Changes:

Gnomes: Favored class: sorcerer

Introduction to the 1112 edition of On The Elder Races by Ramon Colerta, Master Bard and Dean of The Bardic College

For the most part, other races are longer lived, stronger, wiser, or otherwise individually superior to humans in some way. Why, then, are the great empires of the world the sole domain of Men? Herein I shall discuss the cultural traits of each race and how they differ from those of Men as a whole. First, I shall give a brief overview.

The common thread between all of the elder races is their insularity and unwillingness to travel outside their own domains. This is not to say, of course, that none do. However, those of the elder races that leave their homeland to live among Men seem to quickly take on the traits of Men. They are rarely welcomed back by their people, or are not comfortable there once they return. This "corruption" only reinforces the insularity of these peoples.

Elves

Though I use the term "elder races" as a general descriptor, it truly applies best to the Elvish people. They are, by all accounts, immortal (barring accidental or violent death, and some few incidents of disease). While they do reproduce, the details of the process are not revealed to outsiders. It is virtually impossible to tell an old elf from a young one at any rate, at least by appearance. Many of the elves alive today were alive for most of the important events chronicled in the histories of Men, though they paid them no mind.

The immortal nature of the elves is both their greatest blessing and their greatest curse. They were the first to develop many of the great arts and crafts known to Men; indeed, legend tells that it was they who taught our forebears of them. The great accomplishments of ancient times are like a great weight around the necks of those who survive to this day. They are obsessed with the past, and paralyzed by remembrances of the heyday of the elvish people.

There are some elves who have somewhat escaped the curse of nostalgia by leaving the ancient strongholds of their people and living a simpler life in the wilderness. They have traded the remembrance of past glory for a constant struggle with the elements and creatures of the wild. Their rejection of the ancient elvish achievements has led to another kind of stagnation, as they maintain an equilibrium with the world around them, neither advancing nor declining.

There are, of course, many elves who have left their homeland altogether, throwing their lot in with Men. Most of these are young by elvish standards, or at least they were when they first came to live among Men. The elves call them baragiliath -- "fiery stars" -- for their lives are often cut short by the violent nature of Men. It is hard for an eternal creature to find a place in the transitory world of human society. There are some who have found a place, however, and do quite well for themselves. There is a limit to how high they can rise in the world of Men, however. It is not simple bigotry that creates this ceiling, though an elf among Men faces no small amount of discrimination. It is human nature itself that keeps elves from attaining positions of power, for Men will not suffer an eternal master, no matter how benevolent.

Dwarves

The mountain-dwelling dwarves are not as long-lived as elves, though they share some of their obsession with nostalgia. Theirs is a circumscribed world, bordered below by the creatures of the depths and above by the endless industry of Men. It is through strict dedication to tradition and perfectionism that the dwarves maintain their kingdom.

The crafts of dwarven masters are virtually indistinguishable from those created by generations past. They do not innovate or invent, for there is no room in their world for error. They simply repeat the work of those who have come before, exactly as it has always been done. While the dwarves are no less stagnant than elves, at least they are content in their endless toil.

There are those, of course, who do not fiti into the mold of dwarven society. These misfits are often assigned to trade caravans, keeping their disruptive influence far from the carefully balanced world of their people. Many of these do not return from such journeys, and they are not missed. It is for this reason that some of the most celebrated dwarven craftsmen are not, in fact, found in places like Stonehome.

Gnomes

Gnomes are not burdened with the memory of their past greatness, if, in fact, there has ever been any. They seem to have very little memory or interest in history, simply living in the moment like the fey with which they often associate. Their crafts, while usually beautiful and often quite useful, seem to be almost intentionally impractical.

The settlements of gnomes are never larger than a small village, and will often spring up virtually overnight. They will sometimes move suddenly and for no apparent reason. They pose little threat to other peoples, though if they did it would be nearly impossible to eradicate them; there is nothing permanent to destroy.

Some gnomes live among Men, either to satisfy their curiosity or because they have a personal need for stability in their lives. Those who leave are mourned by their villages, but not for long.

Halflings

Halflings are not strictly an "elder race", for they live only slightly longer than Men. They have more in common culturally with the elder races, however, as they lack the human drive for progress. They maintain their small agrarian communities in remote parts of Ahandria, occasionally trading with Men for a little variety.

Those halflings who feel the need for a more adventurous go to live among Men. If they are able to cope with the difference in size, they can fit in quite well.

An excerpt from Heathens and Heretics by Brother Pratus Corianus

The greatest threat to the Church does not come from without, but from within. It is in the hearts of Men that the worship of the Bright Lord must be cultivated and defended. The other peoples of the world have their own beliefs which, while strictly heretical, are not a danger to the Church and the souls of Men.

The elvish folk of the forests pay homage to a multi-faceted divinity of indeterminate sex. It is depicted as male, female, both, or neither. Each aspect has its own name and patronage, but it is clear from their religious texts that all are believed to be a single divine being. Some scholars theorize that this divinity is actually Tavion Himself, but Church doctrine is clear on the fact that the Bright Lord has one face and one face alone. At any rate, the elves do not proselytize and have no impact on the Church as a whole.

Dwarvish religion is ancestral in nature, elevating the seven ancient lords of their people to the status of divinity. While this practice is clearly ludicrous, their faith is not open to Men in any way and is not of interest in the context of this discussion.

Gnomes are animists like the heathens of the Wilds and the fiendish Dhevrils, but since they are not Men themselves and do not include Men in their rituals, they do not pose the threat that the other animistic cults do.

Despite careful study, the halfling people do not appear to have any religion whatsoever. Those that live among Men take readily to the worship of the Bright Lord. There are some Orders that welcome the small folk as clergy, and there has been no official complaint as yet regarding this practice. For all intents and purposes halflings appear to be nothing more than diminutive Men, though attempts to establish missions in halfling communities have been met with only amused indifference.