Ourworld:Teleri

The Teleri are traders and travelers, slowly falling into decadence.

NB almost all of the names here are essentially place holders, if people have better names for the Teleri, The Answer in The Machine, Guilders etc, feel free to change them or tell me. Also, being the resident non-Art degree guy, some editing may or may not be in order.

The Ancient Past

A common sight in the ports and seaside towns the globe over, few but the Ailokim remember that the Teleri are more than merely skilled merchants and dock rats. The Strangers, ancesters of the modern Teleri were Marooned in this place many milenia ago, their vehicle stuck in the solid ice of the edge of the world, with no hope of leaving and no expectation of rescue, they scavenged what they had to build the predecessors to their modern wind ships.

Over time as the memories of the old lands grew dim and their supplies ran low, the Teleri began to trade and converse with the natives of the world, teaching several the basics of arcane magic and alchemy, while learning the lessons needed to live in this harsh new world. Never ones to stand back while unnecessay facts could be found, many spent a great deal of time with the many societies that were around at the time, flyting here and there, eating this and that, smoking those and other thing and either through their own devices, or unintentionally, they became as these people, untill they were fully of this world, and remembered little else.

Recent Times

Today almost all of the Teleri are descendants of unions between those Strangers and the other peoples of Erland, many have relations in the humans nations which are a popular stopping point, with their beginings of true "civilization" budding, however they were also the catalyst for the largest split in the Teleri society to date, as many disagreed with the decision of several prominent merchants to sell Techno-Magic to the Keltoi in their war against the Urbanus(or Laideann), feeling that while the Urbanus may not been the most enlightened people, selling them out for monetary gain was neither justified, nor, in the long run, beneficial.

Religion

The Teleri have always quested for knowledge, whether it be true understanding, arcane insight, political secrets or mere sensation, it's a part of their soul, however their only true religion seems to preach the opposite, and the search for mere sensation becomes more common with every passing generation.

The Answer in The Machine teaches that the Strangers came here to escape from a Godlike existence to experience the wonders of mortal life, that the Answer to lifes problems is to experience every new day with childlike innocence and that The Machine in The Floating City was made by the Strangers to supply the Teleri with the necessities in life, leaving them to devote their time and effort to the pleasures of life.

The Floating City

A marvel of a lost age, the towers of The Floating City rise out of the mists that constantly surround it like the translucent daggers of some long dead colossi, while the streets glint with a thousand sparkles from the slowly fracturing glass of neglected wonders. Known to most Teleri simply as "The City", it is capable of sustained movement contains both the closest thing to a Teleri Government and the sorcerous machines required to create the wind ships and a host of other magics unique to the Teleri.

Made by The Strangers, the state of repair in The City has long been a volatile point among local Alchemists and loremasters, fueled by the fact that no one really understands it's construction, and numerous repair attempts have been made, most of which were inefective at best. As belief in The Answer in The Machine grows, it is becoming more and more common to assume that The Strangers planned for everything, and that to even think that there might be a problem, let alone fix it is becoming a marginal view.

Technomancy

To be filled out later

Physical description

To be filled out later

Teleri People

The bulk of the Teleri fall in to three main cultures, the most common and the ones most often seen seen in the ports of the world are the Kelpies, although they have a reputation as drifters, hippies, and lowlifes, enough of them have Teleri crafted, if not always Powered ships that their presence is tolerated in most ports, if not liked. Kelpies are ultimately a diverse lot, scattered over ethe globe as they are, while many will swindle what they can and be gone in the morning, just as many are harmless followers of The Machine, opponents of the Guilders trying to start up their own routes. There's even a small group who are attempting to follow in the footsteps of The Strangers by bringing as many societies to true civilization as possible. The typical Keplie however(as much as they exist), is inquisitive, sociable and generous(sometimes with other peoples property as much as their own).

The second group, the Traders Guild, has access to the fastest ships in the world, as they constantly attest, and this makes them premier traders. They also have access to steady supply of magic items from The City, and this makes them wanted over much ofthe world, but the real source of the Guilders power is their contacts and knowledge.

For the Guilders, the Teleri quest for knowledge isn't about enlightenment or pleasure, it's not about knowing fifteen types of knots or the proper way to strain tea so it tastes just right. It's about Power. It's about the knowing the Duchess's secret lover. It's about having the exact right artifact the Prince wants, before even he knew he wanted it. It's about knowing that one magic trick that even a Dragon's never seen before. It's about knowing what the competition doesn't and using it against them.

And some have had long lives to search.

Of course, not all use this knowledge for merely for personal gain, many feel comfortable enough in their own superiority (real or not) to only use it when the status of the Guild itself is threatened, and most put a great deal of care into benevolently cultivating as many people, and societies as possible. (Excepting of course those who work against The Guild, but what civilized man could possibly want that?)

The smallest group of Teleri are the City dwellers, being descended almost entirely from the original Strangers the City dwellers are some of the few with to take the time to master the magics of the City and it's products. Most are either mechanical minded or quite studied and few have much contact with the rest of the world.

How the Teleri see the other races

Keltoi The Teleri have a long history of trade with the Keltoi as one of the few civilized empires on Erland, trading knowledge, magic, Teleri crafts anything which happens to be around. While some have reservations about their "explorations", most (who care) believe they've left behind their warlike ways and see them as good source of money and civilized pleasures.

Ailokim Although it has been a long time since there was anything resembling conflict with the Grey Nation, on a personal level many Teleri still mistrust the Ailokim, to the Keplie they are lifeless and dry, to followers of the Machine, their fall from grace hints at deeper moral shadows, to the Guilders, while their money is as good(or at least close) as any other people's, their disrespect does not sit well.

The main problem is any Teleri devoted enough to care, or remember, can tell you that in the long run, the Grey Nation's goals benefit only the Grey Nation.

Goliaths To the Kelpie, the Goliaths are good natured and rambunctious, if somewhat unintentionally dangerous, a good source of strange trinkets, hilarious stories about Goliath "honour" and peyote.

To the more ethical Guilders, Goliaths are a stubborn race who refuse to move forward and create industry, to a few unethical Guilders, they're a good source of slaves.

Dwarves The Teleri, like everyone else, trade with the Dwarves for their wonderful crafts, although, like everyone else, they have little to no understanding of Dwarven society.

Umberkim To the Teleri, the Umberkim are merely a race which will never know true civilization, which they consider a shame.

Summer Islanders Every Teleri (except the boring ones) likes the Summer Islanders. They enjoy seeing the familiar faces, and always enjoy a good party.

Northern City States Although the Teleri do trade with the City states, they're far less welcome here than in the Keltoi lands, partly due to certain unscrupulous Guilders, who played certain prominent Nobles off against one another. Although the Teleri are less than worried, the trade is good, but there's little alcohol, and the no coffee.

Stats

Weak Blood Teleri Racial Traits

• Medium: As Medium creatures, Teleri have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
• Teleri base land speed is 30 feet.
• Immunity to sleep spells and similar magical effects, and a +2 racial bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells or effects.
• Low-Light Vision: A half-Teleri can see twice as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of poor illumination. She retains the ability to distinguish color and detail under these conditions.
• +1 racial bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks. (Thinking of changing this to +2 just because +1 on a skill is lame)
• +2 racial bonus on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks.
• Mixed Blood Heritage: For all effects related to race, a Weak Blood Teleri is considered both a Teleri and one other, as chosen at character creation.
• Human Heritage : 4 extra skill points at 1st level and 1 extra skill point at each additional level.
• Dwarven Heritage : +1 racial bonus on all saves.
• Weak Blood Teleri add speak language to their list of class skills for any class they adopt
• Automatic Languages: Teleri and any one other. Bonus Languages: Any (other than secret languages, such as Druidic).
• Favored Class: Any. When determining whether a multiclass Weak Blood Teleri takes an experience point penalty, her highest-level class does not count.

See Also

Ourworld
Societies	Keltoi, Laideann, Ailokim, Teleri, Goliaths, Goblinoids_and_surrounds, Dwarves, Orcs, Ashlands