THE GEOGRAPHY OF GRIT

BARREN PLAINS

The Barren Plains consist of a vast desert, impossible to cross without the aid of some supernatural intervention. It contains little or no source of liquid and boasts heats up to 60°C or more, with 18 hours hot daily sunshine during its summer period. It has been rumoured to hold the mythical "tower of the magi" but no evidence of its existance has yet been proven. The barren plains is a region that seems to be the ultimate negation of humanoid life, and those who travel there have never returned.

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BIRINGHAM

This island is home to the strange and secretive Birian race. It is filled to its coasts with strangely angled, fantastic trees, upon which the civilised culture dwells. The tree cities are connected with magical cylindrical mists of varied colours that reach accross the skyline like a junction of rainbows. Below the city life, the ground beneath them is dark and grim, boasting nothing more than a tangled marsh. The climate is particularly wet during the winter months, but warm and bright for the rest of the seasons. Due to its magical nature, it is said that storms of red and blue lightning take place along the east coast during the spring and autumn months. The capitol of Biringham is Ahahaen.

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DERENGAR

This hilly landscape is barren of woods and greenery, besides the snakey, brown Guther trees that spin up into the skyline. Dwelling upon the surface, the Gnomes build their trading goods in squat, igloo type wooden structures, making their cities appear as a forest of large tree stumps. Their climate is quite warm, with comfortable breezes from the Western Coast, and huge rain storms during winter. However, Toward the east, the climate becomes rather clammy, and from here come the Tan Gnomes, the more friendly race known through Herlain for their amazing trading skills.

Underneath the surface of Derengar, lie the deep tunnels of the main Dwarven kingdom. Here the darkness dwelling people search for their lost relics of the gods. The Dwarven mines are stocked with gold and silver veins, and this region has been known to sport sources of the rare and powerful Mithril metal.

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DRAGONNED HILLS

The Dragonned hills is more like a land of small mountains, their spiked points issuing forth the red clouds of fire and mysterious gas. It is virtually impossible to cross, with its geysers and steam vents along the surface of the hills, and also the avalanche and rock slide dangers that you must face upon reaching the Southern slopes. It nears the hostile temperatures of the barren plains and is rumoured to give home to the fire belching dragon kin of old.

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ESTERHELM

This island is covered in the thickest of trees, some of their kind up to 300yds in diameter. The Boatling race use this wood to create their massive seaworthy vessels. The trees have been marked in history for their ability to regrow with astonishing speed. A tree of a foot in thickness might take but a year to replace itself. Thus, the boatlings find that they must chop and build for their homesteads to be safe from nature’s uprooting. The weather is equatorial, with heavy rainstorms, and anything will grow in a Boatling farm. The cities of the boatlings are largely water based, and they are reknowned for their huge floating harbours, spreading up to five or six miles from the coast. Their landscape might look, from a crow’s eye view, to be an island of dense greenery, surrounded by a spiderweb of wooden piers.

Among Boatlings, they name themselves "Chaabs", and from this name, was the God of the Sea given his title. The capitol of Esterhelm is Hulling.

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HERLAIN

Herlain is dominated mainly by humans. It has a wet climate to its West, and a very hot and mild climate to the east. There is a case study of herlain, later in this guide, so I will not go in to too much detail here.

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HIDEWINTER

This land is largely cultivated by its occupants. It is surrounded by dense woodland, and its climate is quite temperate and cool. The landscape, as I say, is mostly filled with farms and villages, and its society revolves around the Arthurian system of knights and kings. It is currently the most productive and peaceful land in Grit in which their political system is governed by a bloodline of kings, born with the Honour of the best of men. Thus, there is little corruption or crime. For example, the king has created Grit’s first scheme to aid the unfortunate and the poor, giving grain and limited housing to these people. Thus, upon entering Hidewinter’s capitol, you will see few beggars or thieves preying upon you, for the city is clear of poverty. This land is the prime target of frontier attack, due to its prosperity, and there are many outsiders who seek to take its throne. The people who live there have come accustomed to the lifestyle of chivalry over the centuries of prosperity. Due to this honour instilled in the citizens of Hidewinter, these Humans have an almost alien outlook on life. They should, in fact, be named a different race for their abstraction from humanity’s principles.

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JUNGLE OF DIRELAND

This is an equatorial region, covered in dense jungle. Its lands are unoccupiable due to the abundance of greenery, and this region sports the largest collection of strange creatures upon Grit. It is a land of extreme danger, mainly because it is very easy to lose yourself, but also, from here come many of the attacks upon Hidewinter and Biringham by unknown horrors of the dark forest floors.

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NORTHLANDS

The Northlands are seperated from Herlain and Derengar by a stretch of high mountain peaks. However, many barbarian hordes have found ways through this terrain, and each tribe savagely attacks the Northern frontiers of these peaceful nations. The Northland is an arctic desert housing the infamous Northland barbarians and also some other, lesser known evils such as the North Elves: A race of silver haired, pale faced savage, Elf like, humanoids. The Northlands are unexplored and most men consider them to be avoided at all costs.

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TIBERWOLD

This is a huge forest, in which the Elven kingdom lies. It is vertually impenatrable, and unwary travellers would lose themselves quickly if they entered this region. It is moderately warm, though rainy and cold in winter. It is occupied by many unfriendly creatures, and the Elves are just one of them (being very anxious to keep their society from the corruption of Herlain and other nearby kingdoms).

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TIBERWOLD MARSH

This marsh lies just North of Hidewinter. It is a certain death trap for those travelling on land. Its landscape is a boggy, uncertain mess of water and mud, and its dense fog will lose any astronomer within a few days. It is said that these marshes hold the souls who do not find rest in the Judges’ afterlife, and so, even the well prepared venture through here with caution.

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TOWER OF THE MAGI

This is rumoured to be situated somewhere in the barren plains. In legend it is a vast city dark blue buildings, and its dark towers are supposed to soak in the heat from the barren plains’ sun. It is also written that powerful sensations of reds, blues and oranges sparkle swiftly through the air, and that the streets are paved in a liquid that one may walk upon, yet ripples with each step. No other guesses can be made of this fantastical place (with any accuracy anyway).

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 THE RACES OF GRIT

BIRIAN

Biringham, among the Birians, is named Baeraenhana (at least that's the closest pronunciation), and it’s Atharian Version is a direct conversion of this name.

Birian appear to be normal humans, though with a more earthy skin colour, and weaker frames. They dwell in Biringham, and love the trees as much as the Elves. They are strangely altered from the human condition by their appreciation of the forces of magic, and are said to descend from the race of the Magi. Their own land is strong in Magic, and their language is not through the medium of speech alone, but through an alternate method of communication via the auras of the people they speak to.

I.e. every living thing gives off a powerful force, which, when manipulated correctly, may be used for magical purposes. Normal mages , when trained to harmonize their minds, can learn to view these auras as though they were a constant gaseous rainbow, hovering and flowing through the air around the individual. At first, all mages use their own auras to create effects upon others, by weaving their force into the air to create objects or to affect other beings etc. Later on, they begin to be able to tap the sealed forces of inanimate objects such as rocks etc. However, all Birian, not just the Mages, are born with this ability to see the Auras around them, and it is only a matter of instinct to cast spells.

In Birian society, they will each specialise in a magic as if it were a career, but some attempt to learn all magics. However, their speech, when vocal cords are sounded, disturb their own aura, and when they communicate, it is not soley through tongue, but also by manipulating their own auras.... which other birian can distinguish. Therefore, unless magically inclined, there is no possiblity that you could communicate with Birian. Likewise, their writing is similarly encoded with magic, and only those who are trained in Birian (2 NWP slots) may understand it. Also, for a Birian to learn any other language, he must also spend 2 NWPs.

Birians are engaged in ferocious wars against strange races from the Barren plains, and often call to the Boatlings for aid, so that they might muster up a naval fleet to push back the invasions.

Birians may only become Mages or Mage/Thieves and Mage/Fighters.

The wisdom of a Birian alters the amount of his own aura that he or she may tap into. Thus, the spells gained for clerics from wisdom are in fact ascribed to Magical spells for Birians.

Birians have a -3 to Con.

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BOATLING

Among their own, these Halflings are called the Chaab race. They resemble Halflings in every way, being small and slight and thoroughly inquisitive to new things, but they are in necessity a different race.

They have lived upon an island with fast growing trees and have built their homes onto the Sea itself, providing a water based civilisation. They are all inherently great navigators and seamen, due to the long history of sea faring, and have become the only seaworthy race (known) in all of Grit.

Chaabs are eager to learn about new things, and they often travel to other lands, in search of stories for their wisemen. They do not steal or thieve by nature as do other Game world Halflings... their talent lies purely in sailing the seas. They have an innate ability to craft and to sail, thus their increased dex, but their life on water has made them, over centuries, a small and lightwieght creature.

The Chaab race are basically halflings, but because of their affinty to ships, most folk call them Boatlings.

They are exactly the same as PHB 2nd Ed halflings, except that they do not have infravision of any description and instead, immediately gain Navigation and Swimming for free (No nwp slots).

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DWARF

Dwarves dwell deep undergrund in mines below the surface of Derengar. They have been a very honourable species since the "Great Apocalypse", during which their greedy nature caused the destruction of the land based cities in which they once lived. Now they strive to uphold all honour, and their system of law revolves around this. Dwarves, by definition, are almost always the most trustworthy companions, although, one finds, they are also the most racist.

They dislike humans greatly, believing them to be the image of themselves before the Apocalypse. They believe that Humans are doomed to fall into doom by their own hands, and thus, do not respect them in the slightest.

Elves to them are a distant fabled species, whom they believe to be an honourable race also. They get on well with Gnomes, and often use their trading skills to find tools for which they may create their machines of power: the Dwarves in Grit have the greatest skill of forging and creation known, and have developed cannons and primitive gunpowder weapons.

Dwarves all live deep beneath the surface for one reason alone, to follow their religion: They believe that their lord has left for them a supernatural relic, from which they might find the power to restore their greatness, deep below the surface of Grit, and their mines are a tribute to this lord, that they might one day find this holy object.

Dwarves are treated exactly the same as in the 2ndEd PHB.

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ELF

The Elven race is an alien one with no standards that humans could possibly appreciate. To portray this alien society, I have borrowed from the net, a piece describing how to play elfs in the Game Warhammer Role-play.... Note that some references are not correct here. I just would like you to get an idea of what I intend Elves to be in the wolrd of Grit.

UNLIKE MEN, ELFS ARE NOT DRIVEN BY GREED OR JEALOUSY, BUT BY THE UNCEASING DESIRE TO AVOID BOREDOM. ELFS LIVE COMMUNALLY AND SHARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ENTERTAINING THE COMMUNITY AND ESPESIALLY THE CHILDREN. OWNERSHIP OF PROPERTY IS UNHEARD OF, THOUGH ELFS RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THE "CREATORSHIP" OF OBJECTS AND THE INDIVIDUALS TAKE GREAT AND UNASHAMED PRIDE IN THEIR CREATIONS. THOSE ELFS THAT HARBOUR "LOW EMOTIONS" OF GREED OR AVARICE IN PUBLIC ARE CENSURED AND, IF BEHAVIOR CONTINUES UNMENDED, BANISHED FROM THE COMMUNITY. GREED, ANGER AND JEALOUSY BRING ONLY PAIN AND TURMOIL INTO ANY SOCIETY AND ARE NOT PERMITTED. ELFS WILL AVOID ANY SUBJECT, OCCUPATION, OR OCCASION THAT THEY THINK PAINFUL, BORING, OR UGLY TO THEMSELFS OR ANYONE ELSE.

THE ELFS REVERE MANY GODS, BUT NOT IN THE SAME WAY THAT THE OTHER, LESSER DEVELOPED RACES DO. REMEMBERING THEIR OLD SLANN TRADITIONS, ELFS KNOW HOW TO MANIPULATE THE GODS AND SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE TRUE NATURE OF THESE BEINGS.

ELFS REVERE NATURE AND THE PATTERNS AND THE BEAUTY IT REPRESENTS MORE THAN THE GODS THEMSELFS. ELFS TAKE IN ALL ASPECTS OF NATURE AND FIND EXCITEMENT AND BEAUTY EQUALLY WELL IN EVERYTHING(E.G. BOTH BIRTH AND DEATH HAVE THE SAME RITUALS). ELFS SEEK TO MOLD THEIR LIVES TO THE PATTERNS OF NATURE, AND ELVEN PHILOSOPHERS FONDLY USE NATURAL METAPHORS FOR THEIR MUSINGS. OF ALL THE HUMANOIDS FOSTERED BY THE OLD SLANN, THE ELFS HAVE THE KEENEST UNDERSTANDING OF NATURE AND ITS CREATURES AND SPIRITS AND HOLD THE OTHER "LESSER" RACES IN PATERNAL CONTEMPT. IF THE ELFS POSSESS AN OBVIOUS VICE, IT IS DECADENT PRIDE. MOST ELFS SEE THE YOUNGER RACES AS CLUMSY, UGLY, STUPID, AND TOO CORRUPT TO BOTHER WITH. WHILE OTHER ELFS THINK THEY HAVE A DUTY TO TEACH THESE "PRIMITIVES" THE GLORY OF LIFE (JUST AS, THEY ARGUE, THE OLD SLANN TAUGHT THE ELFS LONG AGO). THESE, HOWEVER, ARE GREATLY OUTNUMBERED BY THE INSULAR CONSERVATIVES AND HAVE LITTLE EFFECT ON THE POLICIES OF ELVEN NATIONS.

THE ELFS DO NOT FEAR AND LOATHE ALL CHAOS LIKE THE YOUNGER RACES. USING THEIR OLDMAGICKS, THEY HAVE TRIED TO APPEASE AND DISTRACT THE CHAOS BEINGS THEY ABHOR WHILE AT THE SAME TIME THEY HAVE CONTACTED AND DEALT WITH THE BEINGS THEY FIND PLEASURABLE (SUCH AS MENELOTH). THEY DESPISE THE PURE CHAOS, EVIL, OR LAW, FOR THESE THINGS DESTROY OR RESTRICT FREEDOM, OR, IN THE CASE OF PURE CHAOS, REPRESENT THE MALIGNANTY OF CHANGE IN ITS EXTREME.

NB THINGS TO REMEMBER, WHEN YOU PLAY AN ELF:

ELFS ARE GOOD. THEY HOLD NATURAL ORDER, PEACE, AND BEAUTY IN HIGH REGARD. THEY LOVE TO LEARN. THEY HAVE A STRONG SENSE OF DUTY. THEY DISLIKE CRUELTY, CRIME, AND DISHONESTY. THEY DO NOT HOLD THE GODS IN THE SAME HIGH REGARD AS OTHER RACES. THEY TREAT THE GODS AS SOURCES OF GREAT POWER, BUT NOT AS OMNISCIENT FORCES. THEY AVOID SITUATIONS AND EMOTIONS WHICH WILL LEAD INEVITABLY TO UNPLEASANT RESULTS. ELFS DISDAIN "DIRTY" WORK AND PRIZE COMFORT AND PLEASURE. THEY GENERALLY DISLIKE MAN AND DWARVEN CULTURES AND MORALS. THIS MAKES THEM SEEM INSUFFERABLY ARROGANT TO THOSE PEOPLE. THEY WISH TO AVOID BOREDOM MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE AND THUS, MANY ELFS ARE ATTRACTED TO DANGEROUS AND HOPEFULLY EXCITING ACTIVITIES. THEY ARE INCREDIBLY LONG-LIVED AND POSSESS THE OLDEST CULTURE IN THE WORLD. NO RACE CAN RIVAL THEIR LIBRARIES, SKILLS, OR MAGICKS.THE ELVEN RACE HAS EXPERIENCED, OR AT LEAST HEARD ABOUT, ALMOST EVERYTHING. IT’S NO WONDER THEY`RE BORED.

The other reason they (the more liberal Elfs) travel the world of men is to seek aid, for the Elven race is dying and because they are the lightning rod for the worst Chaos attacks, their end is inevitable.

As you can see they are difficult enough to play, for they are an alien concept for humans to comprehend. Elves are treated exactly the same as in the 2nd Ed PHB.

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GNOME

Gnomes in Grit are a fiesty race of people, with sometimes unnerving amounts of energy. Due to their descent from the Old Dwarves, they have powerful comprehension of building, although their goal is not to create new objects for use in the wolrd, but to engineer items that will bring harmony among all creatures.

Gnomes are extremely peaceful and regret with horror the great apocalypse of the last age. They wish to create a unity of Dwarf and Gnome, and then to spread to other cultures. Presently, the Gnomes and Dwarves have a brotherly relationship toward one another.

A gnome’s personality is orientated about their race’s philosophy: to create friendship. Thus, though not entirely as honourable as the Dwarven nation, they are extremely light hearted, and a gnomish storyteller would have a tavern holding their thighs with laughter. Gnomes refuse, in general, to cause conflict, though many will resort to violence quickly enough if they wish such conflict over.

Among the Gnomes’ creations are primarily the plough and other farming utilities, but more recently the means for mankind to create resevoirs, and to funnel water resources from lakes and rivers. Though the Gnomes have no need for this due to their wet climate, it was decided over a century ago that this would be created by the high council of Derengar, so that humans in Herlain would open trade with their culture. So far it has been a success, and Gnomes celebrate annually the day that this invention was conceived.

Gnomes are treated as in 2nd Ed PHB. All Gnomes also immediately speak 1 extra language.

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HALF ELF

Half Elves are a rare amalgamation of Humans and Elves, that spawned from the times when Humans were new to the Elven culture. Elves found themselves lured to Human partners, and vice versa, and despite the contraversy involved, Half Elves became a small section of society.

Half Elves are treated differently in seperate lands, though in the Elven kingdom they are treated, without the appreciation of the Half-Elven innocence, as almost slaves. They think of them as an ugly and disgraceful result of confusion and Human envy.

Among other kingdoms they are sometimes accepted, but in all of Grit, there is no land for any Half Elf.

Half Elves, tend then to be aggressive and taught with their own prejudice and anger. They are grumpy, foul tempered and violent at the best of times. Some are cool tempered and gracious, but every half Elf has taken into its blood the taint of Humankind, resulting in a greedy and envious humanoid, and thus, it is difficult for any Half Elf to remain in control for a very long time.

Half Elves are treated as in the 2nd Ed PHB.

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HUMAN

Humans are just that, Human (For info on Humans in Herlain, click here). In Hidewinter they must be treated differently, however, because they have a set, innate code of honour to which they adhere unconditionally. If you were playing a knight of the Rose, think of his chivalry.... This is what the merchant of Hidewinter would act like. Although, all people are to some degree happy and joyous, to outsiders, their chivalry and kindness to others may seem stoic and stiff-upper-lip-like. I.e., they dont betray their negative emotions very well, due to their constant keeping in check of their envy and hatred. In other words, if a peasant loses his family in a fire caused accidently by a neighbour, there would be no rage. He would weep in privacy and then attend to aiding others in rebuilding their homes. It is very difficult to play a Human from Hidewinter.

Hidewinter citizens Must be good.

All other Humans are the same as in the 2nd Ed PHB.

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MAGI

This race is mysterious and as far as everyone knows, was destroyed many ages past. The Magi are what is believed to be the father race of Birians, and once looked like Golden eyed creatures, that bore black wings upon their backs, thin fur on their flesh and the head of the Night Wolf. It is also said that they would be seen as a tall, golden fleshed man with black marble eyes and the legs of a giant hawk. In other legends, they say the Magi changed their shape and size as their needs wished it, but in all tales they were a power of magical energy impossible to comprehend.

Even to the most stubborn, magic-defying dwarf, the whipping wind of a magi’s aura would appear to him as a frothing tornado. The magi had the means to shape the world as they saw it, to create mountains, and rivers of silver. But now they are gone. Departed long ago into legends and stories told to inspire men.

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