Human, Flannae
Pure Flannae have bronze skin, varying from a light copper hue to a deep nut brown. Flan eyes are usually dark brown, black, brown, or amber. Hair is wavy or curly and typically black or brown (or any shade between). The Flan have broad, strong faces and sturdy builds. Flan men often sport large, thick moustaches but prefer to be otherwise clean-shaven. Both men and women are known to adorn themselves with tattoos, usually of indigo or ochre colour.
The Flannae (and their distant Olman kin) are the first known humans to live in eastern Oerik, and it is from them that the Flanaess gets its name. Although it is common knowledge and there is ample archaeological evidence that they once had settled nations, those vanished long ago.
The Flannae first came to the attention of Suel historians when the Gyreff tribe led by their king, Bran, sacked a Suel city just west of the Crystalmists in -915 BCY, and again in -909 BCY. Several Flan tribes from the Fals River valley were frequent mercenary allies of the Baklunish against the Suel in the latter days of the Suel-Baklunish Wars. The Flan thus gained a reputation with Suel and Baklunish writers for being fierce warriors and skilled horsemen who also fielded chariots in battle. This reputation was largely responsible for the lack of interest by those other nations from exploring and expanding into the Flanaess.
Being celebrated warriors, their early society did not exactly revolve around peace and quiet! The many tribes and kingdoms, often ruled by the Ur, or sorcerer class, were almost constantly fighting amongst themselves, so much of Flannae life was spent preparing for or fighting in conflicts of varying scales. Blacksmiths, druids and bards were, and are still, the most esteemed members of society for the roles they play in warfare; the blacksmith for making weapons, the druids for making prophecies, and the bards for making epic tales about the victorious battles.
From the founding of the first Flan city of Hadaradagh until the fall of their last great kingdom of Ahlissa, there were between six and fifteen Flan settled nations and perhaps twice as many nomadic nations on the Flanaess at any given time. Some of their best known were the Empire of the Spidered Throne (Vecna), the Kingdoms of Sulm, Itar, Nuria and Ahlissa and the tribal confederations of the Tenhas and the Gyreff. Kingdoms were known as “Tuan” in the Flan tongue and this term now refers to individual tribes rather than physical kingdoms.
Individual members of a tribe today spend their days farming their land or looking after their animals (usually sheep, goats, horses and oxen). Family relationships are of the utmost importance for the Flannae, with every descendant of a great-grandfather having equal standing. The same is even true of the Ri, or King’s family; when a leader dies, all of his descendants are eligible to take the throne, so it is put up to the freemen of the nation to vote. This system was later adapted for their own use by the mixed ethnicity farmers of the Yeomanry.
The Flan have their own governing system and laws known as Beoryn law, which is surprisingly extensive and complicated. It works on the basic principle that each person’s identity is defined by the nation or tribe they live in. A peasant has no legal standing outside his or her tuan and they are bound to it by the Ri. Land is owned by families rather than individuals, and the penalty for crimes is usually a fine of the family’s cattle or other livestock.
War between the old tuan was a regular occurrence in ancient times, but never a long lasting ones. Some Flan were said to be so fierce in battle that they actually turned up naked, with only a spear in their hands! Every war was very well thought out and meticulously planned, and was only for the seasoned warriors to take part in; the ordinary folk were left to go about their business as usual. Violence between Flan nations today is uncommon except among the Rovers of the Barrens who still feud amongst themselves regularly.
In most Flan territories, a central hilltop fort that is strongly fortified is the centre of the tribe. The fort is used as a residence for the local Ri, or as a refuge during times of war. They are wattle and daub structures (solidified mud strengthened with wood, with thatched grass on top as a roof), but are surrounded by a defensive stone wall and sometimes a moat or small lake. Other smaller and less well defended structures are built within the general vicinity of the main fort, and are used as general residences for the rest of the tribe.
There is no doubt that the Flan love all things beautiful, and go to great lengths to produce intricately decorated pieces of jewellery, carvings on stones, and various other stunning objects. Among other things, they particularly enjoy crafting torcs—decorated rings of gold, silver or bronze that are worn around the neck — lunulae, a similar crescent shaped collar; and armlets. In their art, they’ve become very skilled at creating complicated interlacing patterns and symmetrical knot designs. Spirals and triskeles are also regular features of Flannae art.
Large pockets of Flan live in what are now Geoff, Tenh, and the Barrens. The Tenha are pure Flan, and the coppery Rovers of the Barrens nearly so. The people of Geoff and Sterich also show strong Flannae heritage, as do the Stoneholders, Palish, Perrenders and certain Clatspur highland clans.
The Flan have always been strongly tied to the natural world and they see nature as an entity to be respected but not controlled, and this is reflected in their myths, legends, and culture. Many Flan believe the season of a child’s birth affects later life, and certain customs and taboos must be observed annually. Modern Flan still have a preference for the outdoors, and those who live in cities usually raise gardens and flower beds. A tree is planted at the door of a Flan home, and the health of that tree is believed related to the welfare of the family. Storytelling is a favourite pastime, and most families have ancient oral folklore and legends to pass on.
The ancient, nomadic Flannae wore simple clothing of animal skins: belts, breech-cloths, capes, robes and footwear (boots and hard-soled slippers). Body painting and tattoos were common methods of personal decoration, and these traditions are still practiced by the Rovers of the Barrens (who prefer yellows and reds). Modern Flannae tend to dress in what is currently fashionable, but they favour bright primary colours in solid arrangements. The Flan of the Quag Highlands in the Yatil Mountains are renowned for their colourful great kilts (not to mention their fighting prowess).
Flan wizards normally work in harmony with nature, avoiding destructive magic. A few delve into the necromantic arts ofthe ancient Ur, but such practices are shunned by respectable folk. Many prefer protective and divinatory spells, a practice that stems from their traditional roles of guarding nomadic tribes and helping them survive. Flan clerics are often druids, who are more accepting of agriculture than they once were. Like the sun god, Pelor, many Flan deities have strong natural aspects.
Ability Score Adjustments. +1 Constitution, -1 Intelligence.
Size. Medium
Speed. 12
Racial HP Adjustment. +0 HP
Natural AC. 10
Classes & Level Caps. All Unlimited.
Starting Languages. You read and write Common and Flan.
Vision. Standard.
Fearsome Warrior. You gain a specialization with any weapon of your choice (clerics must abide by weapon restistrictions of their faith).
Legends & Lore. Gain a +1 Wisdom.
Ley Sensitivity. Begin the game with the Direction Sense, Fire-building, Weather Sesne, Survival, and Swimming proficiencies.
The Flannae (and their distant Olman kin) are the first known humans to live in eastern Oerik, and it is from them that the Flanaess gets its name. Although it is common knowledge and there is ample archaeological evidence that they once had settled nations, those vanished long ago.
The Flannae first came to the attention of Suel historians when the Gyreff tribe led by their king, Bran, sacked a Suel city just west of the Crystalmists in -915 BCY, and again in -909 BCY. Several Flan tribes from the Fals River valley were frequent mercenary allies of the Baklunish against the Suel in the latter days of the Suel-Baklunish Wars. The Flan thus gained a reputation with Suel and Baklunish writers for being fierce warriors and skilled horsemen who also fielded chariots in battle. This reputation was largely responsible for the lack of interest by those other nations from exploring and expanding into the Flanaess.
Being celebrated warriors, their early society did not exactly revolve around peace and quiet! The many tribes and kingdoms, often ruled by the Ur, or sorcerer class, were almost constantly fighting amongst themselves, so much of Flannae life was spent preparing for or fighting in conflicts of varying scales. Blacksmiths, druids and bards were, and are still, the most esteemed members of society for the roles they play in warfare; the blacksmith for making weapons, the druids for making prophecies, and the bards for making epic tales about the victorious battles.
From the founding of the first Flan city of Hadaradagh until the fall of their last great kingdom of Ahlissa, there were between six and fifteen Flan settled nations and perhaps twice as many nomadic nations on the Flanaess at any given time. Some of their best known were the Empire of the Spidered Throne (Vecna), the Kingdoms of Sulm, Itar, Nuria and Ahlissa and the tribal confederations of the Tenhas and the Gyreff. Kingdoms were known as “Tuan” in the Flan tongue and this term now refers to individual tribes rather than physical kingdoms.
Individual members of a tribe today spend their days farming their land or looking after their animals (usually sheep, goats, horses and oxen). Family relationships are of the utmost importance for the Flannae, with every descendant of a great-grandfather having equal standing. The same is even true of the Ri, or King’s family; when a leader dies, all of his descendants are eligible to take the throne, so it is put up to the freemen of the nation to vote. This system was later adapted for their own use by the mixed ethnicity farmers of the Yeomanry.
The Flan have their own governing system and laws known as Beoryn law, which is surprisingly extensive and complicated. It works on the basic principle that each person’s identity is defined by the nation or tribe they live in. A peasant has no legal standing outside his or her tuan and they are bound to it by the Ri. Land is owned by families rather than individuals, and the penalty for crimes is usually a fine of the family’s cattle or other livestock.
War between the old tuan was a regular occurrence in ancient times, but never a long lasting ones. Some Flan were said to be so fierce in battle that they actually turned up naked, with only a spear in their hands! Every war was very well thought out and meticulously planned, and was only for the seasoned warriors to take part in; the ordinary folk were left to go about their business as usual. Violence between Flan nations today is uncommon except among the Rovers of the Barrens who still feud amongst themselves regularly.
In most Flan territories, a central hilltop fort that is strongly fortified is the centre of the tribe. The fort is used as a residence for the local Ri, or as a refuge during times of war. They are wattle and daub structures (solidified mud strengthened with wood, with thatched grass on top as a roof), but are surrounded by a defensive stone wall and sometimes a moat or small lake. Other smaller and less well defended structures are built within the general vicinity of the main fort, and are used as general residences for the rest of the tribe.
There is no doubt that the Flan love all things beautiful, and go to great lengths to produce intricately decorated pieces of jewellery, carvings on stones, and various other stunning objects. Among other things, they particularly enjoy crafting torcs—decorated rings of gold, silver or bronze that are worn around the neck — lunulae, a similar crescent shaped collar; and armlets. In their art, they’ve become very skilled at creating complicated interlacing patterns and symmetrical knot designs. Spirals and triskeles are also regular features of Flannae art.
Large pockets of Flan live in what are now Geoff, Tenh, and the Barrens. The Tenha are pure Flan, and the coppery Rovers of the Barrens nearly so. The people of Geoff and Sterich also show strong Flannae heritage, as do the Stoneholders, Palish, Perrenders and certain Clatspur highland clans.
The Flan have always been strongly tied to the natural world and they see nature as an entity to be respected but not controlled, and this is reflected in their myths, legends, and culture. Many Flan believe the season of a child’s birth affects later life, and certain customs and taboos must be observed annually. Modern Flan still have a preference for the outdoors, and those who live in cities usually raise gardens and flower beds. A tree is planted at the door of a Flan home, and the health of that tree is believed related to the welfare of the family. Storytelling is a favourite pastime, and most families have ancient oral folklore and legends to pass on.
The ancient, nomadic Flannae wore simple clothing of animal skins: belts, breech-cloths, capes, robes and footwear (boots and hard-soled slippers). Body painting and tattoos were common methods of personal decoration, and these traditions are still practiced by the Rovers of the Barrens (who prefer yellows and reds). Modern Flannae tend to dress in what is currently fashionable, but they favour bright primary colours in solid arrangements. The Flan of the Quag Highlands in the Yatil Mountains are renowned for their colourful great kilts (not to mention their fighting prowess).
Flan wizards normally work in harmony with nature, avoiding destructive magic. A few delve into the necromantic arts ofthe ancient Ur, but such practices are shunned by respectable folk. Many prefer protective and divinatory spells, a practice that stems from their traditional roles of guarding nomadic tribes and helping them survive. Flan clerics are often druids, who are more accepting of agriculture than they once were. Like the sun god, Pelor, many Flan deities have strong natural aspects.
Flannae Traits
Ability Score Requirements. N/AAbility Score Adjustments. +1 Constitution, -1 Intelligence.
Size. Medium
Speed. 12
Racial HP Adjustment. +0 HP
Natural AC. 10
Classes & Level Caps. All Unlimited.
Starting Languages. You read and write Common and Flan.
Vision. Standard.
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