HGd10PHB - Oreads (Earth)

Oreads (Earth)
Oreads are beautiful, powerful Fey connected to Earth, Metal, and Crystal. They do not like to fight, but rather tend to their gardens and build their subterranean hives. Oreads are generally peaceful and love company, even of non-Fey.

Description
Oreads are the most varied among all Fey in size and shape. They range from the minute (2 cm) to large (2m) tall. Their skin is suffused with precious metal or crystal so that they sparkle in all but the dimmest lights. Most Oreads have skintones running the gamut of colors of dirt, stone, metal, and crystal. Fillagree of precious metals run through their meticulously sculpted hair, but Oreads find piercing of the body to be taboo. Masters of fine crafting and artistry, Oreads work to make themselves beautiful without ostentatiousness or overdoing the personal decorations. Oreads do have wings, but only fly if tiny or smaller, and are not the fastest of flyers. The wings fold against the body when not in use. They are crystal clear with metallic filagree highlights at the edges and woven throughout. The earth-Fey wear loose clothing with two slits from mid-shoulder all the way down the back in their tunics for their wings to extend out of. With their deep connection to the land, they wear no footwear, but have tough feet capable of ignoring even caltrops.

When provoked to combat, Oreads are terrible to behold. They do not have any concept of 'fairness' when fighting against real enemies and will use everything at their disposal to dispatch or immobilize. This includes the weapons and armor of their enemy, the ground, or their environment. However, Oreads prefer to protect and heal rather than attack and make staunch defenders of a position. Not a few of them are Armoragon-Geomancers.

Young Oreads are called orelings. Orelings are born, or produced from the mother in a geode which is then planted in the earth like a seed. As the oreling grows, it consumes the crystal and then the geode shell until it is able to break free as from an egg. Once freed, they become omnivores but retain their lithovore preferences. A typical oreling will tuck and roll about for the first couple of months before learning to crawl. At about six months, an oreling learns to toddle about on its feet. Once an oreling reaches about two years old, they will ball themselves up at home and form another geode around them. This geode lasts four months after which they will consume their way out of it again as before. Once freed, the Oread is considered an adult. Oreads who have undergone this second geode period can change their size at will within the range of minute to large. While tiny or smaller, they are capable of forming wings from their backs and flying.

Oreads do not appear to age after they have reached full maturity. Instead, death comes when an oread feels they have accomplished enough service to community and the land and they are ready to move on to whatever comes next after death. Most oreads do not fear death, but feel that it is merely a doorway to pass through into another form of existence. They do not long for it, but as they near their four-century mark, oreads grow eager for the next life. In their minds, life after death is a life without the need to serve others. It is a rest from service and freedom to create without constraints or concern for others.

Society
Fey are natives of Loar, but their divergence into the various separate cultures did not occur until after the Sundering. This was largely due to the divergent associations of the elemancers.

When the geomancers began disappearing through the pulons about 300 years after the Sundering, Oreads migrated to Fairilund or Quarry and remained out of the public eye.

Male Oreads are called oreadons while female are called oreadeid. Oread society is a meritocracy with the oread able to create the most beautiful and functional structure in service to the community elected to leadership. This vote takes place once every four to sixteen years depending on the size and needs of the community. Emphasis is placed on how well the construct serves the people as a reflection of the leader's will to serve.

Oread are the longest-lived of all Primal Fey. They can live more than four hundred years. The reproductive cycle is therefore lower than other Fey and aunts and uncles may be younger than their niblings by decades. Oread couples are monogamous and have an average of four children over their lifespans. They are capable of reproducing up until death.

Character Creation
 Key Characteristic:  Beauty

 Base Characteristics:  +4 BEA; +3 CON; +1 PRS; +1 SPI; +3 STR; +2 WIS

 Skill Bonuses : 

Oreads gain 1 free BP in the following skills:  Traits & Foibles:  The following are granted to Oreads without using Trait Slots:
 * Art
 * Craft (Any 2)
 * Earth - Spectrum
 * Defense - Purpose
 * Heavy Armor
 * Melee Weapon Skill (Any 1 so long as they use a stone, metal, or crystal weapon).
 * Sense of Duty to Fey - all Fey feel a sense of family and duty to help other Fey. This sense of duty tends to cause them to hesitate or make different choices than others might make if they know a fellow Fey, especially another Asteriae is in trouble.  Attempts to take actions contrary to this Sense of Duty suffer a -5 to their roll.  Attempts to harm another Fey suffer a -10. (+2)
 * Opposing Spectrum - Chaos: Oreads take double effect from all magical Chaos sources and cannot learn chaos-based magic. (+6)
 * Sizeshifter - after 2nd geode state, can shift size from miniscule to large at will (takes one Player Turn)
 * Flight - while tiny or smaller, can produce crystal-like wings and fly; Flight speed is 10m/Player Turn.
 * Mazecrawler (2)
 * Absorbs Earth (9)
 * Spectrum Affinity - Earth (1)
 * Opposed Spectrum - Chaos (+6)

As Heroes
Oreads do not often adventure, preferring to remain in their homes and craft. However, when the need arises, oreads make great fighters, armoragons, and geomancers specializing in defense and protection of the group. They are steadfast, loyal, and service-oriented with their friends. Treasure value is measured by uniqueness and beauty more than monetary value which makes for an easier time dividing the loot. Most Oreads can easily find coin at need. Given their nature when provoked, most adventuring groups will either place the Oread at the back to protect the mages or at the front as tank, knowing they will likely decimate the enemy all on their own through geomancy.

Navigation

 * Hero's Guild Players Handbook Home
 * Chapter 1 - Creature Kinds
 * Chapter 2 - Primary Characteristics
 * Chapter 3 - Skills
 * Chapter 4 - Traits and Foibles
 * Chapter 5 - Physical Combat Skills 
 * Chapter 6 - Mystical Skills
 * Chapter 7 - Equipment
 * Chapter 8 - Crafting
 * Chapter 9 - Knowledge Social and Movement Skills
 * Chapter 10 - Optional Classes
 * Chapter 11 - Rules of Engagement