Flan (Greyhawk)

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 understanding Flan and their culture can be essential to surviving these.

Cultural Traits

Generous, Boisterous, Carefree, Superstitious, Brave

Real-World Models

Picts, Native Americans. Flan are the quintessential formerly great people now reduced to the margins of the land.

Alignment

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.

Practices

Genders equal but different (slightly matriarchal), Promiscuity.

Taboos

Masturbation.

Family

Group marriage. Liaisons encouraged, often for religious purposes. Matrilinear.

Magic

Mainly witchcraft, druidic, and sorcerous magic utilizing the 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

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 is an ascended human, and several of the other gods might have lived as humans for a time.

Allitur	Lesser	LN	Propriety	Good, Knowledge, Law, Community	Flan
Beory	Greater	N (NG)	Nature	Animal, Earth, Plant, Water	Flan, Elder
Berei	Lesser	NG	Family, Agriculture	Good, Plant, Protection, Family	Common, Flan
Bleredd	Lesser	N	Metal, Mines, Smiths	Earth, Fire, Strength, Metal	Common, Oerdian, Flan
Celene	Lesser	LN	Companionship, Loyalty, Hope, Undeath	Charm, Renewal, Travel	Flan, Elf
Ehlonna (Ehlenestra)	Intermediate	NG	Forests, Flora and fauna, Fertility	Animal, Good, Plant, Sun, Celertity, Renewal	Flan, Elf, Common
Incablous (Sevelkhar the Waster)	Greater	NE	Nightmares, Disasters	Death, Evil, Destruction, Pestilence, Hunger	Common, Flan, Baklunish, Elder
Luna	Intermediate	CN	Moon, Change, Fate	Moon, Dream, Illusion, Luck	Flan, Elf
Myhriss	Lesser	NG	Love, Romance, Beauty	Good, Healing, Protection, Charm	Common, Flan
Nerull	Greater	NE	Death, Darkness, Death, Murder, Underworld	Death, Evil, Trickery, Darkness, Pestilence	Common, Flan, Elder
Obad-Hai	Intermediary	N	Nature, Freedom, Hunting, Beasts	Air, Animal, Earth, Fire, Plant, Water, Windstorm	Common, Flan
Olidarma	Intermediate	CN	Revels, Wine, Rogues, Humor, Tricks	Chaos, Luck, Trickery, Celerity, Mind	Common, Flan
Pelor	Greater	NG	Sun, Light, Strength, Healing	Good, Healing, Strength, Sun, Community, Glory	Common, Flan, Elder
Rao	Greater	LG	Peace, Reason, Serenity	Law, Good, Knowledge, Community, Purification	Common, Flan
Ulaa	Intermediate	LG	Hills, Mountains, Gemstones	Earth, Good, Law, Cavern	Oerdian, Dwarf, Gnome, Flan
Vecna	Lesser	NE	Destructive and evil secrets	Evil, Knowledge, Magic, Madness	Flan
Zodal	Lesser	NG	Mercy, Hope, Benevolence	Good, Healing, Protection	Common, Flan

Traits

Hidden Survivor

Your way of life has often come under attack, and your people have learned to hide and avoid trouble by moving away from it.

Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus on Stealth and Survival checks. One of these skills is a class skill for you.

Legacy of Magic

You have inherited your people's ancient magic traditions, but they come at a cost. It is all too easy to follow in the footsteps of Vecna.

Benefit: If you have a spellbook or list of spells known you learn one additional necromantic spell each time you learn spells of a new level.

Totem Bond

You have formed a close bond with an animal, reenacting the ancient totemic legacy of your people.

Benefit: If you have a familiar or animal companion as a class feature, that feature works as if you were three levels higher. If you don't have such a class feature, you gain a familiar like that of a first level wizard. Your ties to your totem is unusually strong; you can never change what kind of familiar or animal companion you have, tough you can exchange it for a larger animal of the same basic family; exchange a small snake for a larger snake of the same kind or a wolf for a dire wolf, for example.

If you have the option to pick a familiar or animal companion as a class feature, you must do so. If you are a ranger, you get your animal companion at first level.

Unassimilated

Despite living among other folk, you have clung to your cultural identity.

Benefit: You can imitate the accents and mannerisms of others, concealing your cultural heritage as that of the people you grew up amongst. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Bluff and Diplomacy and one of these skills is a class skill for you.