Part One - Races 2

Drakkhar 2

Dwarves 2

Elves 3

Fairies 8

Part Two - Places 12

The world of TNGF is humanocentric - that is, Men are the dominant race. Racial distribution varies by area, but here is a global breakdown:

Men 60%

Dwarves 15% (80% Hill, 20% Mountain)

Elves 10% (60% High, 20% Dark, 15% Wild, 3% Sea, 2% Faerie)

Other 15%

The "Other" category, while small, holds a wide variety of other sentient races, some suitable for player characters. Most of them are very rarely seen, and the GM is advised to not devalue them by using them too frequently.

These are the other races that can be player characters:

Below, the various races are detailed in alphabetical order.

Drakkhar are an offshoot of humanity. Their origins are unknown - even to themselves - but their similarities to Humankind point to common ancestry.

They appear almost exactly as humans do, with a few exceptions. Unusual eye colors such as red, violet, and silver are possible. Their hair can also be almost any color.

Drakkhar are truly unique in that all members of the race are psionic in some way or other. All Drakkhar have a short-range telepathic ability. Many Drakkhar have additional psionic talents as well. These abilities are usually informative (empathy and the like) instead of destructive.

Drakkhar are very proud of their psionic abilities. Those that for some reason do not manifest at least the normal telepathy are social outcasts, called trellar. Players wanting to play such a Drakkhar character get a 25 point Disadvantage.

While not exactly xenophobic, many Drakkhar keep to themselves and are generally distrustful of other civilizations. Only rarely will these separatist Drakkhar even do business with another race, as their communities are almost totally self-sufficient.

This mistrust of outsiders is undoubtedly due to how the Drakkhar were persecuted in the past. Psionic abilities have never gained acceptance in the way that magical abilities have, and in the past the Drakkhar were the object of many Human witch hunts. While Humans have largely forgotten about the hunts, many Drakkhar never have. It was after the Hunts that about 1/4 of the Drakkhar removed themselves completely from the society of Men.

If one is fortunate enough to visit a modern Drakkhar city, it will be seen to be similar in many ways to a Human city. Drakkhar aesthetics and ethics are nearly identical to Humankind's. Even their language is virtually identical to the Human's common tongue. The one difference is the eerie silence. The Drakkhar's telepathy enables them to communicate silently.

Despite the horrors of the hunts, most Drakkhar chose to remain among the Humans. Many Drakkhar can pass for Human - there are no obvious physical differences beyond possible strange hair and eye coloration.

It is estimated that about 2% of the Drakkhar living among Men choose to conceal their true nature. Those who can remain hidden among the Humans may enjoy an especially prosperous life thanks to their natural psionic talents - talents that are exceedingly rare among Humankind.

Cross-breeding with Humans and Elves is possible, but uncommon, because a Drakkhar will never choose a non-psionic mate. Children of such unions tend to resemble their Drakkhar parent. They may be psionic as well; for every point of Psi above 60 there is a 1% chance that they will have normal Drakkhar telepathy.

Drakkhar are also unique in that they are one of the most magically inept races in the world. They almost never become mages and those that do are ridiculed by their fellows. Magic is seen as a crutch for those who have weak psionic abilities.

Drakkhar are one of the only races with no formal church. They are not atheists, but are simply unconcerned with spiritual matters. They see religion as a curious idiosyncracy. Needless to say, Drakkhar characters may not be devout priests or war priests.

Rumor has it that some Drakkhar who embraced the religion of XXX, the Patron of Men, were granted the power to perform miracles during the Hunts. These individuals are the Drakkhar's greatest heroes. Of course, most Drakkhar are insulted by idea that their heroes' abilities were magical and not psionic, and the notion has never had much support.

If the rumors are true, these few individuals were the only known Drakkhar priests ever. It also adds support to the notion that Drakkhar and Men had a common ancestor.

Some of the heroes' descendants still secretly embrace the religious ways of Men, but they keep their worship a secret lest they be ridiculed by their fellows.

The Dwarves are a rugged, individualistic race. They largely unconcerned with "frivolous" mattters such as art, and prefer to devote themselves to more immediately useful activities.

Although they have a long lifespan, they are never content to be idle. A Dwarf without work to do, it is said, will soon wither away and die. Their devotion is indeed remarkable, and Dwarven craftsmen are highly sought after because of their skill and dedication. Stonework is their forte, but the Dwarves also excel in metalworking. Not even the Elves can approach the skill of the legendary Dwarven smiths.

Dwarves have a spiritual link to the Earth, in much the same way that the Elven spirit is joined with Nature. Nothing is so dear to the Dwarven heart as a finely cut gem or the beauty of a living cave.

In the same vein, nothing enrages them more than those who despoil the Earth, and they are forever warring with foul creatures such as Goblins who have never learned how to live in harmony with the Earth. In this way, Dwarves and Elves are very similar. If anything, the Dwarves are quicker to anger, for their underground domain is not as quick to heal as the sunlit lands of the Elves.

Despite this similarity, Dwarves and Elves often don't get along. Dwarves see Elvenkind as frivolous and lazy. Elves see Dwarves as stuffy and unsophisticated. It can take a great deal of time for the ice to break, but once it does, great friendships can form. They have much more in common than either would like to admit. Not only do both peoples share a love of the natural world, but they are outstanding craftsmen and have similar rigid ethics.

Dwarves are commonly found in Human lands, and are not as solitary as many other races. In fact, Dwarves and Humans get along very well under most circumstances. Dwarves are drawn to short-lived Humanity's tremendous variety and unique outlook on life, and Humans find Dwarven sincerity and loyalty appealing. No other two races get along as famously.

While the Dwarves have tremendous kingdoms underground, they do in fact spend a good deal of time above ground. While they will never admit it, they take nearly as much pleasure from a sunset or sea breeze as a Human does.

Dwarven cities are in mountainous regions, frequently located near Human communities. Commerce between Dwarves and Men is brisk.

-Main male patron figure

-His twin sons, each with a separate domain (one craftsmens’ patron, one mischievous)

-

There are several strains (or Families) of Elves, each with unique strengths and weaknesses. There are High Elves, Wild Elves, Dark Elves, Faerie Elves, and Sea Elves. Other Families of Elves are rumored to exist in remote locations. While there are many similarities, each Family has important differences.

Dark Isildar

Faerie Mithrim

High Valar

Sea Earrim

Wild Uldar

Elves have a very long lifespan, and tend to be very patient. They rarely take chances with their own lives if they can avoid doing so. Why risk it, with so much to live for?

As they have such long lives, it should come as no surprise that Elven craftsmen are some of the best. They have even developed techniques for working with exotic metals like mithril. Only the Dwarves can match their skill.

Elves are slow to anger - it's hard to get under their skin. They are well aware that they live far longer than most other races, and are usually content to wait out a problem situation - for years if they have to.

Elves tend to be tall and thin, and more frail than humans. Hair, eye, and skin coloration varies from one Family to another, but most Elves have light skin and hair.

Here is presented a brief history of the five Families.

Long, long ago, all Elves were known as the Alar. It was the Alar that the Great Mother Morthaniel originally placed upon the face of the world.

Soon, a rift developed; some of the Alar desired a simple life, and did not choose to take advantage of the more advanced forms of government and technology their kin had developed. These Alar became known as the Uldar, or Wild Elves. Their kin, who remained in the cities, came to be known as the Valar, or High Elves.

One generation later, the Earrim were created from the Valar by Morthaniel during the Goblin War.

Two generations later, the Uldar discovered the Mithrim - the Faerie Elves. The discovery of the Mithrim led up to the Great War among the Valar. At the end of the war, another Family was created - the Isildar, or Dark Elves.

Elves often swear by "the Four Families", in reference to the original subraces. (The upstart Isildar are not considered a true Family.) It is also common for Elves to refer to all Elvenkind as Alar. (Alar translates roughly to "the folk.")

These are the most common and least reclusive of all Elves. Although they prefer to live in the deep woods, surrounded by nature, they still have frequent commerce with humans and other races that live nearby.

The average Valar is about 6 inches taller than the average human but much slimmer. Their hair color ranges greatly and metallic tints are not uncommon. Eye color can vary widely as well, but the most common hues are green, blue, violet, and gray. Valar are very fair of skin and have delicately pointed ears and high cheekbones.

Valar devote much of their time to the arts. Their cities reflect this, as all the structures are nearly works of art themselves. Everything in such a city is in harmony with the land and the Elves' own aesthetic ideals.

To prevent overpowering the natural world, the cities of the Valar almost never have more than a few thousand people. They are also far less compact than human cities. However, Valar usually do not choose to live by themselves or in very small communities. They enjoy access to the comforts of city life, such as evening concerts and the city library far too much.

Do not assume that because they prefer to spend most of their time in artistic endeavors that the Valar are weak. When necessary, they can field a fearsome fighting force. Only the largest cities have a standing militia, but in times of need all able-bodied citizens will take up arms. All Elves are a deadly opponent when confronted in their own lands.

Valar communities tend to be more "civilized" than most other races'. Early on, they developed advanced forms of government and sophisticated codes of law. This, together with the Valar's natural respect for life and the privacy of others insure that there is no safer city to stay in.

The Mithrim (Faerie Elves) are traditionally considered the nobility of Elven society. In a Valar community, the few Mithrim present will be on the town's Council. They are the most respected and admired members of the community.

Uldar are the most human-appearing of all Elves. They tend to be shorter that other Elves (average height as a human), with coppery skin, hair and eyes. The points on their ears are much more subtle as well.

Much more reclusive than the Valar, they rarely leave their secluded forest villages. Their communities are very small compared to other Elves, almost never exceeding a population of 100. Some groups are even nomadic.

Uldar are often looked down on by their kindred as being unsophisticated. While they do forgo many of the comforts of other Elven cities, they are far from unsophisticated. They simply choose to live a simple life, far more in harmony with nature than any other race. The political troubles of the rest of Elven society - any society, for that matter - are of no concern to them.

Uldar have a simple, tribal society. Different tribes, while not hostile, do tend to keep their distance from one another. Only a well-defined common enemy will cause Uldar tribes to unite.

Each tribe has a loosely defined territory, through which most travelers may pass undisturbed, so long as they behave themselves. The Uldar will subtly let travelers know that they are watching. Any desecration of the land or threat to the community will be dealt with violently.

Some creatures, like Orcs and Goblins, are never allowed to pass through Uldar territory without a fight. They are considered a threat to the land and the people and are attacked without remorse until they are driven away.

Uldar view the Mithrim with a mixture of respect and adoration - almost worship, in fact. While the Mithrim are the traditional leaders of the Valar, they are the natural leaders of the far more traditional-minded Uldar. A Valar mother may take her child to a Mithrim noble for a traditional blessing; a Uldar mother will - what other choice is there, after all? The roots of this relationship stretch back 1,000 years, to the beginning of the Great War.

There is usually only one Mithrim per tribe of Uldar, and no more than two. They are the unquestioned leaders of the tribe; their word is law. If the tribe encounters another Mithrim, they will be very respectful, but will still obey the word of their original leader.

1,000 years ago there was a religious war among the Valar. The losing faction was driven from the Elven homelands. Forced to live as fugitives in the deserts and underground, they began to turn to dark, powerful magic to turn the tide of battle. Their association with these evil powers corrupted them as a race, and the Isildar, as they came to be known, became universally despised.

The original conflict now nearly forgotten, the Isildar carry on the battle to this day to reclaim their place in the Valar’s forests. While their numbers are few, they are a powerful adversary in some parts of the land because of their magical and psionic abilities.

Isildar are pale to the point of looking unhealthy, with jet black hair and black or violet eyes. In other physical traits, they resemble their Valar kindred. Some Isildar clans are more at home underground than even the Dwarves. (Dwarves are not persecuted and hunted - they can venture above ground freely, if they desire.)

Isildar society is a vicious parody of the Valar's. Where Valar are compassionate and sophisticated, Isildar are cruel, decadent, and evil. Valar cities are some of the most beautiful in the world; the Isildar creep about in caves far beneath the surface, or build crude villages when they find temporary safety. They have little appreciation for beauty, unlike all other Elves. Isildar also specialize in battle magic instead of nature magic as the Valar do. Unlike their kin, Isildar are impatient and headstrong, rarely content to wait when they can act.

Isildar groups live in fear under one supreme ruler instead of in a free society. Isildar also frequently fight amongst themselves when two groups meet - neither dictator wants to make concessions. This inner conflict is one of the reasons that they are not more successful in their battle with the world above.

Isildar have a deep hatred of the Mithrim, because the Mithrim deserted them long ago after the Debate. An Isildar will always attack a Mithrim preferentially in a battle. There are stories of evil Mithrim who sided with the Isildar long ago, but these are widely regarded as nonsense.

Of course, not all Isildar are evil. Some flee the caverns and try and make it on their own above ground. Rarely, Isildar have been known to integrate into normal Elven societies, but always as second-class citizens.

Isildar are more common (but still incredibly rare) among human society, as humans care far less about Elven troubles. However, the tales of the Isildar's evil are so widespread that even in a human city an Isildar will have a hard time.

It should never be easy to play an Isildar. You have to prove your worth, where most other races are given the benefit of the doubt. As an Isildar, you are guilty of being a murderous, treacherous villain automatically, especially to other Elves.

They so rarely venture above ground that sunlight is painful and distracting. For an Isildar's first three months above ground (sunlight hours only), all skill rolls made in bright light are at -20. For the next three months thereafter, the penalty is -10. Afterwards, there is no penalty. For this reason, the Isildar enclaves that exist aboveground have adopted nocturnal activity patterns.

Note that Isildar can function normally above ground at night.

Mithrim can be found wherever there are other Elven settlements about, as they are the nobility of Elven society. They are the frailest of all Elves, yet the most magically gifted. They are also the fairest of all Elvenkind, and the rarest. It takes a great deal to make a Mithrim leave home - they are the most rarely seen of almost any race.

Physically, they resemble the Valar except that they are shorter. In fact, they are the shortest of the Elves, as they are about 6 inches shorter than the average human. Mithrim also have a distinctive slim build and frailty about them. Another Elf can always pick out a Mithrim without fail.

Mithrim have a traditional role as the leaders of the other Elves. When the Elves face a common threat, the Mithrim can use their position of leadership to rally the citizens and band communities together.

Without the motivation of a common enemy, Elven communities are subject to all the political problems of any other civilization. The Mithrim do not control Elven society, they merely influence it.

The Earrim came to be during a fierce war between the first-generation Valar and the Goblins. A small company of Valar was forced to retreat before a mighty company of Goblin wolf-riders. The brave Valar seemed to be doomed, for they were pursued to the nearby seacoast, where they were cornered.

As they prepared to give their lives in defense of their homeland, a vision of Morthaniel appeared to them; and she bade them flee into the sea. They did, and they found that Morthaniel had changed their form. So were born the Earrim.

Unlike all other Elves, Earrim communities are not led by the Mithrim. As you might guess, the reason is that the Earrim live underwater. They are similar to mermaids and mermen of legend, as they rarely leave their undersea cities. While they can survive in fresh water, most Earrim cities are located in the salt oceans of the world, usually near the shore.

Earrim communities usually trade actively with nearby land civilizations. They have a great need for things which cannot be made underwater, like metal tools. In return they offer not only treasures of the seas but services to mariners. (It is rumored that some Earrim priests can even control the weather on their seas.)

When in their natural form, Earrim have some characteristic features. They have gill slits on each side of their neck. Their fingers and toes are webbed. They have large eyes, and their skin is very slightly tinted green. In this form they cannot survive out of water for more than a few minutes.

Fortunately all Earrim can shapechange into a Valar. However, they do NOT have a Valar's racial abilities or stat modifiers, nor can they breathe water while in this form. They also lose many Earrim abilities, with the following exceptions: long lifespan, weather sense, improved vision and detect magic.

If an Earrim does not return to water within three weeks, they begin to suffer from the "dol-guruth" sickness, which has 2 stages. (first stage: approx. -10; second stage: -20). If an Earrim doesn’t return to water within 6 weeks after contracting the sickness, they lose the ability to transform back to their Sea Elf form.

To reflect their superior abilities in the water, Earrim are not assessed the normal penalties for underwater actions as are other races.

Holy Book of Morthaniel, Prophecies

What form the sign might take was always a matter of much debate among Elven theologians. Of course, none hoped that they should ever see it, for it would indicate Morthaniel's displeasure. Nonetheless, each Family had a small sect of monks whose duty was watching for the Sign, so that it should not be missed.

Curiously, it was the Uldar who came across the Sign. One thousand years ago, a band of Uldar exploring new territory, encountered a new Family of Elves. Today we know them as the Mithrim.

The Mithrim were faithful to Morthaniel's ideals in every way. The Valar, who had been straying away from spirituality, were chagrined to find other Elves who were more truthful to The Way. Prominent Valar religious leaders proclaimed the Mithrim to be the Sign, and believed that they should be a model for all the Folk.

The Uldar, always more traditional, immediately embraced the Mithrim. But not all of the Valar believed that the Sign had been discovered. Some even went so far as to say that the Mithrim were a path to corruption - a test for the Elves. Only by rejecting the Mithrim and awaiting the true Sign could the Elves remain faithful to Morthaniel.

There was much debate about the matter. About one in five of the Valar did not trust the Mithrim; the rest believed that the Sign had been given. The tension between the two groups was high. Some feared that Ansalar, the capitol, would erupt into violence.

It was in this time of turmoil that the two greatest Elven leaders ever appeared. Seemingly out of nowhere, these two great individuals rose to lead their factions.

The dissidents were led by one named Drathar, of the Ansalar city council. His charisma and organizational skills turned disorganized malcontents into an organized force. Under his leadership, the dissidents argued their case much more forcefully, yet his message of non-violence reduced tensions in Ansalar.

Galadreth, a priestess of Morthaniel, became the voice of the majority. She was undoubtedly the greatest religious leader the Elves have ever known. Under her guidance a great many Elves reaffirmed their faith, and she greatly strengthened the resolve of her faction.

The Valar, always civilized, proposed to settle the matter once and for all. It was decided that there would be a debate between Galadreth and Drathar. The other Families agreed to settling the matter in this way.

The great amphitheater of Ansalar was filled to capacity on the night of the debate. In truth, there was more oratory than debate that night. Each speaker seemed to have supernatural powers of persuasion, and the audience was totally enthralled. In fact, there were supernatural factors involved.

Morthaniel had chosen Galadreth to be Her avatar. In Her opinion, no other Elf had done as much for Elvenkind as Galadreth. Through Galadreth Morthaniel's message would be spread; the Mithrim are the Sign - restore your faith.

Drathar, while meaning well, made the greatest mistake of his life. Earlier that night, he had been approached by a fair Elf-maid who claimed to be Morthaniel herself. Drathar, while unbelieving at first, eventually became convinced that he was Morthaniel's chosen one. In truth, he had been tricked by Golkot the Deceiver, a powerful daemon.

Golkot was lieutenant to Malkir, the Prince of the League of Demons. Malkir saw the Elves’ conflict as an excellent way to extend the influence of his unsavory ilk.

Drathar was hopelessly corrupted by his exposure to such a powerful evil force. He still believed that he was doing the right thing, but his message of non-violence was forgotten. By the end of the Debate, he was calling for his followers to use any means necessary to fight the opposition.

Over the next few days, Ansalar was torn apart by riots and fighting. But Ansalar's fall was only the beginning of the Valar' troubles. As the words of the two avatars (each claiming to be an agent of Morthaniel) spread, so did the fighting. Valar society was torn apart during the Great War. Many Uldar also gave their lives fighting Drathar's followers.

Three years later, the dissidents, now called Isildar - Dark Elves, had been defeated and driven from the Elves homelands. The price of victory was steep. Thousands lay dead on both sides; many cities, some with priceless libraries and museums, had been destroyed; and in many places the land was scarred from the fearsome battle-magic used.

The battle was close for one reason - the Isildar had no mercy. The other Families could not bring themselves to be as ruthless as the Isildar until they began to lose the war. In the end, fear made them fight ferociously and the Isildar were defeated.

For hundreds of years Galadreth was the matriarch of Valar society, and her leadership was instrumental in the rebuilding effort. The Isildar, while making occasional small attacks on Valar lands, presented no real threat anymore.

Three hundred years after Galadreth became the Valar' leader, she left. She made her announcement during the Winter Festival. "I must leave. Morthaniel has called; I must go to Her. Fear not - if ever my people are in need, I shall return." Even now, the day of Galadreth's leaving (called Prentaren) is an Elven holiday. Winter Festival activities are put on hold for one day as Elves everywhere meditate and pay their respects.

While the other Folk were rebuilding, the Isildar were sinking deeper into spiritual decay. Drathar's unholy powers of persuasion were slowly twisting the Isildar into a hateful people. By the time Galadreth had left, Drathar had made several deals with Malkir in an effort to give his people a fighting chance. The pacts he made gave the Isildar their formidable magical and psionic abilities, but they paid with their souls. Despite their good intentions, the Isildar had lost all that they were fighting for. The League of Daemons had succeeded.

In their underground cities, the Isildar waited and planned. Like all Elves, they were patient. One hundred years after Galadreth left the Valar, the Isildar mounted their first offensive. While they were beaten, the battle was costly because the Valar were taken by surprise. They vowed to never again relax their vigil.

Things have continued in this manner to the present day. Every few hundred years the Isildar make another attempt to regain their homeland, seemingly coming out of nowhere. While they have never had a complete victory, they are from time to time able to reclaim a piece of Elfhome. They are always beaten eventually, but at a terrible cost. Drathar's deals with Malkir made the Isildar far more powerful than their numbers would imply.

The conflict still has a religious foundation, but the Isildar have completely forsaken Morthaniel; they now wage their holy war in the name of Malkir and the League of Daemons. Their goal is nothing less than genocide.

There has not been any notable Isildar activity within the past two hundred years, and some scholars feel that another offensive is imminent. When it comes it is sure to be fearsome, and may even unite Human, Elven, and Dwarven armies.

"Fairy" is a general term encompasing a wide variety of supernatural creatures. Fairies (not to be confused with Faerie Elves) come in all shapes and sizes, and some are suitable for player-character races. When creating a Fairy PC, the player and GM should work together to customize the character. There are too many variants of Fairy Folk possible to give rules for their creation as characters.

The origin of Fairy Folk, and their role in the world, is uncertain. They are commonly found near places of extreme good or evil; yet they are not themselves divine or diabolical. It is conjectured that they come not from the standard planes of existance, but from the places between the planes. In this way they are similar to the well-known (and widely feared) extraplanar entities known popularly as demons, such as the infamous Malkir and Golkot. This is unfortunate, as many people view the Fairy Folk and demonkind as one.

Fairy (and demon) activity is especially high near Samhain (October 31), the night when the veil between worlds is thinnest.

Fairies range in size from a few inches tall to almost human-sized. Their appearance is frequently Elven - fine features and delicately pointed ears - but they can appear as Humans or even Dwarves. Some Fairies can change their form should the need arise. Many Fairies (especially the small ones) have the gift of flight, sporting a set of gossamer wings.

Fairies are immortal, althought they can be killed by physical or magical attack. Fairies also cannot tolerate being imprisoned, and will waste away and die within weeks if they are captured.

All Fairy Folk are gifted with the ability to become invisible to mortals, should they choose. They can be easily detected by mages and psionicists looking for magical or psychic auras, as Fairies are creatures both of magic and spirit. Unsurprisingly, all Fairies can tell if those they are dealing with are good or evil. This requires no effort (no roll required for PC Fairies.)

Fairies are nocturnal. Like the Elves they like to drink, dance, and sing. They are normally unconcerned with the affairs of mortals, and any Fairy PC will need an excellent reason to justify their adventures.

There are 3 Classes of Fairies: Green, White, and Black. (The color refers to temperament, not appearance.) Green Fairies are good creatures who often go out of their way to help mortals; White Faeries are neutral; and Black Fairies are evil and malicious. It should be noted that whatever "color" a Fairy is, they are all mischevious and unpredictable. Even a good Fairy can cause a fair amount of mayhem.

Fortunately, Green Fairies are the most common class. While they love to play tricks, they never intend to hurt anybody. They are produced spontaneously by great acts of Nature Magic or God Magic, or are created by the gods.

White Fairies are the most rarely seen class of the Fairy Folk. They lean neither towards good or evil. A crafty mortal can often convince a White Fairy to help him by bribing it. The origins of these neutral fairies are hotly debated by Conjurers everywhere.

It is indeed fortunate that Black Fairies are very rare, as their evil pranks can go so far as to cause death. Black Fairies are only encountered in evil areas - where they sometimes appear spontaneously - unless they have been summoned from the Fairy Realm by an unscrupulous Conjurer for some evil work.

More powerful Black Fairies have the ability to make elf arrows, tiny arrows with flint heads. They often attack cattle and other farm animals, which will sicken and die unless they are cared for by a powerful healer. (Sick animals are often called elf-shot in rural areas.) People can also be slain by Black Fairies' elf arrows.

Iron is repulsive to Black Fairies, and less powerful ones maybe kept at bay by wisely-placed iron barriers.

Here are described the most common types of Fairy Folk. Note that most of them can be of any Class. By no means are these they only types of Fairies in existance, and players are encouraged to exercise their imaginations by producing more.

For example, half-Fairies are quite possible. The child of a mortal-Fairy union will be instantly visible as such to other Fairy Folk. They will also have unique psychic and magical auras.

Fairies that are well-suited to becoming PCs will have a section of special rules following their description.

Brownies are always Green or White. They will choose a family to stay with, and at night will do chores or them. Of course, they aren't always helpful, and some nights they will make noise and move the furniture around or make other mischief.

So as to not offend the brownie, the residents will often leave bits of food out at night. This is especially important if the brownie is White, because if it is angered it may begin to become destructive. A Green brownie will find a more deserving family if it is mistreated.

Brownies are about 11/2' tall. Traditionally, they wear a brown hood and cloak - when they allow themselves to be seen.

Scandanavian folklore tells of a similar creature, called a nisse.

A nymph is a nature spirit, almost always appearing as a beautiful young Elven or Human woman. There are three types of nymph: dryads, naiads, and oreads. They will occasionally try to seduce or assist travelers that they judge to be good and honorable.

There are evil nymphs, and their goals can vary from mischief to murder. Travelers are urged to be cautious when dealing with any nature spirit.

Dryad

Dryads are tree spirits. They are usually dressed in green and brown, although yellow and blue garb are not unknown. A dryad is permanently linked to one tree, and she cannot stray far from it. If her tree is injured, she is hurt as well, and the reverse is true. Dryads are usually associated with oak, hazel, quince, or aspens, but this is not a strict limitation.

There have been reports of evil dryads. Their tree is always a decaying, corrupted monstrosity, although the dryad herself usually retains her beauty. She will try to seduce and imprison unwary travelers, sometimes as part of a bargain with another supernatural creature. An evil dryad will always pretend that another tree, beautiful and healthy, is hers lest her victim become aware of her true nature.

Dryads, because of their restricted movement, are not suitable for PCs.

Naiad

Just as a dryad is linked to a tree, a naiad is linked to a body of water. She will have all water creatures in her domain under her control.

Naiads make poor PCs for the same reason as dryads.

Oceanide

These are sea-nymphs.

Oread

These are mountain nymphs, found only in the most remote places. They are far less restricted in their movement than dryads and naiads, and could perhaps become PCs.

Pixies are what most people think of when they hear "fairy." They are small, (2'-3' tall) and look like tiny, perfectly formed Humans or Elves. They have a set of dragonfly-like wings, which sprout from their upper back, and they are quite agile in the air.

Pixies are very shy and rarely venture near the "Big People." They spend their time in the deep woods, frequently near dryads and other Fairy Folk. They can be convinced to help good people if they are offered freshly cut wildflowers or other natural treasures.

Evil pixies are usually in the company of powerful necromancers, evil priests or evil witches, as they are valued familiars. A free-roaming evil pixie can cause a community great trouble.

Pixies as PCs

•Pixies cannot fly if they are above Encumbrance Class B.

•Pixies have very high (100+) Speed stats

•Miniscule amount of Hit Points

•Given abilities: Generate light, flight, invisibility, immunity to normal illness & poison, shrink(?)

•Odd diet

A redcap is one of the most evil Fairies. They are evil, Dwarf-like creatures only found in abandoned structures where acts of great violence have been committed. They lie in wait for unwary travelers, who they attempt to slay. The redcap then dies his cap in his victim's blood.

A redcap can only be defeated by magical means. When one is slain, it vanishes, leaving behind one of its wicked talons. Conjurers will pay a great deal for a redcap’s claw.

Redcaps are also known as dunters, bloodycaps, or powries.

These malevolent Fairies dwell in lakes and streams. Like a redcap, a rusalky tries to lure travelers to their deaths. They appear as beautiful women, and try to seduce men who pass by their lair. To succumb to their charms is to suffer a watery death. In many ways, they are like an evil naiad.

There are similar legends of Fairies called nixies, who appear as centaurs or dwarves.

Sprites are almost exactly like pixies except for their size; sprites are tiny, no more than 6" long.

Sprites as PCs

Is this really appropriate? If so, sprites must be differentiated from pixies.

Sylphs are creatures of the winds. Like dryads, they can appear as a normal-sized human if they wish. They have special powers related to the weather. For instance, it is said a sylph can bind the power of the wind by tying a knot in a cord; when the knot is untied, the wind springs forth.

.c4.Sylphs as PCs

Undines are water spirits, as sylphs are air spirits. Undines make poor PCs as they can never venture far from the water. Sea Elves have a special rapport with undines, and they are often found together.

A ring of reddish or tan mushrooms called a fairy ring may appear after heavy rains. It is said that Fairies and witches meet in the ring at night to dance and sing.

Rumor has it that if one stands in the middle of a fairy ring at midnight and makes a wish, it will come true. Another rumor states that if one runs around a fairy ring nine times under a full moon, they will be able to see and speak with the Fairies in the area. However, this should not be done on All Hallow's Eve (Samhain) or May Eve (Beltain), as these are times of Fairy celebrations; the Fairies may become angered and carry the offender away to the Fairy Realm. Time passes slowly there, so that a short visit means many weeks or months have passed in the mortal realm.

Those desiring to speak with some of the Fairy Folk must use the magical Enochian language, as they know no mortal tongue. The Enochian alphabet is replete with symbolism and has ties to the Tarot, elemental magic, and astrology. It is a powerful magical tool, and there are at least traces of Enochian in the spells of most spheres of magic. Enochian magic is especially common in the works of the Conjurer; the Enochian Keys are used to open pathways to other planes, and the enities therein are spoken to in Enochian.

The Enochian Keys can also be used by some Manipulators to travel to other plains of existance, but only at the highest levels of skill.

Insert Map Here......

-Global Overview (inc things the chars may not know)

-Continental overview

-kingdom/territory overview (inc places of special interest)