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View Full Version : Farosylva: The savage jungle elves [PEACH]



Necro_EX
2011-02-22, 06:36 AM
To put this in context, this is a race for the setting I'm brewing up, and I'd like some opinions on the whole deal: the race itself, my writing, the mechanical aspects, etc...
The setting's being brewed up to be either 3.5 or PF compatible (Well, it'll be compatible with both, but balance is different between the two), so do please keep that in mind.

Alright, these are the Atlantian jungle elves of southern Vanor, the farosylva;

Ferosylva
The Atlantian wild elves, ‘savage elves,’ or ‘southern elves’ are a race of elves that live in the deep jungles of Vanor’s southwestern regions. Separated from the majority of Vanorian life and culture by a ridge of tall mountains that spread across their homelands, the ferosylva have grown incredibly xenophobic. They are often looked down upon by 'proper' Vanorians, but the ferosylva are truthfully a deeply pious people with a rich, unique culture.

Personality: The wild elves of the jungles are often viewed as fierce and savage bloodthirsty cannibals. While their may be some truth behind these common perceptions, the ferosylva have a very structured society and live humble lives of pious respect to their elders and the deities responsible for their existence. A culture that strongly emphasizes family bonds and communal effort exists deep within the savage jungles in the south of Vanor.

Physical Description: Ferosylva are shorter than most elves, but have strong frames and possess strong, ropey muscles. They share the fine and delicate facial features of their fair cousins, but this is often subverted by their severe gazes. Bronze skinned and dark of hair, the ferosylva are an exotic people with a beauty all their own.
The southern elves often bare tattoos on their flesh as rites of passage and symbols of status. Warriors will often wear religious symbols or depictions of beasts upon their skin so they may have the strength of their symbolism.

Relations: The southern elves are largely cut off from the majority of Vanor and rarely interact with any of the northern races. The jungles of the south are replete with lizard folk and other savage species with which the ferosylva constantly wage war. Outsiders are often captured for sacrificial rites, but the rare occasion does exist where an outsider is welcomed into their community, always with a watchful eye upon them.

Alignment: Like most other elves the ferosylva have a penchant for chaotic behaviour. The Atlantian elves hold a neutral stance on good and evil, as they do perform grim and dark rituals that often include sacrifice, but they do so out of a noble piety and in the belief that it will benefit their communities as a whole.

Ferosylva Lands: The southern jungles are filled with the communities of the southern elves, but their largest population centres are nearest the Earth Dragon Mountains. The largest of their cities, Atlaqui, rests in a large cleared area of the jungle with mountain to its north and east and is home to an excess of 100,000 of the southern elves.

Religion: The Atlantian elves worship the god of death Atla, as well as many of his aspects. They also pay a special homage to their ancestors and to the spirits of nature. Their particular ways of worship often involve rites of blood and sacrifice. The hearts of their enemies are consumed for their strength, their greatest heroes are cannibalized to share their strength and courage with the community, and it is not wholly uncommon for women and children to be sacrificed to appease the spirits of nature.

Language: The ferosylva speak a dialect that has spawned directly from old elven. Their jungle tongue is harsh and guttural in sound, especially in comparison to the speech of other elves. Emphasis is hard on consonants and light and quick on vowel sounds.

Names: The naming conventions of the Atlantian elves involve family and clan names, as well as a given name. Translated their names have meaning related to the parents' hopes for their children.
Male Names: Nahil, Marliiq, Qdir, Ontag, Fariq, Solomiq, Antir, Vntag, Agliq, Lhambin
Female Names: Alli, Mari, Sallii, Venu, Massu, Segunu, Chahiira, Osy, Ayi
Family Names: Gultwep, Insep, Alqiin, Oswip, Cinequotl, Esquiotl, Nguntal

Adventurers: The ferosylva train their youth to be as useful to their community as possible. With their strong familial ties it is rare for ferosylva to take to lives of adventure, but it does still happen. Those who have been deemed too weak to serve their community, the "Whi," are exiled and sent out into the world to fend for themselves and are not allowed to return until they have become strong and capable to serve their community. These "Whi" may be found outside of the southern jungles. Some have simply fled from their problems and others are seeking to prove themselves against the dangers outside the jungles.



Ferosylva Racial Traits
+2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence: Ferosylva are strong and healthy people, but their culture lacks the education of most others.
Medium: As medium creatures, Ferosylva have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
Ferosylva base land speed is 30 feet.
Weapon/Armor Proficiency: All ferosylva are familiar with the weapons of their people. As a result all ferosylva treat weapons with the word 'ferosylva' in the name as martial, as opposed to exotic.
+2 racial bonus on spot and listen checks, and +2 on survival checks. Ferosylva possess the keen senses common to all elves, and their existence in the harsh jungles of southern Vanor have taught them skill in survival. Additionally, all ferosylva treat survival as a class skill.
Favored Class: Ranger (male) or sorcerer (female).


So, opinions/help?
Is it painfully obvious they're based on the Aztecs?
Anything I'm missing, or that might help fill out this entry? I'm going to have all my races have entries in the same formatting, so this post is just as much to seek help on formatting as it is on race construction. I'm really wanting to put a lot into the fluff for this setting, so any techniques that would help convey that would be awesome. :D

Thanks in advance to anyone who happens by this thread and takes the time to reply. :D

Also, I do have a small handful of site/board-related queries, if that's no bother.
I'm new enough to not be entirely familiar with the board's terminology...so I'm lost with all these fruits at the end of topic titles.
Also, what's the policy on multiple posts for thread formatting? I assume it's kosher to make some for formatting reasons for a larger thread, yeah? Figured I'd ask before making any threads like that, y'know?

Land Outcast
2011-02-22, 12:15 PM
PEACH: Please Examine And Critique Honestly
PEAR: Please Evaluate And Revise.

I'm not sure about APPLE.

About multiple posting there's nothing explicit in the rules as far as I see, other than avoiding double posting (but here in the homebrew forum people occasionally reserve multiple posts ahead of time and its not frowned upon). Example (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187311)

Necro_EX
2011-02-22, 12:27 PM
Alright, awesome. Thanks for the help, mate.
I've seen people reserving posts and all, but I figured it was best to check and see if there was some procedure to go through, y'know?