Hill Twarg

Appearance:Hill twargs survive by hunting and trading with nearby communities. There are a few small communities that they will defend from unwated visitors.

Their skin varies from a light tan to a deep brown. Their hair ranges from brown to black, turning gray with age, which they wear long but out of the way. The males wear short beards, the females do not grow them. Their eyes are either gray, brown, or black. Their clothing is functional with little ornamentation. They rarely use dye.

They make very good leather armor. It is rare to see a twarg wearing metal armor for it takes too much metal to make it, which they use to make their weapons.

They speak their own language, the dialects of the other two twarg races, hill giant, hill dwarf, the common giant and dwarven tongues, and common.

Combat:Hill twargs prefer to fight from cover. If a few well thrown rocks do not scare off the attackers, they will attack with their long daggers which do 1d6 points of damage.

They never travel alone. If one is encountered, there will be two or more in hiding. If they are forced into melee combat and feel they are outmatched, they will try to parley for a truce. If their opponents keep coming, the twargs will fight. If they are close to their village, one will always run for aid.

If they are encountered in Triador, the only time they will fight to the death is against priests of Miskel.

Habitat/Society:Hill twags try to live peaceful lives. They live in small communities, with no more than 200 congregating in one place. When a community becomes to large, a group will break off and settle somewhere else. Once a new community is formed, lines of communication are formed between them and the parent community.

They usually live in old abandoned mines or cave systems. The community will grow outward from there, so that it would appear that a town has grown out from the caves. They cultivate fields and herds for food. They also hunt when they are founding a new home for themselves. After establishing a new home, the hunting usually drops off in favor of their herds.

Males and females both fight to protect the community. There is no difference in the fighting styles between the two groups.

It takes a long while for them to really trust their neighbors, but they try to live at peace with them.

Ecology:A high priest of Miskel, trying to please his Mistress, was experimenting with the merging of two different species. He did not intend for his test subjects to revolt, but they along with the tralgs, throglins, trobolds, gobpries, dark centaurs, and zardens did. They and the tralgs took the brunt of the attacks from the priests. Even though the tralgs are evil, they are respected by the twargs. The other races are left alone by the twargs unless they are attacked by them. They now thrive in their own communities. They have a deep hatred for clerics and priests of Miskel.

Mountain Twarg

Appearance:They are almost identical to the hill twargs except for that they are slightly smaller. Their skin tones range from a very light tan to a dark ruddy brown. They also do not grow mustaches.

They speak their own language, the dialects of the other two twarg races, mountain giant, mountain dwarf, the common giant and dwarven tongues, and common.

Combat:See Hill twarg combat.

Habitat/Society:They live like their hill twarg cousins, except that instead of building outward from the caves, they continue to dig inward. They also have smaller communities with no more than 100 living in one place. They create extensive labyrinths to confuse any one who tries to invade. They have also learned how to cultivate certain plants in their caves to suppliment their outdoor plantings.

Ecology:See Hill twarg ecology.

Jungle Twarg

Appearance:Jungle twargs are not as bulky as their hill and mountain cousins. Their hair is usually brown with a greenish tint. Their skin is a dark yellow-brown, like the sun falling on the bare earth or tree trunks in the forest. They dress for function only, so that means that they wear very little.

They speak their own language, the dialects of the other two twarg races, jungle giant, wild (jungle) dwarf, the common giant and dwarven tongues, and common.

Combat:They fight like the hill twargs but they prefer to use long bows instead of daggers. Their arrows are almost certainly poisoned (save vs. paralyzation or be stunned for 2-12 rounds).

Habitat/Society:They have smaller communities than their hill twarg cousins with no more than 100 living in one place. These twargs do not live in caves or even buildings. They build only to keep their stores and themselves dry when it rains. They prefer to live and work in the open air. They do not farm as extensively as the other twargs either. They prefer to hunt. They may have a few small gardens to supplement their meals.

These twargs are the most accepted by their "parent" races. They hunt side-by-side with either or even both groups. Their communities are cleaner than jungle giants, and their bodies are cleaner than the wild dwarves. There are times when jungle giants (1-3), a hunting band of wild dwarves, or both may be in residence. They may not stay long but are always welcome.

Ecology:See Hill twarg ecology.