximately
5 feet tall, give or take a few inches, wiry but not frail. They have fair hair of light blonde,
platinum blonde, or auburn, but have little body hair and no beards, mustaches, goatees, or
sideburns. Their eyes are amber, blue, green, or violet, and their faces tend to be angular and
beautiful or handsome, with sharply pointed ears and slanted eyes.

Description: Jungle elves tend to be chaotic in nature, with whimsical desires and mercurial
moods. They are loyal to their families and friends, but prefer to control their own lives and have
the freedom to do as they please. Jungle elves live a primitive lifestyle but still retain some of the
knowledge and traditions from their old, fallen kingdom. They travel frequently through the
western Elfhame Rainforest in which they live, building temporary but sturdy homes from wood,
ferns, leaves, and vines, bound with a unique spell their druids know. Those tribes who settle an
area for an extended period will build large and elaborate homes reminiscent of their former
kingdom. Jungle elves are masterful woodworkers, herbalists, alchemists, and tailors, but metal is
rare in the Rainforest and their knowledge of blacksmithing, weaponsmithing, and armorsmithing
is slowly diminishing as they can only rarely practice it now, and thus they tend to wield armor
and weapons made of wood and stone.

Relations: Jungle elves are insular and paranoid usually, so they rarely interact with other races
now, since the vengeance that was brought down upon them after the fall of their great kingdom.
However, some jungle elves are still curious and adventurous folks, so some do travel abroad.
Some tribes are less insular than others, also, so they occasionally barter with other races or war
with them for land and materials. Some tribes are even resentful of their race's fall from power,
and actively seek out people to destroy. The tribes themselves often fight one another, but rarely
in an actual war. The only races that tend to trade or battle with jungle elf tribes are the nearby
goblinoids, kobolds, and giants, plus an occasional halfling or dwarven group.

Basic Stats: Medium Humanoid; Base Speed (30 feet); -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity (Jungle elves
are dexterous and agile, but are a little weak.); Low-Light Vision (2 times as far as a human);
Skillful Climbing (may use either Strength or Dexterity as base ability score for Climb checks,
does not lose Dexterity bonus to AC just by climbing, attackers do not get usual +2 on attack
rolls against them when climbing); +2 Intuit Direction, +2 Knowledge-geography, +2
Knowledge-nature, +2 Listen, +2 Search, +2 Spot, +2 Wilderness Lore (whenever passing within
10 feet of a secret or concealed door, entitled to a Search check as though actively searching for
it); Innate Spells (may use the spell-like abilities of Calm Animals, Entangle, and Goodberry, each
once per day, as per a druid of their character level, saving throw DCs based on Wisdom score
but no particular Wisdom score is required in order to use these); Automatic Language (Elven);
Intelligence Bonus Languages (Draconic, Dwarven, Gilden, Goblin, Halfling, Rizan, Sylvan,
Tashi, Tribal); Favored Class (Barbarian or Ranger or Rogue or Sorcerer).

Sea Elves

Appearance: The sea elves stand about 5 feet tall like other elves, but aren't quite as slight of
build. Their complexion is a deep blue, while their hair is blonde, red, white, or orange. Like
other elves, they have little body hair and no facial hair, mostly just hair on their scalp. Sea elves
have eyes of red, amber, or orange. Their hands and feet are webbed, while their forearms,
lower legs, back, and head have fins running along them, with two fins along the back, and one
along the top and back of the head.

Description: Timid but curious, sea elves are only occasionally seen on the surface, preferring to
live in coastal waters or occasionally in the deep sea. They tend towards good alignment, being
peaceful and friendly folk, but have no inherant leanings towards law or chaos. Sea elves adore
jewelry, seashells, and anything else shiny, beautiful, or sparkling, and enjoy artwork, gems, and
other wealth, though not so much out of greed. They live in small communities along the coasts
or in shallow seas, each community being tightly-knit and loyal, but with few connections to other
sea elf villages. Sea elves make permanent homes from stone and wood on the shore, or made
with coral, stone, and bones underwater, but they will not hesitate to abandon their homes if
threatened, so as to colonize a safer locale. Their druids have devised unique spells for shaping
coral and removing its sharp edges. Though sea elves cannot forge metal underwater, and have
little access to it from the sea, they often trade with other races for metal weapons, armor, and so
on for use on the shore. Underwater, however, they build weapons and armor of stone or coral.

Relations: Sea elves trade peacefully with the Gilden and Tashi humans living near the coasts,
and also deal occasionally with halflings and gnomes. Once in a while they trade with hobgoblins
or jungle elves, but not very often. Sea elves as a race try to avoid conflict, but some of them
have aggressive or adventurous tendencies nonetheless. Thus, sea elves rarely war with anyone
other than predatory undersea creatures, but individual sea elves sometimes go out and seek
conflict or adventure. Though other races sometimes try and attack them, any sea elf
communities on the shore will just quickly pack up and flee into the ocean until invaders leave.
Such communities rarely leave their valuables on the shore, anyway.

Basic Stats: Medium Humanoid; Base Speed (20 feet); +2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence (Sea elves
are nimble and well coordinated, but their isolation means that they don't learn as much as other
races.); Low-Light Vision (4 times as far as a human); Water Breathing (breathe water and air
equally well); Swimming (natural swim speed of 30 feet, may use the run action while swimming
in a straight line, no need to make Swim checks for normal swimming, +8 on Swim checks to
perform difficult maneuvers or avoid obstacles, may always take 10 on Swim checks); +2 Intuit
Direction, +2 Listen, +2 Search, +2 Spot (whenever passing within 10 feet of a secret or
concealed door, entitled to a Search check as though actively searching for it); Automatic
Language (Elven); Intelligence Bonus Languages (Aquan, Draconic, Gilden, Gnomish, Halfling,
Rizan, Sylvan, Tashi, Tribal); Favored Class (Bard or Druid or Ranger or Sorcerer).

Dark Elves

Appearance: Height tends to be around 5 feet, with bodies that are thin and delicate. Dark elven
skin tone is black or dark gray, while their visage is angular and attractive, with slanted eyes and
pointed ears. Their hair is either white, blonde, platinum blonde, or golden blonde, while their
eyes are vibrant green, red, or gold.

Description: Dark elves tend towards lawful evil alignment, as they were magically created from
ancient elves and made to be loyal to the elven mage-king and his goals. This means that dark
elves feel an inherant drive to cause pain to the non-elven races, and also feel a need to conquer
and subjugate the other races to elven rule. They are quite loyal to eachother and their cause,
but they do occasionally have conflicts with eachother over how to execute their racial directive.
They have no animosity towards jungle elves or aquatic elves, and see them as merely wayward
cousins who have forgotten the glory and ways of their former kingdom. They will only reluctantly harm fellow elves, but will not allow them to stand in the way of their goals. Very few
dark elves are born without this inherant directive guiding them, so few dark elves are ever of
good or chaotic alignment, though there are plenty who are of neutral evil, true neutral, or lawful
neutral alignment.

Dark elves have an orderly culture settled underground, slowly but inexorably spreading out
from under the center of the continent. They live in grand structures of stone and metal, and are
skilled in both stonemasonry and metalworking. Dark elves are masterful wizards and sorcerers,
and magic literally runs through their veins. Their rulers are all powerful mages, going by titles
such as bey, sha'ir, shah, sultan, and so on. Their families are individually ruled over by
patriarchs and matriarchs, while most dark elves belong to large and powerful guilds as well.
Their culture and architecture may be likened somewhat to the ancient Arabs and Persians of
Earth, but they prefer to use dark stone and metal in their construction, such as obsidian and
blackened iron, with large buildings capped in domes of silver or platinum.

Relations: Dark elves come to the surface for occasional raids on other races, often declaring war
on them, but rarely staying out to fight during the daytime. Their wars are short and brutal, and
end as soon as the dark elves accomplish some objective in crippling their victim. They even war
with other underground races and creatures. They work to slowly weaken and conquer the other
races, as their own numbers are somewhat small. Dark elves very rarely trade with jungle elves,
sea elves, hobgoblins, or kobolds.

Basic Stats: Medium Humanoid; Base Speed (30 feet); -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution,
+2 Intelligence (Dark elves are quick, nimble, and dexterous, and are also quite cunning, but are
somewhat frail and feeble.); Darkvision (120 feet); Light Blindness (sudden bright light blinds for
1 round, any bright light imposes -1 on all saves, checks, and attack rolls); +2 Alchemy, +2
Knowledge-arcana, +2 Listen, +2 Search, +2 Spellcraft, +2 Spot, +2 Use Magic Device
(whenever passing within 10 feet of a secret or concealed door, entitled to a Search check as
though actively searching for it); -1 on all saving throws; Magic Affinity (add +2 to save DC of
spell or magic ability they use, add +2 on caster level checks to beat Spell Resistance with any
spell or magical ability they use); Innate Spells (may use the spell-like abilities of Chill Touch,
Darkness, and Detect Magic, each once per day, as per a wizard of their character level, and each
suffers arcane spell failure chances as though they were arcane spells, but must have an
Intelligence score of at least 10 + the spell's level in order to use any given one of these);
Automatic Language (Elven); Intelligence Bonus Languages (Draconic, Dwarven, Gilden, Goblin,
Orcish, Rizan, Tashi, Terran, Tribal, Undercommon); Favored Class (Fighter or Rogue or
Sorcerer or Wizard).

Orcs

Appearance: Orcs stand about 6-1/2 to 7 feet tall, but tend to hunch slightly. They are quite burly
and thick-skinned, with coarse hair of gray, blue-gray, or red-gray covering much of their bodies,
while their skin tone is a grayish-green. Their faces are an ugly porcine amalgam, with upturned
snouts and ragged, slightly pointed ears. Their lower incisors jut upward from their mouths
almost like tusks, and a few of their other front teeth jut out slightly as well. Orcish eyes are
always dark red.

Description: Orcs are a very chaotic people, obsessed with their own individual power, notoriety,
wealth, and ambitions. Living in the harsh Rugark Tundra, Dur'Athor Wasteland, Dagrosh
Forest, Turag Foothills, and Krug'Nar Bog, orcs strive constantly to leave their homeland and
conquer the other races, taking their lands and enslaving them to serve the lazy orcs. The hearts
of orcs burn with hatred for the other races and a desire to best them, a need carried over from
their ancestors who were long ago banished from the original humanoid tribe. The orcs
themselves live in tribes of moderate or large size, where the strongest orc rules, frequently
challenged by other orcs for their position of chieftan. They have few laws and rule over
eachother entirely through intimidation and strength, and generally the only way to unite orcs is in
a warband heading out to wage war and steal territory. Thus, orcish outposts can be found
occasionally in the territories of other races, but given the selfishness and disloyalty of orcs,
reinforcements rarely arrive to help maintain the stolen land for very long. Orcs prefer hunting
and stealing over agriculture, and they have few merchants or craftspeople, usually slaves,
females, or disgraced warriors whom the others keep alive only to forge weapons and armor for
them. Orcs are nocturnal creatures, preferring to be active at night and sleep during the day.
Their homes are either caves, or crude wood and stone huts, or simple holes dug in the ground
and covered with a roof. Some orcs living in the Rugark Tundra actually construct igloos with
blocks of ice.

Relations: Orcs war constantly with the nearby dwarves and with any passing gnomes, humans,
or giants who come too close to their territory. Orcs also leave their lands occasionally to seek
out communities of other races further abroad, to pillage and plunder. They do on rare occasions
trade with kobolds, goblins, or halflings, however. Orcs desire to conquer the other races and
take their lands, but have difficulty because of their own chaotic and selfish nature, leaving their
tribes fragmented and feuding half the time.

Basic Stats: Medium Humanoid; Base Speed (30 feet); +4 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2
Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma (Orcs are brutish and muscular, with hardy constitutions,
but also tend to be somewhat dim-witted and savage, with limited patience. They are also rather
ugly by the standards of most other humanoids.); Darkvision (60 feet); Light Sensitivity (-1 on
attack rolls in sunlight or other bright light); +4 Concentration, +4 Intimidate; Automatic
Language (Orcish); Intelligence Bonus Languages (Draconic, Dwarven, Giant, Gilden, Gnomish,
Goblin, Rizan, Tashi, Tribal); Favored Class (Barbarian).

Hobgoblins

Appearance: Hobgoblins tend to be about human height, averaging 6 feet tall, and have sturdy
bodies with thick bones. Their skin tends to be brown, burgundy, or dark tan in complexion,
while light fur of dark red, dark orange, tan, or maroon covers much of their body. They have
somewhat bestial features and pronounced noses of red or blue, ragged ears which are slightly
pointed, a square jaw, sharp teeth, and feral eyes of yellow or green.

Description: Ambitious and aggessive folk, hobgoblins have a tendency towards evil alignment as
they war upon others to gain power and notoriety. They have a strict and regimented society,
with a rigid social heirarchy that defines the status of each hobgoblin. They remain united as the
Hobgoblin Coalition, raiding the lands of other creatures and taking slaves to handle the menial
labor required to feed, clothe, and arm the hobgoblin warriors. The Coalition mostly covers the
Trg'Mal Cliffs, Shrog'Kith Floodplains, and Druk'Rrn Swamp. Hobgoblins are somewhat greedy
and also proud of their possessions, keeping their armor and weapons well polished and
sharpened. Their militaristic society keeps them constantly training for war, staying in shape and
honing their combat skills. They frequently employ mercenaries and slaves in their armies to
supplement their main forces and to lessen hobgoblin casualties. Hobgoblins live in structures of
stone and metal, all built to withstand attacks, and their communities are arranged in a militarily secure and orderly fashion, with large walls surrounding even the tiniest of hobgoblin outposts or
villages. The few tasks they do not leave for slaves is the creation of weapons, armor, and
buildings, all of which is handled by hobgoblin master craftspeople. Hobgoblins possess limited
firearms technology stolen from humans and dwarves, which their craftsmen reverse-engineered
to learn the secrets. Hobgoblins have many war-priests and war-mages, but are not as skilled in
magic as with technology, so many of their casters are weak.

Relations: Hobgoblins tend to fight with their fellow goblinoids frequently, but only in small
skirmishes or disagreements. They constantly seek to make war upon other races and conquer
them, expanding their territory and power. Hobgoblins especially dislike the elves and giants.
They do occasionally trade with goblins, kobolds, or halflings, but not often.

Basic Stats: Medium Humanoid; Base Speed (30 feet); +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -4
Charisma (Hobgoblins are rather fit and hardy folk, athletic and well-coordinated. However, their
superiority complex and aggressive, domineering attitude makes them genuinely despised or at
least disliked by nearly everyone else. Even moreso than other goblinoids, their capacity to wield
any inherant magic is low.); Weapon Focus (free feat at 1st-level, ignoring normal requirements,
applies to any one weapon they start with proficiency in); +2 Hide, +4 Intimidate, +2 Move
Silently; Automatic Language (Goblin); Intelligence Bonus Languages (Draconic, Dwarven,
Elven, Giant, Gilden, Orcish, Rizan, Tashi, Tribal, Yuan-Ti); Favored Class (Fighter).

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Rhunarian Races, Tallfolk

Disclaimer: Feat names, skill names, spell names, class names, ability score names, DC, favored class, low-light
vision, darkvision, AC, action types, skill checks, take 10, take 20, aquan, auran, ignan, alignments, spell level,
light blindness, caster level checks, spell resistance, special ability types, arcane spell failure, yuan-ti, character
level, movement speed types, undercommon, creature types, creature and weapon sizes, and proficiency are
property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., which is a subsidiary of Hasbro Corporation. Far as I know. All other
content on this webpage is copyright (c) 2004-2005, property of John J. Korsog, Jr., internet aliases Arkhandus
and Mist Phantom. This content free for personal use but not for commerical distribution.