A world shrouded in perpetual winter.

Humanity clings to life with tooth and nail, hunting

and gathering to survive.
In the deep, dark forests terrifying beasts roam through
the cold snow.
This is the world of l-Ceald
This world was once a lush, temperate world where great kingdoms sprawled and
people worked the land in fealty to their lords and kings. But that was before the
Wintras engulfed the land.
It is said among the tribes that the Wintras, the AllWinter, was a curse from the
gods. !ther tribes speak of an ancient darkness that stole the sun"s fire and robbed
the world of summers embrace.
Whether the true cause of the AllWinter will ever be discovered, nobody knows.
#ittered across the eternal winter landscape are ruins of cities and villages of the
time before Wintras. These places often contain mysterious relics and magical
artifacts of that bygone age, but there are also terrible dangers lurking in these
devastated ruins.
The b$fylc, the tribes of %l&eald, live a harsh life. Temperatures are almost
permanently below free'ing, and the world is covered in a permanent layer of
snow and permafrost that makes any kind of subsistence farming impossible. (o
they hunt, and gather what roots, nuts and berries still grow in the inhospitable
climates of the AllWinter.
The tribal societies of the b$fylc are huntergatherer warrior societies. )ach b$fylc is
ruled by an *deling, a man or woman of noble blood from one of the original
families of each tribe. Within the b$fylc are smaller family groups, kun+,n, whose
nomadic lives follow herds of game across the snowy plains.
Hunting is a way of life for these people, but warfare is e-ually common. The
tribes have never been anything but tenuous allies, and blood feuds and outright
warfare happens more often than times of peace. When war breaks out, the
terrifying wolfridda, dire wolfmounted warriors, ride out to meet their foes, and
the ber'erkers raise their a.es to the skies and howl for the blood of their enemies.
%l&eald is a dark and dangerous world. Hideous creatures stalk it"s winter forests,
and the b$fylc tribes are warlike and hostile to outsiders.
The bfylc tribes share this winter world with other races.
The albaz, the elves of l-Ceald dwell in the deep forests to the north and east. They are an ancient
people, the first people created by the Dragon Kings in the time before time. They are a tall,
beatifl race of fair-s!inned, fair-haired people whose lifespans measre in centries. "hen
"intras descended on l-Ceald, the albaz were not affected as harshly as the hmans were. Their
powerfl magic saved them from the worst of the disastros effects of the #ll-"inter, and they
managed to !eep their sacred groves safe from the claws of winter. These groves, the holy places of
the albaz drids, are the only places in l-Ceald that "intras cannot toch, and these green islands
are a sorce of both spirital and physical norishment for the albaz who tend them. The frits
prodced by the sacred trees that grow in these places can hold powerfl magical properties, and are
highly soght after by those who !now of them.
The albaz are gided by their drids, who form rling concils of elders that govern their clans.
$ach clan, or gwen, is both a grop of families and a nation. These gwen have their own religios
and social traditions and laws, and almost all of them are ancient, with roots stretching bac! to the
earliest recorded history, right after the %irst "ar.
The &econd 'eople, the dwergaz, ma!e their homes within the (iflheim montains that stretch
soth-westwards from the far north.
&mall, togh and hardy, the dwarves are the only fedal society left from the time before "intras.
The ice and cold of the #ll-"inter cold not reach them in the heart of the montains, and the halls
of their great !ings stand now as they did then, carved from the very roots of the (iflheim
montains.
Dwergaz are a deeply religios people, and their faith in the Dragon Kings of $arth colors every
aspect of their daily life. They bild enormos temples and grand states in honor of the Dragon
Kings, and prayer and song is an important part of their lives. $very activity, from coo!ing and
cleaning to the hallowed arts of metalwor!ing have their own prayer-songs which form an
important, rital part of the activity.
The dwergaz are the only people left on l-Ceald who still remember the art of wor!ing iron. To
the dwergaz, metalwor!ing is a sacred act. )t gives shape and life to the stone, and the stone is a
direct and holy lin! to the "orldsong that birthed the earth and all living things. The few hmans
and albaz who have learned this sacred art from the dwergaz ta!e this spiritality with them, and
dwergaz forgesongs can be heard in the templesmithies of these rare and powerfl men and women.
The arts of the smithy are highly soght after by the *delings of the bfylc, and there is mch
sperstition and fear srronding wor!ed metal+ especially metal weapons, either bronze or the
mch more rare and valable iron weapons, are mythical things that give great honor and power to
the ones who wield them.
There are other peoples. The enigmatic, for-armed !asatha and the dez,n catfol! also call l-
Ceald their home. The mercrial and elsive dwolmalbaz, who call themselves shadow fey, dwell in
dar! corners of l-Cealds forest, and the half-elven *gder and the half-or!ish acla live nfortnate
lives among the bfylc tribes and the city-states of the albaz.
#nd ot in the wastes the brtal, savage and tormented or!az howl for blood and perform
nspea!able rites to spite their terrible, dar! gods.
The history of l-Ceald
The "orldsong
)n the time before time, the world was empty, desolate and cold.
)nto the dar!ness flew the first dragons, the -igh King )o and his wife, the -eavenly .een /a.
The two flew over the void, and throgh their song of love the dar!ness was separated from the
light, and the world was made. Together King )o and .een /a lay ten eggs, and for centries they
watched the eggs, King )o in the light and .een /a in the dar!, ntil the eggs were hatched and the
Ten Dragon Kings were born.
The ten were the five Dragon Kings of $arth and the five Dragon Kings of -eaven, who were later
!nown as the %ive 0ords of Dar!ness. The five Dragon Kings of $arth inherited their connection to
the physical from their father, while the five Dragon Kings of -eaven inherited their mother1s lin!
to the heavenly and the spirital.
Together the ten brst ot of their eggs, and soared across the s!y. )nfatated by the beaty of light
and the allring mystery of the dar!, the ten Dragon Kings sang in 2oy, and with their song the
world too! form. 0and, sea, montains and forests grew where the ten Dragon Kings1 song toched
the world, and the -igh King )o and his -eavenly .een /a loo!ed at their sons and daghters
creation and saw that it was good.
"hen the world was created, and the heavens was separated from the earth, and the seas were
separated from the land, the five Dragon Kings of -eaven were tired and wanted to rest. They had
sed all their power to sing forth the sol of the world, and to weave the powers of magic into the
physical and ethereal realms forever bond to the material world. 3t the Dragon Kings of $arth
were not tired, and together they sang a new song, a song of love for creation and the wonders of
discovery. #nd from this song all living things sprang forth, all animals and birds and fish. #nd after
all the animals of the earth, the sea and the s!y came the thin!ing races.
%irst were the albaz, The %irst 'eople, and they ran laghing into the world into4icated by the
Dragon Kings songs, and fell in love with the deep woods.
Then came the dwergaz, The &econd 'eople, and they fell in love with the high montains, and with
the precios metals and stones that were fond in the earth and within the deepest hearts of the
montains.
Then came the Third 'eople, man!ind, and the open plains became their land, where they bilt their
cities and walls+ for man!ind were the yongest of the races, and the world was already old and fll
of dangers when they were sng by the Dragon Kings.
"hen the five Dragon Kings of -eaven awo!e from their sleep and saw what their brothers had
created, they were at first e4cited. The Three 'eoples florished and spread to every corner of
creation. 3t when the Three 'eoples began to give offerings to their creators, offered prayers to
them, honoring them with songs and bilding temples and shrines in their honor, the Dragon Kings
of -eaven were filled with 2ealosy. They went to their mother, The -eavenly .een /a, and told
her what had happened and as!ed that she ma!e right the in2stice that was committed against them.
#nd .een /a listened to them, and even she was 2ealos for her children. Together they went to
-igh King )o and the five Dragon Kings of -eaven said to him that if the Three 'eoples shold
worship the Dragon Kings of $arth, they shold also worship the Dragon Kings of -eaven. #nd if
they wold not, they shold be destroyed so that the in2stice wold end. 3t -igh King )o !new
well that neither he nor his $arthly sons and daghters cold dictate or change the Three 'eoples
thoghts, their actions or their faith. "hen King )o said no, .een /a was filled with wrath, and
with her children she swore to destroy the 'eople.
Ths began the %irst "ar. The Ten Dragon Kings foght brother against brother, ntil the Dragon
Kings of $arth, with the help of the Three 'eoples armies, were finally victorios. #nd the Dragon
Kings of -eaven were banished from the world. The Kings of -eaven lost their titles, and were
from this day !nown as the %ive 0ords of Dar!ness. 3anished from the world, they bilt themselves
new !ingdoms of dar!ness and fire on the border between light and dar!, and from there they began
plotting anew to ta!e the world from their $arthly brothers and destroy the creation that was denied
them and the 'eople who re2ected them.
#fter the %irst "ar
The Three 'eoples florished dring the time after the %irst "ar. "ith the defeat of the Dar! 0ords,
dar!ness itself seemed to retreat from the world. &mmers were long and warm, crops were
plentifl, and the songs of the Dragon Kings of $arth were sng in every temple and every shrine.
5an!ind bilt great cities of stone and timber, and roads were constrcted all across the land. These
roads served as trade rotes, spplying the empires and !ingdoms of men with goods and wealth
from across the world. There was war, and great fortresses and castles sprang p to protect the
wealth of the !ings of man, bt over all this was a time of peace and prosperity for hmanity.
The albaz !ept to the forests they loved, tending them with love and deep respect. The many gwen,
each descended from one of the very first albaz sng into being by the Dragon Kings at the dawn of
time, spread across the forests of the world. Their drids were the first to borrow the divine power
of the Dragon Kings to perform miracles of faith, and they taght their prayers and songs to the
other 'eoples so that they might all revere the Dragon Kings and wield a portion of their power for
the good of all.
Deep in the montains, the dwergaz wor!ed metal and stone in reverence of their creators. 5ost of
the treasres they wroght were offered to the gods in their mighty stone temples as sacrifice, a
symbol of the endless gratitde the dwergaz felt for their ma!ers, bt some were traded with the
other 'eoples. Together with the goods of metal and precios stones, the dwergaz also traded their
!nowledge of the arts of the forge. -ammers rang and spar!s flew all over the world, and the
forgesongs of the dwergaz cold be heard from temple-smithies of hman cities and albaz groves.
The Coming of "intras
(obody !nows where the #ll-winter came from, or why it strc!. &ome shamans and drids
whisper of an attac! by the 0ords of Dar!ness, who somehow managed to steal the fire of the sn.
/thers believe it was some dar! deed perpetrated by either men, albaz or dwergaz that angered the
Dragon Kings of $arth, and these priests desperately offer sacrifice to the Dragon Kings in the
hopes of pleasing them once more and ending the #ll-winter.
3t no matter how mch they pray and sing, or how many beasts are offered p on the altars and
bled dry on the sacrificial poles, "intras still grips the world with icy fingers.
The !ingdoms of man were the first to fall. "hen the crops failed and their livestoc! starved and
froze, wars bro!e ot over what little resorces remained. Cities fell to the cold and hnger, and
grew empty as the farms that spported them were barren and abandoned.
The lore and artisanry of the time before "intras was forgotten, and man!ind was forced to a6ire
new s!ills to srvive. "or!ing the land became impossible, as the winter cold allowed no crops to
grow. )nstead hmanity trned to the hnt for sstenance, and grew nomadic as they followed the
herds of game arond the winter wastes.
3t the life of a hnter is a harsh one, and starvation and disease were common. 5an!ind learned to
gather in family grops, see!ing protection in nmbers and the loyalty of blood and !inship. These
e4tended family grops, often alliances between mltiple intermarried families, became !nown as
the !n2,n, and the !n2,n banded together in tribes7 The bfylc.
$ach bfylc tribe pays homage to the elder families who created them, and the *delings who rle
each tribe are chosen from among the descendants of these first families.
The albaz were hit hard by "intras, bt not as hard as the hmans. The drids had seen the signs
long before the disaster strc!, and thogh they cold not discern it1s sorce they managed to erect
protective wards arond the holy groves 2st in time. These groves had always been islands of
spring in winter, bt as the final winter settled and spring did not retrn, the magic of the drids
!ept them safe from the spernatral winter.
$ven with the groves intact, thogh, "intras dealt the albaz a heavy blow. #s the hmans, the albaz
had been dependent on agricltre to sstain their large city-states. "ith the ability to wor! the land
gone, the albaz had to trn to the groves for sstenance. The magical gardens of the groves
prodced their frits only twice a year, once dring mid-winter and once dring smmer, and this
meager bonty was hardly enogh to feed all the albaz in the cities and beyond. &o the drids
allowed farmers to raise crops and livestoc! within the protective aras of the groves, sharing their
rital sites with sheep, chic!en and cattle. The great city-states of the albaz remained strong,
bt life otside the city walls was harsh and difficlt.
"hen "intras strc!, a faction of albaz called the nseelie decided to abandon l-Ceald altogether,
and throgh planar magic soght sanctary in another world called the shadow realm. This e4ods
of an entire political faction ironically came as a relief to the strggling albaz, as food spplies were
rnning dangerosly low. The nseelie had been a political grop of albaz who venerated the night
and the hnt, and their territorial, violent ways made them a faction in conflict with the ma2ority of
albaz society. These dar! albaz who fled to the shadow realm wold become the dwolmalbaz, the
dar! fey cosins to the albaz.
"hen trade with the dwergaz stopped as the montain fol! closed their borders, the albaz spplies
of iron dried p. The ancient smiths of the forest realms had to adapt to contine practicing their
craft, and trned to bronzewor!ing for the tools, weapons and goods they made. #s the centries
passed, the final ironsmiths gave in to old age+ the yonger generation did not have the !nowledge
of wor!ing iron, and even after the dwergaz reopened their gates and trade once again flowed
between the races, the arts of forging iron were lost to them.
5any of the hmans who fled their dying cities soght shelter with the albaz. The gates to the
montain realms of the dwergaz were closed, and for many the only options were starvation or
e4ile. 5any chose e4ile. #t first the albaz welcomed their hman brethren with open arms, bt as
the flow of refgees grew stronger, the albaz realized that their groves cold not sstain them all.
"hen their cities were filled and starvation threatened, even the albaz closed their gates to
otsiders, and the starving spplicants had to retrn to the icy wilderness and certain death.
To this day a sizable portion of the albaz poplation is made p of *gder 8half-elves9. 3eing of
hman descent carries with it a certain stigma, and even thogh they are accepted in albaz society
the *gder are sb2ect to both pre2dice and ridicle by their fll-blooded !in.
The dwergaz were more fortnate than their srface-dwelling brethren. The montain-realms of the
dwergaz !ings reach deep into the roots of the (iflheim montains, and they barely felt the cold of
"intras at all. &till, life beneath the montain changed for the dwergaz once "intras had the world
in it1s grip. #s it dawned on the hman !ingdoms and the albaz forest realms that the final winter
was not going to change into spring, the dwergaz foresaw what was to come. The great scholars of
the age conseled their !ings to close the borders to the srface world. -manity wold be
ravenos, they said, and the albaz wold ta!e them in ntil their city walls wold brst from
overpoplation. The hngry people wold trn to the dwergaz lands, and if they were allowed in the
dwergaz too wold starve, ntil there were no people left on l-Ceald e4cept hngry savages living
in caves. #nd the dwergaz !ings listened, and the great iron gates to their realm were sht.
"ithot the lcrative trade in metals and precios stones, the dwergaz had to adapt to a more ascetic
way of life. :one were the oplent riches of the time before the #ll-winter, and the l4ries that
flowed into the dwergaz coffers from the lands on the srface.
The new dwergaz life was one of spartan tilitarianism, even among the wealthy elite. #s the
economy shifted, the nobility too! to giving alms to the poor, and investing in the commnity for
the good of all dwergaz. &till, poverty was rampant, and every day merchants and artisans were left
on the streets as debts went npaid and deficits reached for the s!ies.
The soltion became religion. "hen their wealth failed them, the dwergaz people trned to their
gods for the answer. ;eligios orders and monasteries sprang p everywhere beneath the
montains, and mon!s and clerics became a common sight in every dwergaz city tending to the
wea!, the sic! and the destitte.
#s times became harder and resorces ever more strained, the dwergaz traded gold for prayers,
gemstones for sermons and l4ry for devotion to the Dragon Kings of $arth.
This was the time of the 5ontain "ars, as !ing trned on !ing and brother on brother. Clad in iron
and armed with blessed weapons, the dwergaz trned on each other over perceived slights, religios
disptes and most of all resorces. %ood was scarce in this age, and the few srface colonies were
nable to provide enogh sstenance for the great !ingdoms. To ma!e matters worse, sbterranean
clans of or!az and hobgoblin armies made their first moves against the dwergaz dring this time,
armed with weapons sacrificed to the Dragon Kings by the clerics and smiths, which they had
retrieved from the sacrificial pits the dwergaz believed to be bottomless. %or two hndred years the
wars raged, ntil the dwergaz race was on the brin! of e4tinction. )t was dring this time that 0eifr
the <nflinching, first -igh King of the (iflheim 5ontains, arose to power. -e began as a lowly
baron, bt with his force of personality, his religios zeal and his scholarly wisdom, he gathered the
tattered dwergaz !ings beneath his banner and nited them against the or!az and hobgoblin hordes.
The new alliance drove the beasts bac! into their dar! holes, and when the final 5ontain "ar was
over he was nanimosly elected -igh King of the 5ontains. <nited nder the first -igh King, the
dwergaz nrsed their wonds and grew once more. The many scholars and wise men who advised
the throne warned -igh King 0eifr not to ma!e contact with the otsiders, who were srely
nothing bt animals at this point, if anyone still lived. 3t the -igh King defied their consel.
"ith their borders reopened after hndreds of years in isolation, the dwergaz discovered that
man!ind had indeed srvived, as had the albaz, althogh in a significantly redced form. The
hmans, now calling themselves bfylc, were little more than savages, thogh they still had a
society of a sort and they still remembered their gods. The albaz had faired better, bt they were
redced in both !nowledge and s!ill.
"ith trade reopened, the dwergaz cold finally loo! to the ftre.
The World of l-Ceald
The world of l-Ceald was once a temperate world of grassy plains, deep forests teeming with life
and bontifl oceans. The Three 'eoples thrived in this world, bilt great cities, e4plored and
settled, and the world was alive with trade and adventre. The hman !ingdoms along the coast
were s!illed shipwrights and seamen, and elf, dwarf and man traveled far and wide in their voyages
of e4ploration and con6est.
(ow that "intras has ta!en hold of the world, however, there is no more travel, and no more trade.
(ow every year is an ordeal, and those who live in the ice and snow do not always !now where
their ne4t meal will come from, let alone if they will live to see another year.
l-Ceald consist of one large continent srronded by oceans. The lands of the bfylc span the
western half of the continent, srronding the western portion of the (iflheim montain range that
separates east from west and north from soth. The montains carve a path from the northeast to the
sothwest, dividing the bfylc tribal territories into two regions. The northern and sothern tribes
share a common langage and cltral heritage, bt have evolved into separate societies over time.
)n the north, the old ways are still alive. The northern tribes are generally more war-li!e than their
sothern neighbors, the north being nder more pressre from the or!az than the soth. The clans of
the or!az ma!e their home primarily in the northern regions of l-Ceald, along the foothills of the
(iflheim montains. The dwergaz and bfylc along the borders to their lands do what they can to
!eep the menace at bay, bt the nrelenting savagery of the or!az means they win as many battles
as they lose, and their presence in these regions is all bt permanent. The few srface settlements
maintained by the dwergaz are in constant conflict with the or!az, and have learned the wisdom of
cltivating allies. These settlements have close bonds of friendship with both the nearby bfylc and
the local dez,n families.
#lso living along the (iflheim montains are the !asatha. They maintain positive relationships with
the dwergaz otposts and their dez,n and bfylc neighbors, and many tribes depend on them for
the healing salves and poltices they prodce and trade. The dwergaz for their part are only too
happy to share territories with !asatha villages and monasteries. Their combat prowess and
dedication to the Dragon Kings ma!e them invalable allies in the constant conflicts with the or!az
clans who terrorize these areas. Dwergaz and !asatha alliances are often long-lasting, and the
dwergaz srface otposts wold li!ely not have srvived had it not been for the protection they
receive from the !asatha monasteries.
)n the tmost north, as far as any bfylc has even been, the dez,n ma!e their home. Their family
grops have no permanent home, and so their lands have no borders+ they often stray into bfylc
territories, and the two races have interacted and traded for so long that they have developed a sort
of friendship with one another. )t is not ncommon for the northernmost !n2,n to have a dez,n
member or two, and both the bfylc and catfol! tonges are widely spo!en in the area.
The northern lands are dominated by rolling hills and sparse forest, framed in the west by the ocean
and to the east by the mighty (iflheim montains. To the far north, the rolling hills give way to the
deep evergreen forests that are the ancestral home of the dez,n. Thogh there are rins of albaz
cities here, there are no !nown albaz commnities in these northernmost forests. &ome dwergaz
scholars speclate that perhaps these albaz followed a different religios tradition than their eastern
drid !in, and that their magic was not strong enogh to overcome the might of "intras. These
forests abandoned by the albaz are slowly being settled by dwolmalbaz Corts since the shadow
feys retrn to l-Ceald. These Corts have so far ignored the local bfylc and dez,n commnities,
bt as their territories e4pand this might change. The shadow fey can be aggressive neighbors if
they feel their territories are being invaded, and as their presence strengthens in the northern forests
conflict may be inevitable.
The sothern parts of the bfylc territories are flatter than the north, dominated by snowy plains,
rivers and some forested terrain. The sothern cliffs along the coast are home to great floc!s of glls
and other a6atic birds, which provide eggs to spplement the diets of the coastal bfylc.
#long the northern wall of the (iflheim montainrange the dwergaz have some permanent srface
settlements which serve as trading posts with the bfylc and albaz in the region, and the north-
eastern forests of the soth are albaz lands. The albaz city-states claim the forests as their own, and
are more than willing to protect them shold their reign be contested. Than!flly, the albaz and
dwergaz have so far managed to avoid any ma2or conflicts.
The tribes of the sothern lands have had e4tensive dealings with the albaz, and have adopted many
of their cltral traditions. Drids are far more common in the soth than they are in the north, and
the sothern tribes gender roles are very similiar. Dwergaz scholars who have stdied the
phenomenon of bfylc gender roles have conclded that the for genders of the northern tribes arose
as a necessity, since both men and women had to be able to hnt and fight e6ally. -ow the
feminine genders arose is a riddle many scholars arge abot, bt the most accepted theory is that
the hman commnities these bfylc evolved from had a very tolerant view on se4al morality that
wold have been so shoc!ing to the contemporary dwergaz scholars that it wold have been omitted
from any records of these cltres. /thers believe it is a reslt of albaz inflence, bt this theory is
contested becase of the limited albaz presence in the northern regions.
The sothern gender roles are ndobtledly derived from cltral inflence by the albaz, thogh.
The sothern gender of aileg,z is very similiar to the albaz =illeagan, and even the bfylc word is
derived from the albaz.
The sothern tribes en2oy a mostly peacefl relationship with the albaz, and thogh conflicts
occasionally arise they are most often 6ic!ly settled and forgiven. #lbaz drids en2oy a high stats
among the sothern bfylc, and most bfylc drids come from the soth. The drid concept of meidh
has also made it1s way into the bfyc cltre of the soth, thogh it is not worshipped with anywhere
near the devotion of the albaz drids.
The ocean that srronds the western part of l-Ceald remains a mystery to the people who live
there. &hipbilding is a long lost art to both the bfylc and the albaz, and the dwergaz have never
bothered with sch things even at the height of their power. Thogh some of the srronding islands
are 6ite large and visible from the coast, no one has visited them since the #ll-winter. )t is possible
that there are settlements on these islands, as many fled "intras by sea when the disaster first
strc!, bt if there are nobody has had any contact with them for many centries. &ome among the
coastal bfylc whisper of strange dancing lights on these islands, and some of them do have rins
visible from the coast, bt so far sch tales remain rmors.
The wildlife of l-Ceald has adapted to live in the harsh conditions of "intras as mch as they are
able. -erds of ms!o4, reindeer and deer migrate across the icy wastes, feeding on lichen, moss and
evergreens. These migrations ta!e the beasts to and from the many drid groves that dot the
landscape, and dring the mating seasons these animals will floc! to the groves to mate, feed and
en2oy the relative comfort of these magical islands of smmer. The drids who tend these groves
ta!e care of the animals, ma!e sre they are fed and help the animals give birth to their yong. This
great responsibility is ta!en p by every drid in l-Ceald, and it is a sacred calling that helps
maintain the delicate balance of meidh and !eeps the lifeblood of l-Ceald flowing in these dire
times. "ithot the drids, the animals wold die off from starvation and e4posre, and no life
wold be able to srvive "intras.
%eeding on the magical plants and trees that grow in the groves have left their mar! on the animals
of l-Ceald. $very generation a few of the animals born show signs of this power. 3orn faster and
stronger than the others, these magnificent beasts are called the -aylay,s, and are revered by the
albaz, bfylc and dez,n as holy creatres blessed by the Dragon Kings. Their fr is often bright
white, and covered in rne-li!e mar!ings of deep ble, dar! green or rich prple. 5any sch
creatres have antlers, even species that normally do not, and often sport great and impressive
manes. They are cnning and intelligent, and many serve as animal companions for rangers,
hnters, drids and witches. 'redators too are sometimes born as -aylay,s, and these beasts have
impressive horns or antlers, and are often blac!, or have frs in deep, dar! colors of night.
&premely dangeros and cnning, sch beasts have been !nown to stal! prey mch larger than
themselves inclding armed hnters and warriors.
These creatres are seen as sacred by the tribes of l-Ceald, thogh hnting them for their pelts is
not a crime. /wning a cloa! or other item of clothing crafted from -aylay,s fr is a mar! of honor,
and many priests and drids wear their fr with pride as a symbol of their faith.
)n addition to predators li!e wolves, white tigers, lyn4es and bears, and herd animals li!e reindeer
and ms!o4, the icy wastes of l-Ceald are home to many great animals. -erds of mammoths
stomp across the snowy plains, and wooly rhinos and giant sloths feed on evergreens and claim
territories arond the drid groves. These enormos creatres are dangeros to hnt, bt their meat
can feed an entire !n2,n for days, and their frs, ts!s and horns are valable materials that can be
traded for food, weapons and goods. &abretooth tigers stal! the forests, dire wolf pac!s rn across
the plains hnting prey, and titanic beasts ma!e the grond sha!e with their heavy footsteps.
The Three Peoples
The albaz, dwergaz and bfylc are the three dominant races of l-Ceald. The term bfylc means
family, and is sed both for the varios tribes who dwell in l-Cealds harsh, wintery landscape, and
to describe all of man!ind collectively.
The various bifylc that ma!e their home in the icy wilderness are both different and similiar.
Cltrally, they are all related. They spea! dialects of the same tonge and can nderstand one
another easily. They share the same religion and many of the same cstoms, and thogh there are
large differences in their societies and tribal strctres, they are still obviosly one people, albeit
spread over a large geographical area and with great cltral variety.
$ach bfylc is made p of individal !n2,n, which are nomadic family grops who follow herds of
bison, ms!o4 and reindeer across the plains. These family grops are sally made p of three to
five e4tended families, and can nmber anywhere from >? to >?? individals. The largest !n2,n
are those who ma!e p the %irst families of the bfylc, and these powerfl family grops are
considered the heart of the tribe. The *delings who rle the tribes sally come from these family
grops. The bfylc tribes themselves fnction li!e nations, consisting of any nmber of !n2,n and
nmbering anywhere from less than a thosand to over for thosand people spread over several
nomadic !n2,n. #lmost all bfylc are nomadic societies and ths have no capitol, cities or villages.
The only e4ceptions to this are the coastal bfylc who maintain permanent or semipermanent
settlements and spport themselves by fishing and hnting seals. These settlements range from the
smallest, which only accommodate a single !n2,n to larger ones where several family grops live.
5any sch settlements are abandoned for months at a time as their inhabitants move to different
locations to follow migrating pac!s of seals and other marine life.
#lmost no bfylc have domesticated animals, with the e4ception of dogs and the terrible dire wolves
that the prod warriors of the wlfridda ride into battle.
/ne aspect of the cltre of the bfylc that varies from region to region is genders. The bfylc do not
have binary gender identities. )nstead, gender identity varies from tribe to tribe based on geography
and the inflence of other cltres, primarily the albaz.
The northernmost bfylc, who live beyond the (iflheim montain range that divides the northwest
from the sotheast, recognise for distinct genders.
"hile men 8or manwaz9 traditionally perform dties li!e hnting and warfare, and women 8wbhan9
ma!e food and care for children, there are also women who identify as mascline 8called ma@dvaz9
and men who feel and behave feminine 8me!az9. :ender identity is more often than not a personal
choice in adolescence, thogh some bfylc assign genders to their children according to the
traditions of the family and the tribe.
5anwaz and ma@dvaz fill the roles of artisans, hnters, warriors and fathers, while wibhan and
me!az tend to home and hearth, raise and care for children, and prepare food.
3oth the mascline genders may marry any feminine gender they choose, thogh romantic
relationships between manwaz and ma@dvaz are seen as shamefl and forbidden, as are same-
gender relationships.
)n these northern bfylc, religios dties often fall to the wibhan and me!az. )t is they who sing the
songs and prepare the offerings, and the priests and priestesses are honored and respected leaders of
their commnities, often serving as advisors to the *deling who leads the bfylc.
#mong the sothern bfylc, the for genders of the northerners are rare. )nstead, they have
borrowed a gender role from the albaz, the ,ilegaz 8which the albaz call =illeagan9. These sothern
tribes have three genders, each distinct from one another. 5en, or manwaz, observe traditionally
mascline roles while women 8wibhan9 tend to the home as among the northern tribes. The ,ilegaz,
meanwhile, fill a role of their own as religios intermediaries between the bfylc and the Dragon
Kings. Ailegaz dties inclde tending to the altars and shrines, singing the holy songs of the
ancestors to honor the gods, as well as seeing to the spirital needs of the tribe, dispense blessings
on weddings and childbirth, and tending to the fneral rites of the deceased.
5any ,ilegaz children are decided from birth by their parents, thogh each family rarely has more
than one ,ilegaz. )t is also possible for adolescents to choose the life of an ,ilegaz. They are free to
marry either gender as they wish, and there are no taboos for men or women to have relations with
or marry ,ilegaz. Traditionally ,ilegaz are recognised by their shaved heads, and in many bfylc
,ilegaz wear brightly colored headscarves decorated with feathers and colorfl stone beads.
There are some bfylc along the forest borders to the albaz lands that have both the for northern
genders and the ,ilegaz gender. )n these societies, religios dties fall to the ,ilegaz, while
traditional domestic dties sch as coo!ing and hnting are delegated to the manwaz, wibhan,
ma@dvaz and me!az according to traditional gender roles.
)n some of these tribes manwaz and ma@dvaz may marry ,ilegaz, bt wibhan and me!az may not.
/thers, particlarly those who lie close to the northern bfylc, have no sch restrictions.
"hile the bfylc tribes practice and vale monogamos marriage, casal se4al relationships
between nmarried individals are common, and often lead to pregnancies. $specially among the
smaller !n2,n, newborns mean new hnters and warriors, and it is important for both the family
grop and the tribe that new hnters are born to feed the families. )n the north, pregnant and
nmarried ma@dvaz sally hand their children over to the care of close family members of a
feminine gender, as caring for children is traditionally the 2ob of wibhan and me!az.
Ailegaz do not traditionally ta!e care of children, bt they may ta!e nwanted children into their
care as acolytes. These children always become ,ilegaz when they are ta!en in by a priest.
The tribes are all hnters and gatherers, and most of them are nomadic. 5ost hnt wild game sch
as reindeer, moose and deer, as well as larger animals li!e mammoths, giant sloths and other
massive animals. &ome coastal bfylc have permanent settlements and rely on fishing to srvive.
They spplement their diet with the few edible plants that contine to thrive in the harsh conditions
of "intras, as well as roots, nts and seeds. There are few edible plants hardy enogh to srvive the
icy cold of the permanent winter, bt those that do provide a welcome addition to an otherwise one-
sided diet of coo!ed, dried and salted meats.
The society of the bfylc has forgotten almost all of their past dring the beforetime after the crse
of "intras froze the world. They wear frs, leather and hides to ward off the cold and protect
themselves in battle, and their tools and weapons are made mostly from wood, stone and bones, as
well as the teeth and claws of the many monstros beasts and creatres that roam the icy wastes of
l-Ceald. )t is cstomary for warriors to display their prowess by wearing or displaying trophies of
their fallen foes, and nec!laces, armbands and ornaments made of bone and fangs are common.
&ome bfylc even wear bones and teeth from hman foes, thogh this is seen by most others as crel
and nnessecary. &till, the intimidation factor of sch ornamentation is ndeniable.
;eligion is an enormos part of life for the bfylc.
The Dragon Kings of $arth are revered throgh song, feasts and sacrifice, and the *delings often
compete for the honor that comes with holding the greatest feast in the Dragon Kings honor. &ch
feasts are lod, flamboyant affairs with mead, wine, song and dance, and great bonfires are often lit
otside the feast tents to attract the attention of the Dragon Kings to the celebration. The sight of a
dragon flying over sch a celebration is seen as a sign of enormos fortne, as these messengers of
the Dragon Kings will srely bring tales of the great sacrifices and celebrations held in their honor.
The sacrifice of food and drin!, animals and goods is essential to their worship of the Dragon
Kings. %ood, drin! and goods are left for the Dragon Kings or their dragon children to collect on
cliffs or in wooden glens, while captred animals are sspended from sacrificial poles, bled dry and
brnt as offerings. #s the smo!e rises to the heavens, it is believed that the sstaining essence of the
brnt offering travels directly to the gods. These sacrifices can sbstantially impact on their food
spplies, and are often followed by raids on neighboring bfylc.
"arfare is another important aspect of life among the bfylc. %ood is scarce, and other resorces
e6ally so. Thogh the bfylc do trade with each other, and times of peace can last for decades, the
threat of war always looms on the horizon.
"hen a !n2,n is in danger of starving de to failed hnts or other disasters, they will often 2oin
with other family grops and go raid a neighboring bfylc. These raids can be bloody affairs, as the
losers will literally starve.
/ther times an entire bfylc may mobilize for war, often as a reslt of conflicts regarding herd
migrations, trade rotes and territories. 5obilizing all the !n2,n can be a slow process, since the
family grops are nomadic+ they often stay for months at a time in any given location to hnt and
forage however, and an *deling with any !ind of sense 8or competent advisors9 will !now the
migratory patterns of each !n2,n and can easily trac! their location.
The largest bfylc can mobilize over a thosand warriors in this way, which is a terrifying prospect
for any tribe to face.
$ach bfylc has their own traditional war paint and dress, and their weapons and armor are ni6ely
ornamented to intimidate their foes and identify their tribe. &ome tribes paint their faces blood red
or snow white, or adorn their armor with painted 8or even real9 s!lls, bird feathers or the teeth and
claws of wild beasts. "ar mas!s are not ncommon, and weapons often have both carvings and
painted colors ment to evo!e fear and dobt in their foes.
$ach bfylc tribe also has their own battle songs and chants, and many battles have been won
withot a single drop of blood spilled, simply becase the ferocios and intimidating songs, dances
and cries of wrath have shattered the enemies morale.
&ongs have a particlarly important place in the lives of the varios bfylc of l-Ceald. The Dragon
Kings sang the world into being, and the tribes believe that all song carries with it a part of this
creative power. There are songs for every activity, and the songs are sed both as an act of faith and
as a teaching tool for every art, s!ill and profession. &ongs of mending, songs of coo!ing and
cleaning, hshed songs of the hnt and the powerfl forgesongs sng by the few and revered
metalwor!ers in their forge-shrines are all e4pressions of the bfylcs reverence for their creators.
The leaders of the bfylc, the *deling, are chosen by rling concils of priests and elders from the
noble families who are considered among the %irst, the fonders of the bfylc. These %irst families
often have e4tensive legends and stories abot their ancestors and their deeds in service of the bfylc
and the Dragon Kings. The position of *deling is traditionally a mascline instittion, and the
*deling are almost niversally manwaz and ma@dvaz. &ome few bfylc, especially along the forest
borders of the albaz, elect alegaz as their *deling, bt this practice is rare and displays an nsal
level of devotion to the Dragon Kings that ma!e many people of other tribes a little ncomfortable.
&till, sch religios leaders are accorded the respect they are de, and are often !ind and benevolent
leaders. There are also songs of terrible priest-tyrants, however, and most are wary of giving a priest
sch power. 5any a cationary tale warns against mi4ing the athority of the Dragon Kings with
the athority of men.
$ach *deling has a close relationship with their advisors. The most common advisors are priests,
elders, family members and renowned warriors. # very few have metalsmiths as advisors, and these
are highly praised and soght after. The arts of the forge are in high regard, and the rare few who
manage to get the approval and apprenticeships of the dwergaz become great and powerfl men
rmored to hold great power. Their !nowledge of the dwergaz rnescript ma!es them invalable as
scribes and lawma!ers, thogh the common bfylc are wary of the written word and it1s power.
There are some among the bfylc who feel a calling to the way of the drids. These individals
often wander the wilderness alone loo!ing for a drid grove, see!ing the wisdom of the drids that
live and worship there. &ch spplicants are welcomed, bt there is no garantee they will be
accepted into the ran!s of the drids and initiated into their mysteries. To become a drid, one mst
give p not only the traditional worship of the Dragon Kings the way the bfylc and the dwergaz do,
they mst also nderstand and confront the dar!ness in themselves, and find the point of balance
between light and dar!, good and evil inside their sol. Those who come ot on the other side of
this ordeal with a newfond !nowledge of themselves are few, bt those that do are welcomed
among the drids. 5any have been driven insane by these dar! dridic rites, and a rare few have
even been lost their lives to their own dar!ness. The way of the drid is difficlt to wal!.
Those that do become drids find themselves in a strange place in bfylc society.
Drids are respected among the tribes, bt not flly nderstood. Those !n2,n who have a drid
among them often e4perience plentifl hnts and mild weather, and these family grops often
revere their drids with the same respect they show their priests. 3t the rites and ritals of the
drids are also distinctly alien to the tribesmen. Drids are less reliant on song to invo!e their
magic, and the strange concotions and incantations of a drid can nsettle onloo!ers and case
sspicion among the sperstitios tribesmen. 5ost people in the bfylc also distrst the power of the
written word, fearing that their spirit or essence may somehow become trapped in the writing. &till,
most people nderstand that the drids worship and honor the Dragon Kings in their own way, and
the tribes who have reglar contact with the albaz have a greater trst in their drids.
The albaz call themselves elfs, thogh the bfylc name for them is the most well-!nown otside
their borders. They are a mostly peacefl people who ma!e the forests their homes. Their society is
based arond their cities, with each city serving as a state rled by a concil of drids. These drids
are both the political and spirital leaders of their people, and are highly regarded for their ancient
wisdom and power.
# citys power is centred arond it1s groves, holy forest gardens free of "intras1 toch where the
holy trees of the albaz grow and are tended and nrtred. These trees prodce frit twice a year, and
these frits are consmed in holy rites along with blessed water, cheeses and white meat. The frits
are seen as a blessing from the Dragon Kings, and parta!ing of them means sharing some of the
gods divine power. 3ecase of this, the frits are highly soght after by both bfylc *delings and
priests, as well as dwergaz clerics.
The albaz are the only srface-dwelling people who hold livestoc!, which prodce both wool for
their clothes and mil!, eggs and meat for their tables. #lbaz coo!ing is considered the best in l-
Ceald, and the varios city states are !nown for their particlar style of preparing and seasoning
their coo!ing.
The albaz have remembered the ancient art of bronzeforging, and have !ept it alive. &ince they live
sch e4traordinarily long lives, their artisans have practiced their arts for centries and are tre
masters of their craft. #n albaz bronzewor!ing apprentice mst often toil in the forges for a hndred
years or more to learn the intricacies of casting the metal and hammering it into shape. 3ronze
weapons, coo!wear and armor are e4tremely valable both within the albaz domains and among the
bfylc, and as the metals re6ired to forge bronze are scarce in the albaz forest realms they are hard
to come by even for the albaz themselves.
#lbaz society has three genders. The dine, the men, serve as warriors, craftsmen and merchants,
while the bean 8women9 coo!, clean and prepare food. The third gender, the =illeagan, serve as
oracles and soothsayers, mch li!e the bfylc ,ilegaz. Children are assigned as =illeagan at birth,
and only when specific omens precede the birth of the child. 3eing chosen as an =illegan is a great
honor. Billeagan are forbidden from becoming drids, however, becase a drids connection to the
Dragon Kings is believed to come from their masclinity or femininity. &till, most drid groves
have =illegan acolytes assisting with the ritals, and =illegan are highly regarded in albaz society for
their roles as fortne tellers and midwives. #s with the ,ilegaz, the =illeagan are recognized by their
shaved heads, which are often decorated with colorfl tattoos.
#n =illegan may marry both men and women, bt not another =illeagan. This taboo stems from the
belief that the mascline and feminine re6ires balance, either with it1s conterpart or with the
balancing genderlessness of an =illegan. Two =illeagan copling wold harm both, according to this
belief, as their lac! of mascline or feminine energy wold sch the life force ot of them.
&till, there are tragic tales of =illegan in love who die together as their love drains them of life, and
these tales are very poplar among the romantic bards of the albaz.
#lbaz consider marriage sacred, and every marriage mst be blessed by a drid in the name of the
Dragon Kings. 5any albaz choose to enter into triple relationships with both a member of the
opposite se4 and an =illeagan.
These marriages are called perfect marriages, and are seen as especially aspicios and blessed. #ll
three genders in nison is said to enhance the energies of all parties, and will prodce healthy
offspring born with the favor of the gods.
The drids who govern the albaz city-states and the groves otside them all belong to an ancient,
secretive order. The eldest drids tell tales of the %irst "ar, and how the powers of the drids magic
trned the tide in the decicive battle that saw the Dar! 0ords defeated and cast ot of l-Ceald.
These tales have since become legend among the albaz, and the drids are revered as protectors and
gides for all the albaz people. 5ighty songs of the deeds of famos drids are always poplar
among the albaz, and a feast is incomplete withot a retelling of these legends.
To the drids the concept of meidh, or balance, is e4tremely important. $verything mst be
balanced against it1s opposite, becase this is the way of natre and the laws of the Dragon Kings.
$ven the gods mst have meidh, the balance between light and dar!, the Dragon Kings of $arth and
the 0ords of Dar!ness. "ithot meidh, the world wold fall apart.
Their reverence of meidh ta!es the place of the devotion to the Dragon Kings that is so important to
the bfylc and the dwergaz. The albaz and their drids have a deep respect for their creators, bt
they revere the creative power of the worldsong and the balance of light and dar!, life and death
more than the Dragon Kings themselves. $ven the gods are a reflection of meidh, the balance of all
things, and the religion of the albaz and their drids is centred arond this delicate balance.
#ny child born nder a fll moon is said to be mar!ed by the Dragon Kings and is immediately
given to the drids to raise as one of their own. The yong drids are instrcted in the importance of
balance in all things, and are taght to revere natre and all living things in respect for the wor! of
the Dragon Kings.
The drids are the only albaz who master the written langage, and this art is a closely garded
secret among them. "ritten script is sed dring religios ritals, and to record the laws and
decitions of the drid city concils, as well as !eep records of historic and political events. Cery few
otsiders ever learn the dridic script.
The dwergaz are the race who have !ept most of their !nowledge and lore from before "intras.
They live in a fedal society where social ran! and stats means everything. The -igh King of the
dwergaz 8who call themselves dergar9 rles with an iron hand over the !ings of the (iflheim
montains. $ach !ing in trn rles over a !ingdom divided into dchies, baronies and fiefs. The
d!es, barons and lords each command vassals from the ran!s below them, in addition to the
!nights and men-at-arms nder their personal command.
There is little in the way of wildlife nder the montains, bt the dwergaz do grow crops of
mshrooms and other growths that don1t re6ire as mch direct snlight. These mshrooms are sed
to ba!e bread, brew ale and serve as a staple in almost all dwergaz food. 5shroom-farmers
fertilize their cave-fields with manre from the tnnelboar they !eep for meat and mil!, as well as
the dead bodies of their livestoc!. "ild tnnelboar are also hnted in the caverns of the nderdar!,
bt these hnts are dangeros and mostly nderta!en by the elite. The dwergaz also raise ponies
which they se as pac! animals and to ride on long voyages above or below the montain.
The pride and 2oy of the dwergaz are the metals and precios stones they dig ot of their mines.
These shining materials are seen as manifestations of the worldsong and the glory of the Dragon
Kings, and are prized possessions among the dwergaz. They are sed to decorate the enormos
shrines and temples they constrct in the Dragon Kings honor, as well as for 2ewelry for both clergy
and noblemen.
Dwergaz cities are enormos, constrcted in natral sbterranean caves formed by ndergrond
rivers and reservoirs. These cities are carved from the walls and grond of the caverns, and they
often cover a mch larger area by e4tending into caves and tnnels. These cities are chaotic and
strange to otsiders, and mapping them in conventional ways seems impossible de to their
nfamiliar layot. There is very little light, since dwergaz see perfectly fine in the low light, and all
the forges and smithies ma!es the air raw and hard to breathe. 5ost dwergaz have gotten sed to it,
bt the nobility who rarely ventre ot of their palaces have invented ways to filter the air by
bilding vents and ventilation shafts.
'erhaps the most important aspect of the dwergaz cltre is their metalwor!ing. #s the only people
to master the secrets of iron, the dwergaz see lots of trade. 3ecase of the religios aspects of their
metalwor!ing, however, they rarely part with their creations. "hether it1s tools, weapons, armor or
vanity items, the dwergaz are relctant to trade away any goods of sch spirital importance as
wor!ed metal. 5ost of their goods end p in the temples, where they are gifted to the gods as
sacrifice by being thrown into sacrificial melting pots. /nce these weapons and goods have been
melted down, the metal is blessed and salvaged for the smithies. The act of sacrificing wor!ed metal
to the Dragon Kings is seen by the dwergaz as honoring the act of creation, and the songs sng by
the clerics dring sch sacrifices are meant to mirror the worldsong itself. )n the past sch sacrificed
weapons were simply thrown into la!es or deep pits in the montain, bt that practice proved fatal
dring the 5ontain "ars when sbterranean or!az clans salvaged these sacrificial weapons and
sed them to assalt the dwergaz.
<ni6ely among the 'eoples of l-Ceald, the dwergaz have a high degree of literacy, and all bt
the lowest of peasants !now how to read and write.
5ost dwergaz cities have niversities that teach history, science and medicine, as well as occlt
academies where the arcane arts are taght. Dwarven wizards en2oy a high stats in dwergaz
society, and those who gradate from an academy with high honors and many recommendations by
the faclty are often appointed as cort magicians and advisors. 3ecase the academies have sch a
high place in dwergaz society, nlawfl practitioners of magic are almost niversally hnted down
and either !illed or imprisoned for life. 3ecase of this, many dwergaz sorcerers rn away from the
montains, and see! their fortnes among the albaz or the bfylc.
The dwergaz vale family and the loyal, loving nion of man and woman in marriage. Dwergaz
families often have many children, and it is cstomary that they ta!e care of their grandparents in
addition to their children. The dwergaz hosehold is the centre of dwergaz society, and their gender
roles reflect this. The man wor!s in his profession, while the womenfol! tend to the hose and raise
the children. This division of labor does not mean that dwergaz women are inferior. "ithin the
walls of the home, the woman is in charge, and she holds the !eys to the hosehold. # man who
does not listen to the concel of his wife is seen as rde and nwise, and dwergaz society vale their
women for their wisdom. 5ost dwergaz clerics are women, becase the power to create and give
birth to life is seen as deeply connected to the power of the Dragon Kings.
/ther 'eoples
#side from the Three 'eoples, there are other races who ma!e their homes in the snowy wastes of
l-Ceald. There are the orcs, called or!az by the bfylc tribes, a savage and warli!e race whose
marading clans are a constant terror to the bfylc and the albaz. #nd in the far north, the catfol!
whom the bfylc call dez,n dwell. Their society is made p of close-!nit family grops, and they
are mch more peacefl than their bfylc neighbors, lac!ing the nified leadership that the bfylc
rely on. There are also the *gder, half-elven ancestors of the nion of albaz and bifylc, who are seen
as blessed by the tribal commnities+ and half-orcs, acla, the nfortnate children of bfylc and
or!az. Caled for their strength, yet feared by many, the acla live a hard life among the tribes.
The Kasatha are a reclsive people who dwell in the valleys and foothills of the (iflheim
montains. They are a race of ascetics and mystic warriors, who believe in peace and harmony and
live their lives in accordance with the commandments of the Dragon Kings. These nimble, for-
armed creatres rarely leave their montain villages. They are constantly harassed by or!az raids, as
well as the giants, ogres and other monsters who live in their lands.
#nd in the deepest, dar!est forests, well beyond the albaz city-states, dwell the shadow fey, whom
the albaz call scathsidhe, !nown as dwolmalbaz by dwergaz scholars, in their moonlit spires and
twilight !eeps. These enigmatic and mercrial fey, dar! cosins of the albaz, hail from a different
world called the shadow realm. They are at once crel and benign, mysterios, aloof and seemingly
ncaring of the plight of others, yet often helpfl and !nown for hospitality and loyal friendship.
The deuzn come from the far north of l-Ceald, beyond the (iflheim montain range. They live
a nomadic life similiar to the bfylc, and their wanderings sometimes brings them into contact with
the neighboring tribes. They are a peacefl people, thogh they can be fierce warriors if provo!ed, a
lesson the warli!e bfylc have learned many times and seem to !eep forgetting.
The dez,n have no tribes or overarching societal strctre, bt are instead nited by a common
cltral and religios heritage. )n star! contrast to the bfylc, the albaz and the dwergaz, the dezan
do not worship the Dragon Kings of $arth. The Dragon Kings do have a role in the oral history of
the dez,n, and they recognise the gods as their creators, bt the primary religios tradition of the
catfol! is ancestor worship and an animistic belief in and respect for the spirits that dwell in all
things.
Dez,n shamans condct ritals to celebrate and honor the ancestors of the dez,n people, and they
have a powerfl respect for natre and all life. This respect for their ancestors colors every aspect of
dez,n life. The spirits of those who came before need appeasing, and in retrn for the offerings and
gifts the dez,n give their ancestors, they e4pect their help and intervention in times of need. The
offerings can range from food and drin! to tools, weapons, fine items of clothing and 2ewelery. )t is
common to offer sch gifts before important events li!e weddings, births and hnts, and an ancestor
who fails to give blessings and fortne on sch occasions shames the entire family. 'owerfl rites
are needed to cleanse sch a dar! shadow from a family, and on rare occasions the offending
ancestor spirit may be smmoned to answer for it1s actions.0i!ewise, it is important to offer gifts to
the spirits of the world. The spirit of a river mst be fed, so it will not ta!e the lives of children
straying too near. 'rayers are offered to the spirits of animals slain to feed the family, and small
to!ens or gifts may be bried with the animals bones to send its spirit off to the ne4t world.
"intras came as a hard blow to the dez,n. Their shamans believe that some great offense was
committed against the spirits of winter and weather, and each year dring what was once smmer,
shamans from all the dez,n lands gather to perform great and powerfl rites to please these
powerfl spirits. (o prayers have been answered dring these moots, bt the shamans faith is
nwavering, and their dedication is strong. The crse of "intras hangs li!e a dar! clod over the
dez,n, and their songs and tales tell of the warm glories of &Dmar. These melancholic songs and
stories fill the hearts of those who listen with a profond sadness, bt there is always a note of hope
in them.
The dez,n live their life srronded by family. These family grops bind many generations of
catfol! together, and nothing is more sacred to a dez,n than this familial bond. The catfol! are
matriarchal, and each family is led by it1s oldest female. Eong males who come of age leave their
families behind, and stri!e ot into the wilderness in search of a mate and a new family to 2oin.
These wanderings can ta!e years, as the nomadic lives of the dez,n ta!e them far and wide across
the icy plains. /nce a male manages to find a female who will have him, his new family will
prepare a massive feast in honor of the yong cople. This is a time of great celebration for the
catfol!, and sch celebrations can last for p to a wee! of msic and merriment. The male is
e4pected to bring with him stories of his ancestors, and each night of the celebration the yong man
will delight his new family with tales of the heroism, bravery and wisdom of his past !in.
)f the family is not satisfied with these tales, the yong male is allowed to stay ntil he has mated
with hisfemale, and then is sent on his way. )n this way, every tribe is blessed with new life, even if
the yong cople failed to find love.
&ometimes wandering males find their way to a bfylc !n2,n. The catfol! are viewed by most
tribes as welcome gests, who bring fascinating tales and news from afar. $very so often, sch
meetings ends with the yong male falling in love with a bfylc woman. The ways of the bfylc are
strange and often nsettling to a yong dez,n, who show little interest in the romantic advances of
men of either gender. &rprisingly, many catfol! wanderers fall in love with ma@dvaz. The dynamic
between a dez,n and his ma@dvaz love shares many elements of a traditional catfol! marriage,
with the female leading the hosehold and the male allowing himself to be led. Their attraction to
strong women and their sbservient attitde to marriage pleases many ma@dvaz too, and of all the
relationships that form between catfol! and bfylc, these are the strongest and most endring. /nce
a dez,n forms sch a relationship, their strong faith in marriage and family ma!e them e4cellent
partners, both nrtring and fiercely protective.
The strange religios beliefs of the catfol! are often accepted by the bfylc once they nderstand
that they do indeed pay respects to the Dragon Kings.
&ome priests will bal! at the notion of ancestor worship, bt by and large the catfol! are allowed to
!eep their e4centricities. The fact that most catfol! are e4cellent singers, and 6ic! learners will
please most priests, and a dez,n who learns all the songs of worship will gain mch respect within
the !n2,n.
The kasatha live in 6iet montain settlements in the (iflheim highlands. Their villages are often
located in the many valleys along the foothills of the (iflheim montain range, along the many
streams and rivers that flow from the glaciers and montain reservoirs otward to the sea.
5any !asatha dwell in monasteries, seclded temple-villages where they contemplate the natre of
the divine and their role in the order of things. These cloistered priests are friends to the drids of
the albaz, and many itinerant !asatha mon!s ma!e pilgrimages to drid groves to commne with the
Dragon Kings in these holy sites.
#mong the scholars of the dwergaz, the !asatha are believed to be the last 'eople created by the
Dragon Kings dring the %irst "ar, a race of protectors and holy warriors made to protect the world
from the destrction wroght by the hatefl 0ords of Dar!ness. The !asatha1s own songs tell a
similar story of their origin. They follow this mandate religiosly, forever training their minds and
bodies to be ready for war against the dar!, and their monasteries are as mch training gronds as
they are places of worship. $ach sch monastery is led by an abbot, a high priest who condcts the
ceremonies and approves the new recrits. /nly the strongest and fastest !asatha are selected to 2oin
the monastic life.
Those who do not 2oin the holy mon!s live ordinary life in the villages. Kasatha are a matriarchal
society, bt other races have difficlty recognizing any physical difference between females and
males. Kasathas !eep their moths hidden behind clothing, and don1t remove this clothing in the
presence of other races. 5en mate for life with a female partner chosen for them by the village
elders. The elders are the lawma!ers and rlers of these villages, and their word is law for all who
live in the village. To the !asatha, rles and laws are of e4treme importance.
They view the laws of their society as divine, handed down to their seers by the Dragon Kings
themselves, and to follow the laws is to demonstrate their faith in the giding hands of the gods.
)n every village, there is a temple to a particlar Dragon King whom the villagers see as their
patron. )n every sch temple, sally a strdy stone strctre with little ornamentation beyond a
prominent state of the Dragon King it is dedicated to otside the entrance, there is a reli6ary
which holds the sacred scroll of laws that govern that village. These scrolls are the prised
possessions of the villagers, and any harm done to them is pnishable by death. (atrally,
destroying or desecrating sch scrolls are deeds of great renown to the or!az clans who ma!e the
!asatha their enemies.
The !asatha do not possess the !nowledge to wor! metal by themselves. )nstead, they trade for their
weaponry with the albaz and, more rarely, the dwergaz and the dwolmalbaz. )n addition to the
bronze and iron weapons they a6ire from trade, they create their own weaponry from natral
materials. Their most famos weapon, and the one their enemies fears facing the most, is the spinal
sword, crafted from the spine and bones of a slain enemy of the warrior who wields it. These
fearsome weapons are often coated with potent poisons made from herbs gathered in drid groves.
;eclsive as they are, !asatha nonetheless have some dealings with the other 'eoples of l-Ceald.
They trade with the albaz and occasionally dwergaz for weapons and armor, and sometimes ma!e
contact with the nearby bfylc and dez,n families to trade for food, frs and other goods. )n retrn
for these goods, the !asatha often pay with healing ointments, salves and potions, as well as other
natral remedies and herbs. 5any of these brews hold potent power, and they are highly soght
after.
)n addition to trade, many !asatha go on pilgrimages to groves, rins and holy sites all over l-
Ceald. These are of great importance to the !asatha, and most try to go on sch a pilgrimage atleast
once every few years. # !asatha who dies withot visiting a site of pilgrimage is often seen as very
nfortnate, and it is not ncommon for their families to embalm their corpse and ta!e it on a
pilgrimage before brying them. Kasatha elders are often ta!en on sch 2orneys to be bried at a
particlarly holy site, and the !asatha believe that in this way their spirit is 2oined with the earth and
the power of the Dragon Kings instead of going on to reincarnate.
The dwolmalbaz call themselves shadow fey, and their realms lie deep within the eastern forests
beyond even the realms of the albaz. :one since the coming of "intras, the shadow fey are slowly
regaining a presence in l-Cealds forests since their retrn a centry ago. $ach decade new
fortresses and towers are bilt, and the dwolmalbaz claim sovereignty of the forests that were their
homes before "intras. The albaz, recognising an obvios threat from their more aggressive !in,
have attempted negotiations that so far have reslted in peacefl coe4istence. The shadow fey are
fiercely territorial, and every year their e4panding borders creep ever closer to albaz lands. -ow the
gwen will respond to the growing shadow fey intrsion is still nclear, bt the neasy peace that
e4ists between the two brother peoples cannot last forever.
The forests of the dwolmalbaz domains ta!e on a dar!, frightening appearance mirroring the
shadow fey themselves. )n these shadowed woods they constrct tall spires of stone and wood, and
bild castles and !eeps in which they hold cort.
The shadow fey are similiar in appearance to the albaz, bt there are stri!ing differences between
them. Dwolmalbaz have s!in ranging from snow white to shadowy dar! or grey+ some even have
glittering or faintly glowing s!in. 5any of them have horns, ranging from sbtle nbs to impressive
antlers, and some have intimidating rows of sharp teeth. They also vary in statre, from taller than
both men and albaz to shorter than dwergaz. The shadow fey have the same three gender roles as
their albaz cosins. #mong them, the =illeagan serve as priests to the great !ings and 6eens, and
also ta!e the roles of oracles interpreting omens and portents and witches who dispense blessings
and crses.
To otsiders the dwolmalbaz can seem strange, even mad. Their reasoning and logic has been as
warped by their home in the shadow realm as their physical forms, and their world view is distinctly
different from the other races. They are notorios for their altered relationship with time, which
flows differently in the dar! world they call home. &ome among them are apparently immortal, and
they often leave l-Ceald for long periods, only to retrn and e4press shoc! and frstration that the
world has changed since they left. To some their actions may seem insane, bt there is always a
method in them. They advance their goals sbtly, and their victims are overta!en before they
become aware. "hile the shadow fey are often antagonists and sally described as malevolent,
they are not inherently evil. (either are they inherently good. They are fey. 0i!e all fey, mortals
mst be wary with their interactions or pay a steep price.
Dwolmalbaz society is divided into Corts. $ach has a geographical centre, bt they are really
centred arond their leader. The shadow fey do not worship the dragon !ings, instead revering their
Cort rlers as gods. The largest corts are the &mmer Cort and the "inter Cort, rled by the
&mmer .een and the "inter King who are married to one another.
There are nmeros other, smaller corts as well, each rled by a powerfl shadow fey monarch
revered as a deity by their followers. These monarchs are powerfl wizards and sorcerers, and they
have the ability to grant miraclos power to their priests and clerics.
Dwolmalbaz society is fedal and in many ways mirror the dwergaz. They have noble lords and
!nights, and a system of fealty and honor that governs their interactions with one another. )n star!
difference to the tilitarian dwergaz, however, the laws that govern the shadow fey are positively
byzantine, and navigating the many reglations, codes and traditions of the dwolmalbaz is a
dangeros e4cercise in frstration for all bt the most competent lawyers and scholars of the fey.
The dwolmalbaz hail from a place that e4ists nowhere on l-Ceald, called the shadow realm.
Dwergaz scholars recognize this realm as a plane of e4istence !nown as the 'lane of &hadows, a
transitive plane that lin!s the world of l-Ceald to the elemental )nner planes and the /ter planes
where sols of the dead go to 2oin the Dragon Kings and where the hellish realms of the 0ords of
Dar!ness lie. &ome !ingdoms of the shadow fey lie partly in the shadow realm, and it is possible to
wal! from a dwolmalbaz forest realm directly into the shadow realm if yo !now where to go and
what to loo! for. This dar! realm of nightmares and shadows is home to fey creatres of many
types, and there lie the palace cities and castles of the tre rlers of the shadow fey, great princes,
6eens and !ings who wold never deign to set foot in the material world of l-Ceald.
)t is possible to reach the shadow realm with magic, and an e4perienced wizard may se that dar!
place to travel between locations in the material world in a fraction of the time an overland 2orney
wold ta!e. &till the plane is home to many dangers, and only the bravest or most foolish do so with
any reglarity.
The shadow fey se bronze tools and weapons li!e their albaz cosins, in part becase iron is scarce
in the forests they call home, bt most of all becase of the effects of cold iron on the fey. %ey hate
cold iron and many refse to se tools of mndane iron as a precation.
The origins of the shadow fey are shroded in mystery, even for the dwolmalbaz themselves.
Dwergaz scholars believe that they were originally albaz who fled to the shadow realm when
"intras englfed the world, bt the shadow fey dispte that claim. #ccording to them, the albaz are
degenerate cosins who were cast ot of the shadow realm by the dwolmalbaz nobility many
centries ago. (o written or oral sorce among the albaz or in dwergaz libraries spports this claim,
however. 5yths and songs among the albaz have many mentions of the shadow fey, bt none that
e4plain their origins or their relation to the albaz. )t is entirely possible that the two peoples are not
related at all, bt both the albaz and the dwolmalbaz insist that there is a familial bond between the
two peoples. The relationship between the albaz and the dwolmalbaz is a strained one, bt they have
a mtal respect for each other. The two races have had both positive and violent dealings with one
another, and small territorial conflicts between shadow fey Corts and albaz city-states do happen
with some fre6ency.
The two peoples are e6ally often allies against or!az incrsions or drow attac!s however, and they
fre6ently trade with one another. -ow this will change as the territorial disptes grow more
common in the face of dwolmalbaz e4pansion is yet to be seen.
&hadow fey have a natral criosity and wanderlst, and they often thirst for adventre. #
dwolmalbaz who performs epic deeds and retrns home with spoils of war will recieve great
renown from his !in, and many dwolmalbaz ta!e to adventring to see the world and e4perience all
the wonder and terror it can offer.
-alf-elves, called gder by the bfylc and egdaer by the albaz, are born from nions of albaz and
bfylc. 5ost *gder live among the albaz, a reslt of the refgees who fled to the albaz city-states
when "intras first descended. These nfortnate people are not considered fll citizens by the
albaz, and are often pt to wor! in menial tas!s sch as caring for animals, constrction or
harvesting the frits of the groves. This wor!, thogh essential, garners them little respect, and they
are often treated little better than slaves. &till the albaz are not crel, and they ta!e care of their own.
The *gder have basic civil rights, and violence or crimes against them are pnished by the drid
concils almost as severely as offenses against an albaz. 5any *gder grow p dreaming of freedom
and adventre, and if they get a chance to leave as they matre they often ta!e it. The harsh reality
of "intras soon catches p to them, however, and many never retrn to the relative safety of the
city walls.
Those *gder who have dwolmalbaz blood in them have it a little better. The shadow fey readily
accept them into their Corts, and thogh they are of lower stats than fll-blooded dwolmalbaz,
they are not social pariahs li!e they wold be in albaz lands. 5any serve as s6ires to fey !nights,
tending their steeds, carrying their arms and serving as companions on their travels. &ome even rise
to !nighthood themselves, thogh they wold have to perform great deeds to win the respect and
admiration of the fey nobles.
#mong the bfylc, *gder fare mch better. The bfylc consider the *gder blessed, and many grow
p to be priests. /thers grow fascinated by the songs and tales of their albaz ancestors, and ta!e p
the life of the bard, often travelling the world to learn all the songs and stories of the Three 'eoples
and other denizens of l-Ceald.
5any *gder who rn away from the albaz forest realms and manage to srvive the icy wastes end
p settling among the bfylc.
%or some reason, the *gder are often gifted with the blood of the Dragon Kings, and they
sometimes become great sorcerers. The bfylc, sperstitios and distrsting of the arcane arts as
they are, will often react with fear and pre2dice against these individals. &ch *gder, doble
otcasts, are often forced ot into the wastes to fend for themselves. They will sometimes band
together in commnities, and these commnities are often more amicable to other otcasts+ even
acla who find their way to these covens are welcomed, and often grow to become valed family
members and gardians.
!cla" or half-orcs, are often viewed as crsed. 5ore often than not the prodct of rape, these sons of
the blodthirsty or!az are feared and even shnned by many among the Three 'eoples. Their blood
relation to the dreaded or!az ma!e them social otcasts, and those who do not fear them pity them
for their crse.
Those acla who grow p among their or!az !in will often rise to positions of stats. &maller of
statre and wea!er than the or!az, the acla are nonetheless valed by the :reat and 3lac! for their
cnning and intelligence, and will often serve as advisors, commanders and dar! shamans to the
or!az clan leaders. Those among the acla who ascend to leadership themselves do so with e6al
parts intelligence and ferocity, and they become fearsome leaders. "hen an acla warlord arises, his
presence is often felt far and wide. -is natral cnning and insight are potent tools of war, and his
plans will often seem brilliant when compared to the petty plans the or!az sally ma!e.
Those who grow p among the bfylc tribes live hard lives. 5ost !n2,n will !eep them on the
otside, barely feeding them and rarely paying them any form of respect. 'ractically the only
respect a bfylc acla will recieve is in combat, where their or!az blood shines throgh. 5any acla
will embrace this image of the savage, brtal warrior to try and gain some stats this way, bt the
fear the bfylc have for their or!az blood sally means that any respect they recieve comes with
mistrst and fearfl glances. 5ost will loo! over their sholder when an acla is near, fearing that his
or!az heritage will posess him to mrder them or do other nspea!able things.
#mong the albaz, their stats is even lower. 5any acla children are !illed in the womb by dridic
remedies, and those who srvive ntil birth are sometimes set ot for the wolves and creatres of
the forest to deal with. The rare few who are !ept and raised grow p as lonely, sad children, forever
2dged and condemned by everyone arond them. Those who reach adlthood almost always leave,
thogh a few stay behind and try to ma!e the best of the sitation.
&ome acla who leave their bfylc or albaz commnities find homes among the mch less
2dgemental dez,n families. /thers see! refge in !asatha monasteries, where their otwards
appearance means little. These acla often become renowned warriors, and fight with a frightening
ferocity against the servants of the 0ords of Dar!ness.
#agic in l-Ceald
l-Ceald is a magical world. )t was created throgh the magic of the worldsong, and the crse of
"intras is definitely magical in natre. Thogh rare in the eyes of most, magic is everywhere,
sleeping and waiting to be released. The worldsong still reverberates in all things, the world is filled
with rins of ancient civilisations from the beforetime, and even the great battles of the %irst "ar
and the crse of "intras have left traces of magical power in the world.
'ractitioners of magic are very rare in l-Ceald. $very generation a small nmber of sorcerers are
born, individals toched by the Dragon Kings who can wield great power. These sorcerers are so
rare they are the stff of legend to most people, thogh they are more common and accepted among
the albaz. The dwergaz hold sch individals in great esteem, and among them magic is considered
a powerfl e4pression of the power of the Dragon Kings or $arth.
#mong the bfylc, magic of any !ind is feared and respected. The tribal society of the bfylc is a
sperstitios one, and a great deal of weight is pt on omens, portents and signs from the gods.
&dden onsets of diseases, failed hnts, accidental deaths and other problems are often attribted to
crses or the wrath of the gods. The power to crse and afflict victims with disease or in2ry is seen
as blac! magic, power derived not from the Dragon Kings bt from the 0ords of Dar!ness. Those
who practice magic mst therefore either hide their abilities or legitimise them by becoming priests
or getting the spport of an *deling or other athority figre.
'riests are an e4ception to the rle. The bfylc don1t distingish between divine and arcane magic
the way dwergaz scholars and albaz drids do, bt they respect the power of the gods more than the
powers of man!ind. # power that seems to come from the Dragon Kings themselves is always
accepted and respected, even if it still instills ncertainty or fear. The prayers and songs of priests
and drids are an accepted way to wor! magic.
#nother accepted way of wor!ing magic is throgh the traditional songs of power. &ongs hold an
incredibly important role in bfylc life, and they are believed to have the power to both harm and
heal, to create and destroy. $ven so, a very blatant display of magic may arose fear and
sperstition, even when performed as part of a song. The power of songs is seen as a sbtle one, and
grandiose magical effects will case most people to wonder if blac! magic is involved.
Those who are not born with magical powers who wish to command the forces of natre will
always find a way to power. The rins of the beforetime hold many magical secrets for those brave
enogh to loo! for them, and many ambitios yong men and women have dies loo!ing for the
treasres of the past.
'osessing a magical item isn1t as taboo as practicing magic, bt it still nsettles and frightens
people. This fear can be sed to gain respect and athority, however, and many *delings own a
magical sword or other item which they wield as badges of office. # strong individal who can
harness the mysterios powers of the past in this way deserves respect.
0earning to wield the magical forces themselves isn1t easy. There are witches and wizards in the
wilderness who might consider ta!ing apprentices in e4change for goods or favors, bt they are
seldom to be trsted and their intentions are often dar!.
To be born with sorceros gifts is both a blessing and a crse. )t is called the 3lood of the Dragon
by dwergaz scholars, who believe it to be a blessing from the gods and a manifestation of the power
of the Dragon Kings.
#mong the bfylc, it is viewed as anything bt a blessing. The tribes call it a crse, the toch of
"intras or perhaps the corrpting inflence of the 0ords of Dar!ness, and those who embrace their
gifts are shnned and feared.
#mong the albaz sch gifts are better recieved, and any practitioner of the arcane arts are seen as
gifted individals who almost always grow p to be protectors of the groves.
"ether trained in a dwergaz college, ttored by albaz drids or self-taght, all who practice arcane
magic are channeling the power of the "orldsong, the divine hm of the world. These
reverberations in all things are the traces and remnants of the first song sng by the -igh King )o
and his consort .een /a, and the songs of the Dragon Kings that wo!e all creatres to life and
filled the world with power. 5any spellcasters channel their power throgh songs, as the drids and
priests do. 5ore often than not this is a personal choice inflenced by cltre, as songs have a
powerfl place in the religion of the Three 'eoples, bt there is power in songs for those who trly
learn to tap into the worldsong. 3y reaching into the flow of energies created by the "orldsong,
either throgh innate talent, practiced s!ill or throgh sympathetic song, the spellcaster plls the
power of the world into himself, shapes it with his will, and releases it into the world. The dwergaz
scholars believe that this remnant of the "orldsong was the final gifts of the Dragon Kings to the
'eoples, and that by tapping into and harnessing the power they left behind the Three 'eoples are
honoring their creators. To the dwergaz, the arcane arts are a divine calling.
The bfylc have a very different view. To them, all power that does not come directly from the
Dragono Kings divine athority is not to be trsted. They see it as potentially evil, and the
destrctive power of sorcerers and wizards is seen as proof that magic is dangeros, evil and not to
be trsted.
The albaz, who were saved by magic both divine and arcane when the chill of "intras arrived, have
a mch more respectfl view of magic. )t is a tool to be sed, and li!e all tools it is best sed to
protect and serve the city-states, the groves and the Dragon Kings. They have no formal schools of
magic, bt great sorcerers among them will ta!e apprentices and ttor them in the arcane arts,
teaching them the concept of meidh and how to serve and phold it.
The priests and clerics of l-Ceald derive their miracles of faith directly from the Dragon Kings, as
gifts for their faithfl service. Divine magic is niversally respected by all the 'eoples of the world,
and every society have their religios officials who sing the ancient prayer-songs every morning to
recieve the blessings of the Dragon Kings of $arth. 5ost bfylc priests are &hamans or /racles, and
they are respected leaders and gides whose consel are valed among the *delings and who spea!
with the voice of the gods in all matters of faith.
The albaz have a close and personal relationship with the gods. The drids are their political and
spirital leaders, and every albaz who visits the groves !nows beyond any dobt that the power of
the gods has saved them from destrction.
The athority of the drids e4tends beyond the lands of the albaz. Their tradition is a niversal one,
and drids come from all the 'eoples of l-Ceald. To be a drid is a great responsibility. They are
personally responsible for the balance of the world nder "intras, and withot their groves and
their inflence, all living creatres wold starve and die. They see "intras as an abomination, an
affliction of the world that threatens to nravel meidh and send the world over the brin! of
destrction. To combat this, the drids tend the groves, care for and protect the forests and the
animals of the world, and ma!e sre that the balance is maintained to the best of their ability.
The greatest groves are home to large gatherings of drids. #t the centre of these groves stands an
ancient tree, an irminsl 83estiary F p.GHI9, which gards within its mighty trn! or between it1s
great roots a portal to the divine realm of the Dragon Kings. This tree is also a gardian, and no one
may enter the divine realm withot it1s blessing and permission. Cery few ever recieve this blessing,
and it has been centries since anyone has been permitted to enter.
$ods of l-Ceald
The %ive Dragon Kings of $arth
Wulthuz" %ragon &ing of 'ife
Chaotic Good
Portfolios: God of life, animals and nature
Domains: Animal, Earth, Good, Plant (Growth), Sun, Water
"lthz is the King of 0ife, and patron god of all living things. $verything that wal!s, flies and
grows in l-Ceald owe him their lives, for he was the Dragon King who sang the first notes of the
"orldsong, leading his brothers and sisters in the choir that created life itself. &ongs honoring
"lthz are sng in gratitde for the gift of life, especially at births. -e appears as a magnificent
brass dragon shining with the light of the sn.
"lthz holy symbol is a brass dis! with a stylized rising sn at it1s centre.
-is favored weapon is the heavy mace.
(ullo" %ragon )ueen of Prosperity
Neutral Good
Portfolios: Goddess of family, community and health
Domains: Air, Charm (o!e), Community, Good, "ealin#, Weather (Seasons)
%llo is the Dragon .een of family and commnity. The Three 'eoples pray and sing to her for
gidance in family matters, and in times of need for their tribe, their family or their people. &he
cares for all her children, and is the patron goddess of parents and children everywhere. %llo
appears as a beatifl bronze dragon, with friendly eyes and glittering scales.
%llo1s holy symbol is a bronze disc with a stylized person with open arms at it1s centre.
-er favored weapon is the shortspear.
Wurdiz" %ragon )ueen of (ate
awful Neutral
Portfolios: Goddess of fate, fortune and mysteries
Domains: Dar$ness (Ni#ht), uc$ (%ate), &a#ic, 'e(ose, 'une, )ric$ery (Dece(tion)
"rdiz, &he "ho )s, is the Dragon .een of fate and fortne, and patron goddess of mysteries,
riddles and that which is hidden. &he is also the goddess of peacefl death, and gardian of the
afterlife. -er songs are sng at fneral rites, and as invocations of her name to learn the mysteries of
destiny. "rdiz appears as a copper dragon, with stars gleaming in her eyes and the dar!ness of
death nderneath her wings.
"rdiz1 holy symbol is a copper disc with a half-moon and a star.
-er favored weapon is the dagger.
Wodanaz" %ragon &ing of Wisdom
awful Good
Portfolios: God of $nowled#e, wisdom and understandin#
Domains: Artifice, Good, *nowled#e, aw, 'une, %ire
:reatest among the Dragon Kings of $arth, "odanaz is the god of wisdom and !nowledge. The
drids venerate "odanaz as a teacher and gide to the mysteries of meidh, and among the dwergaz
"odanaz is considered the patron of metalwor!ing and artifice. -is songs are sng at the forges and
templesmithies of l-Ceald, and echo in drid groves across the land. "odanaz appears as a softly
glowing gold dragon, with an ara of wisdom abot him that hmbles all who stand before the
Dragon King.
"odanaz1 holy symbol is a golden disc with an open eye in it1s centre.
-is favored weapon is the longspear.
Teiwaz" %ragon &ing of *eroes
awful Good
Portfolios: God of heroes, #reat deeds and #lorious !ictory
Domains: Glory, Good, aw, i+eration (%reedom), No+ility (eadershi(), Stren#th ('esol!e)
Teiwaz is the protector of l-Ceald, the resolte gardian against the inflence of the Dar! 0ords
and their minions. -e blesses the warrior, and his grace soothes the weary and the defeated, and
raises them p to fight anew. -e is venerated by warriors across the world, and his songs are sng
as battle hymns to prepare for combat. Teiwaz appears as a glorios and impressive silver dragon,
and his light brns the wic!ed and n2st with righteos fire.
Teiwaz1 holy symbol is a silver dis! with a spear at it1s centre.
-is favored weapon is the longspear.
The (ive 'ords of %arkness
!uzawandilaz" %ark 'ady of Terror
Neutral E!il
Portfolios: Goddess of fear, terror and the ni#ht
Domains: Dar$ness, Death (,ndead), E!il, &adness (Ni#htmare), &a#ic, )ric$ery
#zawandilaz is the terror of the tter dar!, the cold, ncaring mother of dar!ness in all its forms.
"hen the sn sets and the dar!ness creeps across the land, all living things feel her terrible toch
and cower in fear at her presence. Those who worship her invite madness, and her howling songs
chill the bones of even the greatest warriors. #zawandilaz appears as a terrible blac! dragon,
blac!er than even the moonless night s!y.
#zawandilaz1 holy symbol is a hman s!ll.
-er favored weapon is the terbt2e.
$autaz" %ark 'ord of %eceit
awful E!il
Portfolios: God of decietfulness, lies and untruths
Domains: Charm (ust), E!il, *nowled#e, aw, &adness (-nsanity), )ric$ery (Dece(tion)
:ataz, the %ather of 0ies, is the Dar! 0ord of Deceit. -e is the voice that whispers crelty in the
hearts of all, the sorce of all that is wrong and corrpted. "ith a word he topples !ings and inspires
dobt and fear in nations, and by his will are all men bent and bro!en. :ataz desires nothing more
than to see all the world !neel before him in spplication. -is songs are whispered by those who
wold see! his dar! gifts of deception, bt the price for sch awfl blessings is always too high.
:ataz appears as a ble dragon covered by clods of dar! mists.
:ataz1 holy symbol is a blac! star.
-is favored weapon is an obsidian dagger.
Welanduz" %ark 'ady of +iolence
awful E!il
Portfolios: Goddess of !en#eance, !iolence and slau#hter
Domains: Death (&urder), E!il, %ire, aw, Sren#th (%erocity), War (.lood)
"elandz, the Dar! 0ady of Ciolence, is the mistress of pain and sffering. &he delights in the
torment of living things, and every sting of pain is li!e sweet wine to her. "elandz thirsts for
sffering, and her followers shed the blood of innocents in her name to please the Dar! 0ady of
Ciolence. -er songs are sn by evil warlords and warriors before battle, and invo!ing her name
brings great fear to any opponent. "elandz appears as a blood-soa!ed green dragon, with great,
red-stained fangs.
"elandz1 holy symbol is two crossed spears with blood red tips.
-er favored weapon is a greatclb.
!gilaz" %ark 'ord of %estruction
Chaotic E!il
Portfolios: God of destruction, death and the end of all thin#s
Domains: Chaos, Dar$ness (oss), Death (&urder), Destruction ('a#e), E!il, War
#gilaz, the :reat Destroyer, is the end of all things. -e awaits patiently for the world to end, thogh
he has an active hand in bringing abot the end of the world. There is nothing more pleasing to him
than lives snffed ot, good things ending and the destrction of beaty and love. /nly the bravest
and most insane of mortals dares worship the :reat Destroyer, and the gifts he gives his followers
are never pleasant. -is songs are howled by the mad and the depraved, and his rites are dar!,
twisted and destrctive. #gilaz appears as a terrifying red dragon, and his dar! wings spew smo!e
and the stench of death arond him.
#gilaz1 holy symbol is a blac! spiral.
-is favored weapon is the battle a4e.
$rendel" %ark 'ord of ,easts
Chaotic E!il
Portfolios: &onsters, +easts and all foul thin#s/
Domains: Animal, Chaos, E!il, Plant (Decay), Stren#th (%erocity), Weather (Storms)
:rendel is the 3east 0ord, master of all that creep, crawl and slither. -is minions are the monsters,
the terrible beasts who rip flesh and chew bones, and everything born of evil, dar!ness and chaos
obeys his will. 0i!e a beast he howls for the flesh of the innocent, and his worshippers cry his
terrible songs at night. :rendel appears as a bestial white dragon, with hge terrible fangs.
:rendels holy symbol is a hman footprint with claw mar!s.
-is favored weapon is narmed attac!s and natral weapons.
#onsters of l-Ceald
l-Ceald is home to many creatres, some of whom are not classified as animals by the scholars of
the dwergaz. -manoid creatres sch as ogres and giants ma!e their homes in the montains,
valleys and forests of the world, and in the deepest caves and caverns of the (iflheim montains
whole nations of hobgoblins, goblins and other pests ma!e the lives of the dwergaz difficlt.
5ost hmanoid monsters are solitary, li!e the ogres, ettins and bgbears, bt some have societies
and cltres of their own. The most common of these societies are the clans of the or!az, bt there
are others. -obgoblins dwell in the deepest, dar!est tnnels of the (iflheim montainrange, along
with their goblin servants, and they have made war on the dwergaz for centries. #lso living
beneath the montains are the drow, a race of dar!-s!inned creatres whose albaz ancestors 2oined
forces with the 0ords of Dar!ness and were banished at the end of the %irst "ar to the hazardos
depths of the montains, the realm !nown as the nderdar!. )n the absolte stillness and dar!ness of
this sbterranean realm of terror, the drow plot and plan their revenge on the albaz who cast them
ot. Their depraved rites honoring the 0ords of Dar!ness are nightmarish and brtal, and they are an
evil people twisted by envy and hate towards their srface-dwelling !in.
:iants live in the montains, and these brtish creatres will not hesitate to !ill and eat anyone who
strays into their domains. There are some peacefl races among the giants, and these often dwell in
isolated villages high in the montains, where they venerate the Dragon Kings and wish only to live
in peace. &ometimes these friendly giants will ma!e contact with !asatha villages or dwergaz
otposts, most often to trade or warn of some impending disaster.
5ore bestial monsters also stal! the wintery realm of l-Ceald. Dra!es are common in the
montains, and these dragonlings are often revered and sacrificed to by nearby tribes.
Tre dragons are a rare and aspicios sight. They are all children or direct descendants of the
Dragon Kings of $arth or the 0ords of Dar!ness, thogh the evil dragons who serve the Dar! 0ords
have not been seen since the end of the %irst "ar. They will sometimes act as messengers,
delivering commandments and prophesies directly from their divine parents, bt most of the time
dragons will not interfere in the affaires of the 'eoples. "hen they do it is always for some
important prpose, and those who recieve sch a message !now with certainty that they have
recieved a divine message directly from the gods.
Dragons hold their own corts, and have their own langage and society. The inner wor!ings of
their cltre are n!nown to mortals thogh, and even the greatest scholars of dragon!ind at the
most prestigios niversities of the dwergaz !now little more than tidbits and rmors of what goes
on at their gatherings. "hat is !nown is that dragons will sometimes gather in great nmbers on the
very highest pea!s of the (iflheim montains. "ether these are meetings of government, legal trials
or religios rites thogh is a mystery.
There are many !inds of giants in l-Ceald. &ome are dmb brtes who claim a cave, a stream or a
clearing in the woods as their own and fiercely defend their den. These giants are often too inept or
too lazy to hnt for themselves, and will fre6ently steal food, rob hnting parties and passing
!n2,n or demand payment in food and spplies for Jprotection.K
The niflheim montains are home to more intelligent giants, both marading frost giant clans and
benevolent giant !ingdoms who are more than willing to trade with their neighbors and ma!e offers
of mtal protection. The dwergaz are natrally sspicios of giant-!ind, bt will deal will deal
with peacefl giant commnities if they prove their friendship. The !asatha, on the other hand, are
great friends to their giant neighbors. There are strong bonds of respect and trst between the
!asatha and the peacefl giant !ingdoms that srrond them. The !asatha vale these giants for
their honesty and !indness, and the giants for their part have a deep respect for the !asatha faith.
&ome giants even practice the dridic tradition, and tend groves and protect the wildlife in
accordance with the dridic creed.
The fey are fond everywhere in l-Ceald. They are the spirits of forests, rivers and streams,
montains and snowy plains. Their wrath is legendary, and the peoples of the world pay them
respects and leave them offerings to appease them and ensre bontifl hnts and safe passage in
woods and over rivers. /ften tric!sters and mischievos pran!sters, fey delight in teaching lessons
and provi!ing reactions from the people who enconter them. They can be tric!y, vengefl and even
crel, bt they can also become great friends to those who treat them with respect and honor their
territories.
#fter the retrn of the dwolmalbaz, the fey poplation of l-Ceald has increased. The last hndred
years has seen a dramatic increase in fey enconters, and new !inds of dar!er, nastier fey have
begn ma!ing their presence !nown to the races of the world. The newly bilt dwolmalbaz Corts
that have grown in the forests have provo!ed changes in fey society, sch as it was before the
shadow fey retrned. The Corts draw fey to them, both benevolent and dar!, and a new society of
fey has begn to arise. 'reviosly peacefl fey have begn ta!ing orders from n!nown speriors,
and some areas previosly inhabited by fey are now abandoned, while other territories long silent
have begn brimming with fey activity. The internal politics of these creatres are n!nown to
most, e4cept perhaps for the dwolmalbaz nobles who reside in !eeps and castles in the dar! woods
of l-Ceald.
The %row
Deep beneath the earth, by the roots of the montains in the terrible realm !nown as the <nderdar!
among dwergaz scholars, live the drow. They are ebon-s!inned, white haired albaz who betrayed
the Three 'eoples dring the %irst "ar, choosing to side with the 0ords of Dar!ness against the
Dragon Kings in the hopes that the Dar! 0ords wold grant them dominion over the world once the
Three 'eoples and their gods were destroyed. "hen the Dar! 0ords were defeated, the drow were
sentenced to e4ile by their mercifl albaz !in, and the traitors who wold become the drow were
banished to the depths of the nderdar! for all eternity. The nderdar! is a hostile, dangeros place
filled with bloodthirsty beasts and sbterranean monsters. The natral caverns, abandoned dwergaz
mine shafts and ndergrond la!es and rivers that ma!e p the nderdar! stretch for ntold miles
beneath l-Ceald, and in the largest of these the drow have bilt their city-states. Their society is a
violent and merciless one, inflenced by the corrpting toch of the Dar! 0ords and the seething
spite of the drow. They are a matriarchal people, and women own their male consorts as property.
Drow families are nited in noble -oses, and each hose swears allegiance to a 5atron who rles
over all the drow nder her banner. $ach city state is governed by a concil of -ose 5atrons, who
are at each others throats as often as they are allies.
The drow have the three albaz genders, bt their =illeagan are treated as slaves instead of the
honored position they have in albaz society.
The religios worship of the drow is as depraved as the rest of their cltre. They sacrifice their
own as well as captives of war to honor the 0ords of Dar!ness, and their clerics commit nspe!able
acts in the name of their profane patrons.
Drow society is a laybrinthine maze of laws and commandments, and strict adherence to these laws
is the gle that holds drow society together. Drow vale their lawyers highly, and these honored
individals en2oy respect and stats in drow society.
The drow have waged war on their srface !in for millennia, and go on srface raids for slaves and
sacrifices, bt the ma2ority of their war effort is focsed on the dwergaz, who have tried to psh
them ot of their sbterranean realm for 2st as long. Dring the 5ontain "ars, the drow were
almost sccessfl in their war effort, aided by the hobgoblin warlords with whom they share some
of their domains.
5ista!ing the drow for shadow fey is a common mista!e committed by many among the bfylc and
dwergaz. Dwergaz paladins and in6isitors who come across a dwolmalbaz not !nowing the
difference will seldom stop and consider why the drow has horns. Those among the shadow fey
who are of small size will give those who enconter them some pase, thogh. Dwolmalbaz will
ta!e being mista!en for drow as a deadly inslt, as the drow are their ancestral enemies as well.
Dwolmalbaz harbor no !ind feelings for the dar! elves of the nderdar!, and thogh they may share
some srface similiarities they will not ta!e !indly to being mista!en for one.
The drow for their part will almost always try and abse sch mista!es, and the nlc!y fool who
mista!es a drow for one of the shadow fey will find a sharp, poisoned dagger in their bac!.
$4actly why the shadow fey hate the drow is a point of some contention, both among dwergaz
historians and the dwolmalbaz themselves. &ome dwergaz scholars of the fey sggest that the hatred
is more a!in to sibling rivalry, as they are both contenders for the title of shadow fey and share a
dar! heritage. These scholars tend to be the same who maintain that the dwolmalbaz are an evil
race, and their theories are re2ected by other scholars who have personal e4perience in dealing with
them. These historians allege that at some point in albaz history, there was an alliance of dar!-
aligned albaz, the nseelie, who were on the brin! between spporting the Dragon Kings or the
Dar! 0ords. They maintain that the nseelie had an internal power strggle that clminated in the
assassination of !ey nobles who were against spporting the 0ords of Dar!ness. This cased a
divide between the nseelie who wold become drow and those who later fled to the shadow realm
and became dwolmalbaz. There is some evidence spporting this theory in what scant records the
shadow fey !eep of their history, thogh most dwolmalbaz bal! at the very notion that they and the
drow share any !ind of common ancestry.
*obgoblins
The dwergaz dare not dig too deep in their search for the bonties of the montain for fear of
rosing the ire of the hobgoblin warlords and their armies.
-obgoblins and their goblin cosins ma!e their home deep beneath the (iflheim montains, on the
borders of the dwergaz realms and the nderdar!. Their territories serve as the border zone between
the !ingdoms of the dwergaz and the nderdar!.
-obgoblin society is strctred in a militaristic fashion. $ach army, as they call their nations, is
rled by a warlord, who employs generals nder his command. <nderneath the generals are
commanders, who in trn employ captains who command the ran! and file of the hobgoblin army.
-obgoblins se their wea!er !in the goblins as slaves, scots and cannon fodder. There are goblin
societies free of hobgoblin rle, bt the goblin tribes are little more than a nisance compared to the
terrifying efficiency of a hobgoblin army. -obgoblins vale laws and reglations, and have a deep
respect for the chain of command+ however, for all their respect for law and decorm they are
rthless and merciless, and their tactics are nderhanded and dishonorable.
There is an neasy peace between the hobgoblin armies and the drow city-states. The drow respect
the martial s!ill of the hobgoblins, bt sees them as inferios beings and will not thin! twice abot
betraying any temporary alliance with them if it is convenient. The hobgoblins, for their part,
admire drow adherence to their strict laws bt call the drow mercrial and ntrstworthy.
The many sbterranean or!az clans are often employed by hobgoblin armies, nited as they are in
their common hatred for the dwergaz. The chaotic and savage ways of the or!az are anathema to the
strict society of the hobgoblins however, and most or!az mercenaries are !ept well away from
hobgoblin settlements. The or!az respect no law bt personal strength, and this does not go over
well with hogboblin commanders.
-obgoblins worship the 0ords of Dar!ness li!e the or!az and the drow, and their rites are every bit
as bloody. Their worship shares many featres with the drow, and their strict and ritalistic ritals
stand in star! contrast to the violent orgies of the or!az.
$oblins
:oblins are vicios, selfish, violent and not too bright. These 6alities ma!e them e4cellent cannon-
fodder and meat-shields for hobgoblin armies, bt the same traits ma!e them e4ceptionally poor
soldiers. :oblins in the service of hobgoblin armies live in their own commnities on the fringes of
hobgoblin settlements, and tend to their own devices.
/n the service, many goblins find a place among the or!az clans, thogh these poor creatres are
niversally brtalized, victimized and disrespected by the mch larger and stronger or!az.
:oblins in or!az clans stay alive by scavenging, s!l!ing and generally staying ot of the way of
the brtish and violent or!az, while trying to stay as sefl as possible to avoid getting !illed for
sport or eaten.
&ome goblins gather together in tribes of their own, and try to sta!e ot territories in caves or other
natrally defensible positions. "hen left to themselves, goblins are every bit as vicios to each
other as the or!az are. # goblin tribe is rled by the strongest and cleverest goblin, and the
wea!lings cower in fear as their leader and his gang pass them by. :oblins have a particlarly
vicios sort of intelligence that is mas!ed by their savage demeanor and primitive cltre. 0eft
alone, goblins will natrally gravitate towards worship of the 0ords of Dar!ness, and will ma!e p
rites and ritals on the fly to appease their dar! gods.
:oblins are particlarly fond of violence and mrder. )f there are no war targets nearby, a goblin
tribe will often devolve into warring factions, and eventally dissolve as the warring parties !ill
each other. This is the primary reason why there are no lasting goblin societies. They simply lac!
the cltral heritage and the will to cooperate that the or!az, hobgoblins and drow share.
$ven so, an attac! by a goblin tribe is a frightening thing. :oblins love mayhem and destrction,
and their favorite tool is fire. :oblins will brn down anything they can when they attac!, and
often carry torches on long poles and throw balls of brning pitch at their enemies. :oblins war
chants, perhaps the only cltral heritage the goblins have, are frightening in their childli!e glee.
The -rkaz
The or!az are an aggressive race of bloodthirty and relentless clans who thin! nothing of brtally
mrdering, raping and stealing from anyone who neighbors their lands. These savage brtes were
created by the %ive 0ords of Dar!ness dring the %irst "ar as soldiers in their terrible crsade
against the Three 'eoples+ the Dar! 0ords twisted and mtilated men, dwarves and elves to create
the fol lineage of the or!az, and they bear a deep hatred in their hearts even now for this ancestral
sffering imposed on them by crel, ncaring gods. )n that long forgotten age, the hordes of or!az
swept over the land li!e a plage, and many great nations were swallowed by their howling armies.
)n the final battles of the %irst "ar the or!az were beaten bac! and defeated, and when the 0ords of
Dar!ness were strc! down from the s!ies and banished they crept into their dar! holes to lic! their
wonds and plot their revenge.
That revenge finally came with "intras. The howling winds and icy cold of the #ll-winter was their
battlecry, and they stepped ot into the world once more to rape, pillage and !ill.
Today, the or!az clans claim territories all over l-Ceald. They are not nomadic, bt have bilt
several walled villages from which their raiding parties srge forth whenever their chieftains feel
the lst for blood. These villages have resisted mltiple bfylc attac!s over the years, and thogh
some of them have been wiped off the map new ones spring p constantly and the or!az threat
remains.
#n or!az stands taller than a hman, and their powerfl, msclar frames are imposing and
threatening. Their s!in ranges from dll gray to light green, bt the greatest males among them have
s!in as blac! as night and stand even taller than their lesser brethren. These natral born tyrants,
called only the :reat and 3lac! by their !in, are the chieftains and warlords of the or!az.
To the or!az, only power is important. #s their dar! shamans say, Lstrength ennobles the strong.L
Thogh rare, the :reat and 3lac! are born stronger, faster and togher than other or!az, and their
ascension to power is swift, brtal and deadly.
$ach :reat and 3lac! mst fight his elders for the right to rle, and it is not ncommon for a yong
:reat and 3lac! to mrder every other :reat and 3lac! in his clan for his rle to be ncontested.
The clever among them mrder every infant born with the blac! s!in to secre his power, bt a new
one inevitably rises and their reign is sally as short as it was brtal.
The :reat and 3lac! gather harems of females arond them, to mate with as they please. The rge
to mate is strong in them, as the 0ords of Dar!ness intended, and they will ta!e for their pleasre
any woman they come across, race be damned. 3ecase of this, many members of the clans will be
acla, bt these individals are treated the same as any other or!az clansman. &ome males, the
smaller, wea!er ones, will often pretend to be females to gain access to these harems, and those
:reat and 3lac! who see throgh these disgises often tolerate these impostors and may even mate
with them. The or!az crave any release they can get from their pain, so se4 is se4 to them.
$ach or!az feels the pain of the races creation in his sol, and it is this painfl legacy that drives
them to slaghter and war. The tortred sol of an or!az cries ot for release, and it is not
ncommon for or!az slain in battle to die laghing.
The or!az practice their religion li!e every other aspect of their violent lives. /r!az rites are blood
soa!ed and horrifying, involving both sacrifice, pain and cannibalism, as well as nspea!able se4al
acts. They do not worship their gods, they hate them. $very atrocity committed in their rites and
ceremonies is made to challenge the 0ords of Dar!ness, to spit in their eye and demand they come
down and answer for their crimes. They howl at the stars, crse the moon and the heavens, and
dance in feverish rage arond hge bonfires filled with the brning bodies of the sacrificed. The few
otsiders who have witnessed these rites dare not spea! of them alod, and are often scarred for life
by what they have seen. 3t more than anything else, those who !now what the or!az !now feel
pity for these vile creatres, crsed by the corrpting toch of the 0ords of Dar!ness to forever be
hollow and tortred.
Classes of l-Ceald
l-Ceald is a dangeros world, and adventring in it is a perilos nderta!ing. $ven so, this world
has it1s fair share of e4plorers, adventrers and ris!-ta!ers. #ll classes, with the e4ception of the
gnslinger, have their place in l-Ceald. "intras is harsh and nforgiving, and the Three 'eoples
need their defenders, saviors and careta!ers. &ome fight for their lives, for srvival and the
srvival of their loved ones. &ome fight for fame, to bild a name for themselves and give their
ancestors great songs to sing of their bravery and heroism. /thers fight to ta!e from others that
which they desire, for love or for redemption, for vengeance or forgiveness. There are many reasons
to pic! p the sword, the spear or the a4e, to sing the songs of war and nleash the powerfl magic
of the "orldsong.
"hat follows is a description of the player classes available to the inhabitants of l-Ceald, their
roles in the societies of the peoples and the traditions that srrond their craft.
!lchemists
#lchemists are rarer than the other spellcasting classes in l-Ceald. The fine art of alchemy
re6ires a level of technology n!nown to the bfylc, and few people practice the brewing of
magical potions or the stdy of the elements and the hmors. The art of ma!ing bombs is also lost
on the more primitive peoples.
The art of alchemy is primarily stdied at the niversities and colleges of the dwergaz. 5any of
these schools are 6ite presitios, and their crriclms teach many arts both magical and mndane.
&tdents of these schools who choose to focs on the noble craft of alchemy start by stdying the
properties of sbstances, how to alter them, agment them and render them inert. The constrction
and stdy of e4plosives, volatile elements and the forces hidden within them is one of the first
sb2ects taght at these fine instittions, as the nderstanding of these properties leads one to
comprehend more sbtle processes later. #s with other magical arts, alchemy is thoght to be the
maniplation of the inner essences of matter, the reverberations of the "orldsong left within all
things. )t is also an inner stdy, as the alchemist mst impart these sbstances with a small portion
of his own essence. Traces of the "orldsong lingers in everything and everyone, and throgh
meditation and e4ercises of focs the prospective alchemist learns to transfer some small portion of
this essence to his concoctions, infsing them with magical force. These important lessons are
taght by respected dwergaz professors and scholars of the arcane, and gradates from the colleges
have great, lminos ftres ahead of them.
&ome shadow fey en2oy the creation of magic concoctions, and shadow fey alchemists reglarly
travel to obscre locales to search for e4otic reagents and components. #lchemists who discover
new poisons are particlarly well regarded in shadow fey society
/f the other races, only the !asatha have any !ind of tradition for alchemy. #mong them, alchemy
is mostly practiced in it1s more mndane forms, to prodce healing salves and other remedies. There
are those among the !asatha who see the potential for these arts to do more, thogh. 3orn with the
toch of the Dragon Kings, the latent spar! of sorceros power, these few learn to transfer their
essence into their concoctions to prodce powerfl magical effects. The self-taght arts of sch
alchemists seem crde and primitive to a properly schooled dwergaz, bt even the haghtiest of
college gradates mst admit the effectiveness of the !asatha alchemical traditions.
!rcanist
The arcanist straddles the line between talent and edcation. &ome are born with the toch of the
Dragon Kings, while others have learned from teachers and boo!s. "hat they all have in common
thogh is the thirst for !nowledge, the talent for magic and a shrewd mind that see!s answers and
as!s 6estions. The arcanist is more than a ser of magic+ they are the cheaters, the savants, always
loo!ing for rles to e4ploit and restrictions to wor! arond. "here other wizards see limitations, an
arcanist sees potential.
The !nowledge the arcanist needs to dedce these rles and roads to power almost niversally
comes from boo!s. 3y browsing the !nowledge of the greatest masters, reading between the lines
and visalising how something wor!s and how to brea! it, the arcanists of the dwergaz find
shortcts to power. 5any arcanists travel the world as adventrers to gain more !nowledge, often
e4ploring the rins of the beforetime for cles, answers and more 6estions. %inding a lost artifact,
an ancient spellboo! or a new spell is li!e a drg to many of them, the rsh of discovery goading
them on and on towards new !nowledge and new discoveries. The words of stffy teachers and
stc!-p professors can only ta!e yo so far, they reason, while the tre soltions to problems
others cannot even see yet are waiting ot there in the wide world. The dangers of "intras are
nothing when weighed against the potential for new !nowledge.
# few come to the path of the arcanist from the other direction. 3orn with sorceros talent, some
come across ancient boo!s of spells or other reservoirs of !nowledge. &ddenly a flash of
nderstanding points them towards a new avene of discovery and power, and they ta!e their first
steps down the way of the arcanist. These !nowledgeable primitives are among the most power-
hngry and thirsty for !nowledge. Their rise to power from ignorance to nderstanding is sdden
and violent, and while some temper !nowledge with wisdom, others go mad from the thrill of
commanding the fndamental forces of the world. &ch lost sols can be e4tremely dangeros, bt
than!flly they are few and far between.
,arbarian
5any bfylc warriors are barbarians. These berser!ers are the pride of their tribes and families,
strong and heroic, and above all deadly warriors. To be a berser!er, filled with bloodlst and rage, is
to be a tre warrior. Their arm is strong, their will is mighty and they fear no foe no matter how
great or powerfl. &ch is the ideal, at least.
)n trth, the rage of the barbarian can be as mch a crse as a gift. 3fylc children are taght to hnt
and fight from a very yong age, becase the srvival of the family and the tribe depends on every
individals ability to defend his !in and bring food to his commnity. # heavy responsibility rests
on the warriors of the tribes. -arnessing the power of the berser!er rage is an honored tradition,
taght by parents to children throgh harsh training and stern wisdom delivered throgh an open
hand and a strdy stic!. To fight is to srvive, and the bfylc teach their children to feel no fear and
meet any foe head on. This does not mean that children grow p withot love or safety. The bfylc
vale their children as the ftre of family and tribe, and there is time for love and adoration as well
as training and responsibility. 3t the harsh reality is that every tribesman mst !now how to hnt
and how to defend himself and his people. #nd to do this, every father mst plant the seeds of the
warriors fry in his or her child.
The albaz view sch things differently. Their lives are longer and more peacefl, and thogh they
are no strangers to strife and conflict they vale stability and comfort as mch as safety and
strength. To the albaz, war is an art. Their renowned swordmasters, often also master bronze-smiths,
practice the arts of the blade with dedication and an almost religios fervor. The ancient albaz
traditions vale calmness, focs and balance as well as ferocity and aggression. 5eidh, balance in
all things, is sch an important part of albaz cltre that it is fond in all aspects of their lives, and
the arts of battle are no different.
#n albaz who chooses to focs on relentlessness and rage wal!s the path of the colg-cathach, the
frios warrior. Colg-cathach is an ardos and difficlt path to wal!. #n albaz mst psh away the
calm centre so central to albaz faith and replace it with the dality of ice and fire. This dality of
spirit is called eigh-teine, and a warrior who attains it is said to gain the strength of ten men and that
no spear or sword will bite him. $very colg-cathach mst meditate on the natre of fry and
calmness, and never deny his feelings or his heart. /nly by srrendering to his passions bt not
being rled by them can a warrior find his eigh-teine and become a tre colg-cathach.
)n contrast to the albaz, dwolmalbaz wold rarely embrace a warriors path that leads to the loss of
control a barbarian e4periences when in the throes of his rage. The shadow fey vale the honor and
nobility of the !night, and wold never stoop so low as to show his feelings to his opponent in
combat. The dwolmalbaz have a bestial, crel side to their natre that anyone who has been their
enemy can attest to. They can be petty, vengefl and wrathfl, and as any fey are easily offended
and 6ic! to anger when their ire is rosed. 5any love the thrill of battle, and feel the barbarians
bloodlst and rage when a fight brea!s ot. They wold never admit it, bt many shadow fey
!nights let go and give in to rage when swords are drawn.
The shadow fey have for the most part abandoned the faith in meidh of their albaz !in, and the
teachings of the drids are often forgotten or brshed aside as nimportant. 'rofondly self-
indlgent, the dwolmalbaz instead give their faith to their great fey !ings and 6eens. They have not
forgotten the albaz arts of war, however, and thogh their fighting styles have evolved and changed
along with their inner natre in the shadow realm the basic principles developed by the albaz are
still the same among the dwolmalbaz. Their arts of the sword focs on the single swordsman
dancing throgh the enemy, delivering swift chops and 6ic! darting 2abs and stabs. They may have
abandoned the philosophies, bt the arts of the blade remain the same.
# shadow fey barbarian is a ferocios warrior and a formidable opponent who masters his weapon
and delights in the thrill of battle and the rsh of spilling enemy blood.
The dwergaz have a tilitarian approach to warfare. "ar is a profession and not an art to master, and
a dwergaz warrior is a wor!ing man who gets things done fast, efficiently and properly. # dwergaz
barbarian then is an artisan of battle. -is strength, determination and rage are tools 2st as mch as
his a4e and his shield. They have faith in their e6ipment, made in the finest dwergaz forge-shrines,
as well as in their abilities. Those dwergaz who are barbarians are seen as a bit too passionate for
the conservative dwergaz sensibilities, bt at the end of the day he gets the 2ob done and yo have to
respect good craftsmanship.
To the dez,n, family comes first in all things, especially war. "ar for the dez,n is always abot
protecting their !in, since they have no tribal loyalties and no nations to defend. Ths war becomes
personal. They don1t fight for warlords, leaders or !ings, they fight for their children, their parents
and their own lives. This ma!es dez,n fierce and dangeros warriors. 5any dez,n are barbarians.
They learn their rage protecting those they love, and those who have foght against the dez,n
!now this very well. # catfol! who lives among other races will almost always consider them
family, and feel the same protective rage when their new loved ones are in danger. They will fight
with tooth and claw for those they love, and will gladly offer their lives if it means saving the lives
of their family. They have no warrior tradition, as sch. # peacefl people, the catfol! will mostly
only fight to protect their lives and their loved ones. %ighting comes natrally to the animal natre
of the dez,n, and thogh they do train in the se of weapons the tre strength of a dez,n
barbarian comes from his love, and the great rage that overcomes him when his family is in danger.
The !asatha are sally too calm and controlled to be barbarians. Their warrior traditions focs on
serenity and contemplation, and mastery of s!ill and clarity of mind are seen as essential tools of
war. Those !asatha warriors who cannot rein in their rage are weeded ot and shown the door
before they get a chance to prove their worth in the cortyards of the !asatha monasteries.
Kasatha barbarians come from the villages. )f the nearest monastery lies a days wal! away,
someone has to be able to defend the village when or!az raiders or giants threatens their
commnities. &ome villagers find that they have a !nac! for fighting, and some of these feel the
rage bbbling inside themselves and ta!e their first steps down the path of the barbarian.
,ard
#ll societies on l-Ceald who worship the Dragon Kings of $arth place great vale and importance
in song. &inging is a profondly magical act, and the Three 'eoples and all who worship the Dragon
Kings sing songs of prayer and power dring all religios rites and when performing everyday
chores and tas!s. $very act of creation, from mending bas!ets and clothes to giving birth are
accompanied by songs of worship. $ven those who se magic are accessing the power of song,
throgh the reverberations of the "orldsong that still linger in all things.
Those who collect, remember and sing these songs are bards. # bard is more than an entertainer.
They are the memory of the faithfl, recording great events, important legends and myth and the
devotion and worship of the Dragon Kings in the songs they collect and perform.
3ards often find that the songs they sing carry power in them that they learn to harness and se.
&ch spellsongs are powerfl things, and bards are highly respected for their command of the power
of song and the magic that comes with it. #mong bfylc, albaz and dwergaz there is no higher
calling than to be a song-singer, and a talented bard who !nows many songs are welcome
everywhere the Dragon Kings are worshiped.
#mong the dez,n, bards serve a different role. They are the storytellers and wordsmiths of the
families, and their legends and tales of the deeds of the ancestors are e4tremely important among
the catfol!. $veryone is e4pected to !now the legends of his ancestors and to tell tales of their
deeds, bt the bards of the dez,n are especially valed for their !nowledge of stories. These bards
travel from family grop to family grop sharing their tales and legends with all dez,n. They
remember the great tales of the first catfol!, of their history as a people and the epic sagas of their
earliest history. Catfol! bards learn their spells throgh the tales they !now, and their hodgepodge
magic is often a combination of many magical traditions the bard has seen and pic!ed p on his
travels from family to family.
The !asatha too have bards among them, who sing the holy songs and tell the traditional tales, 2o!es
ans !oans that help teach yong !asatha the history and prpose of their race. Kasatha bards are
often tric!sters, and their role is to teach society lessons and help foster wisdom among !asatha
children and adolescents.
The dwolmalbaz do not worship the Dragon Kings, bt they still vale songs as entertainment.
&hadow fey bards are traveling trobadors and tale-spinners who perform for food, lodgings and
money. 5any are spremely s!illed, and the greatest bards are prized commodities in the shadow
fey corts, performing for princes, !ings and 6eens and their entorages for e4orbitant sms of
gold. These wandering performers pic! p magical tric!s of the trade from other wanderers, and
sch secrets can be sefl both in their performances and in the ctthroat world of competing cort
performers.
,loodrager
3loodragers are those rare barbarians who have the toch of the Dragon Kings and a brning rage
and warriors training. They share the cltral position of the barbarian in the warrior societies of
l-Ceald, and combine it with sorcery to become formidable warriors.
Those berzer!ers among the bfylc who display magical power have a strange role in bfylc society.
/n one hand they are respected and valable warriors, while on the other the bfylcs natral distrst
of all magic that does not come directly from the Dragon Kings of $arth ma!es them feared and
mistrsted. (one can arge against their seflness thogh, and ths they are more often than not
tolerated and appreciated. 5any bfylc e4plain it away as special gifts from the Dragon Kings, more
to comfort themselves than as a statement of good will. This hipocricy is not lost on sorcerors and
witches who are reglarly shnned and chased away from their !n2,n and bfylc.
#mong the albaz, bloodragers en2oy a mch more respected position. They are seen as tre
e4emplars of the path of colg-cathach, blessed warriors who have attained the balance of fire and
ice in their hearts and reached tre mastery of their rage and power. &ch warriors are the envy of
every albaz barbarian, and often become great teachers of the arts of the sword.
The dwergaz, always practically minded, see the se of natral magical talent to agment martial
s!ill as a natral rote to ta!e for those who have the innate spar! of magic in their blood and the
strength of body to become bloodragers. 3loodragers and magi often attain positions of leadership
in dwergaz armies becase of the dwergaz1 respect for spellcasters.
5agic comes natrally to the dwolmalbaz, and some among them become bloodragers. &ch
magical warriors are feared and respected by their !in, and many become heroes of legend.
The dez,n have bloodragers among their nmber, fierce warriors who combine s!ill of arms with
the ancestral magic of the catfol!. They are respected warriors who !eep their families safe with
rage, spear and spell.
,rawler
5any bfylc warriors are brawlers. They vale versatility and s!ill, master many weapons and
forms of combat and are dangeros even when narmed and otnmbered. The bfylc do not fight
fair. "hen yo fight for food on yor table and the lives of yor family yo fight with ferocity and
hope yor s!ill is greater than yor opponents, becase losing means not only yor death, bt
potentially the death of yor !n2,n and perhaps the ftre of yor entire tribe. The bfylc train their
warriors to fight with a wide variety of weapons, in a mltitde of styles taght from generation to
generation and learned throgh centries of warfare. <narmed combat is an important s!ill for any
warrior, and the ability to effectively se any weapon available is essential for srvival.
#lbaz also vale versatility in their combatants, and cont many brawlers among their finest
warriors. The albaz teach many forms narmed and armed combat, honed throgh centries by tre
masters of battle and taght to yong and hopefl warriors who dream of one day becoming
legendary heroes.
The dwergaz, dez,n and !asatha also have many brawlers, and even shadow fey greatly appreciate
the brtal arts of their brawlers.
Cavalier
The terrible and vicios wlfridda are dire-wolf monted warriors who e4cell at spreading fear and
terror among their enemies and heartening their allies with songs and battle cries. 5any wlfridda
are cavaliers, and their s!ill at arms is legendary. 3fylc cavaliers are honored warriors with a very
special place among the bfylc. /nly the greatest warriors are allowed to ride the ferocios dire-
wolves the tribes domesticate. These great wolves are stolen from their dens as cbs and raised in
litters by special wolfhandlers, who have mch e4perience dealing with these dangeros animals.
5any wolfhandlers are missing fingers, noses and ears, bitten off by playfl pps, bt these are
small prices to pay for the ability to mont sch impressive beasts and ride them into combat. "hen
the wlfridda howl with their dire monts, even the bravest warrior trembles, and the frios charge
of the wolf-riders brea!s even the tightest formation li!e a hammer to an egg.
#mong the albaz, who breed fine horses in the drid groves of their cities, monted combat is
reserved for the elite of albaz society. /wning a mont is a mar! of great privilege, since feeding
and !eeping a creatre that does not prodce food is reserved for the wealthy and powerfl. These
great steeds are trained for war, and some are armored in leather and bronze before they ride into
battle. #lbaz cavaliers are all lofty and prod nobles spremely confident in their abilities and the
strength and speed of their horses, and they en2oy all the privileges wealth and stats offer. They
bac! p their confidence and pride with frightfl s!ill, and they are among the finest cavalrymen in
l-Ceald.
Dwergaz cavaliers are noble !nights in the service of their liege-lord, who ride their strdy ponies
into battle holding their lords standard high. #s !nights, these warriors are honor-bond to serve
their liege-lords and if necessary lay down their lives for their lords case. They do so willingly, not
only becase they owe their livelihoods to their fedal lords, bt becase their honor and obligation
define them. # !night withot a master is scarcely a dwergaz at all. 3ecase of the cavernos natre
of the montain realms, monted combat is seldom practical. Knights participate in tornaments
and games to prove their s!ill and retain their honor, fighting for the favor of their !ings and the
attention of noble ladies of marrying age. &till many of the thirst for real glory, and when the
opportnity for srface combat arises they gird their monts for war, don their armor and raise their
lances to the heavens.
#mong the shadow fey, the ideal of the monted !night is a poplar one that many aspire to. The
!ings and 6eens of the dwolmalbaz Corts have many !nights in their retine, bond to serve their
every wish and whim, and many of these !nights are cavaliers. # !night bond to the service of a
Cort will fight to the end of his life to protect his lords and ladies. #s the dwergaz, many
dwolmalbaza Corts hold !nightly tornaments and 2osts. Dwolmalbaz tornaments can be
bloody, violent affairs thogh, more reminiscent of pit-fights and gladiatorial matches than the
chivalros contests of the dwergaz. The lords of the shadow fey demand blood, and their oath-
sworn warriors are more than happy to oblige their masters.
Dwolmalbaz have broght with them nsal monts from the shadow realm. The most common is
the feysteed, a large insect creatre somewhat reminiscent of a giant, wingless mos6ito. These
6ic!, nimble animals from the shadow realm are bred to serve as monts for dwolmalbaz !nights,
and are every bit as togh and intelligent as any albaz horse.
The dez,n and !asatha do not se monts, and as sch have few cavaliers among them. The few
cavaliers that hail from these races almost always belong to a tradition of !nighthood belonging to
another cltre.
Cleric
3ecase religion is sch an important aspect of life in l-Ceald, priests and priestesses hold an
important position in all societies in the world. 5any sch priests are clerics, serving their gods
with both strength of arms and power of conviction. #s priests, clerics perform religios ritals and
dties, tend to the faithfl and accept responsibility over the rites that mst be performed to honor
the gods.
#mong the bfylc, many clerics are either ,ilegaz in the soth or wibhan and me!az in the north.
The northern bfylc feel that the feminine genders have a mch stronger connection to the spirital
than do the mascline, whose responsibilities are to tend to the physical needs of their !n2,n.
#mong the sothern tribes, these dties fall to the ,ilegaz.
)t is the clerics who sing the songs of prayer and worship, and they often serve as advisors to
*delings and !n2,n elders. The blessings and ministrations of a prest are vital to tribal family
grops and their everyday lives. The bfylc are e4tremely religios, and withot the gidance of
their gods and priests most wold feel lost and abandoned in the harsh, ncaring cold of "intras.
3fylc clerics are not only religios athorities, they are powerfl symbols of hope.
5any clerics dedicate their lives to the worship of a single Dragon King, even if most people
worship the Dragon Kings as a collective entity. )t is not ncommon for a !n2,n camp to have five
shrine-tents, one dedicated to each Dragon King. /tside these tents the bfylc often raise totem
poles, hge logs decorated with carvings of the Dragon Kings, their servants and the ancestors and
heroes of the tribes. These totem poles are sed in ritals, both as sacrificial poles from which
sacrifices are sspended and as focal points for rital dances and feasts. These poles are too large to
bring with the !n2,n when they migrate, and so are left standing at the camp sites for when the
herds the !n2,n follow retrn to that area.
#mong the albaz cerics are rarer, bt they do have a role. The primary religios officials among
them are the drids, who revere and worship meidh, the balance of all things. 3t the Dragon Kings
also need appeasing, and the =illeagan clerics of the albaz ta!e on this solemn prpose. #lbaz ritals
of worship to the Dragon Kings are 6iet, stoic affairs of solitary worship and sacrifice. The songs
these lonely clerics sing are deeply personal to each cleric, and represent the clerics faith and his
connection and commitment to his people and his gwen. )t is nsal for others to attend these
ceremonies, bt sometimes a cleric will ta!e on an acolyte to asist him in his rites.
%rom time to time these clerics will nderta!e divinely inspired tas!s or goals to honor their gods.
This can range from prging a rin of Dar! 0ord taint to bro!ering a peace between a city-state and
a shadow fey Cort, and once nderta!en sch a tas! cannot be abandoned withot serios
conse6ences. The clerics of the albaz answer only to their gods, and their personal relationship
with their ma!ers means that their pnishment for disobedience are especially harsh.
To the dwergaz, clerics are the core of their society. Deeply religios and believing in ascetisism
and sacrifice in the name of faith, dwergaz clerics see it as their solemn responsibility to save not
only their people bt the whole world. Their clerics are tradition-bond and conservative, and 6ic!
to condemn anyone or anything they see as going against the will of the Dragon Kings. They are
also tolerant of the ignorance of their peers, however, and recognise that althogh the rites and
songs of the bfylc and the albaz are primitive, they are heartfelt and genine. # dwergaz cleric
might roll his eyes at a bfylc religios rital, bt he nderstands that their faith is 2st and will
never intervene or condemn the less edcated.
)n dwergaz society, the chrch is the highest and noblest instittion. Chrches also serve as
cortrooms, and often have special chambers where lords and !ings can perform the dties of their
office sch as the ratification of laws, diplomatic meetings and the issing of edicts. $very action a
dwergaz lord nderta!es needs legitimacy from the chrch. This chrch is answerable to only two
men7 The -igh King of the 5ontain, who is the worldly leader of all dwergaz, and the 'ater
&anctificats, the spreme leader of the dwergaz chrch.
These two individals share the power over the chrch between them, and any decision made by
one mst be approved in writing by the other. /ver the centries since the 5ontain "ars this has
been a sorce of some contention between the seclar and religios power grops, bt so far the
-igh King has avoided any open conflicts.
The dez,n have little in the way of organized religios worship, and honor their ancestors more
than the Dragon Kings. #s sch, they have little se for priests and clerics.
#mong the !asatha, clerics often serves as abbots or abbesses in the monasteries, and are
responsible for the religios rites and ritals performed at specific hors. They ta!e care of the
spirital needs of those who train at the monastery, bt ta!e a passive role in the training of new
recrits. )n the villages, clerics are often respected members of the commnity, and their
ministrations and healing s!ills ma!e them invalable members of the commnity.
$ven thogh the dwolmalbaz do not worship the Dragon Kings, they recognise them as their
creators. &hadow fey clerics do not worship the Dragon Kings, thogh, instead performing ritals
honoring their great !ings and 6eens. These monarchs of the shadow realm are li!e empyreal lords
83estiary F, p. IM9 e4cept they are sally netral good, netral evil or netral in alignment. &hadow
fey ritals are stately and pompos, with costmes, rital poems and msic playing important parts.
These ritals are often performed before the fey lord it honors, and the priests compete for the honor
of performing the greatest rites honoring their monarch. &ch rivalries can trn violent, and the
greatest clerics are often as paranoid as they are powerfl. The fey monarchs grant Domains and
miracles to their worshipers, and all shadow fey clerics have a personal relationship with their lord
or lady, having met them in person on at least one occasion dring their inagration as ministers of
the shadowed monarchs. /tside dwolmalbaz Corts, almost no one worships the shadow monarchs
of the fey, and with good reason. The lords and ladies will only tolerate the worship of the fey and
those who follow the elaborate protocols of their worship, and shold anyone attempt to worship in
their name withot observing the proper procedres the shadow monarchs will become deeply
inslted.
%ruid
There is no religios role more important in l-Ceald than that of the drid. "ithot the drids and
their groves the world wold have stopped when "intras covered the world in ice, and all life
wold have been snffed ot forever. Drids divine mission is to be the careta!ers of meidh, the
balance of all things, and this mission was given to them by the Dragon Kings of $arth after the
%irst "ar so that the world wold always have defenders in times of need.
5eidh is the core concept arond which all drid faith revolves. 5eidh means the correct alignment
of all, a balance of light and dar!, good and evil, life and death. "ithot meidh, there wold be no
world according to the drids. This balance is the life-blood that !eeps the world alive, and nrtres
all life in l-Ceald. "intras was an attac! on meidh by an n!nown enemy, and the drids ma!e it
their mission to discover the tre case of the #ll-winter and perhaps one day repair the damage it
has wroght. To do this, yong drids selected by the omens will leave their groves and 2orney ot
into the world on a voyage of discovery. (one have retrned with new !nowledge of "intras and
it1s origins, bt the drids are not deterred and contine to send ot yong hopefls on this 6est.
The spirital leader of the drids is Cernnnos, an empyreal lord who resides in the realm of
elysim with the Dragon King of 0ife "lthz. Cernnnos has been charged by "lthz to be the
gide and leader of the drids, and the -orned 0ord is a faithfl and devot servant. Cernnnos has
a personal relationship with the drid concil of elders, and will appear before them often to hear
news of the search for !nowledge of "intras and to isse re6ests and ma!e demands of his
followers. The -orned 0ord loves all his drids, and everyne who follows the dridic path is nder
his protection.
&ome drids come from the bfylc, the dez,n and the !asatha. These individals are sometimes
honored, sometimes shnned by their cltres. &ome become trsted advisors, others hated pariahs.
5ost drids stic! to their groves, both becase of common mistrst and becase that is where their
wor! is fond.
There are few drid among the dwolmalbaz. They care little for the ways of their albaz cosins, and
the dridic religion is mch too ponderos and contemplative for their tastes.
(ighter
%ighters come from all races and all societies. They are the mainstay of the armed forces of the
dwergaz, they are swordmasters among the albaz, !nights of the shadow fey and tribal warriors of
the dez,n and the bfylc.
*unter
5any hnters follow the dridic creed, and see themselves as gardians and careta!ers of l-Ceald.
"here the drids spend their lives in service to natre, thogh, hnters spend their time serving and
protecting the Three 'eoples and all other inhabitants of the world. To be a hnter is to bring life to
family and home, and this responsibility is not lost on those hnters who se the magic of the drids
and their !nowledge of and connection to natre for the good of all. #s drids, hnters protect life
in all it1s forms from the terrible inflence of the 0ords of Dar!ness. 5any dedicate themselves to
feeding their tribes, while others wander the wilderness ma!ing sre the balance of life is
maintained. They cll the sic! and wea! from the herds, ma!e sre predators and people do not
overhnt and that the migrating wildlife follow their determined rotes for their own protection and
the good of those who ma!e their livelihood hnting them.
-nters come from all races and all creeds, thogh a large portion of them are albaz. $ven the
shadow fey, normally opposed to the ways of the drids, cont some hnters among them, thogh
these individals serve the shadow monarchs more than any ideal of meidh or balance in the world.
&till, Cernnnos grants them magic in retrn for their service, and all hnters !now from where
their power comes. -nters are as important as drids in the cycle of life and death on l-Ceald,
and withot them all societies in the ice-swept world wold sffer greatly. 0i!e drids, many
hnters ta!e it pon themselves to investigate the mystery of "intras, and adventring hnters often
see! the companionship of other see!ers to ncover the trth of the #ll-winter.
.nvestigator
#lmost all investigators are dwergaz trth-see!ers, assistants to lawyers and 2dges who investigate
crimes and report their findings to the chrch officials who ad2dicate matters of law. &ome are
instead criminals who se their brilliant minds to ndermine the dwergaz law system and ta!e
wealth for themselves. &till others are 2st born with a natral gift of insight and are gradates from
the dwergaz niversities, who see! adventre and fortne e4ploring the many rins of the srface
world.
&ome investigators come from the Corts of the shadow fey, often as shrewd nobles and politicians
who have e4tensive training in the cerebral arts and access to the vast troves of !nowledge many
dwolmalbaz rlers !eep in their libraries. The shadow fey se sch individals as anything from
scribes and ta4 collectors to personal investigators and diplomats, and the latter grops often find
their positions ta!e them far and wide on hnts for specific !nowledge or rare artifacts from the
before-time in the service of their liege lords.
.n/uisitor
The dwergaz chrch is !nown and feared for it1s in6isitors, who assist the trth-see!ers in
inferreting ot crime and heresy. &ch in6isitors are often conservative traditionalists who se their
faith and their s!ill to defend the vales and ideals of dwergaz society.
/ther dwergaz in6isitors ta!e it pon themselves to root ot evil wherever it is fond, searching
both the depths of the nderdar! and the icy reaches of the srface world for servants of the Dar!
0ords. These in6isitors act li!e monster hnters, roaming from settlement to settlement loo!ing for
dangeros beasts that threaten the faithfl. This is dangeros wor!, bt most do it for the admiration
and gratitde of those they save.
The shadow fey too employ in6isitors, bt for vastly different reasons. The dwolmalbaz in6isitors
are valed servants of the shadow monarchs, and their tas! is to root ot betrayal and illoyalty
among the servants of the lords and ladies of the fey. These enemies e4ist far and wide, and shadow
fey in6isitors often have to travel from place to place searching for these traitors.
#agus
The colleges of the dwergaz train more than 2st wizards. 5any of those enrolled at the colleges
stdy both the arts of the arcane and the arts of war, and these warrior mages are valed and well-
respected individals. The path of the mags is hard, re6iring both e4ceptional willpower and great
martial s!ill, and the gradates from these stdies go on to become trsted members of noble
retines and great commanders.
&ome mages thirst for !nowledge isn1t sla!ed when they have mastered the arts taght at these
colleges, thogh. They see! new ways of merging magic and swordsmanship, and often ta!e to
investigating rins of the beforetime loo!ing for lost secrets.
%ew otside the dwergaz wal! the path of the mags. Their reliance on spelboo!s li!e their wizard
brethren ma!e sit difficlt for the primitive peoples of l-Ceald to master their ways, bt some
always manage. #n ancvent inscription on a cave wall, a discovered spellboo! from ages past, or
the discovery of an enchanted blade can all be first steps on the 2orney to mastering magic and s!ill
at arms.
#onk
/f all the peoples, only the !asatha have a significant nmber of mon!s among them. The ways of
the mon! come natrally to the !asatha, and the martial arts are taght at every !asatha monastery.
The !asatha creed of prity, focs and mastery of the self goes hand in hand with the way of the
mon!. Those mon!s of other races who do e4ist almost always receive their training at these
monasteries.
-racle
5any of the peoples, especially those who do not have a proper organized religion, rely on oracles
to interpret the will of the gods and gide their people. # great nmber of bfylc priests are oracles,
and among the dez,n oracles are very common. The albaz too have oracles among them, =illeagan
acolytes to the drids who assist in the dridic rites and who serve as the voices of the Dragon
Kings. To spea! for the Dragon Kings is a great honor, and all the peoples who have oracles as their
priests and priestesses pay great heed when these seers and enchantresses spea!.
/racles are noticeably missing from the !asatha, whose strctred and regimented worship is a
mch better fit to clerics. The few oracles among them sally serve their villages as soothsayers
and fortne-tellers. /racles are nsal among the shadow fey, bt a few e4ist and serve as witches
and enchanters to their lords and ladies.
Paladin
'aladins are virtally n!nown otside the dwergaz montainos realms. Dwergaz paladins are
holy warriors of the chrch, constant and ever-vigilant enemies to the hated drow, the or!az and all
others who call the 0ords of Dar!ness their masters. Dedicated to Teiwaz, the Dragon King of
-eroes, these faithfl warriors are the n6estioned elite of the chrches armed servants.
#mong the drow, there are antipaladins who worship the 0ords of Dar!ness and call themselves
enemies of all that is good. These dreaded conterparts to the dwergaz paladins sometimes gather
armies of drow, or!az and other fol creatres arond them and attempt to lay waste to the dwergaz
!ingdoms. &ch events are always disastros for thed wergaz, draining their resorces dry and
ending many lives prematrely. "ith every sch war, the 0ords of Dar!ness lagh in their hellish
realms.
0anger
;angers are master hnters, trappers and scots. #ll the srface-dwelling races have rangers who
patrol their territories, hnt for game and protect their commnities from roaming monsters and
ravaging or!az warbands and other threats. &ince hnting is the primary food sorce of most of
these people, anyone with sch remar!able s!ills in the wilderness is invalable. 5any hnters
never learn to invo!e the natral magic of l-Ceald, bt some do. These special individals either
follow the dridic tradition and get their power from Cernnnos the -orned 0ord, or se prayer-
songs to the Dragon Kings to enhance their abilities and aid their srvival in the wilderness.
#mong the bfylc, a ranger is both a masterfl hnter and a fierce warrior, and many tribesmen
follow the rangers path. These men and women bravely go ot into the vast, icy wilds every day to
feed their !in and protect their families and friends from harm.
3oth the albaz and the dwolmalbaz need rangers to feed their people. The shadow fey are almost
e4clsively meat eaters, and waste little time on growing food. The albaz hold livestoc! and grow
crops in the groves, bt they too need hnters to spplement their food stores in the cold of "intras.
/f the other races, only dwergaz have few rangers. The few rangers they have come e4clsively
from the srface settlements in the montain foothills, and these strdy warriors fight more than
they hnt. Their tas! is the protection of the settlements from the threats of hostile giants and
marading or!az, and they ta!e their 2obs very seriosly.
0ogue
Crime is a negligible problem among the bfylc. There is no material wealth to steal, and all their
efforts go towards srvival and worship, so there is little motivation for thieves and ctprses when
there aren1t any prses to ct. ;oges from the tribes instead ta!e on the roles of stal!ers, hnters
and stealthy scots, mingling with rangers and hnters and focsing on hnting and !eeping an eye
on the wilderness for threats.
The albaz li!ewise have little material wealth for thieves to nlawflly a6ire, bt their roges are
sltealthy master warriors always analyzing their opponents and ta!ing advantage of blind spots and
wea!nesses in their defenses. 5ay of the albaz arts of the blade emphasise sch approaches.
/nly the dwergaz and the shadow fey have societies where crime is an isse. 3oth their societies
are atleast in part focsed on property and wealth, and they are the only races who reglarly se
coins in place of barter.
The Dwolmalbaz also vale their assassins and ctthroats, and a large portion of shadow fey roges
follow sch paths.
1haman
&hamans honor the spirits of valley, forest, river earth and s!y. &ch animistic worship is nsal in
l-Ceald, bt among the dez,n it is common and accepted. Catfol! shamans perform their rites
honoring their ancestors, and offer sacrifices to placate the spirits of the world and ensre healthy
offspring, happy marriages and bontifl hnts.
The catfol! religion is based on the twin traditions of ancestor worship and animistic spiritality.
The shaman has a deep, spirital bond with natre that grants him divine power. This power is a gift
from the land, and ths a gift from the Dragon Kings whom the catfol! respect bt do not worship
as the other peoples do. &hamans are most often female, as the dez,n are matriarchal and believe
that only women have the necessary creative energy to commne with the spirits. The ability to
grow life and give birth ma!es the female body sacred and powerfl, and this creative essence is
re6ired to be able to bond with a spirit and ta!e on some of it1s power.
1kald
5any among the bfylc who learn the songs of worship become s!alds, sing the power of their
songs and their s!ill at arms together to bring down the foes of the tribes. 'owerfl warriors and
potent spellcasters, the s!ald lifts the spirits of his allies and heartens them to psh forwards. Their
magical battle-songs are ancient and powerfl, passed from generation to generation and treasred
above all other arts. &imply having someone who masters the songs on their side is enogh to raise
the morale of a bfylc warband.
There are more s!alds than bards among the tribes, becase of the importance of !nowing how to
defend the lives of the !n2,n. Knowing all the songs in the world will not save yo from a raging
or!az barbarian or a roc!-throwing giant who has come to steal yor food. 3t the same songs can
strengthen yor arm and help yor fellow warriors overcome these dangers, and the s!alds of the
bfylc !now this well. They have an important role among the tribes, and one they are prod to fill.
#mong the albaz too the s!ald is valed. #lbaz warriors boast prideflly of their s!ill with a blade,
bt when a master of the songs comes among them they all lower their eyes in respect. $very albaz
!nows that withot faith and magical aid, their society wold have crmbled long ago, and the
s!alds of the albaz are living proof of this. &ome become great heroes of legend, and these legends
are sng by other s!alds for centries. # singer who masters the arts of the blade is worthy of great
praise and even greater respect.
The other races also have some s!alds among them. The dwergaz have some battlesingers, prod
warriors who live ascetic lives of worship and train both a4e and voice daily to hone and refine their
s!ills with both. &!alds among the other races are rare.
1layer
&layers are !illers. Determined, focsed and deadly, a slayer ta!es lives and does it well. These
s!ills are spremely sefl among the bfylc tribes, and many of their most effective warriors are
slayers. &ome of these manwaz and ma@dvaz train every day to achieve this level of competence at
!illing, while others simply have it int heir blood. 5any acla become effective slayers, tempering
the or!az fire in their blood with cold, calclating intellect and s!ill. #s long as there are foes that
need !illing, there will always be slayers to do the deed.
The story is the same for the other races. $nemies need dispatching, and the slayers are the people
for the 2ob. The dwergaz have many slayers in the bac!streets and slms of their ndergrond cities,
and stealthy shadow fey assassins se their slayer s!ills to ta!e ot the enemies of the Corts.
Catfol! hnters are often slayers, and many !asatha too vale the slayers focsed dedication to their
tas!s.
1orcerer
3orn with the 3lood of the Dragon Kings, sorcerers have vast innate potential. <nfortnately, many
people of l-Ceald have a deep mistrst of magic, especially when it does not come from a priest
or drid, or is invo!ed throgh the songs of worship. 5any bfylc sorcerers choose to camoflage
their magic as song, bt the trth is that they need no songs or ritals to invo!e their power )t comes
to them as natrally as breathing.
5any sorcerers are otcasts. They are often chased ot of their !n2,ns by sperstitios people, and
end p alone in the icy wastes. &ch individals se their sorceros powers to srvive, and when
they find others li!e them they band together into commnities of their own. There they can
practice their arts ndistrbed, and many sch sorcerer cabals grow in power ntil they come to the
attention of people who might wish them harm, sch as or!az clans, dwergaz in6isitors or fearfl
bfylc tribes. &ch confrontations seldom go well for either party.
#mong the dwergaz, sorcerers are seen as savants, and are immediately enrolled into a college to
receive proper training. The colleges have many sorcerers among their faclties, and an edcated
sorcerer gradate has a lminos ftre ahead of him. 'rovided he ma!es it throgh the ardos
trials of his edcation, of corse. &orcerers are often the target of frstration and aggravation by
other stdents, who feel they have an nfair advantage or have cheated in some way to get into the
colleges.
The albaz too vale their sorcerers, especially since the at of writing is a well !ept secret by the
drids, which ma!es training as a wizard impossible. &orcerers are seen as divinely gifted
individals, and many of the greatest heroes of albaz legend and song have been sorcerors.
The shadow fey too treat their sorcerers well. They have no formal schools for magic, bt they hold
many ancient magical secrets and their sorcerers are often apprenticed to master magicians who
edcate them in the arts of the arcane and how to se the to yor advantage. These enchanters
inspire loyalty and fear in other fey, who !now well not to cross a fey sorceror.
#mong the dezan and the !asatha, sorceros power is rare. (obody !nows why this is, bt
dwergaz scholars speclate that since they were created after the Three 'eoples, the 3lood fo the
Dragon Kings is wea!er in them, and rarely holds enogh power for one of them to be born with
sch gifts.
1ummoner
&mmoners are most common among the primitive peoples of l-Ceald. Dez,n smmoners often
smmon the spirits of their ancestors to their side, to aid them in combat, and their eidolons tend to
be hmanoid and catfol! in appearance. These ancestor spirits willingly aid their descendants in
combat, and often offer wisdom and advice in addition to protecting their smmoners.
#mong the bfylc, smmoners are viewed with all the sspicion and pre2dice that sorcerors face,
and bfylc smmoners often leave their commnities and find their way to sorcerer cabals.
Those smmoners who are accepted often smmon savage beasts of war, whether in the form of
actal beasts or mythic creatres of legend.
#lbaz and dwolmalbaz smmoners favor fey-li!e eidolons, and their smmoners are every bit as
respected as their sorceror brethren.
#mong the !asatha and the dwergaz, smmoners are a rarity.
Warpriest
"arpriests are common in l-Ceald. $specially the dwergaz and bfylc have many warpriests. "ar
is common for both these races, and religion is sch an important part of their lives that many
priests choose to ta!e p arms and fight for the srvival of their people.
# priest who is also a warrior earns doble praise in the bfylc tribes, and warpriests are an
e4ception to the general rle that only wibhan and me!az become priests. "arpriests spend less
time tending to the religios needs of their !n2,n than ordinary priests, mostly to conform to
traditional gender roles. These fighting priests will tend religiosly to their weapons, decorating
them with beatifl carvings and singing songs of power over them to dedicate them to the Dragon
King they worship and bless them for battle. #ny bfylc warrior will gladly stand sholder to
sholder with a warpriest when the or!az hordes howl their hatred at them, becase they !now that
the gods are at their side and they cannot loose.
The dwergaz too vale their warpriests. # dwergaz warpriest often belong to a holy order, along
with paladins and cavaliers, and these orders are dedicated to singlar prposes sch as combating
the drow, ma!ing settlements safe from giants or prsing the or!az that threaten the peace. These
orders are !nown among the enemies they target, and are often specifically targeted to wea!en
them. 3t the ndanted warriors of these holy orders will relentlessly defend their people and their
faith from the harmfl inflences of the 0ords of Dar!ness.
Witch
0i!e &orcerers and smmoners, witches are mistrsted and feared among the bfylc tribes, and are
often chased away and forced to 2oin sorceros cabals. "itches also fre6ently stay away from
society regardless of how they are percieved. 5any witches are individals see!ing magical power.
5any of them are secretly envios of those who command magic, and will leave their societies to
try and find someone to teach them. There are witches who live in the icy woods, willing to ta!e on
apprentices and teach them how to contact a patron and gain a familiar. &ome of them are hags, or
fey enchantresses who teach their arts for a price. /thers are older, more e4perienced witches, bt
their ttelage is seldom free either.
"itches have a very dar! reptation among most peoples of the world. They all ma!e bargains with
n!nown powers for their magical gifts, and this sits poorly with the sperstitios and fearfl bfylc.
(either the dez,n nor the albaz harbor any love for those who a6ire sch gifts either, and the
!asatha and dwergaz view them as dangeros otlaws at best and evil abominations at worst. 5any
wonder where their granted powers come from, and according to the rmors these witches mst
debase themselves before the 0ords of Dar!ness and sacrifice a loved one or family member to gain
these dar! gifts.
&ome witches revel in this dar! reptation, and will do what they can to strengthen these fears. )n
fact, witches may be the reason why the bfylc are so sperstitios and fearfl to begin with. The
fear of being crsed by a witch has driven more than one innocent person ot into the wilderness by
their !n2,n, and has even cost some nfortnates their lives.
The only race who respects witches are the shadow fey. Dwolmalbaz witches hold positions of
power in the Corts almost by defalt, becase of their powerfl patrons who most dwolmalbaz
agree mst be powerfl fey from the shadow realm. The witches themselves are silent on the matter,
perhaps becase they themselves do not !now the identity of their patrons bt more li!ely becase
they delight in the fear this ncertainty creates.
Wizard
"izards almost e4clsively come from the dwergaz, and very few wizards from other races e4ist.
The dwergaz wizards are edicated at the colleges of magic that e4ist in all large dwergaz cities, and
their art is based on !nowledge, formlas and sigils of power designed to harness the latent power
of the "orldsong that still reverberates in all things.
3eing a wizard is highly prestigios in dwergaz realms, and most prodly declare what college they
stdied at, nder which professors and with what honors they gradated whenever they meet
anyone of importance.
The dwergaz se magic in many aspects of their lives, from the forging of their weapons, armor and
tools to agricltre, animal hsbandry and even their entertainment. This is not to say that magic is
common among the peasants and serfs, bt even to them some magical assistance can be boght, or
is sometimes provided by their lieges. )n war too magic and wizards have their place, and dwergaz
battle wizards are of paramont importance in the constant battles against the drow and hobgoblin
armies that often besiege their towns and cities.
/tside the dwergaz, wizards are very rare. &ince most people of l-Ceald cannot read,
deciphering the contents and meaning of a wizards spellboo! is practically impossible. 0i!e all
impossible things thogh, sometimes it happens. # particlarly bright individal might manage to
divine the meaning of the sigils and rnes in an ancient spellboo! recovered from a rined tower or
long forgotten tomb, and might ths ta!e the first steps down the path of wizardry. &ch a prodigy
wold attract mch attention at a dwergaz college of magic, and might garner an albaz, bfylc,
dez,n or !asatha a rare scholarship at one of these colleges.

The !rts of the ,lade
The albaz are an ancient race. They were the %irst 'eople to be sng into e4istence by the Dragon
Kings, and they live lives measred in centries. Dring the ntold centries following the %irst
"ar ntil "intras strc!, the albaz have honed and refined their martial traditions into a comple4
system of disciplines and manevers !nown collectively as the arts of the blade. Their ancient
swordmasters perfected these ancient techni6es over centries of innovation, adaptation and
practice, ntil the formal arts of the blade !nown today emerged. $ven now, as "intras strangles the
world, the albaz contine to train and refine these arts of war, and albaz swordmasters are
niversally ac!nowledged as the finest in l-Ceald.
/ver the centries, the swordmasters have taght these arts to the other races. The !asatha are the
most eager stdents of the arts of the blade, bt there are stdents of the disciplines among all the
races. &ome races have adopted these formalized systems of war for themselves, and a few
disciplines have even been developed by these races and later assimilated into the albaz traditions.
'ractitioners of these arts are almost niversally hailed as the finest warriors in the land. #mong the
albaz, sch masters are revered heroes and respected teachers, and the masters ta!e on apprentices
to pass on their !nowledge to the ne4t generation of warriors.
The bfylc have some warriors who practice the arts of the blade, adapted to fit their primitive
weapons and tactics. These masters hold !ey positions in the bfylc tribes, often as advisors to the
*delings or as *delings themselves. 5any among the %irst %amilies send their sons and daghters
to the nearby albaz gwen to stdy nder the legendary swordmasters.
The !asatha are the people who have done the most to adopt the disciplines of the blade and ma!e
them their own. Their monasteries often specialize in a single discipline which becomes their
signatre style, and monasteries often engage in friendly competition among themselves, arranging
tornaments and competitions where their finest stdents compete to prove the speriority of their
discipline.
The arts of the blade are also practiced and taght among the dwolmalbaz, who too! the !nowledge
of the arts of the blade with them into the shadow realm. &hadow fey have their own distinct style
when practicing the disciplines, 6ir!s and practices that have evolved dring their self-imposed
e4ile in the shadow realm. # trained eye can easily spot where a practitioner received his training,
as all the races have their own ni6e traditions and interpretations of the disciplines.
1talker
"here the roge and the slayer are stealthy warriors and !illers, the stal!er is a master of deception
and obfscation. The stal!ers tradition is based on the ancient albaz arts of the blade, thogh some
of their teachings have their origin among the !asatha, the dezan or even among the bfylc.
&tal!ers are rarer than other classes, and this is in no small part de to the dedication it ta!es to
master the arts of the blade. 5any warriors never grasp more than the basic concepts, not having the
strength of prpose to go throgh the rigoros training and mster the dedication necessary to learn
all the arts. Those that do, however, become masterfl warriors and assassins. The powerfl
manevers and styles of the arts of the blade have been developed and refined in !asatha
monasteries and albaz groves for millennia, and the stal!ers who practice these arts are renowned
for their lethal s!ill.
&tal!ers come from all the races, thogh most are edcated by either the !asatha monasteries or
albaz weapon masters. There are some masters among all the races who pass on their teachings
otside of the monasteries and albaz cities, so it is possible for a stal!er to never have set foot in
!asatha or albaz lands, bt no matter where a stal!er received his training he !nows the history and
bac!grond of the disciplines he practices. This history is important, becase with each discipline
there is a story that not only e4plains the origins of the style, bt also serve as teaching tools to
teach the disciplines basic concepts and prepare the initiate for frther learning. "ithot the history,
there wold be no masters.
)n the bfylc, stal!ers are rare simply becase it is rare for a bfylc tribesman to cross paths with a
!asatha mon! or an albaz weapon master. )t does happen thogh, and there are masters among the
bfylc who ta!e on apprentices of their own. )n fact, the Thrashing Dragon discipline is said to have
originated with sch a bfylc master.
The dwergaz also have their stal!ers, thogh wardens and warlords are more common among them.
Dwergaz stal!ers are most often agents of the chrch, wor!ing in concert with in6isitors and
trthsee!ers to combat the foes of the dwergaz !ings and high priests. There are also stal!ers among
the criminal elements of dwergaz cities, who eliminate the enemies of the crime lords with ncaring
efficiency.
The albaz, of corse, have many stal!ers among their weapon masters, and the shadow fey
especially vale the arts of the stal!er. The &teel &erpent discipline was developed by shadow fey
weapon masters, bt has since spread to the other races becase of it1s lethal efficiency and deadly
grace.
Warder
The warder is an armored defender of trth, 2stice or any ideal they choose. "arders are most
nmeros among the dwergaz, and their ancient disciplines were mostly developed by dedicated
dwergaz !nights defending their lords in the 5ontain "ars. The centries of war beneath the
montain forged a hard warriors tradition, with a strong focs on protecting the wea! and defending
their home from overwhelming evil. To a dwergaz warder, defending those who cannot defend
themselves is what drives them to e4cel, and they teach their arts to yong s6ires to !eep the
traditions alive and arm themselves against their eternal enemies the drow and the hobgoblins.
)ronically, their disciplines have been adopted by these vile enemies, and today many of the greatest
warders alive are hobgoblins and drow.
&ince many warders disciplines focs on fighting in heavy armor, the are fewer warders among the
albaz and dwolmalbaz, and almost none among the other peoples. 5ost of the primitive races
choose to become warlords instead, as the chaotic and improvised styles of that path serve their
needs better.
Warlord
# warlord is an inspired warrior of nrelenting dedication and savage s!ill. The path of the warlord
is favored by the primitive peoples, and especially the albaz and the bfylc have many great
warlords among them. "arlords in training are encoraged by their teachers to go ot and fight, to
learn the practice behind the theory as early as possible and come to new nderstanding of their
traditions and disciplines throgh practical application and e4perience. Combat is chaotic and
npredictable, and the will and gts it ta!es to ta!e a challenge head on and accept the ris! of defeat
is imperative to a warlord in training. This philosophy ma!es warlords natral adventrers, always
willing to dive headfirst into danger and snatch victory from the 2aws of defeat.
The disciplines most commonly practiced by the warlord are ancient techni6es developed by
legendary albaz warriors in the ages since the %irst "ar. The great albaz swordmasters are more
than willing to teach these arts to whomever has the dedication and talent to learn them, and
warlords come from all races and regions of l-Ceald.
0aces of l-Ceald
,2fylc 3human4 0acial Traits
!bility 1core 0acial Traits7 3fylc characters gain a N> racial bons to one ability score of
their choice at creation to represent their varied natre.
1ize7 3fylc are 5edim creatres and ths receive no bonses or penalties de to their
size.
,ase 1peed7 3fylc have a base speed of O? feet.
'anguages7 3fylc characters begin play spea!ing the 3fylc tonge. 3fylc with
high )ntelligence scores can choose any langages they want 8e4cept secret langages, sch
as Dridic9. &ee the 0ingistics s!ill page for more information abot these langages.
,onus (eat7 3fylc select one e4tra feat at Gst level.
*eart of the 1nows5 3fylc treat cold climates as one category less severe. They gain a
N> racial bons on %ortitde saving throws against the effects of cold climates, on any chec!
or saving throw to avoid slipping and falling, and to C5D against trip combat manevers.
This bons applies on #crobatics and Climb chec!s made in slippery conditions.
!lbaz 3elven4 0acial Traits
!bility 1core 0acial Traits7 #lbaz are nimble, both in body and spirit, bt their form is
frail. They gain N> De4terity, N> "isdom and -> Constittion
1ize7 #lbaz are 5edim creatres and ths receive no bonses or penalties de to their size.
Type7 #lbaz are -manoids with the elf sbtype.
,ase 1peed7 #lbaz have a base speed of O? feet.
'anguages7 #lbaz begin play spea!ing 3fylc and #lbaz. #lbaz with
high )ntelligence scores can choose from the following7 Celestial, Draconic, Dwergaz,
Kasatha, :oblin, /rc, and &ylvan.
Cold 0esistance7 #lbaz have developed natral resistance to the dangers of their
homelands over the corse of a few generations. #lbaz with this racial trait gain elemental
resistance H to cold.
&een 1enses7 #lbaz receive a N> racial bons on 'erception chec!s.
1now 0unner7 #lbaz thrive in the cold of "intras, forever roaming across cold and frozen
lands. #lbaz receive a NF racial bons on Constittion chec!s and %ortitde saves to
avoid fatige, e4hastion, or ill effects from rnning, forced marches, starvation, thirst, or
hot or cold environments.
Weapon (amiliarity7 #lbaz are proficient with longbows 8inclding composite longbows9,
longswords, rapiers, and shortbows 8inclding composite shortbows9, and treat any weapon
with the word JelvenK in its name as a martial weapon.
'ow-'ight +ision7 #lbaz can see twice as far as hmans in conditions of dim light.
%wergaz 3dwarven4 0acial Traits
!bility 1core 0acial Traits7 Dwergaz are both togh and wise, bt also a bit grff. They
gain N> Constittion, N> )ntelligence, and P> Charisma.
1ize7 Dwergaz are 5edim creatres and ths receive no bonses or penalties de to their
size.
Type7 Dwergaz are hmanoids with the dwarf sbtype.
,ase 1peed7 8Slow and Steady9 Dwergaz have a base speed of >? feet, bt their speed is
never modified by armor or encmbrance.
'anguages7 Dwergaz begin play spea!ing 3fylc and Dwergaz. Dwarves with
high )ntelligence scores can choose from the following7 :iant, Kasatha, :oblin, /rc, Terran,
and <ndercommon.
%efensive Training7 Dwergaz gain a NF dodge bons to #C against monsters of
the giant sbtype.
#agic 0esistant7 Dwergaz gain spell resistance e6al to H N their character level.
This resistance can be lowered for G rond as a standard action. Dwergaz ta!e a P> penalty
on all concentration chec!s made in relation to arcane spells.
1tability7 Dwergaz gain a NF racial bons to their Combat 5anever Defense when
resisting a bll rsh or trip attempt while standing on the grond.
'orekeeper7 Dwergaz !eep e4tensive records abot their history and the world arond
them. Dwergaz receive a N> racial bons on Knowledge 8history9 chec!s that pertain to
dwarves or their enemies. They can ma!e sch s!ill chec!s ntrained.
1tonesinger7 The dwergaz affinity for the earth grants them greater powers. Dwergaz are
treated as one level higher when casting spells with the earth descriptor or sing granted
powers of the $arth domain, the bloodline powers of the earth elemental bloodline, and
revelations of the oracle1s stone mystery. This ability does not give them early access to
level-based powers+ it only affects the powers they cold se withot this ability.
%arkvision7 Dwergaz can see perfectly in the dar! p to Q? feet.
*atred7 Dwergaz gain a NG racial bons on attac! rolls against hmanoid creatres of
the orc and goblinoid sbtypes becase of their special training against these hated foes.
Weapon (amiliarity7 Dwergaz are proficient with battlea4es, heavy pic!s, and
warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word JdwarvenK in its name as a martial
weapon.
%euzn 3catfolk4 0acial Traits
!bility 1core 0acial Traits7 Catfol! are sociable and agile, bt often lac! common sense.
They gain N> De4terity, N> Charisma, P> "isdom.
Type7 Catfol! are hmanoids with the catfol! sbtype.
1ize7 Catfol! are 5edim creatres and have no bonses or penalties de to their size.
,ase 1peed7 Catfol! have a base speed of O? feet.
'anguages7 Catfol! begin play spea!ing 3fylc and Catfol!. catfol! with
high )ntelligence scores can choose from the following langages7 #lbaz, :iant, :nome,
:oblin, -alfling, /rc, and Kasatha.
Cat6s 'uck 3784 /nce per day when a catfol! ma!es a ;efle4 saving throw, he can roll the
saving throw twice and ta!e the better reslt. -e mst decide to se this ability before the
saving throw is attempted.
9atural *unter7 Catfol! receive a N> racial bons on 'erception, &tealth,
and &rvival chec!s.
1printer7 Catfol! gain a G?-foot racial bons to their speed when sing the charge, rn,
or withdraw actions.
'ow-'ight +ision7 catfol! have low-light vision allowing them to see twice as far
as hmans in dim light.
Cat6s Claws Catfol! have strong claws, and can se them to ma!e attac!s. Catfol! with this
racial trait have a pair of claws they can se as natral weapons. These claws are primary
attac!s that deal GdF points of damage.
Claw ,lades Proficiency7 Catfol! treat claw blades as martial weapons.
Claw ,lades
These sbtle blades can only be sed by catfol!. They fit over the wearerRs claws on one hand. The
blades grant the wearer a NG enhancement bons on claw attac! rolls with that hand and change the
weapon type from a natral weapon to a light slashing weapon. The claw blades can be enhanced
li!e a masterwor! weapon for the normal costs.
&asatha 0acial Traits
!bility 1core 0acial Traits7 Kasathas are nimble and perceptive. They gain
N> De4terity and N> "isdom9
Type7 -manoid 8!asatha9
1ize7 Kasathas are 5edim creatres and have no bonses or penalties de to their size.
,ase 1peed7 Kasathas have a base speed of O? feet.
'anguages7 Kasathas spea! 3fylc and Kasatha. # !asatha with a high )ntelligence score
can choose from the following7 #lbaz, Dwergaz, Draconic, :iant, /rc and :oblin.
%efensive Training7 Kasathas have a N> dodge bons to #rmor Class.
1now 0unner7 Kasathas have a NF racial bons on Constittion chec!s and %ortitde saves
to avoid fatige, e4hastion, and other ill effects from rnning, forced marches, starvation,
thirst, and hot or cold environments.
1talker7 'erception and &tealth are class s!ills for !asathas.
1pinal 1word Proficiency7 Kasathas treat !asatha spinal swords as martial weapons.
:umper7 Kasathas are always considered to have a rnning start when
attempting #crobatics chec!s to 2mp.
!rctic 1tride7 Kasathas move throgh non-magical difficlt terrain in arctic environments
at normal speed.
#ulti-!rmed7 # !asatha has for arms. /ne hand is considered its primary hand+ all others
are considered off hands. )t can se any of its hands for other prposes that re6ire free
hands.
&asatha 1pinal 1word
This light one-handed sword is covered in bony spines that ma!e it easier to poison opponents. The
save DC of a non-magical in2ry poison applied to a !asatha spinal sword increases by >. # !asatha
spinal sword costs H? gp, deals GdQ points of damage when wielded by a 5edim creatre 8GdF for
a &mall creatre9, has a critical threat range of 4O, weighs O ponds, deals piercing or slashing
damage, and has the fragile weapon 6ality. )t is part of the 3lades, 0ight weapons grop.
%wolmalbaz 3shadow fey4 0acial Traits
!bility 1core 0acial Traits5 N> De4terity N> Charisma, -> Constittion7 &hadow fey are
gracefl and allring, bt relatively frail.
Type5 %ey7 &hadow fey are creatres of the fey type. 5edim7 &hadow fey are 5edim
creatres, and have no bonses or penalties de to their size.
1peed5 &hadow fey have a base speed of O? ft
1enses5 &hadow fey have dar!vision Q? ft and low-light vision.
'ight 1ensitivity5 &hadow fey are dazzled in areas of bright snlight or within the radis of
a dayli#ht spell.
1ecretive5 &hadow fey are taght to conceal themselves almost from birth. 3lf and &tealth
are always class s!ills for shadow fey.
1neaky5 &hadow fey receive a N> racial bons on &tealth chec!s.
1pell-like !bilities5 &hadow fey can cast shadow 0um( once per day as a spell-li!e ability,
sing their character level as their caster level.
1wif as 1hadows5 &hadow fey can remain stealthy even when moving. &hadow fey redce
the penalty for sing &tealth while moving by H and redce the &tealth chec! penalty for
sniping by G?.
'anguages5 &hadow fey begin play spea!ing the #lbaz and <mbral. &hadow fey with high
)ntelligence scores can choose from the following7 3fylc, Celestial, Draconic, Dez,n,
Dwergaz, Kasatha, :oblin, /r!az, and &ylvan.
1mall 1hadow (ey
#lthogh rare, some shadow fey are born &mall sized. 5ost believe that these shadow fey have
particlarly strong fey blood. &mall shadow fey mst ta!e all of the following racial traits, which
alter or replace the standard shadow fey traits.
1mall7 &mall shadow fey gain a NG size bons to their #C, a NG size bons on attac! rolls, a
-G penalty on combat manever chec!s and their C5D, and a NF size bons on &tealth
chec!s. Ths replaces the standard shadow fey size.
1peed7 &mall shadow fey have a base speed of >? ft This replaces the standard shadow fey
speed.
1pell-like !bilities7 &mall shadow fey can cast !anish once per day as a spell-li!e ability,
sing their character level as their caster level. Ths ability is in addition to the shadow 0um(
spell-li!e ability of the standard shadow fey. &mall shadow fey physically appear identical to
their 5edim !in in all other ways, thogh they too have a wide variance in otward
appearance
!lternate %wolmalbaz 0acial Traits
3ecase shadow fey have sch great physical variance, yo may se the following alternate racial
traits instead of e4isting racial traits.
%eadly 1mile5 Eor moth is filed with sharp teeth. Eo gain a natral bite attac! that deals
GdF damage if yo are 5edim or GdO damage if yo are &mall. The bite is a primary attac!,
or a secondary attac! if yo are wielding manfactred weapons. This racial trait replaces
snea!y.
Poison !ffity5 Eo focsed yor early effrts on nderstanding the intricacies of poison se.
Eo never ris! accidentally poisoning yorself when applying poison to weapons. Eo can
cast detect (oison as a spellli!e ability twice per day as a caster of yor character level. Ths
racial trait replaces secretive.
1cintillating 1kin7 Eor s!in seems to shif and plse in the light, demanding the attention of
yor observers. Eo can cast hy(notic (attern as a spell-li!e ability once per day as a caster
of yor character level. This racial trait replaces the racial spell-li!e ability shadow 0um(.
1hadow !ffity5 Eor eyes are completely blac!, and shadows stir deep within them. Eo
add a NG to the saving throw DC of spells of the shadow sbschool that yo cast. )f yo have
a Charisma score of GG or higher yo gain the following spell li!e abilities once per day7
#host sound, ray of frost, and resi1e shadow 8':C9. The caster level for these spell-li!e
abilities is e6al to yorcharacter level. This racial trait replaces snea!y.
1hadow 0esistance5 Eor relationship to shadow displays itself in yor resistance to its
power. Eo gain cold resistance H and electricity resistance H. This racial trait replaces the
spell-li!e ability shadow 0um(
gder 3half-elf4 0acial Traits
!bility 1core 0acial Traits7 gder characters gain a N> bons to one ability score of their
choice at creation to represent their varied natre.
Type7 gder are -manoid creatres with both the hman and the elf sbtypes.
1ize7 gder are 5edim creatres and have no bonses or penalties de to their size.
,ase 1peed7 gder have a base speed of O? feet.
'anguages7 gder begin play spea!ing Common and $lven. -alf-elves with
high )ntelligence scores can choose any langages they want 8e4cept secret langages, sch
as Dridic9. &ee the 0ingistics s!ill page for more information abot these langages.
Cold-*oned gder can move throgh natral snow and ice at their normal s(eed and gain
a NF racial bons on%ortitde saves to avoid nonlethal damage from cold environments.
!daptability7 gder receive &!ill %ocs as a bons feat at Gst level.
&een 1enses7 gder receive a N> racial bons on 'erception chec!s.
'ow-'ight +ision7 gder can see twice as far as hmans in conditions of dim light.
7lf ,lood7 gder cont as both elves and hmans for any effect related to race.
#ultitalented7 gder choose two favored classes at first level and gain NG hit point or NG
s!ill point whenever they ta!e a level in either one of those classes.
&ome among the *gder are descended from the shadow fey and e4hibit some of their
characteristics.
1hadow (ey ,lood5 gder with this trait cont as both shadow fey and hmans for any
effct related to race. This racial trait replaces the $lf 3lood racial trait.
1hadow (ey +ision5 gder with this trait have dar!vision Q? ft and light sensitivity. This
racial trait replaces the low-light vision racial trait.
1hadow Travel5 gder with this racial trait can cast shadow 0um( once per day as a spell-
li!e ability, sing their character level as their caster level. This racial trait replaces the cold-
honed racial trait.
!cla 3half-orc4 0acial Traits
8#cla are nchanged from half-orcs as they appear in the core boo!9
!bility 1core 0acial Traits7 acla characters gain a N> bons to one ability score of their
choice at creation to represent their varied natre.
Type7 #cla are -manoid creatres with both the hman and orc sbtypes.
1ize7 #cla are 5edim creatres and ths have no bonses or penalties de to their size.
,ase 1peed7 #cla have a base speed of O? feet.
'anguages7 #cla begin play spea!ing 3fylc and /r!az. -alf-orcs with
high )ntelligence scores can choose from the following7 #byssal, Draconic, :iant, #lbaz,
and :oblin. &ee the 0ingistics s!ill page for more information abot these langages.
.ntimidating7 acla receive a N> racial bons on )ntimidate chec!s de to their fearsome
natre.
-rkaz (erocity7 /nce per day, when an acla is broght below ? hit points bt not !illed, he
can fight on for G more rond as if disabled. #t the end of his ne4t trn, nless broght to
above ? hit points, he immediately falls nconscios and beginsdying.
Weapon (amiliarity7 acla are proficient with greata4es and falchions and treat any weapon
with the word JorcK in its name as a martial weapon.
%arkvision7 #cla can see in the dar! p to Q? feet.
-rkaz ,lood7 #cla cont as both hmans and orcs for any effect related to race.
#cla are a versatile and varied race. #n acla may select the following alternate racial traits at
character creation7
;nflinching +alor 3from cold regions4 S3/:T 5any fearsome arctic predators consider yong
frost!in easy prey, bt some frost!in manage to srpass their fear and fight off these beasts in time
for help to arrive. "inter half-orcs with this racial trait gain a N> racial bons on saving throws
against fear effects, and a NG racial bons to C5D to avoid being grappled. This racial trait replaces
the intimidating racial trait.
Toothy &ome half-orcs1 ts!s are large and sharp, granting a bite attac!. This is a primary natral
attac! that deals GdF points of piercing damage. This racial trait replaces orc ferocity.
1cavenger &ome half-orcs e!e ot a leaving pic!ing over the garbage heaps of society, and mst
learn to separate rare finds from the inevitable dross. -alf-orcs with this racial trait receive a
N>racial bons on #ppraise chec!s and on 'erception chec!s to find hidden ob2ects 8inclding traps
and secret doors9, determine whether food is spoiled, or identify a (otion by taste. This racial trait
replaces the intimidating trait.
0ock Climber -alf-orcs from montainos regions are e4cellent climbers, and sometimes ambsh
prey by leaping down from above. -alf-orcs with this racial trait gain a NG racial
bons on#crobatics and Climb chec!s. This racial trait replaces the intimidating trait.
,estial The orc blood of some half-orcs manifests in the form of particlarly
prominent orc featres, e4acerbating their bestial appearances bt improving their already !een
senses. They gain a N> racial bons on 'erception chec!s. This racial trait replaces orc ferocity.
The following weapons are considered orc weapons7
Klar 8/r!az s!lldagger9
Terbt2e and :reat Terbt2e 8/r!az "olfbite9
Tepotztopilli 8/r!az %angspear9