ITHIN'CARTHIANS

Before the Chaos War, only a handful of people on Ansalon even knew of the existence of the continent of Ithin'carthia and its inhabitants. Ansalon's first introduction to the Ithin'carthians was the arrival of the Tarmak, or Brutes, Lord Ariakan's fierce blue-painted shock troops. Said to have come from an equatorial island across the Courrain Ocean, the Tarmak were incredibly loyal, skilled in battle, and their blue body paint had magical properties enabling them to turn aside blades and recover quickly from wounds. Even after the war ended, the Tarmak remained on Ansalon in small numbers, serving as bodyguards, elite warriors, and mercenaries in the pay of the Dark Knight factions that came in Lord Ariakan's wake.

In 421 AC, more was revealed about the Brutes from across the sea. An invasion force from Ithin'carthia, aided by the renegade Legionnaire Lanther Darthassian, was not only responsible for the death of the brass dragonlord Iyesta but the conquest of much of the eastern Plains of Dust. Linsha Majere, disgraced Knight of the Rose and daughter of Palin Majere, was kidnapped by Lanther and taken back to the Tarmak homeland. There, in the course of escaping from a forced marriage and uncovering a greater plot to use dragon eggs for unholy purposes, Linsha learned that the Tarmak were one of three distinct human cultures on the continent: the Damjatt, legendary for their horsemanship and reduced to slavery; the Keena, sorcerer-priests who made up the Ithin'carthians' religious caste; and the Tarmak themselves, who had subjugated the other two cultures and incorporated them fully into their own.

Discovered by Lord Ariakan years before the Dark Knights invaded Ansalon, the Ithin'carthians thought the Lord of the Night was their Promised One, Amarrel, the Warrior-Cleric of prophesy. The Ithin'carthians have established a beachhead on Ansalon, and their numbers are far greater than they were during Ariakan's day. Although Linsha and her allies threw a number of obstacles in the path of the Tarmak and rescued the brass dragon eggs from the Keena's grip, there is no doubt the Ithin'carthians are here to stay.

All Ithin'carthians are human, but their isolation and development independently of other humans has led to some physical features uncommon to standard humans. Male and female Tarmaks are typically very tall, averaging six feet, and weigh between 150 and 250 pounds. Damjatts tend to be shorter, while Keena are more slender. All three races have ears with points, with the Tarmak being the most pronounced and the Damjatt least obvious.

All have skin ranging from milk-white to a coppery tan. Ithin'carthian hair color is likewise quite variable, although the Tarmak tend toward lighter hair, and the Keena toward darker hair. Damjatts and Keena who do not occupy positions of any power or influence, which is the majority of them, have their heads shaven to indicate their lower status. Male Tarmaks grow thick beards, but the others do not favor facial hair.

Because they are slaves, most of the male Damjatt and Keena are castrated at a young age and cannot father children. The Tarmak allow a small minority to remain intact for the purposes of breeding, although many of the last generation of Damjatt and Keena children are actually mixed-race in origin with Tarmak fathers. These young Ithin'carthians retain their mother's racial characteristics.

Tarmaks despise weakness, infirmity, birth defects, and anything in the way of their ambition. Ithin'carthia's other races follow suit, as they are able, for they are as much a part of the warrior culture as the dominant race. The Keena and Damjatt are not held to as high a set of standards because of their social status, and indeed, they tend to express disgust for failure and weakness in their own way. Keena priests are constantly quoting the Book of Amarrel's teachings at their fellow Ithin'carthians, for example, and Damjatt smiths and weavers have been known to slip in the occasional insult when they see a Tarmak make a mistake. For a renegade or rogue Ithin'carthian, this may manifest as a form of self-loathing or a tendency to force others to measure up to his standards.

The Tarmak fall naturally into constant readiness for battle. Adventuring Tarmaks seek out new challenges and threats to better hone their skills at arms. The Tarmaks, who have lived longest on Ansalon, have cultivated a healthy appreciation for the sheer variety of opposition they face; younger Tarmaks are often surprised by it. For the Keena, the spiritual dimensions of the world outside of Ithin'carthia can be overwhelming. With the death of Lanther Darthassian and the disruption of the Akkad-Dar's plans to conquer Ansalon, many of the Keena are lost and find status matters little in the Plains of Dust. The Damjatt caste of servants, slaves, and secret-keepers, on the other hand, are now more confident and self-assured than ever, watching the constant Tarmak sovereignty over their kindred showing signs of fading.

The Tarmaks have absolute control over Ithin'carthian society, which is why it is dedicated to war, conquest, and personal glory. In most cases, their Damjatt and Keena subjects have been raised under this harsh and ascetic semblance of order and believe it to be their lot in life. While they are not nomadic, the Ithin'carthians have adapted to a hunter/gatherer society now that they have established a foothold on Ansalon.

The Tarmaks made such a singular impression upon the people of Ansalon both during the Chaos War and in the recent invasion during the War of Souls that any relations the Ithin'carthians have with Ansalonians is Unfriendly, if not Hostile. Even the Dark Knights have stopped using the Brutes as warriors, as after Lord Ariakan's death, the new leadership of the Knighthood has always had trouble convincing the Tarmaks to stay. Those scattered remnants from the Chaos War eventually turned to mercenary life, banditry, or ritual suicide before the War of Souls brought their kindred to Ansalon. Along the way, some inroads have been made by the Ithin'carthians of the current era towards a tentative relationship with the minotaurs of Ambeon, the dwarves of Thoradin, and the ogres of Blöde.

Renegade Tarmak, Keena, and Damjatt may form their own relationships with others on a case-by-case basis.

TARMAK RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Strength, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma. The Tarmak focus almost entirely on physical development at the expense of intellectual pursuits. Their arrogance and aggressive natures hinder their ability to get along with others.

• Humanoid (human): Tarmaks are humanoids with the human type.

• Medium: Many of the Tarmak are so large and muscular that they possess some of the benefits of being Large. Tarmaks may take the Hulking Brute feat.

• A Tarmak's base land speed is 30 feet.

• Tarmaks gain an extra feat at 1st level. Unlike humans, the Tarmak may only choose their extra feat from the list of fighter bonus feats.

• 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each level thereafter. These bonus skill points may only be spent on Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution-based skils.

• Automatic Languages: Tarmakian. Bonus Languages: Common, Damjatt, Keena, Nerakese.

• Favored Class: Barbarian.

DAMJATT RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence. The Damjatt were once renowned for their graceful fighting style and their skill at horsemanship. Half a century in slavery has dulled their mental acuity, however.

• Humanoid (human): Damjatts are humanoids with the human type.

• Medium size.

• A Damjatt's base land speed is 30 feet.

• Damjatts gain an extra feat at 1st level. Unlike humans, the Damjatt are prohibited from taking any feat that is included on the list of fighter bonus feats as their extra feat.

• 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each level thereafter. These bonus skill points may only be spent on Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution-based skills.

• Automatic Languages: Damjatt, Tarmakian. Bonus Languages: Common, Keena, Nerakese.

• Favored Class: Master (from War of the Lance Sourcebook; alternately rogue).

KEENA RACIAL TRAITS

• -2 Strength, +2 Wisdom. The Keena are taught to be perceptive and open to spiritual matters from childhood, but they lack any kind of physical training.

• Humanoid (human): Keena are humanoids with the human subtype.

• Medium size.

• A Keena's base land speed is 30 feet.

• Keena gain an extra feat at 1st level. Unlike humans, the Keena may only choose their extra feat from the list of metamagic, item creation, or skill bonus feats.

• 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each level thereafter. These bonus skill points may only be spent on Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma-based skills.

• Automatic Languages: Keena, Tarmakian. Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Common, Damjatt, Draconic, Infernal, Nerakese.

• Favored Class: Mystic.

HILL DWARVES

To the other races of Ansalon, when referring to a dwarf, the dwarf in question is mostly likely of the Neidar clan. The term Neidar was first coined in Thorbardin to describe a clan of dwarves who dwelt above ground. Since that time, the term has been used to refer to nearly all dwarves who prefer to live on the surface of Krynn rather than beneath it. They are the most well known of all dwarves, because they interact with the outside world more than their mountain dwelling brethren. Known to most races simply as hill dwarves, the Neidar are sturdy fighters, shrewd merchants, and master craftsmen.

More curious about the world around them than their mountain-dwelling cousins, hill dwarves have traveled far and wide, spreading their culture and plying their trade in every nation of Ansalon. Nearly every mountain in Ansalon has a settlement of hill dwarves somewhere along its base. Dwarven adventurers will most often be Neidar, as they are usually the only dwarves willing to leave their homes in search of greater fortune. In their dealings, Neidar tend to be fair and honest, but will haggle for every last copper. Hill dwarves are loyal friends if one can penetrate their grumbling manners and gruff exterior.

Hill dwarves tend to be short and stocky. They stand between 4 and 4 1/2 feet tall. While not tall, their girth still makes them physically imposing. Male hill dwarves tend to weigh anywhere between 150 and 200 pounds; females usually weigh slightly less. They have a dense bone structure that lends to this added weight and makes them less buoyant than other creatures. As such, dwarves sink, rather than float, in deep waters. Of course, this only adds to their natural aversion of large bodies of water.

The Neidar often have darkly tanned skin from years spent outdoors working fields, harvesting lumber, and traveling to and from nearby settlements for trade. Wrinkles are common, beginning around the early age of forty, making hill dwarves appear older than they truly are. Neidar eye colors are predominantly dark brown with the occassional exception of green or hazel. Many hill dwarves tend to be nearsighted. Their heavy eyebrows hang over their eyes, giving them a natural scowl when tired or preoccupied. This is a large reason why non-dwarves believe they are always cross.

A dwarf's hair is a source of pride and occasionally a sign of their social status. Dwarven males love their facial hair. "You can tell a lot about a dwarf by the way he keeps his beard," is a common dwarven saying. It is common practice for a dwarf to keep his beard tucked into his belt, provided it's long enough; this way, the beard stays out of the way while he are working. Beards are occassionally braided and tied. While this is functional, additional ornamentation is considered gaudy for males. Keeping a beard clean and healthy is the general accepted practice. Hair color ranges from family to family. As a rule, hill dwarves have the widest spectrum of hair color, ranging from blonde to black and everything in between. Their hair will begin to turn a silver-grey as they reach adulthood and white as they reach old age. Many male hill dwarves tend to go bald while they are still young. Females, however, often enjoy thick heads of hair their whole life. They take as much pride in their hair as their men. While they do not have beards, they do have long hair, often tied up in a bun to keep it out of the way when performing the day-to-day tasks; they let down it at night and for special occasions. Ornamental hairnets, jeweled pins, and fashionable hair clips are brought out during festivals or community get-togethers.

Hill Dwarves believe in hard work and commitment. A good life is comprised of a day of hard labor followed by a mug of spirits and the satisfaction that you have done something worthwhile for your family and community. Creature comforts are important once work is complete. "A good chair can outlast a good friend!" is an old dwarven saying. Though many more hill dwarves than mountain dwarves are adventurers, the majority prefer to remain dedicated to their family and community. Dwellings are often adorned with trappings to make the house more comfortable.

While all dwarves covet gems and precious metals, hill dwarves do not usually feel a need to flaunt their wealth. Like all dwarves, if an individual can establish a bond with a hill dwarf, that person can always depend on them. Rock solid and never wavering, a Neidar will defend his friends and family to the death. Their stubborn nature, which keeps them from returning to the mountains or forgetting any slight against them, can be a powerful force when it is used to protect a loved one.

Most hill dwarf villages have a mayor or elected official who passes judgment on internal conflicts and oversees the local laws and customs in the village. If it is ever discovered that the official is working against the good of the community as a whole, he is quickly and often ruthlessly removed from office. A number of dwarves also work as local law enforcement, helping settle disputes and patrolling the borders of the hill dwarf territory.

Since most dwarves are trained for combat, everyone is expected to be involved in the militia. Most dwarves have their own weapon and suit of armor; sometimes handed down from one generation to the next, antique armor is not unusual among the hill dwarves. Female dwarves often take on tasks behind the front line, such as protecting children or gathering supplies, but this doesn't prevent a determine female fighter from joining the men. When confronted with a threat to the community, every dwarf who can wield a weapon is welcome to join the fight.

There are two primary concentrations of hill dwarves on Ansalon. The first is the in foothills of the Kharolis Mountains. These are the dwarves who joined forces with humans to attack Thorbardin in the Dwarfgate War. They can still be found there, farming, hunting, and continuing their lives much as they have since that dark time. The second settlement is among the hills surrounding the Garnet Mountain Range. The prosperous dwarven province of Kayolin, located deep beneath the Garnet Mountains, has long been a shining jewel among the dwarven kingdoms. It has never known great civil unrest like Thorbardin or destruction and disease like Thoradin. Even during the dark times following the Cataclysm, Kayolin left its doors open to the hill dwarves in the surrounding territory, easing tensions and saving lives.

Hill dwarves are not exlcusive to these regions, however. They have found homes all across Ansalon; small clans of dwarves have settled in nearly every corner. The Emerald Peaks of Nordmaar are home to the Stonedrum clan of wild Klar who picked up and fled far from Thorbardin after the Dwarfgate War. Among the cliffs of Port Balifor, the Stonesplitter clan has settled and even assisted the citizens against the dangers of dragons by building escape tunnels and cliff-side residences. In Khur among the desert tribes, the Shalecutter dwarves are renowned for their metal and stoneworks. With the possible exception of the Minotaur Isles, hill dwarves can be found nearly anywhere on Ansalon.

HILL DWARF RACIAL TRAITS

Hill dwarves have all the dwarven racial traits, except as follows:

• Automatic Languages: Common, Dwarven. Bonus Languages: Elven, Goblin, Ogre.

MOUNTAIN DWARVES

While hill dwarves are most commonly encountered by other races, they are only a small percentage of the entire dwarven race. The mountain dwarves of Ansalon consider themselves the true dwarves of Krynn. Among the mountain dwarves are the noble clans that were established thousands of years ago. In the depths of Thorbardin dwell the royal clan of the Hylar, the spiritual Daewar, the erratic Klar, the treacherous Theiwar, and the ruthless Daergar. At the height of their glory, mountain dwarves controlled three kingdoms and were considered a major force of trade on the continent, forging trade agreements with the nations of Solamnia, Ergoth, Qualinesti, and Istar. It wasn't until the Kingpriests of Istar began to impose their laws upon all the people of Ansalon that the dwarves closed their doors to the world. However, nothing could save them from the Cataclysm.

With the fall of the fiery mountain from the heavens, the kingdom of Thoradin was destroyed, leaving the Theiwar clan to suffer alone. Under Thorbardin, the mountain clans remained safe from the hazards of the Cataclysm, but they could not escape each other. Civil war erupted between the clans, lasting decades. Even the peace following the War of the Lance only lasted until the Chaos War. Then the kingdom under the mountain erupted into a war that destroyed the ancient cities of the dwarves and reduced the population to a fraction of what it once was. The only mountain dwarf kingdom to survive relatively unscathed is the kingdom of Kayolin beneath the Garnet Mountains of Solamnia.

Mountain dwarves typically stand between 4 and 4 1/2 feet tall and nearly as wide. The dwarves of the Daewar clan are among the tallest, some even standing over 5 feet in height. Daewar dwarves often have golden hair and lustrous braided beards. Of all the dwarves, they are the most vain and prefer to wear fine clothes of bright colors. The Hylar also prefer to where fine clothes to demonstrate their noble status among their people, but colors are muted compared to the flashy Daewar. Typically, Hylar hair color ranges from sandy-blonde to dark brown. They often style their hair into complex patterns and keep it clean and brushed.

This is in stark contrast to the Klar clan that prefers to let their hair rest where it may in wild tufts. The Klar have been known to tie trinkets into their beards, such as beads or even the bones of enemies. The dwarves of the Klar clan wear tough, simple wool clothing that can resist the wear and tear of the physical labor they often perform.

Mountain dwarves are generally gruff and possess shrewd minds. When it comes to their people, they are fiercely devoted to clan first and then to all mountain dwarves. They are willing to defend their homes to the death and are some are literally raised with hammers in their hands. They see the world as a creation of the god Reorx - something to be revered and crafted into shape by skilled hands. To outsiders, mountain dwarves appear introverted. Most prefer to dwell apart from the world, below the surface, never seeing the light of day. Although they can make steadfast trading partners, mountain dwarves rarely stray far from their mountain home. Among the Hylar and Daewar, a good day's work should yield riches and wealth. They work hard, so they deserve the best. Mountain dwarves appreciate the finer things in life and are not ashamed to flaunt it. Unlike hill dwarves, they are not modest and dress as regally as they can afford. This display of wealth, their success in industry, and secrecy of their mountain home are reasons many folk believe dwarves hide mountains of gold in their underground kingdoms.

The Hylar are the most outgoing of the mountain dwarf clans. They and the Daewar have more experience with the surface world than other clans. Honor, respect, and tradition are the tools by which a Hylar views the world. If a nation fails to respect its people or fails to honor its pledges, they are unworthy of trade or association. Among their own kind, the Hylar can be bit self-righteous, but other races find them to be rough and no-nonsense. The Hylar are considered the most noble of the dwarven clans.

When they are not suffering from problems within their own clan or withdrawn into their mountain city, the Daewar dwarves are actively seeking trade with all who will trade with them. Worship of their gods and industry are indistinguishable. The Daewar live to give shape and purpose from raw substance and further the concepts of trade and engineering. Daewar priests work the forges day and night, showing their faith by the hours spent working. Warriors sing dwarven chants to the gods as they meet their enemy on the battlefield. "May their hearts and pockets be rich," is a prayer many Daewar merchants often utter before every sale. They are a spiritual people and honor those who respect them and their beliefs. Intense and loud, the golden-haired Daewar are often easy to recognize.

The wild Klar are natural explorers. Unlike many other dwarves, Klar have a knack for dealing with the natural wonders of the world, especially plants and animals. Even so, few Klar are willing travel far beyond their mountain home, preferring instead to explore the details of their own mountains before looking to the world beyond. However, a touch of insanity is prevalent in the Klar clan, and has produced some odd dwarves. Some have willingly left to make their fortune in the surfaceworld or even taken up the art of wizardry.

A mountain dwarf's life revolves around his clan and his place within it. Each clan is led by a Thane who represents his clan's interests on the Council of Thanes. The original Council was established to be the ruling body of all dwarves upon Ansalon, but now each dwarven kingdom has its own Council.

In Thobardin, there are nine chairs on the Council of Thanes, one for each clan of seven clans, a chair for the Kingdom of the Dead - a nation of honored ancestors who have passed on before and the adopted clan of all dwarven clerics - and a chair for the High King of the dwarves. The High King of Thorbardin is the dwarf who rightfully claims the Hammer of Kharas. Without it, a dwarf may claim sovereignty, but he will never be accepted by all the clans as the true ruler.

MOUNTAIN DWARF RACIAL TRAITS

Mountain dwarves have all the dwarven racial traits, except as follows:

• Dexterity -2, Constitution +2. Mountain dwarves are less agile than their hill dwarf cousins. They are just as durable, however, and far more sociable.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Dwarven. Bonus Languages: Gnome, Hammertalk, Ogre.

DARK DWARVES

From the lightless depths of the dwarven kingdoms, the dark dwarves of Ansalon plot and scheme against the clans of their light-loving brothers and against each other. The dark dwarves of Ansalon come from one of three tribes: the Theiwar, Daergar, or Zhakar. Dark dwarves struggle for power below, and sometimes above, the surface of Ansalon, with each clan doing so in their own unique way.

The Daergar are similar to their light-loving cousins in appearance. They range from 4 to 4 1/2 feet in height and are often nearly as wide as they are tall. Hair color ranges from light brown to black; their eyes cover the same spectrum of color.

The Theiwar, through centures of inbreeding and isolation, have developed two interesting physical traits. First, they are extremely fair, with many true albinos among their number. Second, while they are roughly the same height as other dwarves, they tend to be somewhat skinny and are more wiry than their bretheren.

A Zhakar begins his life looking as any other dwarf. However, as his life progress, the mold plague carried by his clan changes his appearance to something considered grotesque by other dwarves. By middle age, all of the Zhakar's hair will have fallen out, and his eyes will have become a milky-white. His skin will be discolored and splotchy, with odd patches of skin that molt continuously. Not enough time has passed since Severus Stonehand cured some of the Zhakar of their plague to know what impact this will have on the the clan and their appearance.

Dark dwarves are naturally suspicious of others. They tend to keep to themselves and only surrender information when they feel it is necessary; trust is almost an alien concept. Dark dwarves trust only the backstabbing nature they see in every race. They usually only interact with other races if they feel they can gain something in the exchange. If a dark dwarf saves a companion in a fight, it just means the dwarf has other uses for that person.

Dark dwarves are quite aware of how other races view them; this is part of what defines the dark dwarf personality and their drive for power. They automatically assume everyone fears them and will try to use this to their advantage. When presented with a situation that defies this logic, dark dwarves assume there must be some hidden motive for others to consider them less than evil.

Daergar are often loud and demanding. In Daergar settlements, many disputes are settled in short violent encounters. Even if a dark dwarf is not the leader in a party, he acts as if he is and gives orders, instead of asking others what they believe to be the best course of action.

The Theiwar and Daergar clans each have Thanes who represent them on Thorbardin's Council of Thanes before the High King. While most Theiwar and Daergar say they would follow the High King of Thorbardin, none have made any such commitment to the dwarven King elected by the Council. Regardless of the pledges their Thanes may make, however, there is always some dark dwarf faction willing to betray anyone at any time.

Among the Theiwar, the position of Thane is potentially the most dangerous. Theiwar Thanes come to power by assassinating their predecessors. However, the current Thane, Brecha Quickspring, took the reigns of power from her father when he perished during the Chaos War. Thane Brecha is loyal, for a Theiwar, to the current High King Jungor Stonesinger. Instrumental in assisting the Hylar attain power, Brecha is in a position of power no other Theiwar has ever attained.

The Daergar clan respect strength, so to no surprise, their Thane is normally determined in a trial by combat. However, the current thane, Sleram Axedelver, did not reach his position in this manner. He was appointed by the current High King for his loyalty to the crown. Many Daergar are infuriated with this assignment, and it won't be long before new Daergar Thane will be challenged.

Among the Zhakar, there is no Thane. The position of king was held by whoever had the most influence over the various factions within the community. Now that the clan has been scattered, there is no central ruler. Various family groups work independently of one another. The largest group of Zhakar outside Thoradin is lead by a dwarf known as Lord Brule Vaportwist. He is a cruel military leader who has protected many of his people against the invasion of Severus Stonehand. Working alongside Lord Vaportwist is a mysterious Zhakar dwarf known as Coal Flamebringer, also known as the Bringer of the Black Flame. The Flamebringer and his followers worship a great fiery worm-like creature that dwells in the depths of Thoradin.

DARK DWARF RACIAL TRAITS

Dark Dwarves have all the dwarven racial traits, except as follows:

• +2 Constitution, -4 Charisma. Dark Dwarves possess the toughness and stamina of dwarves, but are sullen and reserved.

• Darkvision out to 120 feet.

• +2 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, and Move Silently checks. Dark dwarves are skilled in skulking in the darkness, and make excellent spies.

• Light Sensitivity: Dark dwarves take a -2 circumstance penalty on attack roles, saves, and checks in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Dwarven. Bonus Languages: Gnome, Hammertalk, Ogre.

• Favored Class: Rogue.

GULLY DWARVES

Gully dwarves are a race many scholars consider to be the lowest form of sentient life. They are considered members of the dwarven race. Among the dwarves, their clan name is Aghar, meaning "Anguished", a sentiment many true dwarves feel this race embodies. Most races know them as gully dwarves. Dirty, smelly, socially inept, and natural scavengers, the dwarves of the Aghar clan are rarely seen in public, unless they have been put into the service of someone brave enough to use them. Occasionally, the rare gully dwarf climbs out of his or her dung heap in order to start an adventuring career.

Gully dwarves are short and squat, averaging 3 1/2 to 4 feet in height. They are not as stocky as other dwarves, with slender arms and fingers. Most gully dwarves, regardless of gender, have potbellies. Skin tones range from pasty, pale white to dirty gray brown. Eye colors run from a pale watery blue to dull hazel. Males have long, scruffy beards, while females have small tufts of hair on their cheekbones. A gully dwarf will dress in anything, or nothing at all, depending on what is available. Warts and sores cover a good portion of a gully dwarf's body; a thin coat of filth is always present.

Survival lies at the core of a gully dwarf personality; everything hinges on living one more day. Gully dwarves are very alert and observant. They pride themselves on their abilities and are quick to point out when they do something right. They are also incredibly stupid, which hampers their ability to understand complex situations. When things are not going their way or if they are at fault, gully dwarves are quick to grovel and ask for forgiveness. Gully dwarves are not afraid of getting dirty or trying new things. They are naturally curious creatures, and they will often try something others may find disgusting or dangerous. Gully dwarves are wise in a way that help them preserve their lives, but intellectually, they often fail to work out the logistics of cause and effect before it is too late.

The greater Aghar clan is split into a number of different tribes. Each tribe has its own leader whose name is the specific tribe's name with "High" added to the front, such as Highbulp of the Bulp clan or Highglorp of the Glorp clan. While the High Chief of Thorbardin serves as the Thane on the Council of Thanes, he does not represent all the tribes across Ansalon. It is doubtful that many of the tribes outside of Thorbardin even know of the place. Each High Chief is usually any gully dwarf who asserts himself and can build up enough support from friends and family. Once a High Chief has been established, their rule is law. Very rarely has a female gully dwarf become leader of a tribe.

Each High Chief is different and has his own agenda; most of the time it simply includes making sure he is fat, safe, rich, and happy. Secondary considerations are caring for the tribe and making sure they know how to make the High Chief fat, safe, rich, and happy.

GULLY DWARF RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -4 Intelligence, -4 Charisma. Gully Dwarves are surprisingly nimble and can thrive under conditions which would kill others. Their survival instincts enable them to prosper in dangerous regions. They are sadly lacking in both intellect and social graces. An ability score reduced to 2 or less by racial modifiers is instead given a value of 3.

• Small: As Small creatures, gully dwarves gain a +1 size bonus on attack rolls and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks; however, they must use smaller weapons than humans, and their lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of Medium creatures.

• A gully dwarf's base land speed is 20 ft.

• Survival Instinct: Gully dwarves are driven to survive. They receive a +2 racial bonus on Hide, Move Silently, and Survival checks. Gully dwarves may use Survival checks to forage for food and basic necessities, even in cities.

• Hardy: Gully dwarves are resistant to the effects of disease and poison, receiving a +2 racial bonus on Fortitude saves to resist the effects of poison and disease.

• Pitiable: Gully dwarf diplomacy consists of flattery, begging, crying, cringing, and pleading. They've honed this ability to a fine art. Gully dwarves receive a +4 racial bonus on Diplomacy checks used to convince an enemy not to harm them.

• Cowardly: Gully dwarves are extremely susceptible to Intimidation and fear effects. They suffer a -4 penalty on level checks to resist Intimidation checks made against them and on saving throws against fear effects.

• Automatic Languages: Gullytalk, Common. Bonus Languages: None.

• Favored Class: Rogue.

HALF-DWARVES

Half-dwarves are very rare on Ansalon. The most common half-dwarves come from the hill dwarves, as the Neidar have the most contact with the outside world. The more distrustful mountain dwarves generally have less inclination to interact with non-dwarves on a personal level, and thus matings of Hylar, Daewar, and Klar outside of the race hardly exist. Living deep within the mountains, dark dwarves rarely interact with non-Daergar and non-Theiwar, leading to little chance of a half-dwarf. For the opposite reason, half-gully dwarves simply do not exist, as very few non-gully dwarves would ever view them as potential mating partners.

Half-dwarves often look very similar to their dwarven parent, though they are taller and not as stocky. They usually stand between 5 and 5 1/2 feet tall. Depending on parentage, hair color can range from dark blonde to black; eyes can be any color, from blue to hazel to black. Most male half-dwarves will have a beard of some kind. Only those attempting to deny their dwarven heritage will be clean-shaven. Half-dwarves will dress in the style of the community in which they were raised.

They are stockier, broader in the shoulders and hips, with a tendency towards shorter legs and wider faces when compared to humans. Half-dwarves inherit the ethnic traits of their human parent; a half-dwarf with a Solamnic parent is fair-skinned, while a half-dwarf with an Ergothian parent is much darker. Half-dwarves may pass as dwarves with a +8 bonus to Disguise checks, but they are usually too tall and human-like to fool their dwarven kin.

A half-dwarf will often assume the role of hardy adventurer. If he has been around dwarves, he will try to live up to the ideal standards of dwarven character. If he has never seen or been around dwarves much, he will often take this stereotype to the extreme, making himself in what he sees as the typical dwarven personality. Many adopt dwarf mannerisms, skills, and weapons with ease, proudly brandishing an axe as an identifying characteristic. Others instead go completely the other way and seem more human than even other humans.

Half-dwarves often appear as either too-short humans or too-tall dwarves, and their behavior falls in between the two as well. He is a stalwart friend and companion, and he can be relied on in dangerous situations. Gruff and steadfast, he will support the party through the toughest time. A half-dwarf does not actively seek out danger, and he tempers the party's enthusiasm for new things with a down-to-earth realism.

The combination of dwarven and human characteristics affect his non-adventuring life as well. Half-dwarves in human communities have a reputation for crafting and mining superior to their human neighbors. In dwarven lands, half-dwarves are used as messengers and diplomats, as their human heritage gives them an advantage in dealing with the unknown.

There are no significant half-dwarven leaders, as there are very few half-dwarves. This does not mean that there never can be. If more half-dwarves appear after the War of Souls, a half-dwarven leader could emerge to help bring dwarves and humans closer together.

Half-dwarves do not have their own communities. They are equally likely to exist in dwarven and human communities. Many human communities would accept a half-dwarf as easily as a half-elf or half-kender. Half-dwarves must find comfort in families or groups where difference is not treated with fear or contempt. Hill dwarf communities generally accept half-dwarves, though the dwarven parent may be shunned for raising a half-dwarf. Half-dwarves of dwarven mothers are often forced to live on their own, as they can be cast out as unfit dwarves. This fate is more likely to come to non-Neidar half-dwarves.

HALF-DWARF RACIAL TRAITS

• Humanoid (dwarf): Half-dwarves are humanoids with the dwarf subtype.

• Medium size.

• A half-dwarf's base land speed is 30 feet.

• Darkvision out to 60 feet.

• Weapon Familiarity: Half-dwarves have the same weapon familiarity as dwarves.

• +2 racial bonus on Craft and Appraise checks. Half-dwarves inherit the dwarf's keen eye for craftsmanship, and their human heritage expands this to more than just stone and metal.

• Stability: A half-dwarf gains a +2 bonus on ability checks made to resist being bull rushed or tripped when standing firmly on the ground. Though not as stocky as their dwarf parents, half-dwarves still have a lower center of gravity than humans.

• +1 racial bonus on saving throws against poison.

• +1 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Dwarven. Bonus Languages: Any. Half-dwarves often take up their human parent's regional language as a bonus language.

• Favored Class: Any. When determining whether a multiclass half-dwarf takes an experience penalty, his highest-level class does not count.

KAGONESTI

Truly Children of the Wood, the Kagonesti, of all the different varieties of elves, are the most at home in the deep wilderness. Their lifestyle has changed little in four thousand years of elven civilization.

Kagonesti look the least like the stereotypical elf. They tend to be shorter in stature but more muscular than other elves. Their skin is usually a rich brown - darker than their more civilized cousins - ranging from the hue of honeystained oak to the deep bronze of weathered mahogany.

Their hair is often darker than other elves' as well, with shades from the silky red-black of ironwood to the sandy tan of pine. Some Kagonesti have been known to have silvery white hair, starkly contrasting with their darker complexion. Many women wear their hair in a long single braid, a fashion popularized by Kerianseray. Their eyes are almost always the brown of hazel nuts. Their faces tend to be more weathered than other elves, a consequence of spending so many years in the elements. Despite this, even the most rugged and weather-beaten Kagonesti face appears the very picture of perfection compared to most humans.

Kagonesti frequently decorate themselves with body art. They love designs inspired by life in their native forests, and they often fuse geometric patterns with smooth organic shapes. The geometric shapes are usually surrounded by stylized vines, leaves, or indistinct long flowing strokes suggesting life; this symbolizes to them that artificial constructs, whether manufactured buildings or cultures and societies, can never truly escape their natural roots. Sometimes these designs are applied temporarily using natural dyes and inks. Other times, they are permanent tattoos. They serve purposes ranging from simple vanity to deep spiritual expression. Most who receive body art favor the forearms, the back, and the face, but the entire body is a potential canvas for a skilled Kagonesti tattoo artist.

Typical Kagonesti clothing consists of sturdy buckskin or other leather, but it is far from primitive. Kagonesti tanners often embroider intricate patterns into the material, usually a combination of geometric designs surrounded by smooth, organic lines inspired by the natural world, similar to the designs used in Kagonesti body art. An elaborately embroidered sleeveless leather tunic is very common among Kagonesti, often adorned with heavy fringe and closed by a leather belt either tied or clasped with a silver buckle. Both sexes typically wear leather or linen leggings and supple deerskin boots. In colder months, they might add a long sleeved shirt of linen or silk under the tunic and don fur-lined oilskin cloaks to keep warm and dry. Kagonesti often add feathers and jewelry made from silver and semiprecious stones; some believe these to be talismans, warding off danger. Sturdy leather bracelets or laced bracers are nearly ubiquitous among the archery-loving Kagonesti.

When dressing for comfort rather than ruggedness, Kagonesti usually wear loose, airy blouses and trousers of linen and silk. Kagonesti men and women wear similar loose-fitting tops and frequently go barefoot. When attending joyful communal celebrations, some Kagonesti women will wear colorfully dyed and embroidered skirts rather than leggings.

In many ways, Kagonesti are the variety of elf most similar to humans psychologically. Kagonesti tend to be impulsive, quicker to act on their emotions than their more circumspect kin; many Qualinesti and Silvanesti find them little better than humans in this regard. The Kagonesti are less likely to take the long view - sometimes to their benefit, other times not. Given the chance, a Kagonesti might kill an enemy soldier occupying his forest, where as a Qualinesti or Silvanesti might first ponder the political and military consequences. Wounding a Kagonesti's pride is a very dangerous thing for anyone to do, especially an outsider.

Stubbornness is another trait shared by most Kagonesti. It's said by some that there are only two creatures more obstinate - a drunken dwarf and a sober ogre. This trait has helped the Kagonesti immeasurably during the past seventy terrible years of their history, as enslavement by their elven cousins and domination of their homeland by Gellidus threatened to wipe their culture and society out of existence; they dug in their heels and refused to fold. On the other hand, individual Kagonesti with this trait sometimes find themselves in over their heads.

Kagonesti often have a more pragmatic moral outlook than the Qualinesti and Silvanesti. Sometimes willing to let the ends justify the means, Kagonesti are less likely than other elves to have a problem with committing violence against their enemies. Many of the elves' human allies, who sometimes bristle at the Qualinesti's unwillingness to bend their principles to get the job done, find kindred spirits in the Kagonesti.

An intensely spiritual outlook on life is very common among the Kagonesti. Living so close to their forests, they don't see nature as a gift from the gods; rather, they believe it is a manifestation of the gods themselves. Animistic beliefs have blended with respect for the gods manifested as the natural world. As such, Kagonesti have a sense of relationship to Krynn - it is simultaneously their mother, their brother, and their ward. See Religion for more details.

Nearly every Kagonesti on Ansalon can be described as suspicious. For thousands of years, this was simply the natural xenophobia of a primitive people fending for themselves. In recent decades, however, enemies ranging from the servants of the Dark Queen to titanic dragons and their own flesh and blood have conquered them, slaughtered them, and enslaved them. In the minds of most Kagonesti, suspicion of outsiders is not a flaw to be overcome but a necessary tool of survival.

Kagonesti tend to live in small, isolated communities scattered across the continent. As such, they have no institutions that supersede the importance of the family. This is even more relevant now that most Kagonesti are in exile, either in Khur with Gilthas Pathfinder or individually in the Diaspora, trying to survive alone somewhere on Ansalon. The tragedies that have befallen the Kagonesti since the War of the Lance have most often strengthened their familial bonds rather than weakened them. Their families are the only people the Kagonesti can truly count on to stand with them and defend them to the bitter end.

Kagonesti families generally prefer to live together in groups called clans. The clans take on nature-inspired names such as White Osprey (the clan of Kerianseray the famed Lioness). Often, Kagonesti clan communities are small; rarely do more than one hundred elves live in the same village. Those in exile try to make the best of it; Kagonesti clan communities have formed within the Pathfinder's refugee camp in Khur, and Kagonesti band together where they can in the ghettos of strange towns and cities far from home. Clans are led by elders who also carry the title Pathfinder, a title passed down from Kagonos Pathfinder. The title is used somewhat loosely; clan elders as well as the chief elder bear it.

KAGONESTI RACIAL TRAITS

Kagonesti have all the elven racial traits, except as follows:

• +2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence. Kagonesti are shorter but more muscular than other elves, with a tendency to focus upon the physical over the cerebral.

• Elvensight: Krynnish elves have low-light vision and can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these circumstances. Elvensight also includes darkvision up to 30 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight.

• Weapon Proficiency: Kagonesti elves receive free a Simple Weapon Proficiency feat with the spear, short spear, longspear and Martial Weapon Proficiency feats with the short sword, shortbow (including composite shortbow), and longbow (including composite longbow). Kagonesti are hunters and warriors, so all Kagonesti are familiar with these weapons.

• +1 racial bonus on Knowledge (nature) and Survival checks. At home in the forest, the Kagonesti possess an intimate understanding of the ways of nature.

• Automatic Languages: Elven, Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Common, Ergot, Gnoll, Goblin, Khurish, Ogre, Solamnic.

• Favored Class: Ranger.

QUALINESTI

An elf of Ansalon is a mixture of contradictions. Each has a wild, primitive side, one seeking unity with the natural world around him; the Kagonesti embrace this. Conversely, there is also a side that aspires to learn, create, and raise mortal civilization to new heights; the Silvanesti have taken that mantle.

The Qualinesti have taken what could be considered the middle path, but in truth, it's much more than simply an amalgamation of Silvanesti cultural refinement with Kagonesti conscience. The Qualinesti represent the progressive side of elvendom and are more willing to engage the wider world than other elven nations.

Qualinesti tend to be a shade taller and noticeably slighter than their Kagonesti brethren. Their build is willowy and graceful with a complexion the light color of sun-bleached oak. Their hair color runs from a rich walnut to the golden of autumn aspen leaves and is, almost without exception, thick and full. Before the tragedy of Qualinost and the nation's subsequent exile, many Qualinesti women wore their long hair in luxurious and complex braids. Now, however, with the vast majority of Qualinesti in exile in Khur, practicality has led to more utilitarian hairstyles for both sexes. Qualinesti facial features are fine and delicate, with high cheekbones and sharp, piercing eyes of chestnut brown or sky blue.

Qualinesti dress is designed to be functional yet beautiful, with men favoring woven trousers and jerkins. Women once preferred long dresses or skirts with a form-fitting bodice, but after the exile to Khur, they have begun to dress with more practicality in mind. In the deserts of Khur, both sexes add a geb, a white robe-like garment of Khurish origin, in order to ward off the heat of the sun. Browns, muted greens, and other rich earth tones dominate Qualinesti traditional dress. The clothing of both sexes is generally plainer than the clothes the Kagonesti wear - there's less intricate embroidery, except in formalwear, which is extravagantly decorated with all manner of patterns.

When dressing for function, Qualinesti prefer rugged leathers similar to those worn by the Kagonesti. A buckskin tunic and leggings with stout boots and hardened leather armor is common for Qualinesti scouts. Qualinesti warriors will add metal armor: elven chain for lightly armored warriors, high quality full plate and mail for heavy troops.

Both Qualinesti men and women wear jewelry. Earrings are extremely common among women, and some men wear them as well. Bracelets, necklaces, and pendants are also frequently worn by both sexes. For formal occasions, women will wear tiaras, circlets, coronets, ornate barrettes, and other ornamentation in their hair. Unfortunately, this sort of formality has become rare since the fall of Qualinost.

Qualinesti psychology is difficult to summarize. As a group, they are not as stubborn as the Kagonesti, nor as arrogant as the Silvanesti, but they show hints of both traits. They are not as suspicious as the Kagonesti, nor as xenophobic as the Silvanesti, but at times, they can demonstrate both.

Generally, the Qualinesti are a principled people. Most believe good must be pursued in all cases, that innocents must never be harmed, and the end never justifies the means. They are willing to fight for causes right and just; Laurana the Golden General, a Qualinesti princess, led the Whitestone forces against the Dragonarmies in the War of the Lance. They aided, at least in a small way, human refugees from Abanasinia fleeing the Red Dragonarmy as it approached Qualinesti by providing them sanctuary as they escaped.

Qualinesti tend to have an air of superiority and arrogance, though not to the same extent as the Silvanesti. Most are convinced that their culture and social structure are far more advanced than those of any other race. This trait overwhelmed their principles when, during their sojourn in Southern Ergoth, they took a great many Kagonesti prisoners in order to civilize the barbarians. This sad state of affairs lasted until the destruction of Qualinost and the resulting exile, and many Qualinesti still don't believe that it was wrong to try, still believing their Kagonesti cousins to be in need of aid and education.

Qualinesti have historically been isolationists. They allowed no non-elf to enter their lands mistakenly; uninvited guests in the Qualinesti Forest were removed - sometimes gently, sometimes not. They ferociously defended the borders of their forest, retreating only twice, both times when faced by certain defeat - once against Verminaard and his Red Dragonarmy, and the other against Beryl the green Dragon Overlord. However, the isolationism has not historically gone as far as outright xenophobia; the Qualinesti have typically been the most open of all elven nations, commonly sending traders, scholars, and adventurers out into the world. Dozens of Qualinesti wizards have enjoyed successful careers in the Orders of High Sorcery, traveling all over Ansalon. Of course, in this era of exile, isolationism is no longer an option for Qualinesti culture; this has been a painful transition for many.

Modern Qualinesti are often quite emotionally scarred. Almost every Qualinesti on Ansalon lost a loved one in the disaster at Qualinost; many lost their entire families. Nalis Aren, the Lake of Death, is an irremovable splinter in the psyches of most Qualinesti; their once-beautiful capital city, which stood as a bastion of beauty and learning and a pinnacle of mortal civilization for thousands of years, is now a fetid pool, filled with the decaying corpses of a dragon overlord and thousands of her victims. Most say it's still haunted by the ghosts of those who died there. With such a huge part of their cultural identity torn violently away, severe depression, malaise, and despair, once almost unknown among elves, have become common among the Qualinesti.

Among elven cultures, Qualinesti is the nation with the most variance between individuals. Any generalization made about the psychology of the Qualinesti is bound to be somewhat off the mark for many.

Qualinesti social and institutional structures have been modeled loosely on that of the Silvanesti. Qualinesti's founder Kith-Kanan, a prince of Silvanesti, brought many of the conventions of Silvanesti social structure with him, including a caste system and a hereditary patriarchal monarchy. These traditions and institutions will undoubtedly change as they forge a new place in the world.

The leader of the Qualinesti is known as the Speaker of the Sun. Although elves typically do not use the term "king," the office is in most ways indistinguishable from that of a traditional human monarch. It has always been held by a direct descendant, usually in the male line, of the great Kith-Kanan and is currently held by Gilthas, son of Laurana the Golden General and Tanis Half-Elven. Gilthas is not universally loved; he is one quarter human, and this mixed bloodline causes some Qualinesti to mistrust him.

The Speaker rules alongside the Senate, the Thalas-Enthia. The role and power of the Speaker versus the Thalas-Enthia is only loosely defined, relying on tradition rather than statute to define the powers of each; traditionally, the Thalas-Enthia has served in an advisory role for the Speaker, but there have been instances in the past of a particularly strong senator temporarily tipping the balance of power in favor of the Thalas-Enthia. During the current exile, the Thalas-Enthia has become nearly irrelevant.

The Qualinesti have a house-based caste system as the Silvanesti do, but it is far less rigid and hierarchical - and far less important - than that of their eastern cousins. Qualinesti houses bear a great deal of resemblance to trade guilds, and mobility between houses is common; a Qualinesti with a talent for jewelry-making might be invited to join House Gemcutter, even though his family is traditionally of House Celestial, for instance. Even among the nobility, very little of a Qualinesti's reputation and prestige is wrapped up in house membership, and most Qualinesti commoners ignore the house system altogether.

QUALINESTI RACIAL TRAITS

Qualinesti have all the elven racial traits, except as follows:

• Elvensight: Krynnish elves have low-light vision and can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these circumstances. Elvensight also includes darkvision up to 30 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight.

• +1 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Sense Motive checks. Though they can be as aloof as the Silvanesti, the Qualinesti are more inclined than most elves to deal with other races.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Elven. Bonus Languages: Abanasinian, Dwarven, Ergot, Goblin, Khurish, Ogre, Sylvan.

SILVANESTI

Proud and aloof, the Silvanesti consider themselves to be the first children of the gods, the oldest and wisest mortal race, and the keepers of the pinnacle of mortal civilization. They had grown frustrated with the world and removed themselves from it as much as possible, hoping to maintain the purity of their inherent superiority. Recently, however, Lorac's nightmare, the sylvan shield, and the minotaur invasion have thrown their society into disarray.

Most Silvanesti are taller and slighter than the Qualinesti, noticeably more so than the Kagonesti. The grace and beauty of a Silvanesti is often described as ethereal; while humans and many other races find Kagonesti and Qualinesti elves beautiful, most find the beauty of Silvanesti entrancing and otherworldly. Their skin is the color of white pine, with some even fairer still. Their hair ranges from the light brown of maple to aspenbark white, and it's often worn in long, elaborate braids and arrangements. A few Silvanesti are born with hair the charcoal black of fire-tested firs; Alhana Starbreeze of House Royal is a notable example. Alone among elves, a few very elderly Silvanesti men, even those with undisputedly pure bloodlines, have sometimes been known to grow a thin, wispy beard; this is considered the mark of a man worthy of great respect, and most Silvanesti scoff at other races whose men dare grow beards before they reach the ripe old age of six hundred or so. Silvanesti eyes are usually the rich color of walnut.

Silvanesti dress is designed to showcase luxury. Loose fitting blouses and trousers with suede slippers or boots are the norm for men and a full-length gown or dress for women. Both men and women finish the ensemble with flowing robes and cloaks - even the commoners are fond of such fashion. Both sexes wear a great deal of jewelry; rings, bracelets, earrings, ornately buckled belts, necklaces, pendants, and brooches are common. Women add extensive ornamentation in the hair. However, much of this extravagance had to be left behind when they fled Silvanost at the end of the War of Souls.

When the situation calls for utility, Silvanesti will put away the formalwear and use clothing more in line with what their Qualinesti cousins favor: sturdy leathers for wilderness scouts, utilitarian yet beautiful breeches and shirts with vests for artists, craftsmen, and other workaday Silvanesti, and slightly less ostentatious court clothing for wizards, scholars, and priests.

The Silvanesti are members of the oldest and, by many measures, most advanced civilization on Ansalon. Some of the greatest mages, warriors, and artists ever known on Ansalon have been Silvanesti. The Silvanesti know this and take it to heart, leading to a vast cultural superiority complex. They are among the most arrogant and self-important mortals in existence, and their air of assumed superiority regularly insults those of other races.

The superiority complex carried by most Silvanesti has led them to become intensely isolationist, to the point of xenophobia. For thousands of years, they cut off most contact with the outside world. The Silvanesti zealously guarded their borders, often violently expelling anyone unlucky enough to cross it without permission. In times of war, they were likely to outright kill any non-elf found in their beloved forest. Since the minotaur invasion evicted them from their ancestral lands in the War of Souls, they have been forced to deal with other races far more than any time since the ancient past.

Silvanesti pride and assumptions of superiority have also led to an intense sense of vanity. Before the exile removed the luxury to engage in such things, Silvanesti were extremely fashion conscious, and even to this day, those whose physical perfection is marred by visible scars or disability are sometimes driven to breach the elven taboo against suicide.

Recent history has not been kind to the Silvanesti: their homeland was infested by the Nightmare of Lorac; they were trapped within a life-draining magical shield raised by their mortal enemy Cyan Bloodbane; they were defeated and humiliated by the Dark Knights under Mina, then were occupied, slaughtered, and driven from their ancestral lands by minotaur. This string of defeats has left many Silvanesti bitter. Rather than the depressed malaise suffered by many Qualinesi, Silvanesti have been more likely to react by becoming caustic and angry.

In contrast to the bitterness and anger expressed by some Silvanesti, others have remained undaunted and optimistic. As caretakers of one of the oldest and most advanced civilizations on Ansalon, the Silvanesti have historically been a very confident people. They believe nothing is beyond their grasp as long as they expend enough effort and patience. Lorac Caladon, the Speaker of the Stars during the War of the Lance, personified this confidence when he unsuccessfully attempted to master the dragon orb. Surprisingly, even after being evicted from their lands, the morale of many Silvanesti remains fundamentally strong.

The Silvanesti are quick to anger. Over the millennia, their highly regimented and precise social structures evolved an overdeveloped sense of etiquette and political protocol; offense became easily given and quickly taken. Public airing of grievances and litigation were common ways for Silvanesti from different Houses to resolve disputes. Within the same House, Silvanesti pride sometimes drives escalation of disputes to the point where only a duel can resolve it. While dueling is usually forbidden between members of different houses, two members of the same house can resolve a dispute this way. The antagonists agree on a weapon - usually a rapier, but sometimes a longsword - and fight to the first cut. The duel is meticulously refereed; great care is taken that the fight is not fatal and permanent scarring does not result. Purposely attacking the face or hands, for instance, is grounds for immediate disqualification and disgrace.

Silvanesti society is highly structured and regimented; each member knows her place and is expected to fulfill it. Social structure is dominated by the House system. Silvanesti Houses are groups of families who share the same family vocation, trade, profession, or scholarly expertise. All Silvanesti, from the lowest born ladysmaid to the Speaker of the Stars himself, are members of one of the great Houses. Membership is hereditary; children enter their parents' house upon their birth and remain unless marriage takes them to another. Elves of different houses may only marry with permission of the Speaker of the Stars or a representative of his bureaucracy, at which time one or the other of the couple formally changes houses to match his or her new spouse.

House affiliation is of vital social importance in Silvanesti culture, even during the exile. It determines who one may marry, who one's friends may be, and what one will do with his life. Rank within the House is of importance as well; the head of each House sits on a committee called the Sinthal-Elish or Council of the High. This council serves as official advisors to the Speaker. While each house legally has an equal place on this council, historically House Protector, House Cleric, and House Mystic have vied with each other for dominance and, with it, the ear of the Speaker.

SILVANESTI RACIAL TRAITS

Silvanesti have all the elven racial traits, except as follows:

• +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma. Silvanesti are graceful and cerebral, taking pleasure in beauty and knowledge. They are frail compared to other races, and their arrogance is often abrasive - even to other Silvanesti.

• Elvensight: Krynnish elves have low-light vision and can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these circumstances. Elvensight also includes darkvision up to 30 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight.

• +1 racial bonus on Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft checks. The study of arcane magic is considered the highest calling for a Silvanesti, and all young Silvanesti are given basic instruction in magical theory.

• Automatic Languages: Elven. Bonus Languages: Common, Dwarven, Ergot, Goblin, Kenderspeak, Kharolian, Khurish, Ogre, Sylvan. Note that Silvanesti do not automatically speak the Common trade tongue of Ansalon.

SEA ELVES

In the deep waters of Krynn are the sea elves - the Dargonesti (Deep Elves) and the Dimernesti (Shoal Elves). Sea elves were supposedly created long ago by the Graygem and are every bit as prideful as their cousins on the land.

Both types of sea elves are blue-skinned, with the Dargonesti having dark blue skin and Dimernesti having light blue skin. Hair color for the Dargonesti ranges from blond to dark green, while Dimernesti hair is usually silver. Sea elves are the tallest of the elven races, and while sleek and slender, they are burly compared to their land cousins. Between their fingers and toes, gossemer webbing allows for easier movement through the oceans of Ansalon. Feathered gills just below their pointed ears allow sea elves to breathe underwater. The eye colors of both the Dargonesti and Dimernesti range from the palest blue to deep indigo.

Just as their land-bound cousins, sea elves have an air of arrogance and superiority, but this usually lessens around non-elven folk who they deal with over time. Once their trust is established, sea elves can be steadfast and loyal companions, who have been known to form close relationships with humans and land elves on rare occasions. Otherwise, sea elves look upon non-elves with suspicion and question their motives.

The Dargonesti and Dimernesti are both hot-blooded and passionate about everything they do - not a trait commonly associated with elves. Fiercely independent, they enjoy life to the fullest and work to achieve harmony with their ocean enviroment.

On land, the dry environment and the lack of buoyancy and mobility creates a feeling of panic and discomfort within them. Strong-willed, sea elves will hide this from others for as long as possible, though anybody familiar with their standard behavior underwater will notice the dramatic change overcoming them. They resemble not their graceful cousins but a floundering sea creature.

Both the Dargonesti and Dimernesti elves live in a clanbased society, in which all are considered relatively equal. A powerful soldier of the Dargonesti army is considered equal to a lowly kelp farmer, for example. Due to the flat structure, the only way for a sea elf to rise above their station, at least in Dargonesti society, is to become the patriarch or matriarch of their clan and become a Speaker of the Blood.

Both the Dargonesti and Dimernesti elves have similar political structures to their cousins on the land. A Speaker of the Seas leads the Dimernesti, a matriarchal role handed down through a singular family line. The Speaker rules the shoal elves in all things and governs her people from the ruling city of Dimernost.

The Speaker of the Moons, who historically has been based in the kingdom of Watermere, leads the Dargonesti. In more recent times, the city of Darthalla has appointed its own Speaker and has annexed itself from Watermere, taking the city of Dargonost into its new realm. The Speaker is the true ruler of the Dargonesti but is aided by the Speakers of the Blood, who are the ruling council of elves comprised of the leaders of the individual Dargonesti clans. The Speakers of the Blood govern daily life in the Dargonesti cities, but the Speaker of the Moons can overturn any decision made by the councils.

DARGONESTI RACIAL TRAITS

Dargonesti have all the elven racial traits, except as follows:

• +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma.

• Humanoid (aquatic, elf): Dargonesti are humanoids with the aquatic and elf subtypes. They can breathe underwater, have a base swim speed equal to their base land speed, and gain a +8 racial bonus to Swim checks. Dargonesti do not need to make Swim checks in order to move underwater.

• Elvensight: Krynnish elves have low-light vision and can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these circumstances. Elvensight also includes darkvision up to 30 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight.

• Alternate Form (Su): A Dargonesti can assume the form of a porpoise as a standard action up to three times a day. The Dargonesti may only take this form if in a suitable aquatic environment.

• Spell-like Abilities: Dargonesti with Intelligence scores of 10 or higher gain the following spell-like abilities: 1/day - blur, dancing lights, darkness, and obscuring mist. These abilities have effects as if cast by a sorcerer of the Dargonesti's character level (DC 10 + Int modifier).

• Seasense: Sea elves receive a +2 racial bonus to notice details and peculiarities about water, such as strange pollutants (including poison and diseases), approximate depth, temperature, pressure, and the like. A sea elf can intuit depth much as a human has an instinctive sense of which way is up.

• Surface Sensitivity (Ex): Dargonesti must spend at least 1 hour of every 24 hours underwater. If a Dargonesti has been out of the water for longer than 23 hours, he suffers a -2 circumstance penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, and checks.

• Weapon Proficiency: All sea elves receive free a Simple Weapon Proficiency feat with the longspear, Martial Weapon Proficiency feat with the trident, and Exotic Weapon Proficiency with the net.

• Automatic Languages: Aquan, Dargonesti. Bonus Languages: Common, Dargoi, Dimernesti, Elven, Ergot.

• Favored Class: Fighter.

• Level Adjustment: +2.

DIMERNESTI RACIAL TRAITS

Dimernesti have all the elven racial traits, except as follows:

• +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma.

• Humanoid (aquatic, elf): Dimernesti are humanoids with the aquatic and elf subtypes. They can breathe underwater, have a base swim speed equal to their base land speed, and gain a +8 racial bonus to Swim checks. Dimernesti do not need to make Swim checks in order to move underwater.

• Elvensight: Krynnish elves have low-light vision and can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these circumstances. Elvensight also includes darkvision up to 30 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight.

• Alternate Form (Su): A Dimernesti can assume the form of a sea otter as a standard action up to three times a day. The Dimernesti may only take this form if in a suitable aquatic environment. A sea otter has the statistics of a dire weasel, but with a swim speed of 40 feet, and no attach or blood drain abilities.

• Seasense: Sea elves receive a +2 racial bonus to notice details and peculiarities about water, such as strange pollutants (including poison and diseases), approximate depth, temperature, pressure, and the like. A sea elf can intuit depth much as a human has an instinctive sense of which way is up.

• Surface Sensitivity (Ex): Dimernesti must spend at least 1 hour of every 24 hours underwater. If a Dimernesti has been out of the water for longer than 23 hours, he suffers a -1 circumstance penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, and checks.

• Weapon Proficiency: All sea elves receive free a Simple Weapon Proficiency feat with the longspear, Martial Weapon Proficiency feat with the trident, and Exotic Weapon Proficiency with the net.

• Automatic Languages: Dimernesti, Elven. Bonus Languages: Aquan, Common, Dargoi, Dargonesti, Ergot, Kothian.

• Favored Class: Barbarian.

• Level Adjustment: +1.

HALF-ELVES

Interactions between elves and humans have rarely been happy. From the earliest days after humans and elves awoke on Ansalon, long before the time of Silvanos, humans and elves have clashed. Tragically, these conflicts have sometimes involved the horrific crime of rape; it is used as a weapon to demoralize and demean the enemy populace, other times soldiers having their way with the locals is simply seen as part of the spoils of victory. In either case, in some occasions, a child is born some months later. In these violent cases, the mother is most often, but not always, the elven half of the child's parentage.

Rarer, but not unprecedented, is the union of elf and human based on love rather than force. The elves have strong taboos against mixing bloodlines, and most human communities aren't much more tolerant; thus, many such relationships are kept secret even if the relationship is a committed marriage rather than a brief affair.

Half-elves may inherit some of the best and worst features of each of their parents. Somewhat taller and more muscular than their elven parent, they lack much of grace and beauty of pure elves. Half-elves are usually distinguishable from humans by their pointed ears and somewhat almond-shaped eyes, but these are not enough to allow a half-elf to easily blend with elven society. Any differences existing between half-elves of Qualinesti, Silvanesti, or Kagonesti heritage is debatable and extend only to cultural trappings acquired while growing up. On the other hand, half-elves of sea elf descent are often very distinct, and while they do not have the aquatic traits of their sea elf parent, they retain much of the skin tone and broad upper body that characterizes the Dargonesti and Dimernesti.

Although the stereotype for half-elves is to be conflicted and deal with a lifetime of inner turmoil, this is very often truly the case. It is more common among half-elves raised as elves; they see the world as if it were in slow motion, with the elves in their family taking their time to do anything. Half-elves in human settlements find that humanity lives life for the now, makes important decisions on the spur of the moment, and is otherwise a race of reckless spontaneity. This may or may not be true, but it is difficult for a half-elf to reconcile this with his internal clock.

Half-elves often take the role of the diplomat in any group of which they may be a part. A half-elf is continuously attempting to reconcile their human and elven halves, and as such, he can often see a situation from multiple points of view. However, this dichotomy can also cause a half-elf to be indecisive and hesitant in any dealings with more than one race.

A half-elf lives in the society he was raised, though as an adult, the choice is now his to make. Regardless of the society of which he claims membership, he does his best to remain aware of the cultural mores and occupies any role that suits his skills.

In the past, most half-elves were of Qualinesti heritage and originated in the borderlands of Qualinesti forest, as elves living on the fringes of the woods came into contact - both peaceful and violent - with the humans in neighboring lands. The xenophobia shared by Kagonesti and Silvanesti kept contact between elves and humans to a minimum. In recent years, since the end of the War of Souls, the immense and sudden changes in elven geography and society have seen half-elves born throughout Ansalon and to increasing numbers of Kagonesti and Silvanesti parents.

A child of half-elven and half-human heritage breaks taboos in both cultures. Because the arrival of a child is extremely difficult to keep secret, often the mother flees into exile, in some occasions accompanied by the father, where she and the child can find some degree of anonymity. This has led to a wide dispersion of half-elves across Ansalon.

As they are not a nation unto themselves, half-elves have no real collective identity and no leaders for themselves. However, the leader of the elven refugees in eastern Ansalon is Gilthas Pathfinder, Speaker of the Sun and Stars, who carries one quarter human heritage through his father Tanis Half-Elven, legendary Hero of the Lance. This human blood causes many under his charge to mistrust and actively conspire against him.

Without doubt, the most renowned half-elf leader in Ansalon's history is the aforementioned Tanis Half-Elven. Born after his Qualinesti mother was assaulted by human brigands, he was raised in Qualinesti and attracted the affection of Laurana, daughter of the Speaker of the Sun at the time of the War of the Lance. His adventures are well known, but his life and experiences were beyond extraordinary and hardly typical of the life of a half-elf.

HALF-ELF RACIAL TRAITS

Half-elves have all the half-elven racial traits, except as follows:

• Elvensight: Krynnish elves have low-light vision and can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these circumstances. Elvensight also includes darkvision up to 30 feet. Darkvision is black and white only, but it is otherwise like normal sight.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Elven or local regional language with which they were raised. Bonus Languages: Any (except secret languages).

TINKER GNOMES

The most common type of gnome is the tinker gnome. These are the gnomes of whom common folk tell tales. Most tinker gnomes toil their lives away, working on their Life Quests deep below Mount Nevermind. So for many people, gnomes are considered to be folktales, like pixies and fairies. Children on the mainland of Ansalon are told that strange noises in the forest are the sounds of gnomes creating wondrous fanciful items. Children born on Sancrist know better; they have actually seen some of the wonderful and disastrous inventions created by the little people of Mount Nevermind.

Gnomes average a height of 3 feet and weigh between 45 and 50 pounds. They tend to have walnut-colored skin that darkens with exposure to the sun. Their hair is thin and naturally curly. Young gnomes have hair of silver, red, or light brown, which often turns entirely white by adulthood, although streaks of their original hair color may exist into old age. Gnomish hair is nearly always messy or hastily tied up to get it out of the way. Throughout the ages, it has been determined that hair cutting inventions are best left tested on mannequins or livestock; consequently, gnomes rarely cut their hair. However, it grows rather slowly, and male gnomes tend to only ever grow short curly beards.

Most gnomes have adapted clothing suitable for their experimentation and work. Jumpsuits, leather aprons, and overalls are all common apparel. They try to stay away from clothing that will get caught in turning gears or hamper their movement too much. In every case, these outfits have numerous pockets to hold small tools, paper, writing utensils, small parts, and any other items the gnome may need. Although gnomes dress in simple work clothes most of the time, they make up for it during celebrations and important occasions. They prefer loud flashy colors that make them stand out. As with their inventions, they prefer flash and bang.

Gnomes do not stop to think; they go then think. They resemble bees, tirelessly working, and moving. While they do pause to rest, they are not known for their patience. The ancient gnomish theorist Gneinstein said, "Time stands still for no gnome, unless you involve magic, which is cheating." So things must get done, and the sooner the better. Every gnome understands that it takes a number of times to perfect any process, and once it has been perfected, it's time to improve upon it.

This constant motion can be infuriating to many other races, who fail to comprehend the idea of not stopping to smell the roses once in a while. Tinker gnomes have no need to smell roses; they have invented machines to do that for them. They prefer to categorize the roses, catalog, dissect, and recycle them. This general attitude is often perceived by non-gnomes as a complete lack of social graces. Gnomes don't shake hands; they don't have the time or inclination. They do not make small talk unless it is pertaining to their own interests. Those gnomes who are not from the Sociology Guild are usually ignorant of the etiquette of other cultures and blithely assume that only their own interests matter.

When it comes to intelligence, most gnomes are extremely knowledgeable. They are proud of the knowledge they have collected and always seek a way to work it into their conversations. It makes them feel important to demonstrate their skills. Unfortunately, much of their knowledge is based on unproven theories and assumptions. Ideas such as "Small rocks sink, but really, really big rocks float because the continents and islands stay above water" and "the farther you go up into the sky the less you weigh" are still popular and hotly debated among gnomes.

Gnomes give praise in small doses. Sometimes it may appear as condescension, and in other cases, their praise is always followed by criticism. These backhanded compliments are actually well intended. The gnome is simply trying to improve upon a process. Nothing is ever good enough for a tinker gnome.. In some cases, gnomes have been known to settle with using certain simple tools, such as hammers, screws and pulleys, but this by no means prevents some gnomes from working to improve them in some form or fashion. Bigger is always better in the case of a tinker gnome; to think otherwise is mad.

Gnomish society is comprised of a number of organizations known as guilds. Each guild is centered around a particular generalized area of interest and contributes to the functioning of the society. The Agricultural Guild provides food. The Medical Guild supplies health care. The Acquisitions Guild makes sure each guild has the resources they require and details processes for obtaining and sending those supplies. Over all, there are more than fifty major guilds and a score of smaller ones. Those guilds that have applied sciences tend to see many more applicants than theoretical guilds. Guilds like the Astronomy Guild have relatively few members and do not have much influence in the Grand Council.

The Grand Council is the ruling body of Mount Nevermind. It consists of the leaders of each of the major guilds. These leaders are elected in any number of different ways, depending on the guild. Some are elected through ballots, deliberates, seniority, or contests. Some leadership positions are even hereditary. The Grand Council was established to govern the gnomes and create laws that each guild must obey, but the process and procedure of the council is so complex and lengthy that very few decisions are ever made. Many laws passed are simply ignored. Usually, the individual guild leaders determine how their guild will be governed.

In small communities of gnomes, the government works a little more efficiently, because fewer gnomes are involved in the process. Every guild in town is represented, and each has their say in the matter. The most powerful guild has the most influence, but often, the eldest gnome of the community, who is considered the most learned, has the final say in any matter.

Most gnomes reside within Mount Nevermind on the Isle of Sancrist. It is the largest city of gnomes in Ansalon, with over 50,000 gnomes living within the bowels of a once extinct volcano. The city is thousands of years old and the most technologically advanced on Ansalon. It was once comprised of 35 separate levels, but during the Chaos War, the volcano was brought to life by a fire dragon rampage that entirely destroyed the upper ten levels. Thankfully, much of the city was already evacuated before this occurred. Since that time, the gnomes have been working to repair the damage.

Outside of Mount Nevermind, there are a number of gnomish settlements and communities. Villages are usually hidden away in rugged foothills or other out of the way places, where most folk are not even aware of their existence. These communities are usually fairly small, with just a few hundred gnomes. Most large cities also have a small section of the town allocated for gnomish communities.

TINKER GNOME RACIAL TRAITS

• -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom. Small and skilled with their hands, gnomes tend to be more agile but less physically strong than larger races. With their keen inventiveness, gnomes are extremely intelligent, but they often put the quest for knowledge ahead of any consequences.

• Small: +1 size bonus on attack rolls, +4 size bonus on Hide checks, must use smaller weapons than Medium characters, lifting and carrying limits three-quarters of those of Medium characters.

• A gnome's base land speed is 20 feet.

• Guild Affiliation: At character creation, the gnome character selects a Guild with which he is affiliated. Since there are innumerable guilds, they are broken into three major categories: Craft Guilds (bowyer, blacksmithing, leatherworking, and the like), Technical Guilds (architecture, chemistry, engineering, scriveners, and others), and Sage Guilds (botany, biology, education, mathematics, philosophy, and so on). If the gnome selects a Craft Guild, he gains a +2 racial bonus on all Craft checks. Technically inclined gnomes gain a +2 racial bonus on all Profession checks. Sage gnomes receive a +2 racial bonus on all Knowledge checks.

• +2 racial bonus on Craft (alchemy) and Craft (tinkering) checks. Gnomes have a keen sense of smell that helps them identify noxious substances, and all gnomes are at least somewhat skilled in making something out of disparate pieces.

• +2 racial bonus on Will saves. A gnome is constantly involved in the pursuit of a Life Quest. If the gnome appears constantly distracted from day-to-day matters, the gnome is caught up in thinking, dreaming, or planning his Life Quest. Because of this, it is difficult to sway a gnome from his chosen path.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Gnome. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Ergot, Ogre, Solamnic.

• Favored Class: Any. A gnome's first class (the class he takes as a 1st-level character) is his favored class.

MAD GNOMES

In every society, there are individuals who operate outside of the accepted norm. This is no different for the gnomish race. In gnomish society, these individuals are known as mad gnomes. They are gnomes who repeatedly break or no longer conform to the acceptable customs of society. Following the Chaos War, many more so-called mad gnomes have surfaced in communities outside of Mount Nevermind. Understandably, this has given rise to great concern and conjecture among the gnomish community, as well as a profitable series of lectures.

There are a number of different ways a gnome might become branded a mad gnome. The gnome may continually break the laws of their Guild, sabotage another gnome's Life Quest, persistently display thought processes that do not resonate with gnomish culture (such as believing in Cause and Effect), always creating devices that work and are considered complete, or even displaying no inclination for tinkering or science. In all cases, the gnome is considered damaged in some way.

Throughout the ages, gnomes have tried to institute various programs to assist these gnomes and re-educate them. In some cases, brainwashing has been effective, but the practice fell out of favor when a mad gnome abducted a number of guild leaders and used the same technique to make them believe they were chickens; the deprogramming took months. The mad gnome was never found, although his elaborate and ingenious plan did make the Grand Council think twice about branding him a mad gnome.

When gnomes are officially cast from society, a public trial is held in which the offending gnome is given a chance to speak for himself. Often times, the damage that has been done is irreversible, and the condemned only makes matters worse. In the trial, only the offender's abbreviated name is used. The book containing their full name is reduced to pulp to be recycled. Any inventions the mad gnome created are dismantled for parts. Their guild affiliation is revoked and their Life Quest is either handed down to another member of the family or regrettably left unfinished, which brings great dishonor to the gnome's family and ancestors.

Outside of Mount Nevermind, the process is much less official, and most gnomes simply expel the offending gnome from their community with a gnome flinger and a few choice words.

Mad gnomes look exactly like their tinker gnome cousins, and as any given family could produce both tinker gnomes and mad gnomes, not even a close relative can isolate any specific differences. Mad gnomes - especially those who are given to calling themselves thinkers - are more likely to dress casually. They are more careful as to how they present themselves to the outside world, with far less concern for immediacy.

Gnomes branded as mad gnomes usually react one of two ways. Either they are deeply remorseful for their behavior and saddened at the loss of connection to their community, or they are actually relieved to finally be free to go into the world and act as they wish. In either case, the social restrictions of the gnomish culture have been lifted for this particular character.

Mad gnomes have dreams and aspirations, just like everyone else. Some even continue on their Life Quest without the authorization of their former Guild. Once they have been exiled, most find a place to settle down until they determine how to best proceed. Those gnomes who do not go into hiding often begin businesses in small towns or villages away from other gnomes.

Mad gnomes do not have a society of their own. Most are outcasts from gnome society or choose not to be part of it. They usually live among other races or in seclusion. Some mad gnomes who are cast from Mount Nevermind will occasionally try to make a life in one of the gnomish settlements on the mainland. Unfortunately for the gnome, he is usually discovered and run out of town.

Mad gnomes are more likely to be leaders than tinker gnomes. They are often able to work outside of the normal gnomish mentality and focus their thoughts. Despite this, there are no significant mad gnome leaders, as no tinker gnome would consider following the orders of a mad gnome.

MAD GNOME RACIAL TRAITS

Mad gnomes share all the racial traits of tinker gnomes except as follows:

• +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength. Mad gnomes do not display the feverish creative genius possessed by ordinary gnomes, nor are they as inclined toward acting before thinking.

• Mad gnomes have a +2 racial bonus on Open Lock and Disable Device checks. They possess a greater understanding of small mechanical devices and work on the smaller scale. Mad gnomes can use both the Open Lock and Disable Device skills untrained. This replaces the tinker gnome Guild Affiliation.

• Mad gnomes lose the +2 bonus on Will saves, since Lifequests simply have no real meaning to them anymore.

• Favored Class: Any. When determining whether a multiclass mad gnome takes an experience point penalty, his or her highest-level class does not count. Without the same focus and commitment to a single lifelong career as other gnomes, mad gnomes have reverted to the human quality of adaptability.

WILD GNOMES

The gnomes of the Great Moors of Nordmaar have adapted rapidly to a life of rustic inventiveness and communal living, thanks to the inspirational leadership of Picket, their founder. These gnomes have become highly skilled, if erratic and unpredictable, biological tinkers, producing some of the most bizarre and unexpected plants and creatures on Ansalon.

Wild gnomes range from 3 1/2 to a little over 4 feet in height. They have dark brown skin, usually covered in paints, oils, or herbal poultices. Their hair is naturally white, but they keep it in long ropey dreadlocks or bound up in braids and stiffened with fat or gum. Their eyes are a bright cobalt blue.

Wild gnomes are obsessed with life and living things. Despite their name, they are not barbaric, merely unconcerned with civilization. Wild gnomes are unable to resist tinkering with genetics, hybridizing plants, interbreeding animals, and producing salves, poison, oils, and tinctures from organic sources. This makes them much more sympathetic to nature's inhabitants, although outsiders might view it as indifference.

A wild gnome who meets another creature spends some time studying, sniffing, prodding, and comparing it to other things. Wild gnomes have long discarded any notions of cleanliness or orderly conduct. Wild gnomes tend towards a chaotic alignment and are usually neutral. Very few wild gnomes are evil, only misunderstood.

Wild gnome society is commune-based. They work together, organized under a single leader or group of leaders, but share almost everything and fall naturally into roles matching their talents. They are exclusively rural, in between the somewhat civilized society from which they once came and the tribal existence of the humans who share their lands.

WILD GNOME RACIAL TRAITS

Wild gnomes share all the racial traits of tinker gnomes except as follows:

• -2 Strength, +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma. Wild gnomes are considerably hardier than ordinary gnomes but not as agile and nimble. They are just as intelligent, but while they are slightly more aware than other gnomes, their propensity for treating others as case studies makes them less socially gifted.

• +2 racial bonus on Handle Animal, Knowledge (nature), and Survival checks. This bonus replaces the tinker gnome Guild Affiliation, Craft (alchemy), and Craft (tinkering) bonuses. Wild gnomes are generally more focused in these areas than the broader range of guilds among ordinary gnomes.

• +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison and disease. Wild gnomes have built up a number of resistances to the dangers of their environment.

• Favored Class: Ranger.

HALF-GNOMES

Half-gnomes are exceedingly rare. Few humans or gnomes are even aware that any half-gnomes exist, let alone acknowledge it if they do know. As opposed to some other races, gnomes do not frequently come into conflict with humans, a common origin of many mixed-race individuals. The pairings that have produced children in the past have been most often between a gnome and human who share a similar obsession. Many members of both races find such relationships odd and sometimes scandalous, but intellectual attraction follows no known rules of rationality.

Half-gnomes resemble taller, stockier versions of their gnome parent. Upon adulthood, half-gnomes generally are between 4 1/2 and 5 1/2 feet tall. Male half-gnomes have difficulty growing facial hair; it usually grows patchy and wiry. Most males end up bald by adulthood. Approximately three-quarters of all half-gnomes inherit the coloration of their human parent; the other quarter has typical gnomish coloration and are prematurely gray-haired.

Half-gnomes tend toward one of two extremes; some inherit the obsessive natures of both parents and, perhaps enhanced by the mixed bloodline, develop pathologically obsessive personalities to the point of compulsion. In some cases, half-gnomes need to be assisted in normal living; they will repeatedly forget to perform necessary mundane tasks, such as eating, as they become so fixated on exploring a highly focused object of study.

On the other extreme, some half-gnomes have inherited neither of their parents' intellectualism and are incapable of studying anything to any degree of depth. They drift from one interest to another with no rhyme or reason; today's keen enthusiasm is tomorrow's passing fancy. The unfortunate parents usually have no idea how to deal with such a person and intense familial friction can result.

The personality of a half-gnome is expressed markedly in his actions. A single-minded half-gnome makes his obsession the central focus of his life, which means he ignores events playing out around him unless they have some bearing on his fixation. His jack-of-all-trades kin, on the other hand, is erratic and finds it hard to keep focused on any one task or activity for long, quickly being distracted by new things, finding another approach to something he was already doing, giving up and walking off in search of something else, and so forth.

As with most mortals of mixed race, half-gnomes do not form a distinct nation. A few have lived in Mount Nevermind, more than half of these born to human mothers and gnomish fathers. Outside of Mount Nevermind, a small number of half-gnomes have lived among gnomish communities in Palanthas, Sanction, and Kalaman, where gnomes and humans come into contact and work together.

HALF-GNOME RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom. Half-gnomes share the keen intellect of their parents but have a poor sense of judgment and common sense, due to their extreme obsessions or complete lack of focus.

• Medium: Half-gnomes are larger than standard gnomes.

• A half-gnome's base land speed is 30 feet.

• Single-Minded: One half of all half-gnomes inherit the gnomish obsession with a specific area of expertise or knowledge. These half-gnomes gain a +2 racial bonus on any one skill chosen at 1st level. This skill is always a class skill for the half-gnome, regardless of class, but he must always have more skill ranks in this skill than his character level or incurs a -2 penalty to all other skill checks. A half-gnome with this racial ability does not have the Jack-of-All-Trades racial ability.

• Jack-of-All-Trades: Those half-gnomes who are not born with the gnomish obsession for a specific area of expertise find that they acquire many skills but can never truly master any of them. Half-gnomes with this ability treat all skills as class skills, regardless of class, but they must abide by the cap on skill ranks they would have if they were all cross-class skills (character level +3 divided by two). In addition, half-gnomes with this ability gain a synergy bonus at 3 ranks instead of the standard 5 ranks. This ability replaces the class skill list of a half-gnome's classes. A half-gnome with this racial ability does not have the Single-Minded racial ability.

• +2 racial bonus on Will saving throws. Half-gnomes, whether they are single-minded or hopelessly shallow, are resistant to efforts that sway them from their inclinations.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Gnome. Bonus Languages: Any. Half-gnomes often take their human parent's regional language as a bonus language.

• Favored Class: None. Half-gnomes do not treat any class as a favored class for the purposes of multiclassing, which means they must either remain in one class or sustain a balance between all their classes to avoid a -10% experience point penalty. Singleminded half-gnomes favor the former, while jacks-of-all-trades prefer the latter.

GOBLINS

While the term "goblin" applies to all examples of goblinkind, it is usually used to describe the lesser, common goblin of Krynn. Short in stature but large in number, common goblins make up almost seventy percent of the goblin population on Ansalon, even more on other continents. Although they outnumber their larger cousins, the hobgoblins and bugbears, they are hindered by a racial imperative to remain subservient to them.

A few goblins break out of this groveling mindset, and these are the chieftains and heroes of legend, like Snagglefang, Deathwielder, and Shadowstalker. Predictably, the bards and skalds of humans, elves, and dwarves have never heard of these legendary goblin champions. For the goblins, this is considered more a sign of the other races' ignorance than a sign of their own kind's doomed future. A well-known aphorism among the bards of other races is this: "Set a goblin free, and you free a hundred others." This saying is possibly more prophetic than the bards will ever know.

Common goblins are small, spindly-limbed humanoids with skin ranging from a pale yellow through russet-orange to a dark reddish-purple, depending on climate and other influences. They have dark hair, usually thin and stringy or growing in tufts from their cheeks and chins, and dull red or yellow eyes. Never more than three and 1/2 feet tall, goblins weigh between 40 and 45 pounds and are marked by their pointed ears, sharp fang-like teeth, and swift movement.

Goblins dress in leathers, skinned from any animal they can swarm upon and bring down; some tribes decorate or tattoo their warriors and chieftains with vivid markings or practice ritual scarification. Jewelry, mostly copper or bronze, is favored by females in the form of body-piercings and by males in the form of bracelets, torcs, and trinkets.

Goblins value and respect power and strength. They aspire towards it, although most accept they cannot be powerful and strong themselves. They quickly adopt mob rule and mob mentality when brought together in a large group. This strongly resembles the manner in which wolves move as packs behind a strong leader. By himself, a goblin is more likely to focus on non-group traits, such as survival, cunning, and the use his size and speed to get what he wants. A goblin without a tribe or group often appears to be lost or alone, cut off from society, but in truth many lone goblins are entirely confident.

Goblins skulk, hide, and sneak whenever possible. Outside of combat, they emphasize their smaller size and generally try to remain out of sight or unnoticed. Because they are so used to being bullied or abused by larger creatures, including humans, even the more civilized goblins of Sikk'et Hul are constantly on guard for a smack on the back of the head, a knife in the guts, or something poisonous in the food.

When engaged in a conversation, a goblin speaks rapidly and nervously. Although they are small and forced to look up at their superiors, goblins almost always avert their gaze. There is safety in numbers, so many goblins in social situations will gravitate towards a cluster of other people of similar size. Failing that, they will hover in the shadow of a superior or a stronger character.

In the absence of bugbears or hobgoblins, the strongest and largest of the common goblins rules a tribe. Often leadership is won in combat, whether honorably or through trickery and assassination. Some leaders, called rukras, have been known to slay other strong members of the tribe, especially if they might pose a threat to their leadership. Rukras lead through strength, viciously striking down those who oppose them or who are weak and ill, forcing the tribe to slow down on their constant march. Despite their callousness, the rukras have the best interest of the tribes at heart - food, survival, and staying miles ahead of their enemies.

In mixed-breed communities of goblins, which include the larger subraces, the leader will always be a hobgoblin or bugbear, known as a murza. A murza will sometimes work with existing goblin rukras if the tribe is particularly large, delegating authority. Normally, the sheer difference in size and physical power makes it difficult for any goblin to stand up to the larger goblinoid breeds, so falling into the rukra-murza relationship is quite natural. Goblin tribes that live in mountains are more likely to have bugbear murzas, while goblin tribes living in warmer climates or near hills are more likely to have hobgoblin murzas.

GOBLIN RACIAL TRAITS

• -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma. Goblins are somewhat weak and socially awkward, but nimble and quick.

• Humanoid (goblinoid): Goblins are humanoids with the goblinoid subtype.

• Small: As Small creatures, goblins gain +1 bonus to Armor Class, +1 bonus on attack rolls, +4 bonus on Hide checks, -4 penalty on grapple checks, and lifting and carrying limits 3/4 those of Medium characters.

• A goblin's base land speed is 30 feet.

• Darkvision out to 60 feet.

• +4 racial bonus on Move Silently and Ride checks.

• Automatic Languages: Goblin. Bonus Languages: Common, Dwarven, Elven, Nerakese, Ogre.

• Favored Class: Rogue.

BUGBEARS

The largest and wiliest of goblins are the bugbears, so named by humans because of their hairy pelts and bearlike noses. They have become the worst nightmares of many human settlements in mountainous areas. Aggressive, muscular, and quick, bugbears represent the segment of the goblin population about which the more civilized races - and the goblins of Sikk'et Hul - have the most to be concerned. Unhindered by the strict militaristic dogma of the hobgoblins or the tendency towards groupthink of the common goblins, bugbears are the ideal marauder race.

Bugbears are large, muscular goblins, standing as tall as 7 feet and towering over other goblin races. They are covered in coarse brown, black, or piebald hair; coloration varies greatly even among family groups. Bugbears have the same flattened faces as other goblins, although their ears are even more pronounced, their noses broader and more ursine, and their mouths filled with sharp teeth and tusks. Despite their hulking shapes and awkward gait, bugbears are just as stealthy, swift, and agile as their smaller cousins.

Aggression is the number one bugbear personality trait. It can reach levels of animal-like ferocity at times, especially in bugbear barbarians. Others tend to express it in terms of being possessive, wanting more from life than it gives them, and bullying any creature smaller than they are in order to get what they want. Bugbears will stand up to anyone.

Bugbears are always keen to get into a fight, although unlike other warlike races, such as ogres, they don't rush into conflict. They aren't just violent; they're stealthy, so a bugbear's general attitude towards conflict is to come in from the side and never give their opponent a chance to react. This is true even in social situations; a bugbear will only speak in a direct fashion when making a decision.

When at rest, they seem awkward and uncoordinated. When in motion, however, a bugbear is a frightening display of grace and speed, ignoring three hundred pounds of hair and muscle in the process. Bugbears are savage, almost bestial, but capable of subtle nuances that other races completely miss, because they're still looking for the beast.

The leader of a bugbear tribe is called a murza. These are usually the biggest and meanest of their tribes. Murzas administrate all forms of authority, deciding who the bugbears are going to war with, who they are making deals with, and who is going to be ignored. From time to time, a murza will be challenged by another bugbear. One of the two will win, or if both are evenly matched, the tribe will sometimes split in half. The newer murza spends a great deal of time asserting his new power, and if he has caused a tribal split, he can look forward to weeks of dissent and complaints.

Bugbears who share a tribe with hobgoblins find their leadership styles differ greatly. Usually, if a hobgoblin murza can demonstrate to a bugbear murza that he has either more power or more support than he does, the bugbear murza will accept a lower position of power. Of course, as soon as the hobgoblin displays any weakness, the bugbear will immediately attempt to seize control.

BUGBEAR RACIAL TRAITS

• +4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma.

• Humanoid (goblinoid): Bugbears are humanoids with the goblinoid subtype.

• Medium size.

• A bugbear's base land speed is 30 feet.

• Darkvision out to 60 feet.

• Racial Hit Dice: A bugbear begins with three levels of humanoid, which provide 3d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +2, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +1, Ref +3, and Will +1.

• Racial Skills: A bugbear's humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 6 × (2 + Int modifier). Its class skills are Climb, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, and Spot.

• Racial Feats: A bugbear's humanoid levels give it two feats.

• +4 racial bonus on Move Silently checks.

• +3 natural armor bonus.

• Scent (Ex): A bugbear has a keen sense of smell. He can detect opponents within 30 feet given range (60 feet if the scent is upwind, 15 feet range if it is downwind) and may take a move-equivalent action to determine the direction of a scent. If an odor source is within 5 feet, the bugbear can pinpoint that source. Bugbears can use the scent ability to track an enemy by smell.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Goblin. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Elven, Nerakese, Ogre.

• Favored Class: Rogue.

• Level Adjustment: +1.

HOBGOBLINS

Brawny and militaristic, the hobgoblins of Ansalon occupy a significant place in the heirarchy of goblinkind. They are stronger than the smaller common goblins and more disciplined and organized than their larger bugbear kin.

Hobgoblins thrive on war, terror, and the ever-present impulse within them to oppose all other races. There is hope yet, however, for within their ranks are many independent hobgoblins whose understanding of social networks exceeds their thirst for conquest. Rising out of the hobgoblin war machine, these donek, or renegades, are but one sign of the changing face of goblinkind's strongest breed. The most famous hobgoblin of Ansalon is Lord Toede, the current Mayor of Flotsam and former Dragon Highlord. His situation is somewhat unique; other famous hobgoblins are nowhere near as well known outside of goblin, ogre, and Nerakese circles. The half-giant Ankhar, champion of Hiddukel, consulted with his adopted hobgoblin mother and high priestess, Laka; a line of mighty and brutal hobgoblin kings of Throtl ended in recent years with the disappearance of King Uhkrin. As donek abandon their brutal pasts and seek places among the more civilized goblin tribes, and as huge armies of hobgoblins are splintered by opposition from the Solamnic Knights and their allies, Toede will soon find company in infamy.

Hobgoblins resemble their smaller goblin cousins - flattened facial features, pointed ears, sharpened teeth, foul odor - but they are much stronger and at least as large as an adult male human. They have deep tan to dark red skin, yellow eyes, and black or brown hair. Compared to a human, a hobgoblin is faster and can withstand more punishment. Often clad in heavy leather brigandine or chainmail, hobgoblins favor the appearance of disciplined soldiers and use either the traditional longsword or a keen-bladed axe in battle.

Hobgoblins enjoy structure, order, and an established hierarchy within which to operate. They prefer the vertical rungs of command rather than the horizontal qualities of a team; it is easier to motivate a hobgoblin with promises of promotion, recognition, or reward than it is to reinforce any kind of equity with his peers. Although they favor battle and glory, hobgoblins are almost always honorless fighters. They do not see the value in upholding some kind of higher code, like the Oath and the Measure, and see such things as chains worn by the weak-minded.

Hobgoblins love to fight, debate strategy, and be called on to achieve some kind of objective. When left to his own devices, a hobgoblin bores easily and will pick fights with his inferiors. A hobgoblin in an adventuring party quickly determines where he is in the group's chain of command and will stand between weaker members and their opponents.

Hobgoblin tribes, or auls, are lead by a murza, who surrounds himself with a troupe of bodyguards, assassins, shamanic advisors, and at least one traitor who wishes to see him dead. If bugbears are in the group, many hobgoblins answer to them and not their own murza. If lesser goblins are in a group with the hobgoblins, the murza finds he has an army of willing followers.

HOBGOBLIN RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution.

• Humanoid (goblinoid): Hobgoblins are humanoids with the goblinoid type.

• Medium size.

• A hobgoblin's base land speed is 30 feet.

• Darkvision out to 60 feet.

• +4 racial bonus on Move Silently.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Goblin. Bonus Languages: Camptalk, Dwarven, Elven, Nerakese, Ogre.

• Favored Class: Fighter.

• Level Adjustment: +1.

HALF-GOBLINS

Throughout Krynn's history, goblins and humans have lived in close proximity to each other. Whether by accident or design, a child is occasionally born out of a union of both races. These tortured progeny, if not abandoned at birth to the elements, are raised within cultures that both hate and inspire them. They inherit all the ambition and drive of their human parent and the ferocity and mob mentality of their goblin parent. If left to reach adulthood, the result is a zealous outcast who seeks to right all of the wrongs inflicted on his ancestors. Although some half-goblins rise to positions of power in goblin or human communities, most spend their entire lives trying to convince either race that the future lies with them.

Half-goblins are scrawny, hunched humanoids who share the height and musculature of their human parent and the flattened features, pointed ears, and awkward posture of their goblin parent. Although half-goblin skin tones can vary greatly, most have a reddish or rust-colored tinge to their complexions. Some half-goblins, such as those with bugbear ancestry, are hairy and bulky around the shoulders; those with goblin ancestry are smaller. Half-goblins, while of a similar size to hobgoblins, look quite different; they do not have the sharp teeth of goblins, and their human-looking eyes betray their mixed blood.

Half-goblins are typically confident, self-assured, and filled with a zealous drive to surpass themselves and their heritage. This may strike a curious contrast to their poor Charisma, but in truth, their expression of their own divided bloodline comes across to most others as overbearing, arrogant, or aggressive. This can score them points in societies that value or respect this kind of approach, but most of the civilized races of Ansalon see half-goblins as very obnoxious until they reveal more of themselves.

A half-goblin will see the bigger picture when confronted by a gulf between any two groups, so he pushes the issue whenever the question of taking sides comes up. He will suggest that a compromise can be reached or that both sides must come together to oppose a larger problem.

Half-goblins are larger and less awkward-looking than their goblin cousins, but those who grow up among goblins learn to move as they do - swift, short bursts, followed by sniffing the air and investigating the environment. Half-goblins from human towns or settlements never learn this sort of behavior. Both types of half-goblin are confident, rarely showing any sign of cowardice or even caution. Thus, while they may have the right skills for stealth, most choose not to use it unless there is a need.

Half-goblins find themselves filling leadership positions in tribes of goblins or humans, once they prove the worth of their ambition. Those who acquire status or power may quickly become frustrated. Half-goblins question leadership; they will not simply follow anybody who comes along. At times, a half-goblin will assume temporary control over a party of adventurers or a military unit, simply because it serves the group as a whole. After time, if the old leader is not replaced, the half-goblin makes this temporary role permanent.

HALF-GOBLIN RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Dexterity, -2 Charisma.

• Humanoid (goblinoid): Half-goblins are humanoids with the goblinoid type.

• Medium size.

• A half-goblin's base land speed is 30 feet.

• Darkvision out to 60 feet.

• +2 racial bonus on Bluff and Move Silently checks. Half-goblins inherit their goblin parents' knack for stealth, and most are also adept at fooling others in order to survive to adulthood.

• +4 racial bonus on Will saving throws to resist charm, compulsion, and fear effects. Half-goblins are fiercely resistant to attempts to control and manipulate them.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Goblin. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Elven, Nerakese, Ogre.

• Favored Class: Any. When determining whether a multiclass half-goblin takes an experience penalty, his highest-level class does not count.

KENDER

Kender are the children of the Krynn. They are an adventure-loving, curious, spontaneous race that embodies the youthfulness and lust for life many adventurers share. Their closest relation on other worlds would be halflings, but even halflings cannot compare to a kender's curiosity, fearlessness, or knack for finding trouble.

Almost every kender encountered is in the thrall of wanderlust, an affliction striking kender hard during their late teen and early adult years. Wanderlust causes kender to pick-up and travel the world far and wide in search of one exciting adventure after another. They roam aimlessly and are not known for following orders, unless they believe they came up with the idea themselves or are interested enough in what might happen if they followed that order.

Every race on Krynn has encountered the kender. A kender's curiosity and fearlessness take them to places no sane being would think to go. This includes pockets, private homes, and locked chests. However, the majority of kender are appalled at the thought of stealing. Most true kender do not steal; they handle. Handling is simply the act of picking up an item and examining it out of curiosity. They are often so involved with examining the item that they wander away and forget to return it. To a kender, this makes perfect sense, but to other races, it's just another word for stealing.

Kender typically stand no more than 3 to 4 feet tall, with the males usually being taller than the females. They weigh between 80 and 100 pounds. Adult kender are well muscled, despite being thin and light of build. Kender are sometimes mistaken for young humans, but closer inspection reveals the pointed ears, face wrinkles, and many pouches indicative of kender. Kender find their face wrinkles, also called crow's feet or laugh-lines, highly attractive.

Kender hair color ranges from light blond to deep brown to black with a few sporting red-orange hues. Most kender wear their hair long. The most common hairstyle is the topknot. It's also common among kender nobility to braid their sideburns as a sign of their status.

Kender typically favor bright colors and gaudy apparel that is at the same time rugged and rustic. Most kender add accents to their clothing and weapons by tagging them with ribbons, feathers, beads, or colorful scarves. All kender-made clothing, regardless of what it is, has pockets and lots of them. The staple of all kender outfits, however, is the many pouches. It is rare to see a kender with less than two pouches, though they usually have many more than that.

An old kender proverb goes: "If you find an open door, go inside, and if you find a locked door, open it." Kender are born with the heart of an explorer and an intense curiosity that can not be denied. This leads them to explore every nook and cranny, check behind every door, and snoop in every pocket. Over time, a kender can learn to understand the need for caution in some situations, such as when their friends may be hurt as a direct result of their actions.

Kender are attracted to magic and gadgets like dwarves to ale. Kender are in awe of anything magical; items, spells, and creatures pique a kender's interest, and they can often be found wandering around places rumored to be magical. Gnomes are very fond of kender, because they are fond of anyone who shares an interest in their creations; however, a kender will rarely hang around for the full explanation of an invention's specifications.

Kender do not feel fear, magical or otherwise. In the face of the most intense fear, most kender have stated that they have felt an odd fluttering in their stomach, similar to getting a bad case of indigestion. This is usually enough to let the kender know they are in a perilous situation. They are unaffected by dragon fear, the fear of the undead, and any fear created through magical means. This does not mean that kender are entirely reckless and without a sense of self-preservation, however. The only thing a kender usually fears is the loss of a close friend.

Kender are fiercely independent. This independence, coupled with their fearlessness and irrepressibility, often gets the kender and his companions into trouble. "I know you told me not to open the door with the magical writing on it, but it had such an interesting lock, much like the one my Uncle Lefty had the accident with, and it was much closer than that other ordinary looking door. Sorry about the whole banshee thing, but I think it'll be morning soon and we'll be able to crawl out any time now." The most feared statement any fellow traveler can hear from a kender companion is "Oops!"

Kender have a unique concept of personal property. If they see something not being used, they will pick it up and take it with every intention of giving it back to the owner when they are done using it or looking at it. It's really not their fault they forget to give it back. Naturally, most others term this as thieving, but kender see it as simple handling and are simply curious about the world around them. This absentminded approach to others' personal property can make the owner view a kender as a liar when he is caught in the act. In most situations, the kender will automatically have an excuse ready:

"You left it, so I didn't think you wanted it anymore."

"I was just holding it for you."

"I was gonna give it back, but you wandered off somewhere."

"It must be magical, because it just appeared in my pouch!"

"Someone was going to steal it, so I'm holding it for safekeeping."

"Just because I have it, and you didn't know that I took it, doesn't mean I stole it."

Even more frustrating for the owner, the kender is totally sincere and truly believes what they have just said. Kender do not always realize what they are doing might be wrong.

A minor collection of kender elders presides over most kender communities. In smaller communities, one or two older, more experienced kender are often looked up to and consulted for their wisdom. They are unofficially given the authority to act as arbiters of local disputes. In larger communities, this usually manifests as a Council of Elders. In addition to the every day problems of the community, the Council of Elders usually makes laws (that are rarely followed) and makes important decisions (like what color every one must wear on the third day of every month).

Ruling over most councils is one individual who has somehow found himself in the esteemed position of ruler. Kender often follow anyone who has a high enough Charisma. Kender tales tell of communities ruled by all manner of beings: a kindly barbarian ogre, a traveling minotaur bard, an insane wizard, a ghost, a sphinx, and even a mysterious wooden totem pole that the kender swore spoke to them when the wind blew. Although some of these may simply be kender tales, they are not far from the truth. The present ruler of Hylo, Belladonna, rudely took the reigns of power from the Windseed family, rulers for an unprecedented twelve years!

The majority of the kender nation is located primarily in the region of Hylo in Northern Ergoth. Sometimes referred to as Kenderhome, the inhabitants of Hylo are a content group of people. They are well protected on all sides from outside threats, and due to the fact that there is very little there others would want, the citizens of Kenderhome have lived in relative ease for thousands of years.

Since the majority of the inhabitants are kender, most other races steer well clear of this region of Northern Ergoth. The kender here are typical kender. They are interested in other races, open, friendly, and willing help outsiders. The region is populated with kender tree villages, ancient ruins, and small hamlets. To most people, the homes in these areas look unfinished. The motley collection of domiciles are mismatched and run together. Ladders run straight from some homes up into tree dwellings and rope bridges connect others. People from other races just shake their heads and wonder how the kender survive and know where they're going.

Kender are also known to reside in small villages and cities on the outskirts of the Desolation in the east. These kender are often dark and sullen folk, afflicted by the taint of magic corrupting their former homeland of Goodlund.

KENDER RACIAL TRAITS

• +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength, -2 Wisdom. Quick and agile, the small and wiry kender are built for nimbleness rather than brute strength. Driven by insatiable curiosity, kender lack the ability to think things through or to consider the consequences of their actions.

• Small: As Small creatures, kender gain a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks. They must use smaller weapons than humans use, and their lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of Medium characters.

• A kender's base land speed is 30 feet. Kender are faster than their size would suggest.

• Weapon Familiarity: Kender treat any kender exotic weapon as a simple weapon.

• +1 racial bonus on all saving throws. Due to their eternal optimism and inherent belief in the goodness of all people, kender manage to survive and thrive in a world that is often hostile to them.

• +2 racial bonus on Spot checks.

• +2 racial bonus on Open Locks and Sleight of Hand checks. Kender can use these two abilities as though they were trained, even if they have 0 ranks in the skills.

• Lack of Focus: Kender have a -4 racial penalty on Concentration checks. Kender don't necessarily lack magical talent, but their general lack of focus discourages them from pursuing careers in magic.

• Taunt: Kender have an uncanny insight into the motivations and characteristics of other races. They can use this insight to unleash a verbal barrage of sarcasm, insults, and crude comments that cause the targeted victims to lose their temper. Kender receive a +4 racial bonus on all Bluff checks to taunt someone.

• Fearlessness: Kender are immune to fear, magical and otherwise.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Kenderspeak. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Ergot, Elven, Goblin, Solamnic.

• Favored Class: Rogue.

AFFLICTED KENDER

After the Chaos War, when the gods made a pact with Chaos and the great Dragon Overlords first appeared on Krynn, Malystryx arrived soaring over the Misty Isles. The great red dragon claimed all the lands from the Dairly Plains to the Bay of Balifor. She took up residence and began to use her magic to transform the surrounding lands into a habitat more suitable for her. Once lush forests withered and died. Forest fires broke out. The land became arid and dry, and animals became sick from the blight Malystryx brought to the land.

Eventually, every living thing on the Goodlund Peninsula was affected by her magic. The kender living there could feel it, and it changed them. It saddened them to see the lands that they called home dying, knowing there was nothing they could do to stop it. They were powerless to prevent this perversion.

Within a year of Malystryx's arrival, she had made her way to Kendermore. Once there, she slaughtered thousands of kender. The destruction was so horrible and on such a grand scale that any living kender who was tainted by the Overlord's magic or witnessed the horrors of the attack learned the one thing kender had blissfully been immune to since their creation: fear. The survivors headed west toward Hylo, the only other major kender nation on Ansalon, each bringing some atrocious tale of death and destruction. Led by Moonsong, daughter of Goldmoon and Riverwind, they traversed thousands of miles of hostile territory to get to Hylo. This became known as the Kender Flight.

The refugees were welcomed with open arms by their kindly, distant relatives. However, it was clear the kender from Goodlund had been changed by their experience. They were no longer the carefree kender they used to be. They retained that lust for life but had lost their innocence. They formed their own villages and communities and distanced themselves from their cousins. They became known as afflicted kender.

Many of the children of afflicted kender are not similarly affected by the malady. In Hylo, more children of afflicted kender seem to show signs of being adventurous and fearless, much like any ordinary kender. Of course, this annoys and worries their afflicted parents to no end. The exception to this seems to occur for the kender living in or near the Desolation. Whatever magic altered the peninsula continues to affect the kender of that region. The fate of afflicted kender in the east may be tied to the restoration of the Desolation.

Some afflicted kender are depressed, timid and jump at every encounter. Others are similar to true kender, those whose parents experienced the Kender Flight, but they always seem to shy away from anything too dangerous. Those kender from the Desolation have a harder edge to their personalities than the fun-loving kender of Hylo. They are more confident in their abilities and shocked at the relative comfort other races take for granted.

Afflicted kender tend to over analyze situations. They don't like surprises and do their best to discover them before they happen or avoid them completely. If this means checking every chest, opening every door, and rifling through people's pouches when necessary, so be it. Afflicted kender are motivated by a need to feel safe and secure at all times. This need does not make them shutins, but instead, they feel motivated to do what they can to ensure their own safety and that of their friends and companions.

There are afflicted kender whose personalities have changed in drastic ways. These afflicted kender, who bear emotional scars from the Kender Flight, can be dangers to themselves and others. These kender have an attitude unlike any kender before them. They are distrusting, overly cautious, brooding, quiet, and vengeful. They suffered the worst of the attack in Kendermore and often have physical scars to show for it. These kender have been known to become thieves, bandits, and assassins, professions from which any true kender would naturally steer clear. The only possible good coming from this insanity is the focus of their anger against the Dragon Overlords and their minions.

The leadership of afflicted kender tribes usually consists of an elder or group of elders. These are usually kender who escaped the destruction of Kendermore over forty years ago. Kender warriors comprise a large part of the tribe. These kender have grown up in the Desolation and learned how to survive its dangers. Those kender who do not hunt perform various tasks around the hidden villages of the Desolation, setting traps and keeping watch in the nearby region for threats to the security of the tribe. Older kender look out for the kender children within the confines of village and only take them out to teach the dangers of the land around them.

In Kenderhome, the afflicted kender Belladonna rules the nation. She is a tough but caring leader. Belladonna uses her skills as a leader to organize the normally chaotic kender into scouts and defenders.

AFFLICTED KENDER RACIAL TRAITS

Afflicted kender share all the racial traits of true kender except as follows:

• +2 racial bonus on Climb, Hide, Jump, and Move Silently checks. Afflicted kender go out of their way to pass unnoticed and avoid drawing any attention to themselves.

• Afflicted kender gain no bonus on their Bluff check to taunt foes and do not possess the stereotypical kender fearlessness. They do not have the lack of focus of normal kender and do not suffer the penalty of Concentration checks.

HALF-KENDER

Like the results of many other pairings between races, half-kender often feel they are relegated to the edges of the world in which they live. However, half-kender have one comfort not available to many other halfbreeds - they do have one community that accepts them, the greater kender community. Whether or not they feel accepted largely depends on their own position toward the childlike attitude of the kender. Outside of the kender communities in Ansalon, half-kender find themselves viewed with as much suspicion as ordinary kender and are often not welcome to stay for any length of time. The onset of wanderlust in late adolescence contributes to this rootlessness, and half-kender usually feel they have little connection to the world around them, not fitting in with kender as they age but also unable to settle down with human communities. For this reason, half-kender are natural adventurers and often find comfort with those who also turn to wandering the world for their own reasons.

Half-kender can often pass for slightly smaller, thinner humans. They can be anywhere between 4 and 5 1/2 feet tall and weigh between 100 and 130 pounds. A half-kender's hair and eye color are usually determined by the nationality of her human parent. Most half-kender will wear their hair long, but only some adopt the famous kender topknot style. Their ears can have a slight point, but it is easily concealed. Half-kender will also develop face wrinkles as true kender do; however, they will not be nearly as pronounced.

Half-kender are taller and heavier than their kender parent, although on average, they are not as tall as humans. They inherit the same lithe build, slightly pointed ears, and tendency to acquire crow's feet and facial lines as kender, but because of their larger size and coarser features, they are often mistaken as adolescent humans or even half-elves.

For a half-kender, adventuring is often as much about discovering her place in the world as it is about satisfying her wanderlust. She combines her inherent sense of wonder with the opportunities open to humans in Ansalon to fill whatever role is necessary in life. The adventuring process is usually a growing process for a half-kender, and this growth can often bring a sobering sense of reality to her more carefree attitudes. Alternately, if she led a tougher childhood, the half-kender might adopt an aloof attitude, preferring to walk her own path through the world.

The half-kender is the world's perpetual adolescent. She is awkward in social situations and requires attention to feel accepted. In the world of Ansalon, a half-kender always seems to be on the edges of the world, and any friends she has must accept this part of her personality. Being friends with a half-kender can be a trying experience, as a general lack of self-confidence runs through much of her interactions with society. She feels the need for the guidance of an authority figure while distrusting authority in general. Her own inner nature in conflicted, and however much she tries to hide it, uncertainty is her way of life. However, once trust is reached, a person could not ask for a firmer friend than the half-kender, and she will do anything to help her companions.

Since there is no half-kender community, half-kender leaders are few and far between. Half-kender tend to look up to those who will accept them and can be tricked into following those who do not have their best interests in mind. Half-kender have a hard time leading other races, because they live between the kender and non-kender worlds, with neither fully trusting them.

HALF-KENDER RACIAL TRAITS

• Humanoid (kender): Half-kender are humanoids with the kender subtype.

• Medium size.

• A half-kender's base land speed is 30 feet.

• +4 racial bonus on saving throws against fear. Although they do not have the fearlessness of kender, half-kender find it much easier to shake off the effects of panic and fright.

• +1 racial bonus on Spot checks.

• +1 racial bonus on Open Locks and Sleight of Hand checks. Half-kender can use these two abilities as though they were trained, even if they have 0 ranks in the skills.

• Taunt: Like their kender parent, a half-kender has an uncanny insight into the motivations and characteristics of other races. Although they do not have quite the mastery of this ability as kender do, a half-kender receives a +2 racial bonus on all Bluff checks to taunt someone.

• Weapon Familiarity: Half-kender treat any kender exotic weapon as a simple weapon.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Kenderspeak. Bonus Languages: Any. Many half-kender choose their human parent's regional dialect as a bonus language.

• Favored Class: Any.

KRYNNISH MINOTAURS

Minotaurs are a race of bull-men hailing from the twin islands of Mithas and Kothas in the Blood Sea. They are the chosen of Sargas, the minotaur god of wrath and vengeance, whose form they emulate. Minotaurs are descended from the ancient ogres, as is evident in their strength, though unlike their cousins, they are not only strong in arm but also intelligent and cunning. Minotaurs believe in a brutal code centered on the idea of strength as the instrument of glory and respect. It is through strength that a minotaur will rise through society to serve in the legions, strength by which a minotaur may lead his clan, strength by which a minotaur may captain a vessel, and strength by which an emperor may rule an empire.

Minotaurs are physically imposing, standing between 6 1/2 and 7 1/2 feet in height and weighing anywhere from 300 to 450 pounds. A minotaur's upper body is humanoid, with broad shoulders, a deep chest, and strong arms, which end in fully articulate hands. Their powerful bodies are covered with short, thick fur, ranging in hue from red to brown, with rare occurrences of black, tan, or white-furred individuals. Minotaur heads are bovine in nature.

They have large, deep-set eyes in shades of dark brown and black. Minotaurs have yellow-white horns growing from their temples, 6 to 12 inches long for females and anywhere from 1 to 2 feet long for males. Minotaur manes are a shade or two darker than their fur. A common misconception among the lesser races is that minotaurs have hooves, when in fact, their feet end in twin toes with hoof-like toenails.

Surprisingly, minotaurs pay close attention to their appearance. They tend to keep their horns polished and shiny. Many minotaurs wear earrings, and some also wear nose rings. They keep their fur as clean as their situation allows. Most are not vain, but almost all minotaurs believe in looking their best.

To non-minotaurs, the physical differences between males and females may not be immediately apparent, since both sexes are powerfully built and there is no role distinction between the sexes. Minotaur dress tends to be austere and simple, nothing more than a harness and a leather skirt, although those of noble rank may wear loose-fitting robes. The harness carries weapons, as well as providing a place for a minotaur to hang trophies.

Minotaur society works on the precept that to be weak is to be wrong. Strength is the raw power of life, giving minotaurs the ability to triumph. While strength is often defined as physical power, it is an all-encompassing concept including a strong mind and a courageous heart. Some have the misconception of minotaurs as stupid brutes. However, minotaurs are very intelligent, which they use to surprise their enemies in combat. Their cunning minds make them excellent tacticians.

Honor gives structure to minotaur society, allowing them to resist chaos and enslavement. All minotaur law is centered on their code of honor. A minotaur's word is his bond; once given, it is never broken. A minotaur is expected to accept all responsibility for his actions and to face punishment for any misdeed. Those who show cowardice are treated no better than the lowest of vermin. No minotaur may slay another minotaur; anyone who slays another without cause of honor will be executed on the spot. If a cause of honor exists, the two parties will settle it in the Great Circus. Whoever loses in the Games is dishonored, while the victor's name is cleared of any wrongdoing.

Minotaurs are fiercely loyal, especially to those to whom they owe a debt of honor. The minotaur hero Kaz Dragonslayer once owed a debt of honor to Huma Dragonbane, never leaving his side, though minotaur records claim it was Huma who swore an oath of honor to Kaz. In more recent history, the one-armed minotaur Galdar swore an oath of allegiance to Mina. Loyalty is taught from birth. Minotaurs are taught to put clan and empire before themselves. Individual desires come only after one has met his duty as a citizen of the empire and a member of his clan.

A clan consists of several families who can trace their lineage back to a single ancestor. The clan's elder determines the course of the clan and their position within the empire. All minotaurs serve the empire. To do otherwise is treason. Clan leaders and elders are considered nobility, though any minotaur can reach this level of status through loyal, exemplary service. In the past, if a minotaur could defeat the reigning emperor in combat in the Great Circus, he or she would become emperor. This tradition was abolished by Hotak de-Droka after he usurped the throne from Chot Es-Kalin. He ordered the throne become hereditary in order to form a line of succession and create stablity in the Empire's rulership. When Sargas returned to Krynn and saw what Hotak had accomplished, he saw the wisdom in Hotak's decision, even if he despised the former emperor's methods of bringing it about. Sargas decreed that Faros Es-Kalin would rule with Hotak's daughter and that the new line of imperial succession would begin with them.

The Games serve several functions in minotaur society. They are a form of entertainment open to all; a minotaur can test his skill against other minotaurs or against fearsome beasts. Minotaurs who have grievances against one another settle them in blood duels in the Games; the winner proclaimed the victor and in the right. A minotaur who is dishonored, such as through failure in his duty, can reclaim his honor through the Games, though this often leads to his death. Even wedding ceremonies center on the Games. The Games are far more than combat; they are tests of skill and strategy. The minotaurs create a myriad of fighting surfaces and obstacles for the Games, including beds of hot coals, shifting sand, swinging axes, shifting surfaces, and columns of poles with spikes underneath. Most cities and towns in the Empire have some version of the Games, though when most minotaurs think of the Games, they think of the Games in the Great Circus of the capitol city of Nethosak.

KRYNNISH MINOTAUR RACIAL TRAITS

• +4 Strength, -2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma. Minotaurs are large and powerful, but not very agile. From youth, minotaurs focus on developing their muscle over their minds. Minotaur arrogance can be offensive to other races.

• Medium: As Medium creatures, minotaurs have no special bonuses or penalties.

• A minotaur's base land speed is 30 feet.

• +2 natural armor bonus.

• Gore: A minotaur may use his horns as natural weapons to make a gore attack, dealing 1d6 points of damage plus the minotaur's Strength modifier. If the minotaur charges, his gore attack deals 2d6 points of damage, plus 1 1/2 times his Strength modifier. A minotaur can attack with a weapon at his normal attack bonus and make a gore attack as a secondary attack (-5 penalty on the attack roll and half Strength bonus on the damage roll).

• +2 racial bonus on Intimidate, Swim, and Use Rope checks. Minotaurs are familiar with the sea and naturally adept at skills useful among seafarers.

• Minotaurs may take the scent special quality as a feat.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Kothian. Bonus Languages: Kalinese, Nordmaarian, Ogre, Saifhum.

• Favored Class: Fighter.

THORADORIAN MINOTAURS

Thoradorian minotaurs are a degenerate race cast off from the minotaur people in ages prior to the Cataclysm. The exact cause of the Thoradorian degeneration remains unknown, though Imperium scholars speculate inbreeding has much to do with it.

According to Thoradorian legend, one of their ancestors betrayed the emperor, resulting in the exile of the entire Thorador clan. Sargas, angry at the betrayal, cursed the Thoradorian minotaurs, causing them to appear bestial. Sargas decreed that since the Thoradorians sought blood, their entire history would be tainted by it. They were cast out by minotaur clerics, and their names wiped from the histories. The exiled clan traveled to southwestern Mithas to a stretch of land known as Thorad-Duur, an inhospitable area close to Argon's Chain. The Thoradorian minotaurs survived, tempered by storms, volcanoes, and the beasts of the wild. They met every challenge, becoming masters of the land, though they would not be tolerated in minotaur society again.

Thoradorian minotaurs are physically similar to their Blood Sea cousins; the coloring of their fur, manes, and eyes are consistant with the other minotaurs. However, Thoradorians are more bestial, with harder, more animalistic features and a further hunched stature. They also have hooved feet, as opposed to their cousins' toed feet. This is source of much resentment among the Thoradorian minotaurs.

They have thick, unkempt fur. They are well muscled and possess long, jagged horns, with sharp teeth that can tear flesh easily. Unlike the human-like feet of other minotaurs, the legs of Thoradorian minotaurs end in black hooves.

Thoradorians are much more tribal in their dress. They will wear leather kilts or loin cloths, although they have adopted the harness of their cousins. Females decorate their horns with symbols of Sargas and Zeboim, while male horns are carved with serrated edges.

Thoradorian minotaur society, like that of their Blood Sea cousins, is based on the concept of strength conquering all, though there are some differences. While Blood Sea minotaurs view the concept both physically and mentally, Thoradorian minotaurs believe only in brute physical strength. Discipline is nearly non-existent with the Thoradorians, leading the Blood Sea minotaurs to believe that their cousins are lazy.

Thoradorian minotaurs are savage and feral - the ultimate predator. Thoradorian minotaurs are governed by their passions and innermost primal urges; with natural cunning, hunter's instinct, and warrior heart, they are at the top of the food chain. Anger and hatred fuel their actions, allowing them to tap into their inner primal fury and causing them to be fearsome warriors.

Thoradorian minotaurs are divided into two castes, the warriors and the Kagas, or spiritual leaders. This division is through gender. Males are of the warrior caste, and females are of the Kagas. Vengeance and fury govern the actions of the Thoradorians, though they have not managed to seek the ultimate vengeance on their Blood Sea cousins for their exile.

The Thoradorian minotaurs are divided again into five tribes: the Banaak, Tivok, Durakor, Taguk, and Guur. A chieftain, who is always male, leads each tribe. The chieftain sees to the day-to-day affairs of the tribe, providing food and officiating between disputes. The chieftain wins his post during battle in the Labyrinth, a dangerous network of local caves; failure means death.

The Kagas serve as the spiritual leaders of each tribe, with the Kaganok serving as tribal shaman. The Kagas make certain all members of the tribe are living life according to the will of Sargas and his daughter, Zeboim. The Kaganok is typically the mate of the chieftain and a cleric of Sargas, though the Kaganok of the Tivok tribe is usually a cleric of Zeboim. If the chieftain has no mate, it may be his mother, daughter, sister, or closest female relative. The chieftain's word can only be superseded by the Kaganok when it is a matter of grave spiritual importance.

THORADORIAN MINOTAUR RACIAL TRAITS

• +8 Strength, -2 Dexterity, +4 Constitution, -4 Intelligence, -2 Charisma. Thoradorian minotaurs are large and powerful. They are even less intelligent than their imperial cousins, giving into their bestial urges.

• Large: -1 penalty to Armor Class, -1 penalty on attack rolls, -4 penalty on Hide checks, +4 bonus on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits double those of Medium characters.

• A Thoradorian minotaur's base land speed is 30 feet.

• Darkvision out to 60 feet.

• Space/Reach: Thoradorian minotaurs have a space of 10 feet and a reach of 10 feet.

• +5 natural armor bonus.

• Racial Hit Dice: A Thoradorian minotaur begins with six levels of monstrous humanoid, which provide 6d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +6, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +2, Ref +5, and Will +5.

• Racial Skills: A Thoradorian minotaur's monstrous humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 2 + Int modifier (minimum 1). Its class skills are Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Search, and Spot. Thoradorian minotaurs have a +4 racial bonus on Search, Spot, and Listen checks.

• Racial Feats: A Thoradorian minotaur's monstrous humanoid levels give it three feats.

• Weapon Proficiency: A Thoradorian minotaur is proficient with the one martial weapon proficiency (typically greataxe) and all simple weapons.

• Thoradorian minotaurs may take the scent special quality as a feat.

• Natural Cunning (Ex): Although Thoradorian minotaurs are not especially intelligent, they possess innate cunning and logical ability. This gives them immunity to maze spells, prevents them from ever becoming lost, and enables them to track enemies. Further, they are never caught flat-footed.

• Gore: A Thoradorian minotaur may use his horns as natural weapons to make a gore attack, dealing 1d8 points of damage plus the minotaur's Strength modifier. If the Thoradorian minotaur charges, his gore attack deals 4d6 points of damage, plus 1 1/2 times his Strength modifier. A Thoradorian minotaur can attack with a weapon at his normal attack bonus and make a gore attack as a secondary attack (-5 penalty on the attack roll and half Strength bonus on the damage roll).

• +4 racial bonus on Search, Spot, and Listen checks.

• Automatic Languages: Kothian. Bonus Languages: Common, Ogre, Terran.

• Favored Class: Barbarian.

• Level Adjustment: +2.

OGRES

By far the most common of the ogre races in the current era are those who have fallen from grace, a far cry from their Abaqua high ogre ancestors. They are widely regarded as being dull of wit and hideous to look upon. To be an ogre is to know a lost splendor and that once, ogres were the greatest of races. Now the ogres are a mockery of their former selves and looked upon by the other races in horror. With an idealization of what they should be, which varies greatly from the truth, they seek to regain their former prominence and reassert themselves as the Firstborn.

The Fall sparked a history of hate and violence among the ogres. Utterly selfish, their every action centers on fulfilling their wants and desires. Full of hate, they seek to inflict pain on others as pain has been inflicted on them. Haunted by a racial memory of a time of supremacy, the ogres seek to restore that which was lost.

Ogres stand between 8 and 10 feet tall. Their skin is a dull yellow, covered in uneven patches of hair, blotches, pustules, and scars. Some ogres tend towards obesity, but many are lean. Due to their height, ogres develop a hunched posture. Almost all ogres have black hair worn long (clan ogres) or tied back in ponytails or braids (city ogres).

Ogres of the clans, such as those in Kern or Estwilde, wear a combination of leather and animal hides, cloaked with thick furs for those who live in the cold mountains. Tribes that live in the warmer, northern climes wear leather to ward off the hot sun. Love of jewelry, tattoos, piercings, and ritual scarification is an almost universal ogre trait. Some tribes have certain symbols of allegiance that help identify an ogre's loyalty at a glance.

Ogres of the cities, such as those in Blöde or Daltigoth, also wear leather, but typically with an attempt at finery or civilization. Thick-spun woolen tunics, shirts, and trousers are common. Robes and coats stitched together from those of smaller races are further modified with garish dyes or stained in various foul shades.

It is said that ogres are born angry, ready to fly into a rage at the slightest provocation. They are creatures of appetite and greed, spending hours every day satisfying their wants and desires. Ogres believe anything they have the strength to slay, the luck to find, or the cunning to steal is theirs by right. They love the scent of blood in battle, going into a frenzy that makes them nearly unstoppable.

Ogres are social creatures, however, attempting to crudely re-create their once great civilization by dwelling in ruined cities or constructing rudimentary villages. They lack the maturity of other races, having the mentality of a brutish adolescent at best.

Ogres are perpetual bullies, taking out their aggressions on any who they deem to be inferior. Ogre tribes often make prisoners their slaves, for they feel superior by debasing others. They have a certain sense of paranoia that causes them to see provocation where none exists. The false provocation, in turn, becomes justification for retribution. They gain great pleasure in inflicting pain on others. Bullying can be seen in all aspects of ogre life. Ogres abuse mates and children alike. By inflicting pain on their children, a young ogre in turn learns the path of hate and continues the cycle of violence.

In battle, ogres charge their enemy with gleeful abandon and blood lust. Few ogres train formally for combat. They rely on their massive strength and toughness, combined with wild but powerful attacks, to blow through any opposition. Ogres are not particularly adept at teamwork or fighting as a unit. Even when part of a larger force, ogres typically charge ahead as a mob. They compensate for their lack of tactics through sheer ferocity. Even when their weapons break or they are wounded, ogres keep fighting.

Outside of the actual fight, ogres often have more concern for their own fate. Fearless in battle, the thought of torture or imprisonment terrifies most ogres. Any situation in which they no longer have control makes them ill at ease.

The chieftain of Blöde is often the ogre who holds control over Blöten. Each of the other ogre cities pays a tithe to the Chieftain's Manor, the tower in the center of Blöten, each year - an amount that presumably equals one-tenth of each city's spoils from raids. In truth, most ogres cannot figure one-tenth, and they probably wouldn't want to give it up if they could. Each city makes a show of paying tribute, though the amount isn't very much.

Each city chooses its own rulers, or Wardens, from the most powerful neighborhood districts. These Wardens have little power, save for that which they can hold for themselves. They are in charge of the annual tribute to Blöten and can muster the army when duty calls. In most cases, the Warden also collects a tax for himself.

The ogres of Kern live in family groups known as clans. Each clan has a single settlement they hold as their own. These towns normally have between fifty and two hundred family units in them. The average ogre family consists of five ogres, giving most communities a population of around five or six hundred. The head of each clan is called a chieftain. The chieftain receives the greatest spoils of ogre raids. The chieftain will live in the Hall of the Chieftain, always the largest building in an ogre settlement, typically built from the ruins of high ogre settlements. The Grand Khan of Kern typically comes from the Kern clan.

Western ogres, fewer in number than those described above, share this organization into so-called savage and civilized tribal groups. In Estwilde, Southern Ergoth, and Kharolis, ogre tribes will either form nomadic clans akin to the ogres of Kern or inhabit ruins and conquered settlements like the ogres of Blöde.

OGRE RACIAL TRAITS

• +10 Strength, -2 Dexterity, +4 Constitution, -4 Intelligence, -4 Charisma. Ogres are strong and hale, but move slowly, due to their great size and long limbs. Ogres are neither consistently educated nor encouraged to think through problems.

• Large: As Large creatures, ogres receive a -1 penalty to their attack rolls and Armor Class due to their size and a -4 penalty on Hide checks. Ogres must wear armor suited to their hulking frames. Armor for a Large creature costs and weighs twice as much as a comparable suit of Medium armor.

• Giant: Ogres are creatures of the giant type.

• Ogre base land speed is 40 feet.

• Space/Reach: Ogres have a space of 10 feet and a reach of 10 feet.

• Darkvision: Ogres can see in the dark up to 60 feet.

• Racial Hit Dice: An ogre has 4d8 racial Hit Dice. An ogre character receives maximum hit points for his first ogre Hit Die and rolls his other Hit Dice normally. He rolls all Hit Dice from class levels and does not automatically get maximum hit points on his first class level Hit Die. An ogre's racial Hit Dice also provide a +3 attack bonus and saving throws of Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +1. Ogres with class levels add their class attack and save bonuses to their racial attack bonus and saves.

• Racial Skills: An ogre's giant Hit Dice grant him skill points equal to 7 × (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1). Class skills for these skill points are Climb, Listen, and Spot. An ogre character does not receive the × 4 multiplier for skill points acquired from his first class level.

• Racial Feats: An ogre's giant Hit Dice grant him two feats. An ogre with class levels gains feats based on his total Hit Dice, not his ECL. Ogres gain Simple Weapon Proficiency, Martial Weapon Proficiency (any one), and Medium Armor Proficiency as feats.

• +5 natural armor bonus.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Ogre. Bonus languages: Ergot, Goblin, Kolshet, Kothian, Nerakese.

• Favored Class: Barbarian. A multiclass ogre's barbarian class does not count when determining whether he suffers an XP penalty for multiclassing. Even the more civilized ogres find that their savage tendencies serve them best as barbarians.

• Level Adjustment: +2. An ogre has an effective character level (ECL) of 6 + his class levels.

HALF-OGRES

Of all the races of Ansalon, half-ogres are arguably among the most tragic. In almost every case, violence and despair are part of a half-ogre's life from his earliest moment. Most are born to human mothers raped by ogre slavers or ogre raiding parties. Those who survive birth experience a life of hardship even in the best of cases, as the half-ogre's mother is almost invariably cast out of her community for the abomination she bears; only the largest human cities will accept such situations, and even there she and her child will probably encounter intense hostility from her family and friends. This pressure causes many half-ogre children to be abandoned at a young age.

Half-ogres are imposing, muscular, and usually quite ugly. They are typically 6 to 7 feet tall and tip the scales at over 300 pounds. Their hair is thin and wiry, their faces asymmetric and ungraceful, and their teeth brown and crooked; some individuals have protruding canines. Males have scraggly beards. Most demonstrate surprising manual dexterity for having such big, seemingly clumsy hands.

Those brought up among humans dress to fit in as best they can; clothing for folk their size is difficult to come by, and some half-ogres must sew their own together out of whatever old clothes they can obtain. Those raised among tribal ogres are given the minimum required to keep to the ogres' standard of decency, usually just a loincloth, with a leather or burlap top and leftover skins or furs in cold climates. Half-ogres from ogre cities usually manage something in between these two extremes.

Half-ogres share many personality traits with their ogre parents; while the rage and fury of his ogre side is often tempered by his human blood, a half-ogre is often short-tempered, violent, and surly. Used to scorn and rejection, most half-ogres are highly suspicious of everyone. Many become thugs and outlaws, turning to crime in order to make their way through life. They will cheat, steal, and betray whenever they think it's necessary. Some take up an adventurous career - sailor, explorer, warrior, or sellsword, for instance - and begin working with a tight-knit group of people. If these comrades prove themselves trustworthy, a half-ogre can be among the most loyal and steadfast of friends. Having finally found an accepting family, few half-ogres will risk losing it.

Half-ogres are large and strong, even those who inherit more from their human parent than their ogre one. This physical prowess defines much of a half-ogre's behavior, from how he carries himself to how he handles delicate objects. Half-ogres are far more agile and nimble than ogres, however, and no less agile than humans, so they can be surprisingly adept at tasks requiring manual dexterity and quickness of response.

Half-ogres who grow up in tribal ogre communities, usually born to human slave women, have lives of miserable poverty and slavery. Most try to escape once they reach adolescence. Those who are brought up among city ogres find that they occupy the lowest rung of society, given the most menial of duties, unless they can prove themselves better than their ogre peers. Tough and resourceful, half-ogres usually find a way to survive. Half-ogres who live to adulthood may be social outcasts, but they learn that their hulking physiques and natural fighting talent equips them well to survive among society's undesirables.

HALF-OGRE RACIAL TRAITS

• +4 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma. Like their ogre parent, half-ogres are strong and tough, but they also inherit that parent's dull wit and lack of social graces.

• Medium: As Medium creatures, half-ogres have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

• Humanoid (ogre): A half-ogre is a humanoid with the ogre subtype.

• Half-ogre base land speed is 30 feet.

• Low-Light Vision: Half-ogres can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

• +1 natural armor bonus.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Ogre. Bonus Languages: Any. Half-ogres often take their human parent's regional language as a bonus language.

• Favored Class: Fighter.

• Level Adjustment: +1.

SUBRACES

Half-ogre children of athaches are physically indistinguishable from other half-ogres. They do not gain a third arm.

Half-ogre children of ettins are physically indistinguishable from other half-ogres. They do not gain a second head.

Half-ogre children of giants and humans are much larger than standard half-ogres. They are Large, gain an additional +4 bonus to Strength, +2 Constitution, and -2 Dexterity, possess darkvision with a 60 foot radius, instead of low-light vision, and have total a level adjustment of +2.

The rare half-human half-hag child is functionally identical to a half-ogre, with sorcerer instead of fighter as the favored class.

The children of ogre mages and humans are half-ogres who show a marked talent for manipulating ambient magic (favored class of sorcerer instead of fighter).

Half-ogre children of trolls, what few there have been, gain fast healing 5, the scent special quality, a further +2 racial bonus to Strength and Constitution, and a further racial penalty of -2 to Intelligence and Charisma. Half-ogres of troll descent have a level adjustment of +3 and favored class of barbarian.

IRDA

The Irda are also known as High Ogres and are those ogres who have retained all the beauty and intelligence granted to their race at the dawn of time by the dark gods. Through the actions of Igrane, a powerful Abaqua ogre who lived during the Age of Dreams, they escaped the curse that befell their people. They are a reclusive folk who shy away from most other races. The peace-loving Irda have the natural ability of shape shifting, which they call upon when traveling through Ansalon and dealing with the humanoid races. Irda are feared and misunderstood by many other folk and hated by ogres, who consider them betrayers of their own kind and the dark gods. Possessing a beauty and grace surpassing even the elves, the few Irda who survived the Summer of Chaos now wander amidst the humans of Ansalon, learning the ways of the younger races.

Tall, graceful, and slender, male and female Irda average six feet in height with some individuals growing taller. Their skin color varies from midnight blue to deep sea green. Their hair is most often black, though blonde, white, or silver hair is infrequently seen. By the standards of humans and elves, Irda are extraordinarily beautiful; their faces are as cold and lovely as sculpted marble. Irda eyes range from silver to a deep blue or emerald green. They have drooping eyelids, which make them appear bored or uninterested. Irda dress simply, accenting their clothing with handcrafted jewelry of elegant design. Irda do not wear leather, wool, or any material taken from an animal.

Most Irda seem aloof, cold, and unfeeling. Their mutable appearance, isolationist society, and mysterious association with arcane magic gives those who encounter them the impression that they are just as heartless and elitist as their wicked ancestors. In truth, the Irda are as emotional as any other race, but they have powerful control over these emotions and when they come to the surface. An Irda's Charisma bonus represents this masterful control; they are both a physical and social chameleons.

Those who know of them consider the Irda more graceful than the elves. Irda move with poise and balance that come from a lifetime of cultural reinforcement; each individual movement appears to have been choreographed. This makes them seem incapable of spontaneity, and indeed, an Irda finds impulsive action to be distasteful and vulgar. Around each other, Irda are quiet and distant. Around members of other races, this is magnified one hundredfold. As graceful as they are, Irda can come across as awkward if their personal space is invaded.

The Irda race is leaderless in most regards, as they are far too disparate and rarely come together to be led by any one individual. Originally, the direct descendants of Igrane were the leaders of the Irda and became something of a royal line respected and honored by the people. Over time, this method of leadership was not seen as effective and was replaced by another model, since the Irda would rarely gather in one place to be led effectively. A Decider, an average individual in almost every way, is chosen as the most typical Irda who will lead her people in a rational method, without taking any drastic actions. The Decider is expected to make decisions that will guide the Irda onto a wise course of action. The only other type of leader amongst the Irda is a Protector, who has the duty of watching over any settlement and alerting its people to intruders. A local congregation of Irda chooses both the role of the Protector and the Decider. Once appointed, these Irda forsake their birth-names and are addressed by their titles. A Protector or a Decider serves for life, unless an entire Irda community chooses to have them replaced for not guiding or protecting as expected.

IRDA RACIAL TRAITS

• -2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma. The Irda retain the strong presence, intelligence, and attractiveness of their high ogre ancestors, but their time in isolation and devotion to cerebral pursuits has caused their health to suffer.

• Humanoid (ogre, shapechanger): An Irda is a humanoid with the ogre and shapechanger subtypes.

• Medium: As Medium creatures, Irda have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.

• An Irda's base land speed is 30 feet.

• Low-Light Vision: Irda can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. They retain the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.

• Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day - dancing lights, detect language, flare, ghost sound, light, mage hand. These spells are cast as if by a sorcerer of the Irda's character level (save DC 10 + Charisma modifier).

• Change Shape: An Irda has the supernatural ability to assume the appearance of any Small, Medium, or Large humanoid, monstrous humanoid, or giant, but retains most of his own physical qualities. A true seeing spell or ability reveals the Irda's natural form. An Irda using change shape reverts to his natural form when killed, but separated body parts retain their shape. Irda cannot use Change Shape to take the form of a creature with a template. Any gear worn or carried by the Irda that can't be worn or carried in its new form falls to the ground. If the Irda changes size, any gear it wears or carries that can be worn or carried in its new form changes size to match. Gear returns to normal size if dropped.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Kolshet (High Ogre). Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Elven, Kothian, Ogre, Sylvan.

• Favored Class: Any arcane spellcaster. When determining whether a multiclass Irda takes an experience penalty, his highest-level arcane spellcasting class does not count.

• Level Adjustment: +2.

SUBRACES

When Igrane led his people across the sea to distant islands, two splinter groups formed out of the larger Irda population.

Nzunta

The Nzunta, or Dark Irda, are racial purists who never sided with Igrane on ethical matters. Because they remain evil, the threat of debasement and transformation into a fallen ogre is a constant concern. Their solution is to kill any child born with a deformity, such as a clubfoot or hunchback; infants are frequently left to die in the wastelands. Consequently, the number of Nzunta over the last thousand years has dropped precipitously. A small cabal within the Nzunta leadership has considered interbreeding their population with the Irda or Mischta to strengthen the bloodlines, but they know the majority of their kind would find this abhorrent.

The Nzunta make good use of a race of half-ogre slaves known as the Orughi, who are malformed and miserable creatures living in constant fear of their dark masters. Orughi have the same statistics as halfogres with the addition of the aquatic subtype, which gives them a +8 bonus on Swim checks and a swim speed of 30 feet.

The Nzunta are darker, sinister analogues to the Irda. Their skin is usually blue-black or steel-gray; their hair is an even darker shade. Many have violet or even red irises. Proud of their physical beauty, they keep in excellent physical shape. Male and female Nzunta dress in rich clothing and freely make use of leather and other animal products in their outfits.

Nzunta possess all of the racial traits of the Irda.

Mischta

The Mischta, or twilight ogres, were once Irda living on the island of Anaianath. In the years leading up to the Cataclysm, these Irda became more and more proud of their accomplishments, until their High King decided they no longer needed the gifts of the gods. This declaration was made moments before the Cataclysm; as a result of the global devastation caused by the hammer-blow of the Fiery Mountain upon Istar, Anaianath was sundered into smaller islands. Many of the island's Irda, including the High King, were killed.

The survivors renamed themselves Mischta, internalizing their grief and sadness at the lengths to which their people had gone with pride and vanity. From that point onwards, the Mischta have turned from arcane magic to the magic of the gods. After the Chaos War, when the gods had retreated, hundreds of Mischta saw this as an indication that they had once again failed and simply walked into the sea to die. Others grieved, inwardly sought solace, and discovered the art of mysticism. Even after the return of the gods with the War of Souls, the Mischta have largely retained mysticism in lieu of clerical magic.

The Mischta look identical to the Irda, although each successive generation seems to have fairer and fairer skin; most are now pale green or light blue in coloration and have white or silver hair.

Mischta possess all of the racial traits of the Irda with the following changes:

• -2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma. The Mischta's appeal to faith and humble spirituality rather than intelligence and arcane knowledge has had a lasting effect on their race.

• Mishcta have no innate spell-like abilities.

• Alternate Form: Mischta may only assume one other form, chosen at 1st level. This form may be any Small, Medium, or Large humanoid, monstrous humanoid, or giant. A true seeing spell or ability reveals the Mischta's natural form. A Mischta reverts to his natural form when killed, but separated body parts retain their shape. If the Mischta spends one week in practice under the light of Solinari, he may replace his old alternate form with a new one and retains the use of this form until he spends one week learning another.

• Favored Class: (Pre-Chaos War) Cleric. (Post-Chaos War) Mystic.

• Level Adjustment: +1.

CENTAURS

Centaurs of Ansalon are a diverse race of half-human, half-equine people, noted for their lusty temperament, fierce ability in battle, and tendency toward isolation. Most scholars believe the centaurs were once horseriding nomads, transformed by the wandering Graygem in the Age of Dreams. This happened more than once, producing several distinct tribes of centaurs. Around the time of Silvanos, first Speaker of the elves, the centaurs were located in northern Silvanesti. The elves declared war and scattered them across Ansalon, sending some west into present day Abanasinia and others north toward Goodlund and Endscape.

Centaurs kept out of the lives of most other races, hiding away in their sylvan homelands or living a meager life on the plains. When the Dragon Overlords came to power, the centaurs left the forests and plains to fight back. Together with humans of the western Plains of Dust, they founded the realm of Duntollik and allied with the brass dragon Iyesta to oppose blue Stendunnuus. With the deaths of both dragons, the centaurs' main enemy is now the encroaching horde of the Tarmak.

A centaur possesses the lower body of a great horse combined with the upper body of a human. Male centaurs (stallions) are broad-shouldered and muscled, while female centaurs (mares) are lithe and graceful. Standing at least 7 feet tall, adult centaurs can weigh up to 2000 pounds. All centaurs are considered attractive by elves and humans. Their equine bodies may be wholly black, brown, gray, bay, or chestnut in color, with a few rare dappled individuals.

Centaurs do not have the same sense of personal modesty as other races and only wear clothing as the weather or climate demands. However, they do favor adornments such as necklaces, bangles, rings, and scarves.

Centaurs are proud, passionate, and close to nature. Their pride drives them to right whatever wrongs are done to them or their tribe, as well as get them into conflicts that many other characters would prudently avoid. Their unrestrained passions never allow them to enter into anything halfway. Centaurs without a cause, a motivation, or a reason for living simply seek one out and embrace it; no centaur stays calm and unaffected for long. As creatures of the world and beloved of Chislev, centaurs are more in tune with their environment than other races, even elves. This, perhaps, is why the threat of the Dragon Overlords brought them out of their forests and into the world of men.

Centaurs find the practices of other races amusing and occasionally annoying. Modesty is alien to the hedonistic centaurs. They are driven by their instincts and thus they rarely hold back in their conduct. Centaurs embrace speed and physical activity because they are so well suited for it, but they also enjoy a round of clever banter or a heated debate about anything that comes to mind. Although they prefer their own kind, centaurs are nevertheless outrageous flirts; male centaurs love to show off around females, especially elven or human women, and female centaurs are shamelessly overt in their affections to males of other races when it suits them.

Centaurs are a tribal race, not organizing along civilized lines. In the last century although they are primarily nomadic many centaur tribes have built settlements and established freeholds with humans and other races.

CENTAUR RACIAL TRAITS

• +8 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +4 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom. Centaurs have the power and stamina of a horse, but their hedonistic outlook prevents them from becoming great thinkers.

• Large: -1 penalty to Armor Class, -1 penalty on attack rolls, -4 penalty on Hide checks, +4 bonus on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits double those of Medium quadrupeds (or three times those of Medium humanoids). Centaur armor costs four times and weighs twice as much as a comparable suit of Medium armor.

• Space/Reach: Centaurs have a space of 10 feet and a reach of 5 feet.

• A centaur's base land speed is 50 feet.

• Darkvision out to 60 feet.

• Racial Hit Dice: A centaur begins with four levels of monstrous humanoid, which provide 4d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +4, and base saving throws of Fort +1, Ref +4, and Will +4.

• Racial Skills: A centaur's monstrous humanoid Hit Dice give him skill points equal to 7 × (2 + Int modifier). His class skills are Listen, Move Silently, Spot, and Survival.

• Racial Feats: A centaur's monstrous humanoid Hit Dice give him two feats. A centaur gains proficiency in all Simple weapons, as well as longsword, longbow, composite longbow, shortbow, and composite shortbow.

• Natural Attacks: A centaur may use his hooves as natural weapons, making two attacks that deal 1d6 points of damage each. A centaur can attack with a weapon at his normal attack bonus and make 2 hoof attacks as secondary attacks (-5 penalty on attack rolls and half Strength bonus on damage rolls).

• +3 natural armor bonus.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Sylvan. Bonus languages: Abanasinian, Elven, Goblin, Ogre.

• Favored Class: Ranger.

• Level Adjustment: +2. A centaur has an effective character level (ECL) of 6 + his class levels.

WENDLE CENTAURS

Wendles are a smaller breed of centaur from the eastern regions of Ansalon. They are intellectuals and philosophers, pursuing their nomadic lifestyle with an ascetic sensibility quite unlike the other centaurs.

A Wendle centaur is the size of a warpony, only slightly taller and heavier. A typical Wendle centaur is about 5 feet tall and weighs close to 800 pounds. Their most striking features are the bony plates and spurs extending from their ribcages and joints, giving them primeval appearances. Wendles often decorate or paint these plates in times of war and prize their uniqueness.

Wendles originally hailed from the Wendle Woods in southern Goodlund. They spent much of the Age of Might in this area, but shortly before the Cataclysm, they had become so frustrated with their interactions with the kender that they set out to find new homes in other, warmer forested areas. They are semi-nomadic, with a tribe finding a primary settlement and then moving with the seasonal changes.

Tribes of Wendles are excellent sources of information on the history of Eastern Ansalon, as their oral history is highly detailed, but they are a reclusive and stand-offish people and do not take kindly to strangers. Their culture places great emphasis on living a spartan existence, devoting more time to the accumulation of knowledge than wealth. As such, they look down upon races that indulge in luxuries or waste their time pursuing superficial lifestyles. They are especially antagonistic toward kender, whose attitudes are diametrically opposed to their own.

In the Age of Mortals, the Wendle centaur's ancestral homelands were among those changed forever by Malystryx. Some tribes closer to the region have risked traveling through the Desolation to see for themselves if there is anything to be done. For the most part, however, the Wendle centaurs have chosen to leave the former Goodlund peninsula behind and can now be found in forests and woodland areas from Blöde north into the southern edges of Nordmaar.

WENDLE CENTAUR RACIAL TRAITS

Wendle centaurs possess the same racial traits as other centaurs except as follows:

• +4 Strength, +4 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma. Wendles are not as strong or hardy as other centaurs, but they are just as agile and more intelligent.

• Medium: Wendles are smaller and lighter than their larger cousins.

• A Wendle centaur's base land speed is 40 feet.

• Space/Reach: Wendle centaurs have a space and reach of 5 feet.

• Racial Hit Dice: A Wendle centaur begins with two levels of monstrous humanoid, which provide 2d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +2, and base saving throws of Fort +0, Ref +3, and Will +3.

• Racial Skills: A Wendle centaur's monstrous humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 5 × (2 + Int modifier). Its class skills are Knowledge (history), Listen, Move Silently, Spot, and Survival.

• Racial Feats: A Wendle centaur's monstrous humanoid levels give it one feat.

• +5 natural armor bonus. The bony plates and spurs of Wendle centaurs make them more resistant to attacks than other centaurs.

• Level adjustment: +1.

KYRIE

The kyrie are an avian race, thought by many to have descended from bird-adoring humans touched by the Graygem and embraced by Chislev as her own. Like many other lost races, the kyrie are reclusive and mistrustful of outsiders, but they have been known to aid folk who have fallen afoul of the minotaurs, their sworn enemy.

Possessing a human torso and head, with feathers for hair, the rest of a kyrie resembles a hawk, from the talon-like feet to the powerful wings. The plumage of a kyrie ranges from dark brown with golden highlights to stark white with black tips. Kyrie stand slightly taller than humans and, because of their wiry frames and hollow bones, usually weigh no more than 90 pounds. Their usual life expectancy is 120 years, reaching maturity at the age of 16.

A kyrie is conditioned to believe that his people are at threat as soon as anything foreign or unknown is encountered. They are extremely suspicious, quick to assume the worst, and likely to associate most people they encounter with their enemies the minotaurs. Older and wiser kyrie soften their more fanatic tendencies, especially since the Chaos War and the beginning of the Age of Mortals. Younger kyrie are divided - seek help from other races against the overwhelming Minotaur Empire, or damn them all and take the fight to the bull-men alone. If given time to trust, accept, and respect another individual, the kyrie's private attitudes reveal themselves. They are peaceful, philosophical, and commune with nature and their divine patrons amidst breathtaking mountaintop villages. Unfortunately, it doesn't take much to bring out the territorial warrior out of the gentle poet.

Kyrie act and move very much like birds do, with quick yet jerky movements, their heads turning toward the direction of sounds, and cocked to the side when they are confused. Their human traits surface just enough to dispel any thought that they are merely large, ungainly birds, and when they are encountered at close range the expressions and subtle nuances of their faces make this clear. In flight, kyrie are graceful and almost poetic. When on land, they are awkward and ungainly.

Kyrie are naturally inclined toward semi-nomadic tribal groups. They are often forced into long periods of settlement against their will, as a result of war or threat.

KYRIE RACIAL TRAITS

• -2 Strength, +6 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom.

• Medium: Kyrie are lightweight but taller than humans.

• A kyrie's base land speed is 20 feet. A kyrie also has a fly speed of 50 feet (good).

• Darkvision out to 60 feet.

• Racial Hit Dice: A kyrie begins with four levels of monstrous humanoid, which provide 4d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +4, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +1, Ref +4, and Will +4.

• Racial Skills: A kyrie's monstrous humanoid levels give it skill points equal to 7 × (2 + Int modifier). Its class skills are Handle Animal, Knowledge (nature), Listen, Spot, and Survival.

• Racial Feats: A kyrie's monstrous humanoid levels give it two feats.

• +2 natural armor bonus.

• Spellcasting: Spells and domain as a 3rd-level mystic.

• Automatic Languages: Auran, Kothian. Bonus Languages: Common, Kalinese, Nordmaarian.

• Favored Class: Mystic.

• Level adjustment: +3. A Kyrie has an effective character level (ECL) of 7 + class levels.

PHAETHONS

Phaethons are reclusive, mountain-dwelling folk distantly related to elves. They are honest-minded and embrace truth, but remain aloof from other races, due to years of isolationism.

Phaethons possess the ability to manifest wings of flame, a legacy of their distant past. Phaethon legends tell of their common ancestor, a Kagonesti elf who claimed to be the son of Habbakuk. His descendants fled persecution in the Kinslayer Wars to live in remote mountain settlements in the Khalkist Mountains; they inherited their fiery wings from him. As this is considered a sacred power by the phaethons, they are loathe to use it unless necessary.

A phaethon resembles a half-elf in appearance, with hair color ranging from red-blonde to a dark coppery-brown. Their eyes are deep brown in color, and their skin is typically weathered and ruddy from exposure to the elements. Phaethons dress in simple clothing, usually tunics, breeches, sandals, or boots in colder weather. They favor natural colors, such as browns, ivories and pale greens.

Fiery, aloof, and introverted - this is a phaethon's nature. She follows hundreds or even thousands of years of divine tradition, all recorded orally and passed down from generation to generation. There is usually no need for her to investigate the philosophy of other races, nor acquire enlightenment from association with outsiders; all that she needs is provided for her by those who have gone before, waiting to be understood. This can make the phaethon seem distant and arrogant, but this is not the case. She is happy enough to share her knowledge with others, but to do so would seem by many of her kindred as an exercise in futility.

A phaethon is disciplined and organized, with simple and elegant solutions to most daily problems. Her activities are carried out in accordance with how her people have always done things, although a creative and novel approach is never dismissed. Rather, such innovations are regarded as the uncovering of lost and hidden truths. In battle, she is reluctant to fight unless the situation is dire or her homestead is threatened with destruction. When this occurs, her fury is focused and determined.

Phaethons inherited much from their elven kindred, including a fondness for nature and a close relationship with animals and forests. However, their forced isolationism and self-reliance has given rise to a distinctly ordered and austere community that embraces honesty, truth, and simple traditions. They lead rustic lives in high mountain areas where sheltered valleys provide some measure of agricultural resources and seclusion.

PHAETHON RACIAL TRAITS

• -2 Strength, +2 Wisdom.

• Humanoid (elf, fire): Phaethons are humanoids with both the elf and fire subtypes. They are immune to fire, but are vulnerable to cold and subject to any spells or effects that target fire creatures.

• A phaethon's base land speed is 30 feet; he has a fly speed of 60 feet (average) when his wings are manifested.

• Low-light vision: Phaethon do not have the elvensight of their wingless cousins, but are still capable of seeing twice as far as a human in dim light.

• Flaming Wings: As a free action that does not draw an attack of opportunity, a phaethon can manifest a pair of fiery wings that enable him to fly. These wings may also be used to cause fire damage in unarmed combat. A phaethon who makes an unarmed strike while his wings are manifested inflicts 1d6 points of fire damage in addition to the standard unarmed damage. A phaethon who is involved in a grapple may add this damage to any other damage inflicted on the opponent as a result of a grapple check. A phaethon who uses his wings to inflict additional fire damage in a round cannot also use them to fly in that round. Manifesting his wings is a supernatural ability with an effective caster level equal to the phaethon's character level for the purposes of antimagic and dispel effects.

• Automatic Languages: Common, Elven. Bonus Languages: Celestial, Draconic, Dwarven, Ignan, Sylvan.

• Favored Class: Monk.

• Level Adjustment: +2.

THANOI

The thanoi are the walrus-folk of Icereach, a savage and bloodthirsty people thought by some scholars to be a Graygem offshoot of ogrekind. Others suggest they have a link to minotaurs. All sages agree, however, that the scourge of the thanoi has grown increasingly stronger with every passing age. With their introduction to Southern Ergoth by the Dragon Overlord Frost, and subsequent loss of their patron in 422 AC, the thanoi have been seen outside of their icy wastes for the first time. As Southern Ergoth's climate is expected to spend several years returning to normal, and the thanoi are mastering the use of sails, the beachhead established by Frost remains an ongoing threat to the Western Isles.

Thanoi stand up to 8 feet tall, but almost always walk with a hunched back and bent knees - a posture that looks impractical but helps them negotiate the often-treacherous terrain of their homeland. The females are noticeably smaller than the males, reaching a maximum of 6 feet in height. The tusks of both genders can reach 2 feet in length, backed by rows of blunt teeth strong enough to crush bone and shell. Thanoi possess clawed feet that look quite fierce. In actuality are used merely for traction; their large, clawed hands are too clumsy to handle any but the largest and simplest weapons.

The walrus-folk possess a thick, blubbery hide well suited for their environment. They have little use for clothing or any decoration of an impractical nature. Some thanoi wear belts to carry tools or weapons, but little else.

The stereotypical thanoi bull is a bloodthirsty, violent, and territorial brute. He does nothing to dispel this impression, because it drives fear into his enemies. The thanoi revels in battle, because like any other kind of interaction it is an extension of his urges. A thanoi considers his obligations based on reciprocation and potential threat. Chieftains command loyalty because the tribe fears what the chieftain may do to them, or what may happen to them if the chieftain were to leave; when faced with loss, or scared, a thanoi will respond with violence if possible. A thanoi hopes to force his enemy into submission.

A thanoi is a very physical being, living for experiences even if they would be seen by others as negative. When hurt or wounded in a battle, he takes the pain and uses it to spur himself to greater effectiveness. This behavior might be mistaken for fearlessness, but he is often as afraid of something as anybody else. The difference is that if the thanoi is motivated to take what he wants, he will not let pain get in the way of that success.

The thanoi live in nomadic tribal groups, following the migration patterns of fish and wild game. The thanoi who left Icereach to serve Frost acquired a rudimentary feudal culture, but it was extremely basic and degenerated quickly into a hierarchy of the strong overcoming the weak.

THANOI RACIAL TRAITS

• +4 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +4 Constitution, -4 Intelligence, -4 Wisdom, -2 Charisma. Physically powerful and quick, thanoi are famous for being weakminded and unintelligent.

• Medium size.

• Monstrous Humanoid (cold): A thanoi is a monstrous humanoid with the cold subtype. Thanoi are immune to cold and vulnerable to fire.

• A thanoi's base land speed is 20 feet, with a swim speed of 40 feet.

• Darkvision out to 60 feet.

• Racial Hit Dice: A thanoi begins with 3 levels of monstrous humanoid, which provide 3d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +3, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +1, Ref +3, and Will +3.

• Racial Skills: A thanoi's monstrous humanoid levels give him skill points equal to 6 × (2 + Int modifier). His class skills are Balance, Climb, Survival, and Swim.

• Racial Feats: A thanoi's monstrous humanoid levels give him two feats.

• +8 racial bonus to Balance checks on ice and Swim checks.

• +4 natural armor.

• Tusks: A thanoi has tusks that deal 2d4 points of damage plus his Strength bonus as natural weapons. A thanoi may use his tusks as a primary weapon or with a manufactured weapon as a secondary attack at -5 to the attack bonus.

• Great Breath: A thanoi is capable of holding his breath for as long as 30 minutes underwater before making a Constitution check.

• Automatic Languages: Thanoi. Bonus Languages: Common, Draconic, Icefolk, Ogre.

• Favored Class: Barbarian.

• Level Adjustment: +2. A Thanoi has an effective character level (ECL) of 5 + his class levels.

URSOI

The ursoi are the bearfolk of the southernmost reaches of Krynn. For thousands of years, they lived on the outskirts of the polar region known as Chorane, a subterranean realm warmed by geothermal activity and home to tribes of warring humans, evil dwarves, and kender. Soon after the War of the Lance, Chorane erupted into a violent and terrible war engineered by the gods of darkness and humanity's own intolerance. The ursoi chose to leave Chorane and follow the prophesies of their shamans to seek a new homeland, a promised land of plenty to the north. This brought them to Icereach soon after the white dragons Ice and Freeze seized the territory. The ursoi chose not to flee, but form a strong alliance with the Icefolk of Icewall Glacier and work to oppose the Cold Sisters and their thanoi servants.

Ursoi look like intelligent, bipedal polar bears. They wear some clothing and use tools, and they have thick, clawed fingers instead of paws. Ursoi fur is striped in places, usually in patterns along the sides of their heads, distinguishing them from one another. An ursoi male can reach a height of ten feet and weigh well over 800 pounds; females are only slightly smaller.

Ursoi have strong, unshakeable beliefs in the importance of nature, clan loyalty, and justice. Individual ursoi place a great emphasis on personal honor and repaying debts owed to others, and some ursoi have been known to serve as bodyguards and protectors to non-ursoi to whom they owe their lives. Ursoi command respect, and they give it to those worthy of it. They have no special intolerance to other races, but form quick impressions of individuals based on their actions. An ursoi's word is his bond, and this more than any other character trait is key to understanding their personalities.

Although their size and natural weapons seem fearsome, ursoi are not violent by nature. Most are in fact gentle and considerate outside of a fight. Ursoi are ferocious in battle, but do not enter into it lightly. They are not berserkers, and know when and where to choose their fights. Because they are equally dangerous armed or unarmed, an ursoi will not hesitate to use whatever means is necessary to engage an enemy, whether that be with a pick or with its claws and bite. An ursoi will, unless told not to, keep the bodies of those foes it has slain as food for later. This is a behavior that is often curtailed once the ursoi realizes his companions are horrified by it.

The ursoi organize themselves into nomadic clans, which follow sources of food throughout the cycle of the year. Ursoi young are raised by the community of females, while the males hunt and defend the clan.

URSOI RACIAL TRAITS

• +10 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +6 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, -4 Charisma. Ursoi are one of the strongest races on Krynn, and very tough. While their senses are acute, they are often uneducated and find it hard to interact with others.

• Large: -1 penalty to Armor Class, -1 penalty on attack rolls, -4 penalty on Hide checks, +4 bonus to grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits double that of Medium characters.

• An ursoi's base land speed is 30 feet.

• Darkvision out to 60 ft.

• Racial Hit Dice: An ursoi begins with 5 levels of monstrous humanoid, which provide 5d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +5, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +1, Ref +4, and Will +4.

• Racial Skills: An ursoi's monstrous humanoid levels give him skill points equal to 8 × (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1). Its class skills are Climb, Listen, Spot, Survival, and Swim.

• Racial Feats: An ursoi's monstrous humanoid levels give it two feats.

• +4 natural armor.

• +4 racial bonus on Survival and Swim checks.

• Natural Weapons: An ursoi has two claw attacks that are primary natural weapons dealing 1d6 damage plus Strength bonus. An ursoi can make two claw attacks as a full attack, or when wielding a manufactured weapon, he may use them to make secondary attacks as part of a full attack. Ursoi also have a bite attack that deals 1d8 damage plus half his Strength bonus. The ursoi's bite is always a secondary attack (-5 to attack bonus).

• Natural Spell: Ursoi with a Wisdom of 13 or higher are able to cast spells with verbal components, even though they cannot form traditional sounds with their mouths. Ursoi with Wisdom of 12 or lower are incapable of casting spells with verbal components and make ineffective spellcasters.

• Improved Grab: An ursoi who hits with one of his claw attacks may immediately attempt to start a grapple. He does not need to make a touch attack first. This ability works only against targets that are one size category smaller than the ursoi or smaller. An ursoi who has something in his other hand (such as a weapon) takes a -20 penalty to his grapple check to maintain the hold, but is not himself considered grappled and can defend himself or even make attacks against other opponents.

• Resistance to cold 10.

• Scent: Ursoi have remarkable olfactory capabilities and can distinguish smells easily, giving them the use of the scent extraordinary ability. Many ursoi rangers use this to track their prey even in blinding snowstorms or darkness.

• Automatic Languages: Ursoi. Bonus Languages: Common, Draconic, Icefolk, Thanoi.

• Favored Class: Ranger.

• Level Adjustment: +2. An Ursoi has an effective character level (ECL) of 7 + his class levels.