The Two Tribes
As described in Chapter 1, there are two tribes of elves that are native to Hauther, the Errow and the Krendiri. The Krendiri originated in the Northern Woodlands and were supposedly driven out by the Thyrellans, and the Errow lived across the middle plains south of Thyrell before they were merely annihilated by the Thyrellan expansion. Aside from being the unfortunate victims of Thyrellan conquest and being of the same racial ancestry, neither the Errow nor the Krendiri have anything in common. They never had any significant interaction, and even if they did, the fractured nature of the Errow tribes meant that any interaction would have been limited to small groups within the whole. Today, Hautherians typically consider the Errow as the plains elves and the Krendiri wood elves, even though the Errow have been out of the plains since before the Revenarum. Beyond that, most Hautherians don’t care to know much about elven cultural heritage.
In addition to the two native tribes of elves in Hauther, a third race of elves has been added to represent the occasional foreign-born elf that occasionally be found roaming the lands.
Anthropometrics
Elves are slightly shorter and slightly more slender than humans. As a result of their slenderness, they tend to exhibit less strength, but have shown to have more adroitness and grace, making them excellent workers in crafts that require such characteristics. Their average height ranges from 4.7 to 5.6 feet tall (1.4 to 1.7 meters) and can weigh from 99 to 225 pounds (45 to 102 kilograms), depending on the individual’s body composition. The mean height and weight for men are slightly higher than for women of the same age. The life expectancy of elves run along the same ranges for humans, though more Errow live impoverished lives because of their minority status within the Hautherian population, so their life expectancy si typically lower (-10%).
Errow Elf
Racial Template
Character Points: 7
Included:
Attributes:
ST -1 [-10]
DX +1 [20]
Secondary Characteristics:
Per +1 [5]
Advantages:
Night Vision 2 [2] (p. B-71)
Disadvantages:
Social Stigma (Minority Group) [-10] (p. B-155)
Languages:
Hautherian: Spoken (Native) [0], Literacy (none) [0]
Optional:
Advantages:
Ambidexterity [5] (p. B-39)
Perfect Balance [15] (p. B-74)
Social Chameleon [5] (p. B-86)
Disadvantages:
Intolerance (Humans) [-5] (p. B-140)
Languages:
Errowahani or other Errow Tongue: Spoken (Native) [3], (Accented) [2], or (Broken) [1]
Description
Before the Thyrellan push for conquest, the Errow tribes lived in the grassy plains that ran from just south of Thyrell all the way to the Great Tamerian Fjord. They consisted of many separate tribes of hunter-gatherers, following the migration of the wildebai. Their archetypal characteristics included dark hair, skin that was anywhere from light brown to reddish-brown, and a reputation for living simply by carrying all their belongings as they followed the wildebai throughout the seasons. Their belief structure was a mix of shamanism and totemism, usually of the animals they encountered on the plains. Like their Krendiri brethren north of Thyrell, the Errow were generally peaceful, never confronting humans or dwarves unless necessary.
When Thyrell was finished dispatching with the Krendiri in the Northern Woodlands, King Gaedan II turned his armies to the South. He planned to “annex” the immense plains where the Errow tribes roamed and develop them into agricultural provinces. He estimated that when fully developed, the land would be capable of producing enough grain for the kingdom three times over. Naturally, the Errow tribes resisted the incursions into their territory but like the Krendiri in the Northern Woodlands, they weren’t able to outlast King Gaedan II’s persistence.
This campaign is where Prince Gaedan III distinguished himself from his predecessors by showing his maligned nature. Unlike their brethren to the north, the Errow tribes had no place to retreat. They were pushed southward toward the great Tamerian Fjord, of which there was no crossing. Along the way, those who were not killed by the Thyrellan troops were either captured and enslaved or offered ten years of indentured servitude if they pledged fealty to the king. Those that resisted Prince Gaedan III’s troops all the way back to the Tamerian Fjord weren’t given the same mercy. When the Prince had driven every remaining tribe to the fjord, he eclipsed his previous wickedness by ordering his troops to push the Errow off the edge of the fjord and into the waters below. Tens of thousands of Errow died in that campaign, either by the sword or by the fall. The Thyrellan commanders finally couldn’t bare it any longer and ordered a stop to their advance. When confronted by their furious prince over their defiance, the commanders lied and said they had only just received orders from the king to save some Errow as slaves to build a bridge across the fjord so that the army could march onward and conquer all of Hauther. Even though this lie saved what little was left of the Errow, and maybe a kernel of humanity within the commanders, the act ended up setting into motion Thyrell’s the conquest of Hauther.
Language
Originally, the Errow tribes had many languages, practically a distinct language for each tribe. There were certainly many linguistic similarities between tribes that encountered and interacted with each other often, but not enough to be fully understandable by all. Today, the dominant traditional language for the Errow in Casperia is Errowahani, or “language of the Errow.” From which tribe this language stems from is uncertain, but it is universally adopted by those Errow who wish to learn and pass down their cultural identity.
There are other Errow languages throughout the settlements and outlands, but only where there have been groups of Errow who have worked hard to maintain their cultural heritage. Because of the significant differences between all the old languages of the Errow, it is unlikely that an Errow who speaks one will understand the words of an Errow who speaks another. As a result, Hautherian has become the common tongue for the Errow, even those who they could cast of everything human and retake their cultural heritage.
Roles within Society
In cities and settlements, most Errow find work as laborers, servants, or apprentices. In places like Dussleholm and other larger outland communities who aren’t as intolerant as Casperia, some Errow are lucky enough to reach the level of craftsman or to own their own shop. This not the case in Casperia, where competition for jobs is significant, pushing Errow down the social scale with the Hudu. However, there are a handful of Errow in Casperia who somehow managed to own their own homes, much to the chagrin of their merchant-class neighbors.
The Errow who roam the outlands are usually more respected by their comrades because they have demonstrated that they too can survive in such a harsh wilderness. There are even some bands of Errow roaming the outlands, some with a reputation for attacking human villages out of vengeance for what was done to their forefathers. However, most outlanders don’t take notice to the fact that there are Errow raiders in the outlands because at any time, any band can become raiders if it means survival.
Krendiri Elf
Racial Template
NPC
Description
The conventional assumption is that the Krendiri were expelled from the Northern Woodlands by the Thyrellans before their push to conquer Hauther. However, this is only partially true. Many tribes did leave the woodlands for Panjir, but not in fear for their lives as much as the fear of what the Thyrellans would do to the forest to expel them. The Thyrellans had begun a scorched earth campaign, smoking or burning out the elves from their woodland sanctuaries. So, it was decided that in order to save the woodlands they revered, the Krendiri tribes who lived in the western woodlands would leave, giving the Thyrellans no further cause to continue with their campaign. The eastern tribes who stayed retreated further eastward, calculating that no matter how much the Thyrellans logged the woodlands, it wouldn’t outlast the woodlands itself, and it could regrow in time with their help.
With the advent of the Revenarum, the Krendiri realized that they had to rise up again to defend their homes, but in this case, they used the magic to grow an impenetrable barrier of thicket between the forest and the plague lands. While this has prevented blood-plagued creatures from wandering into the woods, it hasn’t prevented the blighted land from encroaching. Over the time since the plague lands were established, the blight on the land has been slowly seeping into the woodlands, twisting it and making it uninhabitable. The Krendiri have made many attempts to slow or halt the advancement, but each year a little more if the forest is enveloped in darkness.
The archetypal Krendiri has fair skin, sometimes with a tint of gold, blonde or white hair, and an uncanny knack for being able to appear from or disappear into the woods in a moment. They revere their natural habitat over all, which is reflected in their religious beliefs. They also have significant knowledge of the movement of the stars, being able to predict celestial events hundreds or even thousands of years ahead and supposedly able to predict terrestrial events as well.
Language
The Krendiri speak their own language called Jahir, which shares many elements with the language of their Panjiri cousins, Lehavir. According the Krendiri, Jahir is the language most closely resembling the language of the Celestials, whom they observe in the night sky. Because the Krendiri have no contact with either dwarves or humans, there is little need to know their tongues.
Roles within Society
Currently, the Krendiri are out concerned with protecting their ancestral home by attempting to stave off the encroachment of the blighted plague lands into their forest. Unfortunately for the Krendiri, they are essentially backed into a corner. Travel northward, though possible, is dangerous both because the Strait of Artan is treacherous and because of the treaty the Panjiri signed in preventing refugees from crossing into their territory. As a result, the Krendiri live in isolation within Hauther.
Very rarely, a Krendiri may be tasked with navigating his way through the straits and to the other side of Hauther, but the voyage usually yields the same disappointing information, a fractured land that can offer no help in the Krendiri’s plight to stop the encroachment of the plague lands into the Northern Woodlands.
Foreign Elf
Racial Template
Character Points: 34
Included:
Attributes:
ST -1 [-10]
DX +1 [20]
Secondary Characteristics:
Per +1 [5]
Advantages:
High TL (4+) [5] (p. B-23)
Night Vision 2 [2] (p. B-71)
Social Regard (Respected +1) [5] (p. B-86)
Unusual Background (Foreigner) [5] (p. B-96)
Languages:
Native: Spoken (Native) [0], Literacy (Broken) [1]
Hautherian: Spoken (Broken) [1]
Optional:
Advantages:
Ambidexterity [5] (p. B-39)
Perfect Balance [15] (p. B-74)
Languages:
Hautherian: Spoken (Accented) [+1]
Description
Just like foreign humans and dwarves, foreign elves are quite rare, though not unheard of. How or why they ended up on the “forbidden land” may vary, but a common story is that such individuals were surviving crew members of a vessel that fell upon disaster or attack at sea. The typical characteristics could include any seen in the dwarven tribes of Hauther as well as more exotic features not seen before. Since any characteristic that is typically found in dwarves somewhere across Ferron could be found in a foreigner, players are encouraged to choose characteristics that play up the exotic nature of the character.
Roles within Society
Any foreigner coming to Hauther has a slight technological advantage over Hautherians. As a result, they tend to find themselves in roles related to their knowledge. If a foreigner can find his or her way to Casperia, there are any number of nobles who would offer good coin in exchange for consultation and training in the technology, medicine, and affairs of the rest of Ferron. Academic institutions would also likely offer what they could to garner new developments of the outside world, whereas craftsmen, builders, and even artisans would leap at the chance to learn new techniques. Government officials in Casperia have been known to offer foreigners positions as translators and negotiators with foreign smugglers, and they have been rumored to have offered a new ship to at least one captain who swore to continue his smuggling efforts.
There are some foreigners who find that their knowledge of technology isn’t as useful as their ability to use it, specifically those who use the latest blackpowder weapons. Demolition experts and pistoleers have found their way into the employ of a militia or two, and it is rumored that some may have even joined the Silver Order to fight against the Revenarum. Whatever they bring to Hauther, foreign humans usually find that if they can survive the initial landing and travel to a refuge, they are well received.
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