Ages of Lingusia: Ghuls, the Half Living

Ghuls of the Empire Era

   Ghuls are a half human, half ghoul race that is readily mistaken for their more common undead relatives. Ghuls are, in fact, a species that spawned from the rare corruption of normal men who succumbed mysterious plagues that killed most of the infected, turning them in to zombies. The survivors who contracted the plague but were not transformed in to ravenous undead instead became the half-living ghuls. Ghuls are quasi-living but gaunt, charnel cousins of their undead relatives, with a terrible thirst for flesh and a macabre penchant for underground lairs. 

   There are certain regions of the world where ghuls are more common, including the domains around Starthias and Tarsus.  Ghuls are common servants of Anharak, serving the necromancer-king as keen generals, spies and soldiers.

   Ghuls are prevalent throughout the Middle Kingdoms in small, carefully guarded communities, usually living close to graveyards or other locations where the dead are interred. They are regularly mistaken for true undead, although in fact they are living beings with souls corrupted by the bleak energy of undeath.

   Ghuls make excellent choices for players who would like a character whose very nature is that of the outcast and the lurker in shadows. Ghuls make excellent wizards and rogues. It’s simply in their nature to be shadowy diabolists, assassins and thieves.

   Ghuls tend to group in small societies, usually dwelling in catacombs and sometime even amongst their undead cousins. Wherever humans reside in large numbers, ghuls are sure to have a small community living on the dregs of man.

   Ghul adventurers are usually fed up with the secretive, cannibalistic way of their kind and take to the road, seeking adventure and fame to make up for the curse they were either born to or infected with. Few ghul adventurers maintain good relations with their own kind, as they traditionally eschew their race’s vile ways.

   Ghuls usually worship one of two different deities: either The Nameless One, with promises of salvation and an ending of their half-undead nature, or Orcus, who promises them dark powers and true undeath in exchange for servitude. A handful of ghuls are enamoured with the shadow goddess Thaedra, and have migrated to the domain of shadow to serve her. A few ghul enclaves seek out the worship of other chaos gods such as Belphegor.

Ghul Adventurers

Average Weight: 100 to 250 lbs.

Average Height: 5’2” to 6’6”

Languages: ghoulish, middle tongue

Ability Scores: +2 Dexterity and either +2 Constitution or +2 Wisdom

Size: medium

Move: 6 squares

Vision: dark vision

Skill Bonuses: +2 Stealth, +2 Thievery

Cannibalism: Ghuls gain strength from cannibalism. They do not need to eat fresh meat; there is much truth to the idea of ghuls seeking out corpses and carrion. Once per day, Ghuls who spend a turn devouring a humanoid corpse may spend a healing surge to regain hit points.

   If a ghul goes a day without using this power, then he does not recover any healing surges expended from the previous day. This continues until he resumes his cannibalistic ways or dies, after which he turns in to a normal undead ghoul.

   Although the notion of cannibalism applies to eating members of one’s own species, ghuls find that the flesh of any demihuman will do just fine, be it elf, orc, dwarf, halfing or gnome. Humanoids that are not mammalian such as lizard men, kobolds, marlacks and so forth will also suffice, although they taste disgusting to the ghul palette.

Disease Resistance: Ghuls gain a +2 save against any disease at first level. At 11^th level the ghul gains a +4 save modifier against disease. At 21^st level the ghul gains immunity to disease effects.

Putrefying Smell: Ghuls can emit a terrible stench which can have an adverse impact on nearby enemies and allies alike:

Putrefying Stench – Ghul Racial Power

Encounter  – Standard – Melee

Sustain: Minor

Range: Close Burst 2 Attack: Cha or Con vs. Fortitude (choose one at the time this power is gained)

 Hit: target suffers 1D4+Cha or Con modifier poison damage and is weakened (save ends).

Special: any creature starting its turn in the burst radius is subject to attack by the effect so long as the cloud is maintained. The Cloud remains centered on the ghul, and will move with the ghul.

Bonus! For extra credits, use these stats to design a Dhampir Vampire Ghul. A truer wretch never will be found... 

All text copyright 2011 by Nicholas Torbin Bergquist, all rights reserved

Ages of Lingusia: Amazons in the Empire Era

Amazons (Vyrindians)

   The amazons of Vishannu dwell in the Vyrindian Mountains, eastward of the heart of the Jungles of Amech, where they thrive as a culture of warrior women. Amazons are highly coveted for their combat prowess, and often make their trade as professional mercenaries in the Middle Kingdoms.

   The Vyrindians are human women who have been called upon by Vishannu the dark god of war to serve him as living valkyries, foot soldiers in the mortal world serving his enigmatic ends. Over the centuries, Vishannu has changed from a fairly mysterious god of battle and cunning who is called upon for good luck and blessings by the generals of a conflict in to an almost Machiavellian entity, a deity who uses his followers in the mortal world to manipulate the nations of Lingusia in to war wherever possible.

   The amazons strive to achieve Vishannu’s goals while pursuing their own agendas as well. Amazon women spend years in an initiation ritual requiring that they travel the lands gaining experience as soldiers and mercenaries, learning of new combat arts and tactics, and finding especially powerful or unique weapons to eventually bring back to the sacred temple of Vishannu in the Vyrindian Isles. Once an amazon has completed her right of conquest, she is indoctrinated in the inner circle and becomes a true champion of Vishannu, after which she is then once more dispatched in to the world, usually with a mission to pursue a specific region where warfare is rife, to aid and abet one side or another with her advice and prowess, and to insure that the war drags on or that one side wins with glorious tactics and cunning.

   Most amazon PCs will be the younger ones on their right of quest, but a motivated player with an especially high level amazon could play a champion, but her overall mission and goal should be worked out accordingly, for she will refrain from activities which do not benefit her long term objectives.

Height: as a human

Weight: as a human

Languages: Vyrindian, middle tongue, and some usually know Belladasian, Hotepsalan, Eastron or draconian

Amazons Adventurers

   Amazons are human in size and appearance, but gain the following benefits:

Skill Bonuses: +2 Athletics, +2 Nature

Immortals: All Amazons are ageless. They mature at about age 25 and do not get older. Although they do not age, they are prone to disease, injury, poison, and all other forms of death.

Favored Classes: Amazons always choose martial classes or a combination of such. If an amazon chooses an arcane or divine class, then she must also multiclass with a martial class. They may also choose the barbarian, avenger and warden classes without having to multiclass.

Gender Bias: Amazon women have a -2 modifier to all diplomacy skill checks and savinging throws when dealing with men, as they are unused to men who are independent or in positions of power; conversely they see men as naturally inferior and gain a +2 intimidation modifier against males.

Martial Society: All amazons start with two free weapon proficiencies regardless of class. Fighters can use these for superior weapons; other classes can use these slots to add additional weapons to their repertoire of trained options.

Fierce Fighters: Amazons gain a free feat (as humans) to pick a useful martial feat.

Human Heritage: Descended from human stock, amazons gain one at-will power as humans do, chosen from their base class list(s).

All text copyright 2011 by Nicholas Torbin Bergquist, all rights reserved

Ages of Lingusia: The Kindred of the Empire Era

   Unless otherwise indicated, all of the following races will use the base stats assigned by the core rules. Likewise, all races are eligible for whatever classes or roles are considered normal for the rules, and will likewise apply here as well.

   All character classes in have their place somewhere within the world of Lingusia. While a great majority of characters will come from the “core classes” (cleric, fighter, rogue, wizard) there are plenty of all other classes to be found, and for player characters at least there are no specific class restrictions when making their choices on what to play (the idea being that all characters are the exception to any rule). That said, if the GM does not want the player group to contain six ashtarth dark elf rangers, he is well within his rights to request that the PCs diversify a bit.

   Each racial entry will include relevant data on the race for the setting, as well as advice or rules necessary to run the race in 4E. Some additional lesser races are also referenced, with enough data to get interested players going.

Summary of the Races of Lingusia:

The Lawful Races

Eladrin/Silver Elves (Suethenurien): fair skinned and tall, these elves dwell in the ancient woodland empire of Sylvias.

Wood Elves (Sylvanurien): The free spirited and much shorted woodland elves are found throughout the world and are distinctively mischievous.

Humans: The most populace and successful of all the lawful races, humans are found everywhere, and are believed to be the favored progeny of the gods.

Iron Dwarves (Maddendur): The iron dwarves are a rough mountain breed of dwarf with a nose for minerals and and in insatiable desire to dig deep for hidden veins of gold and other precious metals in the mountains of the world.

Silver Dwarves (Suethendur): The silver dwarves are a mechanically inclined lot, dwelling mostly in human lands due to an ancient exile from their own mountains, and famous for their talent with anvil and hammer.

Gnomes: Commonly mistaken for true fey, gnomes are earthly beings more at home in the elemental realms of earth, and are found hidden deep within the remote forests and mountains of the world. They suffer from a strange corruption in the presence of civilization and technology.

Halflings (Syleni): An even rarer breed of fey, the diminutive Halflings are suspected to have been the product of an ancient union between a tribe of fey and dwarf or men, though none know for sure.

Amazons: An ancient race of warrior women who are sworn to an eastern god of war, Vishannu, and received the gift of immortality for their dedication.

The Chaos Races

Dark Elves (Ashtarth): Members of the renegade sorcerer clan of the silver elves, these chaos-tainted dark elves have evolved a sophisticated culture of demon worship.

Orcs (Anyu): The orcs come in many varieties, from the civilized but still brutal grey orcs to the malicious chaos-tainted blue and red orcs and the xenophobic fell manorg of the north. They are a threat to all humankind, and few of their number are civil enough to interact with other races.

Naga: An aquatic race of evil beings who have risen to power and now aspire to conquer the dry lands of the world.

Gnolls: The gnolls are a demonic race that seeks to overcome the dominance of the orcs in the underworld races and to establish themselves as the principle legions of chaos.

Sherigras: These chaos-tainted beings were once human, and long ago their kind descended in to chaos and madness, pursuing the dark arts and worshipping the dread gods of the Abyss. Marked by skeletal, gaunt features, the Sherigras exist where they are allowed, on the fringes of society.

Ghuls: The flesh-eaters of Lingusia are half-undead survivors of undead plagues who retained their wits if not their sanity and formed a new race of deformed beings, many of whom serve Orcus and other demon gods.

Deep Dwarves (Darendur): The deep dwarves were once a chaos-tainted race themselves, though many of their kind have emerged from the deepest regions of the Lower Dark and renounced the chaos gods. Some still adhere to the old ways, though, and regardless of their affiliation, the deep dwarves are still marked by chaos.

Trolls (Thargonids, Mihidir): The trolls are an ancient race, and while the thargonids are horribly corrupted by chaos, the mihidir still retain a trace of their ancient, proud lineage.

The Neutral Races

Dragonborn: Dragonborn of Lingusia are a servitor race of the dragon lords, destined for slavery due to their draconic heritage, and often seeking to rebel.

Faeries: The faerie kin are true fey, born out of the Weirding and driven by curiosity to enter the mortal realm.

Goblins: Goblins are a deviant underworld race of deformed unseelie fey who have long ago sought to make a home for themselves in the mortal plane.

Terkithyi Lizard Men: A brutal race of fierce alligator-headed warriors who pride strength and fierceness as key traits.

Haikyndyr Lizard Men: A desert-dwelling race of lizard men who are swift and cunning, defending their southern lands with poisoned arrows and traps.

Serpent Men (Setites): The dark race of serpent men owe their existence to the dark god Set, considered to be the great deceiver and lord of maliciousness. The serpent men seek to espouse their dark god’s ideals and secretive goals.

Ogres: A race of brutal killers and mercenaries who dwell in the forestlands of Lingusia and will work for whoever offers the best loot and largest meals.

Minotaurs (Mishrag): From deeply religious cults to fierce warrior tribes, the minotaurs are a god-touched races of men who are born with bull’s heads.

Devas: The spiritual-servitors and immortals from the higher planes, devas are enigmatic halfbreeds who seek to attain a higher purpose.

Tieflings: Touched by infernal and abyssal blood, the taint of the tieflings is evident in their appearance and often also their behavior.

Living Constructs: Extremely rare products of sorcery and arcanists, the living constructs of Lingusia are very rare, self-aware golems.

Marlacks: The winged dragonmen of Lingusia are an ancient, fiercely loyal race that has become more populous in recent centuries. Dedicated to their dragon lords, the Marlacks are determined to prove their worth so that they may ascend the ranks of dragonhkind.

Satyrs: The mysterious satyrs are native to the Weirding Realm, but they cross over more and more frequently in to the mortal plane, obsessed with its delights and hedonistic possibilities.

Werebloods: These shifters are a rare but known race of those who have the taint of the beast within their lineage.

   There are many other races that inhabit Lingusia, and many more yet to come to light, but the above are the most likely to be found as adventurers in the greater lands of the Middle Kingdoms and beyond.