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Spriggan

2025-06-17T23:40:19Z

Hotep Gith:

'''Spriggan''' -noun-Old Gnomish meaning "Large, Big, Pile of Heavy Rocks, Strong, Hill, Bore, Churlish,Greedy,Crass, Uncouth. Loud. Fearless.Giant”

'''Spriggan also refers to two groups of Gnomes.'''

''' City Spriggans '''
A slang term for a sub/counter culture made up mostly of the now late adolescent/ young adult/Adult offspring of Free Gnome refugees resettled in the Hakan city area after the Gnomish Civil War. Originally used as a pejorative insult, it was embraced as a means of removing the word’s negative social power. Effort was moderately successful.

Known to be an iconoclastic, deviant, youth characterized by long dyed red hair and dyed mustaches and cosmetically augmented copper/reddish/clay skin tones, outrageous forms of dress,Large hats, loud dissonant music and the performative mocking of the majority of traditional Hakoni social conventions attacking them as “Dwarffish” and “Mentally Vassalized''.

They are also militantly insulted by the term “Wild Gnomes' ' as they strive to increase the growing consensus around the term to consider it to be an offensive Dwarvish term of condescension and reflective of inherit Dwarven supremacist attitudes.

They are stereotypically, pronouncedly cynical of the political process seeing the entirety of Gnomish society woefully tainted by the Dwarven cultural influence and must be cleansed by a full rejection of all Dwarven norms and for full Gnomish reconciliation with all three “families" of the Gnomish race including the so called [[Breaker Gnomes]].

Individually they may be consumed with Sprigg The Shrewd lore or may simply wear the fashion and engage as an affectation or means to an end to gain a platform. It’s ultimately secondary to them.

And

''' CLAN SPRIGGAN '''

The chosen name of a large extended clan of self proclaimed Gnomish lords, mercenaries who historically have lived in the [[Scar]] region of Gildenhome since before the Gnomish Vassalage. With a reputation for being cantankerous, greedy, crass and boorish but also stalwart allies and formidable fighters and knowledgeable in the ways of the runic arts, the source of their magical ability to grow over "three gnomes tall!"

This is a reputation carefully cultivated by the Clan over the centuries but it has become seemingly much more pronounced in the decades following the [[ Gnomish Civil War]]. These self proclaimed “lords of the Scar” claim a large swath of territory in the Scar lands, geographically these holdings are a huge portion of territory in comparison to the other clans of free Gnomes who lived in the region but most of these were far from prime hunting lands but instead rough and hard territory even in the Scar, undesired by other other clans…. Thought by some to be haunted and to the superstitious the old lands of the near mythical Duergar,

'''History'''
.
The members of Clan Spriggan boast that they can trace their bloodline back to their Clan’s founding in the time of the Demi Pantheon. They trace this directly from the legendary folk hero [[Sprigg The Shrewd]] in the centuries before even the [[Gnomish insurrection]] via kinship with the heroes’ mortal mother Gretnannah Nurue.

It is via this connection that they claim their identity as the clanmates of Sprigg but also [[Alandradar]] of the Demi-Pantheon and this forms the basis for their boasts as “Lords of The Scar.” Thus while Sprigg is a folklore hero to all Gnomes the members of Clan Spriggan claim a direct kinship and de facto inheritance. Suffice it to say how much stock and how literally this is taken varies with Clan Spriggan taking the most militant of stances as to its veracity while other Gnomes take them much more and more figuratively if at all.

In the Clan Spriggan’s telling of their origins Gretnannah Nurue seduced the Demi-God while he was in disguise as one of her hostages from a recent raid. A common ploy he allegedly used too often in his dalliances with mortals. However, according to the story Nurue knew the truth of Alandradar’s identity and purposefully saved his seed so that she might via deceit conceive the child of a Demigod for her own purposes.

'''Clan Activities'''

The Spriggan’s primarily and historically have survived and even thrived in the Scar via hunting and trapping and gathering, formerly specializing in exotic beasts but in recent centuries they have earned quite a reputation and significant earnings via serving as mercenaries. Most frequently in the service of Gildenhome as proxy forces against organized servitor tribes along the Gilden-Scar border areas, this also included allegations of slave trading in servitors, this is categorically denied by Clan Spriggan however who firmly assert that the collection of bounties of those labeled criminals and rebels does not amount to slave trading.

In general, every 25 years a cohort is called from each of the families to send two of their young people coming of “earning age” to come and put in their work for the clan. These young Gnomes are organized either into large units of 20-50 or more often small bands of 4-6 among their cousins to ply their trade as mercenaries and adventurers for hire or to in some way be “enterprising” for the Clan. They specialize in countering servitor encroachments along frontier areas as well as hostage recovery, standard bodyguarding, witch finding, bounty hunting, regulating banditry inside of the law, to extortion, protagonism and brigandry outside of the law and all manner of activities in between. These cohorts operate for about 25 years however those highly profitable can earn their tour early. These bands of gnomes are expected to put aside one third of their total earnings for the Clan’s coffers, which has been a profitable enterprise but it only a cover for the true driver of the Clan’s fortunes, which is their focus on expeditions into underground caverns or mines, seeking the ruins of the ancient Dwarven [[Mountainhome]] in fact reports of underground ruins of any kind.

They have a chief interest in any strange reports about unusual sights, activities, encounters or locations underground and while such expeditions actually finding something is rare and the perils are pronounced such expeditions are incredibly profitable for the Clan on a man power basis. They are relentless in their pursuit of more knowledge of Rune Magic and lore of the ancient past of the Scar.

Clan Spriggan was one of the most vocal among the [[Free Gnome]] delegations against the arming and training of servitors as proxy soldiers against the Dwarves. As many of these tribes had been at war with Clan Spriggan for generations and Clan Spriggan made significant earnings in the service of the Dwarves fighting against the Servitors, they both financially and on a personal and emotional level saw this as a malicious act against them directly. As such, with all major Gnome conflicts, Clan Spriggan was in the thick of battle using their power of size and runecraft to frightening effect on the field of battle. However they like others felt that ultimately the mass banishment of the so called [[Breaker Gnomes]] was perhaps too extreme of a sanction at the wars end and withdrew in protest and returned home to the Scar. War time, however gave them a greater taste for the comforts of city life and it’s temptations and libations.

More and more of the Clan divide their time between their homes and the cities of their cousins the Hakani.

TO BE EDITED

Unaffiliated gnomes

2025-06-06T17:53:37Z

Hotep Gith:

Such is the nature of the Gnomish people to help and aid their fellow Gnome in times of troubles or strife.

Gnomes of all stripes, who seemingly have never met will, each of their own volition, find common cause to seek justice, help resolve conflicts or root out evil and then go on their way rarely staying around for much praise. Their names often forgotten.

Such was the case in the year [[1516]] where in many such varying incidents from [[Free Gnome Island]] to the village of [[Promise]] and [[the Rattle]] to [[Milpazul]] to as far as [[San Citlán]], examples of unaffiliated gnomes working together to solve or resolve a crisis are easy to find.

All in the tradition of Gnomish folk hero and Alexandrian paragon [[Sprigg The Shrewd]]

Dabney Dubenstein

2025-06-06T03:02:49Z

Hotep Gith:

Was the name of a Hakan city accented member of a Gnomish trope of traveling entertainers making their way through the Gnomish town of [[Promise]] in the the [[Godsbreath]] region of Hakan during the [[Awakening Festival]] of 1516.

Dubenstein, his three fellow traveling entertainers as well as a local merchant and a neophyte priest, all bore witness to a strange incident during the festival song where a number of farmers began to lash out and attack their fellow neighbors, with whatever weapons they could use. They had blood red eyes and seemed cursed with madness. During this near riot, these [[unaffiliated gnomes]] aided the townsfolk by disarming or subduing the seemingly possessed rioters.

Mr. Dubenstein, however shot one of them dead with his skills with a bow, as such Dubenstein was formally charged with the death of this farmer. However, as the matter was investigated further, it quickly became more and more obvious that these individuals are clearly under some sinister magical influence and that all hailed from a nearby region known as [[the Rattle]].

A local, beloved town figure known as Aunt Dellie was able to easily convince the local magistrate to allow Dubenstein and these unaffiliated gnomes to go into the Rattle to investigate the source of this dark magic and for herself remain in custody in his place, during such time. Dellie's goddaughter Kianna lives in the rattle and as such Dellie was deeply concerned about the fate of her goddaughter as one of the accursed rioters had on his person, a drawing made in Kianna's artistic style and so she urged the new companions to find her.

These Gnomes now traveled deeper into the Godsbreath region passing out of the prosperous and once verdant area of collective farmland know as [[The Ribbon]] and into the wilder more untamed area known as [[the Rattle]] said to be haunted by dangerous creatures.

After multiple encounters with such hazards as Dire coyotes, they rescue a local farmer and learn that there has been a growing blight on the land as of late and thus forcing farmers to move deeper and deeper into the Rattle.

Later,the party lost one of their wagons to the sudden shaking of the earth and opening of a sinkhole. The priest and Merchant remained behind while Dubenstein and the other three gnomish entertainers pressed on deeper into the Rattle and toward Kianna's farmstead.

It was here that the found several abandoned farms empty of life with overgrown weeds and untended crops and the soil seemed drained of life.

When exploring the main farmhouse the four gnomes were attacked by other farmers also seemingly cursed with madness as well as undead animated servered hands at multiple points. This led to them exploring the tunnels underneath the farmhouse and finding the bodies of many other local farmers as well as Kianna herself.

The foursome was then attached by a strange undead creature made up of the collective arms and hands of the slain farmers. It seemed to have a strange hold on Kianna as part of it's limbs were made up from a childhood friend of hers. It seemed to be able to speak it's thoughts into one's mind using her guilt of the accidental demise of her childhood friend as a means of control.

After a pitched battle the four gnomes were able to destroy the undead creature and reuniting with the other two were able bring Kianna back to [[Promise]] to Dellie's relief and Dubenstein's exoneration.

The priest remained behind in the rattle to help others resettle into the area and aid those who remained in the community heal from this terrifying time. As hopefully the blight on the areas crops had ended as well.

The merchant remained in Promise, making new clients in the Ribbon and Rattle alike and the four entertainers soon left, presumably heading southwest, out of the Hakan proper and into the borderlands and the independent city state of [[San Citlán]] where Dubenstein's remains would later be found in a eerie mass underground grave, in the tunnels underneath San Citlán, which were inhabited by ghouls and other undead who no doudt caused Dubenstein's demise..

Dubenstein's corpse was identified by his [[Promise]] civic medallion, citing him as vindicated of all previous charges. While the other three of Dubenstein's companions were not so easily identified the extremely large number of corpses and skeletons present in the cave and their seeming disappearance at the same time as Dubenstein, led local authorities to surmise that they likely all suffered the same fate.

Milpazul

2025-06-05T04:18:36Z

Hotep Gith:

{{stub}}

An arid village in the foothills in the borderlands of Hakan. It is near [[San Citlán]]. It is the base of operations of the popular local outlaw hero [[La Paloma]] who leads a revolutionary struggle against the wealthy land barons of San Citlan who economically oppress the locals of the region

What also makes this region unusual is how in rare cases the dead do not pass on but remain as undead here and especially in [[San Citlán]]

Here the local tavern is operated by one such of these self aware and non hostile undead. Unlike zombies or ghouls as they are known this bartender seems to think and act as they did in life, seeking to cause no harm to any.

This strange phenomenon seems to be a byproduct of the regional observance the [[Night of the Remembered]]

Milpazul is also the birthplace of gnomish Pepper merchant and [[Spicy Brothers]] partner [[Bill Bittinger]]

Category:Foxtrot Gnomes

2025-06-05T04:17:13Z

Hotep Gith:

The Daggelgnara disavows any knowledge or responsibility of any actions of any person or persons referred to such. These have been deemed to be the actions of [[unaffiliated gnomes]].

Dabney Dubenstein

2025-06-05T03:38:41Z

Hotep Gith:

Was the name of a member of a Gnomish trope of traveling entertainers making their way through the town of [[Promise]] in the the [[Godbreath]] region of Hakan during the Awakening festival of 1516.

To be continued.

Milpazul

2025-06-05T03:37:14Z

Hotep Gith:

Milpazul

2025-06-05T03:35:50Z

Hotep Gith:

{{stub}}

An arid village in the foothills in the borderlands of Hakan. It is near [[San Citlán]]. It is the base of operations of the popular local outlaw hero [[La Paloma]] who leads a revolutionary struggle against the wealthy land barons of San Citlan who economically oppress the locals of the region

What also makes this region unusual is how in rare cases the dead do not pass on but remain as undead here and especially in [[San Citlán]]

Here the local tavern is operated by one such of these self aware and non hostile undead. Unlike zombies or ghouls as they are known this bartender seem to think and act as they did in life, seeking to cause no harm to any.This strange phenomenon seems to be a byproduct of the regional observance the [[Night of the Remembered]]

Milpazul is also the birthplace of gnomish Pepper merchant and [[Spicy Brothers]] partner, [[Bill Bittinger]]

Milpazul

2025-06-05T03:35:20Z

Hotep Gith:

{{stub}}

An arid village in the foothills in the borderlands of Hakan. It is near [[San Citlán]]. It is the base of operations of the popular local outlaw hero [[La Paloma]] who leads a revolutionary struggle against the wealthy land barons of San Citlan who economically oppress the locals of the region

What also makes this region unusual is how in rare cases the dead do not pass on but remain as undead here and especially in [[San Citlan]].

Here the local tavern is operated by one such of these self aware and non hostile undead. Unlike zombies or ghouls as they are known this bartender seem to think and act as they did in life, seeking to cause no harm to any.This strange phenomenon seems to be a byproduct of the regional observance the [[Night of the Remembered]]

Milpazul is also the birthplace of gnomish Pepper merchant and [[Spicy Brothers]] partner, [[Bill Bittinger]]

Milpazul

2025-06-05T03:35:05Z

Hotep Gith:

{{stub}}

An arid village in the foothills in the borderlands of Hakan. It is near [[San Citlán]]. It is the base of operations of the popular local outlaw hero [[La Paloma]] who leads a revolutionary struggle against the wealthy land barons of San Citlan who economically oppress the locals of the region

What also makes this region unusual is how in rare cases the dead do not pass on but remain as undead here and especially in [[San Citlan]].

Here the local tavern is operated by one such of these self aware and non hostile undead. Unlike zombies or ghouls as they are known this bartender seem to think and act as they did in life, seeking to cause no harm to any.This strange phenomenon seems to be a byproduct of the regional observance the [[Night of the Remembered]]

Milpazul is also the birthplace of gnomish Pepper merchant and [[Spicy Brothers" partner, [[Bill Bittinger]]

Dabney Dubenstein

2025-06-05T03:12:18Z

Hotep Gith: Created page with " Was the name of a member of a Gnomish trope of traveling entertainers making their way through the town of Promise in the the Godbreath region of Hakan during the Awakening festival of 1516. To be continued."

Scuntz

2025-06-05T02:58:11Z

Hotep Gith:

Scuntz was the given name of a humble [[Free Gnome]] merchant who along with three other [[unaffiliated gnomes]] on Free Gnome Island, who at the [[Dyn Singh Night Market]] helped resolve a local long standing feud between rival gnome vendors and their extended families.The Xungoon and Tyenmo families in the spring of 1516.

It turns out that both parties while sincere in their long standing hostility, it was also found to be a conflict recently greatly, intensified and instigated by Gilden Dwarven merchant Kasem Aroon, co-owner of the [[Spicy Brothers]] pepper merchants, with his brother Vi. Vi was getting married soon and leaving the family business and Kasem fearing that he could not maintain their business alone was seeking to pit these rivals against each other in order to buy into their businesses inexpensively. Kasem's plot utilizing feywild creatures was exposed by Scuntz and the three other unaffiliated gnomes and he was banished from the market and the two rival families reconciled.

Scuntz and these unaffiliated gnomes are presumed to have left [[Free Gnome Island]] some time afterwards and more or less was never seen or heard from again.

Prestige

2025-06-05T02:21:49Z

Hotep Gith:

{{statsbox|Orvyn_Gnome_Illusionist_Headshot.png|2|Hakani Gnome|Wizard (2)|None (Mage Armor)|Illusion Magic|Hakan City}}

General Introduction- The Daggelgnara disavows any knowledge or responsibility of any actions of any person or persons referred to such.

==Appearance==

TBD

==History==

TBD

==Prestige's Character Sheet==
===Stats===
{| class="wikitable" style="float:left;text-align:center;margin:1em;"
|+ Attributes
|-
! !! Score !! Modifier
|-
| STR || 08 || -1
|-
| DEX || 14 || +2
|-
| CON || 12 || +1
|-
| INT || 16 || +3
|-
| WIS || 12 || +1
|-
| CHA || 14 || +2
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="float:clear;text-align:center;margin:1em;"
|+ Saves
|-
! !! Prof !! Modifier
|-
| STR || || -1
|-
| DEX || || +2
|-
| CON || || +1
|-
| INT || X || +3
|-
| WIS || X || +1
|-
| CHA || || +2
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="float:clear;text-align:center;margin:1em;"
|+ Skills
|-
! Name !! Stat !! Modifier || Prof
|-
| Acrobatics || DEX || +2 ||
|-
| Animal Handling || WIS || +1 ||
|-
| Arcana || INT || +5 || X
|-
| Athletics || STR || -1 ||
|-
| Deception || CHA || +4 || X
|-
| History || INT || +3 ||
|-
| Insight || WIS || +1 ||
|-
| Intimidation || CHA || +2 ||
|-
| Investigation || INT || +5 || X
|-
| Medicine || WIS || +1 ||
|-
| Nature || INT || +3 ||
|-
| Perception || WIS || +1 ||
|-
| Performance || CHA || +2 ||
|-
| Persuasion || CHA || +2 ||
|-
| Religion || INT || +3 ||
|-
| Sleight-of-Hand || DEX || +4 || X
|-
| Stealth || DEX || +2 ||
|-
| Survival || WIS || +1 ||
|}

===Spell Book===
* CANTRIPS
** Firebolt
** Mending
** Minor Illusion (Improved)
** Shocking Grasp
* LEVEL 1
** Comprehend Languages (Ritual)
** Feather Fall (R)
** Find Familiar (Ritual)
*** aka "The Periscope"
** Fog Cloud (C)
** Illusory Script (Ritual)
** Mage Armor
** Magic Missile
** Ray of Sickness
** Shield (R)
** Sleep
** Tenser's Floating Disk (Ritual)
** Identify (Ritual)

Performer

2025-06-05T02:21:08Z

Hotep Gith: Created page with "The Daggelgnara disavows any knowledge or responsibility of any actions of any person or persons referred to such."

The Daggelgnara disavows any knowledge or responsibility of any actions of any person or persons referred to such.

Professor

2025-06-05T02:20:55Z

Hotep Gith: Created page with "The Daggelgnara disavows any knowledge or responsibility of any actions of any person or persons referred to such."

The Daggelgnara disavows any knowledge or responsibility of any actions of any person or persons referred to such.

Unaffiliated gnomes

2025-06-05T02:19:55Z

Hotep Gith:

Such is the nature of the Gnomish people to help and aid their fellow Gnome and in times of troubles or strife.

Gnomes of all stripes, who seemingly have never met will, each of their own volition, find common cause to seek justice, help resolve conflicts or root out evil and then go on their way rarely staying around for much praise. Their names often forgotten.

Such was the case in the year [[1516]] where in many such varying incidents from [[Free Gnome Island]] to the village of [[Promise]] and [[the Rattle]] to [[Milpazul]] to as far as [[San Citlán]], examples of unaffiliated gnomes working together to solve or resolve a crisis are easy to find.

All in the tradition of Gnomish folk hero and Alexandrian paragon [[Sprigg The Shrewd]]

Category:Foxtrot Gnomes

2025-06-05T02:18:43Z

Hotep Gith: Created page with " The Daggelgnara disavows any knowledge or responsibility of any actions of any person or persons referred to such. These have been deemed to be the actions of unaffiliated gnomes."

The Daggelgnara disavows any knowledge or responsibility of any actions of any person or persons referred to such. These have been deemed to be the actions of [[unaffiliated gnomes]].

Unaffiliated gnomes

2025-06-05T02:10:23Z

Hotep Gith:

Such is the nature of the Gnomish people to help and aid their fellow Gnome and in times of troubles or strife.

Gnomes of all stripes, who seemingly have never met will, each of their own volition, find common cause to seek justice, help resolve conflicts or root out evil and then go on their way rarely staying around for much praise. Their names often forgotten.

Such was the case in the year [[1516]] where in many such varying incidents from [[Free Gnome Island]] to the village of [[Promise]] and [[the Rattle]] to [[Milpazul]] to as far as [[San Citlán]], examples of Unaffiliated gnomes working together to solve or resolve a crisis are easy to find.

All in the tradition of Gnomish folk hero and Alexandrian paragon [[Sprigg The Shrewd]]

Unaffiliated gnomes

2025-06-05T02:09:14Z

Hotep Gith: Created page with " Such is the nature of the Gnomish people to help and aid their fellow Gnome and in times of troubles or strife. Gnomes of all stripes, who seemingly have never met will, each of their own volition, find common cause to seek justice, help resolve conflicts or root out evil and then go on their way rarely staying around for much praise. Their names often forgotten. Such was the case in the year 1516 where in many such varying incidents from Free Gnome Island to..."

Such is the nature of the Gnomish people to help and aid their fellow Gnome and in times of troubles or strife.

Gnomes of all stripes, who seemingly have never met will, each of their own volition, find common cause to seek justice, help resolve conflicts or root out evil and then go on their way rarely staying around for much praise. Their names often forgotten.

Such was the case in the year [[1516]] where in many such varying incidents from [[Free Gnome Island]] to the village of [[Promise]] and [[the Rattle]] to [[Milpazul]] to as far as [[San Citlán]], examples of Unaffiliated gnomes working together to solve or resolve a crisis are easy to find.

All in the tradition of Gnomish folk hero and Alexandrian paragon [[Sprigg the Shrewd]]

Scuntz

2025-06-05T01:35:14Z

Hotep Gith:

Scuntz was the given name of a humble [[Free Gnome]] merchant who along with three other [[unaffiliated gnomes]] on Free Gnome Island, who at the [[Dyn Singh Night Market]] helped resolve a local long standing feud between rival gnome vendors and their extended families.The Xungoon and Tyenmo families.

It turns out that both parties while sincere in their long standing hostility, it was also found to be a conflict recently greatly, intensified and instigated by Gilden Dwarven merchant Kasem Aroon, co-owner of the [[Spicy Brothers]] pepper merchants, with his brother Vi. Vi was getting married soon and leaving the family business and Kasem fearing that he could not maintain their business alone was seeking to pit these rivals against each other in order to buy into their businesses inexpensively. Kasem's plot utilizing feywild creatures was exposed by Scuntz and the three other unaffiliated gnomes and he was banished from the market and the two rival families reconciled.

Scuntz and these unaffiliated gnomes are presumed to have left [[Free Gnome Island]] some time afterwards and more or less was never seen or heard from again.

Scuntz

2025-06-05T01:34:47Z

Hotep Gith: Created page with "Scuntz was the given name of a humble Free gnomemerchant who along with three other unaffiliated gnomes on Free Gnome Island, who at the Dyn Singh Night Market helped resolve a local long standing feud between rival gnome vendors and their extended families.The Xungoon and Tyenmo families. It turns out that both parties while sincere in their long standing hostility, it was also found to be a conflict recently greatly, intensified and instigated by Gilden Dw..."

Scuntz was the given name of a humble [[Free gnome]]merchant who along with three other [[unaffiliated gnomes]] on Free Gnome Island, who at the [[Dyn Singh Night Market]] helped resolve a local long standing feud between rival gnome vendors and their extended families.The Xungoon and Tyenmo families.

It turns out that both parties while sincere in their long standing hostility, it was also found to be a conflict recently greatly, intensified and instigated by Gilden Dwarven merchant Kasem Aroon, co-owner of the [[Spicy Brothers]] pepper merchants, with his brother Vi. Vi was getting married soon and leaving the family business and Kasem fearing that he could not maintain their business alone was seeking to pit these rivals against each other in order to buy into their businesses inexpensively. Kasem's plot utilizing feywild creatures was exposed by Scuntz and the three other unaffiliated gnomes and he was banished from the market and the two rival families reconciled.

Scuntz and these unaffiliated gnomes are presumed to have left [[Free Gnome Island]] some time afterwards and more or less was never seen or heard from again.

Perpetrator

2025-06-05T00:33:03Z

Hotep Gith: Created page with "The Daggelgnara disavows any knowledge or responsibility of any actions of any person or persons referred to such."

The Daggelgnara disavows any knowledge or responsibility of any actions of any person or persons referred to such.

Both Sides of the River

2024-10-01T00:08:05Z

Hotep Gith:

A collection of essays, interviews and stories, written and collected by Singleton Stratford. Mostly unremarkable in prose or in prowess, however what might remotely interest someone in reading this book is it's unique subject matter.

The collected entries comprise not only Stratford's journal and recollections about his travels with [[The Unveilers]],an adventuring party that acquired rare books and tomes for the newly reestablished Library of Alexia in [[Nia Agliare]] but later goes into his own youth as a conscript into the [[Covington]] Pikemen and later as an auxiliary member of the [[Bog Wraiths]] and later as a Ventenar in the New Alexian Guard, all of his life experiences as a Half Orc living among humans.

Here the collection finds its through line, as in later entries the focus shifts to other Half Orcs Stratford meets, befriends, fights and all other interactions. As well as lots about his wife and children and how as he and his wife are both Half Orcs their children are also Half Orcs and their fears and hopes for their futures and them wondering if having children is responsible given how the world may treat them.

Stratford is a devote and devout believer in the Neo Alexandrian revolution in Nia Agliare and credits it with ending the corruption and open violence that had become a norm in this once great city. As such Stratford's thoughts are generally from a strongly Pro Neo Alexian pov. He writes with absolute certainty.....

That Nia Agliare , was a vile den of pirates, bandits, mercenaries and smugglers, all rumored to be ruled by a unseen cabal of the living dead. A place of literal unholy evil.

Now?

The city is clean, there are no dead bodies rotting in the streets, there are no beggars or orphans without a place to live.There are no more mysterious disappearances in the dead of night.

There is now housing, for all. Food, for all. Education, for all.

In fact Stratford's children are legally required to attend temple each day, here all children are taught to read and write and basic educational skills before they are assigned a trade when older.

Stratford and Bolen, learned to read and write from their own children.

Theres also a large amount of content on the Stratfords' parenting "stratagems". Their very elaborate system for parenting Half Orc children.

It is also noteworthy that there is little other focus on Orcs or humans except in how they connect to the Half Orcs stories we are given.

Thus the reader gets varied accounts of the diverse range of experiences, attitudes and points of view among Half Orcs of all stripes, however the commonalities are clear in how they are often abused and victimized in both human and orc culture, which s the clearest "message" of the book as a whole.

"We are all born on one side or the other of a great, great river. On the shore where we are born we are hated but hated less so than on the other shore. So, what do we do? We do what we have to to survive. If that means men, then we fight to prove ourselves as more human than men themselves. If that shore be Orc then we fight and strive to be the most Orcish of all. We are at war with our very natures. Our own urges and drives twisted and at odds with each other.

Only the Avatar offers us salvation and hope and a place where we simply can just..Be. Not as men, not as Orcs..but just as living beings"-

Singleton Stratford-1516

Both Sides of the River

2024-10-01T00:07:45Z

Hotep Gith:

A collection of essays, interviews and stories, written and collected by Singleton Stratford. Mostly unremarkable in prose or in prowess, however what might remotely interest someone in reading this book is it's unique subject matter.

The collected entries comprise not only Stratford's journal and recollections about his travels with [[The Unveilers]],an adventuring party that acquired rare books and tomes for the newly reestablished Library of Alexia in [[Nia Agliare]] but later goes into his own youth as a conscript into the [[Covngton]] Pikemen and later as an auxiliary member of the [[Bog Wraiths]] and later as a Ventenar in the New Alexian Guard, all of his life experiences as a Half Orc living among humans.

Here the collection finds its through line, as in later entries the focus shifts to other Half Orcs Stratford meets, befriends, fights and all other interactions. As well as lots about his wife and children and how as he and his wife are both Half Orcs their children are also Half Orcs and their fears and hopes for their futures and them wondering if having children is responsible given how the world may treat them.

Stratford is a devote and devout believer in the Neo Alexandrian revolution in Nia Agliare and credits it with ending the corruption and open violence that had become a norm in this once great city. As such Stratford's thoughts are generally from a strongly Pro Neo Alexian pov. He writes with absolute certainty.....

That Nia Agliare , was a vile den of pirates, bandits, mercenaries and smugglers, all rumored to be ruled by a unseen cabal of the living dead. A place of literal unholy evil.

Now?

The city is clean, there are no dead bodies rotting in the streets, there are no beggars or orphans without a place to live.There are no more mysterious disappearances in the dead of night.

There is now housing, for all. Food, for all. Education, for all.

In fact Stratford's children are legally required to attend temple each day, here all children are taught to read and write and basic educational skills before they are assigned a trade when older.

Stratford and Bolen, learned to read and write from their own children.

Theres also a large amount of content on the Stratfords' parenting "stratagems". Their very elaborate system for parenting Half Orc children.

It is also noteworthy that there is little other focus on Orcs or humans except in how they connect to the Half Orcs stories we are given.

Thus the reader gets varied accounts of the diverse range of experiences, attitudes and points of view among Half Orcs of all stripes, however the commonalities are clear in how they are often abused and victimized in both human and orc culture, which s the clearest "message" of the book as a whole.

"We are all born on one side or the other of a great, great river. On the shore where we are born we are hated but hated less so than on the other shore. So, what do we do? We do what we have to to survive. If that means men, then we fight to prove ourselves as more human than men themselves. If that shore be Orc then we fight and strive to be the most Orcish of all. We are at war with our very natures. Our own urges and drives twisted and at odds with each other.

Only the Avatar offers us salvation and hope and a place where we simply can just..Be. Not as men, not as Orcs..but just as living beings"-

Singleton Stratford-1516

Both Sides of the River

2024-10-01T00:06:47Z

Hotep Gith:

A collection of essays, interviews and stories, written and collected by Singleton Stratford. Mostly unremarkable in prose or in prowess, however what might remotely interest someone in reading this book is it's unique subject matter.

The collected entries comprise not only Stratford's journal and recollections about his travels with [The Unveilers]],an adventuring party that acquired rare books and tomes for the newly reestablished Library of Alexia in Nia Agliare but later goes into his own youth as a conscript into the Covngton Pikemen and later as an auxiliary member of the Bog Wraiths and later as a Ventenar in the New Alexian Guard, all of his life experiences as a Half Orc living among humans.

Here the collection finds its through line, as in later entries the focus shifts to other Half Orcs Stratford meets, befriends, fights and all other interactions. As well as lots about his wife and children and how as he and his wife are both Half Orcs their children are also Half Orcs and their fears and hopes for their futures and them wondering if having children is responsible given how the world may treat them.

Stratford is a devote and devout believer in the Neo Alexandrian revolution in Nia Agliare and credits it with ending the corruption and open violence that had become a norm in this once great city. As such Stratford's thoughts are generally from a strongly Pro Neo Alexian pov. He writes with absolute certainty.....

That Nia Agliare , was a vile den of pirates, bandits, mercenaries and smugglers, all rumored to be ruled by a unseen cabal of the living dead. A place of literal unholy evil.

Now?

The city is clean, there are no dead bodies rotting in the streets, there are no beggars or orphans without a place to live.There are no more mysterious disappearances in the dead of night.

There is now housing, for all. Food, for all. Education, for all.

In fact Stratford's children are legally required to attend temple each day, here all children are taught to read and write and basic educational skills before they are assigned a trade when older.

Stratford and Bolen, learned to read and write from their own children.

Theres also a large amount of content on the Stratfords' parenting "stratagems". Their very elaborate system for parenting Half Orc children.

It is also noteworthy that there is little other focus on Orcs or humans except in how they connect to the Half Orcs stories we are given.

Thus the reader gets varied accounts of the diverse range of experiences, attitudes and points of view among Half Orcs of all stripes, however the commonalities are clear in how they are often abused and victimized in both human and orc culture, which s the clearest "message" of the book as a whole.

"We are all born on one side or the other of a great, great river. On the shore where we are born we are hated but hated less so than on the other shore. So, what do we do? We do what we have to to survive. If that means men, then we fight to prove ourselves as more human than men themselves. If that shore be Orc then we fight and strive to be the most Orcish of all. We are at war with our very natures. Our own urges and drives twisted and at odds with each other.

Only the Avatar offers us salvation and hope and a place where we simply can just..Be. Not as men, not as Orcs..but just as living beings"-

Singleton Stratford-1516

Both Sides of the River

2024-09-30T05:54:54Z

Hotep Gith:

A collection of essays, interviews and stories, written and collected by [[Singleton Stratford]]. Mostly unremarkable in prose or in prowess, however what might remotely interest someone in reading this book is it's unique subject matter.

The collected entries comprise not only Stratford's journal and recollections about his travels with the "Delta 8" but later goes into his own youth and life experiences as a Half Orc living among humans.

Here the collection finds it''s through line, as in later entries the focus shifts to other Half Orcs Stratford meets, befriends, fights and all other interactions. As well as lots about his wife and children and how as he and his wife are both Half Orcs their kids are also Half Orcs and their fears and hopes for their futures and them wondering if having kids is right given how the world will treat them.

Theres also a large amount of content on the Stratfords' parenting "stratagems". Their very elaborate system for parenting Half Orc children.

It is also noteworthy that there is little focus on Orcs or humans except in how they connect to the Half Orcs stories we are given.

Thus the reader gets varied accounts of the diverse range of experiences, attitudes and points of view among Half Orcs of all stripes, however the commonalities are clear in how they are often abused and victimized in both human and orc culture, which s the clearest "message" of the book as a whole.

Singleton Stratford

2024-09-30T05:52:02Z

Hotep Gith:

Singleton Stratford, Rank Ventenar, born Ongaah the Small, was among the 21 rescued humans liberated from Orcish bondage, taken over the years from the nearby Alexian Fort and town of [[Covington]] in the foothills of the mountains to the east of [[Nia-Agliare]].

Among these freed prisoners were 8 human women all from town but as some had been held captive for multiple winters. The Covington militia also discovered 11 Half orc children all very young. The Ventenar in command of the posse decided to heed the pleading of the rescued prisoners and took their children back with them as well.

The Fort and Town were filled with celebration on hearing the news of the return of some of their lost daughters and wives and friends but once reunited, many claimed that the Half Orc children were not theirs at all. Many of their families would refuse to take in a Half Orc child, some might even go a step further, abandoning the child to the wilds or worse.

The people of Covington have been in a nigh state of war with the area Orc and Bugbear tribes and Wild men that plague these hills for generations and while a pious folk, the hatred and feuds which now take on a family matter caused stark divisions in the community.

This created a conundrum as to what to do with these children. Eventually, it was so ordered by the Commandant that

A. It has been investigated and concluded that these children did not belong to any of the families of Covington and must be the orphans of other poor human captives from lost travelers, tribes of wild men, hermits and the like. This matter is closed as is public discussion of baseless rumormongering. Continued rancor will be treated as sedition. Let none claim ignorance of the law.

B. That these children, despite their inherit wickedness and eventual bloodlust are still children of the Goddess, innocent of any crime or sin of their own doing and still of Alexian blood. And thus must be provided for under the [[oath]]

C. It is so ordered and ruled that the [[Orc-blood]] foundlings are wards of the Fort and are to be remanded to the custody of FT Covington.

Thus it came to pass that the toddler "Ongaah the Small" became "Singleton Stratford". The name something of a joke by the bored company clerk who used names of nearby streams, ponds, caves and other area landmarks in combinations to name the children.

Most of Stratford and the other foundlings early childhood consisted mainly of being servants for the militiamen and officers of the Fort itself. In time becoming soldiers themselves. As Half Orc's mature faster that human children in a mere 10 years these children went from servants and maids and cooks to manning the watch, joining patrols and leading counterstrikes and rescue missions.

At age 14 Stratford, now in the militia was inducted as a member of the elite Covington Pikemen and served dutifully and faithfully for 5 years during that time he and his fellows saw engagement with A variety of foes and threats frequently Orcs and goblins with sporadic Bugbear attacks, with the curious phenomenon of [[Bugbear Summer]] being a significant anomaly.

It was during the Bugbear Summer of 1509 that his life took a turn. As has been the case of all documented Bugbear Summers, the area of the foothills becomes virtually infested with bands of late adolescent and young adult male Bugbears. Who pour out of the of the mountain passes and begin a chaotic and disjointed but tactically sound siege of the FT and town.

Covington being rather remote, rarely receives visitors as most of the original surrounding villages either became abandoned or merged with Covington and most Alexian refugees sought shelter further south and out of the dangerous foothills. As the Militia and it's Pikemen prepared defenses for a long and brutal summer. Hope arrived, when a small battery of grenadiers known as the [[Bog Wraiths]] arrived at the edge of town.

The current [[Commandant Maxil]] welcomed them and perplexed them as he presented his Fort for inspection and began giving reports as far as fighting strength, rations and other logistics. Maxil and the Covingtons had assumed them reinforcements sent out from Nia Aglaire to finally help them in their time of need and to reopen the nearby gem mines. They assumed that the Bog Wraith Captain named [[Corraco]] was their new Commandant and his troops, clearly reinforcements. A reward for them keeping the faith and defending the mine and road for over 158 years.

In reality the battery had simply gotten lost while completing another assignment and had stumbled across this old road, which they rightly assumed would eventually lead them out of the foothills and near a main road. Before the Bog Wraiths and their Captain could extricate themselves of leadership, the alarm sounded and the bugbears were attacking.

The hulking goblinoids had seen the new arrivals as well and feared that more were on the way and decided that it was best to attack now en masse.

It was in this battle that Stratford made a crucial choice that changed his life forever. As the tide of the siege turned against Covington, Stratford saw many of his comrades human and "Orc blood" die but saw that the Bog Wraiths were holding their own.

He saw Captain [[Corraco]] cut a bugbear down with a single blow with his sword, three other dead or dying bugbears laid at his feat. Stratford saw as more and more bugbears seemed to take notice of this and began to move towards him.

It was then that Stratford remembered his training and [[oath]].

So, he rushed to the Captain's side and used his pike to keep the multiple foes at bay so that the Captain could focus on them one by one. It worked and so he stayed with her using the reach of his pike to prevent him being attacked from behind and his own ability to endure the blows from the bugbears that he was able to protect so that the Captain could conquer.

Other followed suit surrounding the best of the Bog Wraith warriors and "aiding" them in the battle. They clearly were on a whole other "level" than the Militia, several. Stratford, the entire battle was in awe of the Captain's skill and maneuvers. It was like he had somehow mastered every aspect of battle.

When the battle ended, Corraco had taken a shine to him for his "aid" and offered to allow Stratford to come back with him to Nia Agliare as a member of his retinue.

At age 19, Stratford was a mercenary auxiliary of the Bog Wraith garrison stationed at Nia Agliare. He served under Corraco's command , mostly doing low level guarding duties or running errands or occasionally joining missions. As Captain Corraco is technically Commandant-elect in Covington, Stratford is not listed as a deserter but on "Special Assignment".

At age 20, receives special dispensation by the Captain to allow him to marry [[Bolen Huse]].
Their initial courtship was engineered under [[Commandant Rollio]] influence in their younger years.
Rollio believed he could avoid competition for mates by simply pairing off those recruits he deemed had desirable traits for offspring.

He did not need to bother the two would have found each other eventually and are the only two surviving of the Covington "Orc Bloods"
The pair settle in dismal quarters. Later that year [[Violent Stratford]] is born.

At age 21, becomes regular guard in rotation at the main gate. Steady employment and consistent pay. Family moves to slightly better housing. Later that year during a massive thunderstorm [[Summer Stratford]]

At age 22, picks up extra shifts in rotation at jail. Pay increases. [[Durbin Stratford]] is born. Becomes irritable, aggressive. Has several violent outbursts. Injures several prisoners and has several bar fights. No one cares but Bolen demands he quits working at the jail and he does.

At Age 23, [[Owen Stratford]] is born. The Stratfords are concerned about the deep corruption and darkness in Nia Agliare. In some ways as dangerous as Covington. Money is very tight this year. The family is briefly forced back into the same dismal quarters they started with. They consider leaving the city to try their luck elsewhere but dismiss it. The pair realize they have nowhere else to go.

At age 24. The Neo Alexandria revolution. a near bloodless coup and total upending of the existing corrupt power structure and it being replaced by the Avatar and daughter of the Goddess Alexandria herself, and her army of mortal followers. Criminal syndicates are crushed. Law and order restored. Poor are provided housing and food. Singleton was on guard at the main gate when the word came down to him.

Due to his mostly clean record. He was formally brought on as a member of the Town guard. Family is assigned better housing
Singleton is originally assigned to the pier area a former hotbed of illicit activities.
Once again, becomes more aggressive in general. Bolen kicks him out of the house for a week, while he burns off his rage.

He applies for transfer to guarding the newly renovated public parks. Request is granted. Bolen allows him to come home.

[[Marcel Stratford]] is born.

Violet, Summer and Durbin are all attending the new state run public schools.

Embargo make times hard even with better housing and pay and there are rumors of war.

Still, with lower crime, cleaner streets, compassion for the poor and free education, the pair are optimistic about the future.

At age 25.[[Lynn Stratford]] is born. Times are hard and getting harder. Despite all the progress that is being made the family feels like they still cannot get ahead.

When the pair discover that they have another child on the way they after a week of discussing/debating it agree to allow Singleton to pursue a new venture with finding books for the reestablished library of Alexandria in New Alexia. Rumor has it that if you can find some rare old book you can get big money fast.

Of this period of his life an older Stratford would later write..

" I was desperate to find a way to provide for my family and then I look up from my drink and there's this kid, this halfling and this crazy looking old lady with a skull on her head... Needless to say I had no idea how much bigger my world was about to get."- [[Both Sides of the River]]

Spriggan

2024-05-28T05:04:53Z

Hotep Gith:

'''Spriggan''' -noun-Old Gnomish meaning "Large, Big, Pile of Heavy Rocks, Strong, Hill, Bore, Churlish,Greedy,Crass, Uncouth. Loud. Fearless.Giant”

'''Spriggan also refers to two groups of Gnomes.'''

''' City Spriggans '''
A slang term for a sub/counter culture made up mostly of the now late adolescent/ young adult/Adult offspring of Free Gnome refugees resettled in the Hakan city area after the Gnomish Civil War. Originally used as a pejorative insult, it was embraced as a means of removing the word’s negative social power. Effort was moderately successful.

Known to be an iconoclastic, deviant, youth characterized by long dyed red hair and dyed mustaches and cosmetically augmented copper/reddish/clay skin tones, outrageous forms of dress,Large hats, loud dissonant music and the performative mocking of the majority of traditional Hakoni social conventions attacking them as “Dwarffish” and “Mentally Vassalized''.

They are also militantly insulted by the term “Wild Gnomes' ' as they strive to increase the growing consensus around the term to consider it to be an offensive Dwarvish term of condescension and reflective of inherit Dwarven supremacist attitudes.

They are stereotypically, pronouncedly cynical of the political process seeing the entirety of Gnomish society woefully tainted by the Dwarven cultural influence and must be cleansed by a full rejection of all Dwarven norms and for full Gnomish reconciliation with all three “families" of the Gnomish race including the so called [[Breaker Gnomes]].

Individually they may be consumed with Sprigg The Shrewd lore or may simply wear the fashion and engage as an affectation or means to an end to gain a platform. It’s ultimately secondary to them.

And

''' CLAN SPRIGGAN '''

The chosen name of a large extended clan of self proclaimed Gnomish lords, mercenaries who historically have lived in the [[Scar]] region of Gildenhome since before the Gnomish Vassalage. With a reputation for being cantankerous, greedy, crass and boorish but also stalwart allies and formidable fighters and knowledgeable in the ways of the runic arts, the source of their magical ability to grow over "three gnomes tall!"

This is a reputation carefully cultivated by the Clan over the centuries but it has become seemingly much more pronounced in the decades following the [[ Gnomish Civil War]]. These self proclaimed “lords of the Scar” claim a large swath of territory in the Scar lands, geographically these holdings are a huge portion of territory in comparison to the other clans of free Gnomes who lived in the region but most of these were far from prime hunting lands but instead rough and hard territory even in the Scar, undesired by other other clans…. Thought by some to be haunted and to the superstitious the old lands of the near mythical Duergar,

'''History'''
.
The members of Clan Spriggan boast that they can trace their bloodline back to their Clan’s founding in the time of the Demi Pantheon. They trace this directly from the legendary folk hero [[Sprigg the Shrewd]] in the centuries before even the [[Gnomish insurrection]] via kinship with the heroes’ mortal mother Gretnannah Nurue.

It is via this connection that they claim their identity as the clanmates of Sprigg but also [[Alandradar]] of the Demi-Pantheon and this forms the basis for their boasts as “Lords of The Scar.” Thus while Sprigg is a folklore hero to all Gnomes the members of Clan Spriggan claim a direct kinship and de facto inheritance. Suffice it to say how much stock and how literally this is taken varies with Clan Spriggan taking the most militant of stances as to its veracity while other Gnomes take them much more and more figuratively if at all.

In the Clan Spriggan’s telling of their origins Gretnannah Nurue seduced the Demi-God while he was in disguise as one of her hostages from a recent raid. A common ploy he allegedly used too often in his dalliances with mortals. However, according to the story Nurue knew the truth of Alandradar’s identity and purposefully saved his seed so that she might via deceit conceive the child of a Demigod for her own purposes.

'''Clan Activities'''

The Spriggan’s primarily and historically have survived and even thrived in the Scar via hunting and trapping and gathering, formerly specializing in exotic beasts but in recent centuries they have earned quite a reputation and significant earnings via serving as mercenaries. Most frequently in the service of Gildenhome as proxy forces against organized servitor tribes along the Gilden-Scar border areas, this also included allegations of slave trading in servitors, this is categorically denied by Clan Spriggan however who firmly assert that the collection of bounties of those labeled criminals and rebels does not amount to slave trading.

In general, every 25 years a cohort is called from each of the families to send two of their young people coming of “earning age” to come and put in their work for the clan. These young Gnomes are organized either into large units of 20-50 or more often small bands of 4-6 among their cousins to ply their trade as mercenaries and adventurers for hire or to in some way be “enterprising” for the Clan. They specialize in countering servitor encroachments along frontier areas as well as hostage recovery, standard bodyguarding, witch finding, bounty hunting, regulating banditry inside of the law, to extortion, protagonism and brigandry outside of the law and all manner of activities in between. These cohorts operate for about 25 years however those highly profitable can earn their tour early. These bands of gnomes are expected to put aside one third of their total earnings for the Clan’s coffers, which has been a profitable enterprise but it only a cover for the true driver of the Clan’s fortunes, which is their focus on expeditions into underground caverns or mines, seeking the ruins of the ancient Dwarven [[Mountainhome]] in fact reports of underground ruins of any kind.

They have a chief interest in any strange reports about unusual sights, activities, encounters or locations underground and while such expeditions actually finding something is rare and the perils are pronounced such expeditions are incredibly profitable for the Clan on a man power basis. They are relentless in their pursuit of more knowledge of Rune Magic and lore of the ancient past of the Scar.

Clan Spriggan was one of the most vocal among the [[Free Gnome]] delegations against the arming and training of servitors as proxy soldiers against the Dwarves. As many of these tribes had been at war with Clan Spriggan for generations and Clan Spriggan made significant earnings in the service of the Dwarves fighting against the Servitors, they both financially and on a personal and emotional level saw this as a malicious act against them directly. As such, with all major Gnome conflicts, Clan Spriggan was in the thick of battle using their power of size and runecraft to frightening effect on the field of battle. However they like others felt that ultimately the mass banishment of the so called [[Breaker Gnomes]] was perhaps too extreme of a sanction at the wars end and withdrew in protest and returned home to the Scar. War time, however gave them a greater taste for the comforts of city life and it’s temptations and libations.

More and more of the Clan divide their time between their homes and the cities of their cousins the Hakani.

TO BE EDITED

Spriggan

2024-05-28T05:03:02Z

Hotep Gith:

'''Spriggan''' -noun-Old Gnomish meaning "Large, Big, Pile of Heavy Rocks, Strong, Hill, Bore, Churlish,Greedy,Crass, Uncouth. Loud. Fearless.Giant”

'''Spriggan also refers to two groups of Gnomes.'''

''' City Spriggans '''
A slang term for a sub/counter culture made up mostly of the now late adolescent/ young adult/Adult offspring of Free Gnome refugees resettled in the Hakan city area after the Gnomish Civil War. Originally used as a pejorative insult, it was embraced as a means of removing the word’s negative social power. Effort was moderately successful.

Known to be an iconoclastic, deviant, youth characterized by long dyed red hair and dyed mustaches and cosmetically augmented copper/reddish/clay skin tones, outrageous forms of dress,Large hats, loud dissonant music and the performative mocking of the majority of traditional Hakoni social conventions attacking them as “Dwarffish” and “Mentally Vassalized''.

They are also militantly insulted by the term “Wild Gnomes' ' as they strive to increase the growing consensus around the term to consider it to be an offensive Dwarvish term of condescension and reflective of inherit Dwarven supremacist attitudes.

They are stereotypically, pronouncedly cynical of the political process seeing the entirety of Gnomish society woefully tainted by the Dwarven cultural influence and must be cleansed by a full rejection of all Dwarven norms and for full Gnomish reconciliation with all three “families" of the Gnomish race including the so called [[Breaker Gnomes]].

Individually they may be consumed with Sprigg The Shrewd lore or may simply wear the fashion and engage as an affectation or means to an end to gain a platform. It’s ultimately secondary to them.

And

''' CLAN SPRIGGAN '''

The chosen name of a large extended clan of self proclaimed Gnomish lords, mercenaries who historically have lived in the [[Scar]] region of Gildenhome since before the Gnomish Vassalage. With a reputation for being cantankerous, greedy, crass and boorish but also stalwart allies and formidable fighters and knowledgeable in the ways of the runic arts, the source of their magical ability to grow over "three gnomes tall!"

This is a reputation carefully cultivated by the Clan over the centuries but it has become seemingly much more pronounced in the decades following the [[ Gnomish Civil War]]. These self proclaimed “lords of the Scar” claim a large swath of territory in the Scar lands, geographically these holdings are a huge portion of territory in comparison to the other clans of free Gnomes who lived in the region but most of these were far from prime hunting lands but instead rough and hard territory even in the Scar, undesired by other other clans…. Thought by some to be haunted and to the superstitious the old lands of the near mythical Duergar,

'''History'''
.
The members of Clan Spriggan boast that they can trace their bloodline back to their Clan’s founding in the time of the Demi Pantheon. They trace this directly from the legendary folk hero [[Sprigg the Shrewd]] in the centuries before even the [[Gnomish insurrection]] via kinship with the heroes’ mortal mother Gretnannah Nurue.

It is via this connection that they claim their identity as the clanmates of Sprigg but also [[Alandradar]] of the Demi-Pantheon and this forms the basis for their boasts as “Lords of The Scar.” Thus while Sprigg is a folklore hero to all Gnomes the members of Clan Spriggan claim a direct kinship and de facto inheritance. Suffice it to say how much stock and how literally this is taken varies with Clan Spriggan taking the most militant of stances as to its veracity while other Gnomes take them much more and more figuratively if at all.

In the Clan Spriggan’s telling of their origins Gretnannah Nurue seduced the Demi-God while he was in disguise as one of her hostages from a recent raid. A common ploy he allegedly used too often in his dalliances with mortals. However, according to the story Nurue knew the truth of Alandradar’s identity and purposefully saved his seed so that she might via deceit conceive the child of a Demigod for her own purposes.

'''Clan Activities'''

The Spriggan’s primarily and historically have survived and even thrived in the Scar via hunting and trapping and gathering, formerly specializing in exotic beasts but in recent centuries they have earned quite a reputation and significant earnings via serving as mercenaries. Most frequently in the service of Gildenhome as proxy forces against organized servitor tribes along the Gilden-Scar border areas, this also included allegations of slave trading in servitors, this is categorically denied by Clan Spriggan however who firmly assert that the collection of bounties of those labeled criminals and rebels does not amount to slave trading.

In general, every 25 years a cohort is called from each of the families to send two of their young people coming of “earning age” to come and put in their work for the clan. These young Gnomes are organized either into large units of 20-50 or more often small bands of 4-6 among their cousins to ply their trade as mercenaries and adventurers for hire or to in some way be “enterprising” for the Clan. They specialize in countering servitor encroachments along frontier areas as well as hostage recovery, standard bodyguarding, witch finding, bounty hunting, regulating banditry inside of the law, to extortion, protagonism and brigandry outside of the law and all manner of activities in between. These cohorts operate for about 25 years however those highly profitable can earn their tour early. These bands of gnomes are expected to put aside one third of their total earnings for the Clan’s coffers, which has been a profitable enterprise but it only a cover for the true driver of the Clan’s fortunes, which is their focus on expeditions into underground caverns or mines, seeking the ruins of the ancient Dwarven [[Mountainhome]] in fact reports of underground ruins of any kind.

They have a chief interest in any strange reports about unusual sights, activities, encounters or locations underground and while such expeditions actually finding something is rare and the perils are pronounced such expeditions are incredibly profitable for the Clan on a man power basis. They are relentless in their pursuit of more knowledge of Rune Magic and lore of the ancient past of the Scar.

Clan Spriggan was one of the most vocal among the [[Free Gnome]] delegations against the arming and training of servitors as proxy soldiers against the Dwarves. As many of these tribes had been at war with Clan Spriggan for generations and Clan Spriggan made significant earnings in the service of the Dwarves fighting against the Servitors, they both financially and on a personal and emotional level saw this as a malicious act against them directly. As such, with all major Gnome conflicts, Clan Spriggan was in the thick of battle using their power of size and runecraft to frightening effect on the field of battle. However they like others felt that ultimately the mass banishment of the so called [[Breaker Gnomes]] was perhaps too extreme of a sanction at the wars end and withdrew in protest and returned home to the Scar. War time, however gave them a greater taste for the comforts of city life and it’s temptations and libations.

More and more of the Clan divide their time between their homes and the cities of their cousins the Hakani.

Sprigg The Shrewd

2024-05-28T04:57:32Z

Hotep Gith:

Sprigg Nodolli, also known as "Sprigg The Shrewd, Sprigg The Slippery, Sprigg The Slick, Etc" is a significant figure in popular Gnomish folklore dating from the mid to late [[ Age of Demigods]] and onward.

One of many trickster warrior like figures in folklore and history but distinctive in his strong following among the Free Gnomes native to the [[ Scar]] region where he is especially honored by the large clan of Free Gnomes who claim him as their founder and his unorthodox liturgical place as a [[Paragon]] in Gnomish Alexandrian spiritual thought.

Sprigg Nodolli is according to lore the son of a mortal Gnomish bandit leader named [[Gretnannah Nurue]] and her lover [[Alandradar]] of the Demi-Pantheon, who depending on what version of the story is being told is disguised as either her hostage or her manservant or a brown talking goose..

His adventures generally act as fables that speak to the Gnomish traditional values of self-reliance,unity, subtlety, intelligence, using stealth and trickery to defeat or stymie a physically superior foe. Humor as a sustaining force in times of adversity and mockery of a foe as a weapon, Shunning title, vanity and pretense…..

However many tales of Sprigg’s adventures can also be extremely bawdy, lewd and pronouncedly violent, which is not surprising in that while today “outsides of Hakan” the figure’s exploits are primarily told as adventure stories to rouse children, earlier versions of these tales are far less sanitized than later translations and were originally meant to amuse while teaching harsh lessons about life in the Scar and by extension the world.

'''These tales fall generally into four main categories.'''

1.The oral stories and traditions of the Free Gnomes of the Scar. First recorded references circa 926 bl

2.The works of celebrated Dwarven author [[Kraese Korvel]]. Circa -302FL

3.The modern Hakani reclamation theater movement-1470 Fl

4.Clan Spriggan claims and expeditions and Urban Spriggan subculture. See [[Spriggan]]

Differences between versions

'''Early Free Gnome stories from the Scar.'''

In these stories, Sprigg is usually cast as the wandering freebooter seeking his fortune ever eager to see what’s just around the next bend, seeking mirth, meat, mead and a lover’s company under warm hides. While he at times serves a higher cause or his actions result in a greater good, usually that is in spite of his efforts or besides his original intentions.

In these tales Sprigg is pitted against the Servitor tribes, dangerous beasts, bloodthirsty bandits and river pirates and a wide variety of myriad threats from giant toads and/or toad-like beings of a demonic nature or Toad worshipping cults.. The hyperfixation of threats from toads of unusual size or supernaturally bewitched toad-like creatures is a common thread found in multiple stories from this period.

Sprigg, while crafty and cunning, is a sturdy warrior, often using what is around him to his advantage and ruthlessly so as his enemies are given no quarter. In these stories his magical Pickaxe [[ Ir Kaebonu]] is simply a finely crafted weapon with the enchantment to never break. This as well as his growing list of purported magical abilities are modest and far between. Instead his skill at arms and crafty tactics often are what win the day.

In these stories we also see the first appearances of recurring figures like [[Bella Basalta]] a Gnomish woman of vague high station and frequent early love interest as well as the Duergar [[Uthur Urdunnir]] Sprigg’s most consistent antagonist however in these early stories Urdunnir is less of the blood enemy as he is later presented in written works.

More so early presentations of Uthur are more of that of a rival and often a foil. The pair are often erstwhile or reluctant allies or competitors for the same prize just as often as at odds in these iterations.

'''The Works of Kraese Korvel'''

Most non Hakani, especially Non-Dwarves who know anything of the tales of Sprigg Nodolli past having heard the name in passing, know so from the prolific works of famed Dwarves author and scholar [[Kraese Korvel]] who launched and produced the largest body of scholastic work into researching and recording as much of folklore and documentation into the historical evidence of the existence of Sprigg Nodolli even enacted. This included a massive translation of the various oral stories combined with a detailed historical analysis into a unified collection of stories published by Korvel and became moderately popular children’s literature among the educated in Gildenhome.

In these stories Sprigg is often more of a comic figure not intentionally seeking out adventure and certainly not heroism. Most early stories often began with Spigg seeking to avoid a day's labor or some manual chore and engaging in some sort of increasingly elaborate scheme that was not only rarely successful but in the end more labor than simply doing the work originally required. In these tales Spirgg’s wit and humor are emphasized and while he is still adept at the art of fighting he tends to rely even more on trickery, the low intelligence of his servitor enemies and criminal foes and the increasingly powerful Ir Kaebonu artifact, which now can not only supernaturally sharp and unbreakable but can also, sense direction underground and detect gems and precious metals but also can summon and control badgers and burrowing animals and bind them to his will.

He also has a larger cast of recurring allies, love interests and foes. While Bella Basalta fades as a love interest as now in the stories Sprigg has many paramores.

It is very notable that Uthur Urdunnir by this time has emerged into a pure villain and unredeemable antagonist, who frequently is foiled in his schemes via his own greed and Sprigg’s superior wit.

This plays into the modern popular notion promoted by the mercenary Gnomes of Clan Spriggan as self identified blood enemies of the Duergar race. It is one of the few points of overlap they have with the works of Korvel which on the whole they find exploitative, patronizing and offensive.

Korvel had by the time of his death amassed a large trove of alleged artifacts related to or attributed to the historical Sprigg Nodolli. However few Dwarven historical scholars give credence to these findings instead labeling Sprigg Nodolli a being of pure folklore combined with several different mythological and historical figures. Despite this Korvel’s work of researching and recording and translations of these myths was lauded in Dwarven literary academic circles for the comprehensive view of Gnomish culture it illuminates.

'''The modern Hakani reclamation theater movement'''

Following the end of the Gnomish Civil War and the Gilden-Gnomish War in the early 1400’s the urban center of Hakan City received an influx of Free Gnome refugees and expatriots from the Scar region many of whom remained and did not return to the Scar as the Spriggans and others had done.

These new arrivals brought their customs, music, songs and traditions with them bringing to the more culturally assimilated Hakani Gnomes “new” stories they had not known of about their own national hero.

As these City Gnomes had been more exposed to the Korvel narrative all their lives as well as in print, this was all very fresh and new to them and in the high spirits after the war sparked a new cultural boom in interest in the folklore and stories of Sprigg Nodolli and a call to reclaim the hero from his own vassalage under the works of Korvel.

As such in the decades since the Gnomish Civil War and the Gilden-Gnomish War there have been numerous theatrical productions seeking to perform stories about the life and exploits of Sprigg Nodolli placing a premium on presentations from an authentic Gnomish cultural lens.

This movement has received significant push back from Dwarven patrons who condemn the movement as politically motivated revisionism.

'''Clan Spriggan claims and expeditions and Urban Spriggan subculture. See [[Spriggan]]'''

'''The Spriggan accounting of Sprigg the Shrewd'''

It is said that he was born at high noon on the third day of the [[Festival of Rebirth]] and was visited by three ladies/lord/s of the feywild “various according to region”. Each with something for the newboard Sprigg. one who blessed the Half mortal child, one who cursed the Son of careless Demi God and one who lay a geas on this First son of all the Gnomes.

As a result according to Clan Spriggan not only is Sprigg Nodolli virtually immortal but still lives to this day wandering the world anonymously still having adventures and quietly watching over his fellow Gnomes from afar.

From then he has several epic length poems and a number of differing sagas to his name among the various bands within Clan Spriggan. However their presentation again differs from the other presentations among the Hakani and the Dwarves in that among the Spriggans themselves they see their founder as assertive. pugnacious, anti-social, blunt. not suffering fools and bypassing the illusion of civilization to get to the point. sardonic.braggart, gruff, hedonistic.more tactically deceptive than a trickster, per say…

Most of their stories with Sprigg involve deep and long term stories that branch off into other stories with other characters who themselves are connected back to Sprigg himself.

Clan Spriggan’s sages have the most exhaustive collection of Sprigg Nodolli related artifacts, scrolls and memorized oral stories and relics other than the Korvel estate of course.

Their collection of his story and exploits is by far the longest and most detailed and curated of all. It’s also the most divergent.

Little heard of for centuries outside of Hakan or the Scar, these “Spriggans” struggled to live out a hunter gatherer/trapper/raider like existence in the caverns of the desolate badlands known as the SCAR. A bleak and hostile landscape teeming with servitor tribes and reavers, bandits and hostile beasts of various types.

It was here that the Clan not only found their fortunes but in time, thrived due to their secret inheritance from their founder.

One of the few places where the lore of the Spriggans and the work of Dwarven scholar Korval overlap is in the blood feud that develops between the Spriggans specifically and the mythical Duergar.
However in the case of Korval the conflict is mainly cast as a simplistic conflict of good vs evil almost mimicking the Goodly and Servitor dynamic and competition for scarce resources. Where the hardy Gnomes carve out a life for themselves in an unforgiving wilderness, cast as heroic pioneers and the Duergar as a hidden evil of the Scar. Living ghosts seeking to keep their claim on these haunted lands.

Korval’s critics especially among the Gnomish modern Hakani reclamation theater movement would interpret the Duergar in these stories as symbolic and representative of the Dwarven culpability in the Peace of Three Kingdoms and as a “At that time” safe stand-in for Gnomish criticism of Dwarven rule and Dwarven culture as a whole.

Clan Spriggan on the other hand, traces back this “blood feud” to Sprigg Nodolli and the Duergar rogue [[Uthur Urdunnir ]].

'''Sprigg and Uthur'''

According to the Spriggans and in divergence of other core sources, Uthur and Sprigg in many of their stories were once friends or partners of a sort or at least allies. As neither had any love for the Duergar’s cousins the Dwarves. They and their kinfolk would at times cooperate in order to survive the harsh realm they were forced to live in.. One above ground, one deep below.

How the story begins varies but it ultimately truly begins when Sprigg is either hired/coerced/enslaved/convinced/inspired by Uthur and his band of five cousins. Uthur and his cousins are interested in a map that has fallen into Sprigg’s position that allegedly leads to the den of [[Uvecknyaha]], the rumored progenitor and “Grandmother of all Mountain Giants” deep in her eons-long slumber underneath the Scar.

Uthur told Sprigg that there was great power there, power enough for both of their peoples to prosper and no longer be subject to the oppression of the larger races because they would have the power to be giants themselves. As Sprigg had the map and the map directions and key were in gnomish they needed him but the the den of [[Uvecknyaha]] was located deep underground in the ruins of the [[Mountainhome]] of the Ancient Dwarves. Uthur knew the language and was familiar with the traps one might encounter within.

This journey into the ancient underkingdoms of the Dwarves, deep underground, is the first of a 68 part story collectively called [[The Blilldopolix]] and is considered the cornerstone and crown jewel of Clan Spriggan’s complex and multi layered performance storytelling tradition.
.

After facing and surviving an absurd amount of challenges and various threats that the band of Seven,now only Four , Sprigg, Uthur,Zamsus and Gill finally come upon the tomb of the massive sleeping giantess. The entire massive cavern was all aglow in a faint green light from glowing glyphs and runes carved in the walls from the clawed hand of the giantess herself.
They gently in pairs massage upon her mammaries in order to catch her mothers milk into their empty large wineskins. It was said that the mere tiniest of sips would be enough to give any of them the powers of a giant. Enough for every Gnome in the Scar and almost every Duergar below it…

The band of four managed to fill all of the wineskins to their limits but alas they were not out of danger nor were they alone. For Uthur’s other kinfolks had indeed answered his call after all. They simply had followed behind the Gnome and in his wake avoided all of the dangers. Uthur and his kin proceed to take from Sprigg the wineskins he held for his own people and kept it all for themselves and from it gave their people the power to increase their size triple fold. This is how the Duergar gained their legendary power. The perfidious Dwarfkin abandoned Sprigg leaving him behind in the tunnels below to his own fate by the corpse of the fallen giantess.

But Sprigg was clever and was of sharp mind and in the dark he saw the faintly runes carved around the chamber and in the years to come was able to understand them and their power. And that the power of giants was not in mere stature but the power of their runes, sacred words of creation, the building blocks of all things, the power to name and know, this was the true power of size and scale, the true power to become a giant.

And so Spigg, slowly, very slowly, learned the power of rune magic, the magic claimed by the ancient giants themselves and then traveled across the Scar sharing his knowledge with his kin both close and extended and thus how Clan Spriggan also gained the power to grow in size as well as other acts of sorcery via the power of ancient runes and glyphs .

It must be noted that the veracity of this story is, naturally doubted in many circles Clan Spriggan’s knowledge and skill in Rune Magic is not in dispute.

Sprigg The Shrewd

2024-05-28T04:56:21Z

Hotep Gith:

Sprigg Nodolli, also known as "Sprigg The Shrewd, Sprigg The Slippery, Sprigg The Slick, Etc" is a significant figure in popular Gnomish folklore dating from the mid to late [[ Age of Demigods]] and onward.

One of many trickster warrior like figures in folklore and history but distinctive in his strong following among the Free Gnomes native to the [[ Scar]] region where he is especially honored by the large clan of Free Gnomes who claim him as their founder and his unorthodox liturgical place as a [[Paragon]] in Gnomish Alexandrian spiritual thought.

Sprigg Nodolli is according to lore the son of a mortal Gnomish bandit leader named [[Gretnannah Nurue]] and her lover [[Alandradar]] of the Demi-Pantheon, who depending on what version of the story is being told is disguised as either her hostage or her manservant or a brown talking goose..

His adventures generally act as fables that speak to the Gnomish traditional values of self-reliance,unity, subtlety, intelligence, using stealth and trickery to defeat or stymie a physically superior foe. Humor as a sustaining force in times of adversity and mockery of a foe as a weapon, Shunning title, vanity and pretense…..

However many tales of Sprigg’s adventures can also be extremely bawdy, lewd and pronouncedly violent, which is not surprising in that while today “outsides of Hakan” the figure’s exploits are primarily told as adventure stories to rouse children, earlier versions of these tales are far less sanitized than later translations and were originally meant to amuse while teaching harsh lessons about life in the Scar and by extension the world.

'''These tales fall generally into four main categories.'''

1.The oral stories and traditions of the Free Gnomes of the Scar. First recorded references circa 926 bl

2.The works of celebrated Dwarven author [[Kraese Korvel]]. Circa -302FL

3.The modern Hakani reclamation theater movement-1470 Fl

4.Clan Spriggan claims and expeditions and Urban Spriggan subculture. See [[Spriggan]]

Differences between versions

'''Early Free Gnome stories from the Scar.'''

In these stories, Sprigg is usually cast as the wandering freebooter seeking his fortune ever eager to see what’s just around the next bend, seeking mirth, meat, mead and a lover’s company under warm hides. While he at times serves a higher cause or his actions result in a greater good, usually that is in spite of his efforts or besides his original intentions.

In these tales Sprigg is pitted against the Servitor tribes, dangerous beasts, bloodthirsty bandits and river pirates and a wide variety of myriad threats from giant toads and/or toad-like beings of a demonic nature or Toad worshipping cults.. The hyperfixation of threats from toads of unusual size or supernaturally bewitched toad-like creatures is a common thread found in multiple stories from this period.

Sprigg, while crafty and cunning, is a sturdy warrior, often using what is around him to his advantage and ruthlessly so as his enemies are given no quarter. In these stories his magical Pickaxe [[ Ir Kaebonu]] is simply a finely crafted weapon with the enchantment to never break. This as well as his growing list of purported magical abilities are modest and far between. Instead his skill at arms and crafty tactics often are what win the day.

In these stories we also see the first appearances of recurring figures like [[Bella Basalta]] a Gnomish woman of vague high station and frequent early love interest as well as the Duergar [[Uthur Urdunnir]] Sprigg’s most consistent antagonist however in these early stories Urdunnir is less of the blood enemy as he is later presented in written works.

More so early presentations of Uthur are more of that of a rival and often a foil. The pair are often erstwhile or reluctant allies or competitors for the same prize just as often as at odds in these iterations.

'''The Works of Kraese Korvel'''

Most non Hakani, especially Non-Dwarves who know anything of the tales of Sprigg Nodolli past having heard the name in passing, know so from the prolific works of famed Dwarves author and scholar [[Kraese Korvel]] who launched and produced the largest body of scholastic work into researching and recording as much of folklore and documentation into the historical evidence of the existence of Sprigg Nodolli even enacted. This included a massive translation of the various oral stories combined with a detailed historical analysis into a unified collection of stories published by Korvel and became moderately popular children’s literature among the educated in Gildenhome.

In these stories Sprigg is often more of a comic figure not intentionally seeking out adventure and certainly not heroism. Most early stories often began with Spigg seeking to avoid a day's labor or some manual chore and engaging in some sort of increasingly elaborate scheme that was not only rarely successful but in the end more labor than simply doing the work originally required. In these tales Spirgg’s wit and humor are emphasized and while he is still adept at the art of fighting he tends to rely even more on trickery, the low intelligence of his servitor enemies and criminal foes and the increasingly powerful Ir Kaebonu artifact, which now can not only supernaturally sharp and unbreakable but can also, sense direction underground and detect gems and precious metals but also can summon and control badgers and burrowing animals and bind them to his will.

He also has a larger cast of recurring allies, love interests and foes. While Bella Basalta fades as a love interest as now in the stories Sprigg has many paramores.

It is very notable that Uthur Urdunnir by this time has emerged into a pure villain and unredeemable antagonist, who frequently is foiled in his schemes via his own greed and Sprigg’s superior wit.

This plays into the modern popular notion promoted by the mercenary Gnomes of Clan Spriggan as self identified blood enemies of the Duergar race. It is one of the few points of overlap they have with the works of Korvel which on the whole they find exploitative, patronizing and offensive.

Korvel had by the time of his death amassed a large trove of alleged artifacts related to or attributed to the historical Sprigg Nodolli. However few Dwarven historical scholars give credence to these findings instead labeling Sprigg Nodolli a being of pure folklore combined with several different mythological and historical figures. Despite this Korvel’s work of researching and recording and translations of these myths was lauded in Dwarven literary academic circles for the comprehensive view of Gnomish culture it illuminates.

'''The modern Hakani reclamation theater movement'''

Following the end of the Gnomish Civil War and the Gilden-Gnomish War in the early 1400’s the urban center of Hakan City received an influx of Free Gnome refugees and expatriots from the Scar region many of whom remained and did not return to the Scar as the Spriggans and others had done.

These new arrivals brought their customs, music, songs and traditions with them bringing to the more culturally assimilated Hakani Gnomes “new” stories they had not known of about their own national hero.

As these City Gnomes had been more exposed to the Korvel narrative all their lives as well as in print, this was all very fresh and new to them and in the high spirits after the war sparked a new cultural boom in interest in the folklore and stories of Sprigg Nodolli and a call to reclaim the hero from his own vassalage under the works of Korvel.

As such in the decades since the Gnomish Civil War and the Gilden-Gnomish War there have been numerous theatrical productions seeking to perform stories about the life and exploits of Sprigg Nodolli placing a premium on presentations from an authentic Gnomish cultural lens.

This movement has received significant push back from Dwarven patrons who condemn the movement as politically motivated revisionism.

'''Clan Spriggan claims and expeditions and Urban Spriggan subculture. See [[Spriggan]]'''

‘’’The Spriggan accounting of Sprigg the Shrewd’’’

It is said that he was born at high noon on the third day of the [[Festival of Rebirth]] and was visited by three ladies/lord/s of the feywild “various according to region”. Each with something for the newboard Sprigg. one who blessed the Half mortal child, one who cursed the Son of careless Demi God and one who lay a geas on this First son of all the Gnomes.

As a result according to Clan Spriggan not only is Sprigg Nodolli virtually immortal but still lives to this day wandering the world anonymously still having adventures and quietly watching over his fellow Gnomes from afar.

From then he has several epic length poems and a number of differing sagas to his name among the various bands within Clan Spriggan. However their presentation again differs from the other presentations among the Hakani and the Dwarves in that among the Spriggans themselves they see their founder as assertive. pugnacious, anti-social, blunt. not suffering fools and bypassing the illusion of civilization to get to the point. sardonic.braggart, gruff, hedonistic.more tactically deceptive than a trickster, per say…

Most of their stories with Sprigg involve deep and long term stories that branch off into other stories with other characters who themselves are connected back to Sprigg himself.

Clan Spriggan’s sages have the most exhaustive collection of Sprigg Nodolli related artifacts, scrolls and memorized oral stories and relics other than the Korvel estate of course.

Their collection of his story and exploits is by far the longest and most detailed and curated of all. It’s also the most divergent.

Little heard of for centuries outside of Hakan or the Scar, these “Spriggans” struggled to live out a hunter gatherer/trapper/raider like existence in the caverns of the desolate badlands known as the SCAR. A bleak and hostile landscape teeming with servitor tribes and reavers, bandits and hostile beasts of various types.

It was here that the Clan not only found their fortunes but in time, thrived due to their secret inheritance from their founder.

One of the few places where the lore of the Spriggans and the work of Dwarven scholar Korval overlap is in the blood feud that develops between the Spriggans specifically and the mythical Duergar.
However in the case of Korval the conflict is mainly cast as a simplistic conflict of good vs evil almost mimicking the Goodly and Servitor dynamic and competition for scarce resources. Where the hardy Gnomes carve out a life for themselves in an unforgiving wilderness, cast as heroic pioneers and the Duergar as a hidden evil of the Scar. Living ghosts seeking to keep their claim on these haunted lands.

Korval’s critics especially among the Gnomish modern Hakani reclamation theater movement would interpret the Duergar in these stories as symbolic and representative of the Dwarven culpability in the Peace of Three Kingdoms and as a “At that time” safe stand-in for Gnomish criticism of Dwarven rule and Dwarven culture as a whole.

Clan Spriggan on the other hand, traces back this “blood feud” to Sprigg Nodolli and the Duergar rogue [[Uthur Urdunnir ]].

‘’’Sprigg and Uthur’’’

According to the Spriggans and in divergence of other core sources, Uthur and Sprigg in many of their stories were once friends or partners of a sort or at least allies. As neither had any love for the Duergar’s cousins the Dwarves. They and their kinfolk would at times cooperate in order to survive the harsh realm they were forced to live in.. One above ground, one deep below.

How the story begins varies but it ultimately truly begins when Sprigg is either hired/coerced/enslaved/convinced/inspired by Uthur and his band of five cousins. Uthur and his cousins are interested in a map that has fallen into Sprigg’s position that allegedly leads to the den of [[Uvecknyaha]], the rumored progenitor and “Grandmother of all Mountain Giants” deep in her eons-long slumber underneath the Scar.

Uthur told Sprigg that there was great power there, power enough for both of their peoples to prosper and no longer be subject to the oppression of the larger races because they would have the power to be giants themselves. As Sprigg had the map and the map directions and key were in gnomish they needed him but the the den of [[Uvecknyaha]] was located deep underground in the ruins of the [[Mountainhome]] of the Ancient Dwarves. Uthur knew the language and was familiar with the traps one might encounter within.

This journey into the ancient underkingdoms of the Dwarves, deep underground, is the first of a 68 part story collectively called [[The Blilldopolix]] and is considered the cornerstone and crown jewel of Clan Spriggan’s complex and multi layered performance storytelling tradition.
.

After facing and surviving an absurd amount of challenges and various threats that the band of Seven,now only Four , Sprigg, Uthur,Zamsus and Gill finally come upon the tomb of the massive sleeping giantess. The entire massive cavern was all aglow in a faint green light from glowing glyphs and runes carved in the walls from the clawed hand of the giantess herself.
They gently in pairs massage upon her mammaries in order to catch her mothers milk into their empty large wineskins. It was said that the mere tiniest of sips would be enough to give any of them the powers of a giant. Enough for every Gnome in the Scar and almost every Duergar below it…

The band of four managed to fill all of the wineskins to their limits but alas they were not out of danger nor were they alone. For Uthur’s other kinfolks had indeed answered his call after all. They simply had followed behind the Gnome and in his wake avoided all of the dangers. Uthur and his kin proceed to take from Sprigg the wineskins he held for his own people and kept it all for themselves and from it gave their people the power to increase their size triple fold. This is how the Duergar gained their legendary power. The perfidious Dwarfkin abandoned Sprigg leaving him behind in the tunnels below to his own fate by the corpse of the fallen giantess.

But Sprigg was clever and was of sharp mind and in the dark he saw the faintly runes carved around the chamber and in the years to come was able to understand them and their power. And that the power of giants was not in mere stature but the power of their runes, sacred words of creation, the building blocks of all things, the power to name and know, this was the true power of size and scale, the true power to become a giant.

And so Spigg, slowly, very slowly, learned the power of rune magic, the magic claimed by the ancient giants themselves and then traveled across the Scar sharing his knowledge with his kin both close and extended and thus how Clan Spriggan also gained the power to grow in size as well as other acts of sorcery via the power of ancient runes and glyphs .

It must be noted that the veracity of this story is, naturally doubted in many circles Clan Spriggan’s knowledge and skill in Rune Magic is not in dispute.

Spriggan

2024-05-28T04:54:14Z

Hotep Gith:

'''Spriggan''' -noun-Old Gnomish meaning "Large, Big, Pile of Heavy Rocks, Strong, Hill, Bore, Churlish,Greedy,Crass, Uncouth. Loud. Fearless.Giant”

'''Spriggan also refers to two groups of Gnomes.'''

''' City Spriggans '''
A slang term for a sub/counter culture made up mostly of the now late adolescent/ young adult/Adult offspring of Free Gnome refugees resettled in the Hakan city area after the Gnomish Civil War. Originally used as a pejorative insult, it was embraced as a means of removing the word’s negative social power. Effort was moderately successful.

Known to be an iconoclastic, deviant, youth characterized by long dyed red hair and dyed mustaches and cosmetically augmented copper/reddish/clay skin tones, outrageous forms of dress,Large hats, loud dissonant music and the performative mocking of the majority of traditional Hakoni social conventions attacking them as “Dwarffish” and “Mentally Vassalized''.

They are also militantly insulted by the term “Wild Gnomes' ' as they strive to increase the growing consensus around the term to consider it to be an offensive Dwarvish term of condescension and reflective of inherit Dwarven supremacist attitudes.

They are stereotypically, pronouncedly cynical of the political process seeing the entirety of Gnomish society woefully tainted by the Dwarven cultural influence and must be cleansed by a full rejection of all Dwarven norms and for full Gnomish reconciliation with all three “families" of the Gnomish race including the so called [[Breaker Gnomes]].

Individually they may be consumed with Sprigg The Shrewd lore or may simply wear the fashion and engage as an affectation or means to an end to gain a platform. It’s ultimately secondary to them.

And

''' CLAN SPRIGGAN '''

The chosen name of a large extended clan of self proclaimed Gnomish lords, mercenaries who historically have lived in the [[Scar]] region of Gildenhome since before the Gnomish Vassalage. With a reputation for being cantankerous, greedy, crass and boorish but also stalwart allies and formidable fighters and knowledgeable in the ways of the runic arts, the source of their magical ability to grow over "three gnomes tall!"

This is a reputation carefully cultivated by the Clan over the centuries but it has become seemingly much more pronounced in the decades following the [[ Gnomish Civil War]]. These self proclaimed “lords of the Scar” claim a large swath of territory in the Scar lands, geographically these holdings are a huge portion of territory in comparison to the other clans of free Gnomes who lived in the region but most of these were far from prime hunting lands but instead rough and hard territory even in the Scar, undesired by other other clans…. Thought by some to be haunted and to the superstitious the old lands of the near mythical Duergar,

‘’’History’’’
.
The members of Clan Spriggan boast that they can trace their bloodline back to their Clan’s founding in the time of the Demi Pantheon. They trace this directly from the legendary folk hero [[Sprigg the Shrewd]] in the centuries before even the [[Gnomish insurrection]] via kinship with the heroes’ mortal mother Gretnannah Nurue.

It is via this connection that they claim their identity as the clanmates of Sprigg but also [[Alandradar]] of the Demi-Pantheon and this forms the basis for their boasts as “Lords of The Scar.” Thus while Sprigg is a folklore hero to all Gnomes the members of Clan Spriggan claim a direct kinship and de facto inheritance. Suffice it to say how much stock and how literally this is taken varies with Clan Spriggan taking the most militant of stances as to its veracity while other Gnomes take them much more and more figuratively if at all.

In the Clan Spriggan’s telling of their origins Gretnannah Nurue seduced the Demi-God while he was in disguise as one of her hostages from a recent raid. A common ploy he allegedly used too often in his dalliances with mortals. However, according to the story Nurue knew the truth of Alandradar’s identity and purposefully saved his seed so that she might via deceit conceive the child of a Demigod for her own purposes.

‘’’Clan Activities’’’

The Spriggan’s primarily and historically have survived and even thrived in the Scar via hunting and trapping and gathering, formerly specializing in exotic beasts but in recent centuries they have earned quite a reputation and significant earnings via serving as mercenaries. Most frequently in the service of Gildenhome as proxy forces against organized servitor tribes along the Gilden-Scar border areas, this also included allegations of slave trading in servitors, this is categorically denied by Clan Spriggan however who firmly assert that the collection of bounties of those labeled criminals and rebels does not amount to slave trading.

In general, every 25 years a cohort is called from each of the families to send two of their young people coming of “earning age” to come and put in their work for the clan. These young Gnomes are organized either into large units of 20-50 or more often small bands of 4-6 among their cousins to ply their trade as mercenaries and adventurers for hire or to in some way be “enterprising” for the Clan. They specialize in countering servitor encroachments along frontier areas as well as hostage recovery, standard bodyguarding, witch finding, bounty hunting, regulating banditry inside of the law, to extortion, protagonism and brigandry outside of the law and all manner of activities in between. These cohorts operate for about 25 years however those highly profitable can earn their tour early. These bands of gnomes are expected to put aside one third of their total earnings for the Clan’s coffers, which has been a profitable enterprise but it only a cover for the true driver of the Clan’s fortunes, which is their focus on expeditions into underground caverns or mines, seeking the ruins of the ancient Dwarven [[Mountainhome]] in fact reports of underground ruins of any kind.

They have a chief interest in any strange reports about unusual sights, activities, encounters or locations underground and while such expeditions actually finding something is rare and the perils are pronounced such expeditions are incredibly profitable for the Clan on a man power basis. They are relentless in their pursuit of more knowledge of Rune Magic and lore of the ancient past of the Scar.

Clan Spriggan was one of the most vocal among the [[Free Gnome]] delegations against the arming and training of servitors as proxy soldiers against the Dwarves. As many of these tribes had been at war with Clan Spriggan for generations and Clan Spriggan made significant earnings in the service of the Dwarves fighting against the Servitors, they both financially and on a personal and emotional level saw this as a malicious act against them directly. As such, with all major Gnome conflicts, Clan Spriggan was in the thick of battle using their power of size and runecraft to frightening effect on the field of battle. However they like others felt that ultimately the mass banishment of the so called [[Breaker Gnomes]] was perhaps too extreme of a sanction at the wars end and withdrew in protest and returned home to the Scar. War time, however gave them a greater taste for the comforts of city life and it’s temptations and libations.

More and more of the Clan divide their time between their homes and the cities of their cousins the Hakani.

Sprigg The Shrewd

2024-05-28T04:07:46Z

Hotep Gith:

Sprigg Nodolli, also known as "Sprigg The Shrewd, Sprigg The Slippery, Sprigg The Slick, Etc" is a significant figure in popular Gnomish folklore dating from the mid to late [[ Age of Demigods]] and onward.

One of many trickster warrior like figures in folklore and history but distinctive in his strong following among the Free Gnomes native to the [[ Scar]] region where he is especially honored by the large clan of Free Gnomes who claim him as their founder and his unorthodox liturgical place as a [[Paragon]] in Gnomish Alexandrian spiritual thought.

Sprigg Nodolli is according to lore the son of a mortal Gnomish bandit leader named [[Gretnannah Nurue]] and her lover [[Alandradar]] of the Demi-Pantheon, who depending on what version of the story is being told is disguised as either her hostage or her manservant or a brown talking goose..

His adventures generally act as fables that speak to the Gnomish traditional values of self-reliance,unity, subtlety, intelligence, using stealth and trickery to defeat or stymie a physically superior foe. Humor as a sustaining force in times of adversity and mockery of a foe as a weapon, Shunning title, vanity and pretense…..

However many tales of Sprigg’s adventures can also be extremely bawdy, lewd and pronouncedly violent, which is not surprising in that while today “outsides of Hakan” the figure’s exploits are primarily told as adventure stories to rouse children, earlier versions of these tales are far less sanitized than later translations and were originally meant to amuse while teaching harsh lessons about life in the Scar and by extension the world.

'''These tales fall generally into four main categories.'''

1.The oral stories and traditions of the Free Gnomes of the Scar. First recorded references circa 926 bl

2.The works of celebrated Dwarven author [[Kraese Korvel]]. Circa -302FL

3.The modern Hakani reclamation theater movement-1470 Fl

4.Clan Spriggan claims and expeditions and Urban Spriggan subculture. See [[Spriggan]]

Differences between versions

'''Early Free Gnome stories from the Scar.'''

In these stories, Sprigg is usually cast as the wandering freebooter seeking his fortune ever eager to see what’s just around the next bend, seeking mirth, meat, mead and a lover’s company under warm hides. While he at times serves a higher cause or his actions result in a greater good, usually that is in spite of his efforts or besides his original intentions.

In these tales Sprigg is pitted against the Servitor tribes, dangerous beasts, bloodthirsty bandits and river pirates and a wide variety of myriad threats from giant toads and/or toad-like beings of a demonic nature or Toad worshipping cults.. The hyperfixation of threats from toads of unusual size or supernaturally bewitched toad-like creatures is a common thread found in multiple stories from this period.

Sprigg, while crafty and cunning, is a sturdy warrior, often using what is around him to his advantage and ruthlessly so as his enemies are given no quarter. In these stories his magical Pickaxe [[ Ir Kaebonu]] is simply a finely crafted weapon with the enchantment to never break. This as well as his growing list of purported magical abilities are modest and far between. Instead his skill at arms and crafty tactics often are what win the day.

In these stories we also see the first appearances of recurring figures like [[Bella Basalta]] a Gnomish woman of vague high station and frequent early love interest as well as the Duergar [[Uthur Urdunnir]] Sprigg’s most consistent antagonist however in these early stories Urdunnir is less of the blood enemy as he is later presented in written works.

More so early presentations of Uthur are more of that of a rival and often a foil. The pair are often erstwhile or reluctant allies or competitors for the same prize just as often as at odds in these iterations.

'''The Works of Kraese Korvel'''

Most non Hakani, especially Non-Dwarves who know anything of the tales of Sprigg Nodolli past having heard the name in passing, know so from the prolific works of famed Dwarves author and scholar [[Kraese Korvel]] who launched and produced the largest body of scholastic work into researching and recording as much of folklore and documentation into the historical evidence of the existence of Sprigg Nodolli even enacted. This included a massive translation of the various oral stories combined with a detailed historical analysis into a unified collection of stories published by Korvel and became moderately popular children’s literature among the educated in Gildenhome.

In these stories Sprigg is often more of a comic figure not intentionally seeking out adventure and certainly not heroism. Most early stories often began with Spigg seeking to avoid a day's labor or some manual chore and engaging in some sort of increasingly elaborate scheme that was not only rarely successful but in the end more labor than simply doing the work originally required. In these tales Spirgg’s wit and humor are emphasized and while he is still adept at the art of fighting he tends to rely even more on trickery, the low intelligence of his servitor enemies and criminal foes and the increasingly powerful Ir Kaebonu artifact, which now can not only supernaturally sharp and unbreakable but can also, sense direction underground and detect gems and precious metals but also can summon and control badgers and burrowing animals and bind them to his will.

He also has a larger cast of recurring allies, love interests and foes. While Bella Basalta fades as a love interest as now in the stories Sprigg has many paramores.

It is very notable that Uthur Urdunnir by this time has emerged into a pure villain and unredeemable antagonist, who frequently is foiled in his schemes via his own greed and Sprigg’s superior wit.

This plays into the modern popular notion promoted by the mercenary Gnomes of Clan Spriggan as self identified blood enemies of the Duergar race. It is one of the few points of overlap they have with the works of Korvel which on the whole they find exploitative, patronizing and offensive.

Korvel had by the time of his death amassed a large trove of alleged artifacts related to or attributed to the historical Sprigg Nodolli. However few Dwarven historical scholars give credence to these findings instead labeling Sprigg Nodolli a being of pure folklore combined with several different mythological and historical figures. Despite this Korvel’s work of researching and recording and translations of these myths was lauded in Dwarven literary academic circles for the comprehensive view of Gnomish culture it illuminates.

'''The modern Hakani reclamation theater movement'''

Following the end of the Gnomish Civil War and the Gilden-Gnomish War in the early 1400’s the urban center of Hakan City received an influx of Free Gnome refugees and expatriots from the Scar region many of whom remained and did not return to the Scar as the Spriggans and others had done.

These new arrivals brought their customs, music, songs and traditions with them bringing to the more culturally assimilated Hakani Gnomes “new” stories they had not known of about their own national hero.

As these City Gnomes had been more exposed to the Korvel narrative all their lives as well as in print, this was all very fresh and new to them and in the high spirits after the war sparked a new cultural boom in interest in the folklore and stories of Sprigg Nodolli and a call to reclaim the hero from his own vassalage under the works of Korvel.

As such in the decades since the Gnomish Civil War and the Gilden-Gnomish War there have been numerous theatrical productions seeking to perform stories about the life and exploits of Sprigg Nodolli placing a premium on presentations from an authentic Gnomish cultural lens.

This movement has received significant push back from Dwarven patrons who condemn the movement as politically motivated revisionism.

'''Clan Spriggan claims and expeditions and Urban Spriggan subculture. See [[Spriggan]]'''

‘’’The Spriggan accounting of Sprigg the Shrewd’’’

It is said that he was born at high noon on the third day of the [[Festival of Rebirth]] and was visited by three ladies/lord/s of the feywild “various according to region”. Each with something for the newboard Sprigg. one who blessed the Half mortal child, one who cursed the Son of careless Demi God and one who lay a geas on this First son of all the Gnomes.

As a result according to Clan Spriggan not only is Sprigg Nodolli virtually immortal but still lives to this day wandering the world anonymously still having adventures and quietly watching over his fellow Gnomes from afar.

From then he has several epic length poems and a number of differing sagas to his name among the various bands within Clan Spriggan. However their presentation again differs from the other presentations among the Hakani and the Dwarves in that among the Spriggans themselves they see their founder as assertive. pugnacious, anti-social, blunt. not suffering fools and bypassing the illusion of civilization to get to the point. sardonic.braggart, gruff, hedonistic.more tactically deceptive than a trickster, per say…

Most of their stories with Sprigg involve deep and long term stories that branch off into other stories with other characters who themselves are connected back to Sprigg himself.

Clan Spriggan’s sages have the most exhaustive collection of Sprigg Nodolli related artifacts, scrolls and memorized oral stories and relics other than the Korvel estate of course.

Their collection of his story and exploits is by far the longest and most detailed and curated of all. It’s also the most divergent.

Little heard of for centuries outside of Hakan or the Scar, these “Spriggans” struggled to live out a hunter gatherer/trapper/raider like existence in the caverns of the desolate badlands known as the SCAR. A bleak and hostile landscape teeming with servitor tribes and reavers, bandits and hostile beasts of various types.

It was here that the Clan not only found their fortunes but in time, thrived due to their secret inheritance from their founder.

One of the few places where the lore of the Spriggans and the work of Dwarven scholar Korval overlap is in the blood feud that develops between the Spriggans specifically and the mythical Duergar.
However in the case of Korval the conflict is mainly cast as a simplistic conflict of good vs evil almost mimicking the Goodly and Servitor dynamic and competition for scarce resources. Where the hardy Gnomes carve out a life for themselves in an unforgiving wilderness, cast as heroic pioneers and the Duergar as a hidden evil of the Scar. Living ghosts seeking to keep their claim on these haunted lands.

Korval’s critics especially among the Gnomish modern Hakani reclamation theater movement would interpret the Duergar in these stories as symbolic and representative of the Dwarven culpability in the Peace of Three Kingdoms and as a “At that time” safe stand-in for Gnomish criticism of Dwarven rule and Dwarven culture as a whole.

Clan Spriggan on the other hand, traces back this “blood feud” to Sprigg Nodolli and the Duergar rogue [[Uthur Urdunnir ]].

‘’’Sprigg and Uthur’’’

According to the Spriggans and in divergence of other core sources, Uthur and Sprigg in many of their stories were once friends or partners of a sort or at least allies. As neither had any love for the Duergar’s cousins the Dwarves. They and their kinfolk would at times cooperate in order to survive the harsh realm they were forced to live in.. One above ground, one deep below.

How the story begins varies but it ultimately truly begins when Sprigg is either hired/coerced/enslaved/convinced/inspired by Uthur and his band of five cousins. Uthur and his cousins are interested in a map that has fallen into Sprigg’s position that allegedly leads to the den of [[Uvecknyaha]], the rumored progenitor and “Grandmother of all Mountain Giants” deep in her eons-long slumber underneath the Scar.

Uthur told Sprigg that there was great power there, power enough for both of their peoples to prosper and no longer be subject to the oppression of the larger races because they would have the power to be giants themselves. As Sprigg had the map and the map directions and key were in gnomish they needed him but the the den of [[Uvecknyaha]] was located deep underground in the ruins of the [[Mountainhome]] of the Ancient Dwarves. Uthur knew the language and was familiar with the traps one might encounter within.

This journey into the ancient underkingdoms of the Dwarves, deep underground, is the first of a 68 part story collectively called [[The Blilldopolix]] and is considered the cornerstone and crown jewel of Clan Spriggan’s complex and multi layered performance storytelling tradition.
.

After facing and surviving an absurd amount of challenges and various threats that the band of Seven,now only Four , Sprigg, Uthur,Zamsus and Gill finally come upon the tomb of the massive sleeping giantess. The entire massive cavern was all aglow in a faint green light from glowing glyphs and runes carved in the walls from the clawed hand of the giantess herself.
They gently in pairs massage upon her mammaries in order to catch her mothers milk into their empty large wineskins. It was said that the mere tiniest of sips would be enough to give any of them the powers of a giant. Enough for every Gnome in the Scar and almost every Duergar below it…

The band of four managed to fill all of the wineskins to their limits but alas they were not out of danger nor were they alone. For Uthur’s other kinfolks had indeed answered his call after all. They simply had followed behind the Gnome and in his wake avoided all of the dangers. Uthur and his kin proceed to take from Sprigg the wineskins he held for his own people and kept it all for themselves and from it gave their people the power to increase their size triple fold. This is how the Duergar gained their legendary power. The perfidious Dwarfkin abandoned Sprigg leaving him behind in the tunnels below to his own fate by the corpse of the fallen giantess.

But Sprigg was clever and was of sharp mind and in the dark he saw the faintly runes carved around the chamber and in the years to come was able to understand them and their power. And that the power of giants was not in mere stature but the power of their runes, sacred words of creation, the building blocks of all things, the power to name and know, this was the true power of size and scale, the true power to become a giant.

And so Spigg, slowly, very slowly, learned the power of rune magic, the magic claimed by the ancient giants themselves and then traveled across the Scar sharing his knowledge with his kin both close and extended and thus how Clan Spriggan also gained the power to grow in size as well as other acts of sorcery via the power of ancient runes and glyphs .

It must be noted that the veracity of this story is, naturally doubted in many circles Clan Spriggan’s knowledge and skill in Rune Magic is not in dispute.

Spriggan

2024-05-21T16:37:19Z

Hotep Gith:

Spriggan

2024-04-01T21:12:17Z

Hotep Gith:

Spriggan

2024-04-01T20:34:52Z

Hotep Gith:

Spriggan

2024-04-01T20:34:19Z

Hotep Gith:

Spriggan

2024-04-01T20:32:44Z

Hotep Gith:

Spriggan

2024-04-01T20:27:06Z

Hotep Gith:

Spriggan

2024-04-01T20:25:26Z

Hotep Gith:

Spriggan

2024-04-01T20:22:58Z

Hotep Gith: Created page with " ‘’’Spriggan’’’-noun-Old Gnomish meaning "Large, Big, Pile of Heavy Rocks, Strong, Hill, Bore, Churlish,Greedy,Crass, Uncouth. Loud. Fearless.Giant” ‘’’Spriggan also refers to two groups of Gnomes.’’’ ‘’’City Spriggans’’’ A slang term for a sub/counter culture made up mostly of the now late adolescent/ young adult/Adult offspring of Free Gnome refugees resettled in the Hakan city area after the Gnomish Civil War. Originally used a..."

‘’’Spriggan’’’-noun-Old Gnomish meaning "Large, Big, Pile of Heavy Rocks, Strong, Hill, Bore, Churlish,Greedy,Crass, Uncouth. Loud. Fearless.Giant”

‘’’Spriggan also refers to two groups of Gnomes.’’’

‘’’City Spriggans’’’
A slang term for a sub/counter culture made up mostly of the now late adolescent/ young adult/Adult offspring of Free Gnome refugees resettled in the Hakan city area after the Gnomish Civil War. Originally used as a pejorative insult, it was embraced as a means of removing the word’s negative social power. Effort was moderately successful.

Known to be an iconoclastic, deviant, youth, Gnome subculture characterized by long dyed red hair and dyed mustaches and cosmetically augmented copper/reddish/clay skin tones, outrageous forms of dress,Large hats, loud dissonant music and the performative mocking of the majority of traditional Hakoni social conventions attacking them as “Dwarffish” and “Mentally Vassalized''. They are also militantly insulted by the term “Wild Gnomes' ' as they strive to increase the growing consensus around the term to consider it to be an offensive Dwarvish term of condescension and reflective of inherit Dwarven supremacist attitudes.

They are stereotypically, pronouncedly cynical of the political process seeing the entirety of Gnomish society woefully tainted by the Dwarven cultural influence and must be cleansed by a full rejection of all Dwarven norms and for full Gnomish reconciliation with all three “families'' of the Gnomish race including the so called [[Breaker Gnomes]].

Individually they may be consumed with Sprigg The Shrewd lore or may simply wear the fashion and engage as an affectation or means to an end to gain a platform. It’s ultimately secondary to them.

And

‘’’CLAN SPRIGGAN’’’

A large clan of self proclaimed “WILD” Gnomish mercenaries who historically have lived in the [[Scar]] region of Gildenhome since before the Gnomish Vassalage. With a reputation for being cantankerous, greedy, crass and boorish but also stalwart allies and formidable fighters.

‘’’History’’’
.
The members of Clan Spriggan boast that they can trace their bloodline back to their Clan’s founding in the time of the Demi Pantheon. They trace this directly from the legendary folk hero [[Sprigg the Shrewd]] in the centuries before even the Gnomish insurrection via kinship with the heroes’ mortal mother [[Gretnannah Nurue]].

It is via this connection that they claim their identity as the clanmates of Sprigg but also [[Alandradar]] of the Demi-Pantheon and this forms the basis for their boasts as “Lords of The Scar.”

In the Clan Spriggan’s telling of their origins Gretnannah Nurue seduced the Demi-God while he was in disguise as one of her hostages from a recent raid. A common ploy he allegedly used too often in his dalliances with mortals. However, according to the story Nurue knew the truth of Alandradar’s identity and purposefully saved his seed so that she might via deceit conceive the child of a Demigod for her own purposes.

‘’’The Spriggan accounting of Sprigg the Shrewd’’’

It is said that he was born at high noon on the third day of the [[Festival of Rebirth]] and was visited by three ladies/lord/s of the feywild “various according to region”. Each with something for the newborn Sprigg. one who blessed the Half mortal child, one who cursed the Son of careless Demi God and one who lay a geas on this First son of all the Gnomes.

As a result according to Clan Spriggan not only is Sprigg Nodolli virtually immortal but still lives to this day wandering the world anonymously still having adventures and quietly watching over his fellow Gnomes from afar.

From then he has several epic length poems and a number of differing sagas to his name among the various bands within Clan Spriggan. However their presentation again differs from the other presentations among the Hakani and the Dwarves in that among the Spriggans themselves they see their founder as assertive. pugnacious, anti-social, blunt. not suffering fools and bypassing the illusion of civilization to get to the point. sardonic.braggart, gruff, hedonistic.more tactically deceptive than a trickster, per say…

Most of their stories with Sprigg involve deep and long term stories that branch off into other stories with other characters who themselves are connected back to Sprigg himself.

Clan Spriggan’s sages have the most exhaustive collection of Sprigg Nodolli related artifacts, scrolls and memorized oral stories and relics other than the Korvel estate of course.

Their collection of his story and exploits is by far the longest.

TO BE CONCLUDED.

Sprigg The Shrewd

2024-04-01T00:21:13Z

Hotep Gith:

Sprigg The Shrewd

2024-04-01T00:09:31Z

Hotep Gith:

Alandradar

2024-04-01T00:06:36Z

Hotep Gith: Created page with "Is the former Demi-God of Travel and Nomads, who also claimed dominion over Travel,Trickery,Trade,Chaos and Luck. This former mortal Gnome is also according to legend, the father of Sprigg The Shrewd a folk hero of some renown to the Gnomes of the Scar region and beyond. Considered a popular fictional literary hero among many Dwarven youth."

Is the former Demi-God of Travel and Nomads, who also claimed dominion over Travel,Trickery,Trade,Chaos and Luck.

This former mortal Gnome is also according to legend, the father of [[Sprigg The Shrewd]] a folk hero of some renown to the Gnomes of the Scar region and beyond. Considered a popular fictional literary hero among many Dwarven youth.

Sprigg The Shrewd

2024-04-01T00:05:26Z

Hotep Gith: Created page with "Sprigg Nodolli, also known as "Sprigg The Shrewd, Sprigg The Slippery, Sprigg The Slick, Etc" is a significant figure in popular Gnomish folklore dating from the mid to late Age of Demigods and onward. One of many trickster warrior like figured in folklore and history but distinctive in his strong following among the Free Gnomes native to the Scar region where he is especially honored by the large clan of Free Gnomes who claim him as their founder and his uno..."

Olhydra

2023-05-08T20:07:20Z

Hotep Gith:

The one of the foundational blocks of knowledge and works on this varied subject in detail comes from the memoirs of the Comte [[Elegravain]] Meliagrace d'Valcroix of Odessa. During his time as a self proclaimed adventurer he details his encounters with a variety of characters, one of which being the also self proclaimed "Sea Elf of Saltmarsh" the Half Elf known only as [[Castaway]]

In his notes this "Sea Elf" claims to have been orphaned and raised by the [[Seafolk]] and taught the ways of water, the flow of Olhydra.

This account is all the more distinctive as it differs greatly from some other texts and available information on the subject from other sources.

For starters, Olhydra while often referred to as "she" is more a colloquial term and not the name of a "God/Goddess" or singular entity more so that Olhydra is water, is life, and in so is all of us. Thus Olhydra is not a God so much as the "God within" all living things. A primal universal force older than even the [[Eight Makers]] themselves, who pushed back the universal waters and tides of Olhydra to create the bubble that contains our world.

Olhydra is the oceans, the seas, the rivers and lakes, the rain and the mist and even the fog. She is blood, and sweat and mucus and urine and fecal and semen and tears and saliva. She is universal truth, the all and the nothing, both in total certainty and baffling mystery.

Olhydra is.

To a devotee following the "flow of Olhydra" is less a religion and more of a philosophy of how to move in both the physical and spiritual worlds. In the physical world it hinges on moving slowly and with ease, to find the paths of least resistance, to then find your level within the existing structure and then create new pathways to flow within. adapt to whatever form is around you.

On a metaphysical level they seek to "hear the voice of Olhydra" guide them and their actions to rely less and less on their own understanding and listen to the collective voice of all life in the universe. To truly "go with the flow".

In both cases a devotee of Olhydra will often strike at their enemies or at a problem only with overwhelming force without warning and before and after return once again to a seeming calm. Patience is indeed a virtue as water can wait...

Water always finds a way in.

This world of dry land and air and sky is but a bubble in an infinite ocean beyond the firmament above the clouds and the oceans beneath the earth itself.

All of this that is and was and ever will be on what we call a world is but a single passing pop to Olhydra but in the randomness and contradiction of our existence we have been given a gift of life and choice and free will to act and the obligation to always act in the ultimate service of life, of Olhydra.

Thus what best serves the greater cause of life? What gives life the chance to thrive? Is what a devotee would ask themselves as opposed to the morality of the situation. Note this definition of life does not solely apply to the so called goodly races alone but to all living beings.

Olhydra

2023-05-08T05:53:02Z

Hotep Gith: Created page with "The one of the foundational blocks of knowledge and works on this varied subject in detail comes from the memoirs of the Comte Elegravain Meliagrace d'Valcroix of Odessa. During his time as a self proclaimed adventurer he details his encounters with a variety of characters, one of which being the also self proclaimed "Sea Elf of Saltmarsh" the Half Elf known only as Castaway In his notes this "Sea Elf" claims to have been orphaned and raised by the Seafolk a..."

The one of the foundational blocks of knowledge and works on this varied subject in detail comes from the memoirs of the Comte [[Elegravain]] Meliagrace d'Valcroix of Odessa. During his time as a self proclaimed adventurer he details his encounters with a variety of characters, one of which being the also self proclaimed "Sea Elf of Saltmarsh" the Half Elf known only as [[Castaway]]

In his notes this "Sea Elf" claims to have been orphaned and raised by the [[Seafolk]] and taught the ways of water, the flow of Olhydra.

This account is all the more distinctive as it differs greatly from some other texts and available information on the subject from other sources.

For starters, Olhydra while often referred to as "she" is more a colloquial term and not the name of a "God/Goddess" or singular entity more so that Olhydra is water, is life, and in so is all of us. Thus Olhydra is not a God so much as the "God within" all living things.

Olhydra is the oceans, the seas, the rivers and lakes, the rain and the mist and even the fog. She is blood, and sweat and mucus and urine and fecal and semen and tears and saliva. She is universal truth, the all and the nothing, both in total certainty and baffling mystery.

Olhydra is.

To a devotee following the "flow of Olhydra" is less a religion and more of a philosophy of how to move in both the physical and spiritual worlds. In the physical world it hinges on moving slowly and with ease, to find the paths of least resistance, to then find your level within the existing structure and then create new pathways to flow within. adapt to whatever form is around you.

On a metaphysical level they seek to "hear the voice of Olhydra" guide them and their actions to rely less and less on their own understanding and listen to the collective voice of all life in the universe. To truly "go with the flow".

In both cases a devotee of Olhydra will often strike at their enemies or at a problem only with overwhelming force without warning and before and after return once again to a seeming calm. Patience is indeed a virtue as water can wait...

Water always finds a way in.

This world of dry land and air and sky is but a bubble in an infinite ocean beyond the firmament above the clouds and the oceans beneath the earth itself.

All of this that is and was and ever will be on what we call a world is but a single passing pop to Olhydra but in the randomness and contradiction of our existence we have been given a gift of life and choice and free will to act and the obligation to always act in the ultimate service of life, of Olhydra.

Thus what best serves the greater cause of life? What gives life the chance to thrive? Is what a devotee would ask themselves as opposed to the morality of the situation. Note this definition of life does not solely apply to the so called goodly races alone but to all living beings.

Standing Stones

2023-04-24T17:44:10Z

Hotep Gith:

Located on a small island near the Alexian fishing town of [[Saltmarsh]] are a pair of large and mysterious standing stones, engraved with sigils and symbols. Local legend has it that this was the site of an ancient sacrifice of a "Sirine", which according to folkore about [[The Seafolk]] were playful, fun-loving, aquatic fey creatures who loved to sing and dance.

The island is largely avoided by the local populace.

The island was visited by recent arrivals to Saltmarsh, [[Castaway]],[[Elegravain]],[[Khroe]] and [[Starling]]. When examining the stones Starling and Castaway were able to determine that the engravings on the stones were in fact, written in the Aquan language and the symbols and sigils seem to indicate that indeed a sacrifice and binding ritual was performed here and that a spirit of the Sirine is bound within the stone.

The stones themselves produce a beautiful song that not only can draw people under it's sway but is a boon to the fishing industry of Saltmarsh as it also draws large numbers of sea life to the area as well. When the Bard, Elegravain sang along an instant harmony emerged that caused the travelers to experience, awe, euphoria and a loss of time of several hours.

It is believed by the Half-Elf Castaway that this place is a way into the Feywild and either was opened by the original binding ritual or that it existed before the ritual and was the means by which the Sirine was captured and sacrificed.

Claw Wine

2023-04-24T17:35:15Z

Hotep Gith: Created page with "An alcoholic beverage made from distilled potatoes and lobster served exclusively at The Snapping Line, a tavern in the post Alexian fishing town of Saltmarsh"

An alcoholic beverage made from distilled potatoes and lobster served exclusively at [[The Snapping Line]], a tavern in the post Alexian fishing town of [[Saltmarsh]]

The Snapping Line

2023-04-24T17:33:40Z

Hotep Gith: Created page with "A local tavern in the Post-Alexian fishing town of Saltmarsh with a nautical theme. Frequented mostly by sailors and fishermen. Currently owned and operated by Hannah Wrist whose family has owned this bar and been engaged in the lobster fishing for generations. Known for it's unique signature beverage Claw Wine"

A local tavern in the Post-Alexian fishing town of [[Saltmarsh]] with a nautical theme. Frequented mostly by sailors and fishermen.
Currently owned and operated by Hannah Wrist whose family has owned this bar and been engaged in the lobster fishing for generations.
Known for it's unique signature beverage [[Claw Wine]]