Editing Peoples of the Vale (section)

== Other Folk ==

'''Elves'''

Tall and graceful, ageless and mysterious, the elves dwell in the vast and ancient Winterbole Forest. They stand twice the height of a halfling, with large, pointed ears, shining eyes, and an unearthly grace no tallfellow could match. Elves are an enigmatic folk, at once reserved and benevolent, possessed of powerful magic, but reluctant to stir beyond the borders of their land except in dire need. Though they once lived far and wide - indeed, ancient elven holts dot the denser forests of the Vale - they all withdrew into the Winterbole ages ago.

By the terms of the Fivefold League, no elf may own land anywhere within the boundaries of the Vale; they are, however, immune to all tolls and borders, and may travel freely wherever they wish. A handful of elves take advantage of this, wandering the Vale on their own mysterious business, occasionally renting a room at an inn and hiring locals to accomplish specific tasks for them. The Winterbole is their domain, but they are tolerant of those who live within the boundaries of the forest - several small communities of wood gnomes and woodwalker goblins - provided the small folk behave themselves.

'''Orcs'''

The denizens of the Stonemarch Mountains, orcs are the stuff of nightmares. These pig-faced humanoids are as tall as an elf, and twice as broad: massive, muscular creatures able to fling the stoutest gnome aside with little effort. Most of them time they live in the mountains in savage, insular communities, mostly warring amongst each other and occasionally sending small raiding parties into the Vale proper. Every effort to treat with orcs diplomatically has ended in failure; the creatures seem to be incurably violent, unable to interact with small folk as equals, and prone to gluttony and bloodshed.

Every so often, for reasons unknown, the normally-fractious orc tribes will unite and come rampaging into the Vale like a plague of humanoid locusts, devouring and destroying all in their path. These orcish incursions are greatly feared, and the folk of the Vale rely on the aid of the elves to repel them.

Certain rare orcish mutants never cease growing as they age; given sufficient food, these orc can swell to enormous size. These giant orcs, some reaching heights of ten feet or more, are known as ''ogres.'' Ogres sometimes become the leaders of orcish bands, feared for their size and strength; equally often they will be driven from their home communities for their unending appetites and may occasionally found wandering in the Vale. Ogres are defined by their gluttonous appetites; a well-fed ogre will even forego their usual penchant for violence. This is a dangerous bargain, as a single ogre can consume an entire day's harvest and come back for more the next day.

'''Frog-Folk'''

In the southwestern corner of the Vale, where the Harken Forest gives way to the Witchlight Fens, dwells a strange race of frog-people. Known variously as ''grungs'' or ''grippli'', and occasionally called ''bullywugs'' by their neighbors, these creatures resemble humanoid frogs the size of a full-grown gnome. They are mostly insular, keeping to their own small swamp or forest communities, and occasionally trading or fighting with the swamp rat goblins. Some tribes are friendly to travelers, if cautious, while others are more aggressive and even hostile. They show no interest in joining the greater society of the Vale, being content to remain in their damp homes.

----