Universe of Taranth

Taranth is a planet similar in many aspects to earth. It is roughly the same size, position from the sun, and has similar geographic regions. The planet itself contains three huge landmasses, called worlds (we know them as continents), the largest of these being Vallinor. This is the area that is dealt with in this site.

Alignments all flow from how characters interpret and act on this law. Good alignments tend to believe that the way to achieve peace and happiness, one must be dedicated to serving and helping others. On the other hand, evil alignments tend to lean toward a more selfish understanding of this law believing that the individual is more important than anything else.

Although they are the most common, their tendencies are as varied as the location they are found. While in the forests of Avendale they would be equivalent to medieval Europe (England, Scotland, etc), in the south they are as the vikings. Humans come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors and there are no sub-races or derivative races.

Humans have created the strongest, most advanced civilizations in existence. They have amassed the strongest armies, best fleets, and have mastered magic. There is not a place in the world that you can go that does not have human influence. Even though humanity speaks a variety of languages, they are the originators of the common tongue, often called arien by other races. This is a crude and changing form of the sacred language believed to be spoken thousands of years ago.

One of the most aggressive races in Taranth, humans are often at war with someone or another. The establishment of Sae Darrin has seen an icon of honor and chivalry that has been unmatched in centuries. Often, Sae Darrin himself or his representatives will mediate disputes as a sort of world peace organization. Dwarves and elves are both frustrated and amazed with humanity and their refusal to live in peace with each other. In the beginning, all of humanity was united towards a common goal (that goal has been blurred over the years), but their self-determination has corrupted them over the years. Should they ever be united again, it is believed that there will not be a force in Taranth that could rival them.

Although they have short life spans compared to the other dominant races, they are the most versatile and adaptable. Their ability to learn quickly allows them to advance to levels only dreamed of by other races save dragons. No other race has as many options open to them as humans do.

"Honor fell on them and they found pleasure in the eyes of the Creator." – The Annals of Light

During the Rage of Spirits, it became obvious that the raw physical strength and magic power of the humans and elves was no longer strong enough to defeat the Accuser and his Dark Ones. In order for the forces of good to prevail, it would take direct creative intervention by Aer. With a clear picture in his mind about what he needed in a defender, Aer struck an anvil and the sparks that flew from it landed on Taranth and became dwarves.

Endowed with incredible strength, terrific magic, and intense hatred of the forces of darkness, the dwarves fought with the humans and dwarves and won the long war. In the years that followed the Rage, humans began to war among themselves for control of the newly liberated lands. This skirmishing burdened the dwarves so badly that they interfered with humanity instead of protecting it and as a result, Aer removed all magic from them and led them into the mountains and hills of Vallinor where they live to this day. All dwarves love to collect and study magical items, but suffer the same penalties as described in the rule-books for the specific systems.

Youngest of the dominant races, they have the second longest life span with an average of 250 years. This is due mainly in part to the lack of magic and reduced amount of psionic energy within their bodies. Dwarves mature at a rate comparable to humans, but maintain their youth much longer. Once dwarves reach the age of 18, they are at their peak and age about one dwarf year to every two-and-a-half human years. Therefore a 250 year old dwarf would be equivalent similar in age to that of a 118 year old human.

There are three main types of dwarf: hill, mountain, and deep dwarf.

Hill Dwarves
These dwarves, like their name suggests, live mainly in areas of rolling hills and low mountains. Most live under ground but there are a number of them that live on the surface. This is neither promoted nor condoned, in fact many clans build strongholds on the surface in key locations. Of all the dwarves in Vallinor, these are the most common dwarves on the surface.

Hill dwarves are the most attractive of the dwarves as well as the most charismatic. They stand an average of 4 � - 5 feet tall and have copper colored skin and light colored eyes. Although they are not beautiful by human or elf standards, in the dwarvish community, they are incredibly beautiful. Often the Hill dwarves are criticized by other members of their race because of their refusal to live under ground. Weak by dwarvish standards, they are still incredibly strong and well muscled with little body-fat.

Mountain Dwarves
Unlike the hill dwarves, this type of dwarf rarely moves to the surface and prefers to live removed from other racial influences. Most can be found living in either the Asguard Mountains or the Great Shield where they build vast underground fortresses and cities, completely self-sufficient. They are a strangely religious race and tend to have a high number of clerical personages along with warriors and builders.

The average mountain dwarf stands 4 � feet tall and has a thicker build than hill dwarves. In addition to this, they have lighter hair, but darker eyes and a reddish tint to their skin. Mountain dwarves are suspicious of their cousins, the hill dwarves, because of their incessant communication and relations with surface dwellers.

Deep Dwarves
In the past, the deep dwarves moved deeper into the bowls of the earth because they felt such remorse for their interference with humanity. Now they stay deep in order to lord it over their cousins at how much closer to their gods they are. Deep dwarves are very exclusive and rarely entertain other races. They are almost never seen on the surface because of the pain that even moonlight causes their delicate eyes in addition to their contempt and exclusive attitudes.

Elves have since moved into the forests and woodlands to live life they way it was meant to be: in quiet enjoyment. Although they are no longer a result of the physical union between immortals and humans, they still retain many of the attributes of their forefathers. They are immortal and cannot die of natural causes. In addition to this they are incredibly beautiful and creative. Standing between 5 and 5 � feet tall, they are noted by their slender chiseled facial features, athletic bodies, and slightly pointed ears.

Elves have an insatiable curiosity, especially for magic and magical items. They are highly attuned to magical energies and spend lots of time studying and practicing magic. Their long life has made them rather aloof and carefree in their lifestyle, mixing with humans and dwarves as much as they can without disturbing their quiet life.

Almost all elves belong to a clan made up of their particular race. Four sub-races make up the elvish population: high, wood, dark, and half-elf. A high council located in Silverglade called the Kindred Throne governs both the High elves and the wood elves.

Elves, like dwarves, mature at a rate similar to that of humans, they just maintain their prime much longer. Most elves will reach a prime age of 25 in that many years, but will then age much slower, an average of 200 human years equals one elf-year. Once elves reach a human equivelant of 50, they no longer continue to age. Therefore it is possible, however unlikely to find a fully matured and dangerous elf who is a mere 18 years old, and another could be 2615 years old and still be lower level than an 18 year old.. Their relaxed lifestyle often means that they do not marry until well into there hundreds, even then, they often have small families consisting of no more than two children.

High Elves
These are the most common of the elves, and have come to represent the pinnacle of elvish culture. They are the second most beautiful of all the dominant races, standing at least 5 feet tall, they have either black or golden blonde hair and bright, clear eyes. This is a result of their origin, being born of a human mother or conceived by a human father to an immortal mate. In addition to the ascetic bonuses of their nature, their senses are also much more attuned than other races. The most popular of these is their excellent eye-sight, making them phenomenal archers.

Established over 10,000 years ago, the city of Silverglade has served as a racial capitol and mediatorial center for the entire elvish population. It is here where the Kindred Throne is located and where clan representatives can come and meet to discuss issues relevant to the entire race. Most of the time these meetings are more of a relaxed party than actual meetings, but when politics must be practiced, this is the body that does it.

The High Elves are the most respected of all the elves, often welcomed even into the deep underground strongholds of the deep dwarves. Although they tend to be reclusive and a little arrogant, they are normally quite easy to work with making powerful allies and unmatched friends.

Wood Elves
Wood elves are almost indistinguishable from their cousins. By all appearances, they are the same, perhaps a little shorter, and with more wild hairstyles. They are also often slightly darker skinned than high elves. They are distinguished in three ways: their hair is often of an extreme nature, they wear lots of jewelry, and they are infatuated with tattooing.

On a more characteristic level, they are more secluded and even more attracted to nature than the high elves, often leaning toward the druidic or ranger professions. They are often considered the rebels of the high elves, and are often treated with mock respect within the Kindred Throne and by the high elves. Nearly all wood elves tend toward a chaotic or anarchistic alignment, but any can be chosen. This is in contrast to their cousins who tend more toward the lawful or good alignments.

The other dominant races of Vallinor usually take a shocked approach to the wood elves, but consider them harmless. Very few people, however, will cross one of them for they are usually very well trained in the combat arts. In fact, they have only one real nemesis: the dark elves.

Half-Elf
As often occurs in Kingdoms End, humans and elves can and do mate. When they do, their offspring is neither fully human nor fully elf, but rather a hybrid of both races. Half elves often find themselves in lingo, not really knowing where they fit in. Although often accepted by either race, they are seldom openly welcomed either. More often than not, half-elves find the best comradely with the wood elves who often feel the same way.

On the whole half-elves are of human height, they are typically more beautiful than humans, but can grow facial hair. In addition to this, they have very long life spans, but are not immortal. A typical half-elf will live to be 500-600 years old. Half-elves can pass for either race with a little work, but they can be easily discovered.

If half-elves mate with each other, the child will either be fully human or fully elf. When half-elves mate with humans, the offspring is always human. Vice versa for mating with elves.

Dark Elves
Dark Elves are not designed to be used as Player Characters. Game masters should be very careful if they let a player use one for the reasons listed below. Dark Ones cannot be chosen as a player race, they are listed as monsters.

The Annals of Light read thus: "When the Accuser noticed that the Children of Aer had begat children with the immortals, he set out and deceived them with the promise of power. Those who came to his side forfeited their souls to him and their eyes became as lava. Once he had built his army, the Accuser attacked the Children and laid them to waste." Thus began the Rage of Spirits, led by the accuser who had deceived and trained up an entire army of elves who were singly devoted to him.

There are two classifications of dark elves: dark elves and Dark Ones. Both are elves, but only the Dark Ones fought against the Children during the Rage. Once they were defeated, the Dark Ones were locked into the Abyss. Dark elves are the children of those wicked beings. They are dedicated to releasing their ancestors and thus taking the world back for their master.

Dark elves are direct descendants of the high elves and have the same coloring only with paler skin, since they live under ground. They are more beautiful than any other race in all of Taranth, even more so than the nymphs of the forest. While dark elves stand around 5 feet high, and benefit from all racial advantages, they are also all attuned to the psionic energies they themselves emit. Very few dark elves are NOT psionic in some way.

Living beneath the ground, they have secluded themselves from all other races that they cannot control. Following a number of bizarre religions, they consider almost every other race an enemy and will not work with very many people other than their own kind.

Once the Algerah ended, their place in life became one of easy control. All the other races thought they could control them because of their lack of physical stature, but they took to the forests and foothills before they could be found. Choosing to remain neutral, they are often looked at indifferently by other races today.

Halflings are a complacent version of their distant relatives, the dwarves. They stand about three feet high (thus the term halfling) and are quite round in the middle with curly hair and hairy feet. Averaging 150 years of age, they are one of the shortest-lived of all demi-humans. Peaceful and charming, these people rarely can be convinced to adventure, but prefer the quiet of their homes.

Even though humans had long since settled definite political boundaries, these little anarchists decided to move in. If there was land that a particular pride wanted, they would take it. This lead to a terrific racial war between the fairies and the humans, a page of human history that most would gladly erase from their history books because, although few people died, many were humiliated terribly. If it wasn’t for the lack of interest on the part of the fairies, they would most likely still be at war.

Fairies live in the forests and wooded areas of Vallinor. Although they are not immortal, they do have an incredibly long life span of around 5000 years. They stand about two inches high and look like beautiful humans with wings. They live in groups called prides and exist by eating grubs and amuse themselves by "haunting" various inhabitants of their area. There are two different types of fairies: pixies and brownies.

Neither race of fairie wears armor, although brownies often wear fur pelts that they have acquired from rats, mice and other rodents. On the whole, fairies wear nothing at all, preferring to bask in the natural state of creation. They find no shame in nakedness, but find the attitude that other races adopt when naked shameful. "Even when they think they are normal, they are just appalling. They just don’t get it. Should just stay covered anyway, those big awkward bodies are only good for a laugh anyway!"

The most notable feature of the fairies is their beauty. If they were human size, they would be the peak of physical perfection. The females have slender, yet full figures with smooth skin, thick head hair, and perfect faces. Males are powerfully built and hold little to no body fat, completely hairless apart from their beautiful head hair, they are more beautiful than handsome.

Pixies
These are the traditional fairies of any fantasy. They stand about two inches high and weigh no more than a couple of ounces. Created by the crossing of magical energies during the creation of man, all pixies have an incredible magical potential. In fact, there is no other class of pixy than magic user or priest.

Pixies are a rather chaotic race and enjoy life to the fullest. Even still, they hold to a very high moral standard that very few ever deviate from. This code has never been recorded, but has been accepted as the standard for millennia by pride governors, immortals from the Halls of Eternity that have been assigned to watch over the fairies.

Although they tolerate other races, it is with a very glib attitude. Because other races have had such a bad history, they are quick to point out to anyone who happens by, how superior they are. Often setting elaborate magical devices and harmless traps designed to humiliate rather than destroy.

Brownies
Brownies are though to be the cursed cousins of the pixies. They do not have wings or any natural magical affinity save that of the mentalist. Living together with the pixies, they are often more carefree and caviler than their pixy cousins. Often, brownies will go into the cities and explore the area around the pride, often taking off in groups of three or four and not returning for months. Often times accused of being gremlins, they are far from it. In fact, many spend their lives hunting them down, gremlins are one of the only enemies of the pixy race.