Shattered Worlds- The Old World (Campaign Setting)

[LOTRfan]

Currently I'm working on a campaign world that spans across three separate continents, though at the moment I intend on just fleshing out one. This continent (known as the Old World, mostly for the same reasons the phrase "Old World" was used in real life) is composed of nine separate countries, and xenophobia is rampant here. Whereas the planes at large (and even other continents on this world) are quite advanced and high-magic, this continent is a backwater in the midst of another dark age. This dark age started after a series of revolutions on the southern continent resulted in the Old World losing all the colonies it had, and the Old World hasn't had much contact with any other continents in quite a long time.

Each country is going to get a 2-3 page write up of the general culture/society of the country, but leave enough room to expand on specific details later on. A few other details; while the planes shouldn't come up too much in this region, a slightly-modified Great Wheel cosmology is in use and the generic deities in official D&D books will be used (but they will be expanded upon).

http://25.media.tumblr.com/3496b930b9df46f0b96c1f0b8fe489be/tumblr_mifcxdRbAC1rxvia9o1_500.jpg
Country #1: Mordenazan ("High Lands") (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14738997&postcount=2)
Country #2: Fristad ("Safe Haven")
Country #3: The Confederation of Man
Country #4: The Borderlands
Country #5: The Midlands (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14739030&postcount=6)
Country #6: Anzidwey (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14739041&postcount=7)
Country #7: Snagacakra (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14739051&postcount=8)
Country #8: The Marrowfields
Country #9: Nargazan ("Fallen Lands")

Other Information
Player Races (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14739234&postcount=11)
Classes (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14754574&postcount=18)
The Red Caps: A Gnomish Supremacist Group (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14739589&postcount=13)
The Goblinoid Creation Myth (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14739355&postcount=12)
Elvish Taxonomy (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14959558&postcount=26)
The Solar System

[LOTRfan]

Mordenazan ("High Lands")
Mordenazan is the ancestral homeland of the Dwarven race, which once controlled most of the continent until the start of their decline about two thousand years ago. Much earlier in the world’s history, before humans and goblins created organized nations, dwarves were a slave race to a planets-spanning empire, but as it weakened the dwarves rebelled and freed themselves, adapting the advanced magical and technological techniques of the giants for themselves. Since that time, most of these techniques have been lost to time, and the dwarves are just barely doing better than the other races in terms of knowledge.

Population
Since the decline of their empire, the dwarves have become extremely territorial and reclusive, and as a result a member any other race besides the dwarven race is incredibly rare. Dwarves stand about 4 feet tall, but weigh about the same as a fully grown adult male (about 160 pounds). Dwarves are extremely stout and broad-shouldered, and tend to have tanned or brown skin. The hair color of dwarves can range from black to brown, to even grey.

Government
Dwarves have a theocracy, in which the High Priest of Moradin serves as the rightful ruler of the empire. Although technically he is in charge of the empire, he does not make all major decisions by himself; every twenty years, each clan elects a member of their own to represent the entire clan on a council that serves to advise the High Priest and rule in times of his absence (which, due to the nature of how the next high priest is selected, can last for periods of 40 years or more).

It is believed that the High Priest is the direct representative of the Morndinsamman in the world, which is both a blessing and a curse. Although he (or she, as the case may be) is destined to serve his race as both a leader and a religious inspiration, it is believed that the High Priest is forever bound to the earth; upon death, the High Priest reincarnates. Although the High Priest is supposed to remain neutral in terms of interclan affairs (especially those concerning their own clans), the clan of the High Priest get special privileges and status. This is slightly circumvented by the fact that the reincarnation is believed to be cyclical, with the next High Priest being born into the next clan in the cycle, so each clan gets to experience the special status once per cycle.

With the exception of the capital of Azjak (or, literally, “Stonehold”), which houses the Grand Council, all dwarven settlements of town-size or larger has a council of its own. Unlike the Grand Council, this council is composed of only clan members of the majority clan of the settlement. All members of the settlement are expected to follow the policies and laws created by this council, but once every three months the Grand Council opens its doors to hear about any complaints people may have concerning the smaller councils. This is meant to stop any council from making policies that advances their own clan at the expense of all others that have a presence in the settlement.

The dwarves have no official treaties with any other nations, and rarely have any sort of contact with them. The few farming settlements that exist in the valleys between mountains are protected by small dwarven fortresses that are positioned by the mouth of the valley, and any who wish to trade with these settlements must first get past them. Other than that, there is no real interaction with the main populace. It is known that the dwarves have no love for elves, who took advantage of the chaos during the dwarves’ war with their most bitter enemies (the Goblins) to establish their own nation in this world. Although they are not enemies, there is much tension between the dwarves of Mordenazan and the dwarves of Nargazan, mostly due to religious and cultural differences.

Religion
Since Mordenazan’s government is a theocracy, it should come to no surprise that the only state-endorsed faith is the faith of the Morndinsamman. In every settlement there are temples that are equally dedicated to all the gods, though usually Moradin has the largest amount of priests dedicated to him. Clerics are moral and spiritual guides for the populace, and often serve in most upper positions in society. As a result, many young men and women try to join the clergy, which usually has a local branch in all but the smallest of settlements.

Each branch is led by a single bishop (usually the most influential priest of Moradin), who is then supported by a group of eight ministers (each of whom is dedicated to one of the other gods). In many cases, this group of priests is composed of the dwarves who are elected into the settlement’s counsel of leadership, but in some settlements more secularized officials are selected instead. This leads to a very tense dynamic in which both groups feel as though the other is taking political power that doesn’t belong to them.

The Dwarves believe in the concept of the Great Reforging. They believe that, when Creation was first underway, Moradin worked continuously despite the protests of his wife, Berronar Truesilver. This led to many of his later creations (including most of the Material Plane and the Lower Planes) having flaws that warped them into their current form. At the end of time itself, it is believed that Moradin will take all of his creations and purify them into the forms that they were originally meant to take. In very special cases, Moradin occasionally decides to “purify” some dwarves early, and they are known as Dwarven Ancestors for their resemblance to what the dwarves believe the original dwarves look like. Dwarven Ancestors serve as the elite guard of the High Priest.

Although only the Morndinsamman is an officially recognized pantheon, there are a few other minor religions practiced by the citizens of this nation. The most prominent of these religions is the cult of Dennari. This faith originally developed as a mystery cult in a previous age of the Dwarven civilization, where they were heavily persecuted for “turning their backs” on the Morndinsamman. Ever since, the fertility goddess has also doubled as a guardian of the oppressed. Most of Dennari’s worshippers have moved to the much more accepting Nargazan to practice their beliefs, though there is no longer any state-sanctioned persecution against them.

Fashion
Dwarves tend to wear earthy tones, usually a light brown tunic made out of earthsilk (a thread spun from a sponge-like fungus). The clothing itself doesn’t tend to be that elaborate, but it is usually decorated with dyes that are done in many geometric patterns. Both genders tend to wear bits of metallic jewelry as well. Both males and females tend to grow beards, which are then braided. Females tend to braid both their beards and the hair on their heads. Both genders tend to wear similar clothing, which has led to some non-dwarves confusing females for males. Dwarves who live in aboveground settlements tend to wear ushankas to keep warm in elevated climates.

Customs and Culture
As might be expected from a rather ancient civilization, Dwarves have a very intricate and advanced culture. All aspects of Dwarven culture can in some way or another be rooted back to the idea of the clan. All Dwarves are expected to aid their clan in some way or form, and as a result attributes like loyalty and a willingness to work hard are highly emphasized in their culture. Immediate families often live together in homes that are part of clan-based neighborhoods referred to as Halls, which have a public area in the center for meals and social events.

Dwarven society is quite progressive compared to most other nations. All Dwarves are considered equal under the law, including members of both genders. Females and males both have equal opportunity to advance both socially and economically, and penalties for harassment of members of either gender are often quite severe- in extreme cases, it could lead to banishment from the settlement. Dwarves reach marrying age at around forty, though most don’t marry for another twenty years afterwards. Traditionally, marriages have been arranged affairs that needed the approval of the local counsel (especially in the case of interclan marriages), but in recent years many have opted to marry after engaging in courtships with individuals of their choice for periods of four years or more. Generally speaking, after getting married the partner who comes from the less wealthy clan moves into the hall of the other.

Dwarves see little point in caring about one’s sexual orientation- one’s sexuality is his and his alone. At the same time, however, non-platonic public displays of affection (regardless of the sexual orientations of those participating in it) are frowned upon by society as a whole. Such things, most dwarves reason, should be done only in privacy. Whereas non-platonic displays are frowned upon, displays between close friends (especially when both are fellow warriors) are seen as something completely natural and not to be ashamed of. It is not uncommon for two friends who have engaged in a long battle to have a passionate embrace upon seeing each other both alive and well afterwards, or for one to mourn openly and loudly upon learning of the death of a loved one.

Dwarves take great pride in their military (all dwarves are expected to serve a minimum of eight years upon reaching the age of forty), but they take even more pride in their other accomplishments. Crafting, especially when it comes to items of stone or metal, is encouraged as a good way of bringing prosperity to the clan, and many halls have rooms dedicated to housing the most valuable and artistic of such creations. Dwarven forges are seen as some of the best in the world, and they use a variety of techniques that were either lost (or never learned) by other societies.

Due to the steady decline of their empire (hastened by both the mutually decided Mordenazan-Nargazan Split and the encroachment of the goblins into their empire less than two thousand years ago), most dwarves are extremely territorial and wary of outsiders. Gnomes and Elves, being from the same world that Drow and Duergar launch raids from, are often viewed with extreme suspicion. Humans and Halflings, on the other hand, are often seen as the barbarians that they were when Dwarves first encountered their species thousands of years ago. Dwarves of this empire are often seen as much more mysterious than the Dwarves who live alongside Humans in Nargazan.

Despite this mild xenophobic attitude, the dwarves do not believe in killing just because the enemy is of a certain race (even if the individual is a member of one the ancient dwarven enemies, like Giants or Goblinoids). The Dwarves have committed one genocide in their long history, and that resulted in the extinction of the Feral Garguns shortly after the fall of the Giant’s empire. This period of early dwarven civilization is usually seen as a very dark time by contemporary Dwarves, and many are ashamed of many of the actions that occurred during this time.

The Dwarven calendar has a week composed of nine days (one dedicated to each of the dwarven gods), with each of the nine months (also each dedicated to a god) lasting four weeks. The dwarves are the only nation to not use the standard Elvish calendar (whose “Year 0” was the year the elves established themselves as a colonial power in this world). Due to this, along with the fact that the Dwarven year is five days shorter than the Elvish year, the current Dwarven year is 8451 while the current Elvish year is in the ballpark of the 2030s (as not every nation agrees exactly when the Elves first arrived, though the Dwarves hold it happened in the year 6414). Feast Days dedicated to a specific deity occur on the deity’s day of the week during his/her month, so every month has at least four holidays.

Classes
Due to both their years of military training, there are no real Commoners in Dwarven society. Most are either Warriors/Fighters or experts. A lot of focus is spent on martial classes or divine spellcasting classes, but practitioners of arcane magic are extremely respected as well. Higher level warriors tend to enter defense-based prestige classes later on, often becoming Firstborns of Moradin or Dwarven Defenders. In addition to this, sects paladins dedicated to a specific deities (like the Valkyries of Berronar Truesilver) play a special role as assault/support troops.

[LOTRfan]

Reserved for Fristad

[LOTRfan]

Reserved for the Confederation of Man

[LOTRfan]

Reserved for the Borderlands

[LOTRfan]

The Midlands
In the center of a cluster of human kingdoms is a region called the Midlands, which is the ancestral homeland of the Halfling species. The Halflings have lived there since the genesis of their species (which itself has three separate races), though they did not unify into a single nation until about two thousand years previously. During that time, several tribes of humans (all of which shared similar language and general culture) unified into several kingdoms and engaged in war with one another. Over time, many segments of the Halfling population embarked on massive diasporas that resulted in the race spreading across the continent.

Population
Being the ancestral homeland of the Halflings, it should be unsurprising that they are the majority of the population. Most of the Halflings who live here are of the Lightfoot variety, who stand between 3 and 3½ feet tall and weigh 40-45 pounds. Like all Halflings, Lightfeet tend to have black or brown eyes and a hair color range between light blonde and dark brown. Lightfeet are the most populous of the Halfling races, and for the most part have stayed here in their ancestral homes.

The two minority Halfling races are the Tallfellows and the Deep Halflings. Tallfellows tend to have slightly fairer skin than the other two races, and generally stand around 4 feet in height. Deep Halflings, on the other hand, are shorter and stockier, being around 2½ feet tall. During the great diasporas that occurred over the past two thousand years, the majority of the Tallfellows traveled to what is now the Borderlands southern Fristad, whereas the Deep Halflings reside in the “Dwarven frontier” of Nargazan. Despite the fact that the majority of these races have left, significant portions can still be found here. They get along quite well, and members of all races (along with descendants of mixed couples) can be found throughout all aspects of their society.

Government
The Halflings do function autonomously despite various attempts in the past by various human nations to annex them. While the Halfling clans for the most part work independently from one another, every eight years the Elders of each clan meet (in an event simply called a Clan Meet) in the farming town of Wickerfelds (the capital and oldest of the permanent settlements) to elect a mayor. This mayor will remain in power until the next Clan Meet occurs, and he is in charge of both settling disputes between clans and ensuring that the Midlands are safe from the threat of invasion.

To help him with the latter obligation, an organization referred to as the Outriders exist. The Outriders are a group of dog-riding patrolmen who protect the nomadic clans as they travel near the human lands and trade. In times of war, Outriders function as elite cavaliers that support the basic troops. These troopers do not really have a set uniform, but usually wear a form of light armor that has bears the marking of their home clan on the right of their torso. It is expected that all men fight to defend the homeland, and in states of emergencies large portions of the population can be mobilized in under a week.

Locally, all major decisions are voted upon by a Council of Elders composed of the oldest twelve members of each clan. In towns where more than one clan lives together, this number is then divided and each clan gets an equal number of representatives (so in a town with four clans, each clan has three members). The Council of Elders is expected to make decisions that are best for the settlement as a whole, and are supposed to be highly respected by all members of the community.

The past thirteen mayors have all maintained a treaty with the Confederation of Man, the political alliance of five human kingdoms that surround their homeland. Before the Confederation formed, the Halflings were under the constant threat of being invaded from any and all sides by barbaric forces. Over the centuries, as these barbaric tribes transformed into dozens of small kingdoms and then the five nations that exist today, the Halflings were able to play the nations off of each other and remain more or less safe. Once the human nations created their alliance, however, the Halflings were forced into an unfavorable treaty in which they pay tribute to the five nations in order to avoid invasion. Outriders remain ever-vigilant in case one of the nations decide to go against the deal.

Religion
The most important deity the Halflings have is Yondalla, who serves as protector of the Halflings. The Halfling pantheon (whose name varies, depending on the clan) is mostly restrained to the Midlands despite the Halfling Diasporas, due to the fact that most Halflings who traveled to other nations adopted their faiths, though some Halflings prefer to incorporate their own myths and legends into other religions rather than abandoning them completely.

Given the Midland’s history of being invaded by hordes of barbaric humans, it may be unsurprising that nearly all Halfling deities involve the concept of protection and defense in some way or form. There is only one major exception to this rule; Brandobaris, god of Stealth and Thievery. All others, from the weather goddess Sheela Peryroyl to Urogalan, god of death, are guardians of some aspect of Halfling society. In addition to the six major deities, there are dozens of lesser gods who are not uniformly worshipped by all members of the faith; they are local “ascended” gods.

The Halflings believe in a special process that happens to one’s true self after death; the “soulstuff” that composes a person’s true self is said to transform into a new, immortal being in the afterlife. What exact creature the soulstuff is “translated” into by Yondalla depends on the alignment of the individual; for example, Chaotic Evil individuals are said to be transformed into demons, while neutral good creatures are said to be translated into Guardinals. Exactly how entrenched a being is in his alignment also determines how powerful they are in their new form, with exemplars of alignments being translated into unique forms (like Archdevils or one-of-a-kind Angels). In rare cases, specific Halfling heroes are said to “ascend” to godhood themselves as a result of their translation, with the most widely known/worshipped example being Charmalaine the Adventurer.

Fashion
Halflings tend to wear extremely simple clothes, preferring comfort to extravagance. Most tend to wear simple blue tunics, though wealthier Halflings may also wear a woolen cloak. Others (especially those who work in the fields) wear sleeveless jackets. Tunics worn by Halfling women tend to be a bit longer than those of their male counterparts. Halfling males usually have short hair and long sideburns. Beards are rare and mustaches even more so. Halfling women tend to have long hair that they tie into a bun, though most Halfling women (especially those belonging to the nomadic clans) wear bonnets. Men, on the other hand, tend to wear simple feathered caps.

Customs and Culture
Halfling society is extremely segmented; in addition to the wagon-fleets that roam the borders of their territory looking for travelers to trade with, there are permanent farming settlements in the central areas of the Midlands. Generally Halflings who are part of one of these lifestyles see the other one as odd (or sometimes even inferior) compared to their own, but both aspects of society rely heavily on the other for their joint survival. While the permanent farming settlements make food that can support the entire nation’s populace, the nomadic traders bring goods from neighboring Confederate nations to trade for this food.

The nomadic Halflings are more akin to the Halflings that participated in the diasporas, as they are very adventurous. Generally speaking, men and women have similar roles, though men are seen as leaders of the clans. Halflings of these clans are taught the tools of the trade from a very young age, and are encouraged to be creative in terms of bartering and negotiating. Halflings of these societies usually speak several languages, so they can take full advantage of any business opportunities that arrive. Nomadic traders also tend to leave the borders of the Midlands in order to make quick journeys to other regions, like the Borderlands. These trips tend to last no more than three weeks, and Halflings are expected to pay for passage through Confederate territory.

The farmer Halflings, on the other hand, rarely travel more than twenty miles away from their birthplace in their entire lifetime. These Halflings are much more shy around the “bigfolk,” and would rather sit in their homes drinking tea after a hard day’s work rather than go out and explore the world around them. Halflings born into these communities who don’t quite like the mundane life usually leave with visiting wagon trains the first opportunity they get, but these people are usually seen as very “queer.”

In both societies, a Halfling is seen as reaching adult status at roughly twenty years of age, and tend to get married around age twenty seven. In the nomadic clans, reaching adulthood is seen as a time of great celebration. The parties in honor of the new adult usually last well into the night, and usually a few hours of privacy are given to him/her so they can celebrate their status with an available Halfling of the opposite gender and roughly the same age. This practice is not shared with the Halfling farmers.

Halflings are a very hearty race, with a strong sense of will power and a physical endurance quite notable for their size. Perhaps as a result of having to fight much larger foes over the course of their history, culturally Halflings tend to be fearless and stealthy in combat, often taking advantage of the natural surroundings. While Halflings can be very dangerous foes when driven to battle, for the most part Halflings of both lifestyles would much rather negotiate than engage in bloodshed. Halflings, who see much value in material possessions, tend to aim to destroy property than take lives in any conflicts they enter.

There are two major languages spoken in the Midlands; Halfling and Common.

Classes
The vast majority of Halflings tend to be Commoners who work on farms or sell their wares on wagon trains. Fighters are very rare, as are Paladins, but those who do exist often join the Outriders. Experts and aristocrats are both nearly nonexistent in this country. Some farms (especially the more successful ones) are likely to have a Gleaner or two that serve as specialized farmhands with a link to the supernatural. Rogues are extremely common, as are Factotums.

Divine magic is more common than arcane magic, though neither is very common. In both cases, classes where magic is a natural talent (like Sorcerers and Favored Souls) are more common than classes where magic is the result of intense study.

[LOTRfan]

Anzidwey
Of all the countries that currently exist in the Old World, Anzidwey is the youngest. Formerly part of the elven colony of Fristad, the inhabitants of Anzidwey started a revolution and broke off approximately 1,000 years ago. Following the fourteen year long civil war (and the racial genocides committed by both sides afterwards), Anzidwey was established as a free gnomish nation. Anzidwey is not a very well-organized government, but this fits the purposes of the freedom-loving populace.

Population
Given the circumstances of Anzidwey’s establishment, it is not surprising that the majority of its population is composed of gnomes, specifically of the rock gnome variety. This variety is itself an offshoot of the forest gnomes that live in the Feywild, as they are descended from gnomes who came with the elves to colonize this world two thousand years ago. Gnomes stand between 3-3½ feet in height, and weigh 40-45 pounds. Gnomes are a dark tan to a woody brown, and their eyes are always blue (but can be of any shade).

The greatest minority is composed of wood elves. Though one thousand years have passed since the Gnomish Revolution, only one or two generations of elves and two or three generations of gnomes have passed in that time, and as a result racial tensions are extremely high. Wood-elves are treated as second-class citizens in much the same way gnomes were (and still are) treated in Fristad. In the first three decades of the establishment of Anzidwey, elves in Anzidwey and gnomes in Fristad were desperate to move across the border, only to be mowed down in one of the largest genocides in this world’s history. As survivors of this genocide, the wood elves are often very distrusting and rarely wander towns alone.

The next greatest minority is the golmoid people, who are treated as equal to gnomes. Golmoids are living constructs who were initially created by gnomes before they left their homes in the Feywild, and some of the ones currently living in Anzidwey have been part of their gnomish families for over ten generations. Golmoids are around 7 feet tall, with oversized hands and shoulders. The “skin” of golmoids depends on the type of stone they are based on, and their eyes are red like magma. Golmoids often carve their skins with symbols meant to symbolize their families or important accomplishments they achieved during their life.

The numbers of other races in Anzidwey are so insignificant it is hardly worth mentioning. Every once in a while a human or half-elf may visit one of the outer towns. Half-elves are seen as more human than elf in the eyes of gnomes, and as a result they are not as heavily discriminated against as their elvish parents are.

Government
Anzidwey does not have a centralized government. Instead, it has a very loose magocracy (the only magocracy in the world) that helps the common people. Usually, the wisest/most powerful wizard or bard serves as the head of a settlement, and she spends most of her time aiding those who come asking for help. Besides this, there isn’t really any functioning government, and people are merely expected to adhere to tradition. Those who don’t (especially those who break major moral traditions) are usually ostracized, and that is usually all it takes to keep wrongdoings from occurring.

The different townships are more or less autonomous (much like the monarchal kingdoms that make up the Confederacy of Man), with free trade between them and an unspoken agreement to lend aid whenever tragedy befalls one. Once every year, there is a convention that meets at the unofficial capital of Anzidwey (Cymarow) where all the most powerful sages discuss any discoveries they have made in the past year and occasionally trade their discoveries for other bits of knowledge. Anzidwey is on friendly terms with the neighboring Confederacy of Man and the Borderlands (which, while not technically an independent political entity, has several gnomish settlements that are not technically part of Anzidwey).

The military of Anzidwey is minimal, and relies on volunteers in times of war. Higher ranking gnome officials wear elaborate fezzes (usually lightly jeweled and having a specific color tassel) in order to designate rank. This use of the fez as a symbol of rank would later make its way to Anzidwey’s colonies in the new world, where gnome soldiers would wear them to show their superiority over native conscripts.

Religion
While Anzidwey is religiously tolerant, the overwhelmingly gnome/golmoid population worships the Lords of the Golden Hills, the pantheon that is headed by Garl Glittergold. Usually, each town has a single temple dedicated to the pantheon as a whole, though usually the focus is on Garl Glittergold and one or two other deities. Golmoids in particular tend to place far heavier emphasis on the gnomish inventor god Nebelun due to their own nature as creations of the gnomes. While the wood-elves are allowed to worship the Seldarine, there are no temples dedicated to them and it is expected that they will worship them in private ceremonies within their own homes.

The clergy isn’t very essential to the churches dedicated to the Lords of the Golden Hills; gnomes believe that the relationship between oneself and the gods should be a personal one, and so the clergy isn’t heavily relied on in social situations. In fact, most would rather show their dedication to the gods by inventing, learning, or otherwise leading successful lives. Bards play a special role in the religious community, as they perform all sorts of hymns and songs meant to teach the values of the Lords of the Golden Hills.

Fashion
Gnomes tend to wear leather clothing, or clothing with very earthly hues. Overalls are common among males, and most females wear long skirts. Both tend to decorate their clothing with all manner of stitches and jewelry. Both genders tend to where large, poorly-fitted shirts and wooden shoes. Pointed caps (usually green or red in color) are especially common among the farmers and other peasantry, whereas the more educated tend to wear fezzes with elaborate jeweled designs. Male gnomes tend to have short, neatly trimmed beards, and women tend to grow their hair out to roughly shoulder-length, usually braided twice along the back. Younger wood-elves tend to wear clothing that matches those of the gnomes, but there are a few that still follow the fashion ideas of Fristad, which further distinguishes them from the general population. Golmoids, being constructs, do not have to wear clothing, but many wear large trousers.

Customs and Culture
Due to the fact that Anzidwey was once part of an elvish colony, there are definite signs of matriarchy in Anzidwey’s culture. In some ways, Anzidwey’s culture takes this concept of matriarchy a bit further than Fristad. For example, polyandry is common, with gnome women having as many as three husbands (which is the most a person can have according to tradition). Women tend to be better educated than men, and are more likely to fill administrative, clerical, or wizardry positions. Males tend to work as house keepers, soldiers, and historians, especially when it comes to protecting their oral histories.

Gnomes are seen as becoming adults at age forty, and by sixty-six years of age they have usually settled down to have families of their own. Unlike elves, who usually have one or two children in their life time, gnomes usually have four or five. There is usually a ten to twenty year age difference between children, though women can have multiple births over a period as short as five years. This length of time between births (which is large compared to humans, who can have multiple births over a period of two years) is due to cultural rather than biological reasons; since average gnomes live up to three times longer than a human would, gnomes can afford to wait for more kids and focus on a single one at a time. The fact that older siblings are usually halfway to being adults by the point that their siblings are born means that there tends to be a more formal relationship between siblings than between siblings in other relationships. Older siblings tend to be more like secondary parental figures, akin to uncles and aunts.

Since gnome women tend to mate with all their husbands within short succession of one another, the true father of a child is usually never known. As a result, fathers raise kids as though they belong to all spouses rather than just the wife and one of the husbands. Occasionally jealousy develops, but this is rare. Gnomes tend to move out quickly and, being the adventurous people they are, move away from their original families when seeking to establish their own. Despite (or perhaps because of) this, gnome families can go for years without talking and pick up exactly where they left off upon seeing each other again.

Golmoids, who at this point have been part of gnomish society for over two millennia, are usually seen as a grandparent figure for young gnomes, and few gnomes lose these feelings for their golmoids as they age. Though golmoids are usually associated with a specific family, this is not because of any ties to servitude; golmoids are seen as equal to gnomes in every respect, to the point that they believe that golmoids have been granted souls by the gnomish gods. Instead, golmoids stay with specific families out of love, and enjoy watching generation after generation of children grow into respectful, prosperous adults. At the same time, there is often an air of sadness around a golmoid, as they know that sooner or later they will have to watch these children die. Golmoids are seen as wise members of the family, and gnomes seeking advice often go to them.

Since there is only a single generation gap between the elves of Fristad and the elves of Anzidwey, most of the elves have not adapted much of gnomish culture. They prefer to stick to their elvish roots, perhaps a reminder of the tensions that exist between the two races. Unsurprisingly, interspecies marriage is frowned upon in this society, Though there has yet to be a half-elf half-gnome born, elf-gnome couples are looked upon as odd and unnatural. Gnomes consider dwarves and halflings to be especially attractive. Additionally, the constant raids that have been committed against Anzidwey by the goblinoids in the past hundred years (but in the past decade in particular) has led to an almost cultural hatred of goblinoids.

Gnomes are extremely fond of pranks, and once a friendship develops it is exceedingly common for gnomes to pull pranks on each other from time to time. These pranks are seen as perfectly acceptable, so long as they are not too disruptive and no one is harmed. Other past times including playing all sorts of games and observing nature (which is further augmented by their ability to speak to animals). Both golmoids and gnomes are also very interested in the study of alchemy, with such products of such research being very common throughout the country. This has resulted in the country being one of the largest exporters of alchemical products to the Confederacy of Man and the Borderlands.

There are four widely spoken languages in Anzidwey. They are Gnome, Elven, Common, and Sylvan.

Classes
Due to the magocratic nature of Anzidwey’s “government,” arcane magic users are extremely common here, with as many as one in twenty people being a wizard, sorcerer, or magician. Perhaps even more common are bards, as both lore and music are very popular forms of studies amongst gnomes and golmoids alike. Aristocrats essentially do not exist in this country, they have been largely replaced by wizards as the upper class. Due to both the fact that gnomes deemphasize the importance of the clergy in their religion, religious-based divine classes are rare, and those who do exist tend to be elves. Gnomes tend to go into nature-based divine classes like druids and rangers, while golmoid divine classes are nearly entirely unheard of.

Fighters and warriors are much rarer in Anzidwey when compared to other races, while rogues tend to be much more common. Proportionally, there tends to be many more experts in the nation compared to others, with expert alchemists, animal handlers, and crafters being the most common.

[LOTRfan]

Snagacakra
Apart from the mainland of the continent is Snagacakra, the region from which the Goblinoid races have arrived. Snagacakra is densely populated both in terms of actual population and number of races that reside within, which may account for the society’s expansionistic imperialist nature. Though the goblins were pushed back from the mainland approximately two thousand years ago, there was a large expanse of time where they were major contenders for complete control of the continent, and were a major factor in the decline of the Dwarven Empire.

Population
Snagacakra is populated more or less exclusively by goblinoids, of which there are seven native races. The idea of race is tied heavily into the religious system (and thus the government) of Snagacakra. By far the most common of the races is the Goblin. Goblins stand between 3 and 3½ feet tall, and weigh 40 to 45 pounds. Most Goblins have greenish skin, though shades of sickly yellow and even light red are known to exist. Goblins tend to have yellow, red, or black eyes, which are usually glazed and dull. Many Goblins suffer horribly from all sorts of nonlethal but scarring diseases.

The next two races are actually Goblin subraces; Blues and Forest Kith. Blues appear slightly shorter than the average Goblin (about 3 feet), with a tinged blue skin tone. Their eyes also tend to be brighter than the average Goblin, but otherwise are physically identical. Blues are naturally psionic, the only goblinoid race to have this characteristic. Forestkith are more attuned to the Feywild than other goblinoids are, and may channel this connection in order to transform into a tree during the day as protection from the creatures that reside on the continent.

The next most numerous goblinoids are Hobgoblins, who stand about 6 feet tall and have lightly tanned skin and reddish brown hair. The noses of Hobgoblins tend to be a darkened grey. While they are not the toughest or most numerous of the races, Hobgoblins are without a doubt the most powerful of the races. The Varags, a subrace of extremely primitive goblinoids closely related to Hobgoblins, appear to be a cross between a bugbear and a gorilla in terms of posturing and general body shape, but their skin, hair, and nose color are very similar to that of Hobgoblins. Varags have a very special bond with Hobgoblins, akin to the relationship of that of dogs and humans or grey renders and giants.

The least numerous of the three main species of goblinoids are the Bugbears; these hulking humanoids clock at 6’10-7’2 in terms of height and 250-300, and are the only goblinoids to be covered in fur. This fur is usually brown, but whitens with age. Bugbears have a nose and claws similar to that of the large grizzly bears that reside on their island, which is how they received their moniker. Bugbears don’t tend to fit into the orderly society of the goblinoids as well as the other races, and as a result most others try to be very careful when interacting with them.

Other intelligent creatures, like wargs and feral yowlers, also reside here, but they are outside of Snagacakra’s religious/legal system and thus tend to do whatever they wish. Certain packs have made pacts with specific Hobgoblin vassals to serve as mounts in times of war in exchange for protection, but otherwise these creatures are content to stay out of the way of the goblinoid war-hordes.

Government
The government of Snagacakra is extremely well-organized and regimented into eight separate fiefs, each of which is led by a vassal. These vassals swear fidelity to the Warlord, a member of the royal family who has been selected by the high-priests of Nomog-Geaya, but otherwise are left to their own devices. In addition to this promise of loyalty, vassals are expected to pay tribute to the Warlord in terms of wealth and livestock. To further supplement this tribute, most fiefs will engage in raids against the mainland.

In addition to the armies sponsored by the fiefs, the Warlord has his own personal army that is loyal to him beyond all else. In all the armies, races are given different uniforms, with the Hobgoblins getting the best gear and most extravagant armor while the goblins are just barely armored and often have to scavenge for gear. In addition to this, one’s race determines just how far one can advance in the military, with only the Hobgoblins being able to attain the highest military ranks.

Recently, since about four years ago, there has been a period of great chaos and civil war occurring in the southern part of Snagacakra as a result of an anti-caste revolution. Led by a mysterious Blue going by the name of Dmung, this revolution has been extremely popular among the goblin-castes and has successfully overrun three of the fiefs. These abolitionists are demanding the head of the current Warlord to be served to them on a pike, and growing unrest is occurring in the other fiefs.

While some may see this attempted abolition of the caste system to be a good thing, this revolution may have sinister overtones of its own; though not publicly endorsed, the rhetoric of these revolutionaries tend to have very subtle hints of psionic supremacy, and most high-ranking members of this rebellion are all magic-users and psions-in-training. This rebellion has caused the loyalist faction (now desperate to keep their way of life alive) to try to expand again to the mainland, the first time this has happened successfully in over a thousand years. Currently, they have annexed a small part of both Anzidwey and the Confederacy of Man, and are using these small areas as staging points for another invasion meant to carve out a new goblinoid fiefdom.

Religion
Religion more or less dictates what sort of life every inhabitant of Snagacakra will have. Religion is closely tied to the government, as one’s legal rights depend on what caste the goblinoid belongs to. The doctrine of the goblinoids’ religion preaches that goblinoids are unique in that they are the only creatures in the world to remain in physical form after their death; everyone else merely becomes a bodiless spirit, forced to wander the world for all eternity. Goblinoids, on the other hand, are blessed with immortality through reincarnation. According to their belief, there are a limited number of goblinoid souls in the world, and what form they take depends on how loyal they are compared to others of their kind.

The bottom caste is composed of a creature that technically isn’t a goblinoid, but rather a nonsapient rodent creature called a goblin-dog. These goblin-dogs have been part of their society for thousands of years, serving as mounts and hunters. Those who are especially loyal to their masters are said to be reborn as goblins or forestkith. Blues are said to be goblin-dogs who were not ready to be reborn as goblins, but have somehow cheated their way into humanoid form. Blues are usually killed at birth for this reason, so they can be demoted to the form that they deserve. Half-breeds are considered part of this caste, as their forms have been “tainted” by non-goblinoid blood. Upon death, their souls are restored and is supposedly reincarnated as a goblin-dog so they can try to advance through the ranks in a “proper” way.

The next caste is composed of goblins and forestkith. They are seen as having the natural deviousness of their patron god, Maglubiyet, but take on the cowardliness as well. As a result, they are not especially valued. Goblins who overcome this cowardliness and die in battle move on to the next caste, while goblins who never participate in battle are demoted back to goblin-dog status. Everyone in between these extremes are reborn as goblins upon death. Goblins and forestkith worship all the gods of the goblinoid pantheon.

The second highest caste is composed of Varags (who are seen as almost ready for Hobgoblin status) and Bugbears. Neither of these races are especially bright, a testament to the goblinoid philosophy of “if you can’t have brains and brawn, always go for brawn.” Bugbears are usually seen as advanced shock troops or support troops who stand behind the first line of goblin soldiers. Varags, on the other hand, tend to work much more closely with Hobgoblins and tend to function as scouts. Varags usually live within Hobgoblin households as personal servants/companions. Bugbears and Varags only worship Grankhul, Hruggek, Skiggaret, and Nomog-Geaya.

The highest caste is composed of the self-proclaimed “master race,” the Hobgoblins take on all commandeering roles in society. Even the lowliest of Hobgoblins are seen as superior to the most powerful of the lower castes, and are seen as strong, intelligent, and brave. The goal of every Hobgoblin is to maintain their status of being a Hobgoblin. Hobgoblins acknowledge the existence of the “lesser” goblinoid gods, but only worship Nomog-Geaya.

Fashion
The caste that a person belongs to greatly influences what sort of clothing a he wears. The lower castes tend to wear very little, as their garbs are more like rags than actual clothing. They tend to be brown and covered in filth. Personal hygiene is a rarity among this caste, and they rare adorn themselves with anything. Bugbears tend to wear slightly more, though not much. Bugbears tend to wear long loincloths made of the pelts of animals, and are usually shirtless (though many males wear metallic shoulder-blades) and wear simple foot-wrappings. Hobgoblins dress the most elegantly out of all the castes, but outside the royal family they still have a lower-quality dress than citizens of most other nations. They wear simple browns, and females may wear a piece of jewelry or two during special occasions. In most ceremonies or other important events, Hobgoblin males dress in full military armor.

Customs and Culture
Very little is known about goblinoid culture, as most contact that they have made with other nations have been brief and brutally violent. It is known that the goblinoid elite pride themselves on their military tradition, and all Hobgoblin males are expected to serve in the military for at least two decades of their life. The lower castes are also conscripted into service, where they spend the majority of their lives. Bravery and brawn are valued more than subtlety and intelligence, though they are still seen as positive traits. An abundance of the latter two traits does not make up for the lack of the former two.

Due to the fact that most males are pressed into military service, females take up most domestic roles. At the same time, however, they play an extremely subservient role in society. At best, they are seen as valued servants to their husbands and fathers, while at worst they are treated as property. There is no official coming of age or any sort of marriage ceremony in goblinoid society. In the lands that have undergone Dmung’s abolitionist revolution, women are seen as equals to men, but there are still many holdouts who are unnerved by this change in women’s status.

The concept of privacy is nearly completely alien to all non-nobles; goblinoids tend to huddle together in massive but simple complexes where they live with not only dozens of others of their kind but animals as well. Here, goblins eat, sleep, and bathe together. The desire for personal belongings is seen as inherently selfish unless this desire is coming from a noble Hobgoblin, as they believe that Hobgoblins have the gods-given right to own property.

Goblinoids, regardless of race or personal power, almost always see themselves as inherently better than members other races. This belief expands even to fey and outsiders, as they (unlike most other nations) see these beings as merely mortal inhabitants of alternate worlds. Whereas an elf or human may be terrified of the mention of a demon-lord’s name, goblins would merely see that individual as a capable warlord whose accomplishments may be impressive, but not really someone who should be given any more respect than any other non-goblin.

Although goblinoids tend to live short lives relative to most other humanoid races (most are considered to be extremely old by age seventy-five), their perceived immortality allows them to look at the world in a way more akin to the longer-lived elves and gnomes than that of the worldview of humans and halflings. This is perhaps what scares the goblinoids most about the most recent revolution; in a span of a mere four years, a little under half of Snagacakra’s populace has rebelled, and if something doesn’t happen very quickly the goblinoid’s way of life could be changed forever.

Goblin is the only language widely spoken in Snagacakra.

Classes
As to be expected from a nation with a heavy warrior tradition, most martial classes are extremely common here. Divine classes are also very common, especially adepts and clerics. Commoners are extremely common amongst females, while skilled workers and experts are almost completely unheard of.

[LOTRfan]

Reserved for the Marrowfields

[LOTRfan]

Reserved for Nargazan

[LOTRfan]

Player Races
There are four types of humanoids native to this continent. They are;

Human (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/races.htm#humans)
Dwarf (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/races.htm#dwarves)
Halfling (Lightfoot (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/races.htm#halflings), Tallfellow (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/halfling.htm#tallfellow), and Deep Halfling (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/halfling.htm#deepHalfling))
Goblinoid (Goblin (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/goblin.htm), Hobgoblin (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14739880&postcount=15), Blue (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14739880&postcount=15), Bugbear (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/bugbear.htm), Forestkith*, Troblin (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14820862&postcount=23), Varag**)

*Monster Manual III
**Monster Manual IV

In addition to these races, there are three races that traveled from the Feywild (a parallel plane that is coterminous with the Material Plane) and colonized this continent together approximately two thousand years ago. They are;

Elf (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/elf.htm#woodElf)
Gnome (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/races.htm#gnomes)
Golmoid (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14739764&postcount=14)


Those are the races that have a significant population on the continent. In addition to these, there are various less common races (usually half-breeds, but sometimes races that try to integrate into other cultures by pretending to be a member of a different race). These are;
Half-Elf (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/races.htm#halfElves)
Changeling*
Shifter*
Planetouched (Aasimar (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/planetouched.htm#aasimar) and Tiefling (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/planetouched.htm#tiefling), among others)
Elan (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicRaces.htm#elans)
Synad**
Mul***

*Eberron Campaign Setting
**Complete Psionic
***Athas.org

[LOTRfan]

Goblinoid Creation Myth
In the beginning, back when all that lived did so under the soil, there were nine gods. These creatures lived for many millennia under the earth, creating their domains and exploring alternate dimensions. There, they met creatures of lesser power, beings seemingly made in their image, but in a far smaller scale. These were the demons and devils that plague the farthest reaches of the universe. They brought deep fear to the angels, similar beings who supposedly represented all that was good. The gods were unique in that they did not fear these creatures; in fact, their existence intrigued them.

Ultimately, however, the gods viewed them as useless; they were too caught up in their own petty differences to serve the all-mighty beings. So, instead, the gods decided to make their own people. These became the first mortals. The gods took the animals that lived in the wild, and reshaped them into the first humans and dwarves. They were very ugly creatures, but the gods loved them anyway. But, like many people who are new at performing a certain skill, there were imperfections; soon, these mortals decided that they didn’t need their loving creators to survive, and turned to the worship of other creatures. The angels, once believed to be guardians of truth and justice, were revealed to be the ones who gave the mortals the knowledge to live on their own accords. Angered by the disobedience, the gods forced the mortals out.

The leader of the gods, a wonderfully strong and powerful deity known as Nomog-Geaya, decided that the next time around many more precautions would have to be taken when creating their new children. He placed the most devious of the gods, Maglubiyet, in charge of the creation of the new race. Maglubiyet, with his beautiful black skin and fiery red eyes, was as vain as he was attractive. He created the new race in his image. He believed that in order to survive, his children would have to be cunning and clever. He created a small race of intelligent creatures, whom he created from rodents. He had hoped that they would be able to outwit the human and dwarf mortals that were now roaming the planet. Nomog-Geaya, looking at these creatures, was disgusted by their lack of strength.

Nomog-Geaya scolded Maglubiyet for his narcissism, and told him that his creations (whom he had named Goblins) were worthless. Next, he turned to his next most trusted companion, the vile and aggressive Hruggek. Hruggek was also absolutely disgusted by the lack of strength that the Goblins exhibited. Picking up his morningstar, he pounded the goblins in to the primordial clay in which all life started, and reshaped them in his image. These creatures, whom Hruggek affectionately called Bugbears, were strong and tough. They reveled in their newfound physical capabilities, and thanked Hruggek for delivering them from their previous state of existence. This time, rather than spending their time hiding and planning, the Bugbears went out and launched several attacks against the humans and dwarves. They were not capable of making a strategy, however, and were mowed down mercilessly. Again, Nomog-Geaya was not impressed.

This time, rather than rely on his fellow gods and goddesses, Nomog-Geaya took matters into his own hands. Taking the corpses of the Bugbears, he reshaped them into a master race, a breathed life into them. These creatures retained much of the Bugbear’s strength, while at the same time maintaining much of the Goblin’s intelligence. This race, a combination of the previous two, had the most potential of all the goblinoids. Again, the goblinoids praised Nomog-Geaya for rescuing them from their previous existence, and promised to serve him forever. For a while, Nomog-Geaya began to create new Hobgoblins, but they were not grateful like the originals. For a long time, Nomog-Geaya wondered why. Why were these new Hobgoblins so selfish and lazy? And then it hit him; they had not undergone the metamorphosis like the originals had. And so, without a second thought, he turned them into goblins. Gasping at their smaller, frailer forms, the goblins begged Nomoh-Geaya to change them back. The wise and mighty god said no, and that they had to prove themselves worthy of becoming Hobgoblins by first living lives as Goblins and Bugbears. And that is how the cycle of reincarnation began.

Now, the goblinoids are a stronger people. With a tangible social structure, the goblins were able to make a homeland for themselves. Since then, the goblins have been a threat to the humans and the dwarves. Even with the arrival of new races, like the elves and gnomes, the goblins remain a force to be reckoned with. It may take centuries, perhaps even millennia, but one day the goblinoids will rule the world. Just as they are destined to.

[LOTRfan]

The Red Caps
Though the elves that inhabit Anzidwey are considered citizens of the nation, they are treated very poorly by the other inhabitants. Perhaps the organization that best represents this ethnic hatred is the Red Caps, a large but loosely organized group of gnomes that can be found in four separate towns along the Anzidwey-Fristad border.

Through the use of terror and intimidation, these bloodthirsty individuals ensure that no elves dare to rise in the ranks of society or speak out against the heavy racial discrimination that occurs. Though the Red Caps only exist in northern Anzidwey, approximately 73% of the nation's elvish population resides here, so the majority of elves have witnessed some sort of heavy oppression occurring at the hands of the Red Caps.

Red Caps patrol the border, making sure that no elves (whether they be entering or leaving) cross it. They also try to prevent any elves from traveling further south, as they feel that letting allowing elves to live further inland would further "taint" the existence of the gnomish nation. This policy also targets marriages and relationships between elves and gnomes; the gnome participant in such relationships (whether they be merely friendships or romantic in nation) are seen as traitors by the people.

Since there is no official law enforcement, and because the higher classes support the (mostly lower class and under-educated male) Red Caps, the Red Caps have more or less free reign to do whatever they wish. Most of the time, this is limited to severe beatings and destruction of property, but outright murder/execution is not unheard of.

One can easily distinguish a member of the Red Caps by the hat that (s)he wears; wrapped around the base of the red pointed cap that they wear is a noose.

[LOTRfan]

http://24.media.tumblr.com/560414812dca0cb2f7513e94d13fd2a0/tumblr_mihkp4a8LS1rxvia9o1_500.png

Golmoids can trace their “heritage” back over three millennia ago, when Gnomes first started widespread use of Stone Golems as menial workers. During this time, the Gnomes started expanding across the continent alongside the Elves, and they needed workers to do the heavy lifting in the construction of their towns.

Gnomes, growing attached to their creations, began to personify them. Eventually, they started to improve upon the basic design, making them more and more humanoid in appearance. Some Gnomes even began to have contests to see who could grant their creations the most intelligence and personality.

It was soon discovered that these constructs could be resurrected when killed; somehow, they had gotten souls. At first, the Gnomes thought that their father-god, Garl Glittergold, had given them such gifts. When the clerics of Garl Glittergold denied it, the gnomes assumed that their god of inventions, Nebelun, had done it. When his tinkerer-priests also said it was not so, the Gnomes were confused. They themselves surely had not done it. Who had given their creations true life? Regardless of who had given them such a gift, the Gnomes set the Golmoids free, and the two have been living in harmony ever since.

Personality: The neutral faces that Golmoids are carved with hide the personality behind their faces. Most Golmoids are outgoing, cheerful people. They are generally shy around non-Gnomes, which leads many to believe they are cold and unemotional, but in the presence of Gnomes or friends, they often joke, pull pranks, and tell stories. Like all races, however, Golmoids have many different outlooks on life that vary from individual to individual. Golmoids often live simple lives as (paid) miners or laborers. They need little, and ask for even less. Their history has instilled a nearly racial hatred of slavery in all forms. As a result, most Golmoids wish to be as self-sufficient as possible.

Physical Appearance: Golmoids appear as gender-neutral humanoid creatures, with broad shoulders and red eyes. The exact coloring of a Golmoid depends on what type of rock was used in their creation. The majority are brown or black in color, but red, green, yellow, and banded combinations of different colors and shades are not rare. Many Golmoids chisel markings onto their skin to signify important events in their life. This is similar to the tattoos of biological creatures.

Relations: Golmoids are on good terms with Gnomes, as they released the Golmoids as soon as they found out the Golmoids were sentient. For the most part, the Golmoids still live with the Gnomes, even working for their ex-masters. Golmoids are generally shy around Humans and Halflings. Golmoids see Elves and Dwarves as different, exaggerated aspects of the Gnome race, but often relate to Dwarves better than Elves due to the tension between the Elves and their former masters.

Alignment: Most Golmoids are indifferent to one of the two alignment axes. As a result, a large portion of the population is neutral on at least one side of the alignment scales. The two largest fractions of the population are Chaotic Neutral and Neutral Good.

Religion: Most Golmoids pay homage to the Lords of the Golden Hills, the pantheon of gods the Gnomes worship. Many worship Nebelun (god of inventions and luck), but others worship Callarduran Smoothhands (god of the earth) and Flandal Steelskin (god of miners).

Languages: Golmoids speak Common and Gnome. Many Golmoids learn to speak Dwarven, Halfling and Terran as well.

Names: For the most part, Golmoids choose gender-neutral Gnome names (but those with a distinct masculine or feminine personality may chose fixed-gender names). Quite a few Golmoids have adopted the clannames of their ex-masters to honor them.

Adventurers: Golmoids are very useful allies and adventurers. They never tire, are extremely loyal, and even willing to put their lives on the line for allies. If people can live with their pranks, they will rarely find better friends.

Golmoid Racial Traits
• +2 Strength, +2 Con, -2 Dexterity, -2 Int, +2 Cha; Golmoids are large creatures with the brute strength and fantastic endurance. While the Gnomes attempts at making the Golmoids very intelligent might have failed, they did transfer the Gnomish outlook on life and the friendly personality many Gnomes share.
• Medium Construct (Living Construct): As Living Constructs, Golmoids share many bonuses and penalties of both the humanoids they mimic and the stone golems they are “descended” from. See the Living Construct subtype for more information.
• Base Speed 20 ft. Golmoids are not affected by medium loads, and heavy loads are treated as medium loads when it comes to penalties taken.
• +2 racial bonus to craft (alchemy) checks. Originally used as mindless laborers, Golmoids have been helping their gnome masters craft items for years. Craft is always a class skill for Golmoids.
• +2 bonus to saving throws from enchantment spells and effects.
• Stone Pelt: Golmoids have all sorts of stone covering their body. The stone used to carve a Golmoid provides a +3 armor bonus. This stone is not natural armor and doesn't to stack with the other effects that give an armor bonus (other than natural armor). This composite plating occupies the same space on the body as suit of armor or a robe, and thus a Golmoid character cannot wear armor or magic robes. Golmoid can be enchanted just as armor can be. The character must be present for the entire time it takes to enchant him. A Stone Pelt provides a Golmoid with a 20% arcane spell failure chance, similar to the penalty for wearing medium armor. Any class ability that allows a spellcaster to ignore the arcane spell failure chance for light armor lets him ignore this penalty as well.
• Powerful Build (Ex): The physical stature of Golmoids lets them function in many ways as if they were one size category larger. Whenever a Golmoid is subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), the Golmoid is treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous to him. A Golmoid is also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect him. A Golmoid can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, his space and reach remain those of a creature of his actual size. The benefits of this racial trait stack with the effects of powers, abilities, and spells that change the subject’s size category.
• Light Fortification (Ex): When a critical hit or sneak attack is scored on a Golmoid, there is a 25% chance that the critical hit or sneak attack is negated and the damage is instead rolled normally.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Gnome. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Halfling, Terran.
• Favored Class: Bard
• Level Adjustment: +1

[LOTRfan]

Blue
Blues use the same racial traits as those in the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/blue.htm), with the follow exceptions;
+4 bonus on Ride and Hide checks.
Level Adjustment: +0

Hobgoblin
Hobgoblins use the same racial traits as those in the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/hobgoblin.htm), with the following exceptions;
Hobgoblins are always proficient with martial weapons, regardless of class.
Hobgoblins can select one bonus feat from the Fighter's bonus feat list at first level.

[LOTRfan]

The Firstborn of Moradin
http://pds10.egloos.com/pds/200905/29/66/d0056766_4a1fc8e7e7e0e.png

According to the ancient texts of the Morndinsamman, Moradin created the humanoid races at the beginning of time. His firstborn children were the dwarves. These original dwarves had bones cut from bedrock, souls of iron, and hearts cut from the most valuable of diamonds. Despite Moradin’s attempts when creating the other races, none were quite as perfect as the first generation dwarves.

The next generations of dwarves were never as good as the first, but they still had the potential running through their blood. According to legend, the giants stole and enslaved the first dwarves, who were worked to death. This led to a long and terrible war between the giants and the dwarves. Today, relations between dwarves and giants remain hostile. To honor their ancestors of legend, many dwarven nations have elite units of troops that specialize in slaying giants. Many go even a step further, specializing in slaying all threats to the Dwarf race. These soldiers are referred to as the Firstborn of Moradin, for their attempts to emulate and avenge the first dwarves.

Firstborns of Moradin attempt to forge a connection with the earth, for if the myths are true, that is what they originated as. A Firstborn of Moradin stands as strong and unmoving as a mountain, tough as rock, and as resistant to damage as diamonds. The Firstborns of Moradin are living legends, protectors of the dwarven way of life from threats of all kinds.

Prerequisites:
To become a Firstborn of Moradin, a character must fulfill the following prerequisites:
Race: Dwarf
Base Attack Bonus: +5
Skills: Knowledge (Nature) 8 ranks, Knowledge (Religion) 4 ranks
Feats: Mountain Warrior*
*Races of Stone

Hit Dice: d12

The Firstborn of Moradin
{table=head]Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort | Ref | Will | Special
1 | +1 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Dwarven Resistance
2 | +2 | +3 | +0 | +2 | Favored Enemy, Damage Reduction 1/---
3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Fortification
4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Tremorsense, Damage Reduction 2/---
5 | +5 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Charge of the Firstborn
6 | +6 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Favored Enemy, Damage Reduction 3/---
7 | +7 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Sure-footed, Giant-bane
8 | +8 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Protector, Damage Reduction 4/---
9 | +9 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Foe-bane
10 | +10 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Favored Enemy, Damage Reduction 5/---[/table]


Skills: Firstborns of Moradin have the following skills as class skills: Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), and Survival (Wis). Firstborns of Moradin gain a number of skill points equal to (4 + INT modifier).

Class Features
Firstborns of Moradin have the following class features.

Weapons and Armor Proficiencies: Firstborns of Moradin are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and are proficient with exotic dwarven armor (see Races of Stone for more details).

Dwarven Resistance (Ex): Firstborns of Moradin can use their Constitution modifier for all Reflex and Will saves instead of their Dexterity and Wisdom modifiers, if doing so would increase the saves.

Favored Enemy (Ex): At 2nd level, the Firstborn of Moradin treats creatures of the Giant type as a favored enemy. The Firstborn gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against creatures of the Giant type. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls against such creatures. At 6th level level, the Firstborn may choose either Humanoid (Goblinoid) or Humanoid (Orc) as their second Favored Enemy, while advancing in Giant. At 10th level, the Firstborn of Moradin gains the choice he didn't choose last level as his third Favored Enemy, and once more advances in Giant.

Damage Reduction: After intense training to learn to ignore pain, Firstborns of Moradin gain Damage Reduction 1/--- at 2nd level. At 4th level, and every even level thereafter, this damage reduction increases by 1 (to a maximum of Damage Reduction 5/--- at 10th level).

Fortification (Ex): At 3rd level, the Firstborn of Moradin’s training has allowed him to master the art of battle while wearing heavy armor. When wearing heavy armor (whether standard or exotic), it becomes harder to critically harm a Firstborn of Moradin. All heavy armor the Firstborn wears is treated as though it has the Fortification enhancement. This does not stack magical armor that has this property.

Tremorsense (Ex): At 4th level, the Firstborns gain a great connection with the earth. When standing firmly on flat ground or in mountainous terrain, the Firstborn of Moradin gains tremorsense 20 ft.

Charge of the Firstborn (Ex): At 5th level, when charging a larger foe, Firstborns do not take the -2 penalty to Armor Class. Axes and hammers (along with any variants) deal double damage during a charge when wielded by a Firstborn (mounted or unmounted). When bull rushing a larger opponent, the opponent loses any benefits it has due to size and the Firstborn gains a +4 bonus to the check for every size smaller the Firstborn is compared to the opponent.

Sure-footed (Ex): At 7th level, Firstborns gain a +8 bonus to all ability checks to avoid being bull rushed, tripped, or knocked prone while in mountainous terrain. This stacks with their Stability racial trait.

Giant-bane (Ex): At 7th level, when fighting creatures at least one size category larger (regardless of whether or not they actually have the Giant type), the Firstborn gains a +4 dodge bonus to his Armor Class. This stacks with the racial dodge bonus against Giants. In addition, all creatures the Firstborn of Moradin attacks that are at least two size categories larger than him are treated as flatfooted.

Protector (Ex): At 8th level, when a Firstborn adjacent to an ally being bull rushed, the ally gain the benefits of the Firstborn's Sure-footed class feature. If the bull rushing creature provokes an attack of opportunity from the Firstborn of Moradin, he ignores the 25% chance of accidentally hitting the defender.

Foe-bane (Ex): At 9th level, Firstborns of Moradin fully awaken their racial enmity against the Giants, Orcs, and Goblinoids. When attacking a creature with the Giant type, or Humanoids with either the Orc or Goblinoid subtypes, the Firstborn deals an extra 2d6 damage. Firstborns gain a +4 bonus to attack against such creatures (this does not stack with the Dwarven attack bonus against Goblinoids and Orcs).

[LOTRfan]

http://www.majhost.com/gallery/ShipOfFools/MiscellaneousMythos/golem.bmp

The Golmoid Paragon
Hit Dice: d10

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special | Spellcasting
1 | +0 | +2| +0 | +0 | Fortification | ---
2 | +1 | +3 | +0 | +0 | Fort save Bonus, Skill Bonuses | +1 level of Bard
3 | +2 | +3 | +1 | +1 | Ability Boost (Con +2) | +1 level of Bard[/table]

Class Skills
The Golmoid Paragon's class skills are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Listen (Wis), Perform (Wis), and Spot (Wis). Golmoids gain a number of skill points equal to 4 + INT modifier.

Class Features
The Golmoid Paragon has the following class features.

Fortification (Ex): At 1st level, Golmoid's Light Fortification increases to Fortification. When a critical hit or sneak attack is scored on a Golmoid, there is a 50% chance that the critical hit or sneak attack is negated and the damage is instead rolled normally.

Fortitude Save Bonus: At 2nd level, the Golmoid Paragon gains an untyped +2 bonus to Fortitude saves.

Skill Bonuses: At 2nd level, the Golmoid Paragon gains a +2 bonus to both Intimidate and Bluff, along with another +2 bonus to all perform checks.

Ability Boost: At 3rd level, the Golmoid Paragon's Constitution score increases by +2.

[LOTRfan]

Racial Paragon Classes
Golmoid (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14754552&postcount=17)

Prestige Classes
Firstborn of Moradin (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14754521&postcount=16)

[Grinner]

I admire what you've done here. It's quite professional.

[LOTRfan]

Thank you very much. :smallsmile:

I hope that by the end of this weekend I shall have Mordenazan and Fristad finished, so I can move on to the human nations.

[LOTRfan]

It seems I've lied about getting Mordenazan and Fristad done so soon. Work (both in terms of my job and in terms of school) has been keeping me very busy lately.

But I am still kicking around some ideas. I think that within the past four hundred years, two monotheistic faiths have developed. The first would be a dwarven religion that is persecuted by the believers of the Mordansamman (the major Dwarf religion, of which Moradin is the leader), one that believes in a goddess of plantlife and fertility. The majority of them will have fled to Nargazan, which was once a separate branch of the empire before it fell to human raiders.

The second is a human faith, one that was established on the idea that the dominant religion of the Marrowfields (which in itself is monotheistic, but much older than the other two) is wrong. Whereas the Marrowfields have a deity that is human-supremacist and extremely oppressive to those of non-human blood (especially those of mixed human and non-human heritage, who are sold into slavery or killed upon birth), this new religion teaches the importance of peace and unity among its believers, regardless of race.

[LOTRfan]

Actually, I was able to finish the description for Mordenazan after all. It'll still take me a while for Fristad, though.

[LOTRfan]

Heproots, called by non-goblinoids as Troblins, are probably the youngest race in existence, as the oldest of their number has just reached adulthood (approximately 3 years of age). Heproots are not a natural race, and without the intervention of powerful magic would not have ever have been possible. Heproots are not considered to be true goblinoids by others of their kind, due to their very odd parentage; Heproots are born from the union of goblins and a race of monstrous humanoids that come from another world; the Trolls.

Heproots were created by Warlord Dmung as a special weapon of war to fight against the Snagacakra loyalists, and the long breeding program will shortly pay off for the aspiring Blue “liberator.” The Heproot’s extreme strength and ravenous appetite are not the reasons that Dmung has bred them, however; instead, they serve as the stock for a new breed of ghoul supersoldier Dmung has been working on, nicknamed by those who have seen the early versions as Thouls (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=14821650&postcount=24). Heproots, for the most part, are unaware of what awaits them, though even if they did they would probably be happy to finally have an end to the suffering that they currently endure.

Personality: As Heproots are commonly seen as animals by the people who breed them, Heproots tend to act very much like feral children. Even the Varags, who are just barely sapient, find Heproots disturbing to watch. Troblins have all the vicious behavior of Varags without any of their loyalty. It is unknown how a Troblin would behave if raised in a proper environment, but such a place will probably never exist for Heproots as a whole. Most Heproots are barely able to speak Goblin, so actually getting to know Heproots as individuals is quite hard.

Physical Appearance: Heproots appear to be contorted, green-skinned Hobgoblins covered in warts and sores. The face of a Heproot is much more angular than that of a standard Hobgoblin, and they extremely sharp canine teeth. Heproots are more gaunt than standard Hobgoblins, though this may be due to the fact that most Troblins are malnourished rather than the result of genetics. Heproots tend to wear very little, often little more than a loincloth, and they have extremely large claws protruding from deformed hands.

Relations: Heproots are universally shunned by all creatures. The goblins under Warlord Dmung see them as little more than animals that have not yet reached the appropriate age to be “harvested,” and the goblin loyalists see them as a perversion of what would have been a “perfect” goblinoid (Hobgoblin). As Trolls are native to another world closer to the sun than their own, Heproots are completely cut off from Troll society, but the Trolls captured as slaves by Dmung’s war effort express no kinship to them. Races from the mainland have yet to encounter Troblins in any large number, but the few sightings that have occurred have caused extreme panic.

Alignment: Heproots are generally Chaotic Evil, being extremely bloodthirsty and destructive. Heproots are more likely to be Chaotic Neutral than Neutral Evil, as their feral nature makes them extremely chaotic. Some Heproots decide to rise up past their suffering and try to make something good of themselves, but these individuals rarely live long in the breeding pits in which Troblins live.

Religion: Troblins have no religion of their own, and most have never been exposed to an actual religion due to the extreme anti-theist sentiment in Dmung’s goblin rebellion. Troblins do not fit at all in Snagacakra’s caste system due to their mixed heritage, being below even goblin-dogs in the pecking order. It is unknown how they would react to the teachings of Vaprak, whose teachings preach total domination and extreme greed.

Languages: Heproots speak an rudimentary form of Goblin, though most don’t know more than a few phrases that they have picked up from guards. Some Troblins have learned Giant from the Trolls who have their cages situated nearby the breeding pits, though Trolls are not widely known as conversationalists.

Names: Troblins are rarely given names by their goblinoid masters, so most make up names for themselves. Most names tend to be simple one-syllable words or grunts.

Adventurers: Troblin adventurers are extremely rare, and most are individuals who have escaped the breeding pits. Many Troblins who become adventurers try to enlist the help of others to help in personal campaigns against Warlord Dmung’s forces. Those who can see past a Troblin’s (extremely) rough edges find that they can be very loyal allies.

Heproot Racial Traits
• +4 Strength, -2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, +4 Wisdom
• Medium Giant: As medium creatures, Heproots have no bonuses or penalties due to size. As giants, Heproots are not affected by effects that specifically target humanoids (like Hold Person).
• A Heproot’s base land speed is 30 ft.
• Darkvision out of 60 ft.
• 2 Claw attacks (1d4 damage)
• Regeneration (Ex): Heproots have Regeneration 2 due to their trollish ancestry. Unlike Trolls, who only suffer lethal damage from fire and acid, all forms of energy-based attacks (with the exception of sonic) deal lethal damage.
• Racial Hit Dice: A Heproot starts off with five levels of giant, which provide 5d8 Hit Dice, a BAB of +3, and base saving throw bonuses of Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +4.
• Racial Skills: A Heproot’s giant levels give it skill points equal to 8 x (2 + INT modifier, minimum 1). Its class skills are Climb, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, and Spot.
• Racial Feats: A Heproot’s giant levels give it two feats.
• +3 natural armor
• +2 bonus to Move Silently and Survival checks.
• Illiteracy: Heproots are not literate even when taking a class besides Barbarian (with the exception of Wizard or Archivist) unless they spend skill points necessary to be literate.
• Automatic Languages: Goblin. Bonus Languages: Common, Giant.
• Favored Class: Barbarian
• Level Adjustment: +0

[LOTRfan]

http://the-lost-and-the-damned.664610.n2.nabble.com/file/n7578411/ThoulS.jpg

Thoul
Medium Undead
Hit Dice: 5d12 (32 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 16 (+5 natural, +1 Dexterity), touch 11, flatfooted 15
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+5
Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d6+3 plus paralysis)
Full Attack: Bite +5 melee (1d6+3 plus paralysis), and 2 Claws +3 melee (1d4+1 plus paralysis)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Ghoul Fever, Paralysis
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., Fast Healing 3, Undead traits, +2 turn resistance
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +7
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 12, Con ---, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 16
Skills: Listen +11, Move Silently +3, Spot +11, Survival +13
Feats: Multiattack, Ability Focus (Paralysis)
Environment: Warm hills
Organization: Solitary, Pack (3-6 plus 5-6 bonedrinkers)
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Chaotic Evil
Advancement: 6-10 HD (Medium)
Level Adjustment: ----

This creature appears to be a man-sized, very guant Troll-like creature in a loincloth. Its sickly, pallid flesh is slowly rotting off of its form, and it is hunched over consuming the remains of a Bugbear.

Thouls are a special “breed” of ghoul created by Warlord Dmung’s necromancers to aid in their war effort against the conservatives of Snagacakra. Thouls are the undead remains of Troblins that have been breed and butchered for the express purpose of being “raised” as Thouls. These soulless monstrosities remember the suffering they have endured under their goblinoid masters, but at this point in their “life” they care little about it. Instead, they are dedicated to inflicting even more pain and suffering upon others, along with gorging themselves.

Combat
Thouls are usually left to their own devices on the battlefield, allowed to attack in any way they can. A bonedrinker or two is usually assigned to each Thoul, as Thouls are costly to create due to the eugenics project that had to be developed to make them. After battle, the bonedrinkers try to corral Thouls (along with any ghouls that they have created) into cages to be deployed in the next combat encounter.

Ghoul Fever (Su): Disease—bite, Fortitude DC 15, incubation period 1 day, damage 1d3 Con and 1d3 Dex. The save DC is Charisma-based.

An afflicted humanoid who dies of ghoul fever rises as a ghoul at the next midnight. A humanoid who becomes a ghoul in this way retains none of the abilities it possessed in life. It is not under the control of any other ghouls, but it hungers for the flesh of the living and behaves like a normal ghoul in all respects. A humanoid of 4 Hit Dice or more rises as a ghast, not a ghoul.

Paralysis (Su): Those hit by a Thoul’s natural weapons must succeed on a DC 15 save or be paralyzed for 1d4+1 rounds. Even Elves aren’t immune to this paralysis. The save DC is Charisma-based.

[LOTRfan]

Just stopping y to let you know that I haven't abandoned this. I haven't had time to sit down and focus solely on the nation write-ups, but in the meantime I intend on posting a bit about the cosmology in a second.

[LOTRfan]

Elvish Taxonomy

Alfr
All elves originally belonged to this group of elves. Originally, the Alfar lived throughout the Feywild, and all had the same cultural and religious beliefs. The Great Sundering of the Elven Race would split the other two races from the Alfar. For an elven race to be considered an Alfr, the race must have sided with those loyal to the Seldarine during the Alfr-Svartalfr split, and decided to remain within the Feywild while others chose to settle the Material Plane during the Alfr-Grugach split. The following races are considered Alfar:
• High Elves
• Gray Elves
• Aquatic Elves
• LeShay

Svartalfr
During the first cataclysm of the Great Sundering of the Elves, the elves that would become the Svartalfar turned away from the Seldarine. The majority of these elves turned instead to the evil demon-goddess Lolth, who adopted them as her children and tormented them in all sorts of cruel and unusual ways. They were warped into the Drow, a “lawful” race bent to the will of a random and chaotic patroness. A smaller minority are the descendents of the elves who turned away from the Seldarine but refused to worship Lolth, getting caught in the crossfire between the Alfar and the Drow. Svartalfar are Elves who no longer worship the Seldarine, but still live in the Feywild. Members of the following races are considered a Svartalfr:
• Drow
• Szarkai
• Ghost Elf
• Rockseer Elf (http://creaturecatalog.enworld.org/converted/view_c.php?CreatureID=925)

Grugach
The Grugach are more akin to the Alfar than the Svartalfar, mostly because they split from the Alfar relatively recently. The Grugach are a collection of elvish races who migrated from the Feywild to the Material Plane. This was not a violent schism, but the split still made cultural lines that distinguish the different races to this day. This was not a sudden split, but rather a gradual process that started eight thousand years ago and ended approximately a thousand years ago. Grugach are elves that left the Feywild but still worship the Seldarine. Members of the following races are considered Grugach:
• Wood Elf
• Painted Elf
• Wild Elf
• Snow Elf

Half-breeds
Half-breeds can be between an elf race and another species, or even two subraces of elf. For the most part, elven parents of two different subraces are usually considered a member of one subrace or another, but a Svartalfr is different enough from the other two groups that an offspring between a Svartalfr and a race of another group is a distinct blending of both traits. In the following list, if the elven parent is just listed as “Elf,” the elven parent could be a High Elf, Gray Elf, or any Grugach.
• Half-Elf (Human-Elf)
• Half-Drow (Human-Drow)
• Half-Sea Elf (Human-Sea Elf)
• Half-Drow (Elf-Drow) (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20040215a&page=2)
• Fey’ri (Elf with a distant Fiend relative)
• Draegloth (Drow-Glabrezu)
• Celadrin (Elf with a distant Eladrin relative)
• Houri (Elf-Nymph)
• Sthein (Elf-Naga)

So How Does This Affect the Campaign?
Actually, most of this doesn't really have to do with the campaign at all. This is how I have always categorized elven subraces throughout my campaign. In this specific region of the world, only the Wood Elves (and Half-Elves) would appear with any sort of frequency. The Alfr (specifically, the High Elves and Gray Elves) live in the Feywild version of this continent, so if the adventurers ever travel there they will find many NPCs belonging to these two races. The Drow also reside in the Feywild version of Mordenazan's Underdark, and they often find fractures between the two planes that allow them to slip into the Material Plane and raid dwarven settlements.