The Jagged Coast (Work in Progress)

[Sam113097]

Vale: The Jagged Coast
Deadly beasts roam the forests. Uncharted ruins filled with untold treasures and dangerous secrets wait to be discovered. Civilizations teeter on the brink of collapse as conflict from inside and out threaten to destroy the small bits of hope in a sea of darkness. Vale is a world that needs heroes. Who will answer the call?

There are three aspects of the setting I want to emphasize:
1: Magic, as used by the peoples of Vale, is chaotic, inexplicable, and destructive. There are no spells or incantations, just pure elemental energy being released. There is no way to determine if any individual has the potential to do magic, some just do. Because of its destructive nature, magic is not an everyday thing. Magic is simply a weapon.
2: Gods, if there even are any, are not active and are more akin to the different gods worshipped in real life. Different cultures have different religions and superstitions, and priests or similar religious leaders are not granted magical powers by their deity or deities.
3: There are things in the world that are inexplicable. Places, people, or events that have strange affects on magic, ruins and dungeons of unknown origin, and creatures or items with bizarre powers all will be major parts of adventuring in Vale.
The setting (Spoilered for length)

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Vale is the name of the planet on which the setting is located, the Jagged Coast is the region on Vale that I'll begin with. It borrows heavily from Scandinavia and northern Britain in both climate and culture, though the sea is less of a factor.
The world of Vale is currently undergoing a small ice age, and is home to many of the megafauna that thrived during Earth's ice ages, such as aurochs, cave bears, and smilodons

I'm aiming for a low-magic setting, because, realistically, a world with reality bending spells and magic that makes daily life easier would not develop civilization and culture anything like ours, and its level of technology would be very high.



Due to the difficulty and impracticality of ruling and controlling vast amounts of dangerous, uncharted wilderness, the Jagged Coast has no empires or large kingdoms. Most cities protect nearby villages in exchange for goods, but that's as far as nations go. Because of this, there are few full-blown battles, small skirmishes at strategic points usually determine conflicts.

The technology level on Vale is lower than that of a typical fantasy setting, equivalent to about 10th century Europe in most regards. There are no crossbows, and armor and weapons haven't advanced as much. Full plate armor is not yet advanced enough to be useful. Iron is the most commonly used metal where available.

Humanoid Species

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To begin with, I want to limit the number of races both to simplify things and to allow me to flesh out each race more. I want to avoid the common fantasy world pitfall of one-culture, one-personality species. I want to try to make other species as varied in culture and traits as humans. To prevent the issues that could arise, different species cannot have children together. In addition to humans, I'm starting with:
Elves:

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To keep with the low-magic theme of the setting, elves are no more gifted at magic than any other race. Elven men are shorter by several inches than their human counterparts, and naturally smaller in stature. However, elven women are the same size as the males. Their ears look nothing like those of humans, being long, thin, and sticking several inches back and outwards from their heads, providing them with sensitive hearing. Their eyes are slanted somewhat, enough to make them distinguishable from humans. Facial hair is a rare trait in elves, as most elven men are unable to grow any. They have the same variety of hair color as humans, but have a darker range of skin tone than humans. Elves live about 5-10 years longer than humans.

Dwarves:

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Dwarves are built to survive in the cold of the north. They are about a foot shorter than humans, but they are normally broader and thicker. The men have more facial hair than human men, but they don't always wear beards. Their physiques provide a high tolerance of cold, so their dwellings might be uncomfortably chilly for other species. They have wide feet to aid them in walking over snow, and their stout build provides less surface area for them to lose body heat. Their skin is in lighter shades, and has a slightly grey tint that is unnoticeable in younger dwarves, but increases with age. Their hair is never blond, but red hair is more common than in humans, and some dwarves are born gray-haired.

Dyr:

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At first glance, a dyr looks like a tall human with a dark complexion. However, a closer look reveals the sharper teeth, mane-like hair, pointed ears, and subtly wolf-like features. They mostly live in the northern regions of Vale. They have a better sense of smell than humans and are often more instinctive, sometimes becoming downright rash. They are a little taller than humans, and live about five years less than humans, on average. The dyr that pursue trades as mercenaries or soldiers are often great fighters, and facing a dyr in combat is not only dangerous due to their strength, as they are very fast thinkers. This skill provides an advantage in battles of wits as well.
(I'm still unsure on the name for these guys)

Skeran:

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A barely sentient race of humanoids that survives mainly by raiding and pillaging, Skeran are feared by almost all other species. They are slightly taller than dwarves but less thickset, with long arms, bowed legs, bluish skin, and occasionally tusks. They have no body hair, and appear very reptilian. Skeran are barely intelligent, communicating in a simple language of short growls and grunts. The males are indistinguishable from the females, and Skeran age rapidly, growing to adulthood in only a few years. Though members of other species who have been on the receiving end of a raid may dispute this, skeran do have a primitive culture, and are not inherently evil. Some have even learned to speak the languages of other races.

Creatures

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Wraiths:

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The dead do not always rest on Vale. Legends tell of crypts filled with ghostly warriors that can only be released from their eternal suffering by being bested in combat. Because of this, wraiths will seek out places that will attract worthy challengers, such as ruins with great treasures or standing stones. Besting a wraith in single combat, and every bard will know your name. Fail, and you join the ranks of the restless dead.

Trolls:

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The people of the Jagged Coast use the word "troll" to refer to any of the monstrous, inhuman brutes that roam the many darks places in the world. Trolls range in height from 9 to 15 feet, and either have one eye or two. Their skin can be anywhere from grey to green or blue. They don't talk, and aren't smart enough to use anything more than their fists or simple clubs to batter their victims to bits. Trolls have sensitive eyes that allow them to see in the dark. They are blinded by bright sunlight, and use their hearing and powerful sense of smell to maneuver in daylight. They live in most parts of Vale and will often dwell in mountain passes, under bridges, or near other well travelled routes

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Jotun:

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Primitive, Neanderthal-like giants that inhabit the plains and steppes of the Jagged Coast, jotun are even larger than trolls. They have a very primitive culture, and use simple stone or bone tools to hunt. They wear the skins and hides of the animals they eat. They will eat intelligent species as they would any other, though they usually choose easier prey. Jotun usually live far from civilizations, not because they avoid them but because other species avoid jotun, who can easily break down walls or climb them in their search for food.

Dragons:

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The dragons of Vale are animals, driven by hunger and instinct. The largest of them are nearly 100 feet long, and prey on any creature they choose, even eating jotun and trolls. Fortunately, they are highly territorial, so there are never many in an area. Almost all dragons breathe fire, but some tales speak of great white worms able to freeze an entire village in a single blast. Most are bronze, grayish-green, or black. Dragon scales are made of an incredibly tough metallic substance that is highly prized for use in armor and weapons. However, these scales make them very difficult to hurt, defending against both blade and magic. Dragons will attack settlements, but they prefer prey that doesn't fight back. Towns will usually give dragon scale weapons to their best warriors to allow them to injure an attacking dragon to drive it away. Slaying a dragon is considered a heroic feat of skill and valor, and dragonslayers are almost universally revered. Dragons are incredibly rare, and seeing one more than once or twice in a lifetime is uncommon... unless you know where to look.

Elementals:

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In times long forgotten, some magic-users acquired through unknown means a magical skill that allowed to create living creatures made out of pure elemental energy. These creatures are incredibly dangerous to fight with normal weapons, and some will destroy weapons on contact. Elementals, because they need neither rest nor sustenance, were often placed in vaults, crypts, or dungeons that were seldom visited. Unwary explorers in these places may find that elementals still lurk, following age-old orders.

Valdr:

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In the Jagged Coast, when gathered in the corner of an inn, travelers may hear tales of massive black wolves that can tear the head off a troll in a single bite. They are called the valdr. The reason so little is know about them is because few, if any, survive to tell of their encounter. The howls of valdr can be heard during the night while traveling through forests, and it is a truly terrifying sound that can make hardened soldiers fear for their lives. Their black fur makes them difficult to see during the night, their preferred time to hunt. They are very stealthy for a beast so large, and many able warriors have been felled by valdr without even drawing their swords.

Spider-Crabs:

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Native to the southern part of the Coast's lakes and rivers, spider-crabs are both dangerous and highly useful. They resemble huge blue-gray crabs with four pairs of legs but no claws. The largest of them are around 4 feet tall, and their circular shells can be up to 2 yards in diameter. Spider-Crabs are usually fairly docile and feed off of aquatic plant life. However, if disturbed, their massive bulk and powerful limbs can be fatal. Some waterside communities may domesticate Spider-Crabs and use them as beasts of burden.

Cities

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Because travel in Vale is so dangerous, nations made up of multiple cities are uncommon. Most cities are self-sufficient because of the difficulty of overland travel, though coastal cities often trade over the water.
I've got some basic ideas for a few cities.(Names are a WIP, I'm basing stuff off a Old Norse and English a lot)
Harstad

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A small coastal city in the far north, Harstad is surrounded by forested mountains and is very isolated. The city is known for its incredible shipyards and the quality of the vessels built, which are well made and sturdy enough to survive the rough waters of the Jagged Coast. Most of the population are dwarves, who are suited to the harsh climate. There are also a decent amount of humans and dyr, but very few elves.

Valheim

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Valheim sits on top of a large, flat hill that once held a large ancient quarry that may have been used for standing stones. The bottom of the quarry is filled with a sizable lake. In addition to the city atop the hill, the sides of the quarry have been carved and excavated over the years to provide places for dwellings of stone bricks. The city is home to mostly humans, but also has a large population of dyr.

Brimwall

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The largest city on the Jagged Coast, Brimwall is located on a small island just off the shore of the southern coast. It acts as a trading hub, sending goods up and down the coast. Then city is nestled around a natural harbor that is surrounded on all sides by cliffs. Over centuries of habituation, walkways and paths have been constructed to make it possible to climb the cliffs, and many buildings are on the top of the cliffs as well. The city is about two thirds human, with the remainder split between the other races.

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Holtsedge

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On the edge of an as-yet-unnamed forest lies the town of Holtsedge (holt means forest in Old English). The city relies mostly on farming and hunting in the forest. Pelts and intricate woodcarvings are among the few items that Holtsedge exports. Most of the city's buildings are log cabins or wooden homes, and there is a wall of sharpened logs surrounding the center of the city (Jamestown style). The city's population is mainly comprised of elves, with about one third of the people being a non-elf.

Magic System

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Each magic-user has a specific color and element that their magic takes the form of (such as red lightning, or purple ice). Those that can use magic just "do it", they don't need any teaching to access their power, though at first it is very weak. Magic users begin to feel a magical type of fatigue after using magic. The more magic a person uses, the more they'll be able to use in the future, like building muscle. There are two types of magic casters:
Adepts: Adepts are capable of unleashing magic in powerful blasts of energy, but they have little other uses for their ability. Adepts gain access to magic through strong emotions. When angered, excited, or scared, they may have small amounts of energy flicker around them. In the heat of battle, their eyes glow the color of their magic. Adepts may lose control in battle and ignore orders or accidentally injure allies in blasts. Adepts are usually warriors. Basically, the angrier they get, the stronger they get.
Guardians: Guardians have more control over what they do with magic, though they're offensively weaker than adepts. Some do have some healing capability, able to bestow magical energy through direct contact to others to speed up healing and give temporary boosts of energy. However, this doesn't replace proper medical treatment, and won't do much more than provide a quick boost of energy and relief of pain. Guardians access their magic through meditation and discipline, channeling their power into focused bolts. Priests, village elders, and monks are among those who use guardian magic. To put it simply, the more calm and controlled they are, the stronger their magic is.

Languages

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Ar:

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The harsh speech used by most inhabitants of the northern part of the Jagged coast. The language is heavy on the letters K, V, and N. Sounds made by E are not used in Arish. Similar to the Old Norse it is based on, a J directly after a consonant makes a Y sound, such as in Bjorn.

Names:
Names are basically just Old Norse names, though none use the letter E, and most are very short, usually at most 2 syllables.
Examples include:
Male:
Arn
Amund
Bord
Carn
Dan
Finn
Gulvran
Hakon
Ingolv
Kyaild
Osmund
Skald
Ulf
Female:
Astrid
Auda
Brynhi
Dagrun
Frayja
Gerda
Hildi
Idun
Ingrid
Kinna
Sigrid
Thyri
Urda

Surnames are usually the mother's name, followed by -ain , which means child. Examples include Kinnain for the name Kinna, or Idain for Idun. People are often referred by special earned titles, such as Bani (slayer of a dragon), Raikkr (warrior of renown), or Aldin (wise one). To create more such titles, just use the Old Norse word for a character's defining achievement or characteristic.

History:
The beginnings of the Arish language can be traced to the early dwarves. In the cold of their ancestral home, they developed a language that was quick to learn and to speaks. Though the language lacks a lot of descriptive terms, it is very effective as a common language for trade, and is the primary speech of most traders and travelers throughout the Jagged Coast.

Eadic:

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The other widely used speech in the Jagged Coast is Eadic, a mix of the southern language, Novin, and ancestral elvish tribal languages. It is, for all practical purposes, English.

Names:
Similarly to Arish names being largely Norse, most Eadic names have strong Old English roots. These names are intended to sound more flows and less harsh than Arish names.
Examples include:
Male:
Adair
Cenric
Colten
Devin
Eadgar
Godric
Kendrick
Oswyn
Rynn
Pierce
Synn
Wyot
Walder
Female:
Anice
Brooke
Dana
Eletta
Fayre
Haiden
Iria
Kendra
Lauren
Paige
Robyn
Skylar
Valora

Last names in Eadic usually draw from a person's profession or place of origin. Elves who speak Eadic usually use the latter to identify themselves, while others will use surnames based on occupation such as Smith, Archer, or Hunter to set themselves apart. Like Arish, Eadic also uses titles, usually just one or two words. Examples include "the brave" "stone-fist", or "the wise".

History:
Eadic is made up of a blend of two languages. The ancient tribes of the southern Coast occasionally came into contact with the Novin-speakers to the far south, and gradually adopted parts of Novin to fill holes in their vocabulary or to replace difficult words. An earlier form of the language (Old Eadic) is often seen in place names, such as in the city of Holtsedge. This form draws significantly less from Novin than the newer variation does.

Other Languages:

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Skeran: The grunts and cries of the primitive Skeran is a very basic form of language, but the nature of the sounds it is made up of makes it difficult to replicate.

Tribal tongues: The tribes and isolated towns of the Jagged Coast may have their own language or a unique dialect of an existing one. I'll leave these until later, when I've established some more places, but I'd like have ancient Russian culture influence the tribes.

Novin: Called Southspeak by most inhabitants of the Jagged Coast, this language is spoken by the peoples living south of the region. It closely resembles Latin and has similar naming patterns (Appius, Julius, and Marcus being common names). Finding someone who speaks Novin on the Coast can be very difficult, as only traders from the south and the occasional scholar know it. Eadic is partially based on Novin, so they share many words, just as Latin and English do.

Other

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I also had an idea for something I could tie into an adventure or two. Basically, once a year, magic goes crazy. Spirits become super active, going near standing stones (Stonehenge-like structures older than written history) can cause unpredictable effects, and anybody trying to do magic runs the risk of random explosions. As of now, I'm going to call it the Agaetí, which means celebration in Old Norse. Many cultures use the beginning of the Agaetí to mark a new year, and will mark it with festivals or celebrations. It is considered the highest shame to attack another during this time, and entire armies will cease combat for the festival, then return to fighting after it is over.

I appreciate any and all comments, as this setting is by no means finished, and I'm open to suggestions.

[Adhar]

The whole world looks interesting and I have even considered doing the elemental magic before. just watch out for the trap i ran into makeing a new world for Languages try to find a seldom used language that is fairly easy to read and remeber. I had issues with Norwegion but have had succes with Latin. Also i mirrored alot of the different races on real cultures in real life.

Example being a Nomaidic tribe of wild elves where based on the Cherokee Indians. While High Elves with arcane towers where based on the Vatican with Magic as basiclly a religion.

Most importantly get imput from your players it will help them to enjoy the setting and form new lore for future campiagns in that setting.

[Avaris]

You mention the world undergoing a small ice age: do you mean small in terms of length or severity? If length, how recently did it start?

[Everyl]

The setting looks really good so far! The theme and tone feel a lot more consistent than many settings I've seen. I do have a few questions, though.

How is "dyr" pronounced? I tend to read it the same way I say "deer," which sounds odd for a slightly lupine humanoid.

You list several fearsome beasts from out in the wilds; are there any monsters people fear out at sea? With the setting's coastal nature and biggest trade hub being on an island, I'd expect sea monsters to become an issue at least once in a while.

I'll be keeping an eye on this thread for updates!

[Thunderfist12]

This looks interesting so far. If you need help with anything in it, I would be glad to lend a hand, whether it's cities or creatures or whatever else.

How is "dyr" pronounced? I tend to read it the same way I say "deer," which sounds odd for a slightly lupine humanoid.

I read it as "dire" at first, and then looked back and read it as "dur". Personally, I would think of it as closer to "dire", since the word itself gives it an air of brutality and dominance.

[Sam113097]

You mention the world undergoing a small ice age: do you mean small in terms of length or severity? If length, how recently did it start?

I meant small as in severity. I think making travel difficult can add a sense of urgency, and I also wanted to include some ice age megafauna.

How is "dyr" pronounced? I tend to read it the same way I say "deer," which sounds odd for a slightly lupine humanoid.

You list several fearsome beasts from out in the wilds; are there any monsters people fear out at sea? With the setting's coastal nature and biggest trade hub being on an island, I'd expect sea monsters to become an issue at least once in a while.

It's pronounced "dire", sorry if that was unclear. It's the Old Norse word for beast

Thanks for bringing up aquatic monster, they'd almost slipped my mind. I've got the giant spider-crabs, but not many other ideas. I'm open to suggestions.

[Avaris]

Making travel difficult oddly got me thinking about your races, and developed a question best summed up as 'why have elves?'

You don't want homogenous races, which is good, but I think there needs to be something to distinguish the different races beyond just appearance. Otherwise, why have them at all: why not just humans?

My thought would be cold adaptation, as you've hinted at with the dwarves. Different races traditionally adapted to the environment in different ways, and all interact with each other across the Ice fields. My suggestions:

- Dwarves: the settlers. They survive by community, and are the only ones to have permanently ice bound settlements
- Elves: the travellers. They survive by careful planning: ask an elf if you want to know how far it is to the next shelter, or to a useful food source. Their expeditions act as trade caravans criss-crossing the land between the major cities
- Dyr: the hunters. They live off the land and travel light, forcing them to pursue the megafauna for thei next meal
- Skeran: the raiders. They steal what they need.
- Humans: the adaptors. They focus not on the means of survival, but on why they are doing it. Humans are shaped by what is around them, and will experiment to find the best solution.

[Sam113097]

Making travel difficult oddly got me thinking about your races, and developed a question best summed up as 'why have elves?'

You don't want homogenous races, which is good, but I think there needs to be something to distinguish the different races beyond just appearance. Otherwise, why have them at all: why not just humans?

My thought would be cold adaptation, as you've hinted at with the dwarves. Different races traditionally adapted to the environment in different ways, and all interact with each other across the Ice fields. My suggestions:

- Dwarves: the settlers. They survive by community, and are the only ones to have permanently ice bound settlements
- Elves: the travellers. They survive by careful planning: ask an elf if you want to know how far it is to the next shelter, or to a useful food source. Their expeditions act as trade caravans criss-crossing the land between the major cities
- Dyr: the hunters. They live off the land and travel light, forcing them to pursue the megafauna for thei next meal
- Skeran: the raiders. They steal what they need.
- Humans: the adaptors. They focus not on the means of survival, but on why they are doing it. Humans are shaped by what is around them, and will experiment to find the best solution.

I really like some of your ideas here. I agree with your take on skeran and dyr. Additionally, nomadic elves sounds awesome, and I can see them as a parallel for real-life Arctic peoples, but living in forests instead of the open tundra. This leaves humans and dwarves. I would rather have humans as the city-dwellers. To me, dwarves as settlers, long entrenched in one spot, seems too stereotypical. Any ideas on where to put them? What about having dwarves be the major seafaring race, excelling in the building of boats instead of the carving of stone?

[Adhar]

I am really liking the idea of having the dwarfs be a seafaring race. they could be the only people with viking style long ships. which would be a very basic ship that to me rings out as being dwarf.

viking long ships are advanced for there era and where made purely by feel as the vikings had no measuring system at the time and mainly used variations of axes and knives for tools.

you could make it so the dwarfs have a few small seattle ments with the humans but mainly live in their ships on the seas.

[Avaris]

I'm not entirely sure on seafaring Dwarves: as Adhar says, viking style ships could work, but my thought would be that Dwarves aren't agile enough to make best use of them. Viking ships are all about speed of going onto a beach for raiding, and we have the Skeran for that. Most ships require people nimble enough to go into the rigging, and dwarves also favour heavier armour, which seems less suited to small ships.

HOWEVER I've had an idea, which may be a bit high technology for your setting, but no harm in suggesting it. Given it's an ice age, sea ice would be a massive problem. The solution? Ironclads. The Dwarves could build armoured ships designed to force their way through the ice when necessary, each like a floating fortress with stores enough to last for months at a time.

The big problem with this idea is how to power them. I think some ironclad ships had sails, but my instinct would be to want a more reliable source of power. Steam would be my first thought, but probably not in keeping with the rest of the world. So how about man (dwarf) power? Oars wouldn't really work with ice, but treadwheels could. Imagine a ship powered by a series of these wheels, each with several Dwarves in. Slow but steady, and dwarves are ideally suited to the task, being strong and with high constitutions, allowing them to keep going for longer.

[Adhar]

Viking ships would work fine as they are ore powered with a small sail agility has nothing to do with operating the vessel you need muscle.

Iron class would require either an engine or somekind of magic just to move. Iron clads are very heavy and slow.

It all depends on the level of tech desired in the setting.

[Avaris]

True you need muscle: my mention of agility is with regard to getting on/off a ship. Viking ships are designed so you can do so quickly: run up a shallow beach, raid, run off again. Not a dwarven style of fighting IMO. And oars would break easily in icy conditions.

Still, viking style is probably more suited tech level wise. Depends how far it can stretch.

[Sam113097]

I'm not entirely sure on seafaring Dwarves: as Adhar says, viking style ships could work, but my thought would be that Dwarves aren't agile enough to make best use of them. Viking ships are all about speed of going onto a beach for raiding, and we have the Skeran for that. Most ships require people nimble enough to go into the rigging, and dwarves also favour heavier armour, which seems less suited to small ships.

HOWEVER I've had an idea, which may be a bit high technology for your setting, but no harm in suggesting it. Given it's an ice age, sea ice would be a massive problem. The solution? Ironclads. The Dwarves could build armoured ships designed to force their way through the ice when necessary, each like a floating fortress with stores enough to last for months at a time.

The big problem with this idea is how to power them. I think some ironclad ships had sails, but my instinct would be to want a more reliable source of power. Steam would be my first thought, but probably not in keeping with the rest of the world. So how about man (dwarf) power? Oars wouldn't really work with ice, but treadwheels could. Imagine a ship powered by a series of these wheels, each with several Dwarves in. Slow but steady, and dwarves are ideally suited to the task, being strong and with high constitutions, allowing them to keep going for longer.

I think I have a solution for the dwarven boat question. Ironclads seem way too advanced for the setting, and I see the problems that Viking longships would face in thick ice. Instead, what about large canoes, similar to those used by Eskimos? If they were mostly made of watertight, hardened leather, they would be light enough to be pulled across thick ice to open seas. Because of the large ice-age beasts in the Jagged Coast, enough leather would potentially be available to create very large canoes.

[Avaris]

It could work... Doesn't exactly scream dwarf to me though.that said, their cold adaptations in your first post makes them the most likely to be ok with temporary shelter and only having what they can physically carry, which suits canoes. I imagine the other travelling races make use of beasts of burden much more than the sea-faring dwarves do.

[Sam113097]

After a bit of research into native cultures, I think I've found a perfect basis for elves. The native Scandinavian people, the Sami, are traditionally nomadic reindeer herders. Though I don't want to appropriate too much of a real-world culture, I felt that reindeer herding, traveling elves fit the setting very well. They could even herd Irish Elk, which are giant ancestors of modern day elk. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sami_people

[Adhar]

The elf herding sounds really cool. But do some research on arctic cultures and find out which boats you like. The two main cultures in our world that have survived and thrived in that climate where Norse and natives of Greenland.
They used hide canoes due to lack of large trees.
Norse used a variety Of Long ships some where made for war and other where for trading. And most could be carried by the crew across land or ice.

[Sam113097]

After some thought. I've decided to stick with Norse longships for the dwarves. Though I like the idea of canoes (I might use them with the dyr), I felt a Viking-like culture suits dwarves better than an Eskimo-like one. Additionally, I have some familiarity with Norse culture, so I felt like I could better flesh out dwarves later if I stuck to what I knew more about.

With dwarves on longships, it would be reasonable to assume that they do a lot of trading and traveling along the coastline.
This also provides an opportunity to throw in some potential antagonists in the form of dwarven Viking raiders, pillaging seaside villages or mounting assaults on larger, richer settlements. These dwarves could be as nasty, violent, and piratical as their real-life counterparts.

[sktarq]

As an idea. . . I was thinking it "unfortunate" to have elves in scandinavian/british inspired setting which is where much of the classic elven legend comes from. But really it is a bit overdone. However I had an idea. What if the idea of "Tolkein" or "Ferun" elves was basically the legend of elves in areas that have never seen an elf. Travelers tall tales that have some grain of truth that has grown far in the telling. Perhaps these elves live in southern forests like Białowieża Forest or Biogradska Gora which would be the equivalent to subtropical forests in this climate phase.

So the basis to grow these from-

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ancient-both the culture and individuals
highly magical
closely tied to forests
isolationists
low density population
the forests they live in are magical
wise with ancient knowledge
somewhat sexy and attractive (this is a later fanfic but is part of modern DnD elven tradition)

use as much or little of this as you like as I'm just playing around here

Biology

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Biology changes-take 5 years longer to come to maturity. add 5 years to each age block until venerable-but have a long range of venerable available. So while humans start dying of "old age" at 70 or so and max out around 115 elves would start to die of old age around 95 and max out at around say 200 (which would be as rare as a 115 year old human). Also elves have a very short gestation of only 6 months and give birth to approx 2 lb children. (some say that is why the elves have weak constitutions). This short gestation also leads to fearfully high infant mortality and a culturally lower priority on sexual fidelity and societal sexual control of its members.

Agriculture/food

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"Agriculture"/Food-The elves do not practice agriculture in the traditional sense. They practice a kind of environmental enhancement. They plant useful seeds/seedlings in area where they will grow well naturally, they trim trees and build marshes via small dams. mushrooms and fungi are scattered into the decomposing layers of the deep forest floor. Useful plants are also protected from pests. Also plants that attract, aide, and support various animals that the elves find useful are also supported and aided. Beetle grubs, snails, bees, and other invertebrates are considered delicacies and encouraged by elves just as much as elk or beaver. This leads to forests claimed by elves to be very rich in natural forage and good hunting/fishing. This tradition of claiming a large area as a "garden" is not well understood by other cultures and leads to others eating food the elves had put much work into fostering which leads to great defensiveness and territoriality. This system of gathering food does have its downsides. First is the fact it needs constant attention and work which means that few elves can travel and most are tied closely to their homeland and as each forest is quite different moving to a new forest is very difficult so elves rarely settle new territories. Secondly, this system is prone to gluts and busts of food in some years. And while most of the jagged coast and vale can preserve food via smoking, salting, or chilling in root cellars these techniques don't work well as well in the climates the elves favor. Thus the elves have a strong tradition of fermenting, pickling, and other storage techniques. This has been the basis of the elven alchemy.

Goverment

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Government and leadership: Most elven regions are geriatrocracies - leadership by the old. Elders are very highly respected and seniority is highly influential in day to day interaction. As elves become elders most cannot stand up to the elven way of life and focus on crafts, leadership, and classically medicine and alchemy most of all. Elders also socially spar and challenge each other to contests of wits and wisdom. Group decisions are supposed to be viewed as an issue for more than the current generation and seven generations forward and backwards are theoretically to be consulted and have their interest imparted. This leads to a highly conservative governance style which a view to long term success over short term gains. Unsurprisingly this degree of respect for the elders (even between closely aged youngsters) has led to a culture of complex rules of politeness where large amount of information can be packed into a short phrase describing a relationship.

Language

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Language: One interesting thing about elves and language is that they don't often write. They can and have their own script but most information (and especially history, almanac like information, etc) are actually stored as a series of knots on a leather thong. This same knot-work patterning is common as inscriptions, edging, etc on many elven goods. Elven song is widely assumed to be their main historical and cultural repository. In reality elven song is more about teaching of legends, morality, and providing entertainment.

Arts and Crafts

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Arts & Crafts: Elves are master craftsmen. Tutored by elders who spend years perfecting their craft. The highest of all elven arts is alchemy. Used as a basis for medicine, food storage, and treating of materials for other arts (such as wood preservatives and hardeners). To facilitate this art many elves regularly collects a wide variety of substances that others consider strange and alien. Lichens, Guano, and various minerals are widely traded within elven cultures. In art elves add knotwork themes, deep coloured dyes, etc. Another highly regarded art is shaping small parts of their garden/forage areas into beautiful vistas to relax in, with waterfalls, flowers, etc.

A bit o crunch to deal with above
+2 bonus to stealth, survival, and alchemy - in addition these are always considered in class skills

So how i dealt with the above inspiration

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ancient: the most influential elves are the ones who are very old and bridge generations of human history-they may be rare but they are the ones that non elves often think of and with a "long term view" and talk of consulting previous generations gets played up in stories that others tell
highly magical: a mistaken reading of alchemy, alchemical treated material, and way of dealing with decisions via an "alien" setup that few are familiar with.
closely tied to forests: few people realize that the entire forest is the elven "farm" which they know closely. Also their lifestyle doesn't work well outside the forest and thus are unable to expand beyond it very well.
isolationists: forced to stay home and feel that most outsiders do not understand the elven
low density population: Their system of growing food doesn't allow for many cities and towns
the forests they live in are magical: they seem as such as they have so much edible food and other areas groomed for relaxation, sleep, and beauty. Outsiders would see them as paradices without understanding the work that goes into that appearance.
wise with ancient knowledge: since very few understand that the elves store information via their coded knot-work few people realize when an elf is consulting records verses just knowing things of even ancient worlds.
somewhat sexy and attractive (this is a later fanfic but is part of modern DnD elven tradition). I think their culture would allow for lots of flirting.

well that was fun even if it doesn't get used....

[Sam113097]

I've finally got a map! This is a rough draft. I'll add some more details to the locations page.