Chapter 3: Inhabitants and Creatures
The world of Thra is teeming with life and movement. Not even Aughra knows all the living creatures of the land and sea. This chapter contains brief information on some of the more common living things, but is in no way an extensive list.
Gelflings
The Gelflings are the people of Thra. Once many tribes with various leaders and politics. Shortly after their appearance the Skeksis, the new keepers of the Crystal took a census and helped organize the Gelflings into seven clans. Each clan typically has unique powers and skills. These are not required purchases when building a character, but offer an insight of what might be expected by an outsider. Unlike males, female Gelflings have wings but there could be many reasons for one not to take the power(s) of Glide or Flight.
The Dousan Clan
Sailing the Crystal Sea on sandships of bone on crystal, the Dousan (doo-SAHN) are dark-skinned Gelflings that paint their life stories with tattoos on their body, sometimes enchanting the very ink in their tattoos. Material goods are rarely important to this clan, as they focus more on the afterlife than their living life. They are known for their music and mysticism.
Common Powers: Song of Divination, Song of Healing
Typical Skills: Boating, Music
The Drenchen Clan
The Drenchen clan is made up of amphibious Gelfling who live in the overgrown Swamps of Sog. They are usually taller and stronger than other Gelfling and take pride in their skills of combat and contest. The Swamps of Sog keeps the clan fairly isolated and they were rarely visited by the Skeksis.
Common Powers: Gills, Stunt: Bend Bars and Lift Gates
Typical Skills: Athletics, Physique
The Grottan Clan
The Caves of Grot are limited in number, less than three dozen. Their solid black eyes can see in the dark and their large ears make out even the faintest of echoes. Though the clan is small, their natural life span in the secluded darkness is three to four times that of other Gelfling.
Common Powers: Dark-vision, Stunt: Keen Hearing
Typical Skills: Notice, Stealth
The Sifa Clan
The Sifa (SEE-fah) spends most of their lives on the sea. They are an open clan and allow any Gelfling willing to complete their joining ritual into the tribe. These well-traveled, and accepting Gelfling are merchants, happy to trade anything and everything – including wisdom and knowledge. Sifa are known for their enchantments; their charms are highly desired by members of all clans.
Common Powers: Song of Wind, Stunt: Flawless Navigation
Typical Skills: Boating, Enchantment
The Spriton Clan
A warrior clan, the Spriton (SPRY-ten) were often called upon to serve as soldiers for the Skeksis Lords or guards at the Castle of the Crystal. Along with their mastery of weapons, the Spriton live in the fertile croplands south of the Dark Wood and are skilled craftspeople. Their handiwork with fabrics and textiles are the envies of other clans.
Common Powers: Fight or Crafting Stunts
Typical Skills: Crafting, Fight
The Stonewood Clan
To the north of the Spriton clan, the Stonewood Clan inhabits the Dark Wood. Hardier than most other Gelfling, they see themselves as heroes and adventurers. Like the Spriton clan (who see them as rivals), the Stonewood are valuable guards at the Castle of the Crystal. Many Stonewood Gelfling are cobblers and makers of tools.
Common Powers: Stoneskin, Fight Stunts
Typical Skills: Crafting, Fight
The Vapra Clan
Fair of skin, white of hair, and gossamer-winged, the Vapra (V&Aelig;-prah) clan is considered the oldest of the Gelfling clans. The matriarch leader of all Gelfling clans is always Vapra, passing from mother to daughter. They live in cliff-side villages along the northern coasts. Vapra are skilled at camouflage and light-changing magic, allowing them to become nearly invisible.
Common Powers: Camouflage, Song of Light
Typical Skills: Empathy, Stealth
Allies
Along with the Gelflings, there are other sapient forms of life on Thra that one may encounter in their travels.
Aughra
Existing before the Gelfling race, Aughra is the embodiment of Thra itself. She was witness to the arrival of the UrSkeks, who built the Observatory her to predict the next Great Conjunction. She spends most of her time there now, high on the mountain rarely outside by others and visited by only a few Gelfling adventurers who bring what they think may be the Shard.
Aspects: Ancient, Inscrutable, Mercurial
Podlings
Apopiapoiopidiappididiapipob means “master gardeners who live in bulging plants;” more commonly they are known as Pod People or Podlings. Fewer in number than the Gelfling, these peaceful people are farmers, gardeners, and herders. Under their care, the fizzgig and nebrie were domesticated – the former used for herding, the latter for milking and making cheese. Even in the midst of war, their respect for life doesn’t waver. They will never hurt another animal, though some will take more action against the monsters known as darkened creatures. At night, once the work is done, they are known for their laughter, feasting, and music.
Common Aspects: Pacifist, Hard-Working, Joyful
urRu (Mystics)
Called “Mystics” by the Gelfling, the urRu are the counterparts to the Skeksis, the other half of the now-divided UrSkeks. They have learned the Songs of Thra and use their magic to form a barrier to the Valley of the Stones. The urRu do not act in the conflicts of the world and do not leave their home. They may welcome a Gelfling visitor, but such instances are rare as their passivity in the growing war makes most clans see them as useless.
Common Aspects: Peaceable, Passive, Spiritual
Animals
Thra’s abundant life comes in many forms, from semi-sentient plants to the varied animals that populate the world. Not all animals are peaceful or docile, and while some may offer use to the people others present challenges.
Arathim
These intellignet, non-humanoid, arthopodic creatures have many diverse clans. They are often called “silk spitters” or “spiders” by the Gelfling. Unlike the spiders of our world, their legs may number from six to twelve, depending on the sub-species. The Arathim were evicted from their ancestral home in the Grottan Caves by the Gelfling–an act they have never forgiven. Though technically still animals, they are resistant to the powers of Animal Soul-Soothing and Soul-Speaking; at best, the effects simply keep them from directly harming their foes.
Two of the more common sub-species of Arathim are:
- Crystal Singers, the tiny arachnids charactersized by crystalline bodies with eight black legs. They are sensitive to the song of Thra and can hear Gelfling dreamfasts, understand the powers and Songs a Gelfling may know even before their use, and have the power to control other animals with their hypnotic song.
- Death Stingers grow indefinitely, and their sizes range from very small to very large, depending on the age of the Arathim. They spin thick, but transparent, webs and the venom in their tail stinger is deadly and fast-acting.
Common Aspects: Aggressive, Covert, Guileful
Fizzgig
Domesticated by the Podlings to herd nebrie and drive predatory creatures from their land, fizzgigs are small, furry creatures with four short legs and a massive mouth filled with a double-row of sharp teeth. In the wild, they roam in packs of three to five; and while it’s rare for them to directly attack a Gelfling, they may display agressive tendencies when frightened or hungry.
Aspects: More Teeth Than Wisdom, Small But Speedy, Bottomless Stomach
Landstrider
These tall, long-limbed creatures move swiftly over land. Their large ears allow them to hear potential dangers from a distance. While generally peaceful herbivores, landstriders become enranged in the presence of Garthim and will attack the darkened creatures on sight.
Aspects: Large and Limber, Fast, Enemy of Garthim
Makrak
These semi-sapient creatures live deep within the heat of Thra’s core and resemble giant, upright dung beetles. They are rarely found on the surface; the weather confuses and frightens these normally peaceful miners, driving them mad and leading to potentially destructive behavior as they seek shelter. In the hot subsurface, they craft and use simple tools like hammers and pics to create their homes and forage for grubs and minerals to eat.
Aspects: Fireproof, Powerfully Built, Armored
Nebrie
Nebrie are large, semi-aquatic swamp grubs. Many have been domesticated by the Podlings as a source of milk. These animals grow to match their surroundings, most woodland and plains nebrie live in lakes and pools and few reach larger than the shoulder of a Gelfling. Those in their native samp habitats, especially deep in the Swamp of Sog, may reach enormous sizes and grow huge tusks. Despite their size, they are typically peaceful and only become aggressive to protect their young or if driven mad by darkened creatures (or under the influence of a Crystal Singer’s song).
Aspects: Herbivore, Docile, Incurious
Adversaries and Darkened Creatures
The last Great Conjunction split the UrSkeks into the races of urRu and Skeksis. Then the crystal cracked and darkened. The Skeksis created creatures using the power of the Dark Crystal and brought into being entities that served the masters of the Crystal. These creatures may be alive, but are not animals and powers like Animal Soul-Soothing and Soul-Speaking have no effect on them.
Skeksis
The only beings in this sub-chapter that are not considered Darkened Creatures, the Skeksis are the counterparts to the urRu. They are reptilian and birdlike, with long necks and six limbs. When they first appeared and took their roles as Lords of the Dark Crystal they helped organize the Gelflings into tribes, taught them new sciences and Mechanics, and held grand feasts and games for Gelfling and Podling. Over the course of hundreds of trine, as their powers faded, they became unrestrainted opressors and experimented with the Dark Crystal, bringing forth creatures to control the populace and using the light of the Crystal to drain the essense and weaking the will of Gelflings and Podlings, turning them into slaves. For more information on the canon Skeksis or creating non-canon Skeksis, see Chapter 6: The Skeksis.
Common Aspects: Cruel, Cunning, Impulsive
Crystal Bat
These bats were bred by the Skeksis to carry crystals that sent images of what they saw back to the Crystal. When first used, they only flew at night and in secret. As the War began, the Skeksis introduced stronger and more couragous strains, so no part of the world would be unknown or unseen by their eyes. From their arial spy network, the Skeksis know where to direct their Garthim.
Aspects: Nimble Flyer, Observant, Stealthy
Garthim
Garthim were created using the power of the Dark Crystal, formed from the memories of sea creatures in the home world of the UrSkeks. Garthim are hard-shelled, multi-limbed and powerful creatures. They lack any autonomy or free thought, being guided solely by the will of skekUng, the Garthim Master.
Aspects: Armored, Strong, Unthinking
Spyeye
These tiny, furry, tentacled creatures were brought forth from the Dark Crystal. They cannot travel far on their own, and are only found in the Castle of the Crystal. The Skeksis attach the spyeyes to a being, weakening their victim’s will and allowing the Skeksis to see through their eyes, as unwilling and unwitting spies. Because of their nature, Spyeyes cannot be removed (directly or indirectly) by those they attach themselves to. They must be discovered and removed by someone else who discovers the small creatures on their own.
Aspects: Will-Sapping, Secretive, Tiny
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