Public perception of Darfellan on Faerun

[schreier]

I'm playing a Darfellan on Faerun. We're playing it that the race is almost completely unknown, having kept to themselves in island villages (particularly on the pirate isles), and have been hunted almost to extinction by the sahaguin.

Basically, no one he encounters on his adventurers will have ever heard of the Darfellan, let alone seen one. I am trying to understand how he would be perceived.

Darfellan in general are described as:
A typical darfellan has a hulking, muscular build with a broad back, powerful arms, and a wide neck and head. A darfellan stands not much over 6 feet tall and weighs nearly 200 pounds. A darfellan’s most striking feature is his or her jetblack skin, glossy and hairless, broken by varied white markings.

My character has his white markings like the punisher in this pic
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/91/d7/8e/91d78e97f8fa478afb885d0818d6c749.jpg
(On phone so can't show there image)
- I thought it was cool but abstract enough (no hair though)

He wears sharkskin armor that has been enchanted with improved shadow, so it's shadowy black in appearance. He is using sharktooth gauntlets, so effectively has claws coming out of the back of his hands.

He is exalted, so has an aura of good, but I believe that is only perceived with magic sight?

In general, in a city, how do you think he would be received? Are people open minded and used to weird races? Would they assume half orc because of skin color and size even though hairless? Maybe extra planar? The realms are a big place, but I am just trying to see what others think

[liquidformat]

Comically, I think anyone who has heard of but not seen a goliath would mistake a Darfellan for one. Beyond that they would probably just think he is some face painting savage and treat him as such.

[Palanan]

I would say it really depends on the city. In Waterdeep, they pride themselves on being thoroughly blasé about every kind of weird, so a Darfellan probably wouldn’t rate more than a long look or two.

Elsewhere, much less likely to find the open-mindedness. Black skin, shadowy aura, claws and scary facial markings? At best I’d think most folk would be wary, giving him a lot of space on the street, if not hurrying to the nearest temple of Lathander. No one is mistaking this guy for a half-orc.

Also, I would expect him to get a lot of challenges from local toughs and bravos. Lots of people milling around at a safe distance to see how those fights play out. People gambling on those fights, halfling pickpockets working the impromptu crowd. I’d say your guy generates his own traveling circus just by walking down the street.

[Inchhighguy]

While not all are open minded, most accept other races in the Realms. A Darfellan is roughly equal to an elf: people know the race is not human, but are a bit more intrigued then anything else.

There are a couple ''friendly" sea folk, most notably the Shalarin. So the average coastal person would of at least heard of some non-monstrous sea folk.

It does depend a lot on the place too. Sembia will over look things like race...if you have money and want to Trade. Turmish and Argalond would be cautious, but vaguely accepting. Thay might be a bit hostile.

[schreier]

So a variety of responses - which I think is in line with what would be encountered the more I think about it. The more cosmopolitan the location, the more blase they would be.

I do like the idea of various toughs challenging him and the party .. would be interesting

Thanks all!

[Palanan]

In addition to the other reactions, you may also attract your own groupies—people who develop an obsession with you and who want to follow you everywhere. They may pray to you as an incarnation of the god of strength, or of the ocean, or something else of their own imagining.

They may appoint themselves your unofficial heralds, proclaiming your arrival wherever you go, and they may get into loud arguments with bystanders who aren’t so convinced of your divinity. They may chant, sing, scatter flower petals ahead of you, or simply stare at you with unwavering intensity.

And, they may try to follow you into hazardous situations, believing that you will protect them from all harm if they demonstrate their devotion. Be prepared for hard feelings if you disappoint them.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

It's also worth noting that nothing screams "adventuring party" like a ragtag bunch of misfits (wide variety of races, armors, weapons, and attitudes). While with his party members, people will most likely think "Oh adventurers, weird as usual, I wonder what they're up to" rather than "What is that weird person, and what is he up to".

[Palanan]

Or they might assume the other party members are just part of the cult.

:smalltongue:

[schreier]

He would be a great member of KISS based on his look, no doubt