Rusted Blade

Traits
Vermin Heritage: Stoor have a prehensile tail that they can use to perform basic actions, if they possess the ambidexterity or dual wield skills they may choose to use their tail to make an attack instead of their off-hand. They also gain a +2 bonus to Scent Awareness rolls and a +1 bonus to Disease Resistance rolls.
Cosmopolitan: Stoor gain a +1 bonus to Hide, Sneak and all social skill rolls.
Appetite: Stoor require double rations of food each day, they can eat decaying food without penalty, every day that a Stoor does not receive double rations they receive a -1 penalty to all social rolls.
Twitchy: Stoor receive a -1 penalty to Courage rolls and a +1 bonus to Dodge and Jink rolls.

Lifespan and Morality
Stoor reach maturity between the ages 5 and 10. They die of old age between 30 and 50.

Religion
Stoor practice a shamanistic polytheist religion involving ritual sacrifices that disguises its principal gods as Saints.

Stoori Names
Stoor follow the naming conventions of whichever race they are co-habiting with, but amongst themselves adopt nicknames relating to their personal history and appearance.

Traits
Subterranean Survival: Dwarves possess Night Vision and gain a +1 bonus to Dark and Wound resistance.
Eidetic Memory: Dwarves gain an extra M point when they level up and gain a +1 bonus to Sight Awareness rolls.
Tunnel Fighting: Dwarves possess Point Blank and gain a +1 bonus to Axe, Pistol and Rifle rolls.
Water Phobia: Suffering any water damage causes fear to Dwarves.

Lifespan and Morality
Dwarves reach maturity between 20 and 30. They die of old age between 170 and 200.
Dwarves very rarely pursue the morality of chaos due to the extremely structured nature of their society.

Religion
Dwarves practice extensive polytheism, with small gods existing for literally everything that there is a word for in their society. For more encompassing concepts such as the stone or darkness around them they worship stylised personifications of the ideas, often with varying aspects depending on the current situation. In ancient history, early dwarves worshipped Negrath as the personification of living darkness, resulting in the decimation of their race.

Dwarven Names

Dwarves have a given name that follows a strict structure of suffixes
for males: -mir, -mor, -mar, -mnir, -kir, -kor, -kar, -tir, -thir, -vir, -vor, -var, -idr, -dir, -nir, -nar
for females: -hildr, -ira, -ina, -wyn, -lyn, -lief, -aesa, -gunnr, -isa, -aerdr, -dis, -drif, -hrun, -frun, -eig

These names will begin with the prefixes Ym- Mj- Bj- in isolated societies where no new ideas have recently been introduced.

They also have a Clan Name, which is often either a reference to a distinguishing physical or emotional characteristic of their extended family or to some historic event in the Clan’s ancient history. Religious themes are also prevalent, with stone, varying metals, blood and warfare being contributing features. Forsworn have no Clan name, they often go by names of their own inventions.

Traits
Hedonism: Drechen gain a +1 bonus to Whip Skill, Torture and Medicine rolls.

Magocracy: Drechen gain a +1 bonus to Arcane Spell rolls.
Longevity: Drechen gain a +1 bonus to all History rolls, suffer no ill effects due to age, to be permanently killed they must be beheaded or incinerated, otherwise they can be healed by normal means.

Lifespan and Morality
Drechen reach maturity between the ages of 80 and 90. They die of old age between 800-900.
They tend heavily towards Selfishness and Nihilism due to their society’s ambition endorsing and hedonistic values.

Religion
Drechen practice intense familial ancestor worship.

Drechen Names

Drechen have several names, their common name, which is used most freely, even with members of other races, is strictly structured around several suffixes.
For males those suffixes are: -eth -ian -ius -ianus -eus -aeus -eun -ion
For females those suffixes are: -eta -iel -ia -ine -ira -une -ae -eul -iana

Their first family name is used only amongst Drechen and is basically an abbreviated family history stretching back ten generations, detailing the positions of power and the achievements of the character’s ancestors. They are prohibitively long, used only at the most formal of occasions. They are composed of the ten ancestor’s common names, stripped of their suffix and run together into a single word with special emphasis placed on uniquely important ancestors, male Drechen use their male ancestors while female Drechen can pick and choose the best of both genders though it is considered very rude for them not to include their mother.

Their second family name is the house name, a Drechen’s ancestral property always bore a grandiose name relating to the view, its position, local history or local geography. Even if that property was lost centuries ago the name is carried on by the family that lived there through the ages. Bastards prefix their house name with Bar-.

Traits
Forest Survival: Farren gain a +1 bonus to Bow Skill, Poison Resistance, Charm Beast and Tracking rolls.
Fluid Forms: Farren gain a +1 bonus to Morph Spells and endure Morph spells for double the usual number of rounds.
Heightened Senses: Farren gain a +1 bonus to Hearing and Sight based Awareness rolls.
Fire Phobia: Suffering any fire damage causes fear to Farren.

Lifespan and Morality
Farren reach maturity between 20 and 30. They die of old age between 200 and 300.
They very rarely pursue the moralities of order or nihilism, their outlooks being so intent on freedom, appreciating natural beauty and pursuing their own interests.

Religion
Farren indulge in polytheistic totemic animal worship, a few lesser tribes worship demons within that same structure.

Farren Names

Farren have a given name from birth, similar in structure to Drechen forenames, with the same suffixes, but more fluid.

Farren also have a totem animal name, chosen when they reach maturity, normally phrased as a local animal.

Farren also introduce themselves as being of the forest located closest to their home or, in the case of travellers, of the forest located closest to where they were born.

Civilised Human Traits
Adaptable: Civilised Humans gain an extra 2 skill points when they level up.
Brave: Civilised Humans gain a +1 bonus to Courage rolls.
Faithful: Civilised Humans gain a +1 bonus to all Prayer and Miracle rolls.

Tribes Human Traits
Tundra Survival: Tribe Humans gain a +1 bonus to Cold Resistance, Tracking and Foraging rolls.
Primal Instincts: Tribe Humans gain a +1 bonus to all Awareness and Frenzy rolls.
Shamanism: Tribe Humans gain a +1 bonus to all Channel rolls.

Lifespan and Morality
Humans reach maturity between 15 and 20. They die of old age between 50 and 70.
They have no bias towards any particular morality

Religion
Civilised Humans almost exclusively belong to the Order of Saints or one of its heresies, the few who do not generally indulge in Atheism. Humans of the Tribes worship spirits and demons interchangeably.

Civilised Humans Names

Civilised Humans have a forename that is usually unique within their family, these names are drawn from local nobles, saints, historical figures and heroes of renown.

Civilised Human surnames are carried on by families. In the higher classes the family name is often tied to a historical family act or a local landmark. In the lower classes the family name is generally tied to a family trade, often one from generations ago that has since been lost to the family.

Tribes Human Names

Tribes Humans have a given name, provided at birth, usually something short and sharp with some dwarvish influence.

Tribes Humans also have an earned name, received after a singular great act, a distinctive injury or the development of an unusual appearance.

Tribes Humans also live in extended family units, tribes named after local history and myths.

Warriors are found at all levels in feudal society. Martial skills are expected of every member of the land owning nobility, used to support their nation’s sovereignty and to curb the ambitions of other noble houses. Lesser nobility like knights are defined almost entirely by their ability to fight for their masters and free commoners can find both a fortune and the possibility of advancement into the upper echelons of society through tournaments, serving as men at arms for their feudal masters and working as mercenaries and adventurers.

Rogues abound at every level of society, from the serf pickpockets that are a nuisance in every major city to the noble spies and assassins penetrating to the heart of every royal household. For nobility information is the true coin of the realm and for commoners robbery may seem the only way to earn enough to survive from day to day. A talented scoundrel will find himself sequentially employed by a variety of small time gangs, organised crime lords and eventually noble houses. Striking out on their own they will often find adventuring and treasure hunting to be an excellent source of income.

Exorcists are individuals who are treated with an even mix of fear and respect. Demons are an omnipresent danger in Nirvalla, one that must be held back and put down to preserve civilisation and that task falls to adventurers, who battle them for their own reasons and Exorcists who seek the monsters out and lay waste to them. Many of them draw a substantial wage from temples, other survive on the bounties that are paid for the killing of demons. They are the only religious figures that many people will encounter in their life, and even then only in the darkest of times. Using a combination of martial prowess and ancient rituals the Exorcists hold back the tides of darkness, for now.

Magicians occupy interesting positions in society, some live in a separate society answering to their own personal leaders and beliefs. Others pursue mystical power in lieu of martial prowess, wielding universal forces instead of raising armies. Some magicians serve in the luxury of noble households, others are itinerant healers without a possession to their name. You will find many a questing knight accompanied by an alchemist errant, many a village with a hedge witch selling cures and charms and every bastion of civilisation encircling a backbone of religious leaders.

A character’s morality is the guiding force in its life and personality, whether it be religious, indoctrinated or reached through observation.

Selfless Order: Seeks organisation, plans, laws and structure to benefit others.

Selfless Parity: Seeks benefit to others without prejudice towards order or destruction.

Selfless Nihilism: Seeks benefit to others despite the absence of meaning in their lives.

Selfless Chaos: Seeks disorder, freedom and the dissolution of authority to benefit others.

Selfless Destruction: Seeks the violent end of things to benefit others.

Zealous Order: Seeks organisation, plans, laws and structure for their own merits.

Zealous Parity: Seeks balance in all things without prejudice towards helping or harming others.

Zealous Nihilism: Seeks constant reinforcement of the absence of any meaning in their lives.

Zealous Chaos: Seeks disorder, freedom and the dissolution of authority for their own merits.

Zealous Destruction: Seeks the violent end of things for its own merits.

Selfish Order: Seeks organisation, plans, laws and structure to benefit themselves.

Selfish Parity: Seeks benefit to themselves without prejudice towards order or destruction.

Selfish Nihilism: Seeks benefit to themselves because of the absence of meaning in their lives.

Selfish Chaos: Seeks disorder, freedom and the dissolution of authority to benefit themselves.

Selfish Destruction: Seeks the violent end of things to benefit themselves.

As the core book is being lovingly prepared by our dire badger minions you can expect little sneak previews from time to time.

Archetype Previews:
Learn all about the core Archetypes and the vastly different characters that you can create from their unique skill lists.

Race Previews:
Catch a glimpse of the playable core Races. Marvel at the exotic beauties. Be amazed by their alien ways of thinking and even gain some insight into the politics of the Human race in the world of Nirvalha.

Skill Previews:
Learn what your skills can do for you, how you can unleash your powers and which end of the sword you should be poking that troll with.

Monster Previews:
Look, if you dare into the Bestiary tomes and gasp in horror at the creatures that you will find dwelling within.

And who knows how much more! Not us! Damned badgers!