The Flan: The First People of the Flanaess

Physical Characteristics

The Flan were the original human inhabitants of the Flanaess, and the name of the region is derived from them. Pureblooded Flan have bronze-colored skin, varying from light copper to deep brown. Their eyes are commonly amber, brown, dark brown, or black, and their hair, which is often curly or wavy, ranges in color from black to dark brown. Flan typically possess sturdy builds and strong, broad faces.

History

The Flan were the first known humans to inhabit the Flanaess, predating the Suloise and Oeridian migrations by centuries. While some Flan groups remained nomadic hunter-gatherers, evidence suggests that they once built great civilizations. These include the realms of Sulm in the Bright Desert, Veralos near Rift Canyon, and Tostenhca in the Griff Mountains, all of which mysteriously vanished long ago.

Throughout history, the Flan suffered displacement at the hands of invading Suloise and Oeridian peoples. Many Flan groups adapted by either integrating into new societies or retreating to remote regions such as Geoff, Sterich, Tenh, the Barrens, and the Wolf Nomads' lands. The Tenha remain pureblooded Flan, while the Rovers of the Barrens are nearly so. Other populations, such as those in Geoff, Sterich, the Theocracy of the Pale, and the Hold of Stonefist, show strong Flan heritage due to intermingling with other cultures.

In ancient times, the Flan were both fascinated and terrified of the Ur-Flan, powerful mystics and necromancers who ruled entire tribes and kingdoms through dark magic. While the Ur-Flan are long gone, their influence remains a dark chapter in Flan history.

Culture and Society

The Flan have always been deeply connected to the natural world. As hunter-gatherers and later semi-nomadic farmers, they respected nature as a force to be lived with, not dominated. This reverence is reflected in their myths, legends, and spiritual beliefs.

Modern Flan maintain many of their old traditions. City-dwelling Flan often keep gardens and plant trees outside their homes, believing that the health of the tree is tied to the family’s well-being. Storytelling is a cherished pastime, with families passing down oral folklore and ancient legends.

Traditional Clothing and Appearance
Ancient Flan wore simple garments made of animal skins, such as belts, breechcloths, capes, robes, and boots. Body painting and tattoos were widespread, with the Rovers of the Barrens continuing these customs using bold yellows and reds. Today, Flan favor bright, solid colors in modern attire, reflecting their heritage while embracing contemporary fashion.

Magic and Religion

The Flan have a long tradition of nature-based magic. Many of their wizards focus on spells that work in harmony with nature, avoiding destructive magic. While most shun necromancy, a few still pursue the forbidden arts of the ancient Ur-Flan. However, such practices are rare and widely condemned.

Flan clerics are often druids, emphasizing their historical deep connection to the land. Although their traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle initially made them resistant to agriculture, modern Flan druids have grown more accepting of settled life. Many Flan deities have strong natural aspects, further reinforcing their bond with the wilderness.

The Flan Calendar

The Flan have their own ancient calendar system, known as the Flan Tracking, which predates the Common Year system used throughout most of the Flanaess. This system reflects their seasonal traditions and the belief that a child’s birth season influences their destiny.

Legacy

Despite centuries of invasion and displacement, the Flan persisted, adapting to new realities while holding onto their cultural identity. Today, they remain an integral part of the Flanaess, influencing its languages, customs, and spiritual traditions. Whether in the cities of Tenh, the wilds of Geoff, or the roaming bands of the Rovers of the Barrens, the Flan continue to endure as a testament to the resilience of Oerth’s first people.

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The Pantheon of the Flannae

While the Suel and Bakluni possess the oldest recorded calendars, their creation legends pale in comparison to the ancient oral traditions of the Flannae, which trace back to the origins of Oerth itself. The Flan Calendar begins only 2,700 years ago, but their myths reach into the depths of time.

The Eternal Struggle: Light vs. Darkness

In the beginning, there was only cold darkness and eternal decay, a miserable morass embodied by Tharizdun, the Dark God. For countless eons, his malevolent presence ruled over all, seemingly eternal—until the arrival of Pelor.

With blinding brilliance, Pelor shattered Tharizdun’s dominion and cast his foul essence from his sight. In the wake of this battle, hidden within the gloom, he discovered Beory, the embodiment of the world itself. She had long slumbered beneath Tharizdun’s oppressive rule, but now, freed by Pelor’s light, she emerged radiant and full of life.

Upon seeing each other, Pelor and Beory fell deeply in love. In their joy, they began a divine dance, their movements weaving the patterns of existence. Their love knew no limits, and from it, Beory bore many children, including:

• Allitur – Guardian of law and ethics
• Berei – Keeper of home and agriculture
• Rao – Lord of peace and reason
• Zodal – God of mercy and hope

As they danced, Pelor and Beory also brought forth all plants, creatures, and the Flannae people, filling Oerth with life.

The Jealousy of Nerull

But their joy was not unchallenged, for Pelor’s cold and jealous brother, Nerull, soon arrived. Bitter and envious, Nerull despised the warmth and radiance of his brother. Where Pelor brought life, Nerull brought death. Where Pelor created, Nerull sought to destroy.

Determined to undermine Pelor’s joy, Nerull sought to steal Beory away. A terrible struggle ensued, with the two brothers battling endlessly for her affections. Over and over, they cut into the dance, each vying for Beory’s favor.

Beory, torn between the two, dared not choose one over the other, for surely, they would kill each other out of jealousy. Instead, she chose to dance with both, forever entwining herself with them. To the Flannae, this eternal cycle represents the balance of night and day, life and death.

Any disruption of this cycle is viewed with great suspicion. For example, eclipses are called "Nerull’s Trick," believed to be a moment when Nerull blinds Pelor to commit some terrible act of treachery.

One legend tells of Nerull's greatest deception:

While Pelor slept, Nerull threw a black cloak over his brother’s eyes and stepped into his place. When Beory arrived to dance, she unknowingly bore two children for Nerull—Luna and Celene, the moons of Oerth.

When Pelor awoke and learned of Nerull’s deceit, he was infuriated. The brothers’ endless conflict and jealousy had poisoned their union, and Beory, weary of their fighting, vowed to bear no more children for either of them.

The Child of Beory

But in time, Beory bore a child of her own—one untouched by the feuds of his uncles. This child was Obad-Hai, the quiet god of nature and balance. Among all her children, Obad-Hai was her favorite, for he watched over the least of her creations—the Flannae, the beasts of the land, and the forests and rivers of Oerth.

The Lastborn: A God of Ruin

The last of the Flan gods to emerge is one most foul—Iuz, the Old One. Unlike the others, Iuz was not born of Beory or Pelor. Instead, he came from a dark and unnatural union between the dread necromancer Iggwilv and the demon lord Graz’zt. A being of chaos and tyranny, Iuz would grow to become one of the greatest blights upon the Flan people.