The Races of Loaerth & Feywyrd

Welcome back!

Over the next couple of weeks we will be detailing each of the player races that will be available in the Loaerth & Feywyrd Campaign Setting for Savage Worlds. Last month, I posted some musings about how the races might play out in L&F, and got some great suggestions from the community as a result. Today, I’ll reveal some details about each of them, allowing your imaginations to run wild. Tomorrow, I’ll be releasing the full details about the infamous Loaerth & Feywyrd Troll – it will be something to feast your eyes on!

And remember, as always with all things at Nevermet Press: your comments are welcome and expected! We take them to heart and want our games to be shaped by the community we are building here. If you are taking the time to visit, then the least we can do is return the favor by working on delivering games you enjoy. Don’t be shy, let us know what you’re thinking.

OK, now on with the line up!

What you see below is the evolution of the L&F racial line up. And yes – the figures are all male; a female lineup will be featured in the upcoming Loaerth & Feywyrd Campaign Setting. The illustrations are by Matt Lichtenwalner, one of Nevermet Press’ oldest supporters and an excellent illustrator who resides at Dragon Bones.

I just love how each of the races evolved as Matt stepped through multiple iterations of the line up. The last one above is not the final version. The final inked version of both male and female members of the races will appear in the Loaerth & Feywyrd Campaign Setting. What was really cool was how, at each stage, he would check in with the Nevermet Press developers (there are about 15 of us or so currently), get feedback, and then head back to the drafting table. As you look at these images, you can see what changes!

What you’ll likely notice right away is feytrolls and giants. The feytrolls are itsy bitsy, while the giants are, well, gianormous. This is something that has always bothered me about stock fantasy races – why are they always “medium sized”? Why not play a faery? Or a giant? In Loaerth & Feywyrd you will be able to play whichever one you like. Groups of PCs could very well be composed of giants or feytrolls, or both! It’s the story that matters, not the size of your character’s britches.

Now that you have seen the races, or at least concepts of them, allow me to tell you a bit more about them.

Dwarf

All that glitters is not gold. After the Helfay, most of the dwarves left the underground mines the elves forced them to work in favor of living under the sun and stars along with their fellow men in Loaerth. Since that time, through their ingenuity and inventiveness, all the races of man have seen the benefits. The dwarves later returned to these ancient mines and built massive foundries to refine the dwarven coal (DC) found within them. It is the secrets of the dwarven coal that has made the dwarven race as a whole rich in material wealth, but poor for spirit. The DC produced within these mines is sold throughout Loaerth to power all the latest technological wonders, and they keep the process of its production a secret from even their closest allies. With the recent return of the Fey,the dwarves of Loaerth have become the least trusting of their ancient masters. Many of them believe the elves have returned to once again strip the earth of its treasures. Those who do have banded together to protect their foundries at all costs and have not seen the light of day in years.

Elf

Banished to the Feywyrd after the Helfey, they want to return to their ancestral homes and seek revenge on those who caused the Helfey in the first place. Many Loaerthians fear the return of the elves, worried that they have the strength to dominate the Known World once again. Others, however, welcome them as masters of the magical arts and look to them as teachers of the Old Ways. The elves are not, however, a monoculture. While some elven factions are indeed plotting to take down the Loaerth crown, others are working to establish a peaceful enclave and university in Loaerth. Outside of Loaerth, a few brave elves have already ventured beyond the shores and are seeking to make a life for themselves along The Frontier.

Feytroll

These diminutive humanoids were one of the few fey creatures that remained in Loaerth after the Helfey. At no more than two feet in height, they resemble plump faeries with the eyes and wings of a common housefly. Felix Sundown, a feytroll, is currently doing a series of interviews about Loaerth & Feywyrd with Nevermet Press and check them out and learn more about his curious race.

Giant

True giants are massive humanoids standing well over twice the height of a man. In Feywyrd, they are called Skado or Skadan by the Fey. They are a minority race in Feywyrd that, due to their size and power, are seldom the target of war, violence, or mischief. They are also one of the Ancient Races who lives continue until they are taken by another: they are immortals. This special status has made them great diplomats, historians, and arbiters. Being native to Feywyrd, only a few have been seen on The Island, and none have yet to make the journey all the way to Loaerth itself.

Hodolu Animal

In the Feywyrd, there are tiny faeries that are often the cause of playful, sometimes even deadly, mischief. They are known as The Hodolu. They have no corporeal form beyond a point of light and warmth, Their voices are not much more than a flutter or a buzz only a few can understand. Many hodolu tried to come to the Known World, but to their horror, they soon discovered they were unable to live for more than a few hours beyond the shores of The Island unless they bonded with an animal from the Known World first. This bonding is permanent, and fuses the two minds of the creatures into one. After the bonding, the new “hodolu animal” frequently assumes a humanoid shape and gains the powers of speech, and fey like intelligence. Fully intelligent and sentient, hodolu animals could just as easily be a talking circus bear, a scorpion mastermind, or anything you could imagine.

Human

The humans remained in Loaerth after the Helfay, but in the power vacuum that followed, war and famine quickly overcame their societies and reduced it to ruin. Decades later, after the dwarves returned to the surface, the humans learned the secrets of dwarven coalcraft and were able to begin rebuilding their homeland. Centuries later, the world is still far less populated than during the time of the elven dominion – but it is an expanse that is open to conquering for anyone willing to do so. Humans have since built a society of inventors, pioneers, entrepreneurs, and explorers. They are an industrious people who have done many things to strengthen Loaerth’s power in the world.

Myrmidon

Myrmidons are a race of humanoid aquarians that, since the dawn of time, have preyed upon the elves of the Feywyrd. Mysterious and rarely seen on land, they are feared in all but the most cosmopolitan citys of the Feywyrd. They are visiting Loaerth for the first time and their appearance there signals that more will be coming.

Troll

Rugged, and built like apes, trolls stand head and shoulders above humans. They are covered by a course fur coat that gives way to longer hair along their forearms and legs. Male trolls often feature beards braided with colorful beads and strands of  yarn; female trolls are known for their colorful furbrands, a type of tattoo that is burned into their coat. Compared to the other Races of Man, the humans and dwarves, trolls are a somewhat primitive race that has not embraced the modern culture of coalcraft. Instead, they have kept their ancient oral traditions alive by becoming notorious orators, translators, diplomats, scholars, and riddle masters. Not all of them are happy about the return of the Fey to Loaerth, since during the time of the elves many of them were hunted for their fur pelts and seen as little more than apes. Nonetheless, most of the troll tribes welcome the opportunity to mend old wounds and to restore the ritual magic traditions of their ancestors.

Summary

So, that’s about it. As you can see, in Loaerth & Feywyrd there will be many opportunities to play rich, deeply developed races from a wide range of backgrounds.  Until we publish the Loaerth & Feywyrd campaign setting – each of these races should be considered “BETA”, or a work in progress. Let us know what you think and leave a comment!

UP NEXT? TROLLS IN FULL COLOR – coming tomorrow.

Written by Jonathan Jacobs, Edited by Cassey Toi, Artwork by Matt Lichtenwalner.