Newt Minor Elder race

Your Glorantha Will Vary. Change what works for you and your group
things you add are no more "canon" than mine. don't like the ducks
so leave them out.
Come younglings let us learn about our ancestors.

We have been here as long as water had flowed across the lands,
springing form the mud at the moment of creation. We alone are
able to understand the Dragon Newts and

History

Newtlings see themselves as the children and servants of the river

spirits and their history is one and the same. Newtlings have been
present in the Elder wilds as long as rivers have been which goes back
early into the Gods age.
In the first age newtlings of the Elder Wilds had a complex and
difficult relationship with the elves of the Elf Sea who did not fully
understand the nature of waterborne life and chose not to worship
the spirits of the river.

They have never had a good relationship since. The two races rarely
fight but just choose to keep their distance from each other and do
not interfere in each other’s business.

Trolls have always been enemies of the newtling for no reasons more
complex that the newtlings are seen as prey and their tails a delicacy
by many of the Uz. Newtlings have always just retreated from troll
areas of dominance and will continue to do so.

The absence of their cousins the Dragonewts in the Elder Wilds

region leaves the newtlings with no natural allies in the region.

Historically Newtlings have seen humans as the most cooperative

and friendly of the major races in this area, having had broadly
amicable relations and trading with local votanki tribes since the
dawn. However as the Lunar Empire came into conflict with the
denizens of the Oslir river and refugees fled over to or travelled the
river Arcos, the local Newtlings have become very aware of this much
more serious threat from humans.
Newtlings that have reached the age of 15 get Wanderlust and are
constantly under foot of the adults and are into everything and a

Newtlings that are bachelors are sent away from the Nests to
become adventurers, gain experience, skills and magic, to strengthen
them when they return to the Nests to mate

ragonewts of the same clutch call

each other “egg-brother.” They organize themselves into settlement-

nests of various sizes.

With the more setting knowledge since Apple Lane was first
published, the statue is probably a representation of their river spirit
rather than necessarily a depiction of a member of their "tribe".

Apple Lane: "Underground streams, usable only by newtlings, lead to

cave sections 7,11, and 20."

The section on Underwater Combat in Borderlands grants ducks and

newtlings the same abilities of no penalties under water or out of
water.
The Borderlands description of Ducks includes being able to hold
their breath for 6 minutes.

I'm inclined to treat ducks and newtlings the same for all underwater
considerations.

Good find from Bill and you! It also mentions that the Newtlings'
trident is meant for use both on dry land and underwater.

Later, in the additional rules (including the rules for underwater

fighting), it says:

Amphibians such as newtlings, or beings long adapted to underwater

experience such as ducks or seals will fight equally well in air or
water.

Later again, in the scenario, when talking about ambush tactics:

Newtlings are capable of sinking into the quicksand and leaving just
their eyes out to watch (.... in order to ambush people)

My first thought was that newtlings must be able to breathe water

(and even quicksand!) to make such an ambush tactic practical.
However a quick look at the bestiary rules on ducks holding their
breath indicates that they can hold their breath for 6 minutes (* See
below) and then need to make a CON X 5 roll to get another full turn
(5 minutes) and can keep on doing this.

That does make the tactic possible though with a risk of failure if the
victims are tardy in reaching the ambush point.

Interestingly the CON multiplier doesn't go down. Humakt has Vigor

as a cult spell. PC Humakt ducks with a high CON (16 or more which
become 19 or more) can with a bit of luck travel long distances under
water. Even 5 rolls of 95 or less allows a fully armoured Humakt duck
to walk underwater for more than half an hour.

Perhaps Humakt ducks are awesome at fishing. They kit up with their
armour, weapons and vigor spell, sink to the bottom and go after the
really big fish.

* It does seem a bit odd that they can hold their breath for 6 minutes
instead of the 5 that makes up a full turn,.
Homelands

Newtlings are instinctively supple and dextrous in mud and muck.

For fights between Newtlings and natural surfacedwellers like

humans, the gamemaster may want to increase the surface dwellers’
strike ranks and decrease their percentages to hit, while leaving the
Newtlings ratings the same in or out of any mud or similarly mucky
surface.

Is my non-human adventurer an odd member of their society -

maybe, but it's within the norm.

because we want the thrill of adventure.

Each race is detailed in terms of history, culture, religion,

philosophies and biology, with all the necessary game mechanics,
roleplaying notes, and statistics.
Relationship with Other Races:
well

Way of Life:
Culture: Adult newtling culture centers around the raising of the
tadpoles. It is not materialistic and as adults everything is for the
communal good and honors survival over truth. The bachelors are
often imbued with great curiosity and a desire to travel and see the
world before they reach adulthood.

Travel for a bachelor based on the idea that the ancestors are
deserving of respect and if when you pass you want something to be
respected and remembered for.

Newtlings do not refine metal, but use bone, stone (especially flint
and obsidian), and wood for weapons and tools.

Face and tail painting are popular as adornments and matrices for
magic. Most wear trinkets, jewelry, and bits of cloth typically as
cloaks and sashes.

This culture includes intelligent fish, a variety of water spirits and

naiads. This is not a structured or unified community, but newtling
are aware of the variety subtleties of life in the river in a way that a
human never could be.
They are rarely aggressive and are keen to cooperate when they can,
however they don’t seem overly concerned by the monsters in the Elf
Sea and Rivers of the region, and it is highly possible that some kind
of accommodation between the two parties exists.

Distribution

Newtlings live in villages of 50 to 80 bachelor and adult newtlings,

which will be looking after a similar number of younger newtlings.
These villages will always be well protected by water, but most are
land based in such places as underground caves, islands, bank sides.

These villages are found along all the major rivers of Balazar and the
Elder Wilds, but not in Troll or Elven strongholds, the coast of the Elf
Sea is an area of particular concentration of villages.

Bachelors may be found ranging some distance from villages but still
tend to stay close to major bodies of water.

Legends & Myth

Most newtlings see the River Gods and by inference themselves as

the unknown and unappreciated saviours of the Elder Wilds. They are
very aware that the Seronde river daily sacrifices herself to send her
waters to plug the hole in the world created near Festering Isle at
great personal cost.

They know that the river of the damned flows upstream from the
Serond to Festering Isle as the Lady of the River pours her waters into
the breach to stop chaos swarming through. They feel other races
and Gods ignore this sacrifice and fail to send to aid or help, and
leave the Lady to fight this battle alone. They are often resentful of
this lack of appreciation of the river and its peoples.

They also believe the rivers to be peacemakers in the land, with the
rivers creating barriers between warring races, tribes and factions.
They again see this as a role that stops the madness or pointless
conflict which welcome chaos into the world. However newtlings are
willing to engage in conflict if required but are generally passive
preferring peaceful solutions to most problems.

Many newtling revere a water spirit called Assimar ‘woodbiter’, who

mastered the magic which controls the great monsters of the Elf Sea.
Early in the second age Assimar set these creatures upon the ships of
the elves for slights both real and imagined. Within a generation the
elves had stopped sailing on the seas and the rivers of the Elder
Wilds.

Summon Ancestor only allows the summoning of ancestors with

Daka Fal rune magics.
Ancestor Worship is the worship of named Ancestors, or a named
lineage. You honour them all the while and actively worship them.
You keep their names alive by sacrifice. You do things properly. They
like this, a lot. Of course, some don't, but they probably had it in for
you anyway. These ancestors worshipped their own ancestors and
what was good enough for them is good enough for you, laddie or
lassie. They don't need any jumped-up Gods or Goddesses telling
them what to do, for they worship their own family and, unless the
gods and goddesses are part of that family, they don't count.

I had one of the PCs roll Manage Household for Ancestor Day, and as
usual with these things, she critted it. So afterwards, the Ancestors
went about complaining in other steads how this isn’t as good as that
nice lady’s and so on.

ancestor worshipers exist among the various cultures of Dragon Pass

and Prax, but as a separate and competing religious tradition.

I like it!

Did you also give a bunch of "ancestral blessings" (bountiful harvest,

premium quality, bonii to Craft rolls, etc)?

And maybe a +1d4% Reputation...

The newtlings of the Arcos basin have prophesied of a hero or
‘Mendar’ to save them from the feared assaults from the Lunar
Empire as it expands and to avoid the fate of newtlings of the Oslir
River. Exacts facts are unclear and muddled apart from the
knowledge that the ‘Mendar’ will not be a newtling and will a
foreigner.

 The Newtlings have three stages: young, bachelor and adult.

Youth

 Newtling young are like giant tadpoles and live in water.

 They are unintelligent in this stage and have three gills on

their necks.

 A newtling spends a year and a half in this stage before it

metamorphoses into a bachelor.

Bachelors

 Bachelors are sexually immature newtlings.

 Their skin is thick and rough allowing them to survive in dry

climates.

 In addition, they can store water in the fat of their tails.

 Most newtlings met by outsiders are bachelors.

Adults

 When a bachelor turns thirty, it matures sexually and

becomes an adult.

 The skin becomes softer and can no longer withstand dry

climates.
  The tail loses its ability to store water and becomes more
useful for swimming.

Culture

 Newtling society is centred upon the adults raising the young.

 Bachelors are often exiled from their community until they

mature

 This is no great hardship for the batchelors are quite curious.

Religion

 Newtlings worship their ancestors.

 Only adults are allowed into these mysteries

 Spiritually inclined bachelors often follow other traditions

and cults in their wanderings.

 Many of these worship local river gods.

Mythology

 The Newtlings say they were born in the primal mud of

creation.

Miscellaneous

Newtling tails are a delicacy.

Dragonewts often use newtlings as slaves.

The primary reason for this is that Newtlings can understand Auld
Wyrmish better than most other species.

Dragonewt language.

It includes visual, auditory, olfactory, and empathic components.

But they are unconscious of their own language and generally cannot
teach it to other races.

Newtlings Cultural weapons

Net

Trident

Spear

Xx

xx

Their initiates+ are likely to have Breathe Air/Water, whether they

worship Engizi, the Great Newt, or a local spirit.

Magic: Newtlings typically worship their local river god and spirit
cults
Customs (Home),Cult Lore (Daka Fal), Speak (Spiritspeech), Meditate,
Orate, Sing, Prepare Corpse, Play Instrument, Spirit Combat, Spirit
Lore, Spirit Dance, Spirit Travel, Worship (Ancestors).

Newtlings worship one of the three rivergods

Malkorri

Cult Starting Skills: Each cult has starting skills taught to its members.
Add the listed skill bonuses to these skills.

Add an additional +20% to one of these starting skills and +15% to

another. In addition, all initiates start with the following skill
bonuses: Cult Lore (deity) +15%, Worship (deity) +20%, Meditate
+5%.

Orlanthi

The Orlanthi are a culture that worship Orlanth the Storm God and
are usual clan or tribe based following chieftains and petty kings.
They are an often violent , but loyal and freedom loving people.

They Can be found in the lands of Satar, Much of the Holy Country,
Free Trash and Parts of Prax.

Ancestor Worship

Local lady of the lake

elmor is the Father of Wolves, and all wolves instinctively worship
her. His people are the Wolfbrothers, a tribe of nomadic hunters

Mud cult

Cult skills

Animal Lore, Cult Lore(Odayla) Climb, Hide, Listen, Missile Weapon,

Meditate, Move Quietly, Peaceful Cut, Scan, Survival, Track, Worship
(Odayla).

River cult

Cult skills

Camouflage

Variable, Temporal, Passive, Touch

For each point of the spell the character will receive a +5% increase in
hide rolls and sneak rolls in an River or natural water habitat such as,
long grass, bushes, water, reeds ,but not urban areas or
underground.
Make its own "family history" chart

Creating a Newtling Adventurer

Runes: Newtlings must take the Water Rune as their primary Rune
affinity.

Base Skills: Boat (25), Climb (15), Fast Talk (25), Ride (00), Sing (00),
Swim (80). Newtlings cannot Ride. Replace any use of Ride with Boat
or Swim.

Occupation: Pick one of the occupations listed below

Soothsayer
These are the Newtlings shamans. They commune with the spirits of
the Sea or earth for the benefit of the community. They can use the
Water Rune in place of Man for Rune spells.

Speak Spiritspeech , Sing , Animal Lore , First Aid , Manage

Household, Plant Lore, Prepare Corpse, Spirit Dance, Spirit Lore ,
Spirit Combat , Spirit Travel, Meditate, Play Instrument Read/Write
(any) , (Sorcery spell), Orate, Intrigue, Lore (any) , Library Use , Lore
(any), Meditate, Insight (Human) Spirit Combat +20%, Spirit Dance
+10%, Spirit Lore +20%, Spirit Travel +20%, Worship God+20%

, fetishes

Warden
Leaders of Newtlings communities, they organize and lead efforts to
defend the young, whether it be from a troll raid, encroaching
farmlands or herds, or a bad drought.

Bargain, Evaluate, Charm, Intrigue, Bureaucracy, Homeland Lore,

Library Use, Insight (Human), Read Write Language(own), Read Write
Language(other), Search

Dodge, Boat, Intimidate, Intrigue, Battle, First Aid, Insight(human),

Listen, Scan, Primary Weapon, Secondary Weapon, Shield , Fist,
Kick, Grapple Speak Other Language (any) +10%. Worship God+10%

Caregiver
Caregivers are found in every Newtling community they are more
then just healers they nurture the young as well.

Boat , Swim , Short Spear , First Aid , Shield , River Lore, Scan, Sing,
Shiphandling, Craft(woodworking, net making, sail making,
boatbuilding ), Fist, Kick, Grapple Alchemy, Homeland Lore(local),
First Aid ,Treat Disease, Treat Poison, Manage Household, Devise ,
Plant Lore, Craft, Insight (Human)
Equipment: Artifacts and regalia of the Sea spirits; healing poultices
that heal 1D6 damage after 1D6 hours on a wound; jewelry, vessels,
and other miscellaneous goods worth 150 L

Protector- Warriors of the newtlings

Animal Lore, Conceal, First Aid, Intimidate, Hide, Plant Lore , Scan,
Survival , Shield , Track, Primary Weapon, Secondary Weapon, Shield,
Fist, Kick, Grapple, Dodge

Dodge+15%, First Aid +10%, Short spear +25%, Hide +10%, Small
Shield +15%, Listen +10%, Move Quietly +10%, Other Weapon (any)
+15%, Sing +10%.

Equipment: Fish scale armor (2 pts., all locations), short spear, small
shield.

Chanter
Teachers that keep the lore of the Ancestors to inspire and educate
the young. Newtlings have a strong oral tradition and often recite the
exploits of prominent ancestors at all Newtling ceremonies.

Act+20, Charm+15%, Homeland Lore (any)+15 , Orate +25 , Insight

(Newtling)+15 , Sing , Lore (any)+15 ,Dance +20%, Play Instrument
(Percussion) +20%, Newtling Lore +25%, Listen +20%, Speak Other
Language +10%, Cultural Weapon (pick type) +10.
Bone shaper
These are the craftsman of the tribes

Art , Evaluate , Bargain, Craft (primary) , Insight (Human) , Craft

(secondary) , Lore (any), Devise , Manage Household , Cultural
Weapon (pick type) , Fist, Kick, Grapple Animal Lore , Homeland Lore
(local), Survival, Scan, Listen, Track, Conceal , Devise, Hide, Move
Silently, Cultural Weapon (Missile), Cultural Weapon(Melee) Animal
Lore,

Key Personalities