Tarolli skin can be any shade of green, from a chalky pastel green to a dark viridian like a leaf on a moonless night. They have tusks jutting from the corners of their mouths and long, lanky limbs. Tarollis frequently ornament themselves with piercings of bone or precious metals.

Tarolli warriors are feared in battle for, like the trolls they’re said to derive from, tarollis heal quite rapidly

Racial Traits

Average Height: 5’10″-6’8″
Average Weight: 220-260 lbs.

Ability Scores: +2 Constitution, +2 Dexterity
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Low-light

Languages: Common, Giant
Skill Bonuses: +2 Endurance, +2 Nature

Fey Origin: Your ancestors were native to the Feywild, so you are considered a fey creature for the purpose of effects that relate to creature origin.

Tarolli Regeneration: While you’re bloodied, you gain regeneration equal to your constitution modifier (minimum 1). This regeneration doesn’t function if you’ve taken fire or acid damage since the beginning of your last turn. When you take a short rest, this automatically heals you back up to your bloodied value.

Tarolli Accuracy: You can use Tarolli Accuracy as an encounter power.

Heroic Tier Feats

Elf-Blooded [Tarolli]

Prerequisites: Tarolli
Benefit: You gain a +1 racial bonus to speed.
Special: You may not take this feat if you have taken the troll-blooded feat.

Troll-Blooded [Tarolli]

Prerequisites: Tarolli
Benefit: The regeneration granted by your tarolli regeneration racial feature is increased by 1 (to a minimum of 2). At level 11, it is instead increased by 2 (to a minimum of 3) and at level 21 it is increased by 3 (to a minimum of 4).
Special: You may not take this feat if you have taken the elf-blooded feat.

Paragon Tier Feats

Brute Strength [Tarolli]

Prerequisites: Tarolli, Troll-Blooded
Benefit: You do +3 damage on any damage roll you add your strength modifier to.

Wild Step [Tarolli]

Prerequisites: Tarolli, Elf-Blooded
Benefit: You ignore difficult terrain when you shift (even if you have a power that allows you to shift multiple squares).

As a result, blood elves are largely mistrusted or despised, with some exceptions. It’s true that many of their numbers fall fully into madness from their arcane addiction. These elves truly deserve their sobriquet of “The Wretched,” for truly they are wretched creatures. Rather than trying to resist, they give themselves fully to the hunt for magical energy, and will risk anything and stop at nothing to sate their thirst for it.

Still, at least as many of the blood elves take pains to hold back their addiction. To these strong ones, the idea of becoming one of the wretched is a fate worse than death. Alone or together, it is every blood elf’s goal to find a cure for their race’s affliction.

For a much more indepth description of blood elves, see their entry on WoWWiki.

Racial Traits

Average Height: 5’3″-5’11″
Average Weight: 120-170 lbs.

Ability Scores: +2 Charisma, +2 Dexterity
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Low-light

Languages: Common, Thalassian
Skill Bonuses: +2 Arcana, +2 History

Magical Addiction: Every day, you must absorb magical energy or suffer the effects of withdrawal. You may absorb the magical energy in one of the following ways:

• Sacrifice a daily spell whose level is within 10 of your own.
• Have someone else sacrifice such a spell on your behalf.
• Drink the blood of an immortal, aberrant or elemental creature. The blood may not be more than a week old.

If you fail to absorb magical energy on some day, you take a -1 penalty to your will defense and lose one healing surge. The penalty and amount of healing surges lost double each consecutive day you fail to feed your addiction.

Spell Mastery: You gain a +1 racial bonus on all attack rolls with spells.

Arcane Torrent: You can use Arcane Torrent as an encounter power.

Download PDF of the above monsters.

The elves are a warrior people, and fighting is very important to them. They practice a martial art of their own development called “capoeira*,” which emphasizes graceful mobility, dodges and kicks. Often times, the elves go into battle with small drums secured to their chests. Even as they lash out with their legs, their hands busily drum out a beat to demoralize their foes and bolster themselves.

Battle is a long, drawn out affair for the elves. Blades attached to the soles of their shoes deliver shallow cuts, slowly bleeding their enemies. This is in stark contrast to the human barbarians, which favor powerful blows which rarely connect, but often kill on the first hit.

The human barbarians actually enjoy fighting the elves, as they are a masochistic culture. To them, pain is strength. Most of their customs involve tests of endurance to see who can withstand the most pain for the longest. Their marriage ceremony culminates with the husband and wife choking each other until one passes out.

The most dedicated of their warriors undergo the ritual of Kardak, thrusting their left hand into a bear paw-shaped mold filled with molten iron. Afterwards, they are anointed as priests of Magdar, and adamantine claws are attached to the iron forever grafted to their hand.

*Capoeira is a Brazillian martial art. Go check out some youtube videos of it.

Encounters with the Barbarians of Mosh’tardin

One of the PCs gains the respect of an elder human barbarian. After several nights of revelry, the elder invites the PC to undergo the Kardak. Not accepting would be taken as an unrivaled insult to the barbarians.

The PCs are asked to capture one of the rare silver-pawed monkeys from the Mosh’tardin forest. Naturally, they run afoul of the elvish barbarians in attempting to do so.

Muscovites live in extended families, similar to tribes, and each family controls its own little region of Svalbard. Each of the extended families is composed of multiple smaller families centered around a male patron. The patron leads the family until he passes the honor and responsibility to another in a ceremony called the Skjebdiv. After the Skjebdiv, the former patron acts as an adviser to his successor.

The extended families are ruled by the patron of the most influential nuclear family, given the title of Czartun. There are five of those extended families, and hence there are five Czartuns. One Czartun– called the Czar– rules above all Muscovites; he is chosen by an election held every twelve years, or held sooner if the current Czartun dies. Only the Czartuns may vote in the election, and the Czar may not come from the family of either of the current or former Czars; hence, there are always three candidates.

The Czar remains in the capitol city of Musko, and during his reign he has a trusted agent, usually his brother, remain with the family and act as a sort of proxy Czartun. The Czar’s primary responsibilities are to serve as a mediator between the other families and to coordinate the defense of Svalbard.

Svalbard is rich with coal deposits, though the Muscovites’ mining techniques are rudimentary and inefficient. They make most of their money through mercenary services. Every mother is required to send her first-, third- and fifth-born children to Musko, where they will be trained and then hired out. This mandatory service lasts four years, and in addition to the money it brings in it also helps ensure that the Muscovite army is not only well-trained, but experienced as well.

The Muscovites worship Magdar, the Bearlord. Highly-ranking Muscovites are given panserbjörne, armored bears. The panserbjörne are fearsome in battle and utterly loyal to their handler. The mere sight of a mighty Muscovite astride his terrifying bear is often enough to defuse an altercation before it starts.

Encounters with the Muscovites

When the PCs decide that they need to hire some mercenaries for their latest capers, they end up hiring a young Muscovite fresh out of training. The lad is hardy and brave, but fights poorly, and is very interested in learning from the experienced PCs.

A PC who thoroughly ingratiates himself to a Czartun could be given a panserbjörne as a special reward.

Kayama society is extremely strict and structured. Petty criminals are put to death, thrown into the pits of molten lava at the heart of Fujikaya. This death penalty is not the same burden that it would be for most other cultures, though, for it is the greatest honor to be sent to join Fujikaya.

Most will eventually jump in on their own in a grand funerary ceremony when they see that their lives are soon to end. As they are burned alive by the magma, they do not scream but simply smile serenely. Those who die unexpectedly are given a similar ceremony, though it is more somber since they were unable to go to Fujikaya on their own.

To the Kayama, being unable to join Fujikaya is a fate worse than death. The worst of their criminals are exiled, and some even undergo voluntary exile in order to restore the honor of their families. These exiles are called ronin, and no ronin is ever allowed back into the mountain.

There are several cities around Fujikaya which were founded by ronin. Few in these cities have ever been in Fujikaya– perhaps only one or two a year are actually exiled– as they are by and large the descendants of ronin.

Each exiled ronin is given a katana and wakizashi of the finest craftsmanship, to help them make their way in the outside world as well as remind them of all that they’ve lost. Many end up taking their own lives shortly after, taking some solace in dying by steel forged in the fires of Fujikaya.

Encounters with the Ronin

The PCs hear about a small village with a werewolf problem which is offering a reward. When they arrive, they find that the werewolf has been killed, and the reward claimed, by a dwarf who spoke little and left town soon after. This encounter repeats itself several times as the PCs find themselves beaten to the punch by the same dwarf, whom they never meet. The dwarf in question is a ronin, killing the things which go bump in the night to make his way in the world. If he meets the PCs, he is curt with them and obviously considers them inferior.

Galadir the Eagle is young by human standards, let alone elven. He’s only 18 years old, but many who meet him describe his personality as powerful and wise beyond his years. He is charismatic and brave and fights without question for what he feels is right. Were this all he had going for him, his task would be impossibly difficult.

There are whispers– unbelieving, but hopeful rumors– that Galadir possesses the Fourth Legacy. According to elven legend, three times in their race’s long history the very essence of nature itself has bestowed gifts upon a great elf in times of chaos and strife. The First Legacy helped establish the elves as a race; the Second Legacy was used to take their world back from the demons which had invaded; and the Third Legacy helped the elves transition to this world when their last one died.

Those in power see Galadir as little more than a nuisance, though they reluctantly recognize that he’s growing in power and influence. To the rank and file among the elves, he is seen as a rebel, a pretender to the throne, or by a growing minority as a hero. Galadir’s New Allegiance has recently even set up a new capital city called Dor’tannith– Elven for “The Promised Land.”

The Shan Tor’athos, in particular, are worried about Galadir and wish to see him exterminated. More so than any other elvish nation, they are losing more and more of their people to The New Allegiance. There are even rumors that the Shan Tor’athos have allied with the hated Nacrisseans in an attempt to wipe out Galadir and his followers.

Encounters with The New Allegiance

As the PCs are walking along a road through the forest, an arrow whizzes by their heads… followed by another from the other direction. It quickly becomes obvious that they are not the targets, though, as a group of Galadir’s elves and some of the Shan Tor’athos are engaged in a battle the PCs just stumbled into.

One of Galadir’s followers, a minstrel, is singing in a tavern as the PCs enter:
You will find the New Allegiance like a beacon in the night
If you’re searching for salvation reach inside
There’s a new world approaching
A fire to be seen in following The Fourth Legacy

Inspiration, and lyrics, from Kamelot‘s title song from the album The Fourth Legacy

Like all those afflicted by the plague, the ravaged wither and atrophy. However, their muscles and tissue at some point cease their decay. The end result is that ravaged have tight, gray skin with a dessicated appearance. All of their hair falls out, and their eyes become dark as the night.

Needless to say, the appearance of the ravaged is quite disconcerting. Some use this to their advantage to intimidate people, but most try and hide their appearance under baggy clothing and deep hoods. Few places willingly harbor the ravaged. Most, understanding that it’s not the poor being’s fault, just urge them along, but some places kill them on sight.

One notable exception is the Kamit pyramid-city Nertiti, now also known by the sobriquet “The Necropolis.” While most of the death-worshipping dwarves believe the ravaged to be terrible mockeries of death, the pharaoh of Nertiti decided that the ravaged are actually blessed by death, walking two worlds at once. He actively sends envoys abroad to seek out the ravaged and invite them to a new home. There are even rumors that the pharaoh is trying to infect himself with the lazarus plague, sure that he’ll become a ravaged.

Encounters with the Ravaged

Nostorin was once the son of the mayor of Lieberton, until he was stricken with the lazarus plague. He was abandoned in the middle of the forest, left for dead, so as to minimize the spread of the disease, but he did not die. He tried returning home, but when they saw him he was run out of town and would have been killed if he hadn’t found a good hiding place.

He’s been living on the fringes of society for several weeks now, careful to hide his identity, and has heard rumors about a “promised land” of sorts for people like him, a city in the desert called The Necropolis. Unfortunately, it is far away and the lands between here and there are still being ravaged by the plague. Any who recognized him for what he is would likely kill him on sight.

Thus, Nostorin needs some able bodied escorts. He has a small amount of money to pay them, as he managed to sneak into his old house and take his things. The PCs could come upon Nostorin fleeing for his life after being discovered, or might be approached by the cliché “mysterious stranger” in the corner of the tavern.

Draeac life is divided into several stages. They begin life as seedlings, rooted to the earth and no more sentient than any other tree. During this time, they must be carefully cared for. When a draea begins to form a sentience, it becomes a sapling. Saplings are still rooted to the ground, but are more hardy and can begin learning from their caretakers.

After the sapling stage, a draea becomes a dryad. This is a unique point in draeac life, as dryads are unusually capricious and love exploring. Even in this stage, however, draea seem slow and ponderous to most others. The dryad stage can left for decades or even centuries, and is ended more by a shift in attitude more than anything.

At some point, a draea’s wanderlust and curiosity die off, and they long to return to their home grove. At this point, they have become caretakers. Usually the most able-bodied in the grove, it is left to caretakers to raise the seedlings and defend the grove from incursions. While in the grove, the caretakers tend to root themselves to the ground more frequently as well.

As a result of their frequent rooting, draead grow larger and larger until they begin having trouble moving. They are now called greatwoods, and it is ultimately the last real classification of their life cycle. Greatwoods continue growing larger and larger, and speak less and less. At first, they teach and provide guidance to seedlings, but eventually it comes to a point where they are no longer able to move safely on their own at all.

At that point, the greatwoods retreat to the center of the grove, to join the collective of all their elders. The heart of a draeac grove may contain hundreds of draead each millenia old. These draead speak rarely, and usually only amongst themselves; the youngest among them is given the task communicating with petitioners. Only other draead may talk with them, however; all others will be ignored no matter how pressing the matter.

Needless to say, most people only ever meet the dryads, and thus most believe the draead are all similar to dryads. Dryads have shape changing abilities, and can root themselves to the ground and assume the appearance of any tree native to their current locale. When in their humanoid form, their bodies are sleek and, curiously, feminine in shape, covered in bark with delicate fingers.

Cascades of leaves fall behind the dryads like hair; usually these leaves are green, but when they are sad or despairing the leaves turn brown and when the dryad is angry or excited they turn the fiery colors of autumn.

Encounters with the Draead

It should be needless to say that greatwoods can provide an invaluable source of information on ages past. Securing their aid, however, can prove to be exceedingly difficult. It would be necessary for the characters to first ingratiate themselves with a dryad or caretaker and get it to ask on their behalf; even then, it may still prove difficult to get an answer.

Most draead are basically good creatures; their entire society is based on the concepts of community, extended family, and dependence on others. As a result, dryads are quite willing allies when it comes to helping and protecting people. In addition, their knowledge and skills could prove very valuable, particular in wilderness settings.

Note: My apologies if this post is not up to my usual par. Didn’t have a chance to write this until 11 PM, knocked it out in half an hour, and don’t have time at the moment to re-read it for spelling and grammar. In particular, I’m sure I messed up the draea/draead thing a couple times. Damn me and my affinity for non-standard pluralizations! If I can, I’ll try to go back tomorrow and fix it up.

What people do not realize is that the children are no longer their children… Haven’t really been their children ever, really. They are a race of fae called the Twice-Born, for each of them must be born again from a mortal child.

The boys run off into the surrounding wilderness, climbing into trees or hiding in caves, and there they begin to cocoon themselves. In a week’s time, they will emerge, completely different and insect-like in appearance. Inscrutable compound eyes, chitinous emerald skin and opalescent, dragonfly-like wings are their new trappings.

Those who know of them believe that all Twice-Born are male, as they all come from male children. They are, however, incorrect, for there are a very few number of queens amongst their number. These do not go through a metamorphosis like the boys; they appear to be the same race throughout their lives. However, they do know from an early age what they are and what they must do. The boys, on the other hand, know nothing until one day an irresistible urge spirits them away forever.

The Twice-Born queens infiltrate the unsuspecting society perfectly. They are masters of deception and no one would ever have any reason to believe that the little girl who grew up across the street from them was anything besides a cute little girl. The queens immediately take a liking to children, becoming babysitters, nannies, story-tellers and midwives.

They use their position to change the children, however. The Twice-Born queens have a magical ability to plant a metaphorical seed inside an infant, which will cause it to become a Twice-Born when it grows up. They use this ability sparingly, though, so as to avoid detection or suspicion. Almost always they do it to male children; they create new queens only when they near the end of their life, or otherwise feel that they may not be around much longer.

What the male Twice-Born do after emerging from the cocoons is anyone’s guess. Most immediately seek out a way to the faerie world, to live the rest of their life among their own kind. A few, however, stick around. The mortal child’s conscience was never fully displaced, and so these Twice-Born are in the unusual mindset of having two minds, each utterly alien and distinct from the other and yet also dependent on the other in a sort of symbiotic relationship.

Encounters with the Twice-Born

You could make a great encounter from any point of the Twice-Born’s life cycle. The players could discover a queen performing some bizarre ritual on an infant. They could catch a hysterical young boy running as far and as fast as he could. They might even catch him in the act of weaving the cocoon, sure to be a disturbing sight, find a cocoon, or perhaps see a Twice-Born emerging from one. Above all, you should make sure the encounter is bizarre and perhaps even slightly sinister.

Although they usually need not fear theft by other Lieperkin, most are intensely distrustful of outsiders and believe them to always be after the Lieperkin’s pot of gold. Lieperkin tunnels are always filled with traps to deter would-be raiders, and even a single Lieperkin can be a formidable threat when he’s got the home-field advantage or time to prepare.

Lieperkin stand just over two feet tall and have curly red hair. Their clothing is all but universally green, and they speak with a very distinctive accent. It is unknown whether Lieperkin have their own language, but most suspect they do not. In fact, Lieperkin seem devoid of any sort of culture as a whole; there are no known Lieperkin artworks, no Lieperkin recipes or delicacies, and no Lieperkin stories or myths.

Encounters with the Lieperkin

The players find a pot of gold out in the middle of nowhere. A Lieperkin lost it the night before after too much drinking, and the little fellow is frantically looking everywhere for it. When he discovers the PCs have it, he’ll start trying to sabotage them to get it back, laying traps in their way and doing whatever he can to be a nuisance and distract them. He tries to stay hidden until an opportunity to take back the pot of gold presents itself.