Nonhumans of Sarvaelen in Fantasy AGE

In working out details on the nonhumans of Sarvaelen I decided to skew as closely as possible to the core book, both for ease of access for my players and to avoid spending a lot of time on specialized race details that are at best minor in difference compared to the core. The only exception is the Abashan, the dark elves of Sarvaelen. 

Nonhuman Races of Sarvaelen

There are a handful of deminhuman races in Sarvaelen, and their numbers have been growing in the two centuries since Camrinal’s fall. Among these demihumans are:

The Ilmarain Elves

The elves of Ilmarain are a secretive, suspicious race. The Ilmarain herald from their dominion in the Realm of the Faerie where they claim to belong to the Summer Court. Their disdain for men and love of cruelty is only slightly less than that of the Abashan, the dark elves. Their Queen of Air and Water is the ruler of the Summer Court. The term Ilmarain apparently is also the name of the elven city from which most elves enter the mortal world.

Unlike elves of other realms, Ilmarain are strongly affiliated with their realm of the fey, the Faerie Court. This tether makes it possible for them to slip between worlds into the beautiful but deadly and maddening fairie lands when they sense a weakening of the veil that separates their realm from the mortal world.

Ilmarain Characters: use the elf template in Fantasy AGE, with one additional special trait:

·         Ilmarain elves receive a unique focus: perception (weave). Like all elvenkind, the Ilmarain are indelibly tied to the Faerie Realm, sometimes known as the Weave. Any elf has a natural affinity for the places in the world where this region is weak, and a perception (weave) check will help pierce the veil between worlds and allow them to move between the two realms. The strength of the opening in the veil determines whether they can bring people with them, and how difficult it can be to detect.

The Abashan Dark Elves

The elves of Abashan are counter to the Ilmarain. They are dark of skin, seeped in shadow and darkness, and servants to the Winter Court. Their ruler is Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness, a destructive immortal of pure power. The Abashan are most comfortable in shadow and seek out the darkest corners and depths of the earth in which to manifest. They are inimical to mortals, and treat them as playthings at best, cattle at worst.

Like their fair kin, the Abashan have a profound connection to the land of shadow where the Winter Court presides, and can innately sense and manipulate weak spots in the veil to traverse into the realm of shadow.

Abashan Characters:

·         Dark elves gain +1 to dexterity

·         Choose one focus from dexterity (stealth), communication (deception) or strength (intimidation)

·         The dark elves have darksight out to 40 yards instead of 20

·         Dark elves start knowing only Abashan Elvish; dark elves disdain the languages of other races.

·         Dark elves start with a speed of 12+dexterity (minus any armor penalties)

·         Abashan dark elves gain a unique focus similar to Ilmarain: perception (shadow), which allows them to pierce the veil to the realm of shadow, tethered to the dominion of the Winter Court. The ability to bring others along as well as spot the veil of shadow depends on the strength of the veil in that area.

·         Abashan get two rolls on the following benefits:

Abashan Dark Elf Benefits

2D6      Benefit

2          +1 Communication

3-4       Focus: intelligence (arcane lore)

5          Focus: perception (hearing)
6          Weapon group: light blades

7-8       +1 fighting

9          Weapon Group (bows)

10-11   Focus: Dexterity (initiative)

12        +1 Accuracy

The Orcs of Sugante and Aphoros

The orcs of the Lower Kingdoms are an ancient force unmeasured, for their presence in the world is new. It is not known if they are a recent manifestation, perhaps born out of the incalculable destruction of Camrinal or something more ancient, waiting for the wane of human rule to allow their species passage to conquest. Their rise in numbers has forced many dwarven enclaves to escape closer to the surface realms to avoid destruction.

Sugante and Aphoros Characters: both orcish groups can use the standard Fantasy AGE orc stats for character creation. Orcs of aphoros have a strange connection to the Weave, and may opt to learn the Focus: perception (shadow) because of this mysterious connection as a racial focus instead of the standard choices.

The Dwarves of the Lower Kingdoms

The stout dwarves are elemental sons of the earth, and they revere the Old God Satarnas as their creator, from whom they rose out of the earth in the wake of his steps in the caverns of the deeps. The dwarves dislike surface dwellers and rarely come out of their caverns save out of necessity. In the last century the rise of the orcs and other monsters in the darkness have forced the dwarves to seek passage out of their dark lands and to even call upon the aid of humans.

Dwarven Characters: the dwarf in the core rules can model dwarves of the Lower Kingdoms.

The Gnomes of Rekaras

The gnomes are a race similar to the dwarves and some claim a similar origin, created by the Old Gods though the gnomes insist that they are something different. They have some cities, such as Rekaras, on the surface world but many gnome tribes still dwell hidden in deep caverns and dark forests. The gnomes are a pernicious lot, inventors and madmen who have the logic of the fey, suggesting a connection to the Other World.

Rekaras Gnome Characters: use the standard gnome template in the core rules.

The Halflings of the Western Shores

Remote communities of halflings thrive north west of Emon. The haflings call themselves the True Folk, and claim to have been around when men were a new race in the world. Haflings are rare but for their lack of adventuresome spirit, and keep to themselves mostly. Halflings can and do disappear in times of war, and their ability to burrow into the earth and hide in the depths of the forests and mountains serve them well in dark times.

Halfling Characters: Western Shore Halflings can be made using the core rule Halfling as default.