Gnome/Gnomide
(male/female) (Elemental)—These traditional earth elementals possess three forms—they can manifest as an elemental mass, such as a pile of dirt or rocks; as diminutive, dwarfish humanoids; and as fairly convincing humans. They may pass through rock and earth, walls and soil, as if it were air, and are rejuvenated or healed by spending time within rock/earth. Gnomes reputedly have no souls of their own, and can only earn them by taking human form and marrying a human. This union locks them into their material, human form and grants their human spouse extended longevity.
Gnome/Human Hybrid
(Elemental)—These half-gnomes are short but stout, and they have a well-developed geomantic sense, finding things buried in the earth. Plus, when they sleep on the ground or in a cave, that elevates their healing levels. They often have a materialistic bend to their personalities.
Gnomes
(Faerie)—These are small nature spirits, a tutelary faerie about 1 1/2’ to 2’ tall. These little beings live in woodlands, or sometimes in human gardens where they help maintain the produce. They are genial, with prominent noses, and dress like human peasants. Gnomes are rarely seen, because they are masters at hiding. They coexist peacefully with mortals, and while they rarely meet, they often leave gifts, gnome for human or human for gnome.
Gods
(Divine)—This is a wide class of a functionally immortal, physically and mentally gifted race. They are usually unmanifest and live in other, higher worlds, but make known their will with miracles. Their blood is blue and called icthor or sa. They may manifest on Aarthus, but are more likely to speak through their statues/icons, or through priestly mediums. Otherwise, gods seem much like mortals, but idealized and without flaw.
Golem
(Artificial)—Golems are non-sentient animated robots programmed to follow their creator’s commands mindlessly. Golems are formed of clay, which is symbolically tied to flesh and the creation of the first man. These constructs are mute, with childlike intelligence, but with no soul or free will. Because of this, they take their creator’s commands literally, following the wording more than the intent. The golem is activated by a talisman placed in its mouth or by arcane symbols etched on its forehead. Deactivating a rogue golem involves removing the talisman or defacing its forehead symbols. This is because golems slowly grow larger, stronger, and more rebellious as they age. (This may be prevented by a regular schedule of “reboots,” or deactivations and reactivations.) These beings are superstrong, tireless. While usually human shaped, golems also have been made and configured in non-human or specialized forms. Some are formed as rude hulks, not as anatomically accurate as humans. Over time, golems may develop sentience and grow egos and become more independent. Sometimes the mage loses control of his work and the tireless golem will run amuck, rampaging mindlessly. When treated with the “Breath of Life” spell, the golem becomes fully sentient; may speak; its clay becomes flesh and bone; but it loses its super-strength and super-stamina in the transformation. This spell also grants the golem speech and a soul.
Grand Homunculus
(Artificial)—This is like a standard homunculus, but giant-sized. It is free ranging and exists without a glass womb. Often sewn together from multiple corpses, they can range from small human proportion to outright colossal. Most aren’t very intelligent, being more childlike, but some are geniuses. These beings are a sort of quasi undead, and they live without food or hydration.
Gruagach
(Faerie)—Considered the ultimate faerie wizard, gruagach are masters of glamour. Gruagach have an unusual element to their training and abilities—they gain the “boneless” ability, which is not just an advanced case of double-jointedness, but the ability to become pliable at will, for the duration of concentration, rendering them highly resistant to falling damage, and blunt-force weapons, and very difficult to restrain with wrestling holds, shackles and prison bars. (They even may use this odd ability to slip through tiny openings.) Gruagach always wears dashing outfits, but they are especially identified by their fine red and green leather jerkins and long, loose hair. They command great respect and social precedence among noble elves.
Guivre
(Dragon)—The guivre is a legless, wingless dragon, about twelve to twenty-four feet long, more like a serpent than not. It is bearded, has two horns, purple and green scales, and a forked tail. Its hide is often studded with spikes, and the guivre will act as a constrictor, tightening around its victim as its many protrusions ventilate it victim. It lives near water, using wells, creeks and small ponds as its lair. When chopped apart, the guivre’s separated portions quickly jump back together and reattach. They are speechless, but have cunning animal intelligence. They do not have fire breath, but their pestilential breath functions, as well as its venomed tail. These are among the deadliest of dragons.
Habit
(Half-Man) (Faerie)—This is an odd profession, one practiced by elves and without a human counterpart. The habit is proficient in wrestling and in magic. He will challenge everyone he meets to a wrestling match, nor will he ever refuse such an offer himself. He uses spells to grow stronger the longer the match goes on and, if he is losing the contest, he will use magic to transform into a mist, eluding the other wrestler, only to suddenly resume the bout at an advantage. To humans, such trickery seems like cheating, but the habit will hear no such things—for him, this constitutes wrestling. If humans do not have all the same “moves” he does, then too bad for them.
Hags
(Demon)—This is a class of demon created by the coupling of an arch-demon and Vyrek the Vile. The hags usually are invisible and unmanifested, and their presence is felt rather than seen. Sometimes they are misidentified as human witches. If they manifest, they appear as profoundly ugly, naked old women, balding, but with long straggling locks of hair and fangs. Their unhealthy, mottled skin is often green, gray, or black and their eyes glow with pure malevolence. The hags’ nails are long and broken, and their jagged teeth rotting and half missing. Hags sustain themselves by sitting on the chests of sleeping humans, making it difficult for the victim to move or breath, and pinning them down. It is believed the hag draws out the victim’s breath, and this sustains the demon. Again, these creatures usually are invisible when they attack, and the victim may be confused about the source of their suffering and night terrors. Like many other parasitic demons, they do not possess mortals, but treat them as sustenance, and they have a preference for children. Once the hag has settled on its victim, it will attack night after night, draining the person’s vitality, usually resulting in the human’s death in one or two weeks. Hags try to avoid direct combat, but if forced, they will fight tooth and nail, and they are full of wiry strength and rubbery flexibility. Some hags also learn magic, possessing spells to curse, incapacitate, paralyze, confuse, and enchant their enemies. Unmanifested hags may fly and enter locked rooms through keyholes and gaps in the walls. These creatures may speak, but they have nothing nice to say. Manifested hags often hide in deep swamps, river banks and hideaways deep in the forest.
Comments