Let’s all go to Halifar

Today I had a bad case of procrastination — between the new season of “Orange is the New Black” and finally having a copy of the new Dresden novel. I’ve only got a bit before I have to get ready to leave for work for the day as I’m typing this sentence.

So, I figured I’d do something quick, simple and still substantial. Then, after a few minutes of brainstorming, I decided to talk a little more about the frontier city-state of Halifar, which, is located in the Harlifaran Tundra.

As know either remembered or now read, this city-state is is surrounded by tundra: cold-temperature grasses, pine forests, mountains and fjords.

The city itself is located in one of the few area long the coast where  land is at sea level, and with the fjords surrounding it on either side, it is easily defensible from sea.

On the land, the city is ringed by a large wooden palisade made from the iron pine tree. This wall is meant to keep barbarians and arctic elves turned back.

In fact, at one point, the iron pine was common in the northern areas but has become rare from overuse when it was a major export from the northern outpost during the Blue Empire’s hay day. Now, its harvest is closely controlled by the regent who rules for the Blue Emperor. As such, it is very expensive, and lumberjacks who cut the trees are specially trained and have travel deep into the forests to find the trees — all while turning back arctic elves that seek to prevent them from harvesting.

Fishing and whaling are also major industries in the city-state. Salmon and sturgeon are popular catches, as are the caviar that fishmongers sell to the southern city-states are high prices. Shellfish is another major source of high-priced comodities. But whale oil and perfumes are the most lucrative of the trade-goods pulled from the northern waters. In fact, in this city-state, a prevailing tale is that the goddess Orisana stepped from the waters in otterskin leathers and taught a young man the art of whaling.

Then, of course, with the various forms of furred wildlife creates a fairly decent pelt trade. White foxes, minks, polar bears, griffins and the occasional white dragon provide exotic materials for furriers and tanners in business.

 

Despite also facing the has environ, as I’ve already mention, the greatest threat to the city-state are barbarians. The primitive tribes of the north are fierce warriors and primarily survive by raiding. The arctic elves, however, have seen the destructive ways the city-state’s residents have exploited the natural resources of the area. They don’t always attack the city, but attack those who try and harvest iron pine or catch the whales of the sea.

I think you’ve got a fairly good idea what this area is like. However, I did want to mention that, in two weeks, I won’t have a post up. I’ll be on vacation and will take a break. You’ll still get one more post next week before the break, so savor it and this one.

My kingdom for a … domesticated beast that can transport me at a faster rate than walking

This week’s post is going to be a little minute in terms of fluff, but it will take on greater importance next week when I unveil a new deity in the Blue Pantheon — as you’ll remember, I said I’d likely be adding on more as time progressed.

However, I want to talk about mounts this week.

It may seem fairly trivial on the surface, but it is incredibly important in terms of cultural differentiation.

As most who have studies any amount of history know, horses have been the primary mount in Earth’s history, mostly because it was one of the first animals domesticated. However, that doesn’t have to be the case in Kalanesia. So here’s what people across the continent ride.

The former Blue Empire rides horses and pegasi

Those who live in cities like Exeline, Waystrand, Vraen and Tri Riven have largely used horses and their close, magical cousins, pegasis, for travel stretching farther back than the foundation of the empire.

Horses have been the primary source of travel for all members of the former empire, even for commoners, who own at least an old draft horse for plowing and pulling carts. Merchants and gypsies own a few draft horses for pulling their wagons and supplies. The middle class often has one of two higher-quality thoroughbreds used for trave. Knights often have a larger destrier for jousts and combat. And nobles prize themselves on raising horses for races.

However, the epitome of the nobles own pegasi. Most of the lower-rung nobles and rising merchants own one or two of the beasts, but, just as most nobles raise prize-winning horse, a few of the more prominent raise racing pegasi.

The elves love their deer and large birds

Okay, I’ll admit I thought this was one of the coolest images in the first Hobbit movie. And, though I’m sure there are some out there who thought it was a needless artistic choice, it actually makes a lot of sense, at least in Kalanesia. Horses are primarily built for plains with plenty of room to run and move. Deer, elk, moose, caribou, etc. are best built for forested areas, which easily describes the areas where elves live. Elves who ride mounts usually tame whatever large cervids are native to their area. This also means that, when elves live in plain areas, they still favor beasts like gazelles.

They also ride giant birds. Again, this is based on a Tolkien trope, but, given that birds like eagles and owls naturally live in wooded areas, it makes sense that the giant versions would also be in large woods. As such, for elves looking to fly  work with giant birds. Giant eagles are ridden in both Caer’Cindarin and Caer’Salamë, but giant owls are the more common in the latter.

Orcs favor large predators

Since, like elves, orcs favor the less civilized areas of Kalanesia, they too have unorthodox, if archetypal, mounts. Because of their ferocity and warlike nature, they favor apex predators. In wooded areas, they choose dire wolves. In the Mysterium Jungles, they ride dire tigers, or dire lions in the Silverblade Savannah. In the northern reaches, they ride shaggy, saber-toothed cats. As part of a beast-rider’s initiation into adulthood, he or she is tasked with breaking and taming a wild animal to serve as a mount rather than relying on domesticated stock.

Things are different in the desert

Those who live in desert climates are most likely to travel on camels. Because there are few deer in the Aamn Sands, the elves domesticated the dromedaries early on as they began traveling the wastes. Since then, camels have become the primary means of transportation for most traveling the desert. In Kalanesia, the word camel is derived from “cama elell,” which means “old wanderer,” brought from their travel of the desert and their cantankerous attitudes.

However, the goblinoids have a different preference. A long time ago, as they set up along the Green River, they had to deal with giant scorpions, which they first considered pests. However, a few druids among the clans managed to tame some, and, since then, they have acted as the goblinoids’ beasts of burden and mounts.

Tiefling’s mounts were dictated by their pact

Because they were once humans and part of the Blue Empire, tieflings still use horses. However, just like others, they have sought winged mounts that fit into their lives best. When their infernal taint turned the noses of the pegasi they used to ride, they switched to a more agreeable option, the nightmare. The fiery horses have long been associated with devils, and, though the lack wings, their magical nature grants them flight. Even their master-beast relationship takes on a pact-like quality: before a nightmare will consent to bare a rider, the rider must offer something in return, such as morsels of meat, a chance to kill something or, in some cases, a choice mate.

Dwarves need something to scale mountains and just as stubborn as they are.

Since they live in steep, mountainous areas, Dwarves need mounts with footing suited to the terrain. And that would lead to the trusty mountain goats, such as their preferred dire ibexes. The goats’ hooves are tailored made for climbing the mountains. They are also just as stubborn as the dwarves, not giving up when faced with hardship.

However, what do they ride when they need to fly? Griffins, of course. These beasts are every bit as stubborn as the dwarves but just as fiercely loyal once their friendship is earned. The Werrack dwarven clan is known for its corp of griffin riders that use crossbows and javelins.

Dragonborn and kobolds like drakes

The island of Draconix is a place where dragonborn flourish, and dragons have dominated for eons. As such, the island is home to a large population of wyverns and drakes, a land where reptiles won over mammals in evolution. As such, quadruped drakes are the primary mount for speed and stamina. Bipedal drakes make mounts for great shock troops. And, finally, winged drakes and wyverns are great for the primary flying mounts.

Primal-ed and ready

I’ve always like primal classes, especially the druid — though I was more a fan of the druid that focused more on magic than wild shape.

However, as is usual when I overthink, it seemed strange awkward with primal spirits almost like deities to those classes.

And, up until Primal became its own power source in 4E, it was considered a branch of divine magic. This really makes sense in the grand scheme of the lore the classes and power source pulled from.

For instance, the druid class’s namesakes headed the ancient Celtic religion. Unfortunately, several factors — their secret oral traditions, the conquest by the Romans coupled with their anti-druid propaganda, the conversion to Irish Catholicism — left little behind of their actual practices.

 

Unfortunately, it’s highly unlikely druids had this capability.

Also, some of the spirits mentioned specifically in 4E have distinct roots in Native American beliefs — like Fate Weaver, a.k.a. Grandmother Spider. Fate Weaver is a protector and a controller of fate. Compare that to Koyangwuti, of Spider Grandmother, from the Hopi legends — she created humanity from clay. A similar Navajo entity was considered a benefactor, though not creator.

Then there are the genius loci of Roman myths — essentially spirits that embody the wild places of the earth and originally consisting of the dryads, naiads and oreads that have been relegated to the Feywild.

But, while they were considered minor divinities, I think this is the route I’d rather go with my primal spirits. They aren’t worshiped, but they are revered as powerful beings by the primal peoples, which I will call natives for expediency’s sake. They may be benevolent to mortals, and some may be evil, but they are a part of the natural order to the natives who live in certain environments. Therefore, many natives often associate divine classes and deities with civilization and the rejection of the natural way mortals are meant to live — to them, gods are jsut powerful spirits that have been corrupted by power from worshipers.

Also, It doesn’t seem right to shoehorn a small number of entities into every tribe’s beliefs. So I’m going to focus on the concept of the genius loci. Not only does this feel more natural, but it will allow dungeon masters to use more material — have an adventure that uses Orc barbarians dedicated to Gruumsh, it shouldn’t take much to retool the standard D&D deity as an ancestral spirit or a voracious bestial entity

However, I will put together a short list of common entities tied to specific locations in Kalanesia. This will hopefully provide a bit more idea on the geography of this world.

THE MYSTERIUM JUNGLES

This expanse of jungle on a remote island south of the main continent was discovered only a year before the Bloodrift Warlock’s rise, and the rebuilding of the city states left the vast portion unexplored.

• Ta Yiki Gotra (The Silent Panther): This spirit is one associated with darkness, knowledge, stealth and secretes. It is often depicted as a black panther. His is the darkness among the trees, giving rise to superstition about keeping him at bay with central fires.
• Hangi Ban (The Laughing Ape): Associated with small, arboreal monkeys, Hangi Ban is mirthful and wild. His laughter can be heard among the trees, though legends warn travelers about not laughing with him — if you don’t share his mirth, his is likely to cause problems.
• Jua Jua Wae (The Providing Tree): The natives believe that the first jua jua tree (a tropical version of the redwoods of California that Kalanesian scientists have found, is harder than bronzewood, which is native to the main continent) was sentient and taught them how to use its dead wood to craft numerous tools.
• Nanat He (The Water Witch): It is because of this entity that natives distrust water that is not provided by jua jua, or that which is collected from natural rainfall. This woman lurks in the brackish rivers and shorelines waiting to drag unsuspecting travelers into the depths. Some believe she is actually a powerful sea hag.

THE SHALLOWS

Between the main continent and the Mysterium Jungles lies the Shallows, a series of small islands among an expansive coral reef.

• Palistro (The Great Cephalopod): Most reviled among the ocean spirits is this entity, which is blamed for all missing ships. It is associated with sudden storms and should sound familiar.
• Qualinona (The Endless School): This entity is a source of nourishment and represents, for the fishing natives, great bounty and fertility. Because of this, fishermen are hesitant to draw in more than two loads from a fruitful location for fear of upsetting Qualinona, and will sometimes return a fourth of the second haul to the school.
• Tialaso (The Wandering Turtle): This spirit represents travel and exploration, swimming the seas, ever searching. However, it also represents the return home to family — after all, sea turtles return to their birth places.

THE AMMN SANDS

The larger expanse of that houses the goblinoid city of Sher’Ammn, this desert hosts small, nomadic tribes that scratch a living.

• Shiqatam (The Lying Wanderer): Represented by the side-winding vipers that cross the desert, it represents deception and treachery by making travelers think the viper’s tracks lead somewhere. However, those who are fool often die in the wastes.
• Qa ’Tharaq (The Twisting Sands): This entity is a twisting sandstorm that whirls through the desert. The mystics of the tribes read the winds to determine its course. Though it represents destruction, it is also tied to ecstatic revelry and is invoked during ritualized celebration.
• Garum Ilaqui (The One Who Endures): Sometimes depicted as a dromedary camel or a white-cowled traveler who endlessly roams the desert. It is a spirit of perseverance and patience that has taught natives that these are the only ways to survive the harsh environment.
• Hara ib-Janwa (The Oasis Warden): Though pictured as female, this spirit is the guardian of oases. Under her protection, tribes see these lush locations as neutral ground — no fighting or the like is allowed. As such, they have become meeting grounds were grievances are settled.

THE HALIFARAN TUNDRA

Where the outpost city of Halifar rests against a natural harbor, the rest of the land extended in both barren and wooded tundra inhabited with close-knit tribal families.

• Baratok (The Wolf Mother): This wolf entity is considered a fierce protector and is tied to fertility. She guards the people of the tundra and teaches them cooperation and hunting skills. She is invoked in association with family rituals.
• Yovorkuk (The Vagrant Hunger): Depicted as an emaciated polar bear, this spirit is the rival to Baratok. He is single-minded in his pursuit of food. He serves as a warning to those members of the tribe who choose to shun the family.
• Nantuk Rocu (The Fruit Maiden): This spirit woman is has slowly been teaching the peoples of the Halifaran Tundra the art of agriculture and cultivation. Some extremists see her as too civilized compared to Baratok, but others revere her as another caretaker that is fit to aid the Wolf Mother.

THE RIVENWIND FOREST

Along the eastern edge of the main continent, a large deciduous forest claims the larger portion of the land, which is also home to Caer’ Salamë. Other than that one hub of civilization, the rest is the roaming ground of various natives.

• Goreitung (The Swiftrunner): Represented by a stag, this spirit is associated with swiftness, travel and cunning, eluding all the clever hunters of the forest. Because of his cleverness, the some natives refuse hunt deer, favoring boars and bear. Others, however, see it as the greatest accomplishment to slay such a beast.
• Arborant (The Willow Man): This spirit is associated with healing and medicine, since the tree’s bark produces a pain reliever. Unlike most primal spirits, it encourages science and the seeking of knowledge to better others. This makes it a disliked spirit among natives who see it as a threat to their lives of freedom from the confines of cities.
• Ygorang (The Vicious Wolf): Unlike Baratok, this spirit is cunning, is malicious and kills for the pleasure of it. It is considered the originator of rabies and their origin of the curse of lycanthropy.

THE SILVERBLADE SAVANNAH

Where the Amnn Sands begin to lessen, they turn into the Silverblade Savannah, named for its signature grass that is a tawny silver in color.

• Mgonawe Harab (The Lordly Lion): The king of beast and man, this entity is a just ruler who protects his dominion but switch smites those that seek to despoil the land and his subjects.
• Utu Kilamo (The Mad Elephant): While natives of the Silverblade will avoid elephants because of this spirit. While most elephants avoid people and only attack when provoked, this spirit actively seeks to destroy mortals. If you have ever heard of musth, this will make sense.
• Hrolam Ega (The Water Maiden): This is a dualistic spirit who requires sacrifice. She rules over the streams and lakes that sustain people and animals. But she is associated with crocodiles. In return for providing life-giving water, she demands payment in lives and blood for her pets. As such, natives sacrifice small animals to appease her on a monthly basis, but she is fickle and decides when the price is higher.

THE UNDERDARK

Just like the rest of the natural world, spirits have influenced the primitive peoples of the Underdark.

• Hhrokisgn (The Lurking Maw): This spirit is associated with the deep pools of the Underdark. It deals in stealth and hunger. Often seen as an aboleth, some argue that it isn’t a primal spirit at all, just a powerful aberration.
• Gamanta (The Golden Lord): This is a greedy spirit associated with all the valuable ores and gems that lie in the earth. He seeks retribution against those that attempt to take his wealth from the earth. As such, tribes of the Underdark are superstitious about accepting coinage in trade.
• Rozamir (The Cave Sculptor): This entity is said to roam the caverns carving the great art of the mineral formations that run through the Underdark. Some believe he first taught the dwarves their crafts and helped them ascend to their civilized state.

These genius loci primal spirits are the main objects of worship for orcs, goliath, shifters, gnolls and the elves. As I mentioned before, they have a belief system based around the sun and moon, which they believe are the rulers of the spirit world:

• Loresalin (The Lord of Sun and Life): This male personification of the sun rules over growth of all things and represents, as well, the progression of time and all that grows with it.
• Rewanessa (The Lady of Moon and Fate): This female personification of the moon reigns over death and the fates of the world. Just as she changes her face, she consoles those whose fates change.

The Half-(Insert Other Race) Races: Or What Where Mommy and Daddy Did That One Time …

This week, I’m going to tackle three different races: the half-elf, half-orc and the half-dwarf. Most will probably know the latter better by the term “mul,” but, since my campaign isn’t Dark Sun, I’d rather do with the “half-dwarf” term.

However, I went through several stages with this column as I was cobbling together my thoughts, so please stick with me with me as I break it down.

Crossbreeding

Now I’ve seen source books and homebrewed posts that attempt to provide the answer to those questions that have to have come up in every gaming group: “What would happen if a minotaur and a gnome had a baby?”

The results are races that are sometimes ridiculed — namely the dwelf. For those of you aren’t familiar, this little guy is the half-breed result of a dwarf and elf gettin’ jiggy wi’ it (I think that’s the technical term).

Unfortunately, the whole notion that interbreeding is possible opens up a weird round of questions. If a human and an elf can create a half-elf and a human and dwarf make a half-dwarf, does that mean the three races are genetically related? Does this mean orcs and these races can have babies, the dworc and the orlf? Am I asking for too much realism from a fantasy game? I find all a little far-fetched.

At least my non-belief won’t cost me a kidney … hopefully.

If you think about it, elves are fey creatures, not natural — keep in mind that’s referring to creature types.  So, typewise, they seem like fairly different species.

As I toyed around with this, I contemplated allowing the races, only retooling them so that they aren’t half-breeds. Maybe the half-elves were actually another fey race that traveled to the mortal world. In way of attributes, half-dwarves are pretty similar to the goliath. Could the half-orc just simply be replaced with the orc?

But that felt like too drastic a step, and it didn’t keep with the fact that this lack of crossbreeding ability would have put a damper on one of the key D&D classes, the sorcerer, whose power has almost always been tied to a bloodline with another, powerful creature type. This is mainly made up of dragons, angels, demons, devils, elementals and, last but not least, fey — meaning the whole question of elves, who sit in the fey species, breeding with non-fey is mute.

Then, it finally occurred to me. While I have no problem with people changing this and homebrewing their own strange half-races, in the base campaign, I think the reason why these half-human races exist is because of a strange genetic quirk in humans. It makes sense that humans and other races could breed where those other races couldn’t because humanity is all about adaptability. If they are stuck in an extreme environment, they can breed with a local non-human populace to bring favorable traits into the genetic pool. So there you have it — how I convinced myself half-races are possible.

But now that this scientific nonsense — which will likely have no other impact on the game — is hashed out, I’ll get to write-ups on the half-races.

Half-Elves

Half-elves are probably the luckiest of half-breeds. Human and elf relations — both sexual and non-sexual — have mostly been good. And their adaptive cultures are probably the most accepting. Elves don’t really care about the half-breed status. In fact, most fey don’t as they have had enough relationships with mortals to create a potential for fey-blooded sorcerers. They are also a true breeding race (i.e., there are enough half-elves of both sexes to mate without requiring a human-elf pregnancy to continue the race). Because they are accepted in many places, they are naturally fluid in actions, blending into whatever environment they currently live in. They are often jacks-of-all-trades and are the most likely to multiclass, picking up classes that allow them tackle many things. It is not uncommon to see a half-elf rogue who weaves spells and a sword in unison.

Half-Orcs

Half-orcs, though, have never had it easy. The race started with, shall we say, less that savory relations among humans and orcs, and that background still remains in how humans perceive them. Also, orcs view them as watered-down and not worth keeping if born to an orc mother. Another true-breeding race, they are the more independent of half-races. In societies that view them as curses or weak, they have to fend for themselves and often rebel against authority and tradition. They are known for extremes, and stereotypes hold them as criminals at best. However, they have proven they can excel is whatever they choose and have slowly been building respect and acceptance for their race. Their brashness is seen in all they do. They tend to take advantage of their strength and speed to dish out damage.

Half-Dwarves

On the contrary, half-dwarves are not yet a true-breeding race. In Dark Sun lore, they are sterile, like “mul’s” base, the mule; however, I’m not going to stick with that. They are probably the half-breed race with the fewest numbers because it is so rare for dwarves to mate with humans. Remember back where I talked about dwarves’ ancestor worship and belief in reincarnation? Well, that is a primary force in selecting a mate. A half-dwarf is considered by the larger dwarf community to not have soul at all, at best. At worse, they are considered a prison for the dwarf spirit that cannot be perfected in an imperfect body. But, while they are reviled in dwarven societies, they are luckier than half-orcs because they easily find acceptance among humans. As such, they almost always act like humans. Their size and strength makes them perfect guards, and their strength of will is hard to match.

In closing, I couldn’t help but share this song — which was stuck in my head the entire time writing this post.