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Ichneumon
2008-01-02, 04:08 PM
Alright, I am trying to create a race that will replace the Drow, Svirfneblin and Duergar in my hombrew campaign setting, as I think they have to similar concepts I and try to be as close to actual Norse myth as possible, on some areas. I would like to know your opinions about the flavour, before I create the actual stats.

Svartalfar

Descendants of the great maggots that crawled through the rotting flesh of Ymir, they were banished by gods. Nowadays they live in their great underground cities deep inside the Svartalfheim, a huge underworld vast subterranean network of interconnected caverns and tunnels, as they have to suffer from the greatest conceivable curse, placed on them by the gods: They may never see the sun or else they die. In envy they live their lives in the dark in great underground cities, mining for gold and crafting magical artefacts far beyond anything created above ground.

Ancient Racial History: It all started when Odin with his two brother, Vili and Ve had finally managed to slay the great firegiant Ymir, after many years of warfare, and were about to throw his already decaying corps into the Ginnunga-gap, when they noticed the maggots that feasted on his flesh. The gods granted these maggots a humanoid form and gave them sentience. Ten golden years followed in which these Alfar, as that is how these maggots called themselves, flourished. They were given a home in Alfaheim, a land with which beaches and green hills. The gods loved the Alfar and often invited them into Asgard, where they would eat side by side. Even went well, until prince Alvis became spiteful because of his brother, king Oberon, his success. After years of loyally following him he assassinated him. Everyone was shocked and the gods chose not only to punish him, but also all the Alfar of the eight houses that had helped him commit the crime. All these Alfar were cursed and banished. They had to live in the dark of the underground, known as Svartalfheim, never to see the light again. The gods, Freyr to be precise, cursed them and they could not ever walk in daylight again or turn to stone. The other Alfar where renamed as Ljosalfar, Alfar of light, in contrast with these traitors, now known as Svartalfar, Duergar or Dřkkálfar.
They built underground cities and started to mine and forge. On some rare occasions they would get visitors. It was years later when a new god named Loki came to them that they got new hope. It is said that he had done something and was about to get punished by the gods too, if, so he said, the Svartalfar would not give him something to appease the gods. The Svartalfar felt sorry for Loki and could easily identify with him as he was about to get the same treatment as they had undergone. They gave him certain magical artefacts and asked if he could maybe persuade the gods to lift the curse. He hastily said he would and he left. It is said that Loki did try to change the moods of the gods in favor of the Svartalfar, but he did not succeed. Years later though, Loki himself would be banished for treason and murder.
Modern Racial History: Still shunned by other races, the Svartalfar live underground. They’ve spread our of the world and sometimes go above ground at night. They are merchants and specialised in many crafts. Their caravans move all over Svartalfarheim trading goods. Thousand years ago a war started between the svartalfar and barbaric tribes of troglodyte who also lived in Svartalfarheim. During this war the house of the Mantis, one of eight original houses, decided to betray the others and joined the side of the troglodytes. These Svartalfar left and joined forced with the enemies. During these wars the Svartalfar also created the first warforged. Although the warforged were first treated as slaves, they are now treated as equals. The war still lingers on, although mostly in the form of occasional raids on each side. Tribes of Svartalfar barbarians, loyal to the troglodytes, travel through Svartalfarheim in search of a place to live.
Personality: They are cunning and treacherous, constantly searching for opportunities to increase their wealth or better oneself within society. Most of them don’t let morals stop them from accomplishing their goals. Nevertheless they do have morals, honour and are very rigid and will not easily forget an insult. They are quite vengeful in nature as they have a strong sense of justice and will often devise quite complex, some would say too complex, plans on how to best execute their vengeance. They consider themselves to be superior to most other life forms. They are quite inquisitive, using their Tarnkappe, invisibility cloaks, to spy on people in the dark for hours before they officially announce themselves as friends or enemies.
Physical Description: Svartalfar are shot, standing about 4-1/2 feet tall. Men and women are not noticeably different in length. Their skin is pale, like a corps and there hair is mostly dark black. Some men have beards, but not all of them. They prefer to keep there hair long. They are very slender and frail. They mostly wear simple, yet comfortable, clothes, often in earthy tones like brown, grey or black.
Relations: They often suffer from prejudices against them, not all of them unjustified. They are vengeful, intolerant and envious, which causes them to be universally disliked by most societies. They can go along with warforged, who share their feelings of not fitting in other societies.
Alignment: Svartalfar are generally evil as they care little about the lives of others. They are consumed by envy for those better off than they. Most of them are lawful.
Religion: Most Svartalfar hate the gods and do not worship any. If they do, they worship Loki, as he gave them hope long ago. Some also worship certain fire giant like Surtr and there are also some sects that worship the corps of Ymir as the creator of everything.
Svartalfar society: The Svartalfar live in small to huge underground cities often used for mining with trading caravans moving from one city to the next. There are almost no great Svartalfar kingdoms and most cities are actually just city states with sometimes a close alliance with other cities. These cities are usually oligarchic with a group of nobles representing the ancient seven houses. Politics in svartalfar society is quite ugly with lies, blackmail and murder being the norm.