[DIY] DF Setting Information

[The Cardinal]

Since a single "canon" DF setting is probably both unlikely and counterproductive - how about creating a loose collection of "pseudo-canon" factoids, each describing a single aspect of the same nebulous setting?!

The inspiration for this is of course the PoL (Points of Light) setting for the new D&D4e - a collection of *those* factoids can be found here.


The rules for this endeavour here are simple:

- everything from the DFs is canon: races, classes, magic, monsters, etc.
- anyone may post
- don't contradict previous posters



Example:


Hell Gnomes: While doomchilds are the reason for most reports about them, hell gnomes are more than just legends. They were created in the same conflict that saw the birth of the dragon-blooded. However, they were not the work of dragons...


.

[griffin]

Originally Posted by The Cardinal

Since a single "canon" DF setting is probably both unlikely and counterproductive - how about creating a loose collection of "pseudo-canon" factoids, each describing a single aspect of the same nebulous setting?!

The inspiration for this is of course the PoL (Points of Light) setting for the new D&D4e - a collection of *those* factoids can be found here.

If by inspiration you mean develop a separate and unique setting in similar fashion than fine. If on the other hand you want the setting to be similar to the Points of Light setting, that is a bad idea. If you're going to develop a fleshed out detailed setting, make it unique, not some cheap knock off.

The rules for this endeavour here are simple:

- everything from the DFs is canon: races, classes, magic, monsters, etc.
- anyone may post
- don't contradict previous posters

What happens if a poster just goes way off the deep end and posts something that just isn't in keeping with the genre or doesn't mesh well with Dungeon Fantasy. For instance, Sahud is Banestorm's weakest link. It's not as bad as it was in previous iterations, but it's one of the parts of the Banestorm setting were someone should have just said NO!

[b-dog]

Huldra-elves

These are nasty elves with jet black skin and hair along with red eyes. They are tricksters and delight in cruel jokes. They prefer to remain hidden during the day, usually in caves but at night they will often come into towns and make mischief. The lick of their toungue causes a deformity, possibly crippling the person recieving it. Most huldras prefer to deceive others instead of merely killing them as they have strong faery blood. Their tricks can be quite horrific though, often cause severe injury or disfigurement. A few will follow dark cults or serve demons. They slpit from the elves in the Faery Realm when they sided with the trolls, orcs, goblins and shadow elves.

Dvergar

These are dark dwarves with corpse white skin and black hair. They are incredibly selfish and cruel. They are great weapon forgers and craftsmen. They often mine for minerals, gems and metals but they find it easier to merely steal. Their lairs are known to house horrible traps and tricks to deter any from entering their lair. They also split from regular dwarves in the faery realm. In the mortal realm they live deep below the earth but sometimes they come to the surface to take items that they want.

[laserdog]

Flame Lich:

These undead spirits keep their essence in a continuously burning flame, lit from a flame older than the first man. Their bodies resemble a charred corpse, and they leave ashen foot prints when they choose to walk. They are constantly on watch for stray humans so that they can keep up their supply of tallow candles.

They wield powerful magics, almost always employ or dominate protective lackies, and as long as their flame is lit they can reform a new body within 24 hours of their previous one being destroyed...

[griffin]

Originally Posted by b-dog

Huldra-elves
These are nasty elves with jet black skin and hair along with red eyes. They are tricksters and delight in cruel jokes. They prefer to remain hidden during the day, usually in caves but at night they will often come into towns and make mischief. The lick of their toungue causes a deformity, possibly crippling the person recieving it. Most huldras prefer to deceive others instead of merely killing them as they have strong faery blood. Their tricks can be quite horrific though, often cause severe injury or disfigurement. A few will follow dark cults or serve demons. They slpit from the elves in the Faery Realm when they sided with the trolls, orcs, goblins and shadow elves.

Can you expand on the Huldra-elves. I think I'm reading this as their hair color is jet black (in addition to their skin). How tall are they typically. Any particular body type? What language do they speak? Why does the lick of their tongues cause deformity? (Pretty gross that they go around licking people to begin with). Is their someplace in the thread where you describe faeries and indicate why faeries are into tricking people?

Are huldra elves magically talented/gifted? What demons do they serve? Did they play a major roll in the Demon Wars? By the way, when did the Demon Wars occur and what was the cause?

Time for more depth.

[The Cardinal]

The "Demon Wars" sound like they would make for a great "dark age of the ancient world" - in the style of the classic dark age between 1200 BC and 800 BC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_Age_collapse
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_Dark_Age

...so they should be set in an age about 3000 years before the present.


Maybe roughly like this (only using established content):


Sakyss
Sakyss War Against The Beings From Beyond
.
.
.
Elven golden age
.
.
...slow rise of humans and the humanoid races
..first great human realms
.
.Demon Wars!
.
rise from the ashes
.
.
. founding of Nothgord
.human empire of Ilroyne
.
.fall of Ilroyne
.
.
.?
?
.
.
.
.
.
.present

[The Cardinal]

P.S.: even if the canyon system known as "Hellmaw" predates the Demon Wars, it still seems likely that it gained this name based on what happened in these wars - maybe the canyon truly was used as some great dimensional beachhead from Hell?

[b-dog]

Originally Posted by The Cardinal

The "Demon Wars" sound like they would make for a great "dark age of the ancient world" - in the style of the classic dark age between 1200 BC and 800 BC

Yeah, that is sort of what I was trying to achieve. Sort of Sodom and Gomorrah type situation.

...so they should be set in an age about 3000 years before the present.

Maybe roughly like this (only using established content):

How about this?

Coleopterans and other insectmen arise and live hidden lives as they see little conflict with other races.

Crawderans and Vausun arise remain hidden during the time of the Sakyss.

Sauwan arise, ancient fish people who build great cities and worship the ancient gods. They are defeated by the Sakyss and then their island cities sink into the ocean

Sakyss
Sakyss War Against The Beings From Beyond

.Faery realm is ripped open and elves, dwarves, halflings, gnomes goblin-kin, ogres, trolls and other monsters come in large numbers. Most live by hiding. Eventually the Sakyss decline. Man was primitive at this time.
.
.

Elven golden age

Also dwarves and gnomes build great cities, nains and nisse build settlements. Halflings build towns in hidden glades. Goblin-kin become numerous but easily defeated. Huldras and dvergar begin to build their cities in deep caverns.
.
.

..first great human realms

Nains and nisse go to human cities to work and live.

Mankind abandons the gods and instead worships demons. Huldras, Nightshade and blight elves help the demons as do the dvergar and goblin-kin
.
.

Demon Wars!

Knights of Palana help to defeat many demons and other evils

rise from the ashes

.
.
.

founding of Nothgord
.human empire of Ilroyne

.

.fall of Ilroyne

.
.
.?
?
.
.
.
.
.
.present[/QUOTE]

[b-dog]

Originally Posted by griffin

Can you expand on the Huldra-elves. I think I'm reading this as their hair color is jet black (in addition to their skin).

Both their hair and skin is jet black.

How tall are they typically.

They are a normal sized elf 5 to 6 feet tall.

Any particular body type?

They tend to be thin and athletic.

What language do they speak?

They speak huldra and common languages.

Why does the lick of their tongues cause deformity? (Pretty gross that they go around licking people to begin with).

This is just from myths and stories I read about the huldrafolk. I just included it to kind of preserve the myth part.

Is their someplace in the thread where you describe faeries and indicate why faeries are into tricking people?

No, but in faery tales, faeries often play tricks on mortals. The huldra are much more evil in their jokes. For instance what a huldra might find funny would probably get the death penalty in our society. Imagine it is someones birthday and they go to their front porch and find a beautifully wrapped present and a card saying "I hope you have a wonderful birthday." But when they open the present they find their mother's severed head inside. That is the kind of joke huldras play.

Are huldra elves magically talented/gifted?

Yeah, they should have magery 1 and many darkness spells.

What demons do they serve?

Huldras serve themselves, they will worship demons only for their own benefit. A few are different and will remain loyal but most care little for demons and if they can find a better demon with more power they will abandon the original demon they were worshipping for a new more powerful one.

Did they play a major roll in the Demon Wars?

Of course, where ever there is misery and suffering there will be huldras. They sided with the demons to harm man.

By the way, when did the Demon Wars occur and what was the cause?

After the decline of the Sakyss, man became the dominant race ofthe world. Man at first worshipped the gods and followed a moral code. Through this man prospered and later as a result of man's prosperity he no longer followed the gods because they took time away from his indulgences. Man found it easy to worship demons as they promised to give the same things as the gods with little effort on the part of man. Soon man had summoned many demons to the mortal realm and as demons normally do, they turned out to be lying and instead began to enslave mankind. The demons also warred against each other using men and goblin-kin as fodder. The result of this was that the world became a real hell on earth. This is when Yahseph, who was still devout to the gods, found the avatar of Palana and made a covenant.

Time for more depth.

OK.

[The Cardinal]

Gomga Tarr and the Time of Skulls

More than thirteen centuries have come and gone since the so-called Time of Skulls.
The empire of Ilroyne was only a fleeting memory when the legendary Gomga Tarr, a giant among goblins, managed to unite the savage nomad tribes of the far eastern plains beyond the Earthblood Plains. His enormous army plowed through the plains on their way to the west, slaughtering whole clans of Stormrider elves and dozens of human nomad tribes. After the terrible defeat of the western armies at Pallor Pass, the large valley between the Black Wall and the Seldus Mountains, Gomga Tarr's forces poured into the Land of Five Rivers.

The next three years were a time of rape and slaughter which brought the fall of the Dhactylean princes and the defeat of the warrior tribes of the western coast...

...until the Day of Mystery. On the morning before a great battle between a few remaining western armies under the leadership of Verrick the Great - who would later found the first of the Western Kingdoms - Gomga Tarr disappeared.
Without a trace. And the goblin-kin hordes turned around their horses and warbeasts - and left to the east, never to return.
Until today no sage, wizard or priest could answer why this happened - and the goblin-kin nomads will kill any one who dares to ask.