Humans, Trolls, Thailids, and Mahynths.

The northern lands are currently under reconstruction, that's the out of character news, and the reason that these races are currently unplayable.  It's a -huge- area, so be patient with us.

In character, what you would know is that:

There is a rift in the earth that goes from impassable mountain to the sea that was caused by the most recent disaster, the calamity, and within it burns a horrible fire which can only be faintly seen, but radiates heat upward so intensely that it burns the skin wholly if one gets within five leagues of the rift, usually causing a horrible, but fast death.  It comes so quickly that not even the most skilled of shamans can heal themselves once they start to burn, and no durin shield will protect wanderers that stray a bit too far to the north.

Little is known about these races anymore since the calamity.  Elves have had contact only with the dwarves of Bhydall, the goblins of the deadwood, and the duxthu of Shae.  They have never seen the Thailids nor the Mahynths, but have heard of them over the years when the Sole send the Nobility out to seek knowledge, but that was before the calamity.  As of now, the southern lands have no idea what is going on up beyond the rift which is set almost exactly set along the north border of Tow, beyond the Midway, Marikesh.

Goblins

Deadwood Leadership

The goblin tribes in the Southlands are all ruled under the absolute power of the Sage. It is the life giving magics that the Sage provides that has historically allowed the goblins to flourish as a civilized race, rather than just as a nearly beastlike enclave of endlessly warring families. While all ultimate decisions are made by the Sage, including matters of justice, revenge and war, the daily leadership is provided by a Warlord and a Warlock. These two goblin individuals have somehow proven themselves to the Sage time and again with wisdom and deed and carry out the Sage’s rule through threat, violence, intimidation and force. The goblin people as a whole allow this, because of the massive tradeoff for an increased lifespan, intelligence and a sense of community that they had never achieved before.



The Concept of the Family Community

The goblin people don‘t live in a family oriented environment, in the traditional sense. Goblin young are given a communal education, being raised by appointed teachers in various trades and positive lifestyle influences to the goblin way of life. It is not uncommon for the fiercely weak or even stupid of those bred end up terminated and their life force used for those who would be better served using it..

Ownership of Property

Everything that is under the possession of a goblin is considered their property, until someone bigger and stronger comes along and takes it from them. Only the most fit and skilled survive and are allowed to raise their voice, so all ownership of property is a precarious event. This being said, anything and everything that a goblin lays its hands on or even desires is considered marked property by the goblin people, even the vast reaches of the forest unexplored by the people are considered goblin territory that someone who is strong enough has yet to claim.



Childhood and Education

Every goblin is taken from its mother directly after birth and is immediately given into the charge of what is little more than an overseer. This teacher provides sustenance from freshly killed forest creatures as well as the given task of imparting basic survival knowledge to the wee goblin creatures. The goblin children are expected to fight for all of their nourishment, so those who are strong or allied with the strong eventually end up with the majority of the nourishment and life-force. Upon reaching the age of ten, with basic and remedial educations of society, survival, religion and even magic under their belt, the goblin children are then taken into specific sects of society, depending on their own personal aptitude. From this point out, they live the remainder of their lives working within these sects, to promote the desires and goals of the Sage. All goblins speak constantly in rhyme. They are taught this from the time they are born, so it seems to be a simple part of the language of Deadwood.


The Four Aging Tenants

There are four major passages that come with age and life that are sacred within the goblin community and they are as follows:

Hatching: Upon hatching, the goblin hatchling is taken from its mother with every blessing, and from that point is placed in a communal hutch. While the mother will most likely never see her child again, she is blessed personally by the Sage for adding to the community. This blessing comes in the form of allowing bathing in the blood-pits under the Temple in the center of the tree. This bathing is to represent the addition to the community and loss of life-force that the mother gives in creating the hatchling. It is traditionally believed that the blood-bath the mother takes replenishes the lost life energy.



Adulthood: This ceremony is simple and effective, with blessings bestowed by the Sage. Upon reaching exactly sixteen summers, the young goblin is taken before the Sage and is left in the courtyard. A long series of hallucinations and visions are projected into the mind of the goblin, the series of mental images so strong that it is said to only intensify all of the proper and regimented training that made up the child’s education. After several days of this intense and regimented blessing, the goblin is escorted from the courtyard and set before the people to continue their life as one of the many.



Carrying of the Hatchlings: Upon discovery that the goblin woman is carrying the additional life-force of hatchlings, she will go before the members of her community and demand from them the blood of their fresh kills and the brains of an enemy. When the fresh kill and brains are brought before her, she will then gather them together and simmer them together with roots and herbs in a thick and heady stew. This stew is then consumed by the mother abruptly, no other nourishment given to her until the entire pot is gone. With this the hatchlings will have taken in the life giving blood and the mental acumen of their enemies. The Blood-Stew is said to strengthen the egg shells as well as the spirit of the mother and children alike, and if this blessing is missed or forsaken, the eggs will be determined to be inadequate and likely destroyed upon laying them. The eggs are created within an goblyn by her own body. Nearly all that is necessary for life is composed within the egg. However, once the egg is lain, a goblin is selected by one of the Sage's council to "fertilize" the egg, an act which is similar to elven mating, but lacking in the presence of the female body.



Permission to join the Sage's council of Elders: The only way a goblin becomes revered in society as an elder is if they have progressively beaten down all competitors for their influence and survived numerous battles through wit, guile, magic and strength. Only one who has lasted through the test of time is seen as someone who carries a voice worth listening to.



Religion

All religion hinges on the fact that the Sage has been leading the goblin people for a thousand years, has never aged and brought to them access to life-force and learning unknown to them on any level before. Ancient records always tell of the Sage and of the gifts brought to the goblin people to raise them from lowly beasts of the forest and projected them into the level of being a major power and source of influence on their own world. Before her arrival, the goblin lifespan was thirty years, blowing out like a candle. After her arrival and gifts and acts of magic, the goblin lifespan is not predictable. The Sage is worshipped as the one and only divine being, granting both life and death with little more than a glance or uttered word. As such, only prayers and sacrifice to the Sage are enough to bring further prosperity and blessings to the goblin people. This religion is known in Towskish dialogue as Wrath, and it is The Sage who is its conduit. She also has a living conduit, who makes it possible to speak Deadwood to her faithful, should it become necessary. This conduit is held in the highest esteem and protected above all others. Since the Sage's ascension she gave up the right to be seen in the world of mortals... but Kuron Sage has always been able to find a loophole.

Death and Funerals

Death is an absolute shameful act to the goblin people, for their entire purpose is to prolong their lives as long as possible. This does not make the goblins a cowardly race, for they have no fear of death, but more they are a people who have an intense sense of their own immortality, due to the strength of the Sage and their regimented upbringing. When a goblin dies their bodies are buried outside of the village on the skirts of goblin lands, in an effort to provide the wasted life-energy to the strength of the goblin environment and spirits. No ceremony is held, no loss or bereavement felt, only perhaps, a faint dismay at the failure of one of the family line or close friend.

Marriage

Goblins do not marry and do not take mates. This is seen as a disgusting and hideous concept reserved to weaker races who are reliant upon hanging their fates and life-force on another individual. Goblins are people who strive to be as strong and independent as possible, the thought of being required to spend their entire existence with another individual would demean and weaken their entire way of thinking.

Crime and Punishment

As goblins do not have sex, rape is not a crime nor even a thought. The strong take what they desire, so theft and burglary are not crimes, murder is only punishable when it can be avoided. A strong goblin is one who would take what they wish and leave their opponent humiliated. Treason against the Sage and betraying the goblin way of life is considered a hideous crime, one that is immediately punished by dismemberment. If such acts continue, further appendages, limbs, facial features and the likes are removed and fed to the communal wolves until such a time comes that the goblin simply dies.


Appearance and Dress

The most common dress of the goblin people would be scant leather and obsidian armors, obsidian being reserved for only the most powerful and influential of goblins. Animal hides and furs are typical dress as well. Silk is considered weak and even obscene, cotton considered the garb of an outsider and metal armor as being crude and even ineffective, a product of weak individuals who lack inner strength. Goblin hairstyles are highly varied and highly maintained. Typical goblins will apply wax, bone and animal fats to their hair to sculpt it in odd shapes and designs, but rarely wear it short, with baldness considered a defect of an unworthy spirit-force. Goblin hair is coarse like horse tails and highly unmanageable. Goblins are prone to using oils, animal blood and various extracts from the organs of their enemies to apply a glossy sheen to their tough, leathery skin. Ritual piercing, scars and brands are lavishly applied to the goblin skin to further add to their strengthened and hardened appearance.

Entertainment and Dining

Goblin entertainment typically consists of elaborate tales of death, killing, hunting and powerful magics. They also find entertainment in torturing weaker goblins, showing off through acts of strength or cunning, brutal acts of revenge, long bouts of alcoholic rants and even brawling. It is not uncommon for goblins to make an evening of having a captured foe attempt an escape so they can be tracked down inside the village and ripped apart, so that all might consume the life-force as it leaves their enemy.

Arts and Crafts

Goblin artwork typically consists of elaborate fetishes and charms, bone carvings, body markings, and obsidian sculpture. Their musical tastes tend to only involve elaborate and incredibly loud rhythms, with loud stomping, clapping, hooting, chanting and beating on things the preferred musical expression. Music that would require an actual instrument is frowned upon and would evoke terrible rage for damaging one’s sense of peace and tranquility, the harsh rhythm the only thing to evoke such a reaction.

Nobility

There are no nobles and classes in the goblin community, only respected elders who have given their wisdom, leadership and guidance to the people. Goblins who amass great personal wealth and power typically surround themselves with others who have a like interest, to keep their possible enemies and rivals as close to them as possible, but such can be easily lost and gained, with every goblin living with the ingrained belief that might makes right.

Dwarves

Bhyhdall Leadership

The small village of Bhyhdall was at one time ruled by a chieftain, called Aerthor in title, but that role has been left vacant for no less than a hundred years. In the Aerthor’s stead, a council of elders was established to govern the daily function of the village itself. The Council is made up of a dozen members of each of the Clans of Stone, those original families that broke away from the fabled Dwarvish homeland of their history, in an effort to make their own way. The Council elects a Warlord to oversee the group of militia and hunters that patrol the village and surrounds. Outside of the Council and the Warlord, all other titled individuals are granted such privilege and respect due to their works, deeds or wealth and will be referenced as necessary in this document.


The Concept of the Clan

The village is made up of the descendants of twelve different families, who have formed tightly nit clans. For each of these clans there is one area where they are exceptionally well regarded, be it craftsmanship, metal smithing, hunting, or combat. It is not unheard of for members of one clan to study under another clan in an effort to either broaden their horizon, or to simply become different than their family and upbringing. This is not done easily nor taken lightly, for until such a person attains a master rank in their new trade, they will be looked down upon by their own family as one who was unable to live within the confines of their family rulings. Each of the skilled members of the clan are broken into Master-Journeyman-Apprentice levels, the hierarchy of which is rigid and fiercely inflexible. The only members of the clan itself with voice enough to express their opinion to their council-member is someone of Master status. Journeymen have the option to leave their communal dwelling on their own, marry and start families, but they will hold no sway over the government until they attain the level of Master. Apprentices are afforded little in the way of personal freedoms, allowed only to maintain their own possessions and freedom to travel the village. They are, however, allowed to leave the village, but only with a Journeyman or their Master. Apprentices are unable to marry, start families or ply their trade, without serious social consequences.

Ownership of Property

Property ownership is a source of great civil and family pride. Heirlooms and treasures are things that are boasted about, and passed down from generation to generation. The older an item is and the better care taken of it, the more revered it is by the entire population. Anything that is owned can be bought and sold by the rightful owner, with the only exception being a long-standing family heirloom. Only the clan elder has the rights to seize, dispense and sell treasures and heirlooms, even those passed down from father to son, mother to daughter, etc, if he feels that the object in question is suffering some abuse or dishonor. If it can be carved, chiseled, smelted, broken, sold, then it can be owned and passed down as an honored heirloom. If it actually stands the test of time, that is another matter entirely.

Childhood and Education

Every dwarf starts their formal education at no later than four years of age. At this point they are trained in rudimentary survival skills, public speaking, and are educated in the basic fundamentals of their family clan. At the age of fifteen they are then given the option of entering an apprenticeship within either their own clan or another clan. Should they chose to enlist in an outside clan’s training programs, they are effectively shunned and shut out from their own family, until such a time comes when they reach the level of Master. They are allowed to return to their original training program if they fail their outside choice, but only after they have atoned for abandoning their family through one solid year of remedial labor, the sort of which is typically arduous and backbreaking, but considered character building and proper.

Rites of Passage

The following are the Rites of Passage typically celebrated by the Clans, none are mutually exclusive to any one clan, but all are typically followed, to appease the Gods and spirits alike. Missing any one or all of these Rituals would be considered a slight to the Gods who offer their protection, and would likely elicit some social stigma or punishment.

Birth: The newborn dwarf is brought before the entire Clan and is set on a large pillow directly before the Clan-leader. At this point all of the Masters in the clan come forward and place shavings from their beards and hair, sprinkling it over the baby so that it might one day receive the virile blessings of their heritage. The Journeymen of the Clan then approach the child and press their hands to its feet, to bless the path that the child will eventually travel, in the hopes that the calluses on their hands will strengthen the child’s feet. The Apprentices of the Clan will then come to the child and simply offer silent prayer, that the child will follow their path and become undaunted with the hardships that it brings. When this is all said and done, the Clan-Leader will take a mug of the finest brew the family has to offer and allow several drops into the baby’s mouth. With that, the child will be blessed and be returned to its parents, with the Gods appeased and the child’s future blessed.

Coming of Age: When the age of Fifteen comes, the child is pressed with the choice of what Clan Lifestyle to study. The child is taken into the hills, far from the Village itself, and is left alone with a flint, some firewood and a skin of water. The child is then expected to spend two full nights and one full day fasting, while attempting to clear their mind of all prejudices and tainted thoughts, in an effort to bring purity to their choice. When the dawn of the second morning comes, the child will then find their way back to the Village, attempting to avoid all harm, for the blessings from the Gods allows this to happen. Upon reaching the gates of the village the child will boldly step through and shout their announcement of the path they have chosen for their future. With this several rounds of fine drink are shared and the child is accepted as an adult, and their Apprenticeship begins the next day.


Becoming a Master:

When such a time comes that a dwarf is recognized by the people of his or her clan as having such wisdom and skill, unsurpassed by many, that dwarf is brought before their Master. The Master will then sit with them and hold a personal discussion, whereupon the dwarf will tell their story and that of their Clan, doing everything in large part to explain where their wisdom came from and what they will seek to do with it. If the Master is satisfied, they will clasp the Dwarf about the shoulders and announce their title. The two will then go before the entire Clan and speak of their visions of the future, the only gifts bestowed upon any the wisdom they now share.

Religion

Religion to the dwarves of Bhyhdall is a very strong and personal system of beliefs. There are no organized services or cults in the village itself, religious introspection expected to be held in private and family oriented services. It is considered exceptionally rude to outright ask someone what they worship, but long debates of religion frequently occur between dwarves. It is frequently regarded that there are several all-powerful forces in the universe, but they are generally too busy for the dwarven people, so they make for themselves. Of late there has been a swelling in a powerful, silvery image that offers protection and solace to the people.

Death and Funerals

Death is considered the last and final honor a dwarf can achieve, for this allows them to go to live free in the hills. The body of a dwarf slain in an honorable way is set atop a blazing pyre with the majority of the dwarf’s belongings being distributed to close kinsmen. Every dwarf will promise each of their prized items to another before their passing, in an effort to insure that their legacy will live on. If such an item is lost, then all efforts will be made to reclaim it. It is a driving force in a dwarf’s life to preserve such artifacts and heirlooms, for it is believed that communal knowledge is passed on in this way. The body of a dwarf killed in a dishonorable way is ripped asunder with all of its body parts spread from one side of the lands to the other, in an effort to teach the evil spirits that such activity is considered wicked and against the dwarves peaceful nature.

Marriage

It is the dutiful function of all dwarves of Bhyhdall to find a fitting mate and to further the line. Marriages between clans are frequent and common, doing so affords new luck and good fortune to further proliferate among the people. Dwarves will mate only one other and will do so for life. Extramarital affairs, interracial affairs and widowed relations are considered slights to the clans and families and are punished severely within the community. A dwarf who loses their husband or wife will be expected to mourn for no less than five years, wearing some item of their lost loved one in a prominent location, telling the story of their passing to all who would hear it. Marriage is the most sacred of contracts of the Dwarven people, an actual contract written up and followed to the letter of the law. This contract is drawn up at the time when permission is asked to the elders for the chance to marry. Marriages are based off the ideals of love, romance and prosperity to the family and clans.

Crime and Punishment

·The following are considered minor criminal offenses to the Dwarven people and village of Bhyhdall.

Arson, public nudity, lecherous behavior, slander, taking a God’s name in vain, sale of unauthorized materials (meaning Apprentice or non-Clan approved), and poaching (be it animal or mineral materials).

The following are considered major crimes and will be treated as such.

Murder, rape, theft, burglary, stenmin magicks, public disgrace, prostitution, adultery, treason.

All criminals are brought before the council and tried, but a lengthy jail time is known to occur while they get around to it. Criminals will be fined, jailed, lashed or executed, depending on the severity of the crime.

Note: It is considered exceptionally disgusting for any form of public nudity to occur, and this will likely cause not only civil but social punishments to happen.

Appearance and Dress

The typical dress of the people of Bhyhdall includes shaggy furs, leathers and finely crafted armors. Due to the amazing social distaste towards any level of nudity, efforts are made to cover as much of the body as possible, even at the expense of the heat during the summer seasons. Bhyhdalli men are prone to wearing kilts, sashes, hunting cloaks, and thick boots as their typical dress. Bhyhdalli women favor ornate furs and finely cured leathers. Men tend to wear their beards long and free flowing, the longer the better, for this is a sign of pride to the entire community. Men and women’s hair usually hangs in a massive mane of hair, with those who have attained Master rank having small braided knots dangling down over their shoulders, one for each great achievement they have attained since reaching that rank.

Entertainment and Dining

In Bhyhdall the only pure form of entertainment are games of skill, gambling and bardic songs and tales. A story about some favored heirloom or ancestor, if told with skill, will receive gifts of strong drink and spicy food. Bhyhdalli are prone to eating most anything, if they can figure out a way to kill it, farm it or cook it. So stubborn are they in their mindsets that it is not uncommon for a dwarf to find one food and stick to eating it almost exclusively throughout the remainder of their life. Going to odd ends to fill this craving if forced to do so.

Arts and Crafts

While not known throughout the world, the Bhyhdalli are exceptionally gifted stonemasons, sculptors and metal smiths, as is their heritage. Skilled artisans are revered in life as being those who take the blessings of the Gods and form them into visions for all to behold. While not every dwarf is gifted with artistic ability, they all have the eye for detail to know when something is exceptional.

Citizens

Bhyhdall people become citizens when they reach the level of Apprentice. At such time they know they will be protected by the laws of the land and will be provided for as necessary. Magick is seen as a divine gift, even stenmin magicks, and are quite simply as common as being able to carve wood. The exception being that stenmin magicks are considered highly evil and wicked and will be dealt with fiercely and brutally if discovered. The citizens of Bhyhdall will live their lives as farmers, merchants, fishermen, hunters, guards, and essentially whatever else provides a living in the community. As a whole they will view each other as brothers and sisters in their community, placing trust in other Bhyhdalli before anyone else. Dwarves from another tribe will be viewed as wayward cousins and will be entreated with hospitality and respect. Humans are viewed with moderate amounts of skepticism, only assuring their worth when they have performed some deed of exceptional kindness or generosity or sacrifice to the Bhyhdalli people. Humans are quite simply too irrational to trust on a normal basis. Elves are seen with some contempt, for all contact with elves usually has the Dwarven people ending with the elves being exceptionally condescending and even rude. But there are exceptions to the rule when some have managed to prove themselves to the people, forming a lasting and lifelong bond. Trolls and goblins are a threat to the way of life, with exceptional amounts of rage and ire in the hands of the goblin people. The typical Bhyhdall who comes in contact with a troll will avoid them, but if a goblin is spotted, all efforts will be made to eradicate them as quickly and brutally as possible.