Tome of Knowledge

Hudson · Site Admin

History of the Koehlia Drow
The Drow race was sculpted in the depths of the earth fighting an endless war against the goblins. This time was called "The First War". As the war neared its end and the battles took place near the surface of the earth one raiding party of 200 Drow were cut off from retreat back into the caves of the earth and were being beat back by the hordes of goblins and their allies the orcs. Unused to the terrain at the surface of the earth the elves flight brought many of them death and a few of them to the sea where as chance would have it a small crude fishing boat and a few humanoid crew were just setting out. The Drow party had been slaughtered during the engagement and flight and was down to 26 of the strongest, quickest, luckiest, and most skilled Drow in the party. The 26 Drow headed towards the boat and forced the humanoids to row out to sea where a storm was brewing. Their pursuers lost interest and went back to whatever it is goblins and orcs do with their dead captives.

The storm quickly overcame the boat and tossed the boat about in the ocean for many weeks. The crew of the boat became food and the Drow started to hear whisperings in their dreams, meditations, and a guiding hand through the storm. The voice was strongest in the minds and prayers of the clerics in the party. In these weeks the Dark Mother withdrew from the party and this new voice became the driving force and clerical power of the party. The elves by divine power directed the boat as the voice commanded and was carried to an Island they named Koelia.

Upon landing the Elves found refuge in a small collection of caverns under the cliffs on the West shores of Koelia. The 26 Drow were split between 2 Noble Houses 18 from the Dirtharnith House and 8 from the Aleanraheal House. The caverns where occupied by other races from the underdeep that they were familiar with and a new race they had never before seen the Svirfneblin (Deep Gnomes). This Drow quickly enslaved the Svirfneblin with little resistance and started to use them to create cities in the underdeep of this new land.

The night that they landed on this new island the clerics all had terrible dreams of a tall skeletal figure hunting down all of their loved ones and stalking each of them. The next night the voice that guided them through the storm returned and bid them to journey north to a place now known as Mairan's Crater. There they found the most beautiful Drow witch any of them have ever seen bound in the middle of a giant crater by magical bindings of sorts they'd never before seen. They knew instantly that the voice in their dreams, the guiding voice, was that of this magnificent being. The clerics approached the figure and instantly drew trancelike and started to chant in a language none of them knew. After days of endless chanting the clerics all fell to their knees exhausted and the bindings shattered. The female Drow stepped down from the platform where she had been bound and commanded the Drow and Svirfneblin that were present to prostate themselves before her. She announced that they would worship her and that they would know her as Wee Jas the Witch Goddess. She told them of another god that ruled this land named Nerull and that he was her enemy and the one that had imprisoned her here millennia ago.

In the years that pasted the Drow multiplied and prospered. From time to time Wee Jas would return and demand war against humanoid an subhuman followers of Nerull on the island. The Drow experienced an explosive repopulation in the years that Wee Jas would visit them and their populations grew. Wee Jas is a demanding goddess who expects obedience from her followers. She is a Lawful Neutral goddess and the Koehlia Drow over the years have shifted and developed in different way than the other Drow of the world. No contact from High Elves and Humans until lately they developed in the mold and making of the Witch Goddess. The social societies and Matriarch led Nobility was embraced by Wee Jas and has continued and thrived as the anchor of their society.

Available PC Races
Drow
Svirfneblin (Deep Gnome)
Gnoll

Drow Racial Traits
• +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, +2 Charisma
• Medium Size
• A Drow's base land speed is 30 feet.
• Immunity to sleep spells and effects and a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.
• Darkvision out to 120 feet.
• Spell resistance equal to 11 + class level.
• +2 racial bonus on Will saves against spells and spell-like abilities.
• Spell-Like Abilities: Drow can use the following spell-like abilities once per day: dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire. Caster level equals the drow's class level.
• Weapon Proficiency: A Drow is automatically proficient with the hand crossbow, the rapier and the short sword.
• +2 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. A Drow who merely passes within 5 feet of a secret or concealed door is entitled to a Search check to notice it as if she were actively looking for it.
• Automatic Languages: Drow, Undercommon.
• Languages that can be learned: Gnoll, Gnome, Abyssal, Draconic, Sign Language, Goblin.
• Light Blindness: Abrupt exposure to bright light (such as a sunlight or daylight spell) blinds Drow for 1 round. On subsequent rounds, they are dazzled as long as they remain in the affected area.
• Favored Class: Sorcerer (male), Cleric (female)

Svirfneblin (Deep Gnome) Racial Traits
• -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -4 Charisma
• Stonecunning: This ability grants Deep Gnomes a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice unusual stonework. A deep gnome who merely comes within 10 feet of unusual stonework can make a Search check as though actively searching, and can use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can. A Svirfneblin can also intuit depth, sensing the approximate distance underground as naturally as a human can sense which way is up.
• Darkvision out to 120 feet and low-light vision.
• Spell resistance equal to 11 + class levels.
• +2 racial bonus on all saving throws.
• Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against illusion spells cast by Svirfneblin. This adjustment stacks with those of similar effects, such as the Spell Focus feat.
• +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against kobolds and goblinoids.
• +4 dodge bonus to Armor Class against all creatures.
• Automatic Languages: Gnome, Drow, Undercommon.
• Languages that can be learned: Gnoll, Abyssal, Draconic, Goblin, Kobold, Orc.
• Spell-Like Abilities: 1/day – Blindness/deafness (typical save DC 13), blur, disguise self. Caster level equals the Svirfneblin class level. The save DC is Charisma-based and include a +4 racial modifier.
• Non-detection: A Svirfneblin has continuous non-detection ability as the spell (caster level equal to class levels).
• +2 racial bonus on Craft (alchemy) and Listen checks.
• +2 racial bonus on Hide checks, which improves to +4 underground.
• Favored Class: Rogue.

Gnoll Racial Traits
• +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Charisma
• Size Medium.
• A gnoll’s base land speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision out to 60 feet.
• 2d8 additional Hit Dice at creation
• Natural Weapon: Bite
• Base saving throw bonuses of Fort +3, Ref +0, and Will +0.
• +5 racial spot bonus
• +5 racial survival bonus
• +5 racial listen bonus
• Extraordinary ability: Scent
• +1 natural armor bonus.
• Automatic Languages: Gnoll, Undercommon.
• Languages that can be learned: Drow, Abyssal, Draconic, Goblin, Kobold, Orc, Giant.
• Favored Class: Ranger.

Character Starting Level
Characters will start the game at level 3. Level adjustments will not be used. If a character joins the game after start they will begin half a level behind the average player character level or 3 whichever is higher.

Available PC Classes
Cleric
Fighter
Monk
Ranger
Rogue
Sorcerer
Wizard
Beguiler
Dragon Shaman (Black, Blue, Green, Red, White)
Duskblade
Dread Necromancer
Diabolist
(Prestige Classes, Expanded Classes or something else can be considered too. Just let me know what you want to do and we’ll see if we can make it happen.)

Evil and the Drow
While the culture and society of the Drow seam undeniably wicked to an outside observer, most Drow do not consider themselves evil. Rather, they see the surface races as weak, while they are strong. They have been hardened in the kiln of the Underdeep for millennia, a trial which has made them able to survive in the hostile world they inhabit. They have become as they are in order to endure; they have survived where others would not. Even acts that would horrify an outsider are not commonly viewed as evil among the Drow. Slavery, torture, sacrifice, all are performed on non-Drow, or upon Drow who have done something which in the eyes of their fellows merits such treatment. 'Let those who would judge us spend an age of the world in the underdeep first' sums up the Drow's dismissive thoughts of the opinions of outsiders.

The Noble Houses
Religion plays an extremely important role in the lives of the Drow in all aspects of their lives but it is not the sole driving force behind Drow society and culture. Only slightly less important than religion are the Noble Houses. The Dirtharnith House and the Aleanraheal House are the only two noble houses on Koehlia. There are lesser families that have for one reason or another been removed from the Noble Houses and make up the lower class. The increased fertility that Wee Jas has bestowed on these Drow and their lust for sexual rituals and outright orgies has grown the Drow population on Koehlia to nearly ten thousand spread between two major cities each controlled by one of the major houses. Some smaller undertowns spread about the island are the homes of lower classes or families that have been exiled. Some of the smaller undertowns are deliberate extensions of the major houses for power or wealth. There is a mock government with very little if any power that the two houses have created and indulge each other with. The third political power in Koehlia Drow culture is a religious sect called the Firannash. Drow can not seek to become a Firannash the Firannash pick their members and the people they pick either join or are accused and found guilty of blasphemy against Wee Jas and a heathen worshiper of Nerull. When a Drow joins the ranks of the Firannash they seize to be a member of a House and are simply known as one of the Firannash. The Firannash are political powers but do no work in the open and accusing the Firannash of meddling in politics would be dangerous at best.
The religious expectations and strictly lawful nature of Wee Jas has had its mark in Koehlia Drow culture. Outright violence between Drow in the form of outright murder or warfare is nearly non-existent and is outlawed by both houses, at least in the open and truly outlawed by the religion. There are some unexplained deaths or irrationally explained deaths in the power struggles within Houses and between Houses. The Drow have adopted political maneuvering as their main weapon within House politics but have also a formal dueling ring in all undertowns and undercities. Here Drow can duel each other in a “lawful” manner to resolve disputes.
The Drow concept of House differs somewhat from how surface races would define the term. For example, the Drow differentiate between a House and Noble House, though the second is always part of the first. The Noble House is that segment of the House with all the power and all the control, usually a single small family. Yet the cousins of that family, also members of the greater House may be toiling away in the lower rungs of society, with little hope of anything better and certainly no hope of any help from their wealthy cousins. The closer related to the Noble family a Drow is the higher the standing of the Drow.
The Dirtharnith House holds the most power and has the greatest population by about 2 to 1 over the Aleanraheal House. The major ruling House of the southern undercity of Dukash is the Aleanraheal while the western undercity of Solyth is ruled by the Dirtharnith House.

House Aleanraheal
• +2 bonus to all Knowledge (religion) checks. Drow of House Aleanraheal are exceptionally familiar with all elements of worship of the Witch Goddess.
• +2 bonus to all Fortitude saves against poison. Constant exposure to gases and poisons in the caverns that make up Dukash have bestowed a natural resistance to poison.
• -2 penalty on all Diplomacy checks. The average member of House Aleanraheal generally spends less time studying politics than they do religion.
• House Skill: Knowledge (religion)

House Dirtharnith
• -2 bonus to all Knowledge (religion) checks. Drow of House Dirtharnith generally spend less time studying religion than they do politics.
• +2 bonus to all gather information checks. Drow of House Dirtharnith are required to attend schooling were they are specifically taught to gather information by listening and observing their surroundings.
• +2 bonus on all Diplomacy checks. The average member of House Aleanraheal generally spends more time studying politics than they do religion.
• House Skill: Gather Information, Diplomacy

Koehlia Drow Aging
Child: 1-99
Adult: 100-799
Elder: 800-1999
Old Age: >2001

Turning 101 does not make a Drow an adult in Koehlia Drow culture. The Drow must finish their schooling and take their final tests which often include the use of the chosen skills/powers in deadly combat against the terrors of Koehlia. After successfully completing the tests the Drow is introduced into Drow society with a religious ceremony and celebration.

The oldest recorded Drow died at the age of 2512 from a lost duel interestingly enough he also held the Executor title within the Firannash.

Travel and the Koehlia Drow
The island of Koehlia doesn't have the completely interconnected underdark as much of the world they knew before was. The Koehlia Drow have adapted to the new environment by incorporating beasts as both flying mounts and over ground mounts as well as beasts of burden.

Available Mounts:
• Large Bats - Are used for single rider transportation in larger areas of the underdark and above ground during the night. These bats take many years to train by an experienced handler and cost a lot of money. Large bats are suicidal to take into battle as they become unpredictable and throw riders often to their death.
• Rapters - is an aggressive yet trainable bi-pedal reptile. They are used for single rider transportation in smaller areas of the underdark and above ground land travel. Rapters are great as military mounts and are used by all ranks in society.

Available Beasts of Burden:
• Pysector - Is a large docile reptile with a flat shell on it's back. The Drow fasten the shell with a permanent container sometimes completely enclosed with doors and other times open compartments. Farmers, merchants, and the military use Pysectors.

Campaign Rule Modifications
• Characters are given an extra 30 skill points to spend on Knowledge skills.
• Material (M) components are all changed to Focus (F) for spell casting.
• Teleportation and planar travel spells are disallowed for the campaign.
• Items and spells that allow the transportation of incredible amounts of anything are disallowed for the campaign.

Additional Feats

Shadow Form [General]:
Prerequisite - Ability to cast 3rd level Necromancy spells.
Benefit - Can take shadow form as a free action caster level / 2 times per day. Shadow form lasts 1 minute per class level. While in shadow form the character is incorporeal, is immune to critical hits, and can fly at a speed of 100 feet (good).

Hudson · Site Admin

Religious Leaders and Government Council Members for House Aleanraheal
High Priestess - Eámanë Aleanraheal
Priestess - Itarillë Anwarünya-Aleanraheal
Priestess - Lúthien Súrion
Priestess - Tári Aleanraheal
Priestess - Táranis Aleanraheal

House Aleanraheal Noble Family
Eámanë Aleanraheal – Female Cleric (Age: 1041)
Itarillë Anwarünya-Aleanraheal – Female Cleric (Age: 1038)
Amrod Calmcacil-Aleanraheal – Male Sorcerer (Age: 214)

Surviving Children

Tári Aleanraheal – Female Cleric (Age: 542)
Tathar Aleanraheal – Male Sorcerer (Age 542)
Camthalion Aleanraheal – Male Warrior (Age: 525)
Maglor Aleanraheal – Male Warrior (Age: 525)
Táranis Aleanraheal – Female Cleric (Age: 509)
Lenwë Aleanraheal – Male Cleric (Age: 509)
Amor Aleanraheal – Female Cleric (Age: 115)
Merenwen Aleanraheal – Female (Age: 45)
Elbereth Aleanraheal – Female (Age: 45)

Other notable members of House Aleanraheal
Lúthien Súrion – Female Cleric (Age: 981)
Angaráto Aleanraheal-Súrion – Male Cleric (Age: 979) Brother of Eámanë

Surviving Children

Erestor Súrion – Male Wizard (Age: 530)

Hudson · Site Admin

Religious Leaders and Government Council Members for House Dirtharnith
High Priestess -
Priestess -
Priestess -
Priestess -
Priestess -
Priestess -
Priestess -
Priestess -

House Dirtharnith Noble Family

Surviving Children

Hudson · Site Admin

Firannash

Command Structure
Lord Captain Commander – Golradir (Male Sorcerer Age: 1034)
Lord Captain – Mablung (Male Fighter Age: 702)
Lord Captain – Calanor (Male Rogue Age: 701)
Lord Captain – Emahnë (Female Cleric Age: 503)
Lord Captain – Anwamanë (Female Diablist Age: 634)
Holy Guard – Lessien (Female Dread Necromancer Age: 430)
Holy Guard – Maeglin (Male Duskblade Age: 415)
Executor – Samodred (Male Rogue Age: 1475)

The Firannash were created by WeeJas as the personal protectors of her church. The Firannash are run like a military organization with the Lord Captain Commander at the head. Lord Captains report directly to the Lord Captain Commander. There are only ever two Firannash with the rank of Holy Guard. The Holy Guard are tasked with the protection of the Lord Captain Commander and act as his personal body guard and are expected to take their own lives if anything should happen to the Lord Captain Commander. The Holy Guard report directly to the Executor. The Executor holds a position of power that allows him to veto the decisions of the Lord Captain Commander. However, the executor can issue no direct orders to the Lord Captains. The Executor is tasked to protect the church from the Lord Captain Commander. Nothing is known how the Firannash pick or promote within their structure. There has been three Lord Captain Commanders previous to Golradir’s rein and one other Executor since WeeJas instituted the Firannash. How the command structure works beyond Lord Captains is also unknown and the members of the Firannash are also unknown and kept secret. Your sister could be a Firannash and you wouldn’t know.

Hudson · Site Admin

Added Gnoll as a player class.

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