Setting:
History:
Summary:
Since time immemorial the nine gods have struggled, conspired and fought one-another, fostering faith in their votaries, inspiring great heroes, spawning blasphemous abominations, and even waging war in corporeal form against each other. The lands of mortals were wracked by storm and earthquake, trodden under foot by the legions of the divine, and laid waste by ravenous beasts, sorcerous blights and righteous maledictions - until Mahat, the Lawgiver enchained his brothers and sisters and took his seat upon the throne of heaven. Under the rule of Mahat, seven of the eight other gods were imprisoned or enslaved and their cults suppressed. The last, the god of the wild forests, Malakbel, was forced into hiding, his faithful reduced to a shadowy and secretive cult hidden in groves beyond the reach of law. Worship of Mahat waxed strong throughout the realm of mortals and for six-hundred years the rule of the god of chains was nearly absolute. His empire grew to encompass the four corners of the world and all those in heaven, earth and under the earth were subject to him. All, divine and finite, bent the knee before his throne.
Until the Deicide. Suddenly and without warning Mahat was slain by an unknown power, the greatest of sacrileges, and with his passing the dominion of the Lawgiver was void in an instant and all his works undone. In that dread moment the faithful cried out in horrible realisation as the divine light that had illuminated the world for an age was snuffed out like a candle in the wind. They trembled in fear as the foundations of their cities cracked and the mighty spires of their temples were cast down with the unmaking of the divine sorceries that upheld them. Lo, even now the ghostly lamentation of Mahat’s priests echoes in their ruin with only silence answering them in reply.
But the fall of the empire was not the only consequence of Mahat’s death. For the mystic shackles binding the eight gods to Mahat were broken in his demise, and shrugging aside the chains of their long imprisonment with timeless condescension the gods as one began to strive for supremacy and with each other anew as they did in days of old. In majesty they descended upon the world resplendent in their glory, terrorising and inspiring the mortal ken in equal measure that they might know their lot and serve. The gods whispered promises to those with ears to listen, offering in one hand boons to those who would submit. Yet with the other hand they visited terrible vengeance on those who would deny their heavenly mandate to sovereignty over creation, and spit at the feet of the divine. Beneath their great and terrible shadows however, in the folds of this fallen world, the nations of mortals and the myriads that inhabit the realm strive for their own ambitions, liberated at long last from the yoke of Mahat’s Empire and working tirelessly under the banner of hope to achieve long forbidden dreams of power. They now carefully balance the whims of fickle gods and their own vain and foolish plots to build a new age from the ruins of the old, and seize the empty throne of heaven for their own.
In After Deicide, you, as players, will be tasked with guiding one of these mortal nations to greatness, threading your people carefully between the heavy footsteps of the gods as you struggle with your neighbors for power amidst the ruins of the old order. Walk carefully, for calamity bays at your heels amidst the echoes of a lost age and the legacy of a fallen god. Listen closely to the earth and hearken to the signs writ in the heavens, for the gods are ever watchful and when their wrath is kindled but a little, then shall mortals become as chaff in a fiery wind and burn away.
The Four Ages:
The history of the realm can be broadly divided into four eras.
The First Age was the time after the mysterious era of the dawn of days when the gods were young, when the gods began to create a diverse variety of powerful races. In this era were wrought towering giants radiating frost and darkness, the magical Tuatha draped in otherworldly beauty, bat-winged demons alighting fires with their very presence, shape-shifting naga hypnotizing with a gaze, and terrifying monsters also, gorgons, titans, dragons, and many, many more. These beings fought and struggled as pawns to higher powers, serving as unworthy instruments of the gods as they contended with each other, shaping the land and resculpting it again and again in a tumultuous contest to better fashion it into a reflection of their competing wills. This age continued for many thousands of years and no calendar exists in these latter days to record this mythic past, though some of the oldest of the immortals born in this time perhaps still live to recall the tale. The First Age ends with the rise of humanity.
In the Second Age, the gods saw their creatures and creations increasingly corrupted and turned from their intent by the conceit of their fellow gods. Some races even blasphemously forged their own path in their hubris, entertaining ambitions beyond serving the will of their creators. Among such as these was the short-lived race of humanity, creations of Mahat, the law-giver and bringer of civilization. The members of this species were individually weak but their ilk multiplied and spread rapidly, spreading like a rising tide across the land. Their blood diluted the noble lineages of the great long-lived magical races wrought by other gods as they mingled in unseemly union. Thus did the sons of men take daughters of Tuatha to wife, bringing forth the Sidhe, mere mortals like their human fathers but blessed with the beauty and innate illusion magics of their Tuatha ancestors. So too did the man's daughters intermingle with the great giants to bring forth the Vaetti, twisted goblin-like wretches with none of the size of their giant ancestors but all of their ferocity and much of their strength. As the Second Age progressed and the magic of the old races faded into memory, the power of the shorter lived races grew ever greater and many were naturally drawn to the worship of Mahat, father of mankind. As the lawgivers' votaries became many and his cult grew ever greater amongst mortalkind the other gods were compelled increasingly to adapt to the rule of law just to maintain the devotion of their followers lest they be tempted into Mahat’s service, even as their compromise strengthened their dread foe. Finally, it came to pass that Mahat, when his rivals could no longer match his strength and at an auspicious time, raised arms against his sibling gods and subdued them, binding them in chains of purest law that they might never rise again. In their downfall he raised aloft a universal theocracy built upon his worship that all might serve him and the cause of order. Only Malakbel, who by his own nature was distant from the conceit of civilisation, was spared the indignity of being enslaved to the great lawgiver and endured fitfully upon the fringes of the new order in the deep forests where mortal man feared to tread. The Second Age lasted over a thousand years and was characterized by the growth of towns and cities, new technologies, and mortal ambition. The rise of Mahat and his theocratic empire marks the beginning of the Third Age.
The Third Age saw seven of Mahat’s fellow gods imprisoned or enslaved, and the last, Malakbel, forced into hiding, his secretive cult a pale reflection of his once great faith. A theocratic empire dedicated to the worship of Mahat spanned the realm (known only as the empire as there was never before a hegemony so complete), uniting all people under its yoke and forcing the old immortal creatures that remembered the bound gods and still clung to their service into deeper and deeper hiding. It was a time of prosperity, unity and peace. Its days were marked by little war or conflict other than the periodic action of the empire against frontier rebels in need of a reminder of the absolute power of their divine sovereign. The cults of the vanquished gods were usurped and corrupted by Mahat for his own ends, as his unparalleled might empowered the empire and his followers and suppressed the ways and indeed the very memory of his foes. For six-hundred years Mahat’s order was unchallengable, his great cities ordered in perfect harmony and maintained upon the backs of a legion of slaves as a hierarchy of bureaucrats, templar-legates and priest kings in ever ascending ranks maintained the day to day workings of Empire according to the drull praxis of protocol and precedent.. Until one terrible day, without warning or explanation Mahat was no more, the great god murdered by unknown powers to reform no more in the high halls of heaven. In an instant the faithful’s prayers fell on deaf ears, the templars' holy powers bestowed in rites of consecration to their god flickered away to nothing, no more to be wielded in the persecution and punishment of enemies of the faith. Even the very walls of the great cities came tumbling down in a cascade of stones and shattered spellwork as the holy blessings used in their foundations were extinguished in an instant. It was a time of chaos and confusion until suddenly for the first time in an age, the whispers of other gods, those long imprisoned, entered the fitful dreams of mortals beckoning them to their service. It is the dawn of the Fourth Age.
The Fourth Age is the time After Deicide. It is up to you to write its history.
The Gods of The Realm
Today the gods are unleashed from their long imprisonment and walk the realm of mortals unrestrained, intent on reclaiming their long lost followers and claiming dominion over all creation. Thus they struggle with one another anew for influence and power, their lust for supremacy undimmed by their bondage under Mahat. All long for the day when perhaps they might rule over the other gods and all creation as their murdered brother and former jailor once did. Player nations must be careful of their terrible power for their divine might will rout even greatest of armies and even if, by some great power or puerile trick, their physical form is vanquished, they will nonetheless reform in the unreachable heights of heaven and return. You can be certain that they will return in splendor intent upon the destruction of those who wrought the most unforgivable of sacrileges against them.
The Living Gods:
Froede, the Glamourer, the Fair Prince, Lord of Music, God of Mischief, Mystery, Mists, Magic, Dreams, Desire and Deceit.
Froede is the patron god of fey, tuatha, sidhe, pixies and sprites. When the mists slip between the trees and into the sylvan valleys, and twilight lays ephemerally at the edge of night and day, Froede comes also, veiled in obfuscating form that trickery may be wrought and desires whispered into the minds of those he would enchant. In every note of every song, the voice of Froede resounds. Magic and in particular illusions are his trade and many a mage has called to Froede for blessing in the sanctums of their high towers. Froede takes many forms, from scintillating mists in one moment, to a great stag in the next. Oft he appears as a fey mortal armed with a magic pan flute who is fair in form beyond all other beings to behold. His material vessel is shrouded from the gaze of lesser beings by veil of light and an aura of majesty surrounds him, making it difficult or impossible to look upon him directly, or even to see him when one does - and so he is accustomed to travelling the world unencumbered by a physical form, passing unseen except by the most wise, whispering in the ears of those he would ensnare. Froede fosters mortals most secret desires and dreams and feeds upon their obsessions and their deceits.
Ursula, Who Lies Beneath, Temper of the Sea, Lady of the Deep.
Temperamental, cruel and destructive in one moment, forgiving and benevolent in the next, Ursula demands sacrifice from those who sail upon her waters and fills the nets and speeds the sails of her faithful with the bounty of the depths and a favourable wind. She is the patron goddess of sailors and fishermen and all those who live by the sea being the undisputed sovereign of that domain. She is also the patron goddess of the sentient creatures who live within the abyss, the sahuagin and others who dwell beneath the waves and it is there, in the darkest depths where the sun's light does not reach, that her power is strongest. Ursula takes the form of a great eleven-armed kraken that devours ships and towns alike. All who dwell by the waves fear her absolute power over the waters and only the lands far from the ocean are spared the full measure of her might - nonetheless the tides serve her will and she desires nothing so much as to drown the lands of the realm that all might be subject to her reign.
Revna, Red-Fanged Wolf of the Wild. Lord of the Hunt.
Revna is the spirit of the wild animal, the snarling maw of the wolf as it seeks its prey from god and the spreading talons of the swooping hawk as it rejoices in the hunt. He is the instinct within every living creature to live and to survive. His also is the domain of wild places and the animals who make such places their home. The moon also falls under his swany and thus it is when the moon is full that the wild passions that ostensibly civilised men attempt to restrain are strongest. Revna is a favorite of hunters and rangers and is worshipped by mortals who seek passage through the wilderness or seek success and a bountiful quarry. His domain overlaps with Malakbel his brother god, albeit his dominion is that of beasts and animals and of the wild places where instinct is the only law, while Malakbel’s is the realm of plants, growth and the cycles of nature. Revna customarily takes the form of a great wolf or a horned bipedal wolf-man armed with a bow. No matter what form he takes however his maw is bloody.
Lotahna, the Plague-Bringer, Mistress of Decay and Regrowth, Consolation of the Sick.
Lotahna is the goddess of rivers, lakes, medicine and healing, and all mortals will call upon her when wounded or gravely ill. Similarly, she brings sickness and disease on fetid breath to her enemies being the goddess of endurance through suffering and of decay and renewal. She is queen of the venomed creatures and all things that crawl in the mire, and, as friend or foe, brings the venom of a snake’s bite or the honey balm of the bee’s hive to mortals at her whim. In this aspect she has special dominion over the mind, being the inventor of the alchemy and of all manner of intoxicants, hallucinogens and the like that dull the mind and bend it to submission. Lotahna takes the form of an animated spirit of water in streams and rivers, often serpentine, or otherwise as a diseased crone swaddled in fetid bandages reeking of pus and bile. So too does she appear to her votaries as a many-armed naga armed with poultices, envenomed daggers and mind-numbing incense rising in plumes from a golden censer. Her iconic instrument however born by a great many forms is an animated writhing staff.
Tallai, the Frostwind, Empress of Endless Night, Queen of Winter.
Worshipped by the great giants of the far southern lands and all who feel the chill of her wind, Tallai is lady of winds and ice, blizzards and frost. The night is her domain and the hour of her descent is when the night is darkest. Her desire is nothing so much as to plunge the entire realm of mortals into an endless night that never ends, where the cold winds of the south howl forever over the frozen wastes. Thus all who work by night, thieves, assassins and those whose works are hidden are subject to her and beseech her blessing. As the mother of giants and their kin she is also considered the patron of strength and all who seek it. Many an athlete or warrior has prayed to her, begging her favour and beseeching her for the strength to defeat their enemies. Tallai customarily takes the form of giant blue-white skinned giantess, a great bone axe in one hand and a hide shield in the other. Where she goes, the sun dims and the skies darken with frenzied storms and howling snow-filled tempests.
Ishat, the Burning Blade, Lord of the Flame, The Ashen King, the Father of War.
Ishat is lord of fire, violence, vengeance, chaos and fury. Many a warrior will call upon his blessings, only to lose it in the next instant as Ishat’s fickle favor flickers to a more worthy devotee. Ishat is present not only in the roaring flame but also in the minds of mortals wronged or inflamed to violence or rebellion. He is the god of the desperate and wronged, his retribution seldom eluded, his discord forever simmering beneath the trappings of civilisation. In this he embodies together with his brother Froede the virtue of hope. He is also the god of passions and appetites, especially carnal appetites, and his fire burns in the flesh of all living things. Ishat has a soft spot for mages and wizards (whose capacity for destruction and discord is perhaps the greatest of mortals) granting these practitioners of the arcane boons that they may bring down pillars of fire upon their enemies, though his gifts are much more versatile than mere pyrotechnics and those mystics who serve him know many secrets beyond those of fiery destruction. Ishat takes the form of a roaring pillar of fire, of burning cinders in the wind, or of a slim humanoid figure made of ash and wreathed in smoke, his three eyes burning red like glowing cinders in hollow sockets amidst his blank visage. He always appears armed and armoured, with potent magics in one hand and a long wickedly curved sword in the other.
Liluri, the Mountain, Keeper of the Old Lore, Mother of Inspiration, the Thrice Armored
Once upon a time, when mortals could do nought but sleep and rut in the mud under the baleful light of the uncaring stars, the mountains would stride upon the realm, the will of Liluri made manifest as she shaped the very lands themselves. As time passed, mortal ambition grew and their thirst for knowledge grew with it and they burrowed like worms deep into her stone mountains drawing forth from her embrace the metal of her veins, forging it in fire into plows and spears and myriad other tools. Through these she became the lady of metals, mother of crafting and patroness of all those who make the fashioning of material things their life's work. She is thus one of the gods most associated with the welfare of mortals. Beyond stone and metal, crafting, and smithing, hers too is the realm of hidden knowledge buried deep and secreted away for nothing is hidden from her that lies in her embrace. She thus knows many things that others, even the other gods, have long forgotten. Beyond craftsmen, Liluri is prayed to by librarians and sages, even certain mages who seek to extend their knowledge and skills into realms forbidden and unknown. Liluri takes the form of a squat, rustic and bearded humanoid with skin of smooth metal and clad in intricately made plate armor and a flowing cape of flowing steel strong enough to turn any blow. She carries a book and a hammer.
Malakbel, Rampant Green, Herald of Spring, The Orchard Keeper, the Unbound God, the Free Father.
If Revna’s is the domain of wild animals and the hunt, Malakbel’s is the realm of forests and all growing things. His season is spring, his hour the morning, and the self-renewing cycles of the wood are his delight. As mortals learned the arts of agriculture and began to tend fields for fruit and grain and thus dabble in his domain, his influence waxed as they became reliant on his benedictions. He can be generous and giving, providing a bountiful crop to his votaries, or vengeful and vindictive, luring men into the deep forest never to be seen again, for Malakbel at his core remains the god of nature unrestrained, and the rules of civilisation hold no sway over him. Malakbel’s dominion also extends therefore to the keepers of the wild gardens, the panii, satyrs, the centaurs and various hybrid races who share animal and humanoid features (though many were originally created by Revna only to be abandoned for their perceived ‘domestication’). As the only god not to be imprisoned or enslaved by Mahat for six-hundred years his cult endured, though much diminished, as a fringe sect of druids hiding in the forest and only occasionally called upon, in secret, by farmers when the gaze of the Imperial Inquisition slackened. Thus he obtained the domain of the liberty and those mortals who wish to remain unfound and unconquered, free from the shackles of civilisation and the rule of law, turn to Malakbel as their god hearkening to the wild forests and deep glades that they might be hidden from their foes. Malakbel variously takes the form of a wizened centaur, a great tree dripping with sap, a young boy with green eyes and hair bedecked with leaves, or a mass of twisting thorny vines creeping hidden in the green when he manifests a corporeal form.
The Dead God:
Mahat, the Lawgiver, The Binder, The Guarantor of Oaths
Mahat, once the greatest of the gods, patron of towns and cities, empire and civilization, laws and oaths and perhaps most deeply in his origins of reason and order, conquered his fellow gods, imprisoned and enslaved them, and united all mortals under his law. Oh how great was the empire when all ran like perfect clockwork and in a harmonious dance mimicked the cosmic music of the spheres above here below in its synchronicity. Now though, he has been slain by unknown powers and his great empire has been laid low, his votaries fallen away as their prayers are left unanswered leaving his ruined temples to echo with the sound of silence. Until recently Mahat walked the earth as a giant humanoid statue, his skin of shining gold, a gleaming spear in one hand, chains of adamant in the other and on his head a diamond crown bedight with stars.
There is no god of death though in hidden places where the shadow of death lies heavy in the air, cults dedicated to death operate in secret, powerless and impotent when faced with the faithful of the eight living gods.
So too dear mortals are there other furtive cults, to such vapid concepts as truth, goodness and beauty, or sin and corruption be it as it may. You need pay them no mind.
Races of the Realm
The lands of After Deicide are diverse in character and divided against each other as a reflection of the ancient wars of the gods and the corruption of their works at each others hands. Short-lived mortals have spread throughout, mingling and profaning the blood of the old races and bringing forth still new kindreds of mingled line. What follows is a description of the best-known mortal races but beware this compendium is not nearly comprehensive and it remains to be seen what hidden foes may await hidden in the shadows.
Lesser Mortal Races
Fir Bolg
Highly diluted offspring of the Nemedians, the Fir Bolg are perhaps the closest cousins of humans, retaining very little of their ancestors’ many blessings. Leaner and perhaps a little more long-lived than humans, Fir Bolg mostly distinguish themselves from the latter by the color of their hair (silver) and eyes (also silver) and a penchant for metal-shaping. Fir Bolg, Vaetti and humans are the most common races of the mortal realm.
Humans
Short-lived and frail, human strength lies in their adaptability, ingenuity, and in their vast numbers. They can be found throughout the realm. During the third age, Humans, Fir Bolg, and Vaetti especially prospered under the rule of Mahat and their numbers swelled beyond all proportion as their nations waxed under the reign of the Lawgiver. It remains to be seen how they will fare in the fourth age.
Vaetti
Lesser cousins of the great giants and trolls of the north, the Vaetti are short, perhaps 3 to 4 feet in height though solidly built and very strong beyond what their size would suggest. As a race they are generally not equal in intellect to other mortals, though certain individuals, especially elders, can be very intelligent, easily overshadowing both their kin and most humans most especially in cunning. Tough and resistant to cold, the Vaetti are most often found in mountains and in the southern forests where the cold winds wax strong. Vaetti are excellent skirmishers, and in melee, take advantage of their small size to swarm their opponents with numbers.
The Children of Magic
Anathemant
Descended from the fiery Malphasim, the Anathemant are tall humanoids, ranging in height from six to eight feet, though thin and lanky in form. They have fiery tempers and can be slaves to their passions, though many still embrace the asceticism of their ancestors that the heat of their natures might be tempered by the disciplines of the mind. Their skin is smooth and featureless, it gleams with the color of brass and radiates intense heat, though it does not spark fires as the very presence of their ancestors once did. They are excellent warriors, striking with a lesser reflection of their ancestors’ celerity. Many anathemant are capable mages in addition to warriors. Anathemant prefer to inhabit warmer climes.
Avvites
The Avvites are descended from Nephilim Giants and like the Formorians and Jotun are classed as lesser giants amongst that diverse family of races for their once great and immortal blood has become diluted with the passing of ages. None-the-less they are much larger than humans or Fir Bolg. They are comfortable in warmer climates and nearly immune to natural heat, only succumbing to burns when exposed to large or magical fires. The Avvites were quick to be seduced by Mahat and many served him willingly at the end of the Second Age, commanding positions of authority amongst his templars during the Third Age.
Avvites are prone to debauchery, arrogance, and corruption and are predisposed to having short tempers. They themselves though consider their race sophisticated and civilized, valuing poetry and song, philosophy and dialectic. Avvites fight with both sword and sorcery, often preferring the profane art of blood magic centered around the conjuration of demons. Alternately the art of astromancy has much prestige, particularly the subschool that focuses on influencing other minds.
Centaurs
Horses from the waist down and men from the waist up, centaurs are creations of Revna and were once his servants, though they were abandoned by him for their perceived seduction by all things civilized, to be in time adopted by Malakbel and charged with guardianship of the great forests.
Centaurs are known for their uncanny mixture of deep wisdom and strong empathy and for their equally powerful tempers and rages. Centaurs navigate woodlands much more easily than horses or any form of cavalry, a gift of the god they once served (and which many now serve again in the Fourth Age).
Fomorians
The cursed offspring of the Fomorian Giants, the Fomorians none-the-less kept much of their size and power and tower over men. Due to their curse, their heads appear as one-eyed goats with large curling horns. Many of the Fomorians sport other signs of their ancestral infliction, missing ears, tusks, mishapaned hands or prominent blemishes. The unmarked are a special caste thought to be descended from fomorians who have won the forgiveness of the sea goddess Ursula. Though the Formoians have lost the near-immortal lifespans and size of their giant ancestors and can no longer breathe underwater or swim with supernatural grace, many retain a strong affinity for magic, and for magics relating to storms or the art of necromancy in particular.
Jotun
Jotun are giants among men but easily overshadowed by the Niefling Giants of the icy north, standing 10 to 12 feet in height. Their skin is greyish and their hair dark. They make extensive use of hide and bone armor but will wear heavier and better made armor when they can find it. Jotun are very resistant to cold and almost immune to all natural forms of chill. They are brute fighters and will skirmish with javelins or fight as infantry. Jotun are often found accompanied by Vaetti who serve them in return for protection.
Myrkalfar
Closely related to Svartalfar from which they are descended, the Myrkalfar dwarves were seduced by Froede and are now as much creatures of the sylvan forests as they are of the mountains. They have lost some of the dwarven aptitude for industry but have lost nothing when it comes to their capacity for beautiful craftsmanship, though their creations are often more ornamental than those of their more practical mountain cousins. They are a musical people, celebrating poetry and dramatic spectacle, though they are wary of outsiders and quick to avoid contact with others.
Myrkalfar are not true fey and have neither glamor nor allergy to iron. In combat some Myrkalfar have some command of the secrets of geomancy, nature magic as well as the arts of astromancy, though this is not common. They make fair scouts and infantry and some will tame fey boars as mounts and serve their kind as cavalry.
Nagas
Mortal creations of Lotahna, Naga are none-the-less extremely long-lived, highly magical, and otherwise blessed by their creator. They take the form of humanoids from the waist up and snakes below that. They are amphibious and live in rivers and lakes and often attract lesser mortals to serve them through their hypnotic powers though the Naga in return do provide protection and magical support for their subjects. They are fond of jewels and precious metals and can be tempted by these.
They radiate a powerful hypnotic charm and the sight of a Naga will calm or even paralyze lesser mortals whilst they can hypnotize or dominate those with poor willpower with their gaze. Their bite is highly venomous and they will often lick their weapons before combat to imbue them with a poisonous sting. They have an innate command of magic, with many able to shape-shift into both serpentine and humanoid forms and can make use of hydromancy, nature magic and geomancy innately though they often additionally learn blood magic or astromancy.
Nemedians
Descended from the Partholonians, the Nemedians are a highly magical race with humanoid features though they share their ancestor’s featureless white skin, silver hair, and silver eyes. Like their ancestors the Nemedians are shape-shifters and can assume the form of any natural animal at will, though they do not have their ancestors’ ability to turn their skin to metal. Long-lived and lovers of knowledge and secrets, manly Nemedian lives were lost during the Fomorian plague leaving their race much diminished, though their shorter lifespans and faster reproduction rate means they have recovered much better than the slow-aging Partholonians. The Nemedians are excellent metal-smiths and fight dressed in fine armor, though their weapons are as often as much whispered spells as they are spear or sword.
Satyrs
Like the centaurs, the satyrs were once the servants of Revna only to be abandoned by him for their perceived seduction by all things civilized. They too were adopted by Malakbel and made guardians of the forest. Satyrs age and die like mortals, their lifespan a mere 200 years and thus it is their custom to make merry, with many a traveller marvelling at their tumultuous revels under the trees. Indeed the satyrs are wild of spirit and known for their voracious appetites. Stronger and much faster than humans, and with a penchant for stealth, they are excellent skirmishers and light infantry. Satyrs can be found in the deep woods far from the cities and towns.
Sidhe
Lesser descendents of the Tuatha, the Sidhe are none-the-less beautiful beyond human comprehension and like their fey ancestors are accustomed to cloaking themselves in illusions and glamors, weaving light and shadow at a whim. Sidhe, like all their ilk, are highly allergic to iron, depending on bronze for their weaponry and armor.
Proud and vain, Mahat seduced many an ambitious Sidhe with dreams of sovereignty and power at the end of the Second Age and these in turn became the willing servants of his dominion over the fey during the Third Age. In combat the Sidhe command nature magic and are adept in the arts of aeromancy and astromancy. They are also especially competent with bows, making excellent archers.
Skaetti
Another race descended from the Partholonians, the Skaetti diverged from the Nemedians by embracing their animal natures, hearkening to the wild and living primarily as savage beasts of diverse kinds. They returned to their humanoid form only when the need arose and eschewed towns and villages in favor of dens and warrens. Though they lack the immortality of the Partholonians or their gift for protecting themselves with metal skin, their shape-changing abilities are as strong as their forefathers and Revna has seen fit to give them hybrid forms, primarily that of werebeasts and werewolves in particular in his own likelness. Skaetti bites can inflict the gifts of Revna upon mortal races, forcing them into a bestial form under the full moon that they may hearken to the forest and revel in their base natures, hunting lesser beasts and embracing the wild spark that lies within all who live. Some Skaetti have innate mastery of nature magic but most depend only on claws and teeth to protect themselves.
Svartalfar
The Svartalfar are mortal creations of Liluri, dwarves closely related to Myrkalfar who they consider corrupted versions of themselves. They love the mountains and stone and the working of metals mined from their depths. They are a gruff people and prone to cynicism, though they highly value honor, truth, and stoic endurance in tribulation. They are also highly materialistic and hoard their wealth and gold as few others do.
The Svartalfar are perhaps the best smiths of the realm and their weapons and armor are highly prized. They grew obscenely rich during the Third Age supplying the theocratic empire of Mahat with arms and metal and are rumored to possess vast hordes of treasure hidden deep within their mountain fastnesses.
While some Svartalfar command the powers of geomancy, and a rare few astromancy or pyromancy, most depend upon a sturdy hammer and shield in combat.
Vanir
The Vanir are similar to the Sidhe and are likewise descended from the Tuatha, sharing some measure of their otherworldly beauty, glamor and penchant for bending shadow and light.
While the Sidhe were seduced by Mahat, other Vanir made their own way, serving Froede (naturally) or Ishat, hearkening to the power of Tallai, or even taking to the seas at the whims of Ursula. Many walked under the sway of multiple gods within a single lifetime, for the Vanir are an individualistic and free spirited race. They are consummate adventurers and seek both glory and honor, delighting the working of great deeds and in the inscribing of their names in the ballads and tales that echo through the ages. Like most fey, they are arrogant and hold in low esteem those of other races. Such is their contempt that they will capture “lesser mortals” and subject them to slavery, or otherwise sacrifice them to empower their blood magic. Their cruelty to these is infamous.
Beyond a penchant for illusion, the many Vanir naturally command ice and wind, darkness and blood magics in addition to being accomplished fighters. They are allergic to iron and use bronze and leather in battle.
Magical Beings:
There are beings that serve the old faiths who, in the coming of the Fourth Age came forth from hiding to serve their gods or follow their own long hidden ambitions.
Fomorian Giants
Created from the seas themselves by Ursula, the one-eyed Fomorian giants are mighty raiders of the coasts and maritime trade. Blessed with nigh immortal lifespans, great strength, and innate magical power to command both the sea and the dead, during the Second Age they were undone by their own greed as they sought treasures and other baubles before the service of their fickle goddess. Many were cursed by their maker and became the beings known by ignorant mortals simply as Fomorians. The Fomorian Giants that remained after this reckoning were those who cleaved fast to their goddess. Today, though they have neither fins nor gills, they make their home deep within the sea or on distant islands where Ursula’s yoke lays heavy.
In combat, the Fomorian Giants fight primarily with storm and sea as well as necromantic spells, though their great strength makes them very formidable in melee also.
Malphasim
Malphasim are tall, thin humanoid creatures of fire and magma, creations of Ishat, bred for destruction and chaos. Extremely long-lived, they spend much of their long lives perfecting their swordsmanship and move with near-supernatural celerity and precision. Though prone to ferocious violence as as Ishat’s creatures to boundless appetites, they are highly disciplined, cleaving to asceticism in the face of their worldly desires.
Malphasim are creatures of the desert and in combat rely primarily on their skill with the blade though they radiate heat and cause fire to manifest simply by virtue of their presence. They also utilize various pyromantic magics to augment their martial mastery.
Niefling Giants
The white-bearded, blue skinned Niefling are perhaps the greatest of the three great races of immortal giants, being larger than the Fomorians or Nephilim giants. Blessed by Tallai, they radiate cold and darkness, their presence being heralded by the cold winds and the dimming of the power of fire. In colder lands they draw strength, their flesh hardening and strengthening and their magics gaining power. They have perfect night vision, seeing even in magical darkness. Beyond their great strength, the Niefling are innate masters of frost magic and necromancy and bring armies of undead to serve them in battle.
Nephilim
Along with the Niefel and Fomorian giants, the Nephilim are accounted amongst the first of the great magical giants. They are towering immortal beings of great strength and mighty sorcery. The Nephilim are creations of Ishat and are thus subject to their appetites, both those natural and even the unnatural and depraved. Though their magical nature means they need not eat, they are gluttonous, seeking primarily to feast upon the flesh of the sentient mortals as the finest of sweet meats. In their extreme decadence and drunk on their innate power, they revel in their vain hubris and consider all but the gods to be beneath them. Even before the Second Age, many served Mahat, seeing in his service a way to gain slaves and feed their infernal appetites.
As creations of Ishat, all Nephilim are immune to fire and heat and they make their homes in warm climates. They have an innate mastery of blood magic (and are often accompanied by demons in battle) and most have honed their skills in many other magic besides over their long and sordid lives. They are also accomplished warriors though they lack the strength of the larger Niefel.
Oreids
Oreids take the form of otherworldly beautiful human-like figures who fly amongst the mountains and clouds. Always female, the secrets of how they procreate are known only to them. They are immortal (or nearly so) and their touch has the ability to heal. Oreids are thought to have once been created by Lotahna but if they ever served her as a race the memory of their service is long forgotten, for in the present age they seem to only go about their own individual business unconcerned with the politics of divinity.
They are capable mages with a wide complement of magics in their arsenal, mostly those associated with the schools of aeromancy, nature magic, or geomancy. They avoid conflict and tend to primarily play a support role if involved in other races battles. Typically oreid are found in distant highland valleys of natural beauty. They avoid the affairs of both gods and mortals and sighting one is thought to bring goodluck.
Panii
Panii (singular: pan) are large hoofed humanoids with ram’s heads. Their bodies are covered in thick fur and they mostly eschew clothing; instead the plants they pass through caress and cover them in an unending animated tangle of vines, branches and leaves. Extremely long-lived and supernaturally strong, the mere presence of a Pan causes the plants around them to animate and act in their defense. The Panii command powerful nature magics, though many learn the darker arts of blood magic also. In combat, a Pan will grow bark armor and claws of sharpened iron-hard branches, eschewing the weapons and armor of the ‘civilized’ world completely. Panii are found only in the deep woods far from the cities and towns.
Partholonians
Originally created by Revna, the Partholonians have multiple forms, shifting shape easily between them but commonly appearing as humans, fir bolg, or vaetti (though always with silver hair, silver eyes, and seamless white skin), though they are commonly born as wolves or similar forest animals. At the end of the First Age they had already been abandoned by Revna who had considered them too domesticated by the influence of non-animal species. Adopted by Liluri they became consummate seekers and collectors of knowledge and secrets. She also blessed them with the ability to turn their skin to true-iron and when faced with violence and they use this ability to turn blade or arrow.
Near-immortal they use their natural ability to shift shapes and go where they otherwise might not and seek the secrets they would otherwise be denied. Their love of knowledge means they are often very accomplished wizards. They are haughty, prone to vanity, and easily manipulated for their greed of knowledge and secrets. At the end of the Second Age they were nearly wiped out by the Fomorians, and today there are very few Patholonians remaining.
Tuatha
Perhaps the favorite of Froede, the Tuatha had, in ages past, served as the nobles and rulers of his fey court. They are tall and golden-haired and their eyes bright lavender. Their beauty is so great that mortals cannot stand to look upon them for their minds comprehend what their eyes behold. So for most, the Tuatha pass unseen, cloaked in glamors, or if they do make their presence known under a veil of nobility as procession pass along the straight roads between their lordly mansions. Their voices are musical, even charming and their mastery of light and illusion is unsurpassed.
Like all fey, they share an allergy to iron and use bronze for their arms and armor. They are innately magical and command the powers of air, nature at their will, with their kind being particularly adept in fashioning illusions. The Tuatha are only found in the hidden sylvan places of the fey.