Chapter 1: Campaigns in tal'Dorei 27an advanced hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Some have ventured
down into the Dividing Plains to roam as nomadic raid-
ers, taking what they wish from the unprotected few, but
the sundering of the Herd of Storms (see the Gazetteer
of Tal’Dorei chapter) sent many wandering without pur-
pose—quite a few have turned to mercenary work along the
Lucidian Coast to regain their sense of belonging.
Others are sought for their unrivaled might and find a
home in bandit clans that ravage the Ruins of O’Noa or
the outskirts of Stilben. A small number of goliaths have
been taken under the wing of the wealthy elite and given
advanced study within Emon; some out of charity, others
for these nobles’ own cruel amusement.
Most other people of Tal’Dorei meet goliaths not with
animosity, but with curiosity. Many people of Westruun
are still apprehensive about dealing with goliaths because
of Kevdak and the Herd of Storms’ brief occupation of
their city, but they are doing their best to work through
their instinctive fears.
Half-Elves
Humans adore half-elven children. To them, it is not only a
great honor for a family to join their bloodline with that of
an elf, but it is also a point of patriotic pride, demonstrating
the strength of the bond between Syngorn and Tal’Dorei.
Yet for as long as the humans of Tal’Dorei have loved
their mixed-race children, the elves of Syngorn have looked
on them with contempt. They are called half-breeds, half-
bloods, or “ill-born.” They carry the shame of impurity and
the mark of lessened potential by diluting their supe-
rior, magical elven blood with that of humanity. That
a half-elf had no choice in the matter of their birth is
irrelevant; they are reviled all the same.
Few half-elves find prominence in Syngorn.
Many half-elven adventurers are wander-
ers not by choice, but
because are driven out
from the forest by their
peers. These adventur-
ers are often untrusting
of others because of their
trauma, especially if they were
cast out at a young age.
Half-elf vagabonds typically find a
home within the cities of Tal’Dorei, where
acceptance and even praise for their nature
is much more common. A surprising number
make their home within the sunless depths
of Kraghammer, finding kinship with the
dwarves in their mutual dislike of elven
society. Others still settle in the free
lands of the Rifenmist Peninsula,
among wild folk who don’t
care what’s in your blood,
so long as you can heft
a hatchet.
Half-Orcs
Humans do not care for half-orc children. In their eyes,
half-orcs are ugly, stupid, and destructive by nature—and
ultimately no different from their bloodthirsty orc parent.
Orcs have no love for their half-human progeny, either. To
an orc, a half-orc is weak, their lust for slaughter dulled by
the emotions and compassion of humanity.
Unloved by both parents, half-orcs must find ways to
survive in a world that cares nothing for them. They are pas-
sionate, driven, and eager to prove themselves—and it is not
uncommon for half-orcs to make trouble within the city slum
or orcish chasm they call home. Living in such opposition,
many half-orcs feel the urge to show their worth through
action, and exemplary half-orc heroes have risen throughout
history, renowned for their bravery and valor. The honor
heaped upon half-orc heroes of the Scattered War and more
recent conflicts has helped calm tensions in Tal’Dorei’s larger
and more accepting cities, but the outlying settlements still
meet half-orcs with disrespect and even open violence. As
such, most half-orcs beyond Emon are still found living on
the outskirts of human colonies and villages.
Some half-orcs reject humanity, having seen its ugliest
side. These half-orcs see both halves of their lineage as
equally monstrous; one side is just better at hiding it. They
wander the wilds with the primal herds of barbaric hunters,
like the Rivermaw of the Dividing Plains, using their brawn
to earn respect amongst their leaders. A tribe of rough-and-
tumble warriors called the Icewalkers patrols where the
northern edge of the Cliff keep Mountains meet the Never-
fields, hunting the beasts that dwell there. And
some choose to live among the orcs, hardened
and desensitized by their bestial family’s abuse.