FIRE GIANTS

The Fire Giants have lived in and near the Intorian Desert for as long as it has existed.  For much of the desert’s history, the Fire Giants were a force, but a small one.  The peoples of the desert and the areas around it were wise enough to stay away from the giants and their lands.  This began to change after the fall of the Intorian Empire, which had always been able to keep the giants in check.  Soon after the empire’s fall, the giants from different tribes formed larger groups.  Eventually, a giant named Sutyr united the all the tribes.  He claimed to be the divine representative of a deity from a different plane where Fire Giants held sway over all.  Under his guidance, the Fire Giants formed a nation that Sutyr named it Baenrl.  For all his accomplishments and claims, the Counsil elevated Sutyr to the status of Deity.  The once scattered race was now united under one deity and under the banner of one nation.

           

Fire Giant society is brutal and dominated by the powerful.  Males have all of the power, and the strongest and most intelligent males dominate the others.  Slavery is common, with many other races being subjugated by the giants.  Every chance to gain control of more land or claim more slaves is taken.  Wars are a noble undertaking on the sole reason they allow the powerful to thin the ranks of the weak.

 

FROST GIANTS

The nation of the Frost Giants has at times rivaled the great nations of Habololy.  It has existed in one form of another, as have the Frost Giants, for as long as the dwarves have been on Habololy.  Legend has it that the Frost Giants and the dwarves of the String Mountains were brought to Habololy together by Smofarf.  The two races have lived close to each other in the String Mountains for all that time.  They have been at different times allies and enemies.

           

Through the will of Frostine, the Frost Giants made their way to all of the other cold climates of Habololy.  They live on the continent of Icefia, and in the southern reaches of Pacyr.  While the Frost Giants of the String Mountains have always maintained a semblance of order and community, those that have moved elsewhere fall into a more chaotic and brutal lifestyle.

           

None of the Frost Giants are gentile or kind, but those of the String Mountains at least obey the laws they have had for centuries.  The strong rule over the weak, but all are given a chance to prove themselves strong, even the females.  Large cities are built and maintained for protection against enemy nations.  Trade and only minor competitions goes on between the cities and towns of the String Mountains.  Meetings are held that involve leaders from all of the communities where decisions regarding them all are made.  None of this is true of the Frost Giant settlements elsewhere on Habololy.  The most powerful male rules these tribes.  Different tribes are just as much an enemy as the town of another race.

           

Frostine is worshipped by the majority of Frost Giants, and by all who do not live in the String Mountains.  Those that still live in their ancestral homes in the mountains also worship Smofarf and The Oldest Orc, as the creator and the keeper of the past.  Sutyr has taken the mantle of devil away from all of the deities that shared that title before his arrival.

 

GNOLLS

Only found in the southern reaches of the main continent, the race of Gnolls has harried the nations that border their territories for millennia.  Whenever they are rallied by a leader, they march together and assault one of the nations.  This is done only rarely with success,

           

A Gnoll is taller than a human, standing usually over six feet tall, up to near nine feet is cases.  The have an undeniable resemblance to Hyenas, and in fact keep the creatures as pets.  Their hands have six fingers and their feet have six toes.  Their skin is covered in a thin fur, which grows thick into hair around their head and waist.  The chest and stomach of a Gnoll is furless.  They range in color from near white to dark brown, with yellows, oranges and reds mixing into their color scheme.  Their eyes are big, and entirely black, although a close inspection reveals slight shade changes within each eye.

           

The Gnolls are a vicious race that lives for the hunt.  They are interested in survival, and see the conquering of other lands as a sure way to that end.  They live wherever they can lay claim, often in rolling hills and empty plains.  They have never been known to go into the higher mountains or into the forests.  They are semi-nomadic.  The stronger their current chief, the more likely a tribe is to stay in one place.

           

Dedestroyt is the most worshipped deity, although Habastly and Treetop also hold some respect in certain tribes, and Dresta has many followers.  Compture’s clerics have been known to take control of the more nomadic tribes, often to horrible ends.  On occasion, a tribe will follow Shaman instead of the clerics.

           

It is extremely rare to find a Gnoll away from his tribe.  Those that are separated have a very difficult time living.  While most peoples of the southern main continent know of the Gnolls, only those that travel the lands frequently are likely to encounter them.

 

GOBLINS

The race of Goblins is rarely found across most of the lands of Habololy.  No records can be found of their existence before the first human colonists came to the continent of Icefia.  Even then, the sightings were spotty at best.  It was not until the establishment of the Kingdom of Icefia in pre-9 that Goblins were officially noted and described by any nation’s historians.  Luckily for the Goblins, the leaders of the Kingdom of Icefia thought before they acted. 

           

The Goblins that were encountered were dirty little creatures that reminded those who saw them of dark-skinned, hairless Halflings.  They were fearful of any creature that approached them and tried to frighten any travelers away.  The Goblins rarely attacked, but fought viciously and in large groups when cornered.  When the representatives of the kingdom finally reached the Goblin’s home, they were confronted with an unexpected sight.  The Goblins had a large city, which was well disguised, deep in the forests of Icefia.  It was home to thousands of Goblins, and dozens of Hebablams.  The Goblins had domesticated the massive beasts and used them for plowing and for war.  They lived a poor lifestyle and had little in the way of what was considered modern advances.  When the Goblins saw some of the things the representatives of the kingdom had, and were told of the Kingdom of Icefia and the king Stasis, they were quick to nearly deify him.  Since that time, the Goblins have been some of the most loyal members of the Kingdom of Icefia.

           

Goblins are not known as an intelligent or strong race.  They do not ponder the mysteries of life, and are content to allow those they consider great to lead the way.  They are excellent at crafting, especially at crafts that don’t require advanced or complex equipment.  Most of Icefia’s pig products and mushrooms come from the Goblins’ farms.  Although the Goblins do not like to travel far from their homes, many do join the Icefian military.  They see it as a way to do something good and noble in the path of their hero without having to think too much about it.

           

Most Goblins live in their cities in the forests of Icefia.  Some live in the cities of the other races, but only those who are extremely brave or adventurous.  They are not persecuted, but find it difficult to fit in a world of larger and more intelligent races.  Wherever they do live, Goblins stay in extended family units.  They mate for life, although they don’t marry in the traditional sense.  Goblins have as many children as possible, and a female will generally have a dozen children before she dies, which will often happen in childbirth at an older age.  Females are expected to spend all of their time raising children, while the male does everything else the family needs.

           

Besides having a unique bond with Hebablams, Goblins have a love for two other things above all else: Stasis and firearms.  Stasis is the most often worshipped deity, since he is seen as the great hero that brought prosperity to all Goblins.  The Goblins usually do not understand that technology almost destroyed the world.  Lacking that understanding, they have no problem wielding firearms.  The Goblins love the fact that firearms are loud, dirty, and strike an innate fear in most of the larger races.

 

GREMLINS

No other race is as difficult to grab a hold of, both figuratively and literally.  The only rule that one can follow when dealing with Gremlins is that nothing they have done or said before can be used to predict what they will do in the future.  They worship the deities of change, anarchy, and trickery.  The vast majority of Gremlins live in the jungles that have born their name for millennia, which separate the Destroytian peninsula from the main continent.

           

There is one distinction that can be made in the population.  When both Gremdelivian and Compture were deities, the Gremlins were split as to which one was the more important.  That split led to hatred between eastern and western Gremlins.  The western Gremlins believed Compture was the greater of the two, and the eastern Gremlins believed Gremdelivian was the greater.  The debate came to an abrupt end when Gremdelivian was trapped and slain.  The eastern gremlins were suddenly overmatched and nearly wiped out.  Those that remained traveled across the continent to live with the Jungle Elves, where they fell into the worship of Tommimao, Falan, and Treetop.

           

While all Gremlins want to bring change to the world, the western Gremlins look to cause change that will more benefit themselves than anyone else.  The eastern gremlins, the few that are left, case change just for the sake of change.  (see Creature stats)

 

HOBGOBLINS

Only found in the lands of and near Borkondof, Hobgoblins are a vile race, constantly searching of power and gratification.  They have taken much of their society from humans, orcs, and even the drow elves.  Nothing that the Hobgoblins design is innovative.  Nothing they do is creative.  They are the leaches of the civilized world.  They use the other races that they are able to overpower or corrupt to further their goals.

           

Hobgoblins in height and build are very similar to humans.  Their hair and skin is almost always tan or brown.  Their eyes are often red and sunken.

 

KOBALDS

Also found exclusively in and around the nation of Borkondof, Kobalds exist only because races like the Hobgoblins and drow elves allow them too.  Pitiful and weak, the Kobalds perform every task that they are forced to do.  Generations of slavery and mistreatment have led to a culture of beaten and broken creatures.  They are the perfect fodder for experiments and war.  Kobalds breed quickly, offer little resistance to the commands of larger races, and few have any self-motivation.

           

With thousands upon thousands of Kobalds born every year, there are bound to be some that break the mold.  These few are clearly distinguishable by the lack of scars from being whipped by a master or beaten for sport.  They are smart enough to know how to avoid the larger races’ wrath.  When one of these Kobalds looks for a purpose or a way out, he is left with only two options.  Some learn the secrets of sorcery, or the Way of Blood as the Kobalds call it.  Others tap into an innate link that their race possesses with the race of owlbears.  These Kobalds join as an elite group as a Kobald can find, the Bearbacks, who ride owlbears into combat.  Although these Kobalds can match the power of the larger races, they are few in number.  Most choose to fight for their masters instead of against them, simply because it’s easier.

 

OGRES

Many of Habololy’s ogres are near-mindless brutes that roam the wilderness in search of their next meal.  They squabble with trolls over territory and control of lands that the civilized races wouldn’t consider worthy of controlling.  When they do wander into the lands of a nation, they are quickly run off or dispatched.  Most trained soldiers of any background can deal with a lone ogre.

           

The exception are the ogres of the Ten Ogre Forest, west of the nation of Pacyr.  Centuries ago, one of the last great ogre tribes was defeated by Pacyr, and the survivors were driven into the forest.  Legend claims only ten ogres made it there.  Those few ogres were not heard from for generations.  When they finally did emerge from the forest, they had a new outlook on life.  The ogres were devoted to the religion of Habastly.  Nature was their ally and to be preserved at all costs.  As time went on, they also gained a hatred for all cults and all religions that opposed Habastly.

           

The life style of these ogres has evolved away from the brutal animalistic way of their cousins around the world.  They revere all forms of nature.  Only dead animals and plants are used in clothing or for food.  Luckily, ogres can live off even rotting or decaying meat.  Stone and metal are highly valued, as no living thing had to die to provide them.  The only creatures that deserve a harsh death are those who oppose life and the laws of Habastly.  Luckily for Pacyr, and any other close-by nation, these ogres enjoy their forest life too much to be a constant threat.  They raise an army once every thirty or forty years and march on Pacyr, but other than that, they keep to themselves.

 

TROGODYTES

Often mistaken for some form of Lizardfolk, the Troglodytes are humanoid reptiles that live underground.  They are only found under the lands of the main continent, and mostly in or under Borkondof, where their presence is only barely tolerated.  Troglodytes are not civilized by most standards.  Their tribes are brutal and led by the cruelest and most powerful.  They interact with other races only to gain power, or food.

           

They only venerate deities out of a desire for power.  Vishtoo, Dresta, and Loomashyn are the most commonly worshipped.  They do not raise families; they do not adhere to any law except that of the powerful rule over the weak; they hold nothing sacred.

 

VISHTOO

The Vishtoo are the most feared humanoid race on Habololy.  Their existence has been a constant plague on the world.  Their obsidian-like skin and featureless faces are the stuff or nightmares.  Their existence sucks the life out of any area they inhabit.  Religions and cults alike tell of a time when the deity Vishtoo brought creatures formed in his image to Habololy to plague the world.  Since that time, the Vishtoo have coveted all the lands that have reached.  They attack those that live on the lands and either kill those creatures or die themselves.  Luckily for the races of the world, the Vishtoo have only ever managed to control the badlands between the String Mountains and the Grean Republic.  (see Creature Stats)