Base Requirements

• Races: Human, Satyr
• Classes: No spellcasters
• Ability Requirements: none
• Alignments: Any
• Starting Cash: 3d4 x10gp
• Bonus Languages: Chondathian
• Recommended Languages: Chessic, Easting, Turmic, Telpi, Aglarondan, Chessic, Sespechian, Shaartan

Proficiencies

• Weapon Slots: +1 slot
• Non-weapon Slots: By class
• Available Categories: By class
• Bonus Proficiencies: Soothsaying, Spellcraft
• Required Proficiencies: none
• Recommended Proficiencies: none

Overview: Once a powerful trading empire, a series of mishaps involving warfare, disease, and rampaging magic have left Chondath as a series of small, nonaligned city-states, a faint shadow of its past glory. Strength of arms is prized in Chondath, since the numbers of warriors have dwindled due to the wars. The demand for fighters is high because of the internal rivalries that wrack the remaining city-states of the former kingdom.

The only significant non-human population in Chondath are the Satyrs of the Chondalwood. The woods suffered just as much from the cataclysms of the Rotting War, forcing many of the satyrs to abandon the woods to live with their human neighbors.

Description: All of the people of the Vilhon Reach accept the practice of marking their foreheads with small dots of colored chalk. One dot means the character can read, two dots mean they can write, and three dots mean they can use magic. Obviously, Chondathans will never be running around with three dots openly on their forehead!

Chondathans always appear to be ready for action. Weapons are displayed in elaborate sheaths and scabbards that maximize their visibility; Chondaths want the world to know that they have come to fight, and that their strength relies on muscles and blades, not magic. The typical garb of the Chondath adventurer, is a unique form of supple leather armor. The use of this leather is so common that even the few wizards who come from these city-states wear it. Of course, this isn’t the rigid leather armor typically worn by military troops; it is much more like buckskin.

Role-Playing: Chondathans are a grim, hard-working lot who have been exposed to generations of conflict, death, and destruction. The Rotting War and the current petty rivalries of various lasting communities are but the latest difficulties for this country.

The loyalties of a Chondathan are not to his nation, as present-day Chondath is little more than a loose confederation of city-states and towns. This confederation is under the nominal control of the Lord of Arrabar, to whom most Chondathans give their fierce and unrelenting loyalty.

Chondathans are vehemently against displays of magic, even low-powered magic, since the Rotting War. The only magical items that a Chondathan is interested in are magical weapons and magical defenses (armor, shields, rings, bracers, etc.). If a Chondathan is in the company of a wizard who casts a spell, the character will warn the wizard not to work magic in his sight again. If the wizard does not comply, the Chondathan may either attack the spellcaster or quit the company. Priest spells are only slightly more tolerable to Chondathans, provided they are not done too often nor are too flashy.

Special Abilities:

• The adventurers of the Vilhon Reach are so skillful at predicting the outcome of political struggles, military conflicts, and other contests that they have acquired quite a reputation for soothsaying. This knack gives them a -2 bonus to all initiative rolls.
• Characters from Chondath tend to be better trained to defend themselves than their peers from other lands. They can make use of any small or medium weapon and may wear armor up to studded leather, regardless of class or religious restrictions.

Special Disadvantages:

• Without question, the worst drawback of being a Chondathan is an innate hatred of magic. This hatred is understandable, given the devastation wreaked upon this nation by wizards in the Rotting War. This hatred is bound to cause many problems in a group of adventurers. Chondathans cannot resist attacking a wizard, whether he is a party member or not. When a Chondathan meets a particular wizard for the first time, the Chondathan must make a Willpower check, or attack the wizard immediately, not ceasing the attack until the wizard is driven off, incapacitated, or killed.
  Since this could be somewhat of a problem in a party with a wizard PC, allow the other members of the party to each make an Intuition check to see if any of them notices their Chondathan comrade getting ready to attack. If they notice him, they can interpose themselves between the Chondathan and the wizard, effectively halting bloodshed. Even if there attack is halted, the wizard will find himself the target of every possible barb, taunt, insult, and argument. Any setbacks that the party suffers will be blamed on the wizard by the Chondathan. The only way to work this handicap out is for the wizard to act in a manner above reproach. If the wizard does not antagonize the warrior, continued exposure to the wizard and the good magic can do hopefully may mitigate the problem.

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