Lorwyn/Flavor

Main article: Lorwyn

The indigenous wildlife of Lorwyn is dominated by eight sentient races: elves, kithkin, merrows, flamekin, boggarts, treefolk, giants, and faeries. In addition, Lorwyn supports a menagerie of animal and supernatural life, including wisents, springjacks, cervins, a semisentient race of mimics known as changelings, and the majestic greater elementals. All of them thrive in Lorwyn's temperate environment and unending growing season, preserving the plane's character as an unspoiled natural wilderness.^[1]

Contents 1 Boggarts 2 Elementals 2.1 Flamekin 2.2 Greater elementals 3 Elves 4 Fae 5 Giants 6 Humans 7 Kithkin 8 Merrow 9 Shapeshifters 10 Treefolk 11 References

[edit] Boggarts

“

Goblins are one of Magic's most flexible races. Lorwyn's race of goblins are called boggarts. Boggarts have greater diversity of morphology than other planes' races and sub-clans of goblins. Some of them have curving horns; some of them have stubby ones or none at all. Some of them have long snouts or goatlike muzzles. Some have broad, floppy ears; some have the sharp pointies. Their skin varies from green to blue to beige to purple to red. Why the variety? Well, this gave a lot of freedom to the artists to come up with these mischief-prone goblins, and also kept the boggart look from getting stale.[2]

”

Boggarts are organized into warrens. Of the known warrens, there are: Stinkdrinker warren, known for "its stockpile of stolen goods", and "its boggarts' penchant for sneaking past even giants to steal their prizes"; Squeaking Pie warren, known for "its culinary adventurousness — they bake mice and other delectables into their pies, and will go to any lengths to find bizarre new recipes and ingredients"; Mudbutton warren, "a particularly chaotic and loud warren that appreciates a good party — even if comes at the expense of a few of their members"; and Frogtosser warren, a "group of boggarts so emotionally changeable that the other warrens think them insane".^[2]

Boggart warrens are led by nominal leaders called Aunties. The Auntie is usually the oldest boggart in the warren, and is usually female (some are male, yet are still called "Auntie"). The Auntie knows many tales, like fables, that they tell to educate their warren, pass on crucial boggart teachings, and adjudicate disputes. The most famous Auntie fables are about Auntie Grub, a folk hero to the boggarts and probably a real ancestor. Auntie Grub's tales are particularly helpful for informing young boggarts about racial enemies, dangerous predators, poisonous plants and fungus, and the like.^[2]

Boggarts are described as being "collectors of sensation", and that, "while they aren't particularly intelligent thinkers, they are extremely perceptive, in that they perceive a lot."^[2]

About the only law in boggart culture, in fact, is the pressure to share new sensations with others of their kind. A boggart that refuses to share — a hoarder — will be cast out of boggart society for the sin of keeping a new treasure to himself. Since boggarts are so social and convivial among their own, exile is considered a terrible sentence.^[2][3]

[edit] Elementals

“

On Lorwyn, abstract entities such as hopes, fears, dreams, and nightmares are just as real as the grass and the trees. A feeling of hope, for example, can lurk in the heart of a single kithkin, or it can manifest into a glorious, shining creature — an elemental of hope. So, where dreams and aspirations are elements, dream-beings and aspiration-monsters are the elementals. This has some odd implications, to say the least. Elementals only exist insofar as do the elements of which they're composed. Sometimes elementals on Lorwyn vary in prevalence just like the abstract idea underlying them. If elves wage war on giantkind, then many-clawed elementals of warfare and strife can be seen with greater frequency. If merrows launch an expedition to the murky Deep Meanders of their river system, then soggy elementals of the sunken unknown appear. On the other hand, if bloodshed keeps to a minimum across the plane, elementals of violent death may themselves die out — at least, until their time comes again.[4]

”

[edit] Flamekin

“

Flamekin are beings of fire and mutable stone whose strong, intense passions drive them to wander the world. The flame of their bodies burns magically cool, but they can choose to burn hot at will. Other races are wary of flamekin and their fickle, fiery natures, a reputation that a group of flamekin called the Brighthearth are working to change. The Brighthearth serve as emissaries of flamekin goodwill to other races, performing useful tasks that require fire, such as smithing. On the other hand, one named Vessifrus is an upstart looking to inspire rebellion among the flamekin. One day he may lead an uprising against the tyranny of the beauty-obsessed elves. Flamekin have an almost spiritual connection to the more mysterious greater elementals of Lorwyn. Flamekin regard them as totems or demigods that inspire their creative impulses—or frustrate their understanding.[4]

”

[edit] Greater elementals

“

Under normal circumstances, an elemental is as wild as a Montana mustang. They're forces of nature; nothing tames the elementals just like nothing tames grains of gravel, or grief, or gravity. But of course, planeswalkers are a different story; with enough mana and effort, they can not only call on the essences of greater elementals, but also summon the elementals themselves, along with the power they bring.[4]

”

[edit] Elves

“

Lorwyn is a world of nature. And what thrives on nature-dominated planes? Elves, of course. But these elves are a departure from Magic's usual, upstanding nature-lovers; the elves of Lorwyn are aristocratic, ruthless, and predatory. Elves are paragons of beauty. Their society revolves around the laws of beauty, a code that specifies how one's cunning and personal attractiveness determine one's social rank. If you are only moderately beautiful, you are a low-ranking elf. If you are ugly or disfigured — or a non-elf, which is by definition a truly ugly thing to be — then you are an eyeblight, a creature unworthy of respect or even, if it is deemed so, life. There are four official ranks of elves, determined by measure of beauty — plus the non-rank of eyeblight for everyone else.[5]

”

Elvish society, indeed, revolves around beauty; their society is based on a hierarchy determined by one's beauty. In short, "Elf society on Lorwyn is tiered according to physical beauty—the more attractive you are, the higher you rank."^[6] There are four social classes; they are:^[5]

• Faultless
  • Any elf who possesses the minimum threshold of beauty and grace is granted this basic rank.
• Immaculate
  • Dignitaries, VIPs and higher-level functionaries among elves attain the rank of immaculate.
• Exquisite
  • Packmasters (lords of elvish hunting packs) and important courtiers are of the exquisite rank. They have the privilege of being able to speak directly to perfects.
• Perfect
  • The perfect (note: not "prefect") are elves so beautiful and so shrewd that they rule all other elves. There are only a few of these in the world. Perfects can kill those of low rank with impunity.
  • Note: This rank is "perfect" and not "prefect". (This class's name, in the context of a high-ranking position, is often confused with the somewhat similar term "prefect".)^[6]

There is also a class for non-elves; this class is known as the "eyeblights" — "the ordinary, everyday creatures of Lorwyn."^[5]

Lorwyn's elves are distinguished by their cultivation of a white flower called moonglove, from which can be derived a potent poison. This poison is deadly even in small amounts, taking down even towering giants. In precisely controlled, highly diluted trace amounts, its necrotizing properties can be used to etch or carve living tissue — such as skin or bark. Also, unlike the elves of other planes, Lorwyn's elves view nature as "something to be improved, cultivated, and if necessary, rearranged."^[5]

[edit] Fae

“

No race on Lorwyn is more ubiquitous or mysterious than its faeries. The fae lead short, flitting lives in pursuit of gossip, diversions, and amusing intrigues. Petty and vain, faeries are like petulant children at play. They love to have fun, to revel in Lorwyn's eternal midsummer, and to follow their whims. But faeries can also be carelessly cruel, capricious, and vindictive. The study of faeries can be gratifying for extraplanar travelers, but also frustrating and even dangerous. Faeries travel in small groups of three to six called cliques. Where faeries originate is unknown, but they claim to serve Oona, the enigmatic Queen of the Fae. Oona has never been seen, and is believed by many of the races of Lorwyn to be strictly mythical.[1]

”

It is thought that faeries do not dream, which would explain why they spend so much time harvesting the dreams of others. Faeries can distill these stolen dreams into a sparkling energy that they carry around with them. Whether the faeries transport, store, or consume the dream-stuff for their own enjoyment is unknown, but at least one traveler has reported that the amount of dream-stuff harvested could represent a significant amount of magical power if collected over time.^[1]

[edit] Giants

“

Give giants a wide berth; they are by far the strongest individual warriors on Lorwyn. Since giants require so much terrain to move around in, they can also be fiercely territorial. Note that giants tend to have one-track minds — when they are friendly, they are magnanimously friendly to all beings, but when they are angry, their rage shakes the earth for weeks. If you're forced to interact with a giant, try to maintain its eye contact to hold its attention, lest you be ignored and stomped.[1]

”

Giants are a race of hermits, arbiters, explorers, and oracles. Some huddle in mountain caves; you can spot a giant's lair by the enormous, rugged dolmen stones built up around the entrance. Others range over Lorwyn with long, loping steps. You can tell a giant's travel route by the man-sized, earth-compressed footprints and lack of vegetation.^[1]

[edit] Humans

“

Lorwyn is one of the few known places in the multiverse where humanity has not flourished. Humans were not indigenous to Lorwyn, and awareness of the plane among human cultures across the multiverse has historically been low. Furthermore, the perceived difficulty of finding the plane has kept travel there limited. Lorwyn has much to offer in the way of social interaction, just not with humans. Many planeswalkers consider this respite from humanity to be part of Lorwyn's charm.[1]

”

[edit] Kithkin

“

Okay, so we've chosen to do kithkin and for reasons listed above we've made it a primarily white tribe. How'd we choose their tribal identity? It was pretty easy actually. White has two major roles from a mechanical flavor perspective—beatdown and control. White is a bit schizophrenic in that it likes aggressively attacking with small hordes of creatures and defensively curling up into a proverbial ball and stopping anything and everything from hurting it.[7]

”

Kithkin clachans (kithkin villages) like Goldmeadow, larger ones like Burrenton and Cloverdell, or the largest of all, Kinsbaile, are led by cenns (kithkin town leaders), which are like town mayors. Kithkin generally welcome travelers of other races to their clachans, but may the elementals help those who try to do harm to these thoughtweft-strengthened communities. It's said that if you pick a fight with one kithkin, you're choosing to fight them all.^[8]

Beyond the thoughtweft and their community spirit, kithkin have other quirks; they are innovative builders and alchemists, using both craftsmanship and magic to construct melee weapons, armor of leather and bronze, bows, slings, traps, farming equipment, furniture, potions, powder-bombs, healing circles, barrier rings, flight auras, and balloon-driven air vehicles.^[8]

Kithkin are reverent and superstitious. They venerate the mysterious greater elementals of Lorwyn, beings that embody the abstract concepts and dreams (and sometimes, nightmares) of the plane. They feel that the movements and actions of the greater elementals represent omens for their own lives, and watch them with respectful distance.

This augury mingles with the kithkin propensity for superstition; they propagate hundreds of odd little folk practices to protect their good fortune. For example, a kithkin might wear a bit of silver on her knife hand when eating jackmutton, to prevent the rest of the herd from becoming nervous or irritable. Most of these superstitious practices fall somewhere between wise folk medicine and utter hogwash in terms of actual usefulness, but kithkin follow them faithfully.

Kithkin celebrate Lammastide, a holiday involving dancing and the tying of ceremonial ribbons. Dancing is an elaborate affair among kithkin, serving to heighten and solidify the bonds of thoughtweft. They also celebrate the Aurora, an annual show of flickering lights that plays across Lorwyn's sky, usually with a gathering of multiple clachans and droning cenn speeches.^[8]

[edit] Merrow

“

The fish-tailed merfolk of Lorwyn are called merrows. They are the couriers, intermediaries, and merchants of the plane. Given the fishlike anatomy of their lower half, they can't move effectively on land without strong magic. However, they control and maintain the so-called Merrow Lanes, the system of rivers that crisscrosses Lorwyn and connects its furthest-flung points. The Lanes extend over land via rivers and streams, underground via subterranean tunnels, and even up into the town centers of other races via wells.[1]

”

The deepest parts of the subterranean rivers of the Lanes are called the Dark Meanders. Most merrows steer clear of the Meanders due to the lack of light and the ease with which one can get lost. Experienced merrow "rudders" can guide you through these murky areas, but be aware that some have lost their possessions and even lives while traversing these inky depths.^[1]

Merrow society is organized into schools, and each school is led by a reejerey (a leader of a school of merrows). The schools known at this writing include the Silvergill, the Stonybrook, the Paperfin, the Weirwinder, and the Inkfathom Schools. Of these, the Inkfathom School is the most interested in plumbing the Dark Meanders.^[1]

Merrows have many different occupations and avocations, and the system of terminology is very important to them, so it's best to study up before your visit. A "rudder" is a merrow guide who knows the Lanes like the back of his scaly hand. "Tideshapers" and "aquitects" are merrow mages adept in water magic, who use their abilities to reinforce riverbanks, guide currents, or even alter the course of the Lanes altogether. "Troutherds" and "crawherds" manage schools of river trout and beds of crawfish, respectively. A "landspanner" is a merrow able to leap from one waterway to another one nearby; expert landspanners can hunt large land game this way — or patrol merrow territory for intruders — with spears and spiked nets. A "fallowsage" is a wise elder merrow, many of whom find comfort in the dappled shade of riverside willow trees. A "wellgabber" is an envoy who uses a well to communicate with members of other races.^[1]

[edit] Shapeshifters

Lorwyn's shapeshifters are also known as changelings, and all feature the mechanic "changeling", which grants them the ability to be of all tribes.

Thus far, little is known and data is scarce about the shapeshifters and the grotto of Velis Vel, a subterranean cavern said to be the origin of Lorwyn's race of chameleon-like shapeshifters, the changelings. The walls of Velis Vel are encrusted with quartz crystal, and the floor is an underground stream. Once a year, the sun passes over a hole at the top of the grotto, which causes an explosion of rays of light reflecting throughout the cavern. It is unknown what this event signifies, but changeling behavior changes drastically during this time.^[1]

Doug Beyer wrote of changelings,

“

In folklore, fairies sometimes steal human children away from their families, leaving behind a fairy child in its place (somewhat like a mother cuckoo laying her eggs in another bird's nest). The fairy child left in the human child's place is called a changeling. In the stories, this is definitely not a trade-up—this is not like the Kents inheriting a lawful good alien from Krypton. The changeling usually grows up to be ugly and badly tempered, and the family is heartbroken over the loss of their true and beloved child. Our use of the word "changeling" is different—it is closer to meaning "creature that constantly changes" rather than "creature that was exchanged." But we liked how "changeling" already appeared in the same source material we were consulting for the rest of Lorwyn's world-building (the legends and myths of the British Isles). The changelings of Lorwyn are a race of semi-intelligent humanoids who involuntarily change their shape into that of the creatures around them. They have childlike expressions and translucent, blue-green bodies. Their magical bodies transform reflexively, like the skin of chameleons or octopuses. Changelings are skilled at mimicry, but they're far from devious or deceptive. Changelings are obvious. No matter what shape a changeling takes, it always has its characteristic opalescent sheen and its translucent "Gummi Bear" look to it. They can't use their transformation abilities to their own advantage, because they automatically adapt to whatever forms are near them. You never look at a creature in Lorwyn and wonder, "Is that really a shapeshifter in disguise?" because you can always tell. Changelings have no culture per se. They don't have technology or art. When they speak, it's incoherent parroting. They are creatures of high magic, but they don't have the intellectual wherewithal to forge an agenda as a race. Changelings can be found all over Lorwyn, in every kind of terrain. They have no proper homeland, but they are associated with a mysterious cavern called Velis Vel, which the card Shimmering Grotto represents.[9]

”

[edit] Treefolk

“

The treefolk of Lorwyn have the longest lives and longest memories of any of its denizens. Treefolk are born from seeds like any other tree, but they gain sentience and mobility during a process called the Rising. In their youths, treefolk stay in their birth-groves, absorbing the wisdom and oral history of their elders. When they mature, they wander the world alone, seeking those worthy of their knowledge or shelter. Treefolk character and roles are largely determined by their plant species. Ash, birch, oak, rowan, and black poplar all have different roles in treefolk society. Treefolk risen from poisonous yew trees have all but vanished on Lorwyn, but at this writing, there is still one yew treefolk remaining on the plane: an immensely ancient and knowledgeable treefolk named Colfenor.[1]

”

[edit] References