For those that don't remember the setting (I know it's been quite a while since we last discussed this game) here it is:
The World
This is a classic "Points of Light" setting, as discussed in the pre-4th ed. material over at wizards. The world has a few well settled regions, each of which are usually split between several kingdoms. Outside of this area is wilderness, and the ruins of past civilizations. Dwarves and Elves have their own small kingdoms isolated from the bulk of human civilization, while halflings live on the edges of human society and work with them much of the time.Large cities are rare, and hamlets dot large stretches of farmland. In the few existing large cities, technology hovers around the renaissance era in its sophistication.
Arcane magic is not commonplace anywhere, and is regulated nearly everrywhere it is practiced. In the far northern and Southern regions one must be apprenticed to a wise one in order to practice magic. In the Confederation of Kingdoms, one must belong to one of the Colleges of Magic and have papers from them in order to practice legally, or be involved with the church. In the isolated land of the pharoes, only the priests learn the ways of the arcane; in fact, they are the only ones with any education at all. Only in the Sultanate lands are arcanists free to do as they will, but even their freedom is only illusory, as most find that the only work worth having is as a servant of one of the powerful leaders of the region.
Divine magic is heavily organized and regulated in the Confederation, and in the Kingdom of Sand, but less so in the Sultanate (where it is quite rare outside of druidic magics) and the tribal lands, both North and South. In the Confederation there is a divide between independent practioners, often druids and/or worshipers of the old gods, and the church, which worships the new gods.
Psionics are little understood. Monks, and brotherhoods devoted to wisdom, learning, and self-mastery are among the most predominant practioners of psychic abilities, and even they are by no means common. Psionics are viewed with equal parts fascination and suspicion by the educated, and as similar to other magics by commoners.
Other races have only limited dealings with Humans. They primarily associate with them through trade, but stay in their separate regions. Strangely, those other races native to the world have fewer dealings with humans than their cousins that come from other worlds, who seem more intested in trade and interaction with the Humans.
Travel in the world is accomplished by normal means, with one addition: dotting the landscape, especially in areas with ruins from the Lost Empire, are gates that can instantly transport an individual from their current location to another, so long as that location also has a gate. These ancient devices are capable of transporting one for thousands of miles in mere moments, or even transporting one to another world, such as the harsh homeland of the Dwarven people, or the wooded realm of the elves.
Starting Location
The characters begin in a trade city situated on the boarder of the Confederated Kingdoms. The city though at first glance large, is actually rather small. The majority of its population is composed of travelers and traders, while the permanent residents don't come up to more than 800 or so. The city likely would not even be a city, if not for its peculiar location. It lies near a river and is situated between three of the most commonly traveled Gates. Elves from Artemis, Dwarves from Haephastus, and a humans of every possible background use the city to buy, sell, and trade.
D&D: SoS - The Setting
Last edited by rydi on Mon Apr 22, 2013 10:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Threading the Gerbil since 1982
elves
Elves
Origins
9,000 years ago, a great empire was brought to ruin by dissension and the threat of invaders from distant stars. Before its destruction, the empire spanned the entire solar system, and all peoples were a part of it, but as it fell into chaos, many races abandoned the empire in hopes that they could preserve themselves. The elves were amongst the few that stood with the empire to the bitter end, but for a few factions.
The majority of the race, known as the high elves, stood with the empire. The scholars and rulers of elvendom (led by the great warrior-scholar Kethrayl and his children) chose to abandon the empire because the war was the fault of the other, less pure, races, and it threatened to destroy all of elven culture. The wood elves (led by Arilien), rustics that never believed in the technology used by the empire, likewise saw the war as the fault of the other races and their technology, and were unable to help had they desired to, due to the aliens attacking their world for resources. The underclass and the outcasts of elven society united under a strong leader (Sanali) and took advantage of the chaos to rebel against the rest of elven society and retreated to unknown regions.
The war was ended when the aliens were imprisoned by the combined efforts of the great mages of the empire, and several of the grey elves’ greatest scholars. When the war was over, there was little left of the once great empire to return to. The glorious cities of the empire were largely destroyed, many of the gates that comprised the transit network were no longer functional, and the infrastructure that supported the empires technology and knowledge were gone. The peoples of all races felt that the old gods of the empire had abandoned them, and turned to other gods in their place.
The elves were hit particularly hard by the war, with over a quarter of their race killed. When the few surviving high elves returned from the war, they had nothing to come home to, and were forced to either give up their old ways of life and join the wood elves as equals, or to maintain some measure of civilization and join the grey elves as an underclass.
Grey Elves
The grey elves are an arrogant race, but are possessed of more than enough power to back up their arrogance. They are a haughty, incredibly knowledgeable, and almost otherworldly people in the eyes of those they deign to deal with.
World
The grey elves live on Apollo. It is a mountainous world, dotted all over by lush valleys and plateaus overlooking the sea. Dry land makes up only 20% of Apollo, and much of that is island or peninsula, giving nearly every grey elven city a view of the sea. The climate is Mediterranean, and its sister world, Artemis, hangs large in the sky.
Grey elves share their world with several intelligent avian and sea races.
Politics/stratification
The ruling class is composed of the descendants of Kethrayl, and the more powerful of Kethrayl’s contemporaries. Beneath these nobles are the military, the craft guilds, and the scholars. At the bottom of society are the descendants of the high elves, who tend the fields and provide much of the manual labor for the society. Despite the stratification present in grey elven society, there is little complaint or abuse of power. The lower castes are well cared for by their rulers and are generally happy, while the higher castes are generally industrious and concerned about the welfare of their society.
The noble houses are divided into high houses and lower houses, with the Scions of Kethrayl (the scion houses have a child of Kethrayl as their progenitor, and hold one of his artifacts as an heirloom, which is what the second part of the house name is taken from, such as Kethrayl’xxx, or Kethrayl’s Shield) and a few other houses in the greater houses, and the lower houses composed primarily of individuals originally from other casts that were able to climb to a position of power.
Lifestyle
The majority of grey elves are given basic military training, education in math, history, spellcraft, and literature, and are taught a craft of some sort, with specific casts being further educated in areas dealing specifically with their caste’s responsibilities. Magic pervades the elven society, and the high quality of their crafted goods could not be maintained without it.
The grey elves are seldom attacked by other peoples due to the reputations of their mages, but a occasionally orcs or other less savory creatures will invade en mass via one of the functioning gates, at which point every able bodied citizen is expected to go to battle. But aside from occasional conflict and a bit of hard work, the grey elves lead a fairly leisurely life, and are able to enjoy many luxuries. Even the lowest caste of grey elven society, despite hard manual labor, can look forward to many luxuries, good food, and medical care.
Grey elves live primarily in cities, situated amongst the cliffs of their world, often overlooking the sea, with a few cities located along the coastline itself. The ruling classes tend to have ancestral homes within these cities, while the lower classes live in smaller housing that they have purchased, or in housing provided by whatever group they are working for. Many lower class elves, and a few nobles, also live in mountain valleys growing food for the rest of grey elven society, and the famous grey elven wine.
Religion
The upper classes take a more scholarly view of religion, and though they study the gods, both old and new, they seldom are drawn to devout worship, instead making traditional offerings at the appropriate times and saying polite prayers to invoke the blessings of the gods (much like casting a spell really…). The lower castes tend to be somewhat more involved in religion, with seasonal festivals in honor of the gods being a common occurrence outside the cities, and heartfelt but infrequent prayers to the elven pantheon being the primary mode of worship.
Technology
Grey elves are capable of great feats of engineering that, though not as impressive as those of the dwarves, are unrivaled by the works of any other race in beauty. Their cliff cities are wonders to the few humans privileged enough to have seen them. Magic is incorporated into many of their devices, and simple electric power generated by waterfall or windmill is often used in the homes of the rich, public buildings, and industry. Plumbing is considered a given in all cities, and the poor sanitation of other races is a constant source of displeasure to grey elves traveling abroad.
Warfare
The grey elves are the greatest mages in the solar system, and they use their arcane might as their primary defense against their enemies. But steal as well as sorcery is required to defend the grey elves on occasion, and in such cases the citizen militias are called into service. As each elf trains in the long bow and long sword from a young age, these militias are highly effective. In addition, many nobles train in the arts of combat, and of riding (be it horse, eagle, or even griffin), and these knights are some of the most capable warriors on any world. A few especially disciplined and talented elves have been known to learn both the art of wizardry and weapons, or even to enter into one of the 3 grey elven warrior colleges, and these rare individuals are given great respect by their fellow nobles (it would be almost unheard of for a commoner to master such arts).
Other races
Grey elves are not fond of other races. They tolerate their rustic cousins, and despite their disdain for the wood elves’ chosen lifestyle, they have a modicum of respect for them due to shared heritage, and the skill, grace and culture that they maintain despite their lack of high magic and technology.
Humans are little more than savages running around with clubs and wearing the skins of dead animals because they cannot craft proper tools or clothing (a curious note about grey elves: they are not fond of wearing dead flesh). They have some use for the resources of their world, and the brute force and numbers they can put into a project, but are otherwise beneath the notice of the grey elves.
Dwarves are uncultured, crude, and aesthetically unappealing. The grey elves do tend to respect them a bit more than humans however, as they at least choose to be such, instead of running off of instinctual urges, and they are capable of building things of lasting worth. Trade is often beneficial to both sides, but it is sometimes difficult for the cultures to deal amicably, especially with several unpleasant conflicts between them over the millennia.
Halflings are a source of humor for the grey elves. They look like human children, which is not a mark in their favor, but they are much better behaved than humans, and they are rather friendly, despite their ignorance and total lack of power. Generally, after spending a bit of time with halflings, grey elves tend to view them as they would simple but nice children of their own race.
Gnomes are treated like the halfling race’s lazy older sibling. They are proficient in a few areas, and are a bit more knowledgeable than humans or halflings, but they are frivolous and lack both magical and military might, causing grey elves to view them as lazy children that are too busy playing with toys they should have abandoned long ago to actually make something of themselves.
Orcs, goblins, kobolds and other races are viewed with
and anger. They are often killed on sight.
Wood Elves
Wood elves are an isolationist community that shuns the technology of other races, up to and including the forging of metal. They are mysterious, beautiful, and savage to the races that they trade with.
World
The world Artemis is comprised primarily of temperate forests, with a band of jungle around the equator. There are only two continents and the oceans are small (the world’s surface is only 55% water) but many great lakes and rivers are scattered over Artemis. The forests are interspersed with meadows in which the elves occasionally farm or raise animals. The climate is temperate over most of the planet, and Apollo hangs constantly overhead.
Wood elves share their world with many types of fey and sentient plant life, as well as many monstrous creatures both native and gated.
Politics/stratification
The wood elves organize themselves into semi-nomadic bands which travel a set path over the course of 13 year cycles. Each band has elders responsible for the care of the band as a whole, and for meeting with the heads of other nearby bands to discuss shared interests. Inter-band organizations also exist, and generally consist of groups of elves that have dedicated themselves to a particular calling or craft, such as war, magic, or woodwork. A given elf may belong to several of these societies, and they serve to create a more integrated wood elf culture and prevent dissent among bands of a given region. On the whole, most wood elves are not especially specialized however, preferring to learn to be well versed in all areas of life and to accomplish tasks themselves rather than have others do things for them.
There is no single, all-powerful authority in wood elf society, or even in wood elf bands, and no codified law text exists. Rather, people are free to do as they will, with band norms and mores functioning as law, and the advice of elders being only as binding as the level to which a given elders is respected within the community. Matters concerning the wood elves as a whole are decided by a council of elders, but even decisions made by such a council are still up to the individual wood elf to follow.
Lifestyle
Wood elves are primarily hunter-gatherers. Though there are a few established tree cities, these places are seldom occupied by a given band for more than a year, and instead of being permanent residences, they are simply stopping points along a bands route. A few wood elves have settled down to more permanent lives of farming, animal husbandry, or maintenance of the cities, but these elves are not common, and they tend to be loners, as though they are in contact with more elves throughout their life than most, they are a part of no band, and therefore truly close to few, if any, other elves.
Violence is more common for wood elves than their grey elf cousins, due to the untamed nature of their world and the many monstrous and magical creatures that call it home (these creatures are also more numerous due to the many hidden gates dotting the surface of Artemis, and the ease with which creatures coming through them can hide in the world’s vast wilderness). All wood elves are trained in the basics of archery, hunting, and close-combat, and many of the inter-band organizations revolve around combat of some sort. Band conflicts are uncommon, and almost never lethal, but disagreements have been known to erupt into all out battles on a few occasions, with counting coup or stealing the enemy bands resources being the primary means of establishing winners in conflicts. Bands that are responsible for actually killing are shunned for many years by the rest of wood elf society.
The wood elves are focused mainly on living life and find the complexity of other societies, even and especially the grey elf society, wasteful and counterproductive to finding true happiness.
Religion
The wood elves are more religious than their cousins the grey elves, but approach religion oddly. The elven pantheon is worshipped on a day-to-day basis, called upon for aid, and thanked for serendipitous happenings, but the old gods are worshiped as well during the seasonal festivals. The old gods are seen as both more distant, and more tied to the land, and thus their worship is more a ritual blessing of the land, rather than a direct relationship.
Technology
The wood elves do not believe in technology that cannot be created by a single individual using tools present in nature. Any wood elf can craft an adequate bow, sharpen a stone into a cutting instrument, or make simple garments from animal skins. Crafting that goes beyond this simple level removes one from the natural rhythms and forces a lifestyle that, though at times might be easier, is less fulfilling and less in harmony with the natural inclinations of all peoples.
This is not to say that wood elves are incapable of great works however. Their work is simply… different. Their tree cities, for example, are integrated into the landscape, and are created using only simple tools and the hard work of the wood elves. Many wood elves ascend to levels of precision in their crafts unheard of by other races, but their crafts revolve around simple things required for survival, such as woodworking, fletching, or herbology.
Warfare
The training elves receive in hunting and combat serves them will in skirmish fighting and guerilla warfare. Wood elves generally use stealth and speed to turn battles to their advantage. Only when cornered, and lacking any other options, will wood elves stand and fight a head on conflict. In such situations, wood elf mages, warblades, and blade-dancers, those who have dedicated their lives to the defense of their people, close with the enemy.
Though unlikely to win a full-scale war in open terrain, the wood elves are nearly unbeatable on their home world in the shelter of the forests, as is evidenced by the thwarted invasion of technologically and mystically advanced aliens 9,000 years ago.
Other races
For the most part, elves hold great contempt for the other races. Despite their technological advances, most other races are unhealthy, and unhappy. Equally as bad, rather than containing this misery to themselves, they inflict it on other creatures and the environment. If a wood elf can get past their contempt for such idiocy, their opinions on other races are generally fairly tolerant.
Humans: extremely uncivilized for the most part, and are too often concerned with the wrong things in life. Despite this, they are highly trainable, and their short life spans encourage them to live and experience more than most other races.
Dwarves: Their highly structured society, denial of natural urges, and their heavy use of technology make most elves dislike dwarves. Despite their dislike however, wood elves respect and even admire the tenacity and determination with which dwarves face life and its challenges.
Halflings: Too civilized by far, but otherwise very similar to the wood elves in perspective. They live life for its simple joys, and do little to harm the environments they live in. If the wood elves were to condone the use of technology, the halfling way of life would be an example of how it should be done. If only the halflings weren’t so weak they would truly be worthy of respect...
Gnomes: On the surface their peoples get along rather well. Song, dance, merriment, storytelling, and personal freedom; what is there for them to disagree about? Ultimately however, the gnomes and wood elves are in near diametric opposition. The wood elves value simplicity, the natural order, and though a happy people, there is a meditative and respectful seriousness not present in gnomish culture. The infantile humor, needless complexity, and need to change and mold the world are all deeply ingrained in gnomish culture, and put them at odds with most wood elves.
Orcs, goblins: In some ways, despite their warlike ways, the goblinoids are admirable for their lack of sophistication and lack of desire to change themselves or the world. Unfortunately, this lack of sophistication is due less to a philosophical understanding as is that of the wood elves; instead, their wild nature is due to a lack of control or thought. Most goblinoids are seen as a step down from humans, as humans at least are capable of some discipline, and on occasion seem to care about the consequences of their actions.
Kobolds: Though too regimented for the tastes of most wood elves, elves are surprisingly tolerant of kobolds. As a people, they are more concerned with simply living their lives and helping their community than they are with frivolities, making them one of the few other races in the system that wood elves can agree with. Some trading occurs between kobolds and wood elves, though the wood elves are careful not to allow too much contact due to the expansionist nature of some kobold tribes, and the decided lack of concern that many kobolds show for non-draconic races.
Origins
9,000 years ago, a great empire was brought to ruin by dissension and the threat of invaders from distant stars. Before its destruction, the empire spanned the entire solar system, and all peoples were a part of it, but as it fell into chaos, many races abandoned the empire in hopes that they could preserve themselves. The elves were amongst the few that stood with the empire to the bitter end, but for a few factions.
The majority of the race, known as the high elves, stood with the empire. The scholars and rulers of elvendom (led by the great warrior-scholar Kethrayl and his children) chose to abandon the empire because the war was the fault of the other, less pure, races, and it threatened to destroy all of elven culture. The wood elves (led by Arilien), rustics that never believed in the technology used by the empire, likewise saw the war as the fault of the other races and their technology, and were unable to help had they desired to, due to the aliens attacking their world for resources. The underclass and the outcasts of elven society united under a strong leader (Sanali) and took advantage of the chaos to rebel against the rest of elven society and retreated to unknown regions.
The war was ended when the aliens were imprisoned by the combined efforts of the great mages of the empire, and several of the grey elves’ greatest scholars. When the war was over, there was little left of the once great empire to return to. The glorious cities of the empire were largely destroyed, many of the gates that comprised the transit network were no longer functional, and the infrastructure that supported the empires technology and knowledge were gone. The peoples of all races felt that the old gods of the empire had abandoned them, and turned to other gods in their place.
The elves were hit particularly hard by the war, with over a quarter of their race killed. When the few surviving high elves returned from the war, they had nothing to come home to, and were forced to either give up their old ways of life and join the wood elves as equals, or to maintain some measure of civilization and join the grey elves as an underclass.
Grey Elves
The grey elves are an arrogant race, but are possessed of more than enough power to back up their arrogance. They are a haughty, incredibly knowledgeable, and almost otherworldly people in the eyes of those they deign to deal with.
World
The grey elves live on Apollo. It is a mountainous world, dotted all over by lush valleys and plateaus overlooking the sea. Dry land makes up only 20% of Apollo, and much of that is island or peninsula, giving nearly every grey elven city a view of the sea. The climate is Mediterranean, and its sister world, Artemis, hangs large in the sky.
Grey elves share their world with several intelligent avian and sea races.
Politics/stratification
The ruling class is composed of the descendants of Kethrayl, and the more powerful of Kethrayl’s contemporaries. Beneath these nobles are the military, the craft guilds, and the scholars. At the bottom of society are the descendants of the high elves, who tend the fields and provide much of the manual labor for the society. Despite the stratification present in grey elven society, there is little complaint or abuse of power. The lower castes are well cared for by their rulers and are generally happy, while the higher castes are generally industrious and concerned about the welfare of their society.
The noble houses are divided into high houses and lower houses, with the Scions of Kethrayl (the scion houses have a child of Kethrayl as their progenitor, and hold one of his artifacts as an heirloom, which is what the second part of the house name is taken from, such as Kethrayl’xxx, or Kethrayl’s Shield) and a few other houses in the greater houses, and the lower houses composed primarily of individuals originally from other casts that were able to climb to a position of power.
Lifestyle
The majority of grey elves are given basic military training, education in math, history, spellcraft, and literature, and are taught a craft of some sort, with specific casts being further educated in areas dealing specifically with their caste’s responsibilities. Magic pervades the elven society, and the high quality of their crafted goods could not be maintained without it.
The grey elves are seldom attacked by other peoples due to the reputations of their mages, but a occasionally orcs or other less savory creatures will invade en mass via one of the functioning gates, at which point every able bodied citizen is expected to go to battle. But aside from occasional conflict and a bit of hard work, the grey elves lead a fairly leisurely life, and are able to enjoy many luxuries. Even the lowest caste of grey elven society, despite hard manual labor, can look forward to many luxuries, good food, and medical care.
Grey elves live primarily in cities, situated amongst the cliffs of their world, often overlooking the sea, with a few cities located along the coastline itself. The ruling classes tend to have ancestral homes within these cities, while the lower classes live in smaller housing that they have purchased, or in housing provided by whatever group they are working for. Many lower class elves, and a few nobles, also live in mountain valleys growing food for the rest of grey elven society, and the famous grey elven wine.
Religion
The upper classes take a more scholarly view of religion, and though they study the gods, both old and new, they seldom are drawn to devout worship, instead making traditional offerings at the appropriate times and saying polite prayers to invoke the blessings of the gods (much like casting a spell really…). The lower castes tend to be somewhat more involved in religion, with seasonal festivals in honor of the gods being a common occurrence outside the cities, and heartfelt but infrequent prayers to the elven pantheon being the primary mode of worship.
Technology
Grey elves are capable of great feats of engineering that, though not as impressive as those of the dwarves, are unrivaled by the works of any other race in beauty. Their cliff cities are wonders to the few humans privileged enough to have seen them. Magic is incorporated into many of their devices, and simple electric power generated by waterfall or windmill is often used in the homes of the rich, public buildings, and industry. Plumbing is considered a given in all cities, and the poor sanitation of other races is a constant source of displeasure to grey elves traveling abroad.
Warfare
The grey elves are the greatest mages in the solar system, and they use their arcane might as their primary defense against their enemies. But steal as well as sorcery is required to defend the grey elves on occasion, and in such cases the citizen militias are called into service. As each elf trains in the long bow and long sword from a young age, these militias are highly effective. In addition, many nobles train in the arts of combat, and of riding (be it horse, eagle, or even griffin), and these knights are some of the most capable warriors on any world. A few especially disciplined and talented elves have been known to learn both the art of wizardry and weapons, or even to enter into one of the 3 grey elven warrior colleges, and these rare individuals are given great respect by their fellow nobles (it would be almost unheard of for a commoner to master such arts).
Other races
Grey elves are not fond of other races. They tolerate their rustic cousins, and despite their disdain for the wood elves’ chosen lifestyle, they have a modicum of respect for them due to shared heritage, and the skill, grace and culture that they maintain despite their lack of high magic and technology.
Humans are little more than savages running around with clubs and wearing the skins of dead animals because they cannot craft proper tools or clothing (a curious note about grey elves: they are not fond of wearing dead flesh). They have some use for the resources of their world, and the brute force and numbers they can put into a project, but are otherwise beneath the notice of the grey elves.
Dwarves are uncultured, crude, and aesthetically unappealing. The grey elves do tend to respect them a bit more than humans however, as they at least choose to be such, instead of running off of instinctual urges, and they are capable of building things of lasting worth. Trade is often beneficial to both sides, but it is sometimes difficult for the cultures to deal amicably, especially with several unpleasant conflicts between them over the millennia.
Halflings are a source of humor for the grey elves. They look like human children, which is not a mark in their favor, but they are much better behaved than humans, and they are rather friendly, despite their ignorance and total lack of power. Generally, after spending a bit of time with halflings, grey elves tend to view them as they would simple but nice children of their own race.
Gnomes are treated like the halfling race’s lazy older sibling. They are proficient in a few areas, and are a bit more knowledgeable than humans or halflings, but they are frivolous and lack both magical and military might, causing grey elves to view them as lazy children that are too busy playing with toys they should have abandoned long ago to actually make something of themselves.
Orcs, goblins, kobolds and other races are viewed with
and anger. They are often killed on sight.Wood Elves
Wood elves are an isolationist community that shuns the technology of other races, up to and including the forging of metal. They are mysterious, beautiful, and savage to the races that they trade with.
World
The world Artemis is comprised primarily of temperate forests, with a band of jungle around the equator. There are only two continents and the oceans are small (the world’s surface is only 55% water) but many great lakes and rivers are scattered over Artemis. The forests are interspersed with meadows in which the elves occasionally farm or raise animals. The climate is temperate over most of the planet, and Apollo hangs constantly overhead.
Wood elves share their world with many types of fey and sentient plant life, as well as many monstrous creatures both native and gated.
Politics/stratification
The wood elves organize themselves into semi-nomadic bands which travel a set path over the course of 13 year cycles. Each band has elders responsible for the care of the band as a whole, and for meeting with the heads of other nearby bands to discuss shared interests. Inter-band organizations also exist, and generally consist of groups of elves that have dedicated themselves to a particular calling or craft, such as war, magic, or woodwork. A given elf may belong to several of these societies, and they serve to create a more integrated wood elf culture and prevent dissent among bands of a given region. On the whole, most wood elves are not especially specialized however, preferring to learn to be well versed in all areas of life and to accomplish tasks themselves rather than have others do things for them.
There is no single, all-powerful authority in wood elf society, or even in wood elf bands, and no codified law text exists. Rather, people are free to do as they will, with band norms and mores functioning as law, and the advice of elders being only as binding as the level to which a given elders is respected within the community. Matters concerning the wood elves as a whole are decided by a council of elders, but even decisions made by such a council are still up to the individual wood elf to follow.
Lifestyle
Wood elves are primarily hunter-gatherers. Though there are a few established tree cities, these places are seldom occupied by a given band for more than a year, and instead of being permanent residences, they are simply stopping points along a bands route. A few wood elves have settled down to more permanent lives of farming, animal husbandry, or maintenance of the cities, but these elves are not common, and they tend to be loners, as though they are in contact with more elves throughout their life than most, they are a part of no band, and therefore truly close to few, if any, other elves.
Violence is more common for wood elves than their grey elf cousins, due to the untamed nature of their world and the many monstrous and magical creatures that call it home (these creatures are also more numerous due to the many hidden gates dotting the surface of Artemis, and the ease with which creatures coming through them can hide in the world’s vast wilderness). All wood elves are trained in the basics of archery, hunting, and close-combat, and many of the inter-band organizations revolve around combat of some sort. Band conflicts are uncommon, and almost never lethal, but disagreements have been known to erupt into all out battles on a few occasions, with counting coup or stealing the enemy bands resources being the primary means of establishing winners in conflicts. Bands that are responsible for actually killing are shunned for many years by the rest of wood elf society.
The wood elves are focused mainly on living life and find the complexity of other societies, even and especially the grey elf society, wasteful and counterproductive to finding true happiness.
Religion
The wood elves are more religious than their cousins the grey elves, but approach religion oddly. The elven pantheon is worshipped on a day-to-day basis, called upon for aid, and thanked for serendipitous happenings, but the old gods are worshiped as well during the seasonal festivals. The old gods are seen as both more distant, and more tied to the land, and thus their worship is more a ritual blessing of the land, rather than a direct relationship.
Technology
The wood elves do not believe in technology that cannot be created by a single individual using tools present in nature. Any wood elf can craft an adequate bow, sharpen a stone into a cutting instrument, or make simple garments from animal skins. Crafting that goes beyond this simple level removes one from the natural rhythms and forces a lifestyle that, though at times might be easier, is less fulfilling and less in harmony with the natural inclinations of all peoples.
This is not to say that wood elves are incapable of great works however. Their work is simply… different. Their tree cities, for example, are integrated into the landscape, and are created using only simple tools and the hard work of the wood elves. Many wood elves ascend to levels of precision in their crafts unheard of by other races, but their crafts revolve around simple things required for survival, such as woodworking, fletching, or herbology.
Warfare
The training elves receive in hunting and combat serves them will in skirmish fighting and guerilla warfare. Wood elves generally use stealth and speed to turn battles to their advantage. Only when cornered, and lacking any other options, will wood elves stand and fight a head on conflict. In such situations, wood elf mages, warblades, and blade-dancers, those who have dedicated their lives to the defense of their people, close with the enemy.
Though unlikely to win a full-scale war in open terrain, the wood elves are nearly unbeatable on their home world in the shelter of the forests, as is evidenced by the thwarted invasion of technologically and mystically advanced aliens 9,000 years ago.
Other races
For the most part, elves hold great contempt for the other races. Despite their technological advances, most other races are unhealthy, and unhappy. Equally as bad, rather than containing this misery to themselves, they inflict it on other creatures and the environment. If a wood elf can get past their contempt for such idiocy, their opinions on other races are generally fairly tolerant.
Humans: extremely uncivilized for the most part, and are too often concerned with the wrong things in life. Despite this, they are highly trainable, and their short life spans encourage them to live and experience more than most other races.
Dwarves: Their highly structured society, denial of natural urges, and their heavy use of technology make most elves dislike dwarves. Despite their dislike however, wood elves respect and even admire the tenacity and determination with which dwarves face life and its challenges.
Halflings: Too civilized by far, but otherwise very similar to the wood elves in perspective. They live life for its simple joys, and do little to harm the environments they live in. If the wood elves were to condone the use of technology, the halfling way of life would be an example of how it should be done. If only the halflings weren’t so weak they would truly be worthy of respect...
Gnomes: On the surface their peoples get along rather well. Song, dance, merriment, storytelling, and personal freedom; what is there for them to disagree about? Ultimately however, the gnomes and wood elves are in near diametric opposition. The wood elves value simplicity, the natural order, and though a happy people, there is a meditative and respectful seriousness not present in gnomish culture. The infantile humor, needless complexity, and need to change and mold the world are all deeply ingrained in gnomish culture, and put them at odds with most wood elves.
Orcs, goblins: In some ways, despite their warlike ways, the goblinoids are admirable for their lack of sophistication and lack of desire to change themselves or the world. Unfortunately, this lack of sophistication is due less to a philosophical understanding as is that of the wood elves; instead, their wild nature is due to a lack of control or thought. Most goblinoids are seen as a step down from humans, as humans at least are capable of some discipline, and on occasion seem to care about the consequences of their actions.
Kobolds: Though too regimented for the tastes of most wood elves, elves are surprisingly tolerant of kobolds. As a people, they are more concerned with simply living their lives and helping their community than they are with frivolities, making them one of the few other races in the system that wood elves can agree with. Some trading occurs between kobolds and wood elves, though the wood elves are careful not to allow too much contact due to the expansionist nature of some kobold tribes, and the decided lack of concern that many kobolds show for non-draconic races.
Threading the Gerbil since 1982
dwarves
Dwarves
Strongly regimented, dwarven life is defined by ones service to the community. Unlike many asian societies however, dwarves celebrate individual accomplishments and give great glory to exceptional individuals (as long as they are using their ability for the greater good). A dwarf is likely to spend the entirety of their life in service of one sort or another, and as they age they are expected to perfect their behavior and craft to greater and greater heights. Males and females live mostly separate lives, but the society is very egalitarian as far as rights are concerned.
Life
Male childhood will have been spent as an apprentice of some sort (generally in a craft that is useful to the military), and while participating in daily military training from the time they were 10 (mostly consisting of endurance training, with some wrestling and basic weapons training). After coming to legal adulthood at 30, a male will be subject to several endurance and skill tests, join the military, and serve until death or dismissal.
After 10 (less in cases of extreme heroism or wisdom) years of faithful service, the dwarf will be considered a citizen with full voting rights. After 50-75 years of faithful service (decided by the non-official vote of the clan seniors citizens), a dwarf will be considered what would best be described as a senior citizen (not old, but more respected and older than a base citizen). After 100-150 (determined by official vote of the clan elders) years of service a dwarf will be considered an elder, with the right to make leadership decisions regarding the clan. What determines the speed of a dwarf’s progress in rank is a mix of skill in battle, wisdom, self-control, and skill in their given craft.
Exceptions to this include those maimed in battle beyond the ability to continue in the military, those too old to serve, criminals, those dishonorably discharged, and those who withdraw from military service early.
For those that have been maimed and discharged due to disability, or for those that choose to leave service honorably, their position is unlikely to be lowered from whatever it was before discharge. Such individuals are also still able to obtain rank in other fields, such as craft, civil service, or farming. Those too old to serve also retain their rank, and may retire to the above list of occupations without loss of station. Those dishonorably discharged have all but their adult status removed, and are relegated to living as merchants, farmers, or civil servants. Criminals, after punishment (and if able to serve in such a function) may start over in any role they desire, from the lowest rank. All of the above are still expected to participate in the clan militia.
Women, who comprise only 40% of the dwarven population (females account for only 30% of births) are given training in basic weapons, but are not subject to the rigors normally associated with male dwarven life. Women are expected to join their local militia, and take up apprenticeship in a craft or occupation useful to society. When they come of age at 30, they are expected to marry a suitable dwarf (though not legally required, it is socially expected that a dwarven female marry a male of at least senior citizen status; other marriages are sometimes allowed in special circumstances) and attempt to produce a child. Like males, any rank they achieve in society assumes a progress in their craft of choice.
Though women’s primary responsibility to their society is to breed, they are not forced to marry or breed against their wishes, and those desiring to avoid such things all together are allowed to join a warrior sorority if they choose. Such women gain rank as any male would (and are required to take the same entrance examinations as well), and generally avoid domestic responsibilities. The sororities are considered separate military units, and though some clans have a specific sorority, most are formed from all clans in a given area, with a sorority house lying in each of the different clan’s territories and members assigned to different chapters on the basis of staffing needs in the area. Elders of a sorority are bound to a specific chapter house, and sometimes rise to become commander of an entire clan’s military structure (at which point they appoint a new leader for the chapter). In times of inter-clan war the sororities refrain from taking a side unless the elders of the sorority unanimously agree that the fault lies with a single side, in which case they warn that they will interfere if they guilty party does not recognize defeat, and then move to fight if the guilty party does not concede. Otherwise, in times of war, a sorority works for whatever clan they are in at a given time (the clan that is sponsoring their current chapter house).
Relationships
Dwarves have many relationships throughout their lives. All dwarves tend to be especially close to their same sex parent, from whom they usually learn the basics of the craft they will perform later in life, as well as their domestic or military responsibilities. The next important relationship in a dwarve’s life is that of master/apprentice. When a dwarf is old enough to learn their trade in earnest, they are usually fostered to a non-family member or a distant family member. The master is responsible for being the child’s surrogate parent, and such bonds are often very close. During this time period, many strong friendship bonds are created between dwarves, as they train together in preparation for their craft and military/domestic service. Sexual experimentation is often common at this age, though it is actually fairly uncommon for such relationships to heterosexual, as it is considered dishonorable for a female to have sex before marriage (throws lineage and fidelity into question once married) or to have a child out of wedlock (it both shames the child, and deprives it of opportunity).
After dwarves come of age, male and female relationships begin to differ. Women marry at adulthood, and attempt to produce an heir. As women are expected to marry only men who are proven to be both responsible and hardy (as is proven by their senior status) they usually find it difficult to connect with their husbands emotionally due to the gap in experience, age, and the coping mechanisms most dwarven males of senior status have adopted to stay sane. Marriages are more akin to close business partnerships, in which the partners are dependent upon one another to fulfill their societal responsibilities, though it is common for couples to come to care deeply for one another after being together for an extended period. When their husbands are at war, or otherwise absent, it is common for women to turn to close friends (often those made during their apprenticeships) for emotional and physical release. Of note, homosexual relations are not considered a breach of marriage vows, but when they are not separated by other responsibilities it is considered a couples duty to attempt to produce as many children as possible.
Male dwarves, upon coming of age, find many of their closest relationships in military service. The first important relationship during this period is their mentor. The mentor is a full citizen (but not senior citizen) who teaches the young dwarf what it means to be in the military, and much like the master/apprentice relationship, the dwarves are very close. Unlike the master however, the mentor is more of an older brother figure, and often the mentor is the first lover that a male dwarf will be with. The mentorship lasts until the dwarf becomes a citizen; once citizenship is gained the dwarf picks a willing shieldmate (partner in battle that shares virtually every aspect of a soldiers life, including their responsibilities) to pair off with (or one is assigned if none are willing). By the time citizenship comes about, a dwarf is usually in a comfortable and platonic relationship with their mentor (assuming the mentor is still living), and is an independent and fully functioning member of the military. The shieldmate chosen is usually a close friend made during their years of mentorship, and is of equal rank and roughly equivalent status and skill. Not all shieldmate relationships are romantic in nature, but all are very close relationships nonetheless, and it is not uncommon for dwarves to become suicidal upon the death of their shieldmate even if they were not lovers, as the shieldmate is one of the only things that allow dwarves to cope with the hardships of their lifestyle.
Most male dwarves have very little sexual or emotional experience with females, due to the social restrictions on premarital sex; the only dwarven males that do are those that travel abroad and find non-dwarven women to interact with, those that had some inlet into female social circles as an apprentice (a sister or female fellow apprentice perhaps) and successfully kept their relationships hidden, or those that interact with the warrior sororities. With such limited interaction, it is not surprising that, when they are finally able to take a wife after long years of military service, male dwarves are very uncomfortable with their situation. Marriages, for the males, are strange and intimidating affairs that they acclimate to very slowly. They also find it very difficult to relate to the young and inexperienced women they are mated to, as they have virtually no common experience, and the males are too hardened by the violence of the military to reach out in any way that the females usually understand (though some perceptive females that paid close attention to their fathers as they grew up tend to understand their husbands a bit better).
The warrior sororities are very similar in social function to the primary military except that they are a bit more free in their sexual and emotional relationships. Though there are mentorships, the ‘older sister’ is not nearly as possessive of her trainee as male soldiers usually are, and the shieldmate relationship is informal in the uncommon instances when they do occur. The sororities try to create an environment of group camaraderie rather than one of separate couples. Such an environment allows for less dependence and attachment on a single individual (and less resultant trauma upon the death of said individual) and gives more means of coping with the rather difficult dwarven warrior lifestyle. The sororities do not prohibit interaction between the male and female soldiers, but will remove any woman that becomes pregnant, and such a woman will never be allowed back in. Abortion is not an option in such cases, as dwarven births are much more rare than most other humanoid births (such an action might even be grounds for exile) but birth control is allowed and recommended.
Government
Dwarven government is democratic, though voting is a right earned only through participation in society. Voting is divided into domestic, non-domestic, and general, with those in the military gaining rights to vote in non-domestic affairs, married women and retired military allowed to vote in domestic affairs, and all citizens allowed to vote on general issues. Most decisions that involve interfering in peoples day to day lives are put to popular vote after proponents from either side attempt to educate the people on the topic at hand, while issues concerning administration are generally determined by votes of only the elder citizens, or a panel of elders with specific knowledge relating to the topic at hand. The elders are also responsible for electing the clan head, who is allowed to run the entire clan in times of emergency, and to over-rule the elders (a risky thing to do often for a clan head). The clan head can also put a subject to popular vote at will, and is largely responsible for handling foreign relations and declaring war (technically, the clan head must put declaration of war to popular vote, but he may take emergency military action at any given time, and delay the vote on war until war is the only possible choice for the clan; such tactics are frowned upon however, and could cause the clan head great trouble). The clan head can be deposed by the elders with a 3 to 1 majority, but such an action would shame the clan as a whole and cause the people to lose faith in the elders, and thus it is rare that a clan head is actually deposed. Rather a clan head that is performing poorly is most often counseled by the elders before any rash actions are taken. Other political positions tend to be bureaucratic or managerial in nature (administrator of public sanitation, farming coordinator, government food surplus handler), though they are still responsible for some decisions, and such positions are usually held by senior or elder citizens, or master crafters of the appropriate trade. All positions are for life, barring removal due to ineptitude or infirmity.
Naming
Dwarven names are almost always consonant-vowel-consonant (Dor for example) with a series of suffixes added to denote rank and social status (basically one and the same for dwarves). Overall rank, such as adult or elder status (with masculine rank coming before feminine for those few individuals that have both), comes before specialist status, which in turn comes before all other rank. Only overall rank is generally used in ones name unless the name is being used formally, or the one using the name differs in rank (an adult speaking to an elder for example). The exception to this is crafters, who generally include their appropriate suffixes.
-i suffixes are normally only given to men, but are technically given to any member of the military that meets the requirements. The ranks denote military as well as craft proficiency.
• -i denotes adult male status and entry into the military
• -ih denotes full citizen status
• -ir denotes senior citizen status
• -in denotes denotes elder status
-o suffixes are used to show craft mastery for those that do not participate in the military and/or marry, or to denote a craft skill that is above or below standard for a given rank.
• -o denotes apprentice status in a craft (craft ranks only used if they exceed overall status).
• -oh denotes journeyman status in a craft
• -or denotes a full crafter
• -on denotes a master crafter
• -os denotes a crafter who is greatest in their field (this does not overlap with any other rank status), and confers the right to function as an elder in relation to their craft (a scholar of economics would be able to participate and speak at a closed elder vote to make a change to current trade rules and alliances for example)
-a suffixes denote a woman’s status in society, and like the male ranks, assumes progress in a given craft. Women’s ranks do not confer the right to vote in the election of some officials or in matters of foreign policy or war, though a woman of at least –ah rank may vote in elections involving intra-dwarven affairs (city works projects, the militia, etc.).
• -a denotes an unmarried adult woman
• -ah denotes a married adult woman and full citizen
• -ar denotes a responsible mother, confers senior citizen status
• -an denotes a mother with at least one child that is either a citizen or a married woman, and confers elder status
the rest of the following are special suffixes. They are added after all other suffixes.
• -u denotes a clan head (added after all other rank suffixes; balinu)
• -es denotes a hero: an individual who has made a great contribution to dwarven society at great personal cost. The rank is awarded by a clan headed after gaining the approval of a majority of the elders of the clan, gives full citizen status, and can be given to non-dwarves, at which point they are dwarves for all purposes (including most magic item use. Weird huh?).
• -t represents a non-dwarf adopted into a dwarven community by means other than being given the –es rank. The adoption only requires sponsorship by an elder, and the –t is seldom added to the name, as it is a reminder that the individual is not actually dwarven (impolite/insulting/disrespectful); the rank exists primarily to differentiate them in the records from biological dwarves and to mark them as under a few special strictures. Adopted individuals are not required to meet all the age requirements of the dwarven ranking system (it is modified based upon the lifespan of the creature), they are not required to marry or join the military but must still donate constructively to society as seen fit by the sponsoring elder, and marriage to a dwarf is allowed only with approval of the clan head. Also, laws exist in most clans that prevent those with the –t rank from attaining clan head status, and some clans also prevent elder status from being gained.
• -uch (guttural ‘k’ sound) denotes an exile of the dwarven community. Such an individual is branded as an exile, and is never allowed to return to their community. Other clans sometimes allow exiles from another clan (the brand includes clan of exile) to trade for supplies and perform unpleasant jobs, as long as they stay away from the populace, but no dwarf will actually befriend them or trust them again.
• -ze (Spanish ‘e’) is given to individuals that are of the batteragers. Those to chaotic, rebellious, or just plain crazy to exist within dwarven society are given over to the ‘ragers for training (usually such individuals volunteer, but not always). Such individuals have all other rank removed, and have all responsibilities other than combat taken away. Though the ‘ragers are not full citizens (crazy people should not vote), they are usually given a great deal of respect (along with fear, mistrust, and condescension) for both their military expertise and bravery.
• -e‘esh denotes a dwarf that has, for whatever reason, declared themselves dead. A dwarf chooses to ‘die’ after unbearable shame, guilt, pain, loss, or sometimes as an alternative to exile (a common ruling in dwarven courts is exile or e‘esh, the social/living death). ‘Dead’ dwarves throw themselves into battle wearing little or no armor, and seek out the most dangerous opponents to do battle against in hopes that their actions will help their community, bring back some measure of their lost honor, or in some cases avenge lost loved ones. In cases where e’esh was a sentence imposed by a court, the dwarf in question must stay ‘dead’ for a certain amount of time before becoming a part of the community again. For other cases, the dwarf may at any time come back to the community. Though the ease with which a dwarf may come back from ‘death’ might make one think it a small decision to ‘die’, nothing could be further from the truth. Upon ‘death’, a dwarf loses all other status, all property, their family, and their spouse, and does not regain them after coming back to ‘life’. Such dwarves often abandon even their base name when they come back, wanting to start life anew. Though a dwarf may ‘die’ any number of times, it is a rare dwarf indeed that does so more than once, and rather than looking askance at those individuals, most dwarves assume that they are truly tragic figures that have had more than their share of hardship. The e’esh live as vagabonds (though never as beggars), and dwarves give them offerings as they would to their dead ancestors. Otherwise, e’esh live off the land, trash, or the loot of fallen enemies. They carry only enough money to buy a few meals and to buy good weapons; otherwise they give all their money to charities of their choice.
Strongly regimented, dwarven life is defined by ones service to the community. Unlike many asian societies however, dwarves celebrate individual accomplishments and give great glory to exceptional individuals (as long as they are using their ability for the greater good). A dwarf is likely to spend the entirety of their life in service of one sort or another, and as they age they are expected to perfect their behavior and craft to greater and greater heights. Males and females live mostly separate lives, but the society is very egalitarian as far as rights are concerned.
Life
Male childhood will have been spent as an apprentice of some sort (generally in a craft that is useful to the military), and while participating in daily military training from the time they were 10 (mostly consisting of endurance training, with some wrestling and basic weapons training). After coming to legal adulthood at 30, a male will be subject to several endurance and skill tests, join the military, and serve until death or dismissal.
After 10 (less in cases of extreme heroism or wisdom) years of faithful service, the dwarf will be considered a citizen with full voting rights. After 50-75 years of faithful service (decided by the non-official vote of the clan seniors citizens), a dwarf will be considered what would best be described as a senior citizen (not old, but more respected and older than a base citizen). After 100-150 (determined by official vote of the clan elders) years of service a dwarf will be considered an elder, with the right to make leadership decisions regarding the clan. What determines the speed of a dwarf’s progress in rank is a mix of skill in battle, wisdom, self-control, and skill in their given craft.
Exceptions to this include those maimed in battle beyond the ability to continue in the military, those too old to serve, criminals, those dishonorably discharged, and those who withdraw from military service early.
For those that have been maimed and discharged due to disability, or for those that choose to leave service honorably, their position is unlikely to be lowered from whatever it was before discharge. Such individuals are also still able to obtain rank in other fields, such as craft, civil service, or farming. Those too old to serve also retain their rank, and may retire to the above list of occupations without loss of station. Those dishonorably discharged have all but their adult status removed, and are relegated to living as merchants, farmers, or civil servants. Criminals, after punishment (and if able to serve in such a function) may start over in any role they desire, from the lowest rank. All of the above are still expected to participate in the clan militia.
Women, who comprise only 40% of the dwarven population (females account for only 30% of births) are given training in basic weapons, but are not subject to the rigors normally associated with male dwarven life. Women are expected to join their local militia, and take up apprenticeship in a craft or occupation useful to society. When they come of age at 30, they are expected to marry a suitable dwarf (though not legally required, it is socially expected that a dwarven female marry a male of at least senior citizen status; other marriages are sometimes allowed in special circumstances) and attempt to produce a child. Like males, any rank they achieve in society assumes a progress in their craft of choice.
Though women’s primary responsibility to their society is to breed, they are not forced to marry or breed against their wishes, and those desiring to avoid such things all together are allowed to join a warrior sorority if they choose. Such women gain rank as any male would (and are required to take the same entrance examinations as well), and generally avoid domestic responsibilities. The sororities are considered separate military units, and though some clans have a specific sorority, most are formed from all clans in a given area, with a sorority house lying in each of the different clan’s territories and members assigned to different chapters on the basis of staffing needs in the area. Elders of a sorority are bound to a specific chapter house, and sometimes rise to become commander of an entire clan’s military structure (at which point they appoint a new leader for the chapter). In times of inter-clan war the sororities refrain from taking a side unless the elders of the sorority unanimously agree that the fault lies with a single side, in which case they warn that they will interfere if they guilty party does not recognize defeat, and then move to fight if the guilty party does not concede. Otherwise, in times of war, a sorority works for whatever clan they are in at a given time (the clan that is sponsoring their current chapter house).
Relationships
Dwarves have many relationships throughout their lives. All dwarves tend to be especially close to their same sex parent, from whom they usually learn the basics of the craft they will perform later in life, as well as their domestic or military responsibilities. The next important relationship in a dwarve’s life is that of master/apprentice. When a dwarf is old enough to learn their trade in earnest, they are usually fostered to a non-family member or a distant family member. The master is responsible for being the child’s surrogate parent, and such bonds are often very close. During this time period, many strong friendship bonds are created between dwarves, as they train together in preparation for their craft and military/domestic service. Sexual experimentation is often common at this age, though it is actually fairly uncommon for such relationships to heterosexual, as it is considered dishonorable for a female to have sex before marriage (throws lineage and fidelity into question once married) or to have a child out of wedlock (it both shames the child, and deprives it of opportunity).
After dwarves come of age, male and female relationships begin to differ. Women marry at adulthood, and attempt to produce an heir. As women are expected to marry only men who are proven to be both responsible and hardy (as is proven by their senior status) they usually find it difficult to connect with their husbands emotionally due to the gap in experience, age, and the coping mechanisms most dwarven males of senior status have adopted to stay sane. Marriages are more akin to close business partnerships, in which the partners are dependent upon one another to fulfill their societal responsibilities, though it is common for couples to come to care deeply for one another after being together for an extended period. When their husbands are at war, or otherwise absent, it is common for women to turn to close friends (often those made during their apprenticeships) for emotional and physical release. Of note, homosexual relations are not considered a breach of marriage vows, but when they are not separated by other responsibilities it is considered a couples duty to attempt to produce as many children as possible.
Male dwarves, upon coming of age, find many of their closest relationships in military service. The first important relationship during this period is their mentor. The mentor is a full citizen (but not senior citizen) who teaches the young dwarf what it means to be in the military, and much like the master/apprentice relationship, the dwarves are very close. Unlike the master however, the mentor is more of an older brother figure, and often the mentor is the first lover that a male dwarf will be with. The mentorship lasts until the dwarf becomes a citizen; once citizenship is gained the dwarf picks a willing shieldmate (partner in battle that shares virtually every aspect of a soldiers life, including their responsibilities) to pair off with (or one is assigned if none are willing). By the time citizenship comes about, a dwarf is usually in a comfortable and platonic relationship with their mentor (assuming the mentor is still living), and is an independent and fully functioning member of the military. The shieldmate chosen is usually a close friend made during their years of mentorship, and is of equal rank and roughly equivalent status and skill. Not all shieldmate relationships are romantic in nature, but all are very close relationships nonetheless, and it is not uncommon for dwarves to become suicidal upon the death of their shieldmate even if they were not lovers, as the shieldmate is one of the only things that allow dwarves to cope with the hardships of their lifestyle.
Most male dwarves have very little sexual or emotional experience with females, due to the social restrictions on premarital sex; the only dwarven males that do are those that travel abroad and find non-dwarven women to interact with, those that had some inlet into female social circles as an apprentice (a sister or female fellow apprentice perhaps) and successfully kept their relationships hidden, or those that interact with the warrior sororities. With such limited interaction, it is not surprising that, when they are finally able to take a wife after long years of military service, male dwarves are very uncomfortable with their situation. Marriages, for the males, are strange and intimidating affairs that they acclimate to very slowly. They also find it very difficult to relate to the young and inexperienced women they are mated to, as they have virtually no common experience, and the males are too hardened by the violence of the military to reach out in any way that the females usually understand (though some perceptive females that paid close attention to their fathers as they grew up tend to understand their husbands a bit better).
The warrior sororities are very similar in social function to the primary military except that they are a bit more free in their sexual and emotional relationships. Though there are mentorships, the ‘older sister’ is not nearly as possessive of her trainee as male soldiers usually are, and the shieldmate relationship is informal in the uncommon instances when they do occur. The sororities try to create an environment of group camaraderie rather than one of separate couples. Such an environment allows for less dependence and attachment on a single individual (and less resultant trauma upon the death of said individual) and gives more means of coping with the rather difficult dwarven warrior lifestyle. The sororities do not prohibit interaction between the male and female soldiers, but will remove any woman that becomes pregnant, and such a woman will never be allowed back in. Abortion is not an option in such cases, as dwarven births are much more rare than most other humanoid births (such an action might even be grounds for exile) but birth control is allowed and recommended.
Government
Dwarven government is democratic, though voting is a right earned only through participation in society. Voting is divided into domestic, non-domestic, and general, with those in the military gaining rights to vote in non-domestic affairs, married women and retired military allowed to vote in domestic affairs, and all citizens allowed to vote on general issues. Most decisions that involve interfering in peoples day to day lives are put to popular vote after proponents from either side attempt to educate the people on the topic at hand, while issues concerning administration are generally determined by votes of only the elder citizens, or a panel of elders with specific knowledge relating to the topic at hand. The elders are also responsible for electing the clan head, who is allowed to run the entire clan in times of emergency, and to over-rule the elders (a risky thing to do often for a clan head). The clan head can also put a subject to popular vote at will, and is largely responsible for handling foreign relations and declaring war (technically, the clan head must put declaration of war to popular vote, but he may take emergency military action at any given time, and delay the vote on war until war is the only possible choice for the clan; such tactics are frowned upon however, and could cause the clan head great trouble). The clan head can be deposed by the elders with a 3 to 1 majority, but such an action would shame the clan as a whole and cause the people to lose faith in the elders, and thus it is rare that a clan head is actually deposed. Rather a clan head that is performing poorly is most often counseled by the elders before any rash actions are taken. Other political positions tend to be bureaucratic or managerial in nature (administrator of public sanitation, farming coordinator, government food surplus handler), though they are still responsible for some decisions, and such positions are usually held by senior or elder citizens, or master crafters of the appropriate trade. All positions are for life, barring removal due to ineptitude or infirmity.
Naming
Dwarven names are almost always consonant-vowel-consonant (Dor for example) with a series of suffixes added to denote rank and social status (basically one and the same for dwarves). Overall rank, such as adult or elder status (with masculine rank coming before feminine for those few individuals that have both), comes before specialist status, which in turn comes before all other rank. Only overall rank is generally used in ones name unless the name is being used formally, or the one using the name differs in rank (an adult speaking to an elder for example). The exception to this is crafters, who generally include their appropriate suffixes.
-i suffixes are normally only given to men, but are technically given to any member of the military that meets the requirements. The ranks denote military as well as craft proficiency.
• -i denotes adult male status and entry into the military
• -ih denotes full citizen status
• -ir denotes senior citizen status
• -in denotes denotes elder status
-o suffixes are used to show craft mastery for those that do not participate in the military and/or marry, or to denote a craft skill that is above or below standard for a given rank.
• -o denotes apprentice status in a craft (craft ranks only used if they exceed overall status).
• -oh denotes journeyman status in a craft
• -or denotes a full crafter
• -on denotes a master crafter
• -os denotes a crafter who is greatest in their field (this does not overlap with any other rank status), and confers the right to function as an elder in relation to their craft (a scholar of economics would be able to participate and speak at a closed elder vote to make a change to current trade rules and alliances for example)
-a suffixes denote a woman’s status in society, and like the male ranks, assumes progress in a given craft. Women’s ranks do not confer the right to vote in the election of some officials or in matters of foreign policy or war, though a woman of at least –ah rank may vote in elections involving intra-dwarven affairs (city works projects, the militia, etc.).
• -a denotes an unmarried adult woman
• -ah denotes a married adult woman and full citizen
• -ar denotes a responsible mother, confers senior citizen status
• -an denotes a mother with at least one child that is either a citizen or a married woman, and confers elder status
the rest of the following are special suffixes. They are added after all other suffixes.
• -u denotes a clan head (added after all other rank suffixes; balinu)
• -es denotes a hero: an individual who has made a great contribution to dwarven society at great personal cost. The rank is awarded by a clan headed after gaining the approval of a majority of the elders of the clan, gives full citizen status, and can be given to non-dwarves, at which point they are dwarves for all purposes (including most magic item use. Weird huh?).
• -t represents a non-dwarf adopted into a dwarven community by means other than being given the –es rank. The adoption only requires sponsorship by an elder, and the –t is seldom added to the name, as it is a reminder that the individual is not actually dwarven (impolite/insulting/disrespectful); the rank exists primarily to differentiate them in the records from biological dwarves and to mark them as under a few special strictures. Adopted individuals are not required to meet all the age requirements of the dwarven ranking system (it is modified based upon the lifespan of the creature), they are not required to marry or join the military but must still donate constructively to society as seen fit by the sponsoring elder, and marriage to a dwarf is allowed only with approval of the clan head. Also, laws exist in most clans that prevent those with the –t rank from attaining clan head status, and some clans also prevent elder status from being gained.
• -uch (guttural ‘k’ sound) denotes an exile of the dwarven community. Such an individual is branded as an exile, and is never allowed to return to their community. Other clans sometimes allow exiles from another clan (the brand includes clan of exile) to trade for supplies and perform unpleasant jobs, as long as they stay away from the populace, but no dwarf will actually befriend them or trust them again.
• -ze (Spanish ‘e’) is given to individuals that are of the batteragers. Those to chaotic, rebellious, or just plain crazy to exist within dwarven society are given over to the ‘ragers for training (usually such individuals volunteer, but not always). Such individuals have all other rank removed, and have all responsibilities other than combat taken away. Though the ‘ragers are not full citizens (crazy people should not vote), they are usually given a great deal of respect (along with fear, mistrust, and condescension) for both their military expertise and bravery.
• -e‘esh denotes a dwarf that has, for whatever reason, declared themselves dead. A dwarf chooses to ‘die’ after unbearable shame, guilt, pain, loss, or sometimes as an alternative to exile (a common ruling in dwarven courts is exile or e‘esh, the social/living death). ‘Dead’ dwarves throw themselves into battle wearing little or no armor, and seek out the most dangerous opponents to do battle against in hopes that their actions will help their community, bring back some measure of their lost honor, or in some cases avenge lost loved ones. In cases where e’esh was a sentence imposed by a court, the dwarf in question must stay ‘dead’ for a certain amount of time before becoming a part of the community again. For other cases, the dwarf may at any time come back to the community. Though the ease with which a dwarf may come back from ‘death’ might make one think it a small decision to ‘die’, nothing could be further from the truth. Upon ‘death’, a dwarf loses all other status, all property, their family, and their spouse, and does not regain them after coming back to ‘life’. Such dwarves often abandon even their base name when they come back, wanting to start life anew. Though a dwarf may ‘die’ any number of times, it is a rare dwarf indeed that does so more than once, and rather than looking askance at those individuals, most dwarves assume that they are truly tragic figures that have had more than their share of hardship. The e’esh live as vagabonds (though never as beggars), and dwarves give them offerings as they would to their dead ancestors. Otherwise, e’esh live off the land, trash, or the loot of fallen enemies. They carry only enough money to buy a few meals and to buy good weapons; otherwise they give all their money to charities of their choice.
Threading the Gerbil since 1982
more setting stuff
Setting info
World
The world you will be playing in is earthlike in climate, terrain, and it’s variance in both. It is populated by humans and halflings primarily, with the halflings mostly disengaged from the human populace, or serving as a peasant and/or slave class depending upon the region (think Willow). A few elves and dwarves inhabit the world in permanent enclaves, isolated from humanity, and they have proven quite able to defend themselves against the more numerous human populace. The majority of elves, dwarves, and other exotic races seen by humans are not native to the world however, hailing from what commoners refer to as the ‘land of the elves’ or the ‘land of the dwarves’, though scholars know that the truth is a bit more complex.
The world is scattered with ruins of old cities and by ancient portals created by a powerful, long dead civilization (the people of said civilization are usually referred to by the common folk as the ‘lost ones’ or the ‘great ones’). They connect different worlds in the solar system together and from these gates emerge dwarves, elves, and even stranger creatures. Many major cities have one of these gates near them, or even in them, and base a sizable portion of their economy off of the trade that comes from them. Merchants of human culture, as well as others, travel between the worlds, and larger trades of goods are often made between the ruling class of different worlds, and their diplomats. Many of the gates and cities still remain hidden, and many adventures make a great amount of gold (or just die) searching the ruins for devices of the great ones.
Human governments are varied, with feudal Europe, northern barbarian tribes, southern African tribes, and sultanates of the middle east being the closest earth equivalents to the major powers in the world. Asian culture is not represented. Though the cultures are similar to earth in some ways their political relations with one another vary somewhat.
Flora and fauna are mostly earthlike. The primary differences lay in the magical beasts and that exist along side the normal creatures, and the aberrations that come through gates on occasion.
Magic
Magic in the world is greatly feared and very powerful. While large metropolitan areas have a bit less fear of arcane spellcasters, all are wary of the power they wield, and few are willing to cross them. There are subtle differences between the casting classes however, and not all casters live long enough to gain their power.
Sorcerers, for example, often develop their abilities in wild bursts, but have little control over them for many years, making them easy targets for superstitious townsfolk. Many sorcerers, if they are not killed, are sent away by fearful parents, or run away to larger cities where they can hide. Sorcerers’ reputations are not aided by the fact that the wizard community brands them as dangerous, untrained rebels, and the majority of churches condemn them for playing with powers that should only be wielded by the gods and their chosen (clerics, and their political allies, the wizards). Once grown, sorcerers can make good livings working for rich individuals in various capacities, but must be careful to remain discreet, as many regions have laws against working magic without a license or some sort of sponsorship from the ruling elite or a mage academy (something very difficult for a sorcerer of anything other than noble blood to receive). In less ‘civilized’ cultures, sorcerers are viewed with a bit less direct hostility (it is bad luck to kill god-touched, and they come in rather handy when you need to raid the neighbors) but with even more superstition and isolation. Only in the sultanates, where sorcerers are employed by the rulers as servants, warriors, and personal bodyguards, do they receive any real social acceptance.
Wizards have more freedom, but such is to be expected, as most come from noble backgrounds or are descended from powerful wizard families. A noble family will often send its second or third child into an arcane school, at great cost, to gain greater political advantage, and a potent weapon should the need arise. But despite the power they wield, and the commonality of nobility among them, wizards do not have easy lives; the discipline and keen mind that wizardry requires remove most opportunity for a personal life for many years, and the stress breaks quite a few would be apprentices. The wizard academies hold a great deal of power, but they are balanced by the churches, which have great power of their own, and the non-wizard nobles who command the people.
Bards likely have the easiest path, in terms of societal acceptance at least. Though they are capable of powerful magic, bards are generally seen as good natured entertainers rather than threats, and the bardic community is careful to cultivate the idea that their magic ‘tricks’ are harmless. Even in regions where there are regulations against sorcery, bards with guild sponsorship are allowed to use their abilities, and only the most backwater regions would ever harm a bard for using magic. Most towns greatly prize a ‘true’ bard into their towns. A true bard differs from other performers in that they have the ability, through their art, to effect the minds of their audience, and they also posses the ability to perform arcane magic. Whether this is an inate gift, or one passed from master/guild to apprentice, is unknown, though likely it is a mix of both. Bards are taken from all classes, with traveling bards taking on gifted apprentices (often saving the life of young magic users) in the towns they visit, and guilds taking students from the middle and upper class. While there is a divide amongst the bardic community based upon monetary background and formal schooling, it should be stated that the divide is not nearly as hostile, or deadly, as that between wizards and sorcerers.
Divine
Divine magic is separate from arcane. The most common casting class in the church is archivist or adept (they study the scriptures and the holy rituals that channel the gods’ power, rather than praying for their spells), though in truth, even they are not all that common, possibly 1 for every 10-20 non-casting clergy, depending on the church in question. Churches are of mixed feelings regarding the non-archivist divine casters, and their reaction will often depend on the leadership of the church, the region, and the behavior of the caster in question (those that agree with the church are ‘blessed by the gods’, while those that do not agree with church practices, or do not allow themselves to be governed by the church, are heretics to be shunned, imprisoned, or even killed, depending on the church in question).
This distribution of classes means that there is less direct divine contact, or may be simply a manifestation of a distancing from the divine, depending on which planar theologist you ask. Either way, the gods are often watered down versions of themselves, and politics are as important as morals in terms of how a church functions. Conflicts between churches are over politics, and doctrinal variance, rather than the root morals that the churches are supposed to represent. The religious views of the churches are weighed down by ritual and tradition, with some morals of a particular god being lost in the politicizing and popularization of the religion, which is of course why those classes with a direct conduit to the spiritual are seen as a threat: they question the entire church system.
The primary religions in most regions worship the Greyhawk pantheon, in various forms (Olidamara in the feudal regions, the trickster in the sultanates, and gambler in the north, anansi in the African regions, for example), and usually pay homage to the entire pantheon; only individual mystery cults worship a particular god to the exclusion of others, though it is not uncommon for an individual to pray to a specific god, or to take on a god as a favorite. There are older religions that focus on a more holistic path, and glorify harmony with nature (druids), but they are uncommon and usually isolated individuals. There are also a few places that still worship the old gods (greek pantheon) for which the worlds are named, and whose representations can be seen on the walls of the ancient cities left behind by the lost ones. Some older villages that are isolated from the larger church hierarchy, or those areas near ruins, have preserved some of the myths, legends, and lore of the Olympians, as well as an appreciation for astrology, the medium (some would say science) through which the lost ones preserved their religion, and understood the universe. A small but significant portion of scholars worship the old gods, and study both astronomy and astrology as well, though whether it is out of faith or out of elitism is debatable.
Psionics
Psionics, though not unheard, are rare in modern times, but scholars researching the great ones have found many writings referring to ‘internal power’ or the ‘powers of the mind’, accompanied by crystalline objects that resonate with power unlike divine or arcane energy, implying that they were more common long ago. Most modern psionic individuals hone their abilities in isolated monasteries, or unlock their abilities through studying the texts of the lost ones. Only the ardent, also the most common of the psi classes, develop powers with any regularity on their own, and usually this comes from a desire to have their spiritual needs met, a desire that goes unfulfilled by the churches and drives them to find something more for themselves.
Outside of the scholarly communities, and the few monasteries that practice them, psionics are not well understood. The churches frown on them, and to some they are worse than sorcerers, using power of an unknown type, obtained from an unknown source, and defying the order of the world set in place by the gods every time they manifest a power. To other churches they are tolerated, so long as they claim allegiance to a church. The wizards usually view them with suspicion and contempt at best, and as dangerous challengers at worst. The ruling class, those that know of them at least, view them as potentially useful, but also fear power that is outside of their control (think of what happened to the knights templar…).
Items of Power
There are few items of permanent power. While it is possible to create minor items, medium or major items are impossible to create. The secrets of such creation were lost with the great ones, and even they created very few truly powerful items, or at least few that have been found. Legacy items are the only ‘creatable’ items of power, and they only come about when imbued by great events and powerful emotions. They cannot simply be created.
Many technological, magical, and quasi-magical special items exist, in addition to the basic selection of minor items, and most are race specific. The lost ones have ever burning torches that have no heat, guns that shoot fire, and other wonders, that possess no Power, but are incredibly useful nonetheless. Such items sell for incredible prices, and many adventurers die yearly searching the ruins of the lost ones. Weapons and armor can be mastercrafted beyond what the normal system allows for, with the greatest craftsmen surpassing lesser items of power in quality, though each race/region has their own specialties (types of weapons and weapon enhancements vary). Also, each of the races have certain crafts in which they excel. The gnomes are great alchemists, mechanics, and gem crafters; most of the alchemical special items, and all enhanced versions come from the gnomes or were originally gnomish items that were copied, while their clockwork is used for repeating crossbows, and their gems can carry enchantments usable by anyone. The dwarves are great engineers, masons, tunnelers, and like the gnomes are excellent machinists, though they focus on larger items rather than the precise gear mechanisms of the gnomes. The elves are responsible for many exotic items, breeding strange plants and animals that serve a variety of functions, such as plants with wood as hard as steel, camouflaged clothing, and regenerative tonics. Other races, such as the kobolds, have their own specialties as well, but are less inclined to share them or to trade civilly.
Non-humans
Non-humans are treated differently depending on the region. Halflings are treated as a minority group, with treatment ranging from well-meaning paternalism to indentured servitude. Dwarves are seen as an oddity, but because of their intimidating reputation and appearance are generally left alone. Where dwarves are intimidating in a way that is easy to understand, elves are frightening in an alien and mysterious way that makes many humans agitated and nervous, something that causes fights that the elves end very quickly, only adding to human fears and resentment. Gnomes usually get on well wherever they go, but tend to get themselves into a bit of trouble sometimes, as they travel alone more, practice magic, and are slight of build, making them easy targets for both those that fear the unknown and those willing to risk a fight for a quick profit. Other races are seen as little more than animals, and are treated as such. Orcs, Kobolds, Goblins, and even an occasional giant are enslaved in many regions of the world, and even creatures such as fairies and young dragons are kept as pets by wealthy and unscrupulous nobles.
Elves are seen as aloof and alien. Their pristine appearance, inhuman grace, keen senses, and great knowledge cause commoners to fear them, and even many nobles to resent them. For those that have dealt with the elves on any regular basis, it is known that there are several different types of elves: wood elves, hailing from the world Artemis, and grey elves from the world Apollo. The wood elves tend to be a bit shorter than grey elves, have tanned skin, hair in shades of red and brown (some even possess a mottled hair color that provides them with camouflage, but whether the pattern is dye or natural is not shared with humans), wear less clothing (many a human has been shocked to see a topless wood elf female come out of a gate before her more experienced traveling companions encouraged her to don more substantial attire) and trade mainly in natural products, such as rare herbs, darkwood, and exotic animals. Their attitude is alert and guarded, confident but strangely unselfconscious and without pretenses(which causes resentment in most ‘civilized’ humans). When forced to fight, the wood elves are known for their great stealth and archery skills. The gray elves are taller, nearly as tall as humans, have pale, almost ashen skin, hair of honey-gold to silver-white, white, blue, or gray eyes, wear flowing robes that allow the air to flow through and around them, and are possessed of a haughty and superior attitude. When they deign to trade with humans at all, they tend to trade in finely crafted, beautiful metalwork, precious metals, magical artifacts, mystical lore, and fine cloths. When the intimidating air of the gray elves leads to violence rather than fear, they turn to their magical prowess (which is not limited to select schools as the magic of humans is) to obliterate their opposition.
Dwarves are a hard and stoic people. To those unfamiliar with them, there seems to be little distinction between them, but there are actualy many differences between individuals, and clans. They hail from the world of Hephaestus, said to be a hot and rocky world, and are great craftsmen, miners, and warriors. Their ferocity and endurance in a fight is legendary, and they are seldom bothered by the criminal element on their journeys. Not so aloof as the elves, dwarves are reserved with those they have not come to know well, but they are boisterous and friendly with those they do. They generally travel in pairs, or large groups when trading, and few females are seen among them (rumors say that a human wouldn’t be able to tell a male from a female…). They trade in precious metals, stone, machinery, fine weapons and armor (especially in hard to work and rare alloys), and their own expert labor.
Halflings are similar to humans in many ways, but tend to be much more community oriented and cooperative. Due to their small size and minimal military force, most halflings that do not make room for human expansion and stay out of human affairs are incorporated as an underclass into human society. Halflings are the most familiar race to humans, and virtually all humans know something of them. Their culture is most similar to a cross between nelwyns (willow) and hobbits, and they are often treated by humans with the same disrespect as nelwyns. Despite their mistreatment by humans, many halflings will take jobs with humans as assistants, laborers, and such to gain resources present in the larger human cities to take back to their own communities. Their only real resources for trade are their crops, and their labor.
Gnomes are an industrious people, curious and inventive. Of the other-worldly races, the gnomes are perhaps the most personable, asking many questions of those they meet and telling stories of their travels. They too hail from both Hephaestos and Artemis, but seem to lead a very different lifestyle than the dwarves and elves they share their worlds with. They trade primarily in gems, mechanical devices, and alchemical supplies and mixtures. They are also a primary supplier of weapon treatments used by dwarves and master weapon smiths in some weapons. While most gnomes can be found in trading parties, many seem to travel simply for the experience of it, and act as entertainers.
Goblinoids are violent and with few exceptions, hate the other humanoid races. They do not trade, but rather raid the settlements of their enemies. Using undiscovered gates, it is not uncommon for goblinoids to simply appear near a city and attack it, causing many to fear and loathe them even more than might normally be expected.
Kobolds are an anomalous race. They hate the gnomes, and are not friendly to other races, but seldom fight against them. Some will even trade with humans, though such relationships can be dangerous for both parties, as it is not unheard of for slaves to be taken on both sides.
Stratification
Wealth is the primary way in which the feudal and sultanate regions are stratified. Nobles rule over their land, with most of the profit and resources being channeled to them. Most of the advantages in these societies are only available to the nobles, and they jealously guard their power. The merchant or middle class is able to compete with them and maintain some power only because they control the flow of goods and quality of crafts, and because they work in tight guilds that prevent any noble from singling out individuals for punishment. Wealth in the tribal regions is less of a factor, especially in those regions in which the concept of land ownership does not exist.
Sex is also a primary mode of stratification, though not nearly to the degree it is in the historic past. The arcane schools mostly allow women, and in those that do, women do not hit any glass ceiling. Likewise, the clergy allows women as well as men, and the fact that they can access divine power prevents patriarchal hegemony, except in a few churches that primarily favor men (kord’s clergy is mostly male, as are most of heironeous’ followers). Though the heightened equality likely comes from the level of magical power they wield, the tradition at some point spread to the rest of noble society, and to some degree the peasantry; though there are still clearly defined roles, many of the abuses that come with patriarchal domination are only marginally present. In the more tribal societies roles are more clearly defined than in feudal societies, but they are also more egalitarian. The sultanate regions are somewhat worse than the others in their treatment of women, as women are not allowed the same access to arcane/divine power as in the other regions, are constrained to the home, and have fewer rights by law. The exception are those women who attain power in sorcery or the rare female cleric. They are treated much as any man would be, and often take on roles in governing.
Racial stratification takes on a new meaning in D&D: SoS. Halflings are at the bottom of society in most human regions. The less human looking races are treated with fear, revulsion, and often violence. The other races, while treated differently, are so far removed from the cultures of the humans they are interacting with that it makes little difference in terms of stratification. As far as humans of varying skin tones, there is minimal stratification or bias. The existence of truly different species of sentient beings make racial differences seem less important. Most of the biases associated with human racial differences are in fact simply cultural biases. If it is realized that someone is not of an opposing culture, racial disagreements largely disappear.
World
The world you will be playing in is earthlike in climate, terrain, and it’s variance in both. It is populated by humans and halflings primarily, with the halflings mostly disengaged from the human populace, or serving as a peasant and/or slave class depending upon the region (think Willow). A few elves and dwarves inhabit the world in permanent enclaves, isolated from humanity, and they have proven quite able to defend themselves against the more numerous human populace. The majority of elves, dwarves, and other exotic races seen by humans are not native to the world however, hailing from what commoners refer to as the ‘land of the elves’ or the ‘land of the dwarves’, though scholars know that the truth is a bit more complex.
The world is scattered with ruins of old cities and by ancient portals created by a powerful, long dead civilization (the people of said civilization are usually referred to by the common folk as the ‘lost ones’ or the ‘great ones’). They connect different worlds in the solar system together and from these gates emerge dwarves, elves, and even stranger creatures. Many major cities have one of these gates near them, or even in them, and base a sizable portion of their economy off of the trade that comes from them. Merchants of human culture, as well as others, travel between the worlds, and larger trades of goods are often made between the ruling class of different worlds, and their diplomats. Many of the gates and cities still remain hidden, and many adventures make a great amount of gold (or just die) searching the ruins for devices of the great ones.
Human governments are varied, with feudal Europe, northern barbarian tribes, southern African tribes, and sultanates of the middle east being the closest earth equivalents to the major powers in the world. Asian culture is not represented. Though the cultures are similar to earth in some ways their political relations with one another vary somewhat.
Flora and fauna are mostly earthlike. The primary differences lay in the magical beasts and that exist along side the normal creatures, and the aberrations that come through gates on occasion.
Magic
Magic in the world is greatly feared and very powerful. While large metropolitan areas have a bit less fear of arcane spellcasters, all are wary of the power they wield, and few are willing to cross them. There are subtle differences between the casting classes however, and not all casters live long enough to gain their power.
Sorcerers, for example, often develop their abilities in wild bursts, but have little control over them for many years, making them easy targets for superstitious townsfolk. Many sorcerers, if they are not killed, are sent away by fearful parents, or run away to larger cities where they can hide. Sorcerers’ reputations are not aided by the fact that the wizard community brands them as dangerous, untrained rebels, and the majority of churches condemn them for playing with powers that should only be wielded by the gods and their chosen (clerics, and their political allies, the wizards). Once grown, sorcerers can make good livings working for rich individuals in various capacities, but must be careful to remain discreet, as many regions have laws against working magic without a license or some sort of sponsorship from the ruling elite or a mage academy (something very difficult for a sorcerer of anything other than noble blood to receive). In less ‘civilized’ cultures, sorcerers are viewed with a bit less direct hostility (it is bad luck to kill god-touched, and they come in rather handy when you need to raid the neighbors) but with even more superstition and isolation. Only in the sultanates, where sorcerers are employed by the rulers as servants, warriors, and personal bodyguards, do they receive any real social acceptance.
Wizards have more freedom, but such is to be expected, as most come from noble backgrounds or are descended from powerful wizard families. A noble family will often send its second or third child into an arcane school, at great cost, to gain greater political advantage, and a potent weapon should the need arise. But despite the power they wield, and the commonality of nobility among them, wizards do not have easy lives; the discipline and keen mind that wizardry requires remove most opportunity for a personal life for many years, and the stress breaks quite a few would be apprentices. The wizard academies hold a great deal of power, but they are balanced by the churches, which have great power of their own, and the non-wizard nobles who command the people.
Bards likely have the easiest path, in terms of societal acceptance at least. Though they are capable of powerful magic, bards are generally seen as good natured entertainers rather than threats, and the bardic community is careful to cultivate the idea that their magic ‘tricks’ are harmless. Even in regions where there are regulations against sorcery, bards with guild sponsorship are allowed to use their abilities, and only the most backwater regions would ever harm a bard for using magic. Most towns greatly prize a ‘true’ bard into their towns. A true bard differs from other performers in that they have the ability, through their art, to effect the minds of their audience, and they also posses the ability to perform arcane magic. Whether this is an inate gift, or one passed from master/guild to apprentice, is unknown, though likely it is a mix of both. Bards are taken from all classes, with traveling bards taking on gifted apprentices (often saving the life of young magic users) in the towns they visit, and guilds taking students from the middle and upper class. While there is a divide amongst the bardic community based upon monetary background and formal schooling, it should be stated that the divide is not nearly as hostile, or deadly, as that between wizards and sorcerers.
Divine
Divine magic is separate from arcane. The most common casting class in the church is archivist or adept (they study the scriptures and the holy rituals that channel the gods’ power, rather than praying for their spells), though in truth, even they are not all that common, possibly 1 for every 10-20 non-casting clergy, depending on the church in question. Churches are of mixed feelings regarding the non-archivist divine casters, and their reaction will often depend on the leadership of the church, the region, and the behavior of the caster in question (those that agree with the church are ‘blessed by the gods’, while those that do not agree with church practices, or do not allow themselves to be governed by the church, are heretics to be shunned, imprisoned, or even killed, depending on the church in question).
This distribution of classes means that there is less direct divine contact, or may be simply a manifestation of a distancing from the divine, depending on which planar theologist you ask. Either way, the gods are often watered down versions of themselves, and politics are as important as morals in terms of how a church functions. Conflicts between churches are over politics, and doctrinal variance, rather than the root morals that the churches are supposed to represent. The religious views of the churches are weighed down by ritual and tradition, with some morals of a particular god being lost in the politicizing and popularization of the religion, which is of course why those classes with a direct conduit to the spiritual are seen as a threat: they question the entire church system.
The primary religions in most regions worship the Greyhawk pantheon, in various forms (Olidamara in the feudal regions, the trickster in the sultanates, and gambler in the north, anansi in the African regions, for example), and usually pay homage to the entire pantheon; only individual mystery cults worship a particular god to the exclusion of others, though it is not uncommon for an individual to pray to a specific god, or to take on a god as a favorite. There are older religions that focus on a more holistic path, and glorify harmony with nature (druids), but they are uncommon and usually isolated individuals. There are also a few places that still worship the old gods (greek pantheon) for which the worlds are named, and whose representations can be seen on the walls of the ancient cities left behind by the lost ones. Some older villages that are isolated from the larger church hierarchy, or those areas near ruins, have preserved some of the myths, legends, and lore of the Olympians, as well as an appreciation for astrology, the medium (some would say science) through which the lost ones preserved their religion, and understood the universe. A small but significant portion of scholars worship the old gods, and study both astronomy and astrology as well, though whether it is out of faith or out of elitism is debatable.
Psionics
Psionics, though not unheard, are rare in modern times, but scholars researching the great ones have found many writings referring to ‘internal power’ or the ‘powers of the mind’, accompanied by crystalline objects that resonate with power unlike divine or arcane energy, implying that they were more common long ago. Most modern psionic individuals hone their abilities in isolated monasteries, or unlock their abilities through studying the texts of the lost ones. Only the ardent, also the most common of the psi classes, develop powers with any regularity on their own, and usually this comes from a desire to have their spiritual needs met, a desire that goes unfulfilled by the churches and drives them to find something more for themselves.
Outside of the scholarly communities, and the few monasteries that practice them, psionics are not well understood. The churches frown on them, and to some they are worse than sorcerers, using power of an unknown type, obtained from an unknown source, and defying the order of the world set in place by the gods every time they manifest a power. To other churches they are tolerated, so long as they claim allegiance to a church. The wizards usually view them with suspicion and contempt at best, and as dangerous challengers at worst. The ruling class, those that know of them at least, view them as potentially useful, but also fear power that is outside of their control (think of what happened to the knights templar…).
Items of Power
There are few items of permanent power. While it is possible to create minor items, medium or major items are impossible to create. The secrets of such creation were lost with the great ones, and even they created very few truly powerful items, or at least few that have been found. Legacy items are the only ‘creatable’ items of power, and they only come about when imbued by great events and powerful emotions. They cannot simply be created.
Many technological, magical, and quasi-magical special items exist, in addition to the basic selection of minor items, and most are race specific. The lost ones have ever burning torches that have no heat, guns that shoot fire, and other wonders, that possess no Power, but are incredibly useful nonetheless. Such items sell for incredible prices, and many adventurers die yearly searching the ruins of the lost ones. Weapons and armor can be mastercrafted beyond what the normal system allows for, with the greatest craftsmen surpassing lesser items of power in quality, though each race/region has their own specialties (types of weapons and weapon enhancements vary). Also, each of the races have certain crafts in which they excel. The gnomes are great alchemists, mechanics, and gem crafters; most of the alchemical special items, and all enhanced versions come from the gnomes or were originally gnomish items that were copied, while their clockwork is used for repeating crossbows, and their gems can carry enchantments usable by anyone. The dwarves are great engineers, masons, tunnelers, and like the gnomes are excellent machinists, though they focus on larger items rather than the precise gear mechanisms of the gnomes. The elves are responsible for many exotic items, breeding strange plants and animals that serve a variety of functions, such as plants with wood as hard as steel, camouflaged clothing, and regenerative tonics. Other races, such as the kobolds, have their own specialties as well, but are less inclined to share them or to trade civilly.
Non-humans
Non-humans are treated differently depending on the region. Halflings are treated as a minority group, with treatment ranging from well-meaning paternalism to indentured servitude. Dwarves are seen as an oddity, but because of their intimidating reputation and appearance are generally left alone. Where dwarves are intimidating in a way that is easy to understand, elves are frightening in an alien and mysterious way that makes many humans agitated and nervous, something that causes fights that the elves end very quickly, only adding to human fears and resentment. Gnomes usually get on well wherever they go, but tend to get themselves into a bit of trouble sometimes, as they travel alone more, practice magic, and are slight of build, making them easy targets for both those that fear the unknown and those willing to risk a fight for a quick profit. Other races are seen as little more than animals, and are treated as such. Orcs, Kobolds, Goblins, and even an occasional giant are enslaved in many regions of the world, and even creatures such as fairies and young dragons are kept as pets by wealthy and unscrupulous nobles.
Elves are seen as aloof and alien. Their pristine appearance, inhuman grace, keen senses, and great knowledge cause commoners to fear them, and even many nobles to resent them. For those that have dealt with the elves on any regular basis, it is known that there are several different types of elves: wood elves, hailing from the world Artemis, and grey elves from the world Apollo. The wood elves tend to be a bit shorter than grey elves, have tanned skin, hair in shades of red and brown (some even possess a mottled hair color that provides them with camouflage, but whether the pattern is dye or natural is not shared with humans), wear less clothing (many a human has been shocked to see a topless wood elf female come out of a gate before her more experienced traveling companions encouraged her to don more substantial attire) and trade mainly in natural products, such as rare herbs, darkwood, and exotic animals. Their attitude is alert and guarded, confident but strangely unselfconscious and without pretenses(which causes resentment in most ‘civilized’ humans). When forced to fight, the wood elves are known for their great stealth and archery skills. The gray elves are taller, nearly as tall as humans, have pale, almost ashen skin, hair of honey-gold to silver-white, white, blue, or gray eyes, wear flowing robes that allow the air to flow through and around them, and are possessed of a haughty and superior attitude. When they deign to trade with humans at all, they tend to trade in finely crafted, beautiful metalwork, precious metals, magical artifacts, mystical lore, and fine cloths. When the intimidating air of the gray elves leads to violence rather than fear, they turn to their magical prowess (which is not limited to select schools as the magic of humans is) to obliterate their opposition.
Dwarves are a hard and stoic people. To those unfamiliar with them, there seems to be little distinction between them, but there are actualy many differences between individuals, and clans. They hail from the world of Hephaestus, said to be a hot and rocky world, and are great craftsmen, miners, and warriors. Their ferocity and endurance in a fight is legendary, and they are seldom bothered by the criminal element on their journeys. Not so aloof as the elves, dwarves are reserved with those they have not come to know well, but they are boisterous and friendly with those they do. They generally travel in pairs, or large groups when trading, and few females are seen among them (rumors say that a human wouldn’t be able to tell a male from a female…). They trade in precious metals, stone, machinery, fine weapons and armor (especially in hard to work and rare alloys), and their own expert labor.
Halflings are similar to humans in many ways, but tend to be much more community oriented and cooperative. Due to their small size and minimal military force, most halflings that do not make room for human expansion and stay out of human affairs are incorporated as an underclass into human society. Halflings are the most familiar race to humans, and virtually all humans know something of them. Their culture is most similar to a cross between nelwyns (willow) and hobbits, and they are often treated by humans with the same disrespect as nelwyns. Despite their mistreatment by humans, many halflings will take jobs with humans as assistants, laborers, and such to gain resources present in the larger human cities to take back to their own communities. Their only real resources for trade are their crops, and their labor.
Gnomes are an industrious people, curious and inventive. Of the other-worldly races, the gnomes are perhaps the most personable, asking many questions of those they meet and telling stories of their travels. They too hail from both Hephaestos and Artemis, but seem to lead a very different lifestyle than the dwarves and elves they share their worlds with. They trade primarily in gems, mechanical devices, and alchemical supplies and mixtures. They are also a primary supplier of weapon treatments used by dwarves and master weapon smiths in some weapons. While most gnomes can be found in trading parties, many seem to travel simply for the experience of it, and act as entertainers.
Goblinoids are violent and with few exceptions, hate the other humanoid races. They do not trade, but rather raid the settlements of their enemies. Using undiscovered gates, it is not uncommon for goblinoids to simply appear near a city and attack it, causing many to fear and loathe them even more than might normally be expected.
Kobolds are an anomalous race. They hate the gnomes, and are not friendly to other races, but seldom fight against them. Some will even trade with humans, though such relationships can be dangerous for both parties, as it is not unheard of for slaves to be taken on both sides.
Stratification
Wealth is the primary way in which the feudal and sultanate regions are stratified. Nobles rule over their land, with most of the profit and resources being channeled to them. Most of the advantages in these societies are only available to the nobles, and they jealously guard their power. The merchant or middle class is able to compete with them and maintain some power only because they control the flow of goods and quality of crafts, and because they work in tight guilds that prevent any noble from singling out individuals for punishment. Wealth in the tribal regions is less of a factor, especially in those regions in which the concept of land ownership does not exist.
Sex is also a primary mode of stratification, though not nearly to the degree it is in the historic past. The arcane schools mostly allow women, and in those that do, women do not hit any glass ceiling. Likewise, the clergy allows women as well as men, and the fact that they can access divine power prevents patriarchal hegemony, except in a few churches that primarily favor men (kord’s clergy is mostly male, as are most of heironeous’ followers). Though the heightened equality likely comes from the level of magical power they wield, the tradition at some point spread to the rest of noble society, and to some degree the peasantry; though there are still clearly defined roles, many of the abuses that come with patriarchal domination are only marginally present. In the more tribal societies roles are more clearly defined than in feudal societies, but they are also more egalitarian. The sultanate regions are somewhat worse than the others in their treatment of women, as women are not allowed the same access to arcane/divine power as in the other regions, are constrained to the home, and have fewer rights by law. The exception are those women who attain power in sorcery or the rare female cleric. They are treated much as any man would be, and often take on roles in governing.
Racial stratification takes on a new meaning in D&D: SoS. Halflings are at the bottom of society in most human regions. The less human looking races are treated with fear, revulsion, and often violence. The other races, while treated differently, are so far removed from the cultures of the humans they are interacting with that it makes little difference in terms of stratification. As far as humans of varying skin tones, there is minimal stratification or bias. The existence of truly different species of sentient beings make racial differences seem less important. Most of the biases associated with human racial differences are in fact simply cultural biases. If it is realized that someone is not of an opposing culture, racial disagreements largely disappear.
Threading the Gerbil since 1982