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History
In the beginning, all were animals, and all animals were considered zoe (“alive”). There was no distinction between them. After the Strangers came, however, the animals saw how they were different from these new beings, and began to see the differences among one another. It could be said, therefore, that the Strangers unintentionally introduced the concept of race to Athanasia.
Very deliberately, however, the Strangers introduced a new skill that would divide the zoe from one another: Transfiguration (the Alteration sphere). After the Strangers taught the animals how to change their shapes to look more like them, there arose a group of zoe who could match the Stranger’s form with perfection; these were called humans. Those zoe who could not fully master the Stranger’s teachings became the anthropomorphic (animal) races.
Some animals deliberately chose to remain zoe, and the descendants of these are the animals that persist to the current era. The other two groups, however—the humans and the animal races—now consider themselves separate and distinct from one another. In some circles (especially among dendrites, who believe themselves to be the literal descendants of the Strangers) this point can be one of great contention.
Humans and any of the animal races work best in Grimoire. Stats for halflings could be used, but they would be culturally accepted as very short humans (transformed from smaller animals) rather than as a separate race. Use the substitutions listed below from the Advanced Races Guide for the races of Athanasia.
Humans
Humans are predominantly located in the Kingdom of Euzoria, though they have many towns and villages throughout Athanasia. Euzoria is governed by a human king and queen as well as the Athanasian Council—a board of advisors from each of Athanasia’s most prominent animal races. The Athanasian Council elects and replaces the king and queen as often as it deems necessary. The council members in turn are appointed by popular consent by the members of their race. Notable exceptions are the draconians, fenrir, and merrows, who reject human government, and thus do not have members on the Athanasian Council.
Being elected to their positions rather than inheriting them from noble family members, Euzoria’s king and queen are rarely married to each other and are otherwise unrelated.
Notable Members
The current king and queen of Euzoria are Inuksuk (“The Right Path”) and Idris Frida Qammutiq (“Ardent Lady of the Peaceful Sleigh”).
Adapting Humans
There are no special rules for using humans in Grimoire, except that players may use the stats for halflings and still count as human. When used this way, Halfling still functions as a distinct language, but is culturally accepted as a pidgin of Common, used among “the wee ones.” Human spellcasters are equally likely to use any sphere of magic. Refer to the Classes section below for further information.
Bóreans
Bóreans (pronounced: BOR-ee-uns) are mole-folk who keep mostly to their tunnels and mines, known collectively as Bórea Caverns. They spend the vast majority of their time crafting useful items from earth, stone, and metal.
They are notably the only race permitted to mine pirium from the Eye of the World, and manufacture pirium circlets for the Seraphim in return. In light of the dangers wunderkinder pose to Euzoria, the human king and queen have a standing order with the Bóreans for pirium torcs and bracelets designed to diminish a wunderkind’s unintended magical outbursts.
Notable Members
The most notable bórean is Alkandros (“Hardy Strength”), the bearer of Khthonos: the Tomb of Rebirth, one of the five staffs of power. He was also a founding member of the Council of the World Soul and the Tetrassembléia (both now disbanded), and currently sits on the extant Wizard’s Tribunal.
Adapting Bóreans
Bóreans use stats for duergar, except they are small sized, have a speed of 20 feet, and a burrow speed of 20 feet. They lose all Duergar Spell-like Abilities. Bóreans have the bórean subtype and their own language instead of Dwarven. Bórean spellcasters favor the Nature sphere and earth-themed packages and talents.
Córveans
Córveans (pronounced: COR-vee-uns) are raven-folk who live on the eponymous Mount Córvea in a rookery called Bristlebane that sprawls across the mountain range. They are guided by the tenets of a Stranger known by many names, but the córveans call him either the “First Raven” or “Storm Crow.”
Before the Cataclysm, the córveans lived in a tundra forest near the North Axis. Due to the prophecies of their seers, the córveans were able to escape before they were cast out into orbit along with the North Axis.
Afterwards, when they attempted to return to their tundra forest, they found the seraphim had already erected the Pirium Spire in its place. Seeing the seraphim as opportunistic squatters, the córveans made a pact with the First Raven to blind the seraphim, a curse which was almost immediately mitigated by the seraphim’s eldritch patron.
Enraged that even revenge had been stolen from them, the córveans now seek to confound the seraphim any way they can and eventually reclaim the Eye of the World in the name of the Storm Crow.
Notable Members
The most notable córvean was Kariwang (“Magpie”), the bearer of Vulcanus: the Fire of the Forge, one of the five staffs of power. She was also a founding member of the Council of the World Soul. Kariwang perished when Vulcanus was broken by the command of Talulah the siren.
Adapting Córveans
Córveans use stats for tengu, except they have a fly speed of 60 feet (average). Córveans lose Swordtrained and Skill Bonus (Stealth) and gain Hatred against seraphim. Córveans have the córvean subtype and their own language instead of Tengu. They add Abyssal and Infernal to their list of bonus languages. Córvean spellcasters prefer the Weather sphere and electrical-themed packages and talents.
Draconians
There is little one can say to a draconian, as the lizard-folk waste little breath with speaking. Instead, they let their fierce elemental exhalations do the talking. Originally from the Sinha Desert (or as the leonians call it, the Akkedis Desert), they have spread out across Athanasia to subdue every other race they encounter, establishing nomadic camps for weeks to months before moving on. Each tribe tends to roam across one particular region of the world, and this familiarity has made it easy for them to travel quickly through this terrain at need.
Draconians can live for thousands of years (if they are not slain by sword or sickness). Born with vestigial wings, draconians continue to grow in size over the centuries until they become fully-fledged dragons. Every draconian tribe owes its allegiance to the tribe’s oldest member, the ajagara (a true dragon), who has grown so enormous that her superiority cannot be questioned. Very few draconians make it to this stage, however, as the ajagara has a tendency to conveniently get hungry around the time one of her descendants becomes a legitimate threat to her superiority.
Notable Members
Many stories are told of the ajagara, and each has a true name, but none outside their tribe has been able to ask what it is and escape alive. Escape dead, yes, but it’s hard to talk when you’re dead. Instead, the dragons are simply known by an appropriate description of their reputation, such as Kunti (“Spear”), who has impaled many challengers on her fearsome tail spike, or Atanka (“Terror”), who regularly terrorizes human villages.
Adapting Draconians
Draconians use stats for lizardfolk (Advanced Races Guide), except they lose Swim and gain Vestigial Wings, Breath Weapon, and Terrain Stride. Draconian spellcasters prefer aggressive magic, and therefore favor the Destruction, Enhancement, and War spheres as well as themed packages and talents that relate to their breath weapon element. Consider using specific alternate racial traits to distinguish between species of Draconians:
Vivipari—Line of Cold, Cold Stride
Gila—Cone of Fire, Desert Stride
Varan—Line of Acid, Forest Stride
Chameleon—15’ Line (Choose element 1/day), Jungle Stride
Horned—Line of Fire, Mountain Stride
Skink—Cone of Electricity, Plains Stride
Basilisk—Cone of Acid, Swamp Stride
Salamander (not true draconians)—Toxic (no breath wpn), Underground Stride
Gecko—Line of Electricity, Urban Stride
Iguana—Cone of Cold, Water Stride
Fenrir
Answering to the typical appearance of a werewolf, the fenrir (singular: fenris) do not suffer from lycanthropy, but retain the natural magic taught to their kind by the Strangers long ago. This allows them to transform into humans as often as they please, though they see the practice as a further dilution of their true nature as wolves. For this reason, they only transform when they wish to pass among humans unnoticed, and usually for unsavory purposes.
Most fenrir see humankind as a corruption of Athanasia’s natural state and seek to purify the world by killing as many as they can. A rare few, however, see humans as a part of the world—creatures who have just as much right to flourish in it as the fenrir. Unfortunately, humans tend to see the violent side of the fenrir more often, and fear them on principle.
Notable Members
The most notable fenris is Einar (“Lone Warrior”), who made it his sole purpose to hunt humankind into extinction. He tore a bloody swath across the forests near the Eye of the World before he could be stopped by a wunderkind named Zoanthros. Zoanthros cursed Einar, forcing his mind and body to revert back to that of a true wolf. Einar later found a way to hold this curse at bay for a few days each month using the magic of the full moon, regaining his hybrid form and his hatred of humankind. Thereafter all humans whom Einar wounded—but did not kill—were subject to Zoanthros’ curse as well…a curse later known as zoanthropy.
Adapting Fenrir
Fenrir use stats for kitsune, except that their ability score bonuses are +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom, and -2 Charisma. They lose Kitsune Magic and gain Fast Shifter. Fenrir have the fenris and shapechanger subtypes. Fenris spellcasters prefer the Alteration sphere, as well as talents that cause fear or misfortune, such as Curse (Fate) and Fear (Mind).
Zoanthropy
Humans that are bitten by Einar or one of his cursed pack must succeed on a DC 22 Fortitude save or contract zoanthropy. The curse of zoanthropy does not actually transform the victim into a wolf, necessarily. Instead, it causes the individual to revert to the form of their zoe ancestors, whatever that might be. Thus a human whose ancestors were lion zoe would become a lion, while a córvean would become a raven.
During the three nights (but not days) of the full moon each month, the victim is involuntarily transformed per the Shapeshift (Alteration) power (no save) and is granted the Animal Mind trait. She also gains one of the following Transformation traits, as appropriate: Animalistic, Aquan, Avian, Subterranean, or Vermin. At dawn after each night, the victim loses all traits granted by zoanthropy and she remembers nothing about her actions during the previous twelve hours.
Zoanthropy in Athanasia can only be cured by an elite spellcaster with the Break Enchantment life talent, who must perform a three-night ritual coinciding with the nights of the full moon.
Leonians
A misleading name, the leonian race is actually made up of many different species of cat-folk, each one part of a different pride. Originally from the Akkedis Desert (or as the draconians call it, the Sinha Desert), the cat-folk were forced out as the draconians become too numerous and violent. Oral tradition tells how the leonians fought bravely, but the draaka (true dragons) were too powerful for them to overcome.
The leonians have since migrated to the Ranai Forest, where they live in relative harmony with the frog-folk. And so long as the ranai stick to their own link in the food chain, it is likely to remain that way.
Notable Members
The most notable leonian is Kléber (“Gift of Promise”), the bearer of Luciflora: the Consuming Glory or Ash of Ash, one of the five staffs of power. He was also a founding member of the Council of the World Soul and the Tetrassembléia (both now disbanded), and currently sits on the extant Wizard’s Tribunal.
Adapting Leonians
Leonians use stats for catfolk. Leonian spellcasters have more eclectic tastes than most races, preferring talents and spheres relating to courage, luck, and life, such as Courage (Mind), Greater Serendipity (Fate), Luck (Protection), and Resuscitate (Life). Consider using specific alternate racial traits to distinguish between species of leonians:
Bengal—Gain Skill Bonus (Craft: Any)
Cheetah—Lose Low-light Vision; gain Sprinter, bonus talent (Divine Future)
House Cat—Lose Natural Hunter; gain Curiosity, Climber
Jaguar—Lose Low-light Vision; gain Nimble Faller, bonus talent (Guardian)
Lion—Lose Natural Hunter; gain Cat’s Claws, Feline Empathy (as Rodent Empathy, but for cats)
Lynx—Lose Low-light Vision; gain Scent, Skill Training (Sense Motive, Survival)
Puma—Gain Jumper
Tiger—Lose Cat’s Luck and Low-light Vision; gain Master Tinker, bonus talent (Invisibility)
Merrows & Sirens
In fact two separate races, sirens are distinctly human from the waist up and have the tails of swimming mammals from the waist down. They are peaceful, inventive, and selfless. Merrows, by contrast, are mostly human-sized lionfish, only having the torso and arms of humans and little else. They tend to be reclusive, suspicious, and selfish.
Despite these distinctions, however, most races of the land and sky tend to get the two confused—a fact which the sirens consider offensive as they are clearly not so ugly, and the merrows consider offensive for the same reason. In reality, however, both are breathtaking in their own respects.
Notable Members
The most notable siren was Talulah (“Leaping Water”), the bearer of Muirtugal: the Endless Sea, one of the five staffs of power. She was also a founding member of the Council of the World Soul and the Tetrassembléia (both now disbanded). Talulah perished when Muirtugal was broken. There is some controversy as to exactly how the staff was broken, but all accounts involve Alkandros of the bóreans discovering a córvean wunderkind in possession of Muirtugal, and Talulah buried alive in a sinkhole of mud.
Adapting Merrow & Sirens
Merrows and Sirens are similar enough that they both use stats for merfolk. Merrows lose Low-light Vision and gain Deepsight. They begin play speaking only Aquan. Sirens lose Low-light Vision and gain Seasinger. Merrow and Siren spellcasters both prefer the Mind sphere, as well as Water-themed packages and talents.
Ranai
Little is known about the ranai, except that the frog-folk share a forest with the leonians in evident peace. This is likely due to each race minding their own business—and their own meals.
Many ranai are dendrites, and they predominantly observe the goings on of the Ranai Forest, subtly supporting the forest’s natural defenses so visiting species cause as little lasting damage as possible. This also makes the forest less tame and hospitable, encouraging travelers to move on, and discouraging refugee races—such as the leonians—from making it a permanent home.
Notable Members
There are few if any notable ranai, as they keep to themselves and tend to nature rather than recognition. One story, however, tells of an elder dendrite known as Sapo Velho (“Old Toad”) who meditated right through the Cataclysm and still hasn’t woken up to this day. They say he has had 150,000 previous lives. And it must be true, for he croaks every night.
Adapting Ranai
Ranai use stats for gripplis. Ranai have the ranai subtype and speak Sylvan instead of Grippli. Ranai prefer the Nature and Weather spheres and plant- and water-themed packages and talents.
Seraphim
Also known as noctangeli (“angels of the night”), the seraphim (singular: seraph) are, in truth, descendants of bats. Their mastery over Strange Wisdom, however, has made it possible for them to appear entirely human except for the pair of wings sprouting from under their shoulder-blades. Their own legends tell how the Strangers called them seraphim after the angels of the Strangers’ home world.
Sometime after the Cataclysm, the seraphim discovered the pirium fields in the Eye of the World and went to investigate this new metal. Their search revealed a citadel made entirely out of pirium, buried almost to the top of the tallest spire. With the help of the bóreans, they excavated it and discovered its secrets, eventually raising it up out of the ground to float many miles above the surface.
The córveans, jealous of the seraphim’s new home, made a pact with the First Raven to curse their rivals with blindness. Fortunately, however, the seraphim pleaded to their eldritch patron, a Stranger of the Dark, and the curse was mitigated. Instead of outright blindness, the eyes of the seraphim became sensitive to the light of day and their skin and hair were turned pure white so that they would always remember their patron’s intercession.
Notable Members
The most notable seraph is Ipiktok (“Keen”), the bearer of Mercurius: the Living Vein or Blood of Ore, one of the five staffs of power. He was also a founding member of the Council of the World Soul and the Tetrassembléia (both now disbanded), and currently sits on the extant Wizard’s Tribunal.
Adapting Seraphim
Seraphim use stats for strix, except their wings are bat-like instead of feathered and they have white skin and hair. They gain Hatred against córveans instead of humans, and Light Sensitivity. Seraphim have the seraphim subtype and speak their own language instead of Strix. They add Celestial to their list of bonus languages. Seraphim spellcasters prefer the Dark and Life spheres, as well as talents that prevent or avoid conflict, such as Peacebound and Repel Evil/Good/Law/Chaos (Protection).
Winslies
Winslies are an odd race, even among the animal races of Athanasia. Descended from spiders, their kind learned not only how to become more human, but also more like the twisted, writhing things of the world. Their fingers are like spiders' legs—thin and nimble, the better weave with—and legend has it they might have multiple pairs of eyes, but this is where their arachnid resemblance ends. Their arms and legs are thin, withered, and dry like the branches of bark trees, and where feet would be are only rounded stumps. Their spines are like tentacles, and when they walk their bodies sway with a disturbing fluidity. Always hooded, they hide their gaze from other races, for the rumors are spread far and wide that if you ever look one in the eyes you will be blinded as if by lightning.
Incorrectly called "Whimsies" by outsiders, the largest community of the spidery plant-like race lives predominantly in Athanasian highlands away from civilization. Necessarily recluse, the Winslies are accomplished weavers and tend to flocks of a peculiar species of black sheep that grows lustrous blue wool as hard and strong as steel. Weaving this "blue steel" is the Winslies' specialty, and they are known for their exotic tapestries and carpets laced with the material. Those Winslies who are most trusted among humans are cautiously welcomed as merchants, and sell blue steel woven goods for a high price in Euzoria, especially to archmages and the aristocratic elite.
When in need of spiritual guidance Winslies sometimes frequent the nearby Dreaming Desert to consult with the voices they hear there. Though other races claim the desert is haunted, Winslie shamans know that it is a graveyard of a different sort; the desert is actually the collected remains of Stone Spirits so ancient that they have ground themselves to a fine sand. In this form they literally speak out of the dust to any who do not think themselves mad and run away in terror. Entering the desert blindfolded to avoid being rude, the Winslies never notice that the voices are actually disembodied, and regularly find the wisdom of the Stone Spirits to be quite helpful.
Notable Members
Winslies are almost anonymous by nature (other than the acclaimed blue steel weavers and tapestry merchants who frequent human settlements). It is said that they take no names except to interact with other races, in which case they ask for a name to be temporarily given to them for as long as it is needed. Very rarely, Winslies are able to integrate into a particularly accepting community, where they take permanent names from the culture that accepts them. Jing and Lin are one such pair of integrated Winslies, twins who dwell in a small human village near Merrow's Sea.
Winslie Racial Traits
Winslies are a unique race, nimble and industrious, but suffer from the social fear that comes from being different and potentially dangerous. They receive a +2 Dex, +2 Int, and -4 to Cha. They are medium size, have a 30 ft. base speed, and a 20 ft. climb speed thanks to their arachnid heritage. This grants them a +8 to Climb checks. Winslies have plant traits due to being partially composed of wood. They also have a gaze attack they can use 1/day that functions as the Color Spray spell, using their character level as their caster level.
As a race that adapts to their cultural surroundings Winslies have no racial language, choose one language other than Common at character creation (Winslies living near the Dreaming Desert would know Terran, for example), and may choose Common as a bonus language. Other bonus language options are determined by the GM. Winslie spellcasters are fascinated by the Alteration sphere. As a Bronze Age culture, Winslie spellcasters are more often Shamans than any other casting class.
Fey Races
The Fey Realm is also known as the Otherworld, and could be compared to an elemental plane in that is both composed of and is the literal source of all magic, much as the plane of fire is composed of and is the literal source of fire, for example. The Fey Realm bleeds into the Material Plane through ley-nodes, and the rivers of magic that pour forth are called ley-lines, which provide Athanasia’s spellcasters with the raw mana necessary to perform magic.
The denizens of the Fey Realm are constantly in a state of flux, but they always take a given form and play a given role in their game of the moment. Those who play games of lighthearted mischief are collectively known as the Seelie Court. Those who seek to do actual harm with their games are known as the Unseelie Court.
Fey can sometimes become stranded in Athanasia from the Fey Realm by passing too close to one of the many ley-nodes scattered across the land. A fey’s form is set the moment she passes into the material plane, and it cannot be changed until she returns to the Fey Realm (although that has rarely been known to happen, as magic only flows into Athanasia, and not the other way around).
This is where the various fey races come from, including dwarves, elves, and fairies (the Seelie Court), and knockers, goblins, and hobgoblins (the Unseelie court). All fey races prefer the Alteration and Illusion spheres. Use the following special rules for these races:
Dwarves lose Defensive Training and have the Fey type instead of humanoid. Dwarf spellcasters favor the Nature sphere and earth-themed packages and talents.
Elves are tiny instead of medium. They lose Elven Magic and have the Fey type instead of humanoid. Elf spellcasters prefer the Nature sphere and plant-themed packages and talents. Half-elves are a genetic impossibility in Athanasia.
Fairies use the stats for gathlain from the ARG, except they are tiny instead of small. They lose Natural Armor and Spell-like Abilities (entangle, feather step), and gain Light as a bonus sphere. Fairies favor the Telekinesis sphere and air-themed packages and talents.
Knockers use the stats for svirfneblin from the ARG. Knocker spellcasters prefer the Dark sphere and earth-themed packages and talents.
Goblins use their own racial stats from the ARG. Goblin spellcasters also prefer the Destruction sphere and fire-themed packages and talents. Due to remaining in the Material Plane for so long, goblins have lost their fey nature and are considered humanoids instead of fey.
Hobgoblins use their own racial stats from the ARG, except they are small instead of medium. Hobgoblin spellcasters also prefer the Death and War spheres. Due to remaining in the Material Plane for so long, hobgoblins have lost their fey nature and are considered humanoids instead of fey.
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