ELVES - PART II - WOOD ELVES

[Previous post about elves here.]

Wood elves are not often seen in Furthermoor, as they generally keep to the deeps of the woods, their communities good eyes among swirling storms of chaos. Their cities are built upon trees with mighty branches and leveled shrubbery, ladders and bridges leading to and fro. The ancient wood elf city of Bonsai, may or may not have been the first city in Furthermoor, or Wild Earth for that matter. Early in Wild Earth history, this unknown fact caused much antagonism between a burgeoning Furthermoor City, and the supposed city of gold in the east, Fezco.

For while the Fez happened upon Bonsai and made friends with the wood elves, or so they thought, the humans knew nothing of them, and in contrast found themselves attacked by wood elves when attempting to establish a port in the swampland across the water from Furthermoor City. Though the Fez at that time divided their worship between that of the Sun and Set, it is quite clear they had great reverence and admiration for the wood elves, as many decorative Fezco reliefs show them greeting them as minor deities.

That Old Dream Green Man by Eric Whollem

One hundred and thirty seven years later Seven Moons appeared. In the far west of Wild Earth, the flickering of rainbow lightning could be seen off and on for a number of years, and during those years, chaos festered, finally spilling into the lands like no one had ever seen. After the great worms appeared, during the years of earthquakes, lawful beings in Furthermoor joined together to construct a wall, from the sea in the southwest, up to the northern icy reaches, just west of the Howling Moors. This division of Wild Earth took hundreds of years to complete and the lands west of the wall came to be known as Kush, land of Kushdar.

Eventually, wood elves found themselves fighting side-by-side with humans and other demi-humans, against evil forces such as orcs, goblins, undead, etc. It is also of note, that during the Fez Furthermoor War, the wood elves made no appearance for its entire seven year duration.

As elves, wood elves harbor the capacity for magic, however, not all of them tap into it. Holmes writes in his characters section, "some elves" have the advantage of "being able to work magical spells." Therefore, many wood elves don't know how to cast magic (90%), though they do have innate magical qualities.*

Appearance-wise, they're similar to high elves, though more rugged and wear foliage for dress, sometimes even wooden armor. A wood elf's skin is green, and as they age, they decline in height and size. The oldest known living wood elf, or elf in general, is the Old Elf/Man of Gold Mountain, said to be 4023 years old. In East Furthermoor, some of the Fez believe that the Old Man, along with a Spider and the Sun, created Wild Earth.

In woods, or near woods, wood elves are mostly invisible to the general eye and they gain surprise on 1-5 of 6, even against high, or half-elves. Also, within maelstroms of chaos, wood elves are able to bargain with ancient chaotic forces unlike lawful, neutral, or other chaotics. Though the lawful have never truly trusted wood elves, the chaotic fear them.

Magic fascinates elves, however, and if they have a weakness it lies in this desire. - AD&D DMG

These creatures are very reclusive and generally (75%) avoid all contact. Wood elves... are unusually strong for elves... but they are not quite as intelligent... They usually wear studded leather or ring mail (armor class 6) and fully 50% of any band is equipped with bows. Only 20% carry swords. 40% of wood elves use spears. - AD&D Monster Manual

When a group of 50 (or possibly fewer) is encountered, they will have a leader (fighter/magic-user) of 2-4 level/2-8 level ability. - Holmes, pg. 25

* There are times when a non-magic wood elf may do something magical effortlessly, without casting etc. More on this at another time, when perhaps wood elf PCs are an option.

HOLMENTZER HALFLINGS

HOLMENTZER HALFLINGS

Halflings are short, 3 feet high, little folk with several special abilities. Out-of-doors they are difficult to see, having the ability to vanish into woods or undergrowth. They are like dwarves in their resistance to magic.* Halflings are extremely accurate with missiles and fire any missile at +1. They can use all the weapons and armor of a fighting man as long as it is "cut down" to their size. - Holmes, pg. 7

Further specifics from Mentzer DMR, pg. 16:

A halfling character has special skills at hiding. This is because of the halfling's small size and ability to "freeze," or hold very still, not moving, for short periods of time. A halfling is also harder to hit when attacked by any creature larger than man-sized... [gaining] a bonus to their Armor Class.

* Holmentzer uses the Saving Throw Chart from inside the back cover of Mentzer Basic DMR, a chart by way of Cook Expert.

HALFLINGS IN FURTHERMOOR

Long ago, the largest community of halflings in Furthermoor was among the hills of Hoppling Downs, in NW Furthermoor, until the Shadow War took place nearby, in the zone now known as the Enchanted Waste. Today, the largest communities are the Halfling Ghetto within Furthermoor City & the hilly region of Duck Hill. Halflings are known for their excellence in the leisure arts, namely the brewing of beer & the growing of potent leaf.

THE GREAT CHURCH OF FURTHERMOOR

[main game bit below 2nd image]

from Holmes Basic equipment list

The Great Church was an early TSR D&D religion based on Christianity. For instance, in OD&D & Holmes Basic, Cleric "symbols" were crosses. Think Hammer Horror & Peter Cushing. I included the Great Church in Furthermoor b/c of Farned of the Great Church, an NPC used from an old module pre-gen. Now, we have Guerrand, a paladin of the Great Church, as well as he & Grego's quest to locate the book, Dark Genesis of the Great Church's Underside. I have no clue of the specifics of the old D&D Great Church (if there were any), except for Lawfulness, but I dig the possibilities. What follows is what the Great Church of Furthermoor stands for in Wild Earth. If you have any ideas to add, lemme know.

from R. Crumb's Genesis, as is below image

The Great Church believes humans were created on Wild Earth, in their God Jalopinet's likeness, w/ an origin similar to the traditional "Adam & Eve" story, in a garden called Eden, in East Furthermoor. Jalopinet, being all Lawful, created Adam & Eve to tend the garden, but tempted & drawn from its borders by strange fires & beings (Lizard Men, Troglodytes, etc.) created by something other than Jalopinet, Adam & Eve ventured from the garden, finding that as Jalopinet had warned them, once out, they were unable to go back in, a flaming & whirling sword blocking their path, three guardian beasts @ the sides. Soon, they were bound by the Lizard Men. It would be anywhere between one & thirteen years (stories differ) before they would escape the Lizard Men, traveling far into the west until coming upon a beautiful place to settle, north of a bay*. After much prayer to Jalopinet, pleading for forgiveness, Adam & Eve, & their children, received magical abilities daily, & as chaotic forces encroached on their settlement, they realized power in the Symbol of the Crossroads, a natural cross which had appeared as roads going N, E, W & S. Eventually, a few hundred years later, the largest, most grandiose church...the Great Church...was built @ this storied Crossroads.

As the bard Robert Johnson, from Avalon, once sang:

I went to the crossroad, fell down on my knees
I went to the crossroad, fell down on my knees
Asked the Lord above, Have mercy, now save poor Bob, if you please

*Many ancient books tell the tale of Adam & Eve's escape & flight & all of them speak of other demi-human races coming to their aid. Different tales tell of different friends, though all taken together, Adam & Eve had contact w/ most races of Wild Earth: Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, etc.