Fantasy Core Ireland Setting--Groups Part 1

FANTASY CORE RPG
(c) Jerry Harris, 2012
Published here as Open Game Content.

Index

Elves and the Fey: Magical beings. The elves are human-like. Others are less so. There are also enchanted, intelligent animals, such as unicorns, who are also part of the Fey. There is a palace and a court of the Fey who rule the Otherworld. The rest of the magical world is a sylvan paradise. Elves are usually very haughty and take offense easily and have long memories. They tend towards mischief and whimsical motives when interacting with humans, but they are capable of love and loyalty. The Fey cannot survive outside of the Otherworld for more than a day.  They are able to visit the mortal world during the day, but only while heavily cloaked.  All of their abilities, spell use, and such would be zeroed out.  If killed on the surface, their bodies will disappear in the daylight.  While immortal, the Fey are fading from reality.

Leprechauns: People of Lugh, sun god of the fey. They are a particularly mischievous clan of fey creatures, often prone to taunting humans. They have weakness and fondness for gold.

Dwarves: A short, ugly, greedy people. Only males have been seen. If there are dwarf females, they are well hidden. Regardless of how they reproduce, the dwarves are a dying race and will one day disappear. This is probably due to the draining of magic into the Otherworld. (Just another reason to hate the elves.) There is one main dwarf city in the Underworld ruled by a king and several colonies. Dwarves usually keep to themselves, but are prone to vicious reprisals if provoked. They will make honorable business deals with humans. Dwarves are generally fearful of the upperworld, especially the outdoors. They can cross into the Otherworld without penalty, but are very uncomfortable there.  Dwarves can operate normally on the surface in daylight, but seldom do so for mostly psychological reasons.   

Fomorians: There are several Underworld cities of Fomorians, usually segregated into different clan cities (orcs, goblins, hobgoblins, etc). Other stronger, monsters often rule various tribes. There is a parliament of the various Fomorian races, but little to no unity. It convenes irregularly at various ceremonial spots (some on the surface). Constant intercine warfare has made the political geography very fluid.

They cannot tolerate daylight (they can only face it if heavily cloaked and all of their abilities would be zeroed out), but will sneak out at night to raid.  If killed on the surface, their bodies will disappear in the daylight.  They are able to live in the Otherworld, but are seldom allowed the opportunity. Fomorians are generally cowards and will only fight when they have an advantage, or are pressed into combat by a strong leader. However numerous they are, the Fomorians are a degenerate, inbred race, becoming ever more sterile and harmfully mutated. Again, this is likely due to the draining of magic into the Otherworld.

Tieflings and Half-Orcs: These are the unfortunate offspring of Fomorian and humans. The more humanish ones will try to blend into human society. The less humanish will favor their Fomorian side and act as their agents and spies for them. All of them are sterile.

Drow: The offspring of evil elves and Fomorians. They usually favor their Fomorian side and work towards undermining the Fey and taking over the Otherworld. They can cross into the Otherworld without penalty. Drow are all sterile.

Undead: Spirits and other undead haunt all over Ireland. Ancient dead haunt unhallowed ground (like a mass grave on an old battlefield or a cursed tomb) chained to haunt a location. The cursed dead also roam the lands. Wizards may also create undead, such as zombies and skeletons. Mythic methods include putting bodies in the Cauldron of Dagda, down a magic well, or laid in a trench filled with enchanted milk. Vampires and other powerful undead are very rare. They probably would have had to have come from outside of Ireland.

Lycanthropes: Druids and witches often know the secret of reverse evolution and take animal form, however they still retain their human intelligence. The demonic pact version of the spell (requiring feeding on human flesh) is not native to Ireland and would had to have been brought over by an evil practitioner.

Banshee: These are female elvish spirits that perished during the invasion of the sons of Mil. Depending on how they died, their disposition varies. Some are in service to various families, such Eevul and her banshees, who serve the O’Brien clan. It is well known that they wail to announce the deaths of a clan member, but they may have other duties, not so well known. (Nor is it known why they serve them.) Other banshees haunt certain clans. Members must take careful precautions to protect themselves from them. Then there are other banshees that simply haunt specific places and will try to kill any who violate them.


I am off next week and will be without Internet access.  I plan on watching some baseball and hope to have something to write about.  My World Series will be posted when I get back, so that I can make any panic alterations to it after I've seen a week's worth of games.  Feel free to catch up on some of my older posts while I'm gone, like Dark Continient.  Happy Easter.