Dunlainish
Arbiters of the Golden Lands
The continent of the Golden Lands has long been at war with itself, and its two largest belligerents - the Golden Khanate and the Golden Mountain, have long battled over supremacy of the gold rich mountains of the land. Yet, amidst the constant warfare and chaos, a new nation arose. Dunlain, as it came to be called, would be something different entirely. In a world of needless war and hate, they would rise to create a land of peace, love and order in the bloodstained Golden Lands.
It is easy to identify the Dunlainish in the simple framing as a neutral third party in the wars over the Golden Lands, but doing so is doing a disservice to the unique history, people and culture the Dunlainish have built. Coming from a heritage combined of man, dwarf, and orc, their quest for peace and order is unique among the other nations of Arda. They are lovers of stories, camaraderie, and chivalry, idolizing heroes the world over for valiant deeds and their belief in unity. Indeed, while most Dunlainish would love nothing more than to be able to tend to their fruitful farms and booming workshops, destiny has called many of them to take up their arms and talents in defense of their communities.
The Dunlainish comprise of three distinct groups who are bound by a common culture and desire for peace and prosperity in the Golden Lands. The first were men who were originally Romanoran settlers from the Golden Mountain, but dwarven oppression caused many to seek new homes outside dwarven territory, forming Dunlain. The second were the dwarves, some of which sought to leave the constant warfare and tyranny of the kings of the Golden Mountain. The last were orcs who settled from the Golden Khanate, many pushed from their lands by stronger tribes, or others simply seeking to live a peaceful and stable life that is hard to come by in the Khanate.
Adventurers: Dunlainish are the most common of adventurers in the Golden Lands. In Dunlain, adventurers are known as "Shepherds", after a famous folk legend of a brave and clever shepherd who saves his village from bandits. In Dunlain they take on the role of adventurer and knight-errant; traveling alone or in small groups to aid towns and villages in times of need. Such adventurers who do good deeds in this way can expect rewards from the king of Dunlain for their service. While being a Shepherd is a common pastime for adventurous Dunlainish, others bring their strength and integrity to the other nations of the Golden Lands, or even to the other nations of Arda.
For more information on the Dunlainish, see their main article here: Dunlain
Ability Score Modifiers: The Dunlainish are the trusted mediators in the Golden Lands, and their words carry weight. Even outside the negotiation table, the Dunlainish are known to be steadfast, and their unique perspective makes them wiser, but they are rarely nimble. They gain +2 Charisma, +2 Constitution or +2 Wisdom, and -2 Dexterity.
Base Speed: Humans have a base speed of 30 feet.
Languages: Dunlainish begin play speaking Dunlainish Common. Dunlainish with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Sylvan or Shadowspeak). See the Language in the Dragon's Domain page for more information about these languages.
Stability: The Dunlainish are a steadfast people. They gain a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.
Bonus Feat: Dunlainish select one extra feat at 1st level.
Arbiters of the Golden Lands: The Dunlainish are often called to arbitrate between the two warring states of the Golden Mountain and Golden Khanate. Once per day, Dunlainish can roll twice when making a Bluff or Diplomacy check and take the better roll.
Weapon Familiarity: In their battle for independence from the Golden Mountain, the Dunlainish often wielded the weapons of the dwarves against them. They are proficient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.
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In order to keep potential new ancestries balanced, I used a "race point" calculator in an effort to create equitable ancestries. For comparison, a non-variant human is 9 RP.
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Two Dunlainish Shepherds fighting side-by-side.
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Standard Ancestry Traits
Ability Score Modifiers: The Dunlainish are the trusted mediators in the Golden Lands, and their words carry weight. Even outside the negotiation table, the Dunlainish are known to be steadfast, and their unique perspective makes them wiser, but they are rarely nimble. They gain +2 Charisma, +2 Constitution or +2 Wisdom, and -2 Dexterity.
Base Speed: Humans have a base speed of 30 feet.
Languages: Dunlainish begin play speaking Dunlainish Common. Dunlainish with high Intelligence scores can choose any languages they want (except secret languages, such as Sylvan or Shadowspeak). See the Language in the Dragon's Domain page for more information about these languages.
Defense Ancestry Traits
Stability: The Dunlainish are a steadfast people. They gain a +4 racial bonus to their Combat Maneuver Defense when resisting a bull rush or trip attempt while standing on the ground.
Feat and Skill Ancestry Traits
Bonus Feat: Dunlainish select one extra feat at 1st level.
Arbiters of the Golden Lands: The Dunlainish are often called to arbitrate between the two warring states of the Golden Mountain and Golden Khanate. Once per day, Dunlainish can roll twice when making a Bluff or Diplomacy check and take the better roll.
Offense Ancestry Traits
Weapon Familiarity: In their battle for independence from the Golden Mountain, the Dunlainish often wielded the weapons of the dwarves against them. They are proficient with battleaxes, heavy picks, and warhammers, and treat any weapon with the word “dwarven” in its name as a martial weapon.
RP Calculation
In order to keep potential new ancestries balanced, I used a "race point" calculator in an effort to create equitable ancestries. For comparison, a non-variant human is 9 RP.
- Standard Ancestry Traits: 1 RP
- Defense Ancestry Traits: 1 RP
- Feat and Skill Ancestry Traits: 5 RP
- Offense Ancestry Traits: 2 RP
- Total: 9 RP
See Also
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