Ongoing Campaign Setting Development by Reynard

[Reynard]

Here's the first in my series on the player character races of Abyscor.

DWARVES

Dwarves came to Abyscor with the other mortal races during the Great Catastrophe, though they were by and large slow to in coming and attempted to secure themselves in their mountain halls for many years. Only when it became undeniably apparent that they must leave or perish did they make the long voyage over the sea to Abyscor. In the intervening years, many dwarves perished and ultimately only 13 of the original 36 Kingblood Clans survived to build new dwarven civilization on the Dragon Continent. Unfriendly with elves, untrusting of goblins and impatient with men, the dwarves of Abyscor have suffered great difficulty in establishing their position in the new world – and they have persevered and succeeded, as dwarves are wont to do.

Appearance and Physiology: Dwarves are short and thickly built, ranging in height from four to five feet and weighing from 150 to over 200 pounds. Dwarves are, in general, quite hairy with full manes and beards and abundant coarse body hair. There is a saying among both elf and dwarf kind that a dwarf is never naked – though it has an entirely different tone and implication when spoken by either party. Dwarves, to the eyes of men and elves, unattractive: they have broad faces with large noses and ears and pronounced jaws. Dwarf women, though usually beardless, share most of the physical traits of dwarf men and physical gender differences – shoulder and hip width, for example – are less pronounced than among other mortal races, making it hard for those unaccustomed to seeing dwarves to easily tell the difference. Mistaking a dwarf for the wrong gender – male or female – is among the greatest insults one can visit on a dwarf (aside from mistaking a dwarf for a goblin).

Dwarves are long-lived, though not so long-lived as elves. Also in contrast will elves, dwarves age at a rate comparable to human up through middle age (50 years old or so) at which point their aging seems to slow significantly. Dwarves will usually reach old age around 200 years and few dwarves live beyond 250 years. Dwarven women bear few children throughout their fertile years (approximately 20 to 60 years old) and dwarven twins are almost unheard of. In addition, unlike elves, dwarves cannot successfully breed with humans or any other mortal race. As such, dwarves are very much a race in decline, in numbers at least.

Psychology and Culture: The relatively short childhood and youn adulthood and relatively long adulthood of dwarves has created a racial psychology in which youth – or the apperance or affectation of it – is disregarded and frowned upon and adulthood, with all its requisite responsibilities and sensibilities, is appreciated and respected. Though dwarves reach physical maturity around 20 years of age, they are not considered full adults until 40 and cannot vote in community matters until married or at least 50 years of age. Since young dwarves suffer from the same rebelliousness that afflicts all mortal adolescents and young adults, and since their culture marginalizes them to an even greater degree than that of other races, it is very common for dwarves under 50 to travel and seek fortune and glory.

Monogamy is of the utmost importance to dwarves, as is all variations of loyalty. Dwarves consider family – immediate and extended – the chief import in life, followed very quickly by clan, work and king in sometimes fluctuating order. Men and women have distinct gender roles in regards to the rearing of children, but dwarven culture does not impose professional limitations of either gender save for one: female dwarves of fertile age are not allowed to be soldiers or warriors of any sort (with the exception of a religious sect known as the Stonewives, made up mostly of young barren female dwarves who serve as shield maidens and clan guardians).

Dwarven leaders are all hereditary and almost always the eldest, fit member of the clan. Before the Catastrophe, the number of royal lines – the Kingblood Clans – numbered three dozen. Now only 13 remain intact. While a monarchy, dwarven society values the individual – assuming said individual is loyal, practical and diligent – and most day to day decisions are approved by popular vote. The kings and clan-leaders can enact a sort of martial law, however, during times of war or other calamity. There is no record of dwarven king or clan leader ever having been violently deposed, though some few had been more subtly removed due to illness or madness. Dwarven nature seems to allow for neither despotism nor mutiny.

Dwarven law and justice is swift and exacting. Lesser crimes – shirking family or civic resonsibility, carousing and fighting, and the like – are punished by public humiliation, forced labor and fines. More serious crimes – infidelity, theft, treachery, and murder – are punished by extensive periods of forced labor or exile for a number of years. Dwarves only kill their own in the most extreme of circumstances. Repeat offenders are often branded and shunned (though they are still expected to serve the clan in whatever capacity is appropriate for their station and skills). Clan leaders oversee justice among the dwarves.

Religion: By and large, dwarves are a religious people. They revere a pantheon known as the Heavenly Clan, whose members parallel the clan structure of dwarven society: the Father-King and Mother-Queen, Grandfather and Grandmother, and the Thirty-Six Sons and Daughters (the original leaders of the 36 Kingblood Clans elevated to divine status). The Heavenly Clan has innumerable lesser members, most of them representing dwarven traits or crafts, that appear in parables and tales told at religious observances. Dwarven priests preside over marriages, births, blessings and name-givings, as well as more mundane activities like the opening of new shop or forge or the sealing of a contract. Both men and women may be priests, though only women may oversee births. There are two caastes of warrior-priests among the dwarves: the Stonewives (warrior nuns) and the Axebrothers (crusader men).

Dwarven religion accounts for evil through 'exiled' members of the Heavenly Clan that represent dwarven crimes and negative traits. They range from the vile – Ingot the Betrayer – to the relatively harmless – Gult the Drunkard. Dwarves also consider giants and their kin to be the creation of evil forces, though not the evil dwarven deities specifically.

Magic: Though dwarves tend to prefer more mundane crafts, magic and spellcasting is not unknown among the clans. Most dwarven wizards concentrate on enchantments and the creation of magical weapons and armor – for which the dwarves are well known. Some few prefer battle magic, as dwarves tend to be a warrior race in spirit, even amongst the more academically minded. The summoning and binding of demons is strictly forbidden and has been since long before the rise of the Bayrast wizard-kings. As such, dwarven wizards were among Babyrast's enemies and many dwarven arcane secrets were lost during the purge by that corrupt empire.

Dwarves and Other Races: Few among the mortal races will admit to liking dwarves, even if they find them fair traders and merchants and loyal allies (once that loyalty has been earned). Their honest and stoic nature does not endear them to those that prefer flowery words or false courtesies. Those that value straightforward honesty, in either trade or diplomacy, and mutual respect find dwarves to be exceptional friends and allies, however.

Most human cultures find dwarves difficult to deal with simply because they seem so unbending in their opinions and decisions. Humans are nothing if not adaptable and the relative intractable nature of dwarves can make relationships difficult. By the same token, dwarves think humans are too rash in action and too quick to change their minds. Young dwarves tend to get along well with humans, and older humans – those with 'perspective'. As the dwarves would say – tend to get along well with adult dwarves. In general, though, whether one clan of dwarves gets along with a group of humans has to do more with their mutual interests than with their inherent natures.

Elves and dwarves, on the other, almost universally do not get along. The two races are dissimilar in many fundamental ways – from the value of work to the value of fidelity – and even when alliances and trade between the groups require both parties' participation, friendship rarely follows. Elves cannot comprehend how a long lived race – even if the race isn't wuite as long lived as elves – would want to spend their centuries toiling, while dwarves fail to understand how elves can fritter away their years on pointless tasks or, worse yet, not working at all. Beneath this, however, is a mutual respect. Though they may not like to admit it, each races recognizes the strength of the other and in times of most need – such as the first war with the orcs, ogres and giants, or the Great Catastrophe – they will ally for the benefit of all mortal races. Also, dwarves tend to be secretly fond of elven art, for its craftsmanship, and elven wines, for its flavor and “kick”. Elves share a similar respect for dwarves craftmanship, even if elves are not as fond of dwarven drink.

By and large, dwarves detest goblins. If elves are too different, goblins are two similar: both races are hard workers and clannish, and both races live in similar environs. To dwarves, though, goblins are a mockery of everything dwarvish: where dwarves set a fair price for their crafts and stick to it, goblins haggle endlessly; where dwarves respect their leadership even when they don't agree with the decisions, goblins are constantly plotting against their own; where dwarves cherish every rare child, goblins have litters that they toss away as soon as they are able; where dwarves value the concrete and mundane, goblins prefer the mysterious and arcane; where dwarves kneel in supplication before their gods, the goblins revere none unless it suits them at the moment. This isn't to say that dwarves consider goblins evil or their enemies. Rather, they simply neither like no trust goblins, and the feeling is quite mutual. Of course, despite this lack of trust and amiability, the two races trade goods and services: neither race can deny the talent and devotion of the others' craftsmen.

Giants are the hereditary enemies of the dwarves and dwarves show them no quarter. Much the same can be said for orcs and ogres, though their true ire is reserved for giants. Ever since their arrival in Abyscor and the discovery that these foul races still existed, the dwarves have warred with them intermittently. Soon after the migration, dwarves moved in force against a giant steading and enraged the giants' dragon master. The dragon, Murgond, destroyed the dwarves' hall, took its treasure for his own and killed nearly half the clan. The dwarves never forgot it, being both more careful in their wars against the giants and promising one day to take their revenge on Murgond.

Dwarven Adventurers: Most adventuring dwarves are those that have not yet married or reached middle age. Usually, these young dwarves slip out of their clan holds and into the wild environs of Abyscor in search of freedom from the (to the young mind, anyway) oppressive nature of dwarven society. While frowned upon, this isn't a crime among dwarves and is often expected and even preferred: better to have them out growing up than sitting in the hall complaining. Other dwarven adventurers might be criminals banished for a decade or two – sent away to 'learn their lesson – or Stonewives or Axebrothers on personal journeys or religious quests. Among the few older dwarves that choose to adventure, dwarven wizards are the most common, since dwarven society does not afford them as many opportunities as other societies for research into the arcane (especially if the dwarf has some interest other than magically enhances arms, armor and architecture).

 

[helium3]

It is only Antarctica in geography, not climate. it is still polar, but figuring the planet's like 1/2 the size of Earth (pulling a number out of my keister) with a warmer, thicker atmosphere (also out of my keister), only the actual center of the continet -- the dragon ruled pole -- is anything close to Arctic.

I agree on the maritime thing, though. I think i will have to make Stormwrack my next purchase (assuming there's a decent amount of info on coastal sailing and hazrds -- is there?)

Don't bother trying to explain it scientifically. None of your players are likely to care or ask. Additionally, there have been periods in the past when the fringes of Antarctica were quite balmy and habitable.

 

[Reynard]

Don't bother trying to explain it scientifically. None of your players are likely to care or ask. Additionally, there have been periods in the past when the fringes of Antarctica were quite balmy and habitable.

And if the scientific community is to be believed, will be again soon.

 

[Baron Opal]

Hey, our Antartica used to be a temperate climate a few million years ago. Nothing wrong with that. (If Discovery channel is to be believed.)

 

[Reynard]

I decided to start a Yahoo Group for Abyscor, right here.

 

[Reynard]

Over in House Rules I have posted a draft of how I plan to use XP as a concrete resource for this campaign. It isn't specific to Abyscor, though, so I chose not to post it in this thread.

 

[Reynard]

And now, Elves...

RACES: ELVES

Elves were the first mortal race to walk upright, master fire, build lasting communities and delve the arcane secrets of the world. Only the dwarves beat them to mastery of stone and steel, and only men beat them to recognition and reverence of the gods. These are no boasts, but facts – facts well known by all elves. Superior, aloof, mysterious, arcane, beautiful, long lived: the elves are the highest of the mortal races, and so have fallen farthest since the Great Catastrophe and suffered most in forging new homes in Abyscor.

Appearance and Physiology: Elves are human-like in appearance, though they are taller and lighter than humans on average and have exotic features: high cheek bones, almond shaped eyes and long ears that taper to a point. They are considered attractive by human standards: men are broad shouldered and lean and muscular, while women have full lips, wide hips and slender limbs. Elven hair is usually straight and worn long by both sexes, ranging throughout the human spectrum of hair color and beyond (with greens and blues being the most common 'unusual' colors). Their complexions range from soft cream to bronze tan, with smooth and almost glossy skin.

Elves are the longest lived of the mortal races, averaging approximately 400 years before succumbing to old age. Elves reach physical maturity at 20 and are generally considered full adults at 30. From that age until they are over 300 years old, elves do not seem to age at all. It isn't until the last decades of their life that aging begins anew and elves pass through middle, old and venerable age at a rate only slightly slower than do humans. As elves age, they lose much of the physical qualities that set them apart from the other mortal races and – aside from the ears – elderly humans and elves look very much alike. Elves are capable of having children throughout their adult lives and twins are relatively common. It is uncommon to see large families, however, because elves tend to have and raise their children before beginning the process anew.

Elves are thought to be related to the Fey – some human scholars believe they may even be a crossbreed between humans and Fey, considering the viability of human-elf crossbreeds – and possess many physiological traits reminiscent of those magical creatures. They do tend to have relatively weak constitutions, however, and prefer vegetarian diets and lighter, sweeter wines and liquors to ales and harder liquors common among men and dwarves.

Psychology and Culture: As with dwarves, elven psychology is very different from that of men, due in large part to their extremely long lives. Unlike dwarves, though, elves enjoy a centuries long young adulthood and their outlooks and culture reflect a sense of eternal youth.

Elves, by and large, are dilettantes. They flit from one interest to the next, nearly obsessed with one trade or craft until they grow bored and move on. However, elves' long lives mean that a 'passing fancy' might last as long as human's entire career and most often elves attain a high level of expertise before switching interests. As a consequence elven social classes are fluid and few professions are considered more valuable than others (with the distinct exception of magical study). Similarly, elven leadership is often fluid – politics is, after all, just another profession and an elven lord is likely to become a farmer or leather worker after five decades or so. Without powerful castes or classes, elven society tends to be democratic and even a little anarchistic to outsiders.

Long life gives elves a unique perspective on what is and is not important in life. Elves consider anything that lasts less than a century a “fad” and are loathe to make great strides to change or address short lived issues – even those that might be considered antithetical to elven beliefs. If a tyrannical human overlord rises to power on the edge of elven lands, the elves usually allow time to resolve the issue rather than act themselves. The exception is if a dire threat exists for the elves – elven life is sacred and incursions and raids into elven territory are dealt with swiftly and harshly. Relatedly, elves are planners, so much so that members of other races often consider them procrastinators. Elves see the long view in almost all situations and are willing to wait decades to achieve their goals or enact a plan except in the most extreme of circumstances.

Above all, elves value individual freedom. While generally compassionate and generous, elves do not form codified social rules – laws – that enforce any particular brand of behavior. You aid your neighbor because it is right and good, not because it is the law. You support you leader and obey his commands because he is a good leader, not because he is given hereditary or divine right to lead. These rules apply even when dealing with members of other races, which can often lead to misunderstandings and conflicts between elves and others. Elves do not see it as a wrong to break a treaty or contract if it no longer serves their interests or if the circumstances under which the agreement was made dramatically change. Neither words nor paper weigh more than reason, the elves say.

There are no prescribed gender roles in elven society – aside from the obvious carrying and bearing of children. Elven children tend to be raised by the community, rewarded and punished by whoever is at hand. Elven men and women are equal in size, strength, intelligence and will and no professions are considered verboten for either gender. While elves find life long mater, usually in their early second century, monogamy is not an elven virtue. Trysts are common, because elven 'love' is not considered physical in nature and sexual attraction is among those things elves label as 'passing fancies'. Husbands and wives may go decades without living in the same house or sleeping in the same bed, but they are still married. Elven love creates a deep, almost mystical bond that cannot be broken by hedonism or distance.

The exception to nearly all of the above is an elf in his Twilight. When elves reach 300 years old and rapidly begin to feel the effects of age, those things that were considered unimportant or worth waiting for begin to haunt them. Old debts are paid with vigor, and unresolved conflicts are brought to the fore. Quests, projects and goals that had been forgotten and abandoned are suddenly taken up again with unmatched vigor and dedication. Indulgences, such as infidelity, are suddenly no longer considered meaningless. There is a saying that there is nothing more dangerous than an old elf with a grudge, and discounting dragons, it may well be true.

Aside from magic, beauty and art are among the most important aspects of elven culture. While often not as dedicated or technically skilled as dwarven artisans, and often lacking the pure unbridled inspiration of men, elves create some of the most awe inspiring, intricate works of art – be they jewelry, architecture or wines – in the world. Elven artisans will spend years, even decades, on perfecting singular pieces or processes, easily compensating for any failings they may have in relation to more inherently talented artists.

As stated, elven law is loose at best and usually revolves around the adage “do what you will, let it bring harm to none.” Most civil disagreements are resolved between parties with no involvement by elven society or political powers. Duels – not for honor, but for actual damages – are relatively common, though almost never to the death. In those rare instances in which society must intervene in criminal cases, punishment is swift and brutal. Elves that prey upon other elves are either exiled, if practical, or executed. Every citizen is an unofficial deputy of elven law, though most only act in extreme circumstances. Non-elves are not afforded any rights in elven lands and are usually exiled from elven lands on pain of death; those who commit crimes against elves worthy of death never survive to reach a trial in the first place.

Religion: Elves are not religious by nature. While there is an elven pantheon and religious ceremonies do exists – usually coinciding with season or astronomical events – few elves can be considered pious. The gods of the elves are as mercurial as their children and often change manner and outlook from one parable to the next. As such, elven priests are rare, and zealous crusaders even more so. Those few that choose to follow a devout path for a time tend to see the divine world in a state of constant flux that reflects and is reflected by the physical world in which the elves live. Change is not antithetical to religious devotion and tradition, but inherent in it and serving the elven gods means serving the world and the elves that live in it at any given moment, not the idea of what the world was in the past or should be in the future.

Magic: It was the elves who first codified the methods by which mystical energy could be shaped by mortal will, thus creating the art of wizardry. Since that time over ten thousand years ago, elves have been nearly synonymous with magic, and for good reason. Aside from their inherently magical natures – thanks to their Fey heritage – elves who study magic have centuries to do so. This, in fact, is considered by many to be why elves were first in creating spells: elves had centuries to observe and experiment without losing time to 're-learning', and advantage in any specialized endeavor. Many elves – even most elves – have some small talent for magic and know a few spells. Those that make wizardry their profession, however, break the common elf stereotype of the dilettante. By the time they reach their Twilight, elven wizards are more powerful, more knowledgeable and more attuned to arcane magic than any creatures in the world aside from dragons. Elves were among the highest ranked of the Babyrast wizards before and immediately following the Catastrophe. Once Babyrast decided to become a political entity and chose to indulge in the summoning and binding of demons, most elves left the Academy/City-State. Sadly, Babyrast was considered by most elves to be one of those short lived human endeavors that time and nature would deal with. The elves were terribly wrong in this assessment and once the Babyrast Wizard-Kings chose to take control, of both Abyscor and magic itself, many elven wizards were killed, their libraries burned and their secrets stolen.

As with their mundane artisans, elven arcane craftsmen create magical items of unparalleled form and function. Simple elven magical items – cloaks to keep one warm in the winter, eternal flame lanterns, carafes that are ever full – fetch exceptionally high prices among other races, even the dwarves. Elven arms, armor and other items made for war are as heavily sought after.

Elves and Other Races: The relationship between elves, dwarves and men goes back thousands of years to the time when that alliance drove the orcs, ogres and giants into exile on Abyscor. It was then that the elves taught dwarves and men the art of wizardry and for centuries that gift – along with the gifts dwarves and men bestowed upon the elves – carried their mutual friendship forward. The millenia have eroded that friendship, however, and differences in psychology and culture have driven a wedge between the races.

Elves and dwarves are far from friends. While much of the cause lies in simple but pronounced differences between the races – elves are youthful and mercurial, while dwarves are mature and stoic – the machinations of the goblins, as that race rose to prominence in trade, did a great deal of damage to the elf-dwarf relationship. Elves believe that the dwarves are fundamentally wrong on any number of economic, political and social issues, and are quick to say so. They tend to view dwarves as cranky old men too steeped in tradition and responsibility to appreciate the fluid nature of life and the world. Nonetheless, there is one place where elven and dwarven minds meet: craft. While dwarves tend to be practical in their trades and elves tend to be artistic, both races respect the other's skill and dedication to creating things. If an elf and a dwarf become friends, it is most often based on a foundation of mutual respect for craft.

To elves, humans are almost childlike. Their short lives make them unable to see the long view and make them prone to emotional and extreme decisions. By contrast, elves are dispassionate when it comes to military, political and economic policies, a fact that vexes human societies to no end. In addition, elves see the human trait of religious fervor as quaint at best, attributing it to humans' too short lives and hopes for something beyond the material. Despite these differences, elves will ally with humans when it serves a purpose – as they have many times in the past – and appreciate humans inherent ambition and desire to act when elves are in need of allies. Moreover, elves realize they are small in number and humans make up the bulk of the population of Abyscor: the world belongs to men and elves happen to live in it. One point of contention between the races has been the depredations and fall of the Babyrast Wizard-Kings. That primarily human wizards so twisted the elven magical arts has bred a distaste and distrust of humans among the elves, many of the eldest of whom remember the dark age immediately following the destruction of that empire by the Dragons. Many human wizardly organizations have made overtures to their elven counterparts with the express purpose of healing this particular wound.

Elves detest goblins, though not so much that they would be called enemies. Goblins, with their interest in the economic and temporal, as well as their even-shorter-than-human lives, are a nuisance. Unfortunately, they cannot be ignored: goblin influence on trade, and its resultant influence on politics and civilization in Abyscor, requires that all but the most isolationist elven communities must deal with the goblins, either directly or through dwarven or human proxies. As such, elves attempt to have patience with the goblins when forced to deal with them. In addition, goblins – left out of the sharing of magical knowledge with dwarves and humans – stole, at least in the eyes of the elves, their knowledge of the art of wizardry. The fact that goblins have a natural talent for magic and have made great use of the art for economic gain only exacerbates the elves anger on the subject.

Orcs were long the enemies of elves before they and their ogre and giant kin were driven to Abyscor by the alliance between the elves, dwarves and men ten thousand years ago. Elves have long memories and even longer histories, but in the intervening eight thousand years the elves had almost forgotten about their age old enemies. The orcs did not. When the Great Catastrophe drove the elves to Abyscor, the orcs recognized them immediately for what they were and immediately resumed their war upon the elves. The difference this time was the orcs were many and had the backing of the mighty Dragons, while the elves were few, displaced and short of allies. Elven civilization almost did not take hold on Abyscor because of orcish attacks. Early on, the elves managed to deal a telling blow to the orcish hordes, however, and since that time their has been a brushfire war between the races. While elves battle and hate all manner of evil beasts and races, their true ire is reserved for orcs.

As elves view goblins, Dragons view elves: short lived, small minded would be usurpers of Draconic power in the form of magic. If there is one thing the elves fear, it is the Dragons of Abyscor. Luckily, the dragons have largely slept since the destruction of the Babyrast Empire and the elves have been spared their wrath. Elves see the long view, though, and know it is only a matter of time before the dragons wake and turn their rage on the elves.

Elven Adventurers: Most elven adventurers are young – in their first or second centuries of life – and have embarked on a life of travel and adventure for no other reason that it struck their fancy. Many choose a profession and seek to achieve mastery in it, but many others have a broad selection of abilities and seek a broad, if shallow, reservoir of experience when it comes to the adventuring life. Some elven adventurers are wizards or their servants in search of elven artifacts and arcane knowledge that was stolen or destroyed during the Babyrast purges. There are a few elves whop have reached Twilight, having ignored the non-elven world for their whole lives or having put off some great (to them) quest for centuries, who become adventurers in a race against their dwindling years.

 

[Reynard]

On Base Classes

As I start to consider which Base Classes fit the
Abyscor setting, I realize exactly how many there are:
31 by my count, not including variants from UA or from
books I don't have (Tome of Magic, Tome of Battle,
Magic of the Incarnum specifically).

I think I want to pare that list down to a dozen or
so.

This is a tentative list of what I would like to use:

Barbarian, Cleric, Duskblade, Fighter, Hexblade,
Knight, Paladin (including the non-LG UA variants),
Ranger, Rogue, Scout, Warlock and Wizard.

Druids (using the alternatite wildshape from PHB II),
Favored Souls and Swashbucklers are on the short list
for possible inlusion.

I haven't decided whether there is a place for
Psionics yet.

I have left out all of the "oriental" classes (Monk,
Ninja, Samurai, Shugenja and Wu Jen) for the time
being -- those should be an all or none inclusion and
I haven't decided whether faux-asian cultures are good
for the setting or not.

Bards, Sorerers and Warmages aren't on the list
because I want to do something different with
inherent, spontaneous arcane magic.

Beguilders, Dragon Shamans, Spellthieves and Spirit
Shamans are near the bottom of the list (as PC classes
anyway).

Thoughts?

 

[Reynard]

RACES: GOBLINS

Appearance and Physiology: Goblins are by any standard, even their own, ugly. Between three and three and half feet tall, with long limbs, distended bellies, humped backs, vulture-like necks, hooked noses, over-sized ears and sunken eyes, goblins are the very picture of physical repulsiveness. They weigh less than one hundred pounds – often, much less – and, while hardy in a way similar to rats and roaches, physically weaker than most others.

The goblin lifespan is similar in length to that of humans, though goblins tend to have a shorter chiildhood/early adolescence (being physically mature and considered adults by 12) and longer end of life (considered old by 50 and venerable by 65). Goblins breed more quickly than the other races, with a gestation period of about six months and multiple births the norm. While fraternal twins and triplets are common, identical twins are exceedingly rare among goblins. Goblins' high birth rate, coupled with a cultural tendency toward polygamy, often results in huge households numbering dozens of children, most of which are either put to work or tossed out to fend for themselves as soon as they achieve adulthood (or sooner in some cases).

Some uneducated members of other races believe goblins to be related to orcs and their kin. They are not and are a species of their own. Goblins cannot interbreed with other races, even their cousin races the hobgoblins and bugbears (see below).

Psychology and Culture: For nearly ten thousand years, since the time that elves, dwarves and men allied to drive the orcs, ogres and giants from the world, goblins have been considered outsiders. When the races exchanged gifts – elves giving magic to the others, dwarves giving steel work, and men giving faith – the goblins neither gave a gift, nor received. And though the goblins suffered at the depredations of the orcs, ogres and giants, they were not invited into the alliance and their lands were not cleansed of those foul races except by chance or proxy. Nonetheless, the goblins survived and prospered. They spied upon the elven academies, the dwarven forges and the human temples. They learned their secrets and improved upon them. And then, in the defining character of goblinkind, sold it back at twice the price.

Goblin civilization first established itself in lands none of the other mortal races wanted. The simple rules of survival meant that only the most cunning and ambitious prospered. For centuries, goblin civilization was dominated by the strong, but as goblins grew more sophisticated, it was the most intelligent that became powerful. Many would-be goblin kings fell to corruption until finally the corruption stuck and merchants and politicians became the ruling class of goblinkind. The goblin nation that would come to dominate all others arose on storm battered, rocky shores. There, the arts of superior ship building and sailing developed and shortly thereafter the goblins used those skills to weave a web of trade all over the world – at first with other goblin lands, but soon among all the mortal races. In all the centuries, through the Great Catastrophe and exile to Abyscor and the fall of Babyrast, goblins have not relinquished their position as the pre-eminent mercantile power in the world.

To goblins, greed is good. Greed begets ambition, which begets action. The slow and weak willed fail and are subsumed or destroyed and the quick and cunning rise to wealth and power. To other races, it seems amoral and distasteful. To goblins, it is simply the way of life. What goblins cannot acquire leagally, they will acquire through subterfuge or, failing that, outright steal. Of course, individual goblins know the value of maintaining both personal and business relationships, so only the foolish or desperate steal from friends, acquaintances or colleagues.

In goblin society there are defined gender roles. Trade, politics and craft are the domain of male goblins, while the home is the domain of female goblins. Wealthy goblin men often have many wives, one of which – usually the eldest and his first wife – is the Matriarch who overseas all aspects of goblin home life, including family finances and any intra-family business. While women cannot vote or own businesses – unless bequeathed upon them by husbands or fathers ina last will and testament – they have a great deal of influence in goblin society simply because of the power they wield in the home: goblin Matriarchs are neither trophies nor servants and their ability to make life miserable for goblin men – there is no divorce in goblin society – ensures that their voices are heard and their edicts followed.

Goblin law is swift and harsh, though the punishment feels as though it is more for getting caught than actually engaging in the crime. Many swindlers and cheats hang from the gibbets in goblin cities. The greatest crime among goblins, though, is the giving up of trade secrets to rivals, either competing goblin concerns or outsiders. As willing as goblins are to steal secrets from others, they expect those secrets to be held tightly once obtained.

Religion: Goblin society places very little value on religious belief, especially following the Great Catastrophe. While there are gods that the goblins give lip service to, the relatively few goblin priests that exist dedicate themselves to more temporal and concrete powers; the classical elements, magic or powerful outsiders with which they have brokered a deal. In direct opposition to the generally materialistic and worldly attitudes of goblin culture, however, an aesthetic movement has begun to develop among the goblins. These goblins intentionally reject traditional goblin values and instead embrace serenity, physical and psychological discipline and martial prowess. While not religious in a traditional sense – these goblin monks revere no gods – the movement has a spiritual core and its members often exhibit the kind of compassion, wisdom and dedication usually reserved for the clergy.

Magic: To goblins, magic and wizardry are just another tool by which to get ahead. There are many goblin wizards and numerous guilds and organizations for them – almost all of which are geared toward using magic to improve trade or get ahead against the competition. Goblins learned magic by stealing it and so it has a lesser value than trade, for example, which the goblins pioneered themselves. Goblin wizards tend to study practical magic or magic that can be sold or rented for large sums. Goblin hedge wizards and arcane craftsmen can be found in every major city, selling spells and minor items to interested parties.

Goblins and Other Races: Goblins are almost universally disliked. Members of other races consider goblins to be untrustworthy, greedy and unpleasant in both appearance and attitude. However, goblins have been so effective at monopolizing long range trade that other races have no choice but to deal with goblins on a daily basis.

Goblins and dwarves in particular do not get along. Goblins find dwarves to be poor traders, if amazing craftsmen, due to their unrelenting honesty and their general refusal to barter or haggle. Goblins believe in the free market – that goods are only worth what others are willing to pay for them. Dwarves, on the other hand, believe in the value of work and craftsmanship and refuse to adjust their prices in accordance with demand. Many economic and political alliances between the two races have collapsed over this difference in opinion. The goblins feel secure in their position, however, as the dwarves inevitably return to the goblins with needs that only goblin caravans and sailing vessels can fill.

The animosity between elves and goblins is of a different nature entirely. Elves have a very long memory and, even after ten thousand years, continue to hold a grudge against the goblins for “stealing” the secret of wizardry. Goblins, on the other hand, have long forgotten their irritation at being left out by elves in the first place. As a general rule, goblins go through a process of acquisition: offer, haggle, cheat and then steal. With elves and the arcane art, goblins tried the first three and failed. Ultimately, knowing they would be at a great disadvantage without magical power, the goblins decided to steal the knowledge. The irony is that the goblins did not steal it from elves, but instead from dwarves and men with whom they had much more regular trade. As such, goblins consider the elven bitterness over the issue so much sour grapes and rarely give it a thought. And, as with dwarves, elves have little choice but deal with goblins in Abyscor if they wish to trade with others. Some goblins take great pleasure in this fact; most simply chalk it up to the innate superiority of goblins in all matter mercantile and hold no grudge against the elves.

The varied human cultures of Abyscor are as dependent upon the goblin merchants as any other race. However, humans have fewer predisposed notions about goblins and tend to view them as just another “demi-human” race that happens to occupy the human world. For their part, goblins are generally content to let humans feel this way, so long as the goods and the gold keep moving. The Babyrast Empire did not oppress goblins, including goblin wizards, as they did other races or certain human city-states, mostly because even the Wizard-Kings needed the goblins. If anything the goblins lost millions of gold pieces in debt when the Empire collapsed, which the goblins mostly wrote off as a business loss. No profit without peril, as the goblins say. Of course, many city states that still exist after the fall of Babyrast are still heavily indebted to the goblins, and the goblins intend to (eventually) make good on those accounts. Overall, goblins and humans view each other with equal suspicion and respect, based upon the needs of either race.

Many make the mistake of assuming that goblins are related to orcs and their kin. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Orcs, ogres and giants are brutish, stupid creatures that respect onl physical strength, which goblins consider the most fleeting of resources and put rather low on their list of values. This isn't to say that certain goblin traders will not conduct business with orc, ogre and giant tribes. Many do, in fact, if for no other reason than no one else will. But goblins do not trust these creatures and have no love for them. Quite the contrary: if an orcish raiding party destroys a goblin caravan, the goblins will hire out – perhaps even other orcs – for mercenaries to obliterate the offending orc group. Orcs are violent, chaotic and ruled by emotion: each of these traits is anathema to good business.

With Dragons, the situation is wholly different. Sicne goblins first established themselves on Abyscor, they have made overtures to the great Dragons. The Dragons have consistently ignored these attempts at establishing relations and trade, occasionally killing messengers or destroying whole fleets of merchant vessels as answer. Dragons do not value trade. They value power and ownership. Dragon hoards do not exist to provide Dragons with the means to buy things. Dragon hoards exist to display the power a Dragon possesses by way of how much wealth it has acquired. To the goblin mind, this is incomprehensible: wealth exists to create more wealth or provide fame and comfort, not to be laid upon and tarnished with soot.

Goblin Adventurers: There are many reason why a goblin would seek adventure among the other mortal races. Most of them revolve around the accumulation of wealth and prestige. Since goblin females control family wealth and only the eldest children of usually large families stand to inherit anything of substance, many younger male goblins go out into the world to make their names and fortunes. This often leads them to adventure, seeking some rare commodity that will make them rich and famous. Young female goblins, who bristle against the inherent limitations placed upon them by their society and family, sometimes leave home and take up the life of an adventurer, as well. And, on occasion, a member of the aesthetic goblin movement is released from training in a monastery to experience the wider world and gain wisdom. These goblins challenge preconceived notions of the race held by their fellow adventurers. Mostly, though, it is about the gold pieces.


On Other Goblinoids: True goblins are most common, but two related races exist as well: the hobgoblins – a human-sized warrior race that has lived on the fringes of goblin civilization for millenia – and the bugbears – massive goblin-like creatures more akin to ogres, but with more cunning and the goblin penchant for stealth and trickery.

 

[Reynard]

Tomorrow, I run my first adventure in Abyscor -- The Hellstair, a dungeon delve in the ruins of a Babyrast vault/research facility. It will be set some time before the "day 1" of the setting, because the results of which will have an impact on one or more Organizations in the setting.