| Back to Stormdale's AD&D Pages | Races Of the North Here is a brief overview of some of the more common human, demi-human and humanoid races found in the Northlands. Bugbears Bugbears are the largest of the goblinoid races (goblins, orcs and bugbears) and are quite common in the hills, plains and mountains of the North. They rove in small war bands and are a major threat to travellers and the unwary. Drakkar The Drakkar live on the peninsula of the same name on the far side of Iceclaw Bay. They are a human people renowned throughout Erehwon for their ferocity in battle, warlike ways and some would say primitive culture. However although compared to some of the other races their culture may seem "primitive" it is in fact vibrant and complex. The Northmen are expert sailors, shipwrights, and skilled at metallurgy (a skill that they are thought to have learned from the dwarves). The excellent steel that they manufacture is almost legendary for its unsurpassed strength and quality and is in great demand throughout Erehwon. The Northmen are often in conflict with the various humanoid and giant races as they are in direct competition for the same land and resources. For the barbarians, who prize skill in battle over almost everything, hunting humanoids for a sport to prove their martial prowess is almost an obsession and national pastime. The Drakkar worship the same pantheon of gods as do the Druthni and this has led some scholars to speculate that the Drakkar may in fact be a long lost tribe of the Druthni, somehow separated during the migrations. The Drakkar are tall, fair skinned and their eye colour varies from pale blue to violet through to deep blue and the occasional grey. Hairs colour vary from strawberry to platinum blond. Dwarves There is at least one dwarven kingdom in the Kharnik Mountains, and may be others. The dwarves have been for centuries engaged in a war of attrition with the humanoids that infest the mountains that they call home. Although they have destroyed numerous strongholds, and killed thousands upon thousands of orcs and giants the humanoid numbers soon recover and they return seemingly stronger than ever in a but a few short decades. Whereas the numbers of dwarves continues to slowly dwindle due to their slow reproduction rate. The dwarves of the Northlands are often secretive about the location of their cities (which are often hidden behind elaborate secret doors) and few outsiders are invited into their strongholds. The dwarves and humans are (in general) on good terms with each other and some trade is conducted between the two races. Elves Unlike their kin in many other campaign worlds, elves of the Northlands are a wild, xenophobic race that shuns contact with outsiders. They are said to dwell in harmony with their environment and oppose the felling of their native forests. For this reason they are opposed to the settlement of Stormhaven as it has been felling the nearby woodlands at an alarming rate. There have been several skirmishes between woodcutters from Stormhaven and the elves and at this stage nobody dares to hazard a guess as to the long term outcome of this feuding. To date the elves have resisted all peace offerings, delegations and attempted treaties with Stormhaven. However, on a brighter note, the elves seem to be at ease with Irongard and their are rumours of treaties between several of the tribes and the settlers. Because of their hostile nature elves are not available as a PC class in the North, at least in the beginning of the campaign. Likewise elves in general have a racial alignment of CN as opposed to the CG of most other campaign worlds. Giants The mountains of the Northlands are home to numerous bands of giants. Many species of giants are found in the region, the most common of which are hill, stone and frost. Giants tend to be "clannish" creatures, living in small family groups, however it is also known that several families to unite under a particularly powerful or charismatic leader and claim a larger territory as their own. The "kingdoms" claimed by these giant kings can be quite extensive and woe to be anyone who dares to intrude upon their lands. Goblins If it weren't for their large numbers these cowardly humanoid woyuld hardly be worth a mention. However, the northern forests and hills are literally infested with these diminutive humanoids. There is at least one city of these creatures as well, the aptly named former dwarven stronghold of Doomdelve, where they live in their countless thousands. Although cowardly, goblins are masters of hit and run tactics and ambush as well. They often ride upon giant wolves and as a result can patrol vast regions of the North, and move with incredible speed as well. Gnomes Gnomes are a diminutive race of demi-humans famous for their skill as jewellers, artisans and craftsmen. There is at least one large gnomish enclave in the North, the town of Barak Skar, in the Border Hills. The gnomes are a hard working and peaceful race and tend to keep to themselves. They are said to be on good terms with the dwarves of the north and several, there curiosity having finally gotten the better of them, have recently been sighted exploring the wonders of Stormhaven. Gnolls Gnolls are common on the tundra north of Irongard.
They live in loosely organised, semi nomadic tribal
groups. They tend to follow the migrations of the bison,
caribou, and reindeer herds across the tundra but have
twice attacked Talgard. Humans Humans are the most recent arrivals in the North. Humans come from a variety of kingdoms in the south, Druthnia, Sharmra, Vorland and Outremer to name but a few. The North attracts all sorts of free-swords, adventurers and those seeking to make a name, and fortune, for themselves. In general the humans of the north are free-spirited, self-reliant and strong willed. They have to put up with numerous hardships so as a result have become to rely on nobody but themselves, those that don't adapt quickly to the North, tend to perish. There are no human kingdoms in the north, just several isolated villages and towns. However there is plenty of space for those that would forge an empire out of the wilderness... Orcs Orcs are common in the mountains of the Northlands, especially the Kharnik Mountains. Over the centuries they have overrun several dwarven cities and control several powerful strongholds in the mountains. The dwarves long to take back their lost holds and are engaged in a war of attrition with the orcs but given the prolific breeding rate of the orcs it is a war that, in the long run, they must surely lose. Every few decades orc numbers swell and they unite under a powerful leader to wage war on the lands surrounding the mountains. Ogres Ogres are the last of the humanoid races that are to be found in any sizeable numbers in the Northlands. Like many humanoids they live by raiding and scavenging and are found in large bands, sometimes of up to 100 strong throughout the region. They too are a major menace to travellers. Trolls Finally trolls are quite common in the North. They are
voracious predators and as such are yet another major
threat to the unwary. Trolls, like many of the humanoids
of the region are especially common on the tundra during
the winter months when the cold weather drives game down
from the mountains to the plains below. This page was last updated on Tuesday, 11 September 2001 |