The City of the Lyre

Character Creation

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Starting Details

Open Legend is a role playing game, which means your character will need more depth than merely a selection of attributes, feats, perks, and gear. To start your character off, think about the following things. Note that you don't have to immediately decide on any of these things; feel free to have them evolve as you build your character concept. These are only meant to be tools to aid your character creation, not a rigid checklist of Things You Must Decide.

Race / Heritage

Detailed in the following pages are the various peoples found within Bard's Gate. In Open Legend, race has no real mechanical impact, so your choice of race largely comes down to personal preference.

Archetype

This is a somewhat more complex aspect of your character to define. But if you were to define your character in one sentence, what would it be? Would you be a master of the elements, hurling flame and ice at your foes? Would you be a battlefield commander, coordinating with your allies to achieve greater victory? Would you be a hulking brute, simply smashing those who stand in your way? What do you typically do when conflict arises?

This concept is very similar to Classes from other role-playing games, but try to avoid typical Class terminology like "Fighter", "Cleric", "Wizard", "Barbarian", "Druid", and so on. These words come with certain expectations attached, and by removing these from your vocabulary, you will be able to make a more interesting character who isn't limited by the baggage of previous expectations.

Two exceptional physical traits

Think of the first two things that other characters notice when they see you. Are you seven feet tall? Is your hair neon blue? Do you have scars all across your skin? Do your eyes glow red when you are angry? Do you walk with a limp? Do you have a memorable tattoo?

Two defining social traits

Maybe you stutter when you're nervous. Maybe you don't trust anyone until they’ve proven themselves to you. Or, perhaps, you are a winsome bard who almost always talks in sing-song. Your two social traits should be characteristics that others will learn shortly after getting to know you.

Fluff It Out

Before you fill out all the numbers on your character sheet, take some time to think about who your character is. I have provided some questions below to get you thinking about who your character is beyond a simple race/class description. You don't have to answer every question - this list is merely meant to get you thinking in the right direction. You may write down the answers to these questions if you like, but you are not required to. As long as you have a good understanding of who your character is, that is all I'm asking for.

Who raised your character?

Everyone begins life as a baby. Somebody was responsible for making sure you didn't die, at least for a time. What was that experience like? What did you learn from those who raised you? Were they kind, or cruel? Did you try to emulate them, or do you do everything in your power to not be like them?

To Whom is your character connected?

Often times, our characters are treated as if they just popped into existence fully-formed. But your character had a childhood, and they had a life before becoming adventurers. Did your character have a kid sister to care for after your parents died, and does he still send a portion of his wages to her, to allow her to live comfortably? Did he receive his training from his grandfather, whom he sends letters to, informing him of all the adventures he’s gone on? No matter who your character is, there’s a connection somewhere in his or her life. Perhaps it’s membership in a holy order or a guild, perhaps it was a rank in the army, a spot in a gang, or just a family that you’ve left behind.

Who are/were your friends?

Everyone has friends. Even traditionally "loner" characters have people they respect, and who they spend time with. So, if you're going to make a character feel real, you have to ask who their friends are. More importantly, you have to ask what kinds of people this character makes friends with. If you're not on a job and you have money to spend, who are you going to go out with? What people do you consider your people? Do you look for people who share your profession? Can you talk to a blacksmith for hours, rolling up your sleeves and joining in the work? Or would you be more comfortable chatting with poets over coffee and tea while someone plays soothing music in the background?

Where did you learn your skills?

Somewhat tied in to the previous question. You all have powerful abilities - but these are not powers one masters overnight. They take years of practice to master, so who taught you? Even if it was inborn talent, you still need someone to help you hone those talents. Did you have a mentor? Did you learn from multiple teachers, or just one? Did you learn because you wanted to, or because you had to? Was it a positive or a negative relationship?

How do you pay your bills?

Everyone's got to eat! Think about the skills your character has and how they might use those skills to gain money. If you have martial prowess, did you use that to keep the peace as a guard, or perhaps a bouncer at a tavern? Or were you perhaps a legbreaker for a local gang, or just a mugger and thief? Maybe you were a prize fighter or sharpshooter, performing for the entertainment of the crowd, or a hunter, trading furs and escorting merchants through the countryside.

Let's say, for example, your character is a bounty hunter. How does this character succeed at that job? Does he make the rounds of the taverns, listening to rumors and collecting tips about where a wanted person has gone to ground? Does she dog a person's trail, tracking them as much by scent and spoor as by the marks of their passage? Does your bounty hunter use magic to track the quarry, making it impossible to hide for long?

What title does your character use?

We tend to label people based on what they do. And, when we're describing ourselves and our skill sets to other people, we tend to use professional labels as a short-cut. For example, Argon Lockbar is a master lock and trapsmith, and he's traveled the world in search of lost lore and ancient relics, both for profit and because he believes it's what's right. If he's an erudite scholar, he might call himself an archaeologist, or a student of history. If he's a little more crass, or honest, he'd call himself a treasure hunter. Someone skilled with Influence might answer that she's a bounty hunter; one who literally talks people into giving themselves up. She might also be a diplomat, keeping her magical skills hushed while secretly using them to secure peace treaties for governments, or just to settle trade disputes between unions.

Why are you adventuring?

Why is your character aboard the Destiny? What is their motivation for leaving their previous life for the rough-and-tumble of this infamous ship? Maybe this isn’t their first foray into adventuring. Perhaps you previously sought out and slaughtered an entire valley of trolls. Why? Were the trolls threatening innocent people, and you felt a need to protect the common folk? Were they threatening your land and family, and you had to take a stand for your home? Or were you obsessed with your own prowess and reputation, so you sought out the biggest, most ridiculous challenge you could find?

What do you do when you’re not adventuring?

Let’s say you have a week all to yourself, with no responsibilites. What do you do with all that time? By examining your characters’ lives beyond the scope of their heroic exploits, you’ll end up with rounder, more interesting PCs. When your Paladin isn't off valiantly fighting the forces of evil, does he volunteer at an orphanage? Why? Is it to remind him of the family he lost long ago? Is it because his devotion to duty means he'll never have children of his own? Is it because he wants to help shape the next generation by showing them someone cares about them? Does he just need something to lift his spirits after gazing so long into the abyss? Does your brawler write poetry? What kind? Does he read it publicly, or does he keep in shut up in a journal no one will ever see? Does your sorceress like the theatre? Is your cleric a fan of chariot races?

What does your character believe?

Religion, whether by its presence or the lack thereof, shapes people. Catholics have saints as well as Jesus and Mary, and there are a hundred rituals and holy days to remember. Lutherans forego many of these things, though they practice ostensibly the same faith. Other religions, like Santeria, Voodoo, Asatru, Wicca, Hinduism and others all come with their own rules and regulations. Not being raised with a faith at all, or being raised in a way that doesn't expose you to a faith, also leaves a mark on a person. These are things that can cling for a lifetime in the form of warding gestures, turns of phrase, or little rituals from lighting candles for the departed to running fingers over a rosary when one is nervous.

So what faith or faiths did your character grow up with? What bits of that faith held tight, and which held by the wayside? Perhaps this manifests in the curses your character uses, or the taboos she avoids, or something even deeper. A cleric of Gorum may “pray” by cleaning his armor and weapons to a mirror shine as he recites the tenets of his Lord in Iron. Or he could stand without armor, in just a loincloth, going through combat forms and chanting.

Even if you aren’t a member of the clergy, any character who worships a god should have little rituals that make them more unique. Perhaps your tribal ranger offers a prayer at the beginning or end of a hunt to commemorate the activity. Maybe they carve Pharasma’s spiral on their weapons out of a belief that they will draw the spirits of the dead home. Consider all the little rituals that are a part of your character’s faith, or lack thereof.

Do you enjoy long walks on the beach?

If you were to make a dating profile for your character, what would you fill in for all those miscellaneous sections? Would you talk about how strong and fast you are and how well you can murder people with dual greatswords? Or would you focus on the more personal aspects? Do you have a religion? Do you smoke or drink? What are those six things you simply could not do without? It sounds like a joke, but if you’re having trouble coming up with details for your character, try writing a fake dating profile for them. It both allows you to decide on your pertinent details (age, height, weight, hair color, if you have pets, etc), and allows you to tell people about yourself in a snapshot. The goal isn’t to figure out who you’re shacking up with, and it’s not necessary to include what you’re looking for in a partner, but if you think it would add more depth to your character then by all means include that.

Ideals, Flaws, and Bonds

If you've played D&D 5th edition before, you'll be familiar with this system. A simple way to help define your character is to come up with the following:

• The Ideal that drives you - the thing you believe in most strongly, the fundamental moral and ethical principles that compel you to act as you do. What are the priciples you will never betray? What would prompt you to make sacrifices? What is the single most important thing you strive for?
• A Bond for your character - something represeting your connections to people, places, and events in the world. Whom do you care most about? To what place do you feel a special connection? What is your most treasured possession?
• A Flaw for your character. This can either be the same as a mechanical flaw (see Crunch, to the right), or it can be something completely different. But think about what vice, compulsion, fear, or weakness you might have. What is the one person, concept or even that you are terrified of? What enrages you beyond reason? What are your vices?

Try to phrase these in such a way that they are self-descriptions that are specific to your character. "Greedy" is not a very specific flaw. "When I see something valuable, I can't think about anything but how to steal it" is a far more descriptive, specific, and useful flaw.

Crunch

When it's time for the actual, mechanical parts of your character, here are the things to put on your character sheet:

Step 1: Attributes

Assign the following scores among attributes of your choice:

For a complete list of all attributes and what they represent, please visit the Open Legend documentation.

Step 2: Record Defenses & Speed

Record your character's Toughness, Guard, and Resolve defenses, as well as your Hit Points. Your character's speed will be 30', unless you are wearing armor (see equipment).

Step 3: Purchase Feats

You gain 6 feat points, with which you may purchase any feats for which you meet the prerequisites. You do not have to spend all 6 points; You may choose to save any amount of points to spend later. See the full feat list.

Step 4: Choose Equipment

You will begin with a wealth score of 2. You may select up to three items of wealth level 2, and any number of items of wealth level 1 or 0. See the equipment list. After selecting your equipment, be sure to note any changes to your defenses or other statistics.

Step 5: Choose Perks and Flaws

Choose up to two perks and up to two flaws for your character. You do not have to pick any perks or flaws if you do not want to, nor must you pick a flaw for each perk. See the list of perks and flaws.

Step 6: Play!

Get your dice and your scratch paper and get ready to step out of every day life for a few hours into a fantastical world where you can perform heroic deeds!

Common Religions

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A liberal and tolerant city, Bard’s Gate is home to many different faiths. The city’s primary religion is the worship of Shelyn, Goddess of Art, Beatuy, Love, and Music. But all sorts of other deities are worshipped within and without the walls of the city.

Closely following Shelyn is the worship of Abadar, God of Cities, Law, Merchants, and Wealth. As a trade city, many within Bard's Gate give their respects to the god of coin. A shrine to Desna, Goddess of Freedom, Dreams, and Luck, is very popular with the populace, and sees much traffic in the Bridge District. Sarenrae, Goddess of Healing and Redemption, has a very loyal following, especially among the youth. Nethys, the God of Magic, Runes, and the Arcane, is extremely popular with the college crowd, and the abundant arcane community. Iomedae, Goddes of Valor, Justice, and Honor, is venerated by many of the various city watches; her temple in the Old Temple District is a bastion for city defenders. Cayden Cailean, the God of Ale, Wine and Bravery, is rising in popularity, his name carried on the lips of many making their way around the Lost Lands. Erastil, God of Family, Farming, and Hunting, is popular with those outside the city walls. Gozreh, God of Nature, the Sea, and Weather, is often honored by the Riverfolk of Bard's gate. Pharasma, Goddess of Birth, Death, Fate, and Prophecy, has a shrine within the old catacombs of the city, where her followers watch over the dead.

Many, many other gods and goddesses are venerated in Bard’s Gate as well, and some outsiders refer to it as the City of a Thousand Gods, with good reason. The city’s nonhuman inhabitants also follow their own faiths as well.

Many Dwarves worship Torag, God of Protection and the Forge, and his wife Folgrit, Goddess of Wives, Mothers, and Children. High Elves tend to worship Findeladlara, Elven Goddess of Art and Architecture, or Yuleral, Elven Goddess of Magic. Wood Elves often worship Ketephys, Elven God of the Hunt. While the Dwarven Gods are sometimes worshipped by Humans, the Elven Gods rarely answer the prayers of non-elves.

City Laws & Customs

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Armor

Generally, the various District Watches allow the wearing of light armors, but medium or heavy armors are frowned upon if not outright prohibited. At best, guardsmen take note of those wearing such armors and will approach and question them closely, threatening them with arrest if they do not leave the district immediately and not come back until they have removed the offending armor. After all, one does not wear heavy armor unless one is looking to get in a fight.

Magic

Open use of magic is frowned upon — particularly spell casting. The casting of low-level personal spells is tolerated, though not in shops or stores. Destructive spells or spells affecting others are always outlawed, though unless done in the open one most likely avoids detection

Weapons

For the most part, only light weapons, longswords, rapiers, or whips may be carried openly in the city, and even these must be sheathed. There is no requirement of “peace-binding” such weapons, as this is generally seen as an effete affectation, though many aristocrats and some young fops have adopted the custom. All other weapons must be stowed. No polearms are allowed. Persons in violation of these rules will quickly draw the attention of the guard, and may have their weapons confiscated.

Humans

Ashurians

Ashurian is a broad label applied to a great many human ethnic groups of northern and western Libynos. Though there is great diversity in their appearance and mannerisms, in general they are of a darker complexion and slightly shorter and more slender build. However, there are many examples among the Ashurians where a pale skin tone and taller stature are evidenced. The only truly universal feature seems to be a tendency towards dark hair. Ashurian folk are almost always visitors to the city, usually as traders or eastern mystics seeking knowledge from Bard’s College of the Dominion Arcane. Very few Ashurians dwell within Bard’s Gate as full-time residents.

Erskaelosi

Wanderers who migrated long ago from the Irkainian Desert during the time of the Great Darkness, these barbaric folk found little welcome and less opportunity in their travels south. Few Erskaelosi live within the walls of Bard’s Gate or even enter the city proper for that matter, but Tent City is always alive with these roughedged plains folk looking for a drink or looking for a fight with equal vigor. They get along well with the Plainsmen and the Riverfolk but are looked at suspiciously by the folk of the city who often see them not so much as neighbors but rather as a potential threat. For their part, the bluff and boisterous Erskaelosi have no qualms about reinforcing these stereotypes as an excuse to drink hard and play hard while stopping over in the rough-and-tumble Tent City.

Erskaelosi tend be tall stocky, with weather-beaten — often freckled — skin and brown or black hair worn long and loose by men and women alike. Their eyes range from dark browns to bright greens. They are usually garbed in rough skins and are prone to tribal symbols tattooed or branded upon their face, arms, and chest.

Khemitites

Bard’s Gate is virtually unique in Akados in that there is an actual permanent (if small) population of the folk of distant Khemit in its midst. This can primarily be attributed to the presence of the Temple of Bast and the special relationship it has enjoyed in the city since the time of the Shabbisian plagues. The few Khemitites to be found in the city are virtually all connected with the temple in some way, and many of them choose to wear the dramatic dress of Ancient Khemit to set themselves apart and draw the admiring attention of those around them. This practice has diminished somewhat in the last two years after several of its adherents were found mysteriously murdered during the time of the Huun siege. If there was some connection or enmity between the Khemitites and Huun, it is unknown, and if and how Huun assassins were able to infiltrate the city’s walls when their army could not remains equally unexplained. But some have noted that the Khemitites in the city walk a bit more cautiously and draw a little less attention to their exotic looks and clothing than before.

Foerdewaith

Like most modern human inhabitants of Akados, the folk of Bard’s Gate and its hinterlands generally get lumped into the ethnicity known as the Foerdewaith, though this is more by convenience of association with that old empire rather than a true blood lineage. The Foerdewaith of Bard’s Gate tend to have the lighter brown hair and more deeply tanned skin tones commonly found in eastern Akados as opposed to the fairer skins and darker hairs of western Akados. They have no especially great link with the purer Foerdewaith lineages of central Akados but rather tend to be descended from the vassal tribes incorporated into Foere.

Oceanders

With Bard’s Gate’s position of being independent and outside the claimed boundaries of the Kingdoms of Foere, it has enjoyed the ability to trade with the Empire of Oceanus while most ports of the Sinnar Coast remained closed to its ships. In fact, it was the spirit of amiability early on that allowed Bard’s Gate to successfully establish and expand its reach into the sea trade of the Gulf of Akados. Oceanders look much like other Foerdewaith, with perhaps their skin slightly more sun-darkened by years spent at sea and eyes a bit more creased from squinting against the glare off the waves. They tend towards shorter hair and fewer beards than their land-bound cousins, though this is by no means universal among them.

Riverfolk (Arkaji)

These folk have been known to fish the waters and hunt the banks of the Stoneheart for centuries and are generally accepted as a fixture of Bard’s Gate by most in the city. But the Riverfolk — a title placed on them by the folk of Bard’s Gate, they refer to themselves as the Arkaji - were not always there, and some few have speculated as to where their true origin lies. After the Hard Cold, when the lushness of the valley died and famine set in, this previously almost unseen people came up the river, emerging from the Stoneheart Forest and seeking solace in the city.

The Riverfolk still principally live within the Stoneheart Forest, in the eastern stretches of the central swamp in particular. But their talent for handling shallowdraft watercraft in the swamps and upon the river is peerless. A great number of the Riverfolk can be found in the city or upon the river waters in service to the city at any given time, but despite its best efforts, the city has had little success in recruiting these folk as crew for their open water vessels. The Riverfolk avoid leaving the confines of the riverbanks for the open sea, but none has ever said what it is they fear.

The Riverfolk's pale pinkish skin tones prone to sunburn and freckling, eyes ranging from deep blue to nearly colorless, and their bristly and curly hair and beards (or thick sideburns at least) ranging in color from auburn to black (with many going stone gray at an early age) clearly set them apart from the other Foerdewaith peoples of the region.

Dwarves

Hill Dwarves

Most numerous of the dwarves to be found in Bard’s Gate are the hill dwarves. These ruddy-skinned, stocky folk have beards and/or sideburns that tend to be thick and in hues of dirty blond to dark brown. They are mainly miners and craftsmen like their kin elsewhere and are most commonly found in the foothills south of the Graywash River as well as a sizable population in the city itself. There are also significant populations of these folk in the Dragon Hills and isolated communities built around and among the granite hillocks of the Plains of Mayfurrow. They traditionally avoid the foothills to the north of the Stoneheart Valley as mountain dwarf territory, and the two groups do not get along well together though they manage to hold their peace within the city itself.

Mountain Dwarves

The mountain dwarves to be found in Bard’s Gate are universally of the Silverhelm Clan of the northern Lyre Valley in the Stoneheart foothills. The Silverhelm is a part of the Great Mountain Clan Krazzadak and are an anomaly in that they are friendly to the lowland humans — at least the humans of Bard’s Gate.

The Silverhelm had long maintained its underground halls and tunnels at the edges of the Stoneheart Valley and looked askance at the growing human population gathering below, but it was not until the coming of the Year of the Hard Cold that the Silverhelms were moved to make contact. When in one night the Krazzadak capital and the Krazzadak king were lost in the freezing invasion from beyond the bounds of the Material Plane known as the Curse of the Stoneheart, the small Silverhelm Clan found itself cut off from its kin and with dwindling resources. Things got more dire the next spring when famine swept through through the lowlands and the Silverhelm halls alike, but the Silverhelms were shocked when the humans of the lowlands brought them carts laden with grain and foodstuffs to fend off their almost certain execution.

The relationship between the city and the Silverhelm dwarves has remained cordial ever since, with a temple to Dwerfater being founded within the city and many of the clan actually relocating to the city itself to run profitable business interests there. However, recently the dwarves of the clan have shut their gates to the surface so that even their kin find themselves cut off from contact. It remains to be seen if the Silverhelms will emerge again from their tunnels and renew their days of celebrated partnership with Bard’s Gate.

Street Dwarves

The so-called street dwarves are a relatively new addition to the city - immigrants from the distant human cities of Swordport and Hawkmoon. Descended from a portion of the scattered Great Mountain Clan Targ who settled in the lowland south of the Forlorn Mountains, these dwarves proved to be particularly adept merchants and traders among the lowland races. With Bard’s Gate’s everexpanding trade alliances and Hawkmoon’s own trade connections, it was only a matter of time before ships from the Moonsilver Sea landed in its ports and dwarven traders from that southern land disembarked to conduct their business. Over time many of them stayed in Bard’s Gate as factors and negotiators for their own houses back in Hawkmoon. Now a generation of street dwarves born as natives to Bard’s Gate is beginning to reach adulthood. Street dwarves are of mountain dwarf stock and so are taller than their hill dwarf cousins, yet they are slimmer of frame than a typical mountain dwarf. Likewise, their beards grow in shades so dark as to be almost blue-black ranging to simply dark brown, and grow less thick and are so typically cut shorter. While no self-respecting street dwarf would go clean-shaven, there are more than a few with a mere stubble on the jaw and more attention given to a luxurious handlebar moustache or set of sideburns. Most have eyes of blackest coal, though some bear a startling shade of blue with varieties of blue and gray between. These dwarves are also much more likely to favor a more human style of clothing with comfortable shoes and robes over the more rugged hob-nailed boots and leathers or mail of their mountain kin.

Elves

High elves

Most elves encountered in and around Bard’s Gate are of the high elf variety. Most high elves hail from the Forest Kingdoms to the east.They have historically been friendly with the humans of the region and have been at best a fast friend and at worst an indifferent neighbor for the entire history of the city. Since the founding of Bard’s College and enlightenment (in the elves’ minds) of the city, this relationship has leaned more on the side of friendly ally. Virtually every high elf encountered here is also a subject or vassal of the legendary elven kingdom of Parnuble, and all revere the beloved queen of that realm and will gladly rise to defend her honor. The elves of Parnuble are not a hot-headed bunch and will always seek to defuse a situation over a friendly drink or through calm discourse, but are not above drawing a blade in the name of their queen. Fortunately, because of the cosmopolitan nature of much of the city’s citizenry and the presence of so many of the fair folk, the people of Bard’s Gate are equally likely to hold the legendary elven queen in high regard and are unlikely to intentionally offer offense, siding with the elves in any altercation that erupts with visitors who would callously besmirch her name.

Wood Elves

There is probably no other place in all of Akados where a greater number of wood elves can be found walking the streets of a human city — much less one where blood isn’t actively being spilled. While the wood elves of Akados are less overtly hostile to humans than their wild elf cousins of the Green Realm to the west, these sylvan folk are nonetheless more prone to isolationism and insular defense of their territories than the high elves. There are many locations across Akados where human settlements and wood elf territories engage in a sort of low-grade conflict with occasional murders or atrocities committed by either side, but Bard’s Gate is fortunate to not be one of them. This is owed to the fact that the wood elves of the region are also all native to the Forest of Parna to the east and, if not outright subjects of the Queen of Parnuble, are at least vassals or her court. Her people’s friendship extends to the wood elves as well so that the natural tensions are eased and violence generally avoided. This is also assisted by the intervention of the Farseekers of Twilight who ensure that wood elven interests are protected in the city’s vicinity. Some particularly adventurous wood elves are even members of this group and occasionally make their homes in or near the city.

Half-elves

Half-elves are largely accepted throughout the whole of Akados, but there is perhaps nowhere that they are truly embraced as much as the region of Bard’s Gate. Here they are celebrated not only by their human brethren, as is done elsewhere throughout the whole of the old Kingdoms of Foere, but also find true acceptance among their elven kin in the Forest Kingdoms and beyond. Even the wood elves of the Forest Kingdoms are more likely to hold a grudging admiration and possibly even affection for their mixed-blood kin, and nowhere else is one likely to find half-elves of wood elf descent as can sometimes be found in and around Bard’s Gate. The City of the Lyre and its traditions of tolerance and education is a perfect haven for such folk, and many mixed elf/human families can be found residing within the city and the Forest Kingdoms themselves. It is no coincidence that a great number of the city’s leaders, including the current High Burgess, have been half-elven.

Other Peoples

Gnomes

Rock gnomes are the common gnomes of the Lost Lands, and any gnomes encountered in Bard’s Gate are invariably rock gnomes. They are found more frequently in the central and western portions of Akados, but the city of Bard’s Gate seemingly draws folk from everywhere, so gnomes are found there in sizable numbers. In fact, Bard’s Gate is perhaps the point farthest north and east in all of Akados where gnomes can be found in such numbers, and many small clans of gnomes dwell among the hills of the Lyre and Stoneheart valleys quietly keeping to themselves and staying out of the affairs of others. Some of the best small vineyards of the Lyre Valley belong to gnome clans.

Halflings

The presence of halflings is virtually ubiquitous throughout the whole of Akados — particularly in the lands of the old Kingdoms of Foere, and Bard’s Gate is no exception. In addition, the halflings of Bard’s Gate reach heights of influence and wealth not often achieved outside traditional halfling lands, with several guildmasters in the city’s history having been halflings as well as many prominent business owners in a tradition that continues to the present day. In fact, outside of the traditional halfling homeland of the Dale and the Low Country, there are few places that boast the number of halfling communities as are found scattered throughout the Plains of Mayfurrow. And while the halflings of Bard’s Gate enjoy the gentle living and comfortable communities so common to their kind, they also enjoy a certain amount of notoriety unseen elsewhere - as some of the most prominent examples of their folk to be found in Bard’s Gate are also some of the most scandalous. The very public ongoing feud between the legendary halfling musician/tavernowner Malachi Hammelstein of Reme and the equally infamous halfling adventurer/tavernowner Helman Hillman brings no small amount of delight to the small folk of the city.

Half Orcs

For a city as open and inviting as Bard’s Gate, it is no surprise that it is one of the few places where folk of orcish ancestry can gather and find welcome. As a result, the city boasts a population of half-orcs rarely seen outside of places where foul tribes of orcs roam freely. The half-orcs of Bard’s Gate either do not conform to the evil ways of their orc forebears or keep such practices hidden away from the eyes of the city. As such, while some prejudice against those of orc blood does exist among the city’s populace, there is no natural distrust of the half-orcs who live there as inherently evil beings. In fact, half-orcs are eagerly welcomed as full members in certain of the guilds where their tendency to greater strength makes them especially suited for labor. In addition to the half-orcs who dwell in the city, a great number of the group known as the Wanderers are half-orcs as well.

Wanderers

It is probably a misnomer to call the Wanderers a “people”, however, it is just possible that it represents the beginning formation of an all new ethnicity unlike any that has been seen before in Akados. The Wanderers are a mix of different peoples and even races — humans of many and mixed lineages, half-orcs, even some halflings and other assorted odds and ends. Whatever they lack in heritage, however, they have commonality in their story; for whatever background they come from, all share a single trait: they are all exiles from their respective homelands. Under normal circumstances in the Lost Lands, these folk would be the dregs of society, friendless, homeless, and forced to fend for themselves in isolation. However, the unique opportunities and acceptance of outsiders found in Bard’s Gate has engendered a phenomenon unseen before. These disparate individuals have come together in a united band, and not just as a group of ruffians or desperadoes. They have come together as a group and have truly created their own society.

The Wanderers are a small nomadic culture, numbering no more than several hundred in all and traveling in several groups of a few dozen apiece. They travel across the wide expanses of the plains to the east and west and the valley between and have found a modicum of acceptance throughout these lands. They live a gypsy-like existence traveling in caravans of covered wagons and stopping at camps for up to several weeks at a time while they provide tinkering, odd jobs, labor, and entertainment services to the surrounding communities and forms.

Folk don’t necessarily welcome the odd Wanderer groups into their communities with open arms, but as long as they maintain their camps outside of the settlements and cause no trouble while they’re in town they’re accepted with little suspicion and sometimes outright joyful anticipation for the bit of color they can bring to otherwise drab days. In Bard’s Gate itself the Wanderers are rarely found inside the city walls in any numbers, but they maintain a semi-permanent encampment within Tent City where they find easy welcome.