E, F, G

E    | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

Elves
:: elf.jpg | elf.gif ::
Elves are one of the most popular races in all of Faerun as they are surrounded by mystery, magic and ancient knowledge as they are known to live for over 1,200 years. Surrounded by natural beauty, dancing and singing, Elven Nations and cities are something to be seen.
They have excellent infravision which allows them to see in the dark for 60 feet and are very skilled in the use of both bow and long sword. They are very skilled in the use of bows and long swords.

In Norse myths, the elves were great magical beings. They were divided into two camps, the Ljosalfar, or light elves, who dwelt in the skies and in Alfheim; and the Dopkalfar, or dark elves, who lived in dark and evil woods, or deep underground, or sometimes under the waves of the sea.

In mainly Teutonic and Norse folklore, the elves were originally the spirits of the dead who brought fertility. Later they became supernatural beings, shaped as humans, who are either very beautiful (elves of light) or extremely ugly (dark/black elves). They were worshipped in trees, mountains and waterfalls. The Danish elves are beautiful creatures, but they have hollow backs. The Celtic elves are the size of humans.
The belief in elves, or supernatural and invisible beings, is almost universal. Apparently, there has been no primitive tribe or race that has not believed at one time or another that the world was inhabited by invisible beings. Especially on the British Isles the belief was very profound. In stories from the 8th and 9th century there are many references to elves, or fairies as they are called there. The king of the elves, Oberon, and his wife Titania appear in some very important works of medieval literature, such as Huon de Bordeaux and Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

THE ELVES

Elves are no smaller
than men, and walk
as men do, in this world,
but with more grace than most,
and are not immortal.

Their beauty sets them aside
from other men and from women
unless a woman has that cold fire in her
called poet: with that

she may see them and by its light
they know her and are not afraid
and silver tongues of love
flicker between them.

- Denise Levertov

Usually called "alfs" in the Troth to avoid confusion with the elves of Shakespeare or Tolkien. The Elves sometimes appear to be the ghosts of dead ancestors still dwelling in mounds or hills; sometimes they are more similar to land-wights (earth spirits). The Elves are worshipped together with the Disir (see above) and often with Frey. Sometimes they are kindly, as names like Alfred (Elf-Counsel) show; when offended, they shoot humans or animals with elf-shot, causing stroke and other forms of sickness. They are divided into Light Elves (often seen as wights of sun and air), Dark Elves (the dead in the mound), and Swart Elves (see "dwarves"). Old Norse Álfar (singular álfr), Anglo-Saxon Ælf, Modern English Alf.

Breeds Examples: Drow, Gelfling, Golden, Half, High, Sea, Shadow, Wood.

F    | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

Fairies
In Western societies nature spirits have been known as fairies or elves. In Greek mythology they were the dryads, nerieds, and nymphs that inhabited nature. In some cases the fairies and elves were Pre-Christian Gods and Goddesses. The people had great respect for them and also the aspects of nature they represented. In Ireland it was seen as bad luck to disturb a fairy tree. This similar theme was also seen in Greek mythology in that trees were seen to be dryads, which were actual conscious beings. This showed an awareness of the life force that pervaded trees and all other living creatures upon the earth.
These nature spirits have appeared in legend and myth throughout the whole world. Tales from around the world all have similar major themes. Some of these themes include nature spirits having power over the elements. Other themes are that there are nature spirits specific to earth (including specific tree spirits), to air, to fire, and to water. Other themes are that these spirits can be dangerousness and mischievousness, and that there is a different movement of time in their realm.

The original fairies, or faeries, bestowed gifts upon newborn children, such as beauty, wealth and kindness. In the subsequent centuries they continued this original function, but expanded their activities into other types of meddling in human affairs.
Fairies can only be seen clearly by animals and seldom by humans, although if one is fortunate enough, one might catch a fleeting glimpse. There are a few exceptions however. The first is when fairies use their power (known as 'glamour') to enable a human to see them. Also, during a full moon on Midsummer Eve a mortal witness fairy dances or celebrations. And finally, by looking through a self-bored stone (a stone in which a hole has been made by tumbling in the waters of a brook; not found on a beach) one can see fairies distinctly.
The rulers of the race of fairies are Queen Titania and her consort Prince Oberon, their court being in the vicinity of Stratford-on-Avon. Other synonyms and euphemisms for fairies are: the Little People, the Green Men, the Good Folk and the Lordly Ones.

Description
Faeries are often portrayed in Western children’s stories as tiny, winged, and good hearted. However, this description varies widely from worldwide folk traditions in which beliefs concerning hidden races sharing the earth with us have resided for most of human history.

Within different regions different descriptions of faeries grew, all were more or less human in form although sometimes taller or shorter, but never bearing wings. Much of their behaviour was much like humans as well; they had governments, societies, marriages, children, and war. They were often mortal and therefore, could be killed. However, unlike humanity, they had supernatural powers, which made them, at best, unpredictable and at worst, dangerous. Few people sought out the company of faeries and most went out of the way to avoid it.

In order to classify the faerie characters in the stories, the race is divided up into two groups: the peasantry and the aristocracy. The peasantry is made up of the solitary faeries that are believed to have descended from spirits who made up all of nature. Although they had some of the same powers as their more prestigious relatives, i.e. the ability to become invisible and shape-change, they were known to be more wild and capricious. Fortunately, true encounters with mortals were relatively rare, instead their presence were most often announced by evidence of the creatures’ activity. It was believed the bending of the grass, the rustling sounds of tree branches, and the glittering patterns of frost on windows could be attributed to their nearness.

The Faerie aristocracy was very different from their isolated cousins. They were known as trooping faeries because they travelled in long processions. These faeries are believed to be descendents of ancient, vanquished gods. They dwell in underground kingdoms or across the deepest seas- they were creatures of amazing desire or perhaps fear. In many cultures like those in Scandinavia and Scotland, they subdivided the aristocracy into good and evil.

However, there is no distinction between the good and evil faeries in Wales and Ireland. They were called the Tylwyth Teg (Fair Family) and the Daine Side (Dwellers of the Faerie Mounds) respectively. The Irish have the most complete accounts of the trooping faeries hidden within their many songs and folktales.

Where did Faeries come from?
Throughout history, there have been hundreds of references to the very same sort of thing: the Faerie, the Fay, the 'little people', or the elf. Here are some examples.
In Iceland, it's believed that while Eve was washing her children, God spoke to her. In her surprise and awe, she hid the children she had not yet washed. God asked if all of her children were there, and she said yes. Then He said that from then on, the children hidden from Him would be hid from all mankind. They became Faerie-folk, elves, and Huldre Folk*.
In Norse mythology, it is told of how maggots emerging from the corpse of the giant Ymir transformed themselves into Light Elves and Dark Elves. The light ones were good and happy, and flew. The darks were evil, blighting, and lived underground.
Elsewhere, it is said that Faeries were fallen angels; to evil to enter heaven and to good to settle in hell. In Devon, pixies were considered the spirits of unbaptised children. But all over the world, there are different beliefs concerning Faeries and elves.
Huldre Folk* - beings of Faerie with beautiful fronts, and hollowed or bark-like backs. Huldre girls are exceptionally beautiful, but often with cow's tails. And so, the Huldre Folk displays only a beautiful front, to hide their true origin.

Power over the Elements
One major theme is the power of the elements of nature and faeries are seen as having control over these elements. This theme is seen in the tales of the Russian King Frost, and the Germanic Mother Holle.
King Frost brings a colder climate and a chill with him. This aspect of nature would be of great importance to Russians because of the tremendous impact that the weather has on their lives. The Germanic Mother Holle is also similar for she controls when it snows. Mother Holle is also a pre-Christian Goddess. Her counterpart is Eastre, the bringer of Spring and rebirth to the land. She still survives in the name of the current spring holiday called Easter. This holiday is also a celebration of re-birth, being Christ's resurrection. Many older traditions have been incorporated into the newer Christian ones. Painting Easter eggs was also related to the Goddess Eastre because the egg symbolized new life and regeneration like spring does.

Water
There are many beings in the realm of faerie that are associated with water. Some of these nature spirits are mermaids, the Rhine maidens, and the Greek nymphs.

Earth
Faeries have an association with the earth and nature. They are often described as living underground and within the earth in many tales all over the world. The Germanic tale of Rubezahl describes this kind of nature spirit known as a gnome.

Trees
In ancient Germany and Greece to kill a tree was to kill the spirit that lived within it. In the Jataka tales, which are tales of former incarnations of Buddha, the Buddha was the spirit of a tree in a former life. Trees were seen as sacred and thought to have had spirits. This was also seen in Japan. The tale of the Willow Wife or Aoyagi, is an example of this. She is really the spirit of a Willow tree. Her parents are also the spirits of the two Willow trees nearby her. When these beautiful trees are thoughtlessly cut down Aoyagi and her parents die.

Time
A different movement of time is seen in many of the tales of faery land. This may also have something to do with nature and how the earth is much older than individual people. It takes ages for a mountain to wear away, so time moves differently for the elements and nature itself.

Danger and Mischievousness
There are also themes of mischievous to dangerous faerie beings that people need to be aware of. This may be explained by the faeries' close association with nature and the elements. Nature nurtures humankind and yet can be vicious, as is seen in storms, earthquakes, draughts, and other natural disasters. So stories of faeries like nature, vary between the extremes of being both helpful and dangerous to human beings.

Location
Sightings of faeries most often occur in Northern Europe between the 15th and 18th centuries. Consequently, the works of literature from that era frequently contain faerie characters. Variations of these creatures, however, have been reported worldwide.

History
Although most contemporary North Americans believe faeries to be figments of the sentimental imagination they played an important part of past folklore, especially in Celtic communities. It was said that their countryside was literally infested with faeries of such volatile temperament that only the foolhardy called them by their proper name. As a result, many refused to call them faeries because the use of a creature’s true name without permission implied threat in that era and one of them could be listening at any time. Instead, they were referred to by euphemisms like the "good people", the "Gentry", they "honest folk", the "fair tribe", and many others.

Folk explanation of faerie creation, especially in Christian countries, is that they were originally fallen angels or displaced spirits.

The word faerie is derived from the Latin fatum or "fate". This is in recognition of the skill faeries had in predicting and even controlling human destiny. The other common English term for an individual faerie is "elf". This is derived from the word alfar from the Nordic and Teutonic languages which is associated with mountains and water. This clearly illustrates the close relationship between faeries and the earth.

Reasons for Creation/Possible Explanations
The origins of faerie belief have been characterized as "one of the most difficult problems in the study of folklore." Some folklorists and anthropologists have theorized that the original faeries were members of conquered races that were sighted on rare occasions, mistaken for supernatural beings. By separating them from the rest of society, leaders were able to keep the two races apart. Others believe that faeries were creations from the ancient belief in the gods and spirits of Paganism that were displaced by Christianity.

Literary Connections
One of the most popular characterizations of faeries is of the benevolent Tinkerbell in Peter Pan. However, there are many more including the many faeries of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, e.g. Titania, Oberon, and Puck.

Faerie Food
It is known that Faeries savor the most natural foodstuffs. They bake whole meal bread and drink cow's milk directly from the udder. It's known that they will take cheese or milksops as payment. In Ancient Legends of Ireland, the author, Lady Wilde, reports that the little people " " " love milk and honey, and sip the nectar from the cups of the flowers which is their fairy wine". Giraldus Cambrensis says that Welsh Faeries " ate nether flesh nor fish, but lived on a milk diet, made up into messes with saffron". Other legends go on how the Faerie kingdom needs no food nor drink but that of human recognition.

The spelling of Faerie
Fairy, faery, faerie, fayre, fayerye, and fairye. They all are correct, used in different languages and countries.

Interesting facts on little folk
The Cornish little people have the strangest life cycle of all. Each shape-shifting operation they do results in a slight reduction to their normal size, until the last stage, whereupon the Faeries end their days as ants. That's why it is sometimes said to be unlucky to kill ants in Cornwall.
Faeries will often steal human babies and leave a Faerie changeling in its place. Usually, the changeling will die, and then real human baby will be brought up in Faerieland. If it does not die, it may develop a wizened or deformed appearance, or be sickly and fretful, or else have a voracious appetite. The changeling can be forced to betray it's Faerie nature by various means. One is to place it on a red-hot shovel, or throw it in the fire. It would then fly up the chimney. A less brutal way is the brewing of water in empty halves of eggshells.
Upon seeing this, the changeling would sit up and say; "I have seen the egg before the hen. I have seen the first acorn before the oak. But I have never seen brewing in eggshells before", thus revealing its old age. Throw it in the chimney, and the true baby will then be found on the doorstep.

Felinus
No text.

Breeds Examples: Rakshasa, Shadora.

G    | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

Giants
:: giant-fire.jpg ::
The giants in mythology are primordial creatures of enormous size, the personifications of the forces of nature. They usually are the enemies of humans and often battle the gods (such as the Greek Titans, the Irish Fomorians and the Norse giants of Jotunheim).
Giants frequently play a significant part in the Creation Myths. They existed long before the gods and humans came. With the appearance of gods there followed a struggle between the two, in which the giants got the worst of it. When a giant was slain by a mighty god, the god would create heaven and earth from the giants body (see: Ymir and Tiamat). Even in the bible there are references to giants. In Genesis it is said that "in those days there were giants in the earth" and of course there is the story of David and Goliath, although the latter can hardly be considered a giant, being only 3 meters (9,8 ft), when compared to the giants in mythology and folklore.
There are many fairy tales in which giants appear. Those giants are usually very stupid, greedy and fond of human flesh. Often a resourceful young man (named Jack) is able to kill or defeat the giant (Jack and the Bean Stalk, Jack the Giant Killer). However, not all the giants are evil; in some tales they are kind beings, who befriend little children.

Breeds Examples: Ogier, Stone, Storm.

Gnomes
:: gnome.gif | gnome01.jpg | gnome02.jpg | gnome03.jpg ::
Distant cousins to Dwarves, Gnomes are noticeably smaller, have dark tan or brown skin, white hair and large noses.
Gnomes are also highly magic resistanct much like their cousins the dwarves and receive a bonus against magical wands, staves, rods and spells. During battle, gnomes benefit against Kobolds, or Goblins and when facing Gnolls, Bugbears, Ogres, Trolls, Ogre Magi, Giants or Titans, a gnome receives a bonus.
Gnomes can see up to 60 feet in the dark and receive a bonus to their Intelligence to reflect their inquisitive nature and apply a penalty to their Wisdom for their curiosity that often leads them into danger.

In children's stories, a gnome is a tiny old man with a beard and pointed hat.

A race of small, misshapen, dwarf-like creatures that dwell in the earth. The name 'gnome' was given to them by the medieval scholar Paracelcus, in an attempt to describe the most important of the earth spirits. Gnomes live under the earth, where they guard treasures. According to Paracelcus, they move as easily through the earth as humans walk upon the ground. They cannot stand the light of the sun, for even one ray would turn them to stone. Some sources claim they spend the hours during daylight as a toad. They are in some way related to goblins and dwarfs.

Earth is the elemental realm inhabited by gnomes. If you're lucky enough to spot one in your garden, he will be serious and likely to be offering practical insights. Gnomes dwell exclusively underground. Small cousings of the dwarves, gnomes are friendly but reticent, quick to help their friends but rarely seen buy other race unless they want to be. They tend to dwell underground in hilly wooded regions where they can pursue their interests in peace. Gnomes can be fighters or priests, but most prefer to become thieves or illusionists instead, Multi-class charaters are most common amont the gnomes than any other demihuman race. Gnomes strongly resemble small, thin, nimble dwarves, with the exeption of two notable facial features: gnomes prefer to keep their beards short and stylishly-trimmed, and they take pride in their enormous noses (often fully twice the size of any dwarf or human's). Skin, hair and eye color vary somewhat by subrace: the most common type of gnome, the rock gnome, has skin ranging from dark tan to a woody brown (sometimes with a hint of gray), pale hair, and eyes any shade of blue. Gnomish clothing tends toward leather and earth tones, brightened by a bit of intricately wrought jewelry or stitching. Rock gnomes have an average life span of around 450 years, although some live to be 600 years or more. Gnomes speak their own language, and each subrace has its own distinctive dialect. Many gnomes learn the tongues of humans, kobolds, goblins, halflings, and dwarves in order to communicate with their neighbours, and some Rock gnomes area ble to communicate with burrowing mammals via a basic language of grunts, snorts, and signs.

The word gnome comes from the Greek word "gnosis" meaning knowledge. This was applied to them because it was said that they knew the exact location of precious metals. They are usually depicted as grotesque dwarves wearing tight-fitting brown clothes and monastic hoods. They live underground and guard the earth's treasures. Hard-working and usually depicted as being old, they can dissolve into the trunks of trees to hide from humans. Sometimes they are confused with goblins, but gnomes are usually good-natured, hard- working and reliable whereas gobins are malevolent. They do tend to be sad however, because they rule in cold places. Typically, they live for hundreds of years. These vegetarians are one of the four groups of elementals.

What they look like
Gnomes are usually an average of 15 centimeters tall, not including the cap. The males weigh 300 grams, and the female is 250-275 grams.
The male wears a peaked red cap, a blue smock, brown-green pants, and ether felt boots, birch bark shoes, or wooden clogs. Around his waist is a leather belt with a tool kit attached, holding a knife, hammer, file, etc.
The female wears gray or khaki clothing, consisting of a blouse and skirt (to ankles). She also has black-gray knee socks and high shoes or slippers. Before she is married, she dons a green cap with her hair in braids hanging down. After marriage, the hair disappears under a scarf and darker-colored cap.

Food and dining
Breakfast is as follows: Tea (mint, rose-hip, linden-blossom, or jasmine), songbird eggs, mushrooms, butter (from sunflower or turnip oil), bread (from acorn meal), porridge (from various grass seeds), ant eggs, jam (foxberry, blueberry, raspberry, or blackberry), spice cake (sugar from honey or sugar beets).
The main meal consists of: Nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts, beechnuts, etc), mushrooms, peas, beans, a small potato, applesauce, fruit, berries (all kinds), tubers, spices, vegetables, and preserves for dessert. As a beverage, the gnome drinks mead dew (fermented honey), fermented raspberries (which have a very high alcohol content), and spiced gin as a nightcap. The gnome eats no meat, so often consumes the nectar of the high protein plant called 'Vicia Sepuim'.

Children's games
Gnome children love to play many games. Some are swinging, blowpipes, marbles, Territory, bowling, tug of war, soccer, red rover, jump rope, kite flying, balance board, checkers, flip-the-cap, Authors, bur-throwing, and gnome Parcheesi. They also like playing dress-up. Some of the favorite things they dress as are elves, witches, their father or mother, kings, queens, dragonflies (using the winged seeds from the maple under their arms), and hedgehogs (using half of a chestnut husk). Girls also play with fluffy willow catkins, dressing them up like dolls.

What to do during a quarrel
Quarrels do not happen often. But when they do, the usual solution is for the grieved party to sing the complaint in a self-made song, whereupon the guilty party usually starts laughing and acknowledges that he/she had been wrong. But if this does not work, it becomes more serious. A higher method is used; for 15 solid minutes, the female tells the male what she thinks of him. The male (usually the husband) cannot reply or intercede until the next day, when he gets equal time, and so forth. This usually solves everything. Often, a quarrel ends in a pleasant bath.

Gnomic - Something that is gnomic seems to be very wise but it also slightly puzzling; a literary word.

Breeds Examples: Forest, Pech, Svirfneblin.

Goblins
:: goblin.gif ::
Goblins are a different, more grotesque variety of gnomes. They are known to be playful, but at other time they are evil and their tricks could seriously harm people. A goblin smile curdles the blood and a laugh sours the milk and causes fruit to fall from the trees. They pester humans in a number of ways, such as hiding small objects, tipping over pails of milk and altering signposts.
Goblins originated in France and through a cleft in the Pyrenees they spread rapidly all over Europe. They have no homes and usually live in mossy clefts in rocks and roots of ancient trees, although they never stay very long in the same place. The name 'hobgoblin' is thought to be an abbreviation of 'Robin Goblin', the name Druids gave to the first goblins when they entered Britain.

Goblins grow to 30 cm. in length; dark little men dressed in black with small pointed caps. They are admittedly malevolent and make no bones about it. When a man dies, they scare his family with their presence, just to be hateful. They are keen on silver and gold and try to wheedle it away from the gnomes. They often carry a small shovel with them. Habitat: only in large stretches of forest, whence they undertake their raids.

The term goblin is a collective noun for evil spirits like redcaps and bugbears. They are usually grotesque and misshappen but are of human form. They live in dark places and are of a very mischievous nature. It is said that their smile curdles the blood, and that their laugh causes milk to sour and causes fruit to fall off trees. Typically, they only cause slight inconveniences like nightmares, but at times they can be very dangerous.

Grayfing
The Tunguses Amerindians began their summer with the spawning of the grayling and their winter with catching the first good Squirrel.

Griffin, Griffon or Gryphon
:: griffin.jpg ::
A hybrid monster with the head and talons of an Eagle and the body of a Lion. Herodotus says it lives in the mountains of India and builds its nest out of gold; later, in the Middle Ages, Sir John Mandeville said it abounded in Bacharia and that it was 'more great and more strong than eight lions and more great and stronger than an hundred eagles'. It resembles the winged Bull of Assyria, the Sphinx of Egypt, the Simurgh of Persia, the Garuda of India, and the Roc of Arabia in that it was so huge it could blot out the sun. It appeared in Assyria and the East as the cloud-cleaving eagle and the 'king of beasts'. In the East it shares the symbolism of the Dragon, representing wisdom and enlightenment. In ancient Greece, being solar, the griffin was sacred to Apollo, to Athena as wisdom and Nemesis as vengeance. In Roman art griffins draw the chariot of Nemesis. The Egyptian Set could be represented by the griffin.
The griffin is a guardian creature, particularly as 'The Bird of Gold' of the gold mines of Scythia and India. As gold it symbolizes the sun, the sky, the golden light of dawn. It also combines the ppowers of the earth and sky. As a guardian it furthermore depicts vigilance and vengeance.
Dante describes the Grfffin as 'the mystic shape that joins the two natures in one form', and Christianity uses these two natures to represent Christ as God and man, the union of the divine and human, and to represent the Pope as spiritual and temporal power; but also as evil, the Devil flying away with souls, or as the persecutors of Christians.

| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |