Race

Selecting your character's heritage group will be the first choice you make in the character creation process. Do not think that all of the heritage groups are the same for they are not - in culture, in background, nor in skills. Study wisely the ways of each group before making your choice. A wise choice can bring added benefits to your chosen profession and skills.

Heritage Group Descriptions

Aluvian

The Aluvians are fiercely individualistic and warlike people, quick to anger but with a strong sense of justice and fairness. Though often suspicious of things new and strange, they are friendly and always prepared with a little help if they can spare it. They are loyalty to their feudal lords but expect to be well-treated in return.

The first people to arrive on Dereth Island were the Aluvians: they settled in the fields and hills around Lake Cragstone.

The Aluvian system of determining rank based on allegiance is listed below.

Titles of Rank
Male Titles	Female Titles
Yeoman	Yeoman
Baronet	Baronet
Baron	Baroness
Reeve	Reeve
Thane	Thane
Ealdor	Ealdor
Duke	Duchess
Aetheling	Aetheling
King	Queen
High King	High Queen

Gharu'ndim

Desert-dwellers who prefer knowledge and trade to war and bloodshed, the Gharu'ndim are an eminently honorable and formal culture, but they have a reputation for being somewhat distant and proud. Of all of the people's of Dereth, they are the most drawn to the mysteries of magic.

Preferring to talk before fighting whenever possible, they speak with great politeness and formality, peppering their speech with honorifics and references to their national hero, the poet Yasif ibn Salayyar.

The Gharu'ndim system of determining rank based on allegience is listed below.

Titles of Rank
Male Titles	Female Titles
Sayyid	Sayyida
Shayk	Shayka
Maulan	Maulana
Mu’allim	Mu’allima
Naqib	Naqiba
Qadi	Qadiya
Mushir	Mushira
Amir	Amira
Malikfont	Malikafont
Sultan	Sultana

Sho

Sho are a people for whom duty an self-discipline are the highest virtues. Normally peaceful, nonetheless they have raised warfare to an art form.

The Sho view the world in terms of absolute, universal laws. Their guiding principles are represented by the three Elder Spirits: the Unicorn of grace, the Firebird of splendor, and the Dragon of power. They speak succinctly and regard other peoples with suspicion, but a Sho friend is a friend for life.

The Sho system of determining rank based on allegience is listed below.

Titles of Rank
Male Titles	Female Titles
Jinin	Jinin
Jo-chueh	Jo-chueh
Nan-chueh	Nan-chueh
Shi-chueh	Shi-chueh
Ta-chueh	Ta-chueh
Kun-chueh	Kun-chueh
Kou	Kou
Taikou	Taikou
Ou	Jo-ou
Koutei	Koutei

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Appearance

Asheron's call gives you a wide section of choices to customize your character's face. Chose your eyes and hairline, your nose, your mouth and chin as well as your hairstyle. Once you have those done, tweak the color of your eyes, your skin and your hair until you get the look you want.

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Clothing

Select your clothing with care as you create your character... chose interesting colors and combinations for these might be with you for a while. Earning pyreals in Dereth can take a while and clothing might not be what you would chose to spend your hard-earned funds on for quite a while. Make your entrance into Dereth a dashing one by selecting an outfit and colors that suit your new character right from the start.

Clothing Options

Aluvian

• Headgear - None, Cloth Cap, Cloth Cowl
• Shirt - Shirt, Tunic, Baggy Shirt, Baggy Tunic, Doublet, Smock
• Trousers - Wide Breeches, Trousers, Pants
• Footwear - Leather Boots, Shoes

Gharu'ndim

• Headgear - None, Qafiya, Turban
• Shirt - Baggy Tunic, Jerkin, Loose Shirt, Puffy Tunic, Smock
• Trousers - Baggy Breeches, Baggy Pants, Pantaloons
• Footwear - Leather Boots, Slippers

Sho

• Headgear - None, Cloth Cap
• Shirt - Baggy Shirt, Doublet, Flared Shirt, Flared Tunic, Loose Shirt, Loose Tunic
• Trousers - Flared Pants, Loose Breeches, Loose Pants
• Footwear - Leather Boots, Shoes

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Profession

Your character's profession will affect many things about how your character develops. Selecting a character profession template does not mean you cannot adjust your characters attributes and skills but it will give you a solid foundation for what a character in the chosen profession needs to succeed.

Each heritage groups professions are a bit different as each group brings with it skills the other two may not offer. So chose wisely and built a strong character with a well-defined profession right from the start.

Each profession's statistics listed below are based on the simple template (there were no changes made to the attributes or skills for that character during the creation process). The information below reflects what you would see if you chose a standard Aluvian archer for example and did not modify the template.

Each starting character has a specific list of equipment listed below for that profession. In addition to those items, all characters, no matter what their profession start out with the following: 500 pyreals, 1 Welcome letter, 1 Calling Stone, 1 sack, and 1 food.

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Attributes

A character's physical make-up is established by six core attributes: Coordination, Endurance, Focus, Quickness, Self, and Strength. These six will set the values for the three secondary attributes: Heath, Stamina and Mana. They will also determine how well you are able to perform specific tasks from lock picking to hand-to-hand combat.

During character creation, you can set the levels for each of the six core attributes, which in turn, set the levels for your three secondary attributes. Throughout your character's life, each time you achieve a level, you can use your experience points to increase your core attributes as well as yours skills. As Endurance and Self increase, your secondary attributes (Health, Stamina and Mana) will increase as well.

Core Attributes

• Coordination

  Measures your character's reflexes. The higher your Coordination, the better you fight and perform dexterous actions, such as picking locks.

• Endurance

  Measures how healthy your character is. The higher your Endurance, the more Health and Stamina you have.

• Focus

  Measures the acuteness of your character's mind and senses. The higher your Focus, the better you are at Magic and other mental skills, such as Appraisal.

• Quickness

  Measures how fast your character is. The higher your Quickness. the faster you run and the quicker you attack in combat.

• Self

  Measures your character's mental strength and will power. The higher your Self, the more Mana you have.

• Strength

  Measures your character's muscular power. The higher your Strength, the more damage you do in combat, the more encumbrance you can carry before becoming overloaded.

Secondary Attributes

Attribute	Formula	Base Value	Notes
Health	Endurance/2	5	Determined by your Endurance
Stamina	Equal to Endurance	10	Determined by your Endurance
Mana	Equal to Self	10	Determined by your Self

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Skills

You can spend experience points to raise your Trained and Specialized skills into the hundreds. You can also earn more skill credits to Train (but not Specialize) in new skills. There are 32 skills which your character can learn. Only 4 skills can be Specialized skills but in time most of the remaining skills can eventually become Trained skills.

There is a skill bonus for Trained or Specialized skills. The Training bonus is +5. The Specialization bonus is +10. The bonus is added to the starting level of the skill by Training or Specializing in it. For example: If your Focus is equal to 62, your Appraise Armor skill (which equals your Focus) also equals 62. If you use skill credits to elevate Appraise Armor from the Untrained to the Trained level, there is a 5 point skill bonus. Thus a person with Appraise Armor as a Trained skill will have a skill level of 67. If you use additional skill credits to elevate Appraise Armor from Trained to a Specialized skill, there is a 10 point skill bonus. Thus a person with Appraise Armor as a Specialized skill will have a skill value of 72.

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Name and Summary

What is in a name?

For some, the core of the character they play is determined by the name the character carries. In Dereth, there are lots of options for names and though the heritage groups have their own process for names, most will find it flexible enough to allow them the name they like best.

Be patient though and find the one that fits, once you walk the lands of Dereth for the first time, the name you chose goes with you throughout your life.

Heritage Group Naming Systems

Aluvian

Male names

Many Aluvian men only have one name, with no surname.
Examples: Hundreng, Cuthstan, Wothgryn.

Others use a first name, plus the word "the" and a word.
Examples: Osgeld the Clever, Burwylf the Wary, Forstlan the Fox.

A few use a proper surname with the suffix "-sun" (meaning "son").
Examples: Scimgryn Emersun, Arbrim Rynesun, Rimgar Ethsun.

Female names

Many Aluvian women only have one name, with no surname.
Examples: Lissith, Ulewinn, Sothlal.

Others use a first name, plus the word "the" and a word.
Examples: Domlan the True, Arryn the Cat, Ethew the Fair.

A few use a proper surname with the suffix "-mad" (meaning "daughter")
Examples: Dirnmod Blodmad, Hadmoc Brismad, Cenhad Estmad.

Male names

There are three ways male Gharu'ndim names are formed:

• 'ism
  A first name with no surname.
  Examples: Sunnij, Tiqabar, Abham.
• Hisba
  A first name, plus "al-" with a surname.
  Examples: Ma'whar al-Qutuz, Uzik al-Zarif, Fadlmar al-Tuwah.
• Nasbab
  A first name, with the word "ibn" (meaning "son of") and a surname.
  Examples: Addiris ibn Mauki, Tashtal ibn Yufa, Dhanlal ibn Qa'yam.

Female names

There are three ways female Gharu'ndim names are formed:

• 'ism
  A first name with no surname.
  Examples: Jaidmala, Di'zarafa, Hajliya.
• Hisba
  A first name, plus "al-" with a surname.
  Examples: Qaysban al-Halras, Nuhnaba al-Thudadh, Majqiya al-Ruz.
• Nasbab
  A first name, with the word "bint" (meaning "daughter of") and a surname.
  Examples: Ashrifa bint Yazman, Shulima bint Bashr, Khayl'ida bint Tiqiq.

Sho

Male names

Sho men's names have the surname first and the first name last.
Examples: Ninwa Xaojhen, Fenping Banli-Zan, Shui Chon-Po.

Female names

Sho women's names have the surname first and the first name last.
Examples: Jyiigo Anming, Chueh Zho-Gau, Houlai Youh.

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