The Races of Phoenicia -- Major Races

The races of the population of Phoenicia are in many ways standard to the races found in the Pathfinder Core.  However, there are a few aspects that are unique to each race that tailor them to the setting.  Also, a few new races and a few "monsters" can also make acceptable PC races. 

Pathfinder Gamemasters and Dungeons and Dragons DMs should decide which races they should allow in their version of Phoenicia.  For your convenience, this post goes into more detail about the races in the player's primer.  They are still divided into Major Races, Minor Races, and NPC races.  The latter are races found in the City of Psionics that are not appropriate for play without consideration on the GM's or DM's part. 

As always, information in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook as well as information in the various Dungeons and Dragons core rule books, should take precedent unless information here contradicts them.   You should also consult the Player's Primer.

Major Races

The major races of Phoenicia are those found in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, and the Dungeons and Dragons Player's Handbook.  For the Phoenicia setting, they require some changes.   In theory, you -- the GM -- should allow all of these races in your Phoenicia campaign.

DWARVES

The Dwarves come from another world, but were made up of six different tribes.  The Pale Ones, the Gold Ones, the Iron Ones, the Wild Ones, the Dark Ones, and the Desert Ones.  The Pale Ones migrated to the extreme North East, looking for a way to live their isolated, seal hunting ways.  The Pale Ones eventually became the Snowdown Clan.  The Wild Ones migrated into the extreme south of Vedan Lands and became known as the Jungle Dwarves.  The Gold Ones migrated into the extreme southwest, going beyond the fabled land of Khem and beyond human exploration.  This left the Desert Ones, the Dark Ones, and the Iron Ones.

The three of them maintained what little contact they had and formed a tri-clanship.  The Desert Ones became the Wildstone Clan, the Iron ones became the Ironhammer Clan, and the Dark Ones became the Vulcan Clan.  The Clans then split up.  The Wildstone Clan found rich copper ore deposits to the east and settled in the southern hills and valleys of the Dragonwall Mountains.  They would eventually teach Mankind how to make bronze swords with a stone mold.

The Ironhammer Clan moved into the North and West of the Dragonwall, finding rich iron deposits and eventually mastering the Riddle of Steel.  The Ironhammer Clan became a white and delightsome people, though unfortunately they learned the recipe of beer brewing from the fabled Khemites.  They eventually perfected the making of beer into a variety of ales, lagers, and beers (some with impressive heads).  People often wonder if the Ironhammers are just either making steel or getting drunk.  Those assumptions aren't true, of course.  Only a small percentage of Ironhammer dwarves really touch any sort of alcoholic drink.

The Vulcan Clan moved to an active volcanic island and colonized the island.  The Island, said to be the Forge of Hephaestus, became the home of the Vulcan Clan of Dwarves.  Their skins, a dark gray, was as suited to the hot environment they tunneled into as everywhere else.  The Vulcan Clan constructed a great fortress over the lava lake in the mouth of the volcano, and constructed a small city in the mountain itself.  However, living on an active volcano is one thing; and living in one is quite another.  Still, they mastered the art of forging ferroplasm, probably due to the high incidence of psionic talent among them.

Both of the Ironhammer Clan and the Wildstone clan uses the regular Dwarf creation rules found in the Patfinder Core Rulebook.  Wildstone Dwarf PCs, however, may select the Desert Runner elf trait in lieu of one of the regular Dwarf traits.

The Vulcan clan of Dwarves use the Duergar character creation guidelines in Psionics Unleashed.


ELVES

The Elves of Phoenicia come from five tribes that crossed from their world.  The five tribes include the Pelasgiri elves -- who were led by the Pelagsus dynasty; the Fair Elves, the Sea Elves, the Desert Elves, and the Drow.  However, splitting of the tribes have happened numerous times.  The Sea Elves settled and now live in the Great Sea, the nefarious Drow were mostly driven into caves, and the Desert Elves eke out an existence in the deserts and semi-arid areas of the land.  Their history will be described later.  As for the Pelasgiri and the Fair Elves ---

The Fair Elves and the Pelagsiri Elves lived beyond the Dragon Wall in what would become the domains of men.  The Fair Elves created the kingdom of Arcadia and the Pelagsiri split into dozens of barbarian tribes that lived in the central lands.

Pelagsus taught his barbarian people the secrets of making a rough garment, hunting, and basic agriculture -- although they were barbarians.  The Fair Elves, however, built a fledging civilization in Arcadia and started colonies throughout the World: Colonies such as Massalia, Syracuse, Tyr,  Asconia, and Verdania.   One such colony, Arcanus, traded with the Pelasgus elves of the Mountains above Arcadia.

However, the Pelagsiri became enamored with Fair Elf culture, and eventually became jealous when the Arcadians became petty and cruel in their eyes.  In the Middle Bronze Age, the Pelagsiri launched an invasion into Arcadia -- Elf slaying Elf and enslaving elf.

Using the Power of Storm of Vengeance and Waves of Vengeance, entire Arcadian cities were totally destroyed by fire or by sea.  Many Fair Elves were put to the sword or caught in chains.  In five short years, many strong Fair Elven populations were slaughtered and what was left was scattered to the five winds or enslaved.

The Pelagsiri conquered all of Arcadia and the land of Arcadia had become known as the Grey Realm.  Angered as to what happened, the Fair Elves in Massalia gathered together and it was agreed that invasion must be answered.  Building ships of war, the Massalians launched a naval war that caused a rift between the two Elf tribes forever.

While some cities, such as Asconia and Verdania, were eventually retaken; many Massalian Fleets were sunk in the depths of the Sea by the forces of the Pelagsiri's command of Magic -- which they inherited from the destruction of Arcadia.  The magnificent city of Tyr was eventually razed to the ground by Massalian elves after they couldn't retrieve specific texts from the Library of Magic.  Eventually, however, the war was one of a stalemate -- the Massalian Elves had to stop fighting the Pelagsiri Elves in order to preserve their economy.   And the Pelagsiri elves were left weakened.

However, without realizing it, the Massalian Elves got the last laugh as Man soon conquered and colonized Arcadia -- shrinking the Pelagsiri city holdings to just five cities.   The remaining Pelagsiri elves in Arcadia renamed themselves the High Elves, and their lands the Grey Kingdom after their Grey Queen.   And the Massalian Elves called themselves the Massalian Elves; although they hold that their nation is the only Fair Elf nation (which is untrue).

Eventually, slightly weakened, the Massalian nation was invaded by powerful feral trolls.  Faced again with the destruction of their culture, the Massalian elves had made pacts with demons for the power to drive the trolls out.  Once the pact was made, the Massalian Elves with their new found powers have pushed most of the trolls out of their borders.  Currently, several Eastern and Northern forests are in dispute.

As Man expands and form colonies, however, the Elven Range seems to be weakening.  Massalia is looking for new lands to start new colonies, so as to ensure that the Fair Elf race and culture can continue.

Both the Massalian Elves and the High Elves are created according to the Elf entry in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook.  In Dungeons and Dragons, the two groups are considered Eladrin.  However with some differences.

PCs belonging to both groups can choose to have blood feud with each other -- They may take Eternal Grudge, which is directed at one or the other.  The differences between the two are cosmetic.  Most Massalian Elves have eyes that glow brightly green or have emerald green eyes (others have brown, blue, or hazel eyes).   The High Elves have eyes that are blue, brown, grey, orange, or red.  The conflict between them is fifteen hundred years old, although both the Grey Queen and the Massalian Council are tired of the smouldering war.  Both elves are fair, although the Mediterranean Climate of the Massalia has given some of the Massalians a slight uniform tan.


GNOMES

Gnomes are the rarest of the Major Races, and typically live on the islands of the Great Sea.  The Gnomes are typically lovers of magic, music, and the sea.  They partake of the bounty of the sea, and generally are seen as dwarf elves (although most elves would deny the connection).  Some gnomish societies have dealings with the sea elves.


HALFLINGS

Halflings are so human looking that they are thought to be human crosses of either Ironhammer Dwarves or gnomes.  However, this isn't true as Halflings are their own race.  They frequently live among humans, but are seen as wanderers through most lands.  The Halflings avoid the Hordelands; though.   They don't find the term "Halfling" to be derogatory, but they do have a name for themselves in their own tongue which translates to "the People."


HUMANS

The humans are probably seen as children by the Dwarves and the Elves and other races.  However, if they were to know the humans' actual history on the planet, the Dwarves and the Elves will realize that they are the "younger" races.  The Human's range -- known as the World -- is slowly expanding.  However, as the real original race of the planet; humans have colonized virtually everywhere. No changes are needed to the humans from both Pathfinder and the Player's Handbook. 

Atlantis!!

The pull of Atlantis is again, undeniable.  I'm mulling ideas in my head on what to do.   Anyway, here is Homo Marinus.

When Atlantis drank the seas, the Atlanteans were forced to convert three cities from terrestial cities to underwater colonies.  Using powerful magic, powerful psionics, and high technology; the cities of Atlantis, Tritonis, and Cleitos were converted into a small underwater kingdom.  Located in a shallow sea, the Atlanteans converted some of their number into beings capable of breathing underwater using genetic engineering rather than magic.  They are known as Aquatic Humans (h. Marinus).  They are known colloquially as squid (Systemic Osmoform) and as divers (Cetacean diving reflex).

Racial Traits
Average Hieght: 5'10"-6'2"
Average Weight: Male -- 180 lbs - 200 lbs.
                            Female -- 160 lbs -- 190 lbs.

Ability Scores: +2 to one ability score of your choice.
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares on land, Swim 6 (30 ft. without miniatures)
Vision: Low Light vision

Languages: Atlantean, Aquan, Low Common
Bonus At Will power:  You know one extra at-will power from your class.
Bonus Feat: Aquatic Humans, both divers and squid, gain a bonus feat at 1st level.
Bonus Skill: You gain training in one additional skill from your class skill list.

Aquatic Human Builds:
        Squid -- Squid are bio-engineered with salt water tolerance, gills, and have a vulnerability to desiccant.  Squid gain a +2 to Fortitude saves to save against localized pressure up to 50 fathoms.  Desiccants dry out the gills and the skin.  Treat desiccants as Dark Toxin [Chapter 3, Combat Encounters, Dungeon Master's Guide [4th edition]).
       Divers -- Divers are bio-engineered for oxygen retention, and the capacity to collapse their lungs.  They also have high salt water tolerance.  Divers gain a +2 to Fortitude Saves to save against localized pressure up to 50 fathoms.


Play an aquatic human if you want . . .
* to be a decisive, resourceful hero who's home is under the sea.
* To have versatility.
* To be able to excel at the fighter, rogue, and warlord classes.

Physical Qualities

Aquatic humans are fully capable of living under the sea.  They are sturdier of build than their human cousins, having a subcutaneous layer of fat under their skin.  Their muscles are also a little more robust and tend towards swimmer's builds.  Aquatic humans are fully capable of mating with terrestrial humans, the mother's ova chooses which kind of Aquatic Human the child will be.  A mother who is a squid will always have squid children.  Conversely, a mother who is a diver will always have diver children; doesn't matter if the father is a diver, squid, or human.  divers and squid fathers mating with terrestrial mothers will have terrestrial children.

Aquatic humans are mammalian in form, but do not grow facial hair.  All aquatic humans are hairless except for the hair on their bodies.  Aquatic humans have lifespans comparable to humans.  Aquatic humans living on the surface tend towards Polynesian style.  Most are perfectly topless or shirtless squid gills are located on the back.  Aquatic human fighters and warlords tend to wear armor made from special dense lightweight ceramics that has been hydrodynamically designed.  Only warlord leaders wear armor made from bronze or orichalcum.  Some Aquatic Humanoids wear armor fashioned from Aluminum Oxynitride (transparent aluminium) because of its lightweight and indestructible properties.  Rogues typically wear no armor at all, as armor slows them down.  If aquatic human rogues must wear armor, it's typically made from transparent aluminium.  In Atlantis, Aquatic Humans tend to wear the styles of Atlantis.   This can range any where from a speedo for males and bikini for females to the chiton and himaton.

Aquatic humans fashion their weapons from bronze, steel, or transparent aluminum.


Playing an Aquatic Human
An aquatic human's psychology is still the same as a human.   See the Player's Handbook One for more information.

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GAH!  Okay, I'm a geek.  I just did my first race statblock for 4th Edition!!

Although this should follow the GSL and SRD, I do believe that the Creative Commons License on this site trumps the GSL.

The Races of Destiny

Humans of the Known Lands; and the Races associated with them (Half-orcs, Half-Elves, Shifters, Kalashtar, Elans, and Changelings) are all descended from the Ancients. In fact, most of them look like the Ancients -- Humans are Ancients -- however this particular fact has been lost.

Humans are one of the most prolific races of the Known Lands. But humanity is varied in its style. And there are many sub-races associated with Humanity. Each are listed below:

Humans -- Humans are found literally everywhere except in Elven, Eladrin, and Orckish lands. They have round ears and a shorter lifespan than Eladrin, and generally look better than orcs.

Kalashtar -- A race resulting from a synthesis of humanity and spirits from the Dream World. Psionically empowered.

Shifters -- A race that breeds true, resulting from the pairing of humans and lycanthropes.

Changelings -- A race that breeds true, resulting from the pairing of humans and dopplegangers.

Elans -- Psionically endowed humans living practically immortal due to the alteration process.

Half-Orcs -- beings resulting from a human and orc pairing.

Half-elves -- Beings resulting from a human/elf pairing (usually High Elf or Fair Elf, hardly Massalian Elf, but those pairings do happen).


NEXT: Religion in the Known Lands.

Why the Orcs are named after African Tribes

If you have been following my blog, you'd notice that the three orc nations in the Known Lands are named after African Tribes. This is not because of a racial slur on my part in any case. Sure, the orcs are often protrayed in RPGs as rapacious, evil, and destructive. But recent franchises has taken a fresh, new look at the orcs lately.

a). World of Warcraft. In World of Warcraft, the orcs aren't necessarily evil in their own right. Having escaped domination by demons the orcs have redeemed themselves. They are considered good guys, doing what is right based on their own code of honor. Just that they view humans as enemies and vice versa.

b). Eberron. In Eberron the orcs are also treated differently than they have in campaigns based around Dungeons and Dragons in the past. Orcs are treated as a misunderstood heroic race. They managed to keep abberations and demons out of Khorvaire and not the other way around.

c). Culture. Most of the time, orc culture is built around war; and not around peace. Orc culture is often based on the Roman Legions from Tolkien's time. Instead of using Roman culture to define the orcs, I turned to Africa. Mostly because of, once again, World of Warcraft. The orc village of Garadar reminds me of African motifs. Thus, the reasons why the orcs of the Known Lands are associated with the African tribes. ;)

Orcs of the Known Lands

The orcs of the Known Lands are made up of several clans. Although their are three divisions of orcs in the Known Lands. The Orcs, like the Eladrin, are an offshoot of the Ancients of the Known Lands. Unlike the Eladrin who made it to Arborea: the forebears of the Orcs made it to the Wartorn world of Archaeron and the world known as Outland.

There, through evolutionary pressure, the Ancients changed from a human appearance to one that is more bestial and neanderthalic. Thanks to predators and other evolutionary pressure. When the Ancients of the Known Lands fought in the great Illithid War that spanned a small part of the Galaxy -- both the orcs of Archaeron and the Eladrin of Arborea returned.

Although the Ancients managed to defeat and crumble the Illithid Empire; they found that their cousins looked monstrous. Br0wn skinned, tusked, and powerfully built -- they also walked with a apish slouch.

After the Merebemoch (Great Flood); the Orcs came to represent Technology, the Eladrin represented the Mind, and the Humans represented Spirit. So, when the Races had divided themselves the Orcs claimed the Dragon Mountains and the savannah and the serenghetti lands to the south. The Eladrin claimed the forests, and the Humans were left with everything else.

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The Ashanti, Chocwi, and Makonde

The Orcs are divided into three nations when the Known Lands were divided amongst Humans, Eladrin, and the Orcs. These included the Ashanti, the Makonde, and the Chocwi nations. The Ashanti nation settled in the Savannah, the Serenghetti, and Jungles of the land of Ophir. The Gomer orcs settled on the lands west of the Dragon Mountains, and the Magog settled on the lands to the East.

However, powerful changes to both nations by Dragons and fel magic have caused them to diverge in appearance. Both races are bred for War when discovered by dragons. Taught warlock magic, and used in conjunction with the elvish Pelagasiri and the Human magogian and gomerians; both tribes were used for conquest and world domination. The Ashanti, however, live out a peaceful existance with fewer wars with other tribes that split off from them.

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Appearance

All orcs have the same basic appearance. The differences between nations is apparent in skin color. Orc males are massive and brutish looking creatures. Weighing in at 250 to 300 pounds and standing from 6 to 7 feet in height, they are not a small race. Even orc women tend to be only a half-foot or so shorter and 50 to 100 pounds lighter than most males (and some of them are equal in stature to their male counterparts), having broad shoulders and muscular, powerful bodies. Orcs tend to have coarse and bristly hair and beards, often black or brown in color, graying with age. Their skin ranges from a light green to a dark drab olive to grayish brown. Eyes are usually brown, though a rare few have blue eyes. Orcs have broad, flat noses, tusk-like teeth jutting from their lower and sometimes upper jaws, and large, pointed ears. Orcs wear a variety of clothing styles, from furs and hides in some clans to heavy metal armor in others. They favor clothes of hide, and armor and arm themselves with a variety of gear.

Orc hair colors occasionally has tints of blue or violet. Orc eye colors include blue, brown, hazel, amber, and red. Pure blue eyes are quite rare in the orcish race, and are seen as a sign of great destiny or doom. Orc males sometimes choose to grow beards that are wild and untamed, while others prefer them to be braided and tasseled. These beards always hang from the chin, as orcs do not grow heavy facial hair above their upper-lip. Orcs have large heavy jaws from which protrude sharp, tusk-like teeth, heavy brows, a broad and flat snout-like nose, and pointed ears. A fair amount of sexual dimorphism exists between the Orc sexes, with male Orcs possessing more extreme orcish physical characteristics, most noticeably broader shoulders and larger tusks.


The Ashanti -- All of the Ashanti are brown skinned. This results from bark brown to a reddish brown. Hair color among the Ashanti have stronger blue tints than violet tints, since red hair is unknown among the Ashanti.

The Makonde -- All the Makonde orcs, now known as the Gothicos or the Horde; are green skinned. This is due to genetic manipulation by Dragon and fel magic.

The Chocwi -- All of those of Chocwi descent are red skinned. Also through genetic manipulation by Dragon and fel magic.


Other Tribes


The Hocs -- The Hocs are the result of even more primitive living and backward genetic drift. Often called Jungle Orcs the Hocs are what you get when you cross a gorrilla with an evil disposition for war. They are grey skinned and look even more menacing.

The Kamba, Kalenjin, and the Mandinka -- Offshoots of the Ashanti, the Kamba, Kalenjin, and Mandinka have ebony black to chocolate black skin because of the environment they live in. Their hair is mostly ebony black.

Elves in the Known Lands

Elves in the Known Lands come in five different varieties:

1. First, there are the Fair Elves. Known as the Eladrin in the D&D 4th Edition game, their civilization was conquered by the invading Pelagasiri Elves from the Dragon Mountains. They were enslaved by the Pelagasiri and forced to serve as a servitude race. As a result, many of the Eladrin has fallen from grace. The Pelagasiri have intermingled with the Eladrin, and bred the Eladrin, into the Fair Elves. Or those that are made fair. The Fair Elves have lost most of their Eladric traits, including the glowing eyes. But being bred into a slave race with the idea to serve has made them the most beautiful of all the elves. Fair elves tend to be slaves. They also tend to have blonde, auburne, and black hair with green, blue, violet, or red eyes.



2. The High Elves are the second. Those that are High and noble. They were once the Pelagasiri elves -- elves bred but for one purpose. War and conquest. Wielding the magic of demons, having solved the Riddle of Steel, and developing their own arcane arts from those taught by the Orcs in the Dragon Mountains -- the Pelagasiri invaded the lands of the Eladrin and slaughtered many and brought the Eladrin, once a thriving Early Bronze Age civilization, to a dramatic close.

The Pelagasiri then interbred, intermarried, and enslaved the Eladrin. To show that they are the Highborn, and the Eladrin were humble, the Pelagasiri took the name High Elf. The High Elves named themselves the Highborn, and split the Eladrin into Fair Elves and Low Elves. The High Elves tend to be wizards. They also tend to have black, brown, light brown, auburn, and blonde hair.

3. The Low Elves or Commoner Elves as the High Elves called them, are Eladrin who were forced from their station to do the common work. They are commoners, unlike the High Elf aristocracy. They look like high elves, except they are commoners. Low Elves tend to be sorcerers and warriors. Their hair color is the same as the High Elves.

4. The Drow: certain Eladrin escaped the invasion of the Pelagasiri and moved North into the steppes of the Known Lands. Upon reaching their new home, they made a pact with the dark Spider Goddess. Over the years, their skin darkened and their hair bleached unnaturally and they became a cruel race. Known as the Drow, these evil elves plot to conquer the world themselves for the glory of their dark Spider Goddess. The nation they rule over is known as Lotharis.

5. The Massalian Elves are from the Kingdom of Massalia (Marseilles in French). They are a colony of Eladrin that escaped the depredations of the evil Pelagasiri. Based off of the blood elves of World of Warcraft, the Massalian Elves are driven to rescue their brethren from the High Elves. Their culture is an awful mix of decadence and Spartan tastes. Their government is autocratic, timatic, oligarchic, draconian, and democratic all at the same time.

However, over the millennia, the Massalian Elves were unable to free their brethren. And they saw their Eladrin brethren change and lose the glow in their eyes. The Massalian elves also changed. Their ability to tap demons and devils for a supply of magic power has changed them as well. Their glow in their eyes have changed either to a bright fiery yellow, red, or green. Or, they can suppress their glow to reveal irises that are green, red, blue, violet, gray, or icy. The Massalian Elves' hair tend to be black, but fiery brown, red, golden, or carrot orange. The Massalian Elves tend to be Warlocks.

6. The Eladrin that escaped made some ocean going boats and sailed into the West, looking for lands uncontrolled by the Pelagasiri. These Eladrin were never heard from again.