Flan (Greyhawk Action)

Greyhawk Action!

Fantasy Picts or Native Americans.

Attributes and Schticks

Body: 4-10
Mind: 4-10
Reflexes: 4-10
Move: 5

Hybrid Race

Inherent

Select one Race other than human. You are a hybrid of human and the selected race. The GM might not allow hybrids with all races, check before making your selection. Someone with this feat is often called a half-X, where the X stands for the selected race.

• You look like a hybrid between a human and your selected race and might be mistaken for either.
• You can purchase the racial schticks of the selected race.
• Note which attribute has the highest racial maximum for the selected race; you get to pick one if there is a tie. Your racial maximum for this attribute becomes 11.

Hybrid Race

Inherent

Select one Race other than human. You are a hybrid of human and the selected race. The GM might not allow hybrids with all races, check before making your selection. Someone with this feat is often called a half-X, where the X stands for the selected race.

• You look like a hybrid between a human and your selected race and might be mistaken for either.
• You can purchase the racial schticks of the selected race.
• Note which attribute has the highest racial maximum for the selected race; you get to pick one if there is a tie. Your racial maximum for this attribute becomes 11.

Throwback

Inherent

Select one Race Schtick; you learn this schtick. You do not become a halfbreed or otherwise have your looks or physical form changed except as required for the schtick to work.

You cannot take this schtick go learn a schtick you already know a second time, nor can you pick Throwback multiple times.

Description

Though almost obsolete as a distinct people today, the Flan have had a great influence on present-day Oerdians and to a lesser extent on the Suel - more than those haughty peoples admit. The Flan also left many landmarks and ruins, and understanding Flan and their culture can be essential to surviving these.

Appearance

Humans have differing skin tones. The base human has sandy complexion, becoming progressively darker as you go south and progressively more red as you go west. They are between 150 and 180 cm tall. Their appearance varies from hideously ugly to strikingly beautiful, and they are among the most varying races, both in size, appearance a mentality. The members a tribe or nation tend to be physically similar.

Role

Generous, Boisterous, Carefree, Superstitious, Brave. The Flan see alignment as secondary to survival. You do what you have to do and seek what allies you can find. Servitude under evil is better than the oblivion of death. The powers of light are more generally benevolent and to be served when you can afford to, but the powers of darkness can give an advantage at a critical time. A member of the tribe can sacrifice himself by turning to evil to save the tribe, only to be condemned and killed yet honored after death for his sacrifice.

Politics

Flan are conservative to a fault, often adopting a siege mentality. Any change to their cultural pattern is seen as an invasion, and even speaking to outsiders can be taboo. Of course, this is what the few unassimilated remnants of pure Flan do, and a large part of the reason why they are still culturally distinct; historically the Flan were very open to outsiders.

Integration

Flan do not integrate well as a society, but many, many Flan have been lured into the societies and cultures of others over the ages, seemingly adopting well but bringing elements of their own cultural heritage along.

Family

Group marriage with a central female having many husbands and secondary wives. Gender equality, promiscuity, and extramarital liaisons encouraged, often for religious purposes. Matrilinear. A great deal of Flan myth concerns how to manage the jealousy of multiple husbands. Masturbation is not tolerated; it is seen as wasting the gifts of the goddess.

Magic

Mainly druidic and sorcerous magic utilizing natural currents of magic. Protection and divining spells are used to avoid trouble rather than to confront it. Spells that manipulate and turn adversity into gain are popular, such as weather control, charm, geases, divination, and wards. When all else fails, Flan magicians turn to necromancy.

Pantheon

The Flan as a people have largely been assimilated, first by the Oerdians and then into the common culture. But much of their lore survives, and their gods have become very popular and many are a part of the common pantheon. Many modern theologians believe the Flan teachings to be the closest to revealing the true nature of the gods.

The Flan mythology is based around generation cycles, with a first generation of greater gods, a second generation of lesser gods, and succeeding generations of heroes, kings, and mere mortals all the way to the present day and age. Beory is the spirit of Oerth and the main goddess. Pelor and Nerul are her husbands and the progenitors of most of the pantheon. Vecna and Zodal are ascended humans, the last in the cycle of spousal jealousy.

Beory

Beory is the personification of the earth and the supreme mother of the pantheon. All the other gods are defined by their relationship to her. She is eternally generous and unable to deny any of her children and lovers, which often leads to tragedy.

Pelor

The god of the sun. Pelor is Beory’s favored husband, father of many of the Flan gods. He is a positive male aspect and a fertility god, the eternal enemy of Nerull.

Nerull

The god of the night and of death, Nerull is Beory’s second husband and the rival and enemy of Pelor. Defeated numerous times in the legends, Beory always forgives him so that night can follow day.

Berei

The daughter and incarnation of Beory, Berei is the first human and queen mother of the Flan people just as Beory is the mother of the Flan gods. She is not as impartial as Beory, more worldly and practical. She is either an avatar or exarch of Beory.

Obad-Hai

The first king, husband to Berei and father of the Flan. Obad-Hai is a god of nature, hunting, and weather. His role is to kill as required to feed the tribe and to make room for new life. He is an avatar of Kord.

Allitur

The god of propriety and diplomacy, Allitur is the son of Beory and Pelor, brother to Rao. He is a minor god with no pretenses to greatness, but important to maintain peace. He is an avatar of Yondalla.

Celene

The mysterious small moon represents renewal, illusions, and roads not yet walked. She leads ever on without revealing where, and is an avatar of Istus.

Ehlonna

The eternal maiden, Ehlonna is Beory in her maiden aspect, Berei before she marries Obad-Hai, and both huntress and prey in the eternal cycle of life.

Incabolous

A suitor Berei refused, Incabolous is a petty god seeking revenge against her children, the Flan. His weapons are famine and pestilence; he kills plants and game alike to weaken the tribes. He is an avatar or reincarnation of Nerull. The cycle of recurring suitor trouble is very central to Flan myth.

Luna

A daughter of Nerull and Beory, Luna is ever-shifting between life and death and a goddess of women, dreams and mysterious powers. She is an avatar of Sehanine.

Myhriss

The goddess of romance and beauty, Myhriss is the aspect of Beory as a young woman, between Ehlonna the child and Berei the queen mother. She puts garlands in her hair and dances to entice the warriors and hunters of the tribe. She is another aspect of Sehanine.

Olidarma

A happy trickster and rogue, Olidarma invented wine and beer and encourage his followers to indulge. Often seen as the young incarnation of Obad-Hai and suitor of Myhriss, he is said to be descended from a dalliance between Beory and a goat and is often depicted as a satyr.

Rao

The serene god, Rao is the brother of Allitur and the son of Beory and Pelor. He is the god of reason, peace, and law. He is the first medicine-man and the oft-ignored adviser of Obad-Hai.

Zodal

The martyr and messenger of peace, Zodal is an ascended human, an exarch of Rao, and a victim and enemy of Vecna. He was a tribal chieftain at the time of the Flan empire. Only Zodal had no secrets Vecna could use to control him, but was still dethroned and forced to live as a wanderer.

Vecna

The final king of the old Flan empire, Vecna mastered all the tribes by learning and using their secrets against them. In time he became the first lich and was served by the first vampire, creating an empire of evil that fell only when the two fought it out. He is an exarch of Rao.