Hobling
No race is quite as carefree as the Hoblings. These small folk are known for their love of good food, songs, friends, and family. They are fun-loving, enjoy mischief, pranks, and usually hold tight to the belief that other races are simply too serious. Hoblings age half as fast as humans and several have lived as long as 130 years old.
While similar in composition, Amroth’s Reavers live in the southern reaches, along the Great Ocean. Their villages and fortresses are made of thick, broad wooden beams, and they thrive in harsh conditions that cripple most races. They are widely known for their stubborn pride, great honor, and stoic courage. They are more widely known for their longboats, and their raids on softer races for plunder and glory.
Races
Reaver
Amroth’s Reavers live in the southern reaches, along the Great Ocean. Their villages and fortresses are made of thick, broad wooden beams, and they thrive in harsh conditions that cripple most races. They are widely known for their stubborn pride, great honor, and stoic courage. They are more widely known for their longboats, and their raids on softer races for plunder and glory.
Costuming & Makeup
Long sleeved tunics, woolen breeches, and lighter armor that accommodates life at sea are common for Reaver clothing. All Reavers must have their makeup and/or costuming approved by a Race Marshal and/or the Head of Logistics during Character Creation.
Requirements:
Hoblings have fur on the backs of their hands and the tops of their feet. Since this fur is the only distinguishing feature of Hoblings, both sets of patches must be visible at all times. If weather is inclement, the fur may be attached to the tops of boots or gloves.
Advantages
Distant Dwarvish Relation:
May purchase the Resist Disease skill.
Dexterous
May start with the Disarm Traps and Pick Locks skills at no Build Cost.
+2 damage with Thrown Weapons (increasing base damage to “3 normal”).
Recognition of value:
May purchase the Evaluate Item skill at half Build Cost (rounded up).
Disadvantages
Small size:
-2 Starting Body Points
-5 to Maximum Body Points.
Hoblings are unable to be of the Warrior class.
May NOT purchase any of the following skills: Two-Handed Mastery, Two-Handed Blunt, Two-Handed Edged and Polearm.
Hobling
No race is quite as carefree as the Hoblings. These small folk are known for their love of good food, songs, friends, and family. They are fun-loving, enjoy mischief, pranks, and usually hold tight to the belief that other races are simply too serious. Hoblings age half as fast as humans and several have lived as long as 130 years old. The settlement of Hoblings in the Oasis from their former homes in Tyrra has been successful over the past few decades. Their people can be found around the towns and countryside of the Oasis in small communities.
Costuming & Makeup
Requirements:
Hoblings have fur on the backs of their hands and the tops of their feet. Since this fur is the only distinguishing feature of Hoblings, both sets of patches must be visible at all times. If weather is inclement, the fur may be attached to the tops of boots or gloves.
Advantages
Distant Dwarvish Relation:
May purchase the Resist Disease skill.
Dexterous
May start with the Disarm Traps and Pick Locks skills at no Build Cost.
+2 damage with Thrown Weapons (increasing base damage to “3 normal”).
Recognition of value:
May purchase the Evaluate Item skill at half Build Cost (rounded up).
Disadvantages
Small size:
-2 Starting Body Points
-5 to Maximum Body Points.
Hoblings are unable to be of the Warrior class.
May NOT purchase any of the following skills: Two-Handed Mastery, Two-Handed Blunt, Two-Handed Edged and Polearm.
Location
New Hobbleton (Hobling):
Named after their former home in Tyrra, this community of Hobling families have settled in the countryside around the town of Solace within the Oasis. Their hillside burrows are close to their fields where they grow lush crops and have famously splendid parties. Most people residing around Solace (whether Hobling or not) are typically invited to such parties and always seem to leave with a full belly and a story to tell.
Stone’s Throw (Reaver):
One of the largest Reaver settlements of note is Stone’s Throw. Ruled by the famous Jarl Winterhorn, this settlement is notorious for raiders and traders alike. This fortified settlement is located on the southern reached close to the continental shores.
Legends & Folklore
Blood-Price (Reaver):
It is said that the notion of the blood-price was created during a time of great turmoil among various rival factions as a way to settle feuds. That practice lives on and thrives today. Each and every person in Reaver society has a price fixed to them at birth. This is called a blood-price. This was the amount of silver that a person is worth based on what social level they belonged to when they were born. This amount is fixed only in that a person’s worth could never go below this amount. Thus, if a person was born, say, into the level of a landless freeman, they would be worth two silver. This means two things: one, if the person is killed the family is entitled to two marks of silver from the killer (or the killer’s family) as long as the death did not occur as part of a battle during war or from a duel. Two, a person could not put themselves into more debt than their blood-price unless they were in a thriving business. If this freeman borrowed two silver and was unable to repay the loan at the specified time, they could be made a servant to the lender until such time as the amount of the loan was repaid. The more skills and knowledge a person has the higher their blood-price is raised. If someone was born into poverty, worked themselves out of poverty, and continued to gain desirable knowledge and skills, they can conceivably gain positions of great power and wealth. Most Reavers do not recognize unproven foreigners as having a blood-price.
Adventurers (Hoblings):
As a carefree and familial people, it is quite a thing when a Hobling decides to leave their family and go off adventuring on their own or with other groups of people previously unfamiliar to them. The community tends to have quite a bit to say about these “unlucky” adventuring Hoblings and often give wicked glances and speak ill of them when they are gone. However, the natural curiosity and carefree nature of Hoblings shines through when their adventuring kin returns. The community can’t wait to hear about what sights and treasures their family members have seen during their travels. They are welcome back to their community in short order and typically a feast is thrown in their honor upon their return. Really, any excuse for a feast!
Culture
Hoblings:
Unlike their violent and unruly cousins, the Reaver Hoblings of Amroth, violence and raiding is not normally a part of their daily lives or natural demeanour. The two cultures of Hoblings in Amroth have very different views on life and what it means to be a Hobling. Hobling society is very familial in nature. A Hobling may travel and settle down somewhere else until they begin their own family. They are typically known by their family name and town of origin. Once they begin a family, their new hometown becomes the town they are known by.
Hoblings are known for living in comfortable underground burrows on hillsides where they spend most of their lives. Hoblings have a notorious love of fine food and drink. Hobling chefs are held in high regard and cooking is held as a noble profession (some call it an art). No Hobling has ever been heard of skipping out on a lavish feast or party. This seems to be a cultural imperative for these small folk. In short, with a little coin in their pockets and food in their bellies these carefree and silver-tongued small folks are a cornerstone of the culture of leisure in the Oasis.
Reavers:
Amrothi Reavers generally live in peaceful communities and share their home with their extended family, the elders taking care of the small children and household needs while the rest of the family sees to the family farm and/or business. Most Reaver communities are dependent on the sea for fishing, raiding, travel, and trade. Reavers have a very mobile society, meaning a person has the ability to move socially up or down. It is possible for a person to be born into servitude, be freed as an adult, and eventually become a very powerful person in the district. The older a Reaver gets, the more they tend to look to their creature comforts. Elders are looked to as a source of guidance and wisdom, and generally stay close to hearth and home. Having had more years to add to their knowledge, their blood-price is generally counted very high and are often sought out to share their wisdom with younglings.
Daily Life
Due to their gifts for trade and love of food Hoblings spend their daily lives in pursuit of the pleasures in life they know best. The stigma of being greedy is easily acquired by a Hobling from other people who are not used to the Hobling culture. Hoblings certains can be greedy when it comes to food and coin and they often get into trouble during their quests for a full stomach or filled coin purse. Most of the time a Hobling is able to talk their way out of most bad situations, however, being seafaring people, Most Reaver villages have at least one specific craft that they are known for far and wide. Because most villages are at least partially dependent on the sea, at least some education on sailing, navigation, boat building or repair and raiding is taught. Travel is considered an important part of any young Reaver's education. In this way young Reavers can explore other cultures, learn new things, and most importantly garner presents to impress their prospective in-laws. Tradition decrees that it is unlucky to pay for such presents, which perhaps explains why groups of traveling Reavers are referred as
“Reavers” by other cultures - no one knows where it originated, but it is a moniker the Reavers themselves have proudly adopted as part of their own identity.