Races in Eilthir

Dragonborn: Dragonborns are nearly legendary beings in Eilthir. To most, they’re nothing more than a rumor from some far-flung corner of the World, or—once confronted with their reality—a spectacle.

There’re no native dragonborn living in Eilthir. You can take this race only when taking either the Ambassador or the Mercenary backgrounds.

Dwarf: Even before Vold rule, the dwarves of the Granite Halls have traded in Eilthir. Until recently, much dwarfcraft was brought to Keir Treasa and sold in the local markets or shipped down the river via halfling barges for eventual sale in the markets of the central Vold. The dwarves who traded in Keir Treasa clannishly watched over their own interests, precluding other races from even the most menial employment within their businesses. But now the dwarves are leaving Eilthir for reasons they stubbornly refuse to share with Eil, Vold, or even halflings. Despite their brusque manners and stone-cold stoicism, their business has been a boon for the region, and no one thinks their exodus bodes well for Eilthir.

Picking a dwarf character means that you’ll know the reason for the retreat to the Granite Halls. Picking a dwarf character means that you could never tell a non-dwarf.

Dwarf characters can take the Agent or the Mercenary background, but it’s not required to take a background to play a dwarf character.

Eladrin: There’s a Vold saying that, “anywhere the Verdant Shadow touches the World, the eladrin meddle.” The true children of the Feywild, local eladrin holds lie beyond the forbidding emerald curtain of the Ealbhar Forest; their realms coming into contact with the Smiodan Mountains where the clouds touch those ancient peaks.

The eladrin are insulated from human contact by the Lyrsian Enclave of elves that rule the Ealbhar and have served as guardians to the standing gates in the Smiodan for over a millennium.

Eladrin characters come from one of numerous eladrin estates that touch the World among the mists of the Smiodan Mountains.

Eladrin characters can take the Ambassador or the Explorer background, but it’s not required to take a background to play an eladrin character.

Elf: The elves of Eilthir are predominately part of the Lyrsian Enclave of the Ealbhar Forest, a confederation of elven clans dedicated to the preservation of the forest and the protection of passages into the Feywild. While there is no love lost between the Lyrsian Enclave and the Vold, the elves have good relations with the Eil, and there are many popular, albeit melancholy and often tragic, rondeaux and leis of famous love affairs between a member of the Enclave and the Eil.

The elves of the Lyrsian are not the only elves of the region. There are strange and scattered tribes in the Wyrm Wood who are said to worship dragons.

Elf characters can take the Explorer or the Mercenary background, but it’s not required to take a background to play an elf character.

Gnome: The Feywild is as vast as the World—maybe even more vast. In the places where the Feywild touches Eilthir, there are no known gnome settlements, though it’s rumored that a long-lost clan of gnomes—the brunaidh—once dwelt in the region of the Feywild now ruled by the Mist Mage, Koscej. But that strange creature’s realm is closed from the rest of the Feywild, and the only way to enter it is to enter the strange swirling mists that serve as boundaries to his realm in the World. While not everyone who enters the mists is lost, few leave Kosciej’s realm unmarred in some way.

You must take the Explorer background to play a gnome. If you play a gnome character, it’s one of your personal goals to find the fate of the brunaidh.

Half-Elf: Usually a cross between an Eil and an elf of the Lyrsian Enclave, half-elves are sometimes called gra o’broin, and Eilic phrase meaning, “laughter from sadness.” Treasured for their talents and wisdom, their mixed blood means that they are never truly a part of Eil or elf society. Furthermore they’re often mistrusted by the Vold, who view elves and eladrin as rivals, and thus they are suspicious of a half-elf’s true alliance. This is especially true after the last compulsor of Eilthir was killed by his chief advisor, and supposed best friend, the half-elf Fealltor. Unbeknownst to the compulsor, Fealltor was an assassin trained and sent by Prince Iydthen, an eladrin lord of the Smiodan who sometimes meddles in Eilthir politics.

Half-elf characters can take the Explorer, the Hexed, or the Mercenary background, but it’s not required to take a background to play a half-elf character.

Halfling: Few halflings call Eilthir home, but few halfling call anywhere home. The clans of Karith have traveled up and down the rivers of the northern Vold for centuries, and their barges been the chief method for Eil and dwarven goods to reach the central Vold.

Halfling characters can take the Agent or the Mercenary background, but it’s not required to take a background to play a halfing character.

Human: While there are many tribes and nations of humans in the World, each varying in looks and customs, there are only two types populating Eilthir in any great numbers—the Vold and the Eil.

Vold: The Empire of the Vold rules over many nations, which after the conquest they call provinces of the empire. Eilthir is just one more than two score current provinces. A century ago the Vold ruled over almost a hundred, but lost a number of them when the mage city of Karaius fell to demons.

A race of tall, fair, and powerful humans, the Vold see themselves as the pinnacle of human civilization and consider it their duty to spread the boons of their civilizations to all the human people of the World. Even after the destruction wrought by the fall of Karaius, the Vold are still the undisputed masters of arcane magic among the human peoples. And that mastery of the arcane has help them create a large and efficient bureaucracy, army, and method of trade—including a stable network of portals open to all citizens of the Vold Empire.

Eil: The original human people who settled the Eilthir valley, the Eil were conquered centuries ago by the Vold. With the exception of a secret society called the Swords of the Hidden Warlord (or the Hidden, as it is usually called) the resistance against the Vold is over. Even the Hidden avoid direct conflict with the compulsor, preferring to aid downtrodden Eil sabotaging the collection of the [[Vold-Teind]]; a one gold tax levied each year.

People of ruddy skin and dark brown or red hair, the Eil are shorter than the Vold, but unlike their haughty overlords, are a people of fierce emotion and quick with drink, dance, and brawling.

Human characters can take the Ambassador (a human that is neither Vold nor Eil) the Hexed, the Mercenary, the Orphan (Eil only) or the Seeker, but it’s not required to take a background to play a human character.

Tiefling: Like dragonborn, the tiefling are a rare race in Eilthir. Sometimes called the fallen, they migrated from a place far to the east, beyond the Dragonteeth Mountains. Rare communities of tiefling are scattered throughout the Vold Empire, but most tiefling adventurers are loaners. They tend to be mistrusted, disliked, and even feared by common people.

You can only play a tiefling if you take the Hexed or the Mercenary backgrounds.

Backgrounds

Backgrounds are first come and first serve, and two characters can’t have the same background. You also don’t have to tell your fellow players what background you have (though sometimes it will be obvious). Other than the race (and, in one case, class) restrictions, there are no other restrictions on the backgrounds. Let your imagination and character building savvy run wild.

The Agent Dwarf or halfling Strange things are afoot in Eilthir. Your character is an agent of a dwarf or halfling power group from outside Three Rivers Vale; a group with its own agenda relating to its race’s plight in the region. Particulars depend on the race you choose.

Choose this background if you like to play dwarves or halflings, or if you like a character who has its own agenda and secrets that other characters can’t know.

The Ambassador Dragonborn, eladrin, or human (not Vold or Eil) Shunted to this edge of the Vold Empire—maybe for some slight against a powerful person in your own land—you are searching for a little excitement and maybe some way you could possibly advance your people’s influence or standing in Eilthir.

Choose this background if you want to play a character from an exotic culture with its own cultural norms, or you like characters that have to find their place in an alien culture.

The Explorer Eladrin, elf, gnome, or half-elf You’re an explorer looking for permanent overlaps between the Feywild and the World. You’ve heard stories about the Twilight Vale and the Mist Mage, but have yet to visit the mist-enshrouded valley or its strange eladrin master.

Choose this background if you like fey-connected characters, or you like characters driven to explore their environment.

The Hexed Half-elf, human, or tiefling You are cursed by a mysterious master, so mysterious that you don’t even know his identity. All you know is that his raspy voice occasionally compels you to do things, sometimes terrible things, but worse things happen when you refuse.

Choose this background if you like dark, tormented characters, or you like characters with conflicting motivations.

The Mercenary Dragonblood, dwarf, elf, half-elf, halfling, human, or tiefling An indentured mercenary bound to the Compulsor of Eilthir, your freedom is only two years away unless you can find a way to end it sooner.

Choose this background if you like playing a character with a strong and visceral (some might say selfish, or even mercenary) sense of purpose, or some form of exotic warrior.

The Orphan Human (Eil) You’re an orphan of the disappeared village of Fadail. A wandering oracle of Ioun prophesized that Fadail could only be found and reunited with Eilthir by its last scion. Presumably that last scion is you.

Choose this background if you want to play a character moved by (or struggling against) the weight of prophecy.

The Seeker Human wizard You’re on the trail of Rassallian of Quince, or, more precisely, the book of spells he secreted away from poor, doomed Karaius. According to the Lexicon of Nyms the Blackhanded, Rassallian was heading to Eilthir, the home of his ancestors when he escaped Karaius.

Choose this background if you want to play a scholar or a power-hungry character looking for long-lost power.