The People

As far as civilizations go, the world of Plague of Metal is calm; there are no wars spanning half the globe, no widespread humanitarian crises. All that exists is occasional conquering, empires and kingdoms rising and falling, peoples travelling and resettling. The world of Plague of Metal is also a diverse one, with many cultures and races around the globe, each mainly inhabiting their
own country or continent but interacting and mixing often through trade, travel, and adventure, leaving no culture isolated.

Races

    All the races that live in the world of Plague of Metal
are also the races that are available as player characters.
This means, however, that many other races that
exist in Dungeons and Dragons canon but not in
this adventure are not available to be played
(sorry Gnome enthusiasts).

The following races are available to be played
and exist throughout the world of Plague of
Metal:

Aarakocra are gregarious birdfolk who often
journey from their warm-weather homes as
scouts and explorers.

Dragonborn are humanoids descended
from dragons, with fearful appearances but
deep devotions to their culture.

Dwarves are hardy, long-living humanoids
that dwell in impressive kingdoms carved
from mountainsides.

Elves are slender, graceful humanoids
with affinities for magic and the natural world.

Gnoll are nomadic hyenafolk with a
penchant for trickery but a fierce loyalty to clan
and kin.

Half-Elves are outsiders of both elven and
human ancestry who struggle to fit in with either
community.

Halflings are diminutive humanoids who favor
peace and the home over monsters and armies.

Half-Orcs are headstrong people with orc ancestry who aim to prove themselves and their worth to the judgemental rest of the world.

Humans are short-lived, physically diverse and highly adaptable people with widely varying tastes and abilities.

Orcs are fearsome people with a strong sense of identity and a tendency to keep to themselves and their own.

Tabaxi are curious catfolk who often journey from their homeland in search of treasures.

Non-Player Characters

What continent the player characters are on affects the races of the non-player characters they might run into; for example, it would be far more likely to encounter a Tabaxi merchant in Tchitl than it would be in Llwany.

Aarakocra

Perched precariously on palm trees that dot the island nations of the east, aarakocra watch over their balmy, tropical lands with sharp eyes and wits. Though the bustle of the outgoing ships at port and the endless possibilities in foreign nations often call to the birdfolk, they have one eye on the sky wherever they go, knowing that the stars will always lead them home. Aarakocra are scouts, merchants, sailors, and shamans, but first and foremost proud birdfolk.

Beak and Feather

From below, aarakocra look much like large birds. Only when they descend to roost on a branch or walk across the ground does their humanoid appearance reveal itself. Standing upright, aarakocra might reach 5 feet tall, and most have long, narrow legs that taper to sharp talons.

Feathers cover their bodies. Their plumage often determines which subrace they belong to. Their heads complete the avian appearance, resembling that of several different birds also depending on subrace.

Aarokocra prefer minimal clothing, but often adorn their feathers with small bits of jewelery or cloth. Such things also often denote rank in a tribe.

Confidence and Curiosity

Aarakocra are proud to be such, and are always working to make sure the appearance of both themselves and their homes is enough to impress; like birds, they preen their feathers fastidiously and can often be found rearranging sticks in their huts with an air of perfectionism. Also like birds, birdfolk are curious about the world around them, and can often be found poring over or hoarding shiny objects.

Aarakocra, in interactions with other races, often struggle with the idea of ownership; aarakocra tribal communities share their land and their resources, and naturally, no one owns the sky. Aarakocra who live closer to humans and other races grasp this concept slightly more easily, but are also just as likely to offer free food and shelter to someone in need. This attitude can be dangerous, however, when birdfolk get tempted by shiny things and simply steal them.

Island Paradise

Aarakocra primarily live on and originated from the island nation and continent of Wat-Nmey in the southeast. There they live in tribes of multiple families, dwelling in huts made of wood and straw when weather is bad or in nests perched atop palm trees. The aarakocra on Wat-Nmey make a living through fishing, farming, weaving, and trading with the larger island of Fomal-Rak in the Taliean continent. Most aarakocra were born and raised on Wat-Nmey, but almost all of them travel to Fomal-Rak at some point in their lives; young birdfolk go to open shops and take advantage of the country's status as a popular tourist destination. Some families even choose to raise young children there, in a more multicultural and economically booming enivronment.

Rhythm and Adventure

Aarakocra enjoy the peace and lack of turbulence of their island home, and are taught growing up that the rest of the world is far less forgiving, plagued with huge monsters and fighting. For this reason, many birdfolk live their whole lives having only travelled as far as Fomal-Rak, maybe even reaching Adhanin or Dzibania on the Taliean mainland as part of a merchant trip. The rhythm of life for the aarakocra is slow, steady, and calming, in beat with the tides of the ocean that surrounds them.

Also for this reason, however, many birdfolk feel a calling away from home; they long to get out of the monotonous rhythm of their home and their people and to see the rest of the world they have only heard about in fables. Some aarakocra even find delight in travelling further and further from the nest in search of shiny and valuable things to adorn their houses and bodies with. As a peaceful people, aarakocra often have no reason to get involved in other nations' squabbles and wars, and try to stay uninvolved as long as possible.

The birdfolk most likely to begin a life of adventure are those who live on Fomal-Rak, as merchants, fishermen, or sailors. Many start by making merchant or fishing trips across the sea to Adhanin or other countries and then, having gained a newfound curiousity of the world, quit their old profession to start a new one as an adventurer either solo or alongside other former merchants or sailors of various races.

Aarakocra Names

As with much of their speech, aarakocra names include clicks, trills, and whistles to the point that other peoples have a difficult time pronouncing them. Typically, a name has two to four syllables with the sounds acting as connectors. When interacting with other races, aarakocra may use nicknames gained from people they meet or shortened forms of their full names.

An aarakocra of any gender may have one of these short names: Aera, Aial, Aur, Deekek, Errk, Heehk, Ikki, Kleeck, Oorr, Ouss, Quaf, Quierk, Salleek, Urreek, or Zeed.

Friends and Colleagues

Aarakocra are gregarious by nature, and often have no trouble getting along with other races, though some pose more of a problem than others.

Gnoll. Gnoll are scavengers, and often squabbles arise between them and birdfolk over small, shiny treasures found on adventures.

Tabaxi. Tabaxi are extremely efficient hunters, often making attempts to scare aarakocra by sneaking up on them and feigning an attack.

Humans. Humans and aarakocra get on well diplomatically speaking, but many aarakocra dislike the boasting and superiority complexes of many humans.

Aarakocra Traits

As an aarakocra, you have traits in common with your people, adaptations that have formed over centuries of island life.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.

Age. Aarakocra reach maturity by age 6. Compared to humans, aarakocra don’t usually live longer than 60 years.

Alignment. Most aarakocra are good and rarely choose sides when it comes to law and chaos. Tribal leaders and warriors might be lawful, while explorers and adventurers might tend toward chaotic.

Size. Aarakocra are about 5 feet tall. They have thin, lightweight bodies that weigh between 80 and 100 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Flight. You have a flying speed of 50 feet. To use this speed, you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor.

Talons. You are proficient with your unarmed strikes, which deal 1d4 slashing damage on a hit.

Language. You can speak, read, and write Common, Aarakocra, and Auran.

Subrace. Four main subraces of aarakocra populate the world of Plague of Metal: puffins, cassowaries, kakapo, and secretaries. Choose one of these subraces.

Puffins

As a puffin, you have a lot of goodness in a small package. Puffins are extremely gregarious and fiercely loyal, with their friendly relationships often progressing from "just acquaintances" to "ride or die best friends" in a very short period of time. In addition, puffins are small and light, with powerful wings to carry them through the often high winds of the Wat-Nmey eastern coastline.

Puffins often have black and white feathers with distinctive orange and red beaks. Their eyes are usually black.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.

Size. Puffins are about 3 to 4 feet tall, weighing between 50 and 60 pounds. Your size is Small, rather than Medium, giving you disadvantage to attack with heavy weapons.

Flight. As with most aarakocra, you have a flying speed of 50 feet while wearing light or no armor; however unlike other subraces, puffins also have a flying speed of 40 feet while wearing medium armor if proficient.

Lucky. When you roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can re-roll the die and must use the new roll.

Cassowaries

As a cassowary, you have a strong and independent personality, and far more likely to fight than to ever take flight. You are likely not the most social creatures, but tolerate the presence of others. Cassowaries are strong and often times frightening, a trait that some take advantage of. Their hardiness is a boon when blazing new, potentially dangerous trails through jungle or other biomes.

Cassowaries have mainly black feathers on their body, with blue on their faces and a large, hard crown atop their heads. Their eyes appear anywhere from deep red to pale orange.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.

Speed. Your long legs increase your base walking speed to 35 feet.

Flight. You have wings, but are flightless.

Talon Kick. Your
unarmed Talon strikes
instead do 1d6 piercing
damage on a hit.

Natural Armor. You have a
natural armor bonus of +1. When
unarmored, your AC is equal to 10 +
your natural armor bonus + your
dexterity modifier.

Frightening Presence. Your mere
presence can terrify those around you; you have proficiency in Intimidation checks.

Kakapo

As a kakapo, you are small and quiet, highly adept at sneaking through the forest unseen. Kakapo are largely nocturnal and often make good trail guides and wayfinders. They are also proficient at scaling trees, making up for their lack of flight ability. They tend to avoid conflict whenever possible, and are often successful in doing so due to their ability to hide.

Kakapo have primarily speckled green and brown plumage, to camoflage in their forest homes, and flat, round faces. Their eyes are usually black.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Size. Kakapo are about 3 to 4 feet tall, weighing between 50 and 60 pounds. Your size is Small, rather than Medium, giving you disadvantage to attack with heavy weapons.

Speed. Your strong leg muscles increase your base walking speed to 35 feet.

Flight. You have wings, but are flightless.

Darkvision. You have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Nimble. You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.

Tree Climber. Your tree climbing abilities give you a bonus to athletics checks.

Naturally Stealthy. You can attempt to hide even when you are obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than you.

Secretaries

As a secretary, you are deeply loyal to your biological or chosen family (or both) but have an innate distrust of outsiders. Secretaries are resilient, and often proud of their abilities to fend for themselves. Their grace and beauty is often envied by other subraces and species. Secretaries' resilience serves them well in the occasionally-unforgiving grasslands.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 1.

Talon Stomp. Your unarmed Talon strikes do 1d6 bludgeoning damage instead.

Poison Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.

Dragonborn

Born of dragons, as their name proclaims,
the dragonborn walk proudly through a
world that greets them with fearful
incomprehension. Shaped by draconic gods
or the dragons themselves, dragonborn
originally hatched from dragon eggs as a unique
race, combining the best attributes of dragons
and humanoids. Some dragonborn are priests
and religious figures, others warriors and
protectors of their homelands, and still others
find themselves adrift, with no clear calling
in life.

Proud Dragonkin

Dragonborn look very much like dragons standing erect in humanoid form, though depending on their subrace, they may lack wings. The first dragonborn had scales of vibrant hues matching the colors of their dragon kin, but generations of interbreeding have created a more uniform appearance. Their small, fine scales are colored ranging from bright red, green, blue, white, or lustrous black, to gleaming metallic gold, silver, brass, copper, bronze, or copper-green. They are typically tall and strongly built, often standing about 6 feet tall and weighing 250 pounds. Their hands and feet are strong, talonlike claws with three fingers and a thumb on each hand.

Self-Sufficient Clans

To any dragonborn, the clan is more important than life itself. Dragonborn owe their devotion and respect to their clan above all else, even the gods. Each dragonborn’s conduct reflects on the honor of his or her clan, and bringing dishonor to the clan can result in expulsion and exile. Each dragonborn knows his or her station and duties within the clan, and honor demands maintaining the bounds of that position. A continual drive for self-improvement reflects the self-sufficiency of the race as a whole. Dragonborn value skill and excellence in all endeavors. They hate to fail, and they push themselves to extreme efforts before they give up on something. A dragonborn holds mastery of a particular skill as a lifetime goal. Members of other races who share the

same commitment find it easy to earn the respect of a dragonborn. Though all dragonborn strive to be self-sufficient, they recognize that help is sometimes needed in difficult situations. But the best source for such help is the clan, and when a clan needs help, it turns to another dragonborn clan before seeking aid from other races—or even from the gods.

Dragonborn Names

Dragonborn have personal names given at birth, but they put their clan names first as a mark of honor. A childhood name or nickname is often used among clutchmates as a descriptive term or a term of endearment. The name might recall an event or center on a habit.

Male Names: Arjhan, Balasar, Bharash, Donaar, Ghesh. Heskan, Kriv, Medrash, Mehen, Nadarr, Pandjed, Patrin, Rhogar, Shamash, Shedinn, Tarhun, Torinn

Female Names: Akra, Biri, Daar, Farideh, Harann, Flavilar, Jheri, Kava, Korinn, Mishann, Nala, Perra, Raiann, Sora, Surina, Thava, Uadjit

Childhood Names: Climber, Earbender, Leaper, Pious, Shieldbiter, Zealous

Clan Names: Clethtinthiallor, Daardendrian, Delmirev, Drachedandion, Fenkenkabradon, Kepeshkmolik, Kerrhylon, Kimbatuul, Linxakasendalor, Myastan, Nem monis, Norixius, Ophinshtalajiir, Prexijandilin, Shestendeliath, Turnuroth, Verthisathurgiesh, Yarjerit

Dragonborn Traits

Your draconic heritage manifests in a variety of traits you share with other dragonborn.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.

Age. Young dragonborn grow quickly. They walk hours after hatching, attain the size and development of a 10-year-old human child by the age of 3, and reach adulthood by 15. They live to be around 80.

Alignment. Dragonborn often tend to extremes, making a conscious choice for one side or the other in the cosmic war between good and evil. Dragonborn who grew up safe and sound usually grow to be good, but dragonborn often antagonized by the fearful and intolerant outside world usually grow more towards evil.

Size. Dragonborn are taller and heavier than humans, standing well over 6 feet tall and averaging almost 250 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Draconic Ancestry. You have draconic ancestry. Choose one type of dragon from the Draconic Ancestry table. Your breath weapon and damage resistance are determined by the dragon type, as shown in the table.

Breath Weapon. You can use your action to exhale destructive energy. Your draconic ancestry determines the size, shape, and damage type of the exhalation. When you use your breath weapon, each creature in the area of the exhalation must make a saving throw, the type of which is determined by your draconic ancestry. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. A creature takes 2d6 damage on a failed save, and half as much damage on a successful one. The damage increases to 3d6 at 6th level, 4d6 at 11th level, and 5d6 at 16th level. After you use your breath weapon, you can’t use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Damage Resistance. You have resistance to the damage type associated with your draconic ancestry.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Draconic. Draconic is thought to be one of the oldest languages and is often used in the study of magic. The language sounds harsh to most other creatures and includes                    numerous hard consonants and sibilants.

Subrace. Two main subraces of dragonborn populate the world of Plague of Metal: wingkind and serpentkind. Choose one of these subraces.

Wingkind

As a wingkind dragonborn, you are strong and boastful. Wingkind dragonborns crave excitement and power and are usually inclined towards adventuring and fighting. They usually come across as highly intimidating due to their signature large wings and frightening dragon-esque traits.

Wingkind dragonborns are reminiscent of Western dragons of Earthly folklore, except bipedal. Their ancestry is exclusively chromatic.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.

Gliding. Your wings allow you to negate fall damage from any height, and allow 10 ft of forward travel for every 5 ft of descent, at a speed of 40 ft. However, you cannot glide wearing medium or heavy armor.

Natural Armor. You have a natural armor bonus of +1. When unarmored, your AC is equal to 10 + your natural armor bonus + your dexterity modifier.

Draconic Ancestry - Wingkind

Dragon	Damage Type	Breath Weapon
Black	Acid	5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save)
Blue	Lightning	5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save)
Green	Poison	15 ft. cone (Con. save)
Red	Fire	15 ft. cone (Dex. save)
White	Cold	15 ft. cone (Con. save)

Serpentkind

As a serpentkind dragonborn, you are reserved yet judgemental. Serpentkind dragonborns are more naturally inclined towards magic, and favor law and diplomacy over war and fighting. They are not usually regarded as as threatening as their winged cousins.

Wingkind dragonborns are reminiscent of Eastern dragons of Earthly folklore, except bipedal. Their ancestry is exclusively metallic.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Innate Magic. You know the Dancing Lights cantrip.

Lucky. When you roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can re-roll the die and must use the new roll.

Draconic Ancestry - Serpentkind

Dragon	Damage Type	Breath Weapon
Brass	Lightning	5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save)
Bronze	Acid	5 by 30 ft. line (Dex. save)
Copper	Poison	15 ft. cone (Con. save)
Gold	Fire	15 ft. cone (Dex. save)
Silver	Cold	15 ft. cone (Con. save)

Dwarf

A kingdom rich in ancient grandeur, halls carved into the roots of mountains, the echoing of picks and hammers in deep mines and blazing forges, a commitment to clan and tradition, and a burning hatred of goblins and orcs—these common threads unite all dwarves.

Short and Stout

Bold and hardy, dwarves are known as skilled warriors, miners, and workers of stone and metal. Though they stand well under 5 feet tall, dwarves are so broad and compact that they can weigh as much as a human standing nearly two feet taller. Their courage and endurance are also easily a match for any of the larger folk.

Dwarven skin ranges from deep brown to a paler hue tinged with red, but the most common shades are light brown or deep tan, like certain tones of earth. Their hair, worn long but in simple styles, is usually black, gray, or brown, though paler dwarves often have red hair. Male dwarves value their beards highly and groom them carefully.

Long Memory, Long Grudges

Dwarves can live to be more than 400 years old, so the oldest living dwarves often remember a very different world. This longevity grants them a perspective on the world that shorter-lived races such as humans and halflings lack.

Dwarves are solid and enduring like the mountains they love, weathering the passage of centuries with stoic endurance and little change. They respect the traditions of their clans, tracing their ancestry back to the founding of their most ancient strongholds in the youth of the world, and don't abandon those traditions lightly.

Individual dwarves are determined and loyal, true to their word and decisive in action, sometimes to the point of stubbornness. Many dwarves have a strong sense of justice, and they are slow to forget wrongs they have suffered. A wrong done to one dwarf is a wrong done to the dwarf’s entire clan, so what begins as one dwarf’s hunt for vengeance can become a full-blown clan feud.

Clans and Kingdom

The dwarven kingdom of Deneber stretches deep beneath the mountains where the dwarves mine gems and precious metals and forge items of wonder. They love the beauty and artistry of precious metals and fine jewelry, and in some dwarves this love festers into avarice. Whatever wealth they can’t find in their mountains, they gain through trade. They dislike boats, so enterprising humans and halflings frequently handle trade in dwarven goods along water routes.

The chief unit of dwarven society is the clan, and dwarves highly value social standing. Even dwarves who live far from the kingdom cherish their clan identities and affiliations and invoke their ancestors’ names in oaths and curses. To be clanless is the worst fate that can befall a dwarf.

Dwarf Names

A dwarf’s name is granted by a clan elder, in accordance with tradition. Every proper dwarven name has been used and reused down through the generations. A dwarf who misuses or brings shame to a clan name is stripped of the name and forbidden by law to use any dwarven name in its place.

Male Names: Adrik, Baern, Dain, Einkil, Flint, Kildrak, Oskar, Tordek, Ulfgar

Female Names: Artin, Bardryn, Dagnal, Falkrunn, Finellen, Ilde, Riswynn, Sannl, Vistra

Clan Names: Balderk, Dankil, Gorunn, Loderr, Rumnaheim, Torunn

Dwarf Traits

Your dwarf character has an assortment of inborn abilities, part and parcel of dwarven nature.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2.

Age. Dwarves mature at the same rate as humans, but they’re considered young until they reach the age of 50. On average, they live about 350 years.

Alignment. Most dwarves are lawful, believing firmly in the benefits of a well-ordered society. They tend toward good as well, with a strong sense of fair play and a belief that everyone deserves to share in the benefits of a just order.

Size. Dwarves stand between 4 and 5 feet tall and average about 150 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Your speed is not reduced by wearing heavy armor.

Darkvision. Accustomed to life underground, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Dwarven Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.

Dwarven Combat Training. You have proficiency with the battleaxe, handaxe, throwing hammer, and warhammer.

    

Tool Proficiency. You gain proficiency with the artisan’s tools of your choice: smith’s tools, brewer’s supplies, or mason’s tools.

Stonecunning. Whenever you make an Intelligence (History) check related to the origin of stonework, you are considered proficient in the History skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Dwarvish. Dwarvish is full of hard consonants and guttural sounds, and those characteristics spill over into whatever other language a dwarf might speak.

Subrace. Two main subraces of dwarves populate the worlds of D&D: hill dwarves and mountain dwarves. Choose one of these subraces.

Hill Dwarf

As a hill dwarf, you have keen senses, deep intuition, and remarkable resilience.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Dwarven Toughness. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.

Mountain Dwarf

As a mountain dwarf, you're strong and hardy, accustomed to a difficult life in rugged terrain. You’re probably on the tall side (for a dwarf), and tend toward lighter coloration.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.

Dwarven Armor Training. You have proficiency with light and medium armor.

Elf

Elves are a magical people of otherworldly grace, living in the world but not entirely part of it. They live in places of ethereal beauty, in the midst of ancient forests or in silvery spires glittering with faerie light, where soft music drifts through the air and gentle fragrances waft on the breeze. Elves love nature and magic, art and artistry, music and poetry, and the good things of the world.

Slender and Graceful

With their unearthly grace and fine features, elves appear hauntingly beautiful to humans and members of many other races. They are slightly shorter than humans on average, ranging from well under 5 feet tall to just over 6 feet. They are more slender than humans, weighing only 100 to 145 pounds. Males and females are about the same height, and males are only marginally heavier than females.

Elves’ coloration encompasses the normal human range and also includes skin in shades of copper, bronze, and almost bluish-white, hair of green or blue, and eyes of gold or silver. Elves have no facial and little body hair. They favor elegant clothing in bright colors and simple yet lovely jewelry.

A Timeless Perspective

Elves can live well over 700 years, giving them a broad perspective on events that might trouble the shorter-lived races more deeply. They are more often amused than excited, and more likely to be curious than greedy. They tend to remain aloof and unfazed by petty happenstance. When pursuing a goal, however, whether adventuring on a mission or learning a new skill or art, elves can be focused and relentless. They are slow to make friends and enemies, and even slower to forget them. They reply to petty insults with disdain and to serious insults with vengeance.

Elves are flexible in the face of danger. They trust in diplomacy and compromise to resolve differences before they escalate to violence. They have been known to retreat from intrusions into their woodland homes, confident that they can simply wait the invaders out. But when the need arises, elves reveal a stern martial side, demonstrating skill with sword, bow, and strategy.

Hidden Woodland Realms

Most elves dwell in small forest villages hidden among the trees, or in a few larger cities. Elves hunt game, gather food, and grow vegetables, and their skill and magic allow them to support themselves without the need for clearing and plowing land. They are talented artisans, crafting finely worked clothes and art objects. Their contact with outsiders is usually limited, though a few elves make a good living by trading crafted items for metals.

Elves encountered outside their own land are commonly traveling minstrels, artists, or sages. Human nobles in Adhanin often compete for the services of elf instructors to teach swordplay or magic to their children.

Elf Names

Elves are considered children until they declare themselves adults, and before this period they are called by child names. On declaring adulthood, an elf selects an adult name. Each elf’s adult name is a unique creation, though it might reflect the names of respected individuals or other family members. Little distinction exists between male names and female names; the groupings here reflect only general tendencies. In addition, every elf bears a family name, typically a combination of other Elvish words.

Child Names: Ara, Del, Eryn, Fael, Mella, Naeris, Syllin, Thia, Vall

Adult Names: (Male) Aelar, Arannis, Berrian, Hadarai, Ivellios, Laucian, Paelias, Quarion, Theren; (female) Adrie, Andraste, Birel, Enna, Felosial, Meriele, Silaqui, Theirastra, Valanthe

Family Names: Amakiir, Galanodel, Holimion, Ilphelkiir, Liadon, Meliamne, Nailo, Siannodel, Xiloscient

Elf Traits

Your elf character has a variety of natural abilities, the result of thousands of years of elven refinement.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age. Although elves reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, the elven understanding of adulthood goes beyond physical growth to encompass worldly experience. An elf typically claims adulthood around the age of 100 and can live to be 750 years old.

Alignment. Elves love freedom, variety, and self-expression, so they lean strongly toward the gentler aspects of chaos. They value and protect others' freedom as well as their own, and they are more often good than not.

Size. Elves range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 35 feet.

Darkvision. Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Keen Senses. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Elf Weapon Training. You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.

Mask of the Wild. You can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena.

Gnoll

Feared yet respected, gnolls are intimidating hyenafolk who live as nomadic merchants and mercenaries, travelling the desert in search of work before moving on. Gnolls are scavengers by nature, often picking up things others have discarded or left behind in order to hoard or sell them. Though gnolls are largely respectable and diplomatic people despite their fearsome appearances, they are also said to have short tempers that can explode at a moment's notice. Most gnolls prefer to keep their tempers at bay, but some use it to their advantage, becoming explosive, unstoppable forces in battle.

Demons of Legend

Some legends trace the origin of the gnoll to the demon prince Yeenoghu. Known as the Beast of Butchery and Ruler of Ruin, Yeenoghu sought to spread his hand across the mortal world by creating an army that would sow discord and terror across civilized lands.

Yeenoghu took a few of his mightiest and most savage demons and fed them to a pack of mortal hyenas. The essence of the demons fused with the animals, and their children were the first of the gnolls—fierce humanoid creatures combining the traits of cunning hyena and vicious fiend. Yeenoghu charged the gnolls to spread horror in his name, bathing the lands in blood and bringing suffering to all things unfortunate enough to cross paths with the Children of Yeenoghu.

This is the tale many humans and halflings tell their naughty children—"behave or the gnolls from the south will eat you!" Whether it is truth or mere legend, it is easy to see the inspiration for the myth. A gnoll looks much like a humanoid hyena and shares many traits with the animal, including its haunting laughter. And while it may have held truth in antiquity, the gnolls of present day resent the tale, claiming it portrays a civilized and culture-rich people as anything but.

Pack Animals

All gnolls share certain traits. There is a strong, instinctive bond between gnolls of the same bloodline. Gnoll clans

can and do fight one another, and they see struggles for dominance within a clan, but pack mentality is a powerful force within gnoll life. This is reflected in battle: Gnolls are pack hunters who work together to bring down their prey, ganging up on an enemy instead of striving for individual glory.

Though the stereotype of gnolls, inspired by stories of old, is that they are bloodthirsty creatures that mercilessly track down and torture their prey in Yeenoghu's name, this stereotype is reflected only in small cults on the fringe of gnoll society. Most gnoll, especially in civilized areas, worship the local pantheon rather than Yeenoghu, and regard their neighboring races with both apprehension and respect.

Children of Yeenoghu

Cultists of Yeenoghu, though few in number, are exactly as the old legends portray them; bloodthirsty and savage, cunning and vicious, reminiscent of demons. They more often than not have a chaotic evil alignment, driven by a religious fervor-fueled desire to shed blood and spread chaos. Such gnolls have long been ostracized from the rest of the race, banished to the most uninhabitable regions of the desert.

     With prey animals few and far between, cultists of Yeenoghu wander the frontiers and fringes of civilized nations in search of prey. They attack any traveler or settlement they believe they can defeat, and the only people who survive such an attack are those taken as prey. For the gnolls of Yeenoghu, cruelty and bloodshed are a source of joy and a reason for living. They have no interest in conquest. They don’t seek honor or glory. They revel in the hunt and kill.

The pack instinct of the gnoll remains strong among the cultists of Yeenoghu, and they rarely turn on their own. However, this loyalty doesn’t extend to other gnolls. Should a cult of Yeenoghu come upon another clan of gnolls, odds are good that they treat it like any other potential prey; the lessons of the Ruler of Ruin are hard and bloody.

Rebuilding a Reputation

Despite the infamy of the cultists of Yeenoghu, most gnolls reject those members of their race and have instead been working for decades to try and clear their own good names. These gnolls, who make up the large majority of the race, reject Yeenoghu's savage teachings and instead worship the local pantheon, getting along fine with the other races nearby them, and often becoming merchants, selling antiquities and rare things they find while scavenging in the sand to travellers and merchants from other lands.

Gnolls are much more likely to hunt wild beasts than civilized creatures, and they take no joy in torture or unnecessary cruelty. These gnolls still love the thrill of the hunt, especially when tracking together with others of their pack; it is this that keeps them tied to the nomadic life, instead of settling down to form static communities. But they do not attack peaceful villages without serious provocation. They love to hunt and track—not to slaughter.

Such gnolls usually come to terms with the humans, halflings, or settlers who share their lands, and they might sell their services as trappers or hunters. Although they trade with members of other species, gnolls prefer the company of their own kind. While they do not kill peaceful travellers who come to their camps, neither do they make them feel entirely welcome; while they are not always quick to anger, a visitor to a gnoll camp would be wise to mind his manners.

Friendly Intimidation

Other races typically find that even friendly gnolls seem aggressive. When performed correctly, gnolls do not consider intimidation to be a hostile act; instead, the speaker is asserting its strength and seeking to establish its place in the pack hierarchy. One of the simple ways that this comes across is that a gnoll almost never makes requests; when possible, it makes demands, or at the least firm statements. Instead of “Can I help you?” the gnoll says “Tell me what you want!”—pushing the target to take action.

Tooth and Claw

Gnolls tower over humans, with the average gnoll standing over 7 feet tall. Despite their physical strength, gnolls are lean; gnolls are rarely musclebound, and they move with remarkable speed. Their eyes are bright green or yellow, and gleam whenever they catch the light. Gnolls are covered with a thick coat of fur, which generally ranges from light to dark brown; depending on the subrace, this might be broken up by stripes or spots. A number of gnoll bloodlines have members who possess crestlike manes of hair that run from the head and down the spine; these rise up when gnolls are frightened or angry.

Gnoll Names

Gnoll names are reminiscent of the vocalizations of the hyenas which they resemble; they are harsh and sound like a bark or growl. Many young gnoll also have nicknames, based on physical characteristics, that distinguish them from the other members of the family with similar-sounding names.

Male Names: Dagnyr, Doryc, Brycn, Ghyrryn, Mognyr, Thyrn, Yrych

Female Names: Cylr, Gnara, Hyra, Lhyrl, Malgna, Shyrla, Tarnyra

Nicknames: Broken Tooth, Eye Spot, Blue Eyes, Six Toes, Loud Laugh, Scar Nose

Gnoll Traits

As a gnoll, your hyena heritage manifests in a variety of different ways, all of which you share with your gnoll brethren.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2.

Age. Gnolls mature quickly and live short yet full lives. They tend to mature by age 6 or 7, and live to be about 60.

Alignment. Gnolls are sometimes, though certainly not always, chaotic, both a cause and an effect of their nomadic lifestyle. Gnolls that settle down into towns tend to be closer to neutral, while gnolls that are cultists of Yeenoghu are almost always chaotic evil.

Size. Gnoll are large and imposing, averaging around 300 pounds and 7 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. You have a hyena's keen senses, especially in the dark. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Bite. Your sharp teeth are natural weapons, which can be used to make unarmed strikes. If you hit with it, you deal piercing damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier.

Frightening Presence. Your mere presence can terrify those around you; you have proficiency in Intimidation checks.

Languages. You can read, speak, and write Common and Gnoll.

Subrace. Two main subraces of tabaxi populate the world of Plague of Metal: spotted and striped. Choose one of these subraces.

Spotted Gnoll

As a spotted gnoll, you are robust and intelligent. Spotted gnolls are highly gregarious, living in large clans with up to 80 members. Spotted gnolls are, as their name suggests, covered in spots. They are not easily frightened, especially when in numbers.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.

Mimicry. You can mimic a variety of animal sounds and humanoid voices. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful Wisdom (Insight) check against your spellcasting modifier (Charisma).

Brave. As a spotted gnoll, you are a force to be reckoned with yourself, and as a result you have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

Striped Gnoll

As a striped gnoll, you prefer to move under cover of darkness. Striped gnolls are less gregarious, living instead in small family groups of about 7 to 10 members. Striped gnolls are covered in stripes rather than spots, unlike their spotted cousins. Also unlike the spotted gnolls, striped gnolls almost always prefer "flight" as opposed to "fight".

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Play Dead. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead, and are considered to be hiding until you move or attack. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Half-Elf

Walking in two worlds but truly belonging to neither, half-elves combine what some say are the best qualities of their elf and human parents: human curiosity, inventiveness, and ambition tempered by the refined senses, love of nature, and artistic tastes of the elves.

Some half-elves live among humans, set apart by their emotional and physical differences. Others live with the elves, growing restless as they reach adulthood in the timeless elven realms. Some half-elves, choose lives of solitary wandering or join with other misfits and outcasts in the adventuring life; others form their own communities of half-elves, able to fit in with each other by standing out from others.

Of Two Worlds

To humans, half-elves look like elves, and to elves, they look human. In height, they’re on par with both parents, though they’re neither as slender as elves nor as broad as humans. They range from under 5 feet to about 6 feet tall, and from 100 to 180 pounds, with men only slightly taller and heavier than women. Half-elf men do have facial hair, and sometimes grow beards to mask their elven ancestry. Half-elven coloration and features lie somewhere between their human and elf parents, and thus show a variety even more pronounced than that found among either race. They tend to have the eyes of their elven parents.

Tight-Knit Community

Most half-elves rarely set foot into elven or human lands once they reach adulthood and leave their childhood home; instead, they either choose to wander as merchants, diplomats, or adventures, or they settle down in communities of their own, on the island of Zau.

Half-elf families and individuals are extremely close to one another, fitting in by having in common the fact that they rarely fit in elsewhere. They often raise their children as a community, and provide for each other by sharing food and shelter when someone has none. Often when new, young half-elves arrive in Zau for the first time, they are greeted with open arms and treated like a member of the family.

Half-Elf Names

Half-elves raised in Zau have their own naming conventions, as a way of reclaiming their own identity seperate from being human or elven.

Male Names: Adonis, Deimos, Endymion, Hektor, Kepheus, Lykos, Menelaus, Okeanos, Patroklos

Female Names: Antigone, Astraea, Circe, Hekabe, Iokaste, Kalypso, Nausikaa, Nemesis, Theia

Half-Elf Traits

Your half-elf character has some qualities in common with elves and some that are unique to half-elves.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2, and two other ability scores of your choice increase by 1.

Age. Half-elves reach adulthood around the age of 20. They live much longer than humans, often exceeding 180 years.

Alignment. Half-elves tend to be chaotic; they value both personal freedom and creative expression.

Size. Half-elves are 5 to 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. Thanks to your elf blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Skill Versatility. You gain proficiency in 2 skills of your choice.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common, Elvish, and one extra language of your choice.

Halfling

The comforts of home are the goal of most halflings' lives: a place to settle in peace and quiet, far from marauding monsters and clashing armies; a blazing fire and a generous meal; fine drink and fine conversation.

Though most halflings live out their days in widespread agricultural communities or in small towns in the countryside, others form nomadic bands that travel constantly, lured by the open road and the wide horizon to discover the wonders of new lands and peoples. But even these wanderers love peace, food, hearth, and home, though home might be a wagon jostling along an dirt road or a raft floating downriver.

Small and Practical

The diminutive halflings survive in a world full of larger creatures by avoiding notice or, barring that, avoiding offense. Standing about 3 feet tall, they appear relatively harmless and so have managed to survive for centuries. They are inclined to be stout, weighing between 40 and 45 pounds.

Halflings’ skin ranges from tan to pale with a ruddy cast, and their hair is usually brown or sandy brown and wavy. They have brown or hazel eyes. Halfling men often sport long sideburns, but beards are rare among them and mustaches even more so. They like to wear simple, comfortable, and practical clothes, favoring bright colors.

Halfling practicality extends beyond their clothing. They’re concerned with basic needs and simple pleasures and have little use for ostentation. Even the wealthiest of halflings keep their treasures locked in a cellar rather than on display for all to see. They have a knack for finding the most straightforward solution to a problem, and have little patience for dithering.

Kind and Cautious

Halflings are an affable and cheerful people. They cherish the bonds of family and friendship as well as the comforts of hearth and home, harboring few dreams of gold or glory. Even adventurers among them usually venture into the world for reasons of community, friendship, wanderlust, or curiosity. They love discovering new things, even simple ones.

Pastoral Pleasantries

Most halflings live in small, peaceful communities with large farms and well-kept groves. Others live in small towns on the shore of a lake. They have no central kingdom and typically don’t recognize any sort of halfling nobility or royalty, instead looking to family elders to guide them. Some halflings live among other races, mainly hill dwarves, where the halflings’ hard work and loyal outlook offer them abundant rewards and creature comforts. Some (though few) halfling communities travel as a way of life, driving wagons or guiding boats from place to place and maintaining no permanent home.

Halfling Names

A halfling has a given name and a family name. Family names are often nicknames that stuck so tenaciously they have been passed down through the generations.

Male Names: Ander, Corrin, Eldon, Finnan, Lyle, Merric, Milo, Roscoe, Wellby

Female Names: Andry, Bree, Callie, Cora, Lavinia, Merla, Nedda, Trym, Vani

Family Names: Brushgather, Greenbottle, High-hill, Tealeaf, Thorngage, Tosscobble, Underbough

Halfling Traits

Your halfling character has a number of traits in common with all other halflings.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.

Age. A halfling reaches adulthood at the age of 20 and generally lives into the middle of his or her second century.

Alignment. Most halflings are lawful good. As a rule, they are good-hearted and kind, hate to see others in pain, and have no tolerance for oppression. They are also very orderly and traditional, leaning heavily on the support of their community and the comfort of their old ways.

Size. Halflings average about 3 feet tall and weigh bout 40 pounds. Your size is Small.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet.

Lucky. When you roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.

Brave. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

Halfling Nimbleness. You can move through the space of any creature that is of a size larger than yours.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Halfling. The Halfling language isn’t secret, but halflings are loath to share it with others. They write very little, so they don’t have a rich body of literature. Their oral tradition, however, is very strong. Almost all halflings speak Common to converse with the people in whose lands they dwell or through which they are traveling.

Subrace. The two main kinds of halfling, lightfoot and stout, are more like closely related families than true subraces. Choose one of these subraces.

Lightfoot

As a lightfoot halfling, you can easily hide from notice, even using other people as cover. You’re inclined to be affable and get along well with others.

Lightfoots are more prone to wanderlust than other halflings, and often dwell alongside other races or take up a nomadic life.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.

Naturally Stealthy. You can attempt to hide even when you are obscured only by a creature that is at least one size larger than you.

Stout

As a stout halfling, you’re hardier than average and have some resistance to poison. Some say that stouts have dwarven blood.

Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1.

Stout Resilience. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.

Half-Orc

In the dawn of civilization, whether united under the leadership of a single king or having fought to a standstill after years of conflict, orc and human tribes sometimes formed alliances, joining forces into a larger community. When these alliances were sealed by marriages, half-orcs were born. Over the centuries, half-orcs have risen to become a formidable race of their own. Some half-orcs rise to become proud chiefs of orc tribes, their human blood giving them an edge over their full-blooded orc rivals. Others, cast out from the orc mainland, find tentative solace and community amongst a mix of half-orcs and other races. Many of these half-orcs grow to become clan leaders, and if not, adventurers, where they achieve greatness across the lands for their mighty deeds and notoriety for their somewhat barbaric customs and intimidating appearances.

Scarred and Strong

Half-orcs’ sloping foreheads, jutting jaws, prominent teeth, and towering builds make their orcish heritage plain for all to see. Half-orcs stand between 6 and 7 feet tall and usually weigh between 180 and 250 pounds.

Full orcs regard battle scars as tokens of pride and ornamental scars as things of beauty. Other scars, though, mark an orc or half-orc as a disgraced exile or social outcast. Any half-orc who has lived among or near orcs has scars, whether they are marks of humiliation or of pride, recounting their past exploits and injuries. Such a half-orc living among humans might display these scars proudly or hide them in shame. Half-orcs living in communities of their own kind do not hide their scars, but do not flaunt them either; they are just facts and products of life.

Human-Blooded

Half-orcs are, as their name suggests, only half orc; human blood still runs strongly through their veins. Though some so-called half-orcs may not be exactly half-and-half—the children

of two half-orcs are, for convenience, called half-orcs as well—they have all retained some of the physical characteristics of their human ancestors.

Half-orcs in the present day world usually result from a union of an orc from the nation of Tzame and a human from the neighboring country of Llwany; as a result, all half-orcs have the characteristic green to gray colored orc skin, though often slightly warmer colored due to their human heritage. Descendents of pale-skinned humans from Llwany are also often paler than their orc cousins. Half-orcs of Llwanian descent also often have hair ranging from dark red to a lighter brown and eyes usually green, grey, or rarely, blue.

The Mark of Gruumsh

The one-eyed god Gruumsh is said to have created the orcs, and even those full-blooded orcs who turn away from his worship often can’t fully escape his influence. The same is true of half-orcs, though their human blood moderates the

impact of their orcish heritage. Some half-orcs hear the whispers of Gruumsh in their dreams, calling them to unleash the rage that simmers within them. Others feel Gruumsh’s exultationwhen they join in melee combat—and either exult along with him or shiver with fear and loathing. Half-orcs, like full orcs are not evil by nature, but evil does lurk deep within them, whether they embrace it or rebel against it.

Beyond the rage of Gruumsh, half-orcs feel emotion powerfully. Rage doesn’t just quicken their pulse, it makes their bodies burn. An insult stings like acid, and sadness saps their strength. But they laugh loudly and heartily, and simple bodily pleasures—feasting, drinking, wrestling, drumming, and wild dancing—fill their hearts with joy. They tend to be short-tempered and sometimes sullen, more inclined to action than contemplation and to fighting than arguing. The most accomplished half-orcs are those with enough self-control to get by in a community of outsiders.

Island of Misfits

Not many half-orcs get the priviledge of living among full-blooded orcs; doing so is reserved for the most ferocious and competent of half-orc warriors, tribal leaders, or diplomats. Half-orcs who serve as orc tribal leaders and warriors often reject their humanity, obeying Gruumsh's call and making their primary goal to honor their orcish heritage and religion. Half-orc diplomats, on the contrary, put work into acting as "civilized" as possible with the goal of visiting foreign lands and, more often than not, conducting espionage and gathering information to take back to the orcs at home.

Half-orcs who are not necessarily as strong or diplomatically talented, who fail to honor their heritage, or who are seen as "too human" are rejected from the orc mainland, exiled to find a home elsewhere. A small few find homes in the human communities of Llwany, and others turn to a life of wandering or adventuring around the world, but many settle down on the island of Emeter. Populated by mainly half-orcs, as well as outcasts and misfits of many other races, half-orcs can thrive on the island without fearing the often-violent tempers of orc war chiefs or tribal leaders.

Half-Orc Names

Half-orcs are usually born with names appropriate to the culture of the parent that raises them. A half-orc who wants to fit in among orcs might trade an human name for an orc name. Half-orcs raised on Emeter have their own naming conventions, where their names are often combinations of orc and human names.

Full-Orc Names: (Male) Feng, Gell, Holg, Imsh, Krusk, Mhurren, Thokk; (female) Emen, Kansif, Myev, Ownka, Shautha, Volen, Yevelda

Half-Orc Names: (Male) Aireng, Gonall, Hovelg, Krernay, Mhacnell, Owysh, Tierokk; (female) Aisif, Gwyolen, Kavinka, Mavmen, Meylma, Shauvis, Yevieve

Half-Orc Traits

Your half-orc character has certain traits deriving from your orc ancestry.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.

Age. Half-orcs reach adulthood around age 14 and rarely live longer than 80 years.

Alignment. Half-orcs inherit a tendency toward chaos from their orc parents, and are not necessarily inclined towards good, especially half-orcs living with full-blooded orcs.

Size. Half-orcs are larger and bulkier than humans, and they range from 5 to well over 6 feet tall. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. Thanks to your orc blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Menacing. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.

Relentless Endurance. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Savage Attacks. When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon , you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice again and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Orc.

Human

Humans are often regarded as one of the youngest of the races, short-lived in comparison to dwarves, elves, and dragons. Perhaps it is because of their shorter lives that they strive to achieve as much as they can in the years they are given. Or maybe they feel they have something to prove to the elder races, and that’s why they boast and build up their civilizations as much as possible. Humans embellish first, and try to live up to those embellishments later, but are often surprisingly successful at reaching their goals.

Variety in All Things

Humans are the most adaptable and ambitious people among the races. They have varying tastes, morals, and customs in the different lands where they have settled. An individual human might have a relatively short life span, but a human nation or culture preserves traditions with origins far beyond the reach of any single human’s memory. They live fully in the present—making them well suited to the adventuring life—but also plan for the future, striving to leave a lasting legacy. Individually and as a group, humans are adaptable opportunists, and they stay alert to changing political and social dynamics.

Lasting Institutions

Where a single elf or dwarf might take on the responsibility of guarding a special location or a powerful secret, humans found sacred orders and institutions for such purposes. While dwarf clans and halfling elders pass on the ancient traditions to each new generation, human temples, governments, libraries, and codes of law fix their traditions in the bedrock of history. Humans dream of immortality, but (except for those few who seek undeath or divine ascension to escape death’s clutches) they achieve it by ensuring that they will be remembered when they are gone.

Exemplars of Ambition

Humans who seek adventure are the most daring and ambitious members of a daring and ambitious race. They seek to earn glory in the eyes of their fellows by amassing

power, wealth, and fame. More than other people, humans champion causes rather than territories or groups.

Human Names and Ethnicities

Being more widespread across the planet than other races, humans as a whole have no typical names. Some human parents give their children names from other languages, such as Dwarvish or Elvish (pronounced more or less correctly), but most parents give names that are linked to their region’s culture or to the naming traditions of their ancestors.

Generally, the material culture and physical characteristics of humans vary a fair amount from region to region. While some ethnicities tend to have certain physical characteristics, however, any human can look any way no matter where they live.

     In the world of Plague of Metal, there are three countries humans primarily inhabit, so there are three ethnicities of human.

Adhani

The oldest, most populous and most variable human ethnicity, Adhanis can have skin ranging from pale in the north to more tan in the south, though all live within the country of Adhanin. They tend to have hair from red to brown, of various textures, with any possible eye color.

Adhani Names: (Male) Augustus, Cato, Cassius, Gaius,

Hadrian, Maximus, Octavius; (female) Aurelia, Caelia,

Demora, Floriana, Iovita, Marcella, Porcia; (surnames)

Caecina, Damasippus, Demetrias, Nero, Pera, Silanus,

Varus

Fomal-Raken

The second-youngest of the human ethnicities, descended from the group of Adhani humans from the mainland who settled in Fomal-Rak centuries ago. Living in a warmer and sunnier climate gives the Fomal-Raken tan to dark brown skin. Their hair is usually brown or black, with eyes commonly black or brown.

Fomal-Raken Names: (Male) Aleki, Haunui, Ka'aukai,

Kahale, Makai, Manuka, Tuala; (female) Aolani, Emele,

Halona, Kamakani, Lokelani, Nohea, Tasi, Tiaho;

(surnames) Kahele, Kaiwi, Kapule, Mahelona, Mahoe,

Palakiko

Llwanian

The youngest of the human ethnicities, Llwanians are descended from the royal family of Adhanin, having travelled northwest to settle Llwany. After centuries of living in the north, Llwanians are often more pale than Adhanis, with hair usually ranging from red to blonde, and eyes commonly blue, green, or gray.

Llwanian Names: (Male) Airic, Donall, Ferghus, Harvey,

Maccus, Owyn, Tiernay; (female) Aife, Caomh, Genevieve,

Gwyndolin, Mavis, Selma; (surnames) Kelly, Griffin, Moran,

Quinn, Reid, Whelan

Human Traits

It’s hard to make generalizations about humans, but your human character has these traits.

Ability Score Increase. One ability score of your choice increases by 2, and another of your choice increases by 1.

Age. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.

Alignment. Humans tend toward no particular alignment. The best and the worst are found among them.

Size. Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. Humans typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects. They are fond of sprinkling their speech with words borrowed from other tongues: Orc curses, Elvish musical expressions, Dwarvish military phrases, and so on.

Skills. You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice.

Tools. You gain proficiency in one set of tools of your choice.

Orc

Ferocious, fearless, and full of religious fervor; stereotypes of orcs as bloodthirsty cultists were close to the truth in antiquity. In the present, the conquering days of orcs are over, though some say the orcs will still never be satisfied until they rule the world. Most of orc society is ruled by devotion to their god Gruumsh, and many orcs are born and die in the orc homeland of Tzame. A rare few orcs are struck with a wanderlust which compels them to leave their homes and travel to other lands, where, as a result of their intimidating appearances and unfavorable reputations, they have little luck as merchants or diplomats. They are, however, favored as mercenaries for their prowess in battle—some even use this prowess to their advantage as adventurers.

Decorated For Battle

Orcs are, if nothing else, easy to identify from a distance, with their jutting jaws, obvious underbites, and strong builds. Orcs stand about 7 feet tall and usually weigh between 200 and 250 pounds.

Though orcs are no longer active conquerors, all mature orcs are decorated with scars from combat with wild animals, neighboring tribes, or even siblings or friends. Orcs regard battle scars as tokens of pride and objects of beauty, and an orc's scars can tell a story, whether it's one of battle, disgrace, or pure accident. Some scars are used to mark an orc as a disgraced exile or social outcast, and in some communities scars are used to mark members of certain religious castes. Orcs who leave their homeland to be among humans or other races either hide or proudly flaunt their scars, to be less or more intimidating respectively.

He Who Watches

Orc life and culture is governed by religion, specifically devotion to the god Gruumsh. Gruumsh, a bloodthirsty one-eyed god said to have created the orcs at the beginning of the world, "chooses" leaders of orc society, often based on their thirst for battle or religious devotion. Often priests and priestesses of Gruumsh recieve signs in the form of omens or dreams, and their interpretation of these signs is used to appoint new war chiefs or high priests.

Gruumsh's influence in orc culture, however, reaches far beyond the dreams of religious figures. Gruumsh whispers to all orcs in their dreams, inspiring them to hunt for blood and conquest. This calling inspires orcs in combat; they feel Gruumsh's exultation at victory and his rage at defeat, rare as it may be. Beyond battle, orcs feel emotion powerfully; rage makes their blood boil and bodies burn, insults make their flesh sting and crawl, sadness makes their bodies heavy and slow, and pleasures make their pulse race and hearts light. Orcs' tempers are short, but their emotions run deep.

Mountains and Mesas

Most orcs live tucked away in mountain communities or in small tribes dotted across the arid desert. The two main cities of the orc nation of Tzame are the Twins, Gemello and Gemella; while Gemello in the north is ruled by a high priest

and follows a strict religious caste system, Gemella is ruled by a war chief and their advisors. Gemello is the center of the nation's trade, featuring the majority of its merchants, smiths, and craftsmen as well as its clergymen, while Gemella is home to the nation's soldiers, strategists, and its few diplomats.

Outside of the mountain cities, most tribes of the desert are ruled by a single chieftain, and are sustained through livestock farming and trading with, stealing from, or raiding neighboring tribes.

Orc Names

Orc names are short and guttural. Orc names don't always have meaning in the Orc language, and orcs do not have surnames, but most orcs are given epithets by their tribe mates or family members to tell them apart from other orcs with the same name. These epithets are usually descriptive of the orc's appearance or their characteristics as a warrior, craftsman, or smith.

Male Names: Feng, Gell, Holg, Imsh, Krush, Mhurren, Thokk

Female Names: Emen, Kansif, Myev, Ownka, Shautha, Volen, Yevelda

Epithets: Iron Tusk, Strong Fist, Axe Wielder, Steady Hand, Crafty Smith, Hard Head, Quiet Hunter

Orc Traits

Your orc character has a number of traits in common with all other orcs.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1; however, your Intelligence score decreases by 1.

Age. Orcs reach adulthood around age 14 and rarely live longer than 80 years.

Alignment. Orcs, inspired by Gruumsh, have a strong tendency toward chaos. Orcs fully integrated into orc society as opposed to living abroad are only rarely inclined towards good, especially warriors.

Size. Orcs are large and bulky, averaging about 7 feet tall and weighing up to 250 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. Thanks to your orc blood, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Menacing. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill.

Relentless Endurance. When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can drop to 1 hit point instead. You can’t use this feature again until you finish a long rest.

Savage Attacks. When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon , you can roll one of the weapon’s damage dice again and add it to the extra damage of the critical hit.

Toughness. Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Orc. Orc is a harsh, grating language with hard consonants. It has no script of its own but is written in the Dwarvish script.

Tabaxi

Hailing from the depths of the jungle, tabaxi are catlike humanoids driven by curiosity to collect interesting artifacts, gather tales and stories, and lay eyes on all the world's wonders. Ultimate travelers, the inquisitive tabaxi rarely stay in one place for long. Their innate nature pushes them to leave no secrets uncovered, no treasures or legends lost.

Curious Wanderers

Most tabaxi remain in their homeland, content to dwell in small, tight clans. These tabaxi hunt for food, craft goods, and largely keep to themselves. However, not all tabaxi are satisfied with such a life. The Cat Lord, the divine figure responsible for the creation of the tabaxi, gifts each of his children with feline traits. Those tabaxi gifted with curiosity are compelled to wander far and wide. They seek out stories, artifacts, and lore. Those who survive this period of wanderlust return home in their elder years to share news of the outside world. In this manner, the tabaxi remain isolated but never ignorant of the world beyond their home.

Barterers of Lore

Tabaxi treasure knowledge rather than material things. In the tabaxi's eyes, gathering wealth is important to survive in the world, but not worth fussing over.

Instead, tabaxi value knowledge and new experiences. They tease out stories with offers of food, drink, and coin. Tabaxi might walk away with empty purses, but they mull over the stories and rumors they collected like a miser counting coins.

Although material wealth holds little attraction for the tabaxi, they have an insatiable desire to find and inspect ancient relics, magical items, and other rare objects. A tabaxi takes great joy in unraveling the stories behind their creation and the history of their use.

Fleeting Fancies

Wandering tabaxi are mercurial creatures, trading one obsession or passion for the next as the whim strikes. A tabaxi's desire burns bright, but once met it disappears to be

replaced with a new
obsession. Objects
remain intriguing only
as long as they still hold
secrets.

A tabaxi rogue could
happily spend months
plotting to steal a strange
gem from a noble, only to
trade it for passage on a ship
or a week's lodging after
stealing it. The tabaxi might
take extensive notes or
memorize every facet of the
gem before passing it on,
but the gem holds no more
allure once its secrets
and nature have been
laid bare.

Tinkerers and Minstrels

Curiosity drives most of the tabaxi found outside their homeland, but not all of them become adventurers. Tabaxi who seek a safer path to satisfy their obsessions become wandering tinkers and minstrels.

These wanderers keep to civilized realms, preferring to bargain instead of pursuing more dangerous methods of sating their curiosity. However, they aren't above a little discreet theft to get their claws on a particularly interesting item when an owner refuses to sell or trade it.

Tabaxi Names

Each tabaxi has a single name, determined by clan and based on a complex formula that involves astrology, prophecy, and other esoteric factors. Most tabaxi use nicknames derived from or inspired by their full names (in parentheses).

Tabaxi Names: Cloud on the Mountaintop (Cloud), Five Timber (Timber), Left-Handed Hummingbird (Bird), Skirt of Snakes (Snake), Smoking Mirror (Smoke)

Tabaxi Traits

Your tabaxi character has the following racial traits.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.

Age. Tabaxi have lifespans equivalent to humans.

Alignment. Tabaxi tend toward chaotic alignments, as they let impulse and fancy guide their decisions. They are rarely evil, with most of them driven by curiosity rather than greed.

Size. Tabaxi are taller on average than humans, standing about 6 feet tall, and 150 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision. You have a cat's keen senses, especially in the dark. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Languages. You can read, speak, and write Common and one other language of your choice.

Subrace. Three main subraces of tabaxi populate the world of Plague of Metal: jaguar, jaguarundi, and ocelot. Choose one of these subraces.

Jaguar

As a jaguar tabaxi, you are an apex predator. Jaguars tend to be solitary, living alone or in small family groups for most of their lives. Jaguars are also able to use their large size and

intimidating appearance to their benefit in scaring smaller tabaxi out of their fiercely guarded territory.

Jaguars usually have tawny-yellow fur with black spots and rosettes; however, they occasionally are melanistic, either entirely black or a lighter black with darker spots and rosettes.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength Score increases by 1.

Size. Jaguars are taller and more robust than other tabaxi, standing about 7 feet tall and weighing up to 180 pounds.

Stalking. As an apex predator, jaguars excel at hunting prey. As a bonus action, move up to your speed towards a Hostile creature you can see.

Jaguarundi

As a jaguarundi tabaxi, you are small and gregarious. Jaguarundis enjoy the company of other tabaxi more than members of other subraces, and live in small communities comprising of multiple families.

Jaguarundis are always one of two main colorations; chestnut-red or brownish-grey.

Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1.

Size. Jaguarundi tend to be smaller than average, and can be as small as 5 feet tall and 100 pounds.

Slender. Due to their lithe builds, jaguarundi tabaxi are able to avoid some opportunity attacks. A jaguarundi can use the disengage action as a bonus action.

Ocelot

As an ocelot tabaxi, you are an expert at traversing the jungle unseen, with your spotted coloring providing camoflague. Ocelots often persue prey across the jungle floor for long distances, and tend to not tire easily.

Ocelots have fur in a tawny, yellowish, or reddish gray color, with black stripes and spots and a white underside. Their eyes are brown but appear golden when illuminated.

Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence score increases by 1.

Silent Body. You have advantage on Stealth checks that rely on moving silently.

The Places

The world of Plague of Metal is an old one, with hardly any of the planet left undiscovered or uninhabited. The world is called by many names; aarakocra refer to it as Airouk, while orcs and some half-orcs call it by the orc word Emyav, an ancient word meaning "homeland". Though it has different names even in Common, many default to the human name, Patria. Many races, aarakocra and orcs included, have inhabited different corners of the planet since before the dawn of civilization. Some ancient legends say that each race was once one, and slowly changed throughout centuries; others say that each race was created in their respective main deity's image. No matter where they came from, the peoples of Patria now inhabit a variety of different continents with wildly different landscapes and cultural identities.

Continents

Many of the continents of Patria are not single landmasses, but rather often consist of a single, larger mainland and its surrounding islands. Each continent has its own country, and within those countries are the diverse peoples who call Patria home.

The following continents are inhabited by the residents of Patria, and are referred to here by their most common name, whether it is in Common or the native language of its residents.

N'Ebe

N'Ebe is a warm continent consisting mainly of grasslands and forests, and is home to the dragonborns and their patron gods Tiamat and Bahamut.

N'Ebe is made up of two countries, Dkani and Obora.

Nisiá

Nisiá is an continent consisting of three countries of varying climates.

Tzame, the mainland, is made up of arid desert and mountains and is home to the orcs and their god Gruumsh.

Llwany is made up of dense coniferous forests and is home to humans.

Emeter is made up of grasslands and forests and is home to a community of mainly half-orcs.

Taliea

Taliea is by far the largest continent, consisting of six countries of varying climates.

Adhanin is a nation of deciduous forests in the north and tropical deserts in the south, and is home to the majority of the humans (and some half-elves) as well as their patron goddesses Adhara and Eltanin. It has historically been one of the wealthiest and most prosperous nations.

Deneber is a nation of mountains in the west, home to
the dwarves, and lowlands and swamps in the east, home
to the halflings. The two halves of the nation share the
patron goddess Deneb.

Dzibania is a nation of mainly savannah and grasslands, and is home to the gnoll and their patron gods Dziban and Yeenoghu. The Alta province is located in the south of Dzibania and consists of mainly marshes. The province serves as a congregation of magic users from around the world, and is home to their patron god Altair.

Fomal-Rak is a tropical island chain nation, home to some humans and some aarakocra, as well as their patron gods Fomalhaut and Zaurak.

Vegaren is a nation of deciduous forest in the south, turning to coniferous forest and snow further north. It is also home to mainly elves, with some half-elves, as well as their patron god Vega.

Crainn is a small tropical jungle island nation which is home to a community of half-elves.

Tchitl

Tchitl is a hot, humid continent consisting of dense jungle surrounding dormant volcanoes. It is comprised of only one country, also named Tchitl, and is home to the Tabaxi and their god, the Cat Lord.

Wat-Nmey

Wat-Nmey is a warm island chain continent full of palm trees. It is comprised of only one country, also named Wat-Nmey, and is home to the majority of the aarakocra as well as their god Pavo.

Gods of the World

Within the world of Plague of Metal, specifically on the Taliean continent, there exists a grouping of gods referred to as the Taliean pantheon. This pantheon is not all-emcompassing, however; most races or groups of people in the world have a patron deity or deities that they believe in, pray to, and/or live in fear of. In many countries, understanding the gods is crucial to understanding the culture of the region.

The Taliean pantheon itself encompasses eight deities, while six other deities exist outside of Taliea and the pantheon. While some people and cultures worship just one god, all except the most extreme cultists accept the existence of the other deities. Some people or cultures worship more than one god, and the god that someone worships may vary from person to person even within the same continent, country, or even town.

Credits

Any images not mentioned above are either from Dungeons and Dragons sources (such as the DM Guide or PHB), created by me, or the original source was unavailable (even after a lot of digging)

Thank you for reading! :-)