Druunad (Goat Folk of the Steel Realms)

Hidden Knowledge > The Druunad of the Steel Realms are a mostly vanished race, long past their prime and relegated to a few pockets of stable population that are hidden from outsiders – they have worked to remove themselves from recorded history (their own history is almost unknown to outsiders or even their own people in many cases). They are not generally a playable race. The fate of the Amenti-Epyp and Druunad are intertwined by the awakened actions of Spiritus Helca itself.

@RP Impact: Druunad characters should be extremely rare. The are slightly xenophobic, small, cautious, and sound, look, and act in ways alien to most cultures (all face Cultural Stigma outside immediate allies and their own communities). They are powerful in many ways, but the real challenge is role-playing the character to the point of earning many of the starting and ongoing advantages inherent as part of this race. They have a tendency to never write anything down, its not part of their native means of communicating in Druunae.

Rise and Fall

The Drunnad are the ancient goat-people who once inhabited Helca sparsely in the time before The Time of the Tribes and the coming of The Celestine – a time they call the “Age of Grass” and their enemies refer to as “The Sun’s Eye”.

Now, they are surviving on the fringes of the surface with their natural camouflage skills and simplistic lifestyles and needs.

Voices of the Ancestors: The Druunad hear voices of ancestors inside them. Appear stoic and stubborn to keep control. When they focus on the ‘voices’, they can hear the wisdom they contain.

Simple and Spiritual: They are peaceful, venerating the principles of beast-lord Darupet and Gaia the all-mother (though they have their own name for them). They have no use for money and keep few material things, or do so collectively. The druids and those of the Wyld faith still remember them in legends, and occasionally the Drunnad will send one of their number to these trusted bands, but there is little contact now – a myth to most and a child’s tale of the heartlands. They are not warrior-like, and have no issue around fighting itself but shun its trappings when possible.

Guardians against The Deeping: Strong was their faith and powerful, and they guarded many a place where The Deeping threatened the lands above – for they were not affected by its effects and so made great guardians of the places where it touched. It seemed that The Deeping energy actually revitalized them, preventing their total population collapse. Now they control their numbers and live simply and easily in the background in a few places in the heartlands of the realms, where they help locals and the local shelter and ignore them. A favorite pastime amongst their youth is to delve down into The Deeping as far as they can go, to return with information about Orrish, Troll, Ducateon, Kobold, and other under-earth dwellers.

Description: Sturdy creatures that dwelt mostly outdoors, they resemble an upright goat with small, triple jointed 3 fingered hands. Covered in wiry hair and a beard, they have curled horns and hard heads they can butt with. Bright green and yellow eyes. Characters live up to 700 years, having a Long Life Thread.

d20 Raise Dead and equivalent/d20 Revivify and equivalent: Creatures with a Long Life Thread (ex: Elves) cannot be targeted by either of these spells (they simply fail) – it takes stronger spells to impact the character enough to bring them back from the dead.

Speech of Beast and Leaf: Plants and animals can understand them, even if they cnnot speak back directly.

• Vine Skin: The Druunad, when waiting in ambush or in observation, can whistle and whine local grass and vines to cover them to add to their stealth. When they move, the covering pulls away swiftly with a single whistle or whine, leaving them free to act. They are masters of camouflage and can live near other races while rarely being seen.

Fermented Repulsion: Cannot drink fermented things (smells vile) – only distilled or mead w/honey (gives them quite the buzz but wicked hangover).

Time Sensitive:

The Watchers of the Deep: Immune to effects of The Deeping and Nightmares.

Geography and Locales

They are prolific in mountains and hills and quiet places of the ‘Vale’ of Dunstrand (they have adopted its human name), as well as the smaller hills border mountain ranges all over the west. Dwarven know about them, but avoid them. Ducateon often form alliances with smaller communities to watch their Out-Holts – they are not in any competition as the Druunad carefully control their own population. They prefer temperate climes of the north heartlands – hence few are found outside there. While not xenophobic their communities are built well away from most commonly traveled humanoid lands.

Riverdan “Small Folk”: When the lords of the fallen east finally conquered Dunstrand’s Riverdan territories, they eventually discovered the Druunad and made peace with them. Though mythological now, the folk of the Riverdan constantly see them and have no fear of them. A pact of mutual alliance was made, for the Deeping was strong in Dunstrand’s lands and the Druunad taught many a scout the ways of The Deeping and its dangers. After the river lords lost power when the course of the Nanford River changed, they were hunted down by The Lightbringers and soon vanished into the shadows. The Deeping has grown stronger in Dunstrand now, and threatens in silence many of the old places.

Ancient Enmity: Long has their battle been with the Amenti-Apep (who rose up on Helca at the same time as them), also known to them as Seethlen – the snake people who retreated into The Deeping and the warmer climes. This race fought a bitter multi-thousand year war against their ancient enemies in the south in the The Nakreha – The Rise of Human Civilization. By the time of the Celestial Epoch, the enmity had virtually driven both extinct, leaving the humans to rule over the Southern Greatlands. The Nakrians called them “Vrunari” at that time, unable to fully pronounce the name they game themselves. There is a scent that these snake creatures leave behind that is so infuriating to the Drunnad that they are compelled to kill them – it is the scent of evil, an affront to mother Gaia.

Cultural Notes

The Drunnad believe in wasting nothing. Having their digestive system means they can eat just about anything and do; no waste = less remains to be found = easier to hide their presence. However, cannot drink fermented things (smells vile), only distilled or mead w/honey (gives them quite the buzz but wicked hangover). They are extremely community oriented, raising the young communally. They are organized in clans and tribes, very family oriented, and are able to communicate between each tribe over vast distances using a special dream-speak ability. They organize themselves in extended family bands and never marry from within their own band. They are VERY serious most of the time, but when revelry starts, they will be first inline. They are blunt and judgmental with a sarcastic and dry sense of humor, and despite the size and more passive outlook have a great deal of confidence. Although faith plays a key role to their people, but it is not dominant. They have no social status or formal education system; however they have a large volume of social events which serves to make them personal, open to meeting strangers, and sharing knowledge.

A few of them may be sent to assist with druidic intrigue, are friendly with the high King’s Rangers, and have an excellent relationship with Skaeling wherever they go – both share a love of social things, song and dance. There are fewer than a 100,000 left in all the Realms it is estimated.

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