| Personality: The story of the howlers is a tragic one indeed. It is a story of pain and sorrow, death and degradation, and ultimately, faith betrayed.Millennia ago, on the world of Toril, war raged between the drow and the dwarves. Atrocities were common on both sides, but the worst by far were those inflicted by the drow. As far as most dwarves are concerned, the fate of the Red Hammers clan was just another of those massacres, but the truth is far worse.After the warriors of House N’Feliss vanquished their dwarven foes on the field of battle, the captives were taken back to their dark city. The plan was that those dwarves who were not sacrificed outright would be worked to death. But the priestesses had other plans. In a ceremony most foul, a gate was opened to Lolth’s realm in the Abyss, and the hapless dwarves were taken through, to serve the spider goddess as slaves, playthings… and ultimately, food.For the next five centuries, they suffered. They had not yet lost faith in their gods, and they prayed constantly for deliverance. Finally, a “Prophet” arose, who advised patience. Moradin had heard their pleas, and they would soon be delivered.Their deliverance took the form of a Baatezu war party, who took a wrong turn on the Plain of Infinite Portals and ended up in the Demonweb Pits. Normally, Lolth remains aloof from the Blood War, but she could not tolerate this affront. She marshaled her forces, and, after a long battle, the last of the devils were defeated… but the dwarves were no-where to be found.During the fighting, they had overwhelmed their taskmasters and fled. Their prophet knew of a way out, he claimed. A gate that led from the Abyss to Mount Celestia! They only had to find it, before the pursuing demons found them.After days of searching, with steadily diminishing supplies of food, water, and hope, disaster threatened. The demons had found their trail, and were gaining rapidly. A choice had to be made. Fully half of the adults stayed behind as a rear guard, dying to save their fellows. And, for a bright, shining moment, it seemed that their sacrifice was not in vein! As their last screams echoed through the tunnels, The prophet announced that the portal had been found! Hearts full of both joy and grief, the few remaining members of the Red Hammers clan fled through the portal…Into Pandemonium.They have howled their grief and rage at the Gods ever since.If normal dwarves are dour and taciturn, howlers are both manic-depressive and borderline psychotic. A howler may be morose one moment, giddy the next, and enraged the third. Their minds have been touched by the insanity inducing winds of Pandemonium, just as their bodies and bloodlines have been twisted by the energies of the Abyss. By: Michael CrichtonImported from a previous version of Planewalker.com |
| Physical Description: Howlers appear as normal dwarves, save that they are all physically deformed in some way. These deformities are seldom obviously supernatural, usually being things like hare-lips, hunched backs and club feet. |
| Relations: While seldom actively malicious towards others, howlers are unstable enough that most people avoid them. This suits them just fine. Between themselves, they still maintain a society vaguely similar to that of normal dwarves, but with many unique variations all their own. Those howlers that choose a Faction tend to gravitate towards the Bleak Cabal and the Athar. |
| Alignment: Lawful Good |
| Lands: Be it ever so horrid, there’s no place like home… ever since the Great Betrayal, the howlers have made Pandemonium their home. Their widely scattered cities can be found through every layer of the Plane. |
| Religion: Just as the gods have abandoned them, they have abandoned the gods. Those few howlers that follow a power will usually devote themselves to a power of chaos, madness, or pain. They will NEVER follow a traditional dwarven power. |
| Language: Howler: This is a degenerate form of dwarven, not mutually comprehensible. |
| Names: Howlers have no set standard for names. They’re just as likely to adopt a human or goblin name as they are to take a traditional dwarven name. |
| Male Names: see above |
| Female Names: see above |
| Family Names: see above |
| Adventurers: Many howlers leave Pandemonium for many reasons, but they all seem to return. Much as they hate it, they can’t seem to leave the Caves of Madness behind. |
Racial Traits: - +2 Constitution, +2 Strength, -4 Charisma, -2 Wisdom.
- Medium-size.
- 20 feet base speed.
- Darkvision up to 120 feet.
- Scream: Once per day, a Howler may Scream, causing Deafness in one target for 1-6 hours. A Fortitude save negates.
- There’s No Place Like Home: Once per month, a Howler may Plane Shift, to Pandemonium only.
- Automatic Languages: Howler and Common. Howler is a degenerate form of Dwarven, not mutually comprehensible.
- Favored Class: Invoker, called “SpellScreamer” by Howlers.
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