Ulda - Gnome

The smallest of the sentient races of Enga, the Ulda are a cheerful and inquisitive race. Naturally inventive and curious, they pursue lines of discovery to create ease in life as well as to just invent things. Arts and creativity are celebrated and those that pursue them receive praise and admiration from there friends and family, if not whole communities. Typical Ulda villages are found in and under the forests, hidden so they can pursue their passions in peace without interference from the wider world.

Basic Information

Anatomy

• Humanoid

Genetics and Reproduction

• Ulda reproduce sexually and if they conceive, gestation takes about 8 months.

Growth Rate & Stages

• Education: Until an Ulda is considered an adult, they learn everything from their parents and then about subjects they show an inclination toward in an apprenticeship manner. Initial education starts at age 3 with formal education following at age 5.
• Childhood - 0-20 Years
• Pre-Adult - 21-40 Years
• Adulthood - 40 years
• Middle Aged - 245 Years
• Old - 400+ Years

Ecology and Habitats

• The Ulda are truly at home in the forests of Enga. Their villages are built into and under the trees and rolling hills far from the hustle and bustle of most of life on Enga. They do this to protect themselves, as they are quite small and to be able pursue their interests in peace, uninterrupted. Their villages are camouflaged and built into the land so well that they are extremely difficult for outsiders to distinguish from just another patch of the forest unless the Ulda want them to.
• However, a decent enough number of Ulda can be found in Firar villages and cities, Often they are employed in artisan crafts, though they also pursue lives in entertainment (the Ulda are very, if not excessively, fond of songs, music, drink, and dancing) in taverns and bars. Due to their desire to make friends and be friendly with their neighbors, they are seldom alone for any amount of time, often creating large extended families in the villages and cities.

Dietary Needs and Habits

• They eat mainly that which can be found or grown in the forests without disturbing the balance of the forest around them. That said, Ulda are fond of breads and sweet baked products, especially if they include fruits. They eat few animal products if any, though sometimes they will eat cheese but only if the milk came from free range animals as they believe that domestication is the same as slavery.

Additional Information

Social Structure

• Outsiders see a hierarchal leadership chain that is similar to that of Firar Jarldoms. There is typically a Chieftain instead fo a Jarl.
• Reality is that leadership among the Ulda is not chosen through combat. They respect their elders and leadership usually rests with the eldest Ulda in the village. No Ulda actually wants the responsibility t be in charge because it usually means two things. First, that they are the oldest and thus all the people they knew growing up have passed on. Second, that they must curb the amount of time spent pursuing their interests. Thus they are reluctant leaders when they do lead.

Facial characteristics

• Delicate features with broad noses and large eyes. Cheerful demeanor. Long hair in browns, blacks and earth tones, graying as they age (typically after 300 years of age). Eyes typically brown or blue, very rarely green.
• Males: Beards, rarely trimmed for length. Often trimmed to points or hornlike spikes to the side of the face.
• Females: Rarely trim their hair for length unless it gets in the way of their crafts or inventions. Often tied at the back during the day, let free at night.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

• All over, mostly hidden. Several villages have joined Jarldoms as a result of being attacked or for protection. The Jarls like this because they receive new technologies and better crafted weapons from the Gnome (Or at least new techniques…some of the weapons are too large for the gnomes to make). Highly prized for boat building especially. “Uldan Longships” are the fastest and sturdiest in Enga.

Average Intelligence

• Above average. Quick witted and natural puzzle solvers.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

• The Ulda have an innate magic ability that develops when they are children. For the majority of Ulda, this ability stops developing at around 20 years old, leaving them with just a few simple abilities usually used to play pranks on friends and family. In some Ulda though, this ability continues to growth throughout their lives, leave these few Ulda as some of the strongest or greatest magic users in all of Enga.
• The Ulda have keen sight and hearing developed due to their small stature and need to be aware of their surroundings for safety. It's said that their hearing is so keen that they can identify bird species by the difference in sounds from weight when they land on branches in the forest.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

• From birth, the Ulda are around the creatures of the forest. Often they have pets which they treat more as members of their family, and usually prefer types of burrowing mammals that are smaller than they are. Badgers are common sights around Ulda villages, but foxes, squirrels, rabbits and more are also seen. Rarely do they make pets of birds and reptiles or larger mammals. The only exception is those villages that also share space with or are near the Skratte. In those cases, wolves are also common in the villages.

Civilization and Culture

Naming Traditions

• Typically, your average Ulda has a lot of names. They are given one at birth by their parents, and usually have several more by the end of their birth day. They are proud of their names, collecting them like badges of honor but they won’t tell all of their names to everyone. Only those that are very close to them are given more than one or two, the rest are reserved for family. When outside their villages, they use one of their Firar sounding names to make life a little easier among the big folk.

Gender Ideals

• Egalitarian. Everyone fills the role they can to the betterment of everyone.

Courtship Ideals

• Ulda couples form quickly, as they Ulda feel that waiting when you love someone is foolish. Their marriages last sometimes for life, but if they end, it is usually a mutual decision, and very rarely messy.

Relationship Ideals

• Monogamous. If they find themselves loving or attracted to another, they break off the current relationship, divorcing or separating. The belief is that if they find themselves perusing another, they must not feel the same about the one they are with.

Average Technological Level

• See Uldan Longships
• See Whirling Grindstone

Common Etiquette Rules

• Its considered rude to not invite a guest for a meal if they are friends. So often for each meal, the Ulda invite all their close friends, who, politely refuse but then invite in return. This usually continues until everyone has both invited and refused everyone else they are close with. Typically this is only a few other Ulda. This happens every day. For every meal.

Common Dress Code

• Males wear stout clothes, good for workshops and forests. Typically in earth tones. Women wear the same (though are fondue of skirts then pants), but add greens and blues.
• Al Ulda have a favorite hat, and wear it often. The loss of their favorite hat is like losing a friend. Those that go out on adventures or raiding with the Firar usually leave their hat at home rather than risk loosing or harming it.

Common Taboos

• The Ulda do not have relationships except with other Ulda. Period. Any violation of this is met with exile and likely physical abuse. The family of the exiled typically disown them and go so far as to strike all of their names from potential names for new children for 3 generations. Thus, it doesn’t happen. Well, not often really.

Lifespan

Maximum 500 + 2d20 Years

Average Height

2’ +1d10 (Male)/ 2’ + 1d6 (Female)

Average Weight

25lbs (Male)/ 20lbs (Female) + x1 (Height Adjustment)

Average Physique

• Small in stature and height, the average Ulda is little larger than a Firar toddler.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

• Skin tones among the Ulda run a color like that of tree bark. Different shades of brown are common, some lighter to grey colors as well.

Players selecting an Ulda as their Race use the following:

• Ability Scores: Intelligence +2; Dexterity +1
• Age: 40-70 +2d20
• Height: Per Article
• Weight: Per Article
• Speed: 25 feet
• Natural Cantrip: Can select one of the following Cantrips as a free Cantrip regardless of class. If the PC class is a spell caster, they can take one of the listed ones in addition to any others selected. (Yes, even fighters.)

1. Dancing Lights
2. Light
3. Message
4. Prestidigitation
5. Friends

• Natural Magic: Ulda spell casters gain 2.5 spell points per 5 years of age in addition to point per level.
• Ulda Cunning: Gain advantage on checks involving sight or sound. Gain Advantage on INT, WIS, CHA saves vs Magic.
• Animal Companion: May have a small animal companion (badger, fox, rabbit, squirrel, etc.) at Level 1.
• Darkvision: 60ft, Can see in dim light as though it was bright and darkness as though dim light. Cannot see colors in darkness, only shades of grey.