Races - Part Six

Thaalud

Also known as Tomb Tappers for their habit of burrowing up to plunder tombs and temples, thaalud appear as tall, naked, sexless, hairless humanoids with hard, smooth, blue-grey skin. Their claws can dig through solid rock, and great toothed mounds sit in their bellies. Their featureless heads earn them the nickname The Faceless.

Thaalud turn to stone when slain, leading sages to believe they were created originally from rock. They hold both magic and earth elementals to be sacred and are very long lived. Tomb Tappers were created during the Shadowed Age of Netheril to seek the source of the drain on magic that was spreading across the land. Thaalud are found in the northern reaches of the upper and middle Underdark, particularly in and around the Buried Realms beneath Anauroch.

Thaalud will aid svirfneblin and dwarves, dislike Drow and duergar, hate umber hulks, mutually ignore xorn, and are bitter foes of ilithids and the phaerimm.

Troglodytes

Troglodytes are a warlike race of carnivorous reptilian humanoids who dwell in natural subterranean caverns in the upper reaches of the Underdark, particularly in the south. They stand about six feet tall, covered in roughened leather scales, and have a toothy lizard-like head. Troglodytes are natural chameleons, but greyish brown is the most common skin colour. Troglodytes secrete an oil that saps strength from humans and demi-humans. These chaotic evil lizards are believed to be descendants of the sauroid creator race. Once spread throughout the Realms Below, they have gradually been supplanted by more vigorous and powerful races and are now a minor power.

Tren are a chaotic evil crossbreed of troglodytes with the largest, strongest, vilest members of the lizardmen race. Tren, who live in loose-knit clans, hate all warm-blooded creatures, but reserve special animosity for dwarves, who often fight them for subterranean water supplies. While not numerous anywhere, tren are most commonly found in the upper reaches of the Underdark beneath the Mhair and Black Jungles.

Urdunnirin

The urdunnirin, a forgotten neutral offshoot of the shield dwarves whose name means Orecutter in their dialect, are said to be specially blessed by Dumathoin the Keeper. Urdunnirin look like shield dwarves, except that their skin tends to be light grey, while their long beards range from light to dark grey and their eyes are silver. In addition to the normal abilities of the Stout Folk, orecutters can walk through stone and earth like air while bringing other items with them. They shape stone or metal with a thought, and strike with powerful, rock-hard fists for great damage. Instead of animal and vegetable products, urdunnirin consume gems from veins replenished by Dumathoin himself.

Urdunnirin are found primarily in the western and northern reaches of the middle and lower Underdark, deep beneath the kingdoms of their shield dwarf cousins.

Varkha

Varkha are brutal, subterranean, lawful evil lizardmen dwelling in close-knit tribes in moist caverns in the deepest reaches of the lower Underdark. Varkha are skilled hunters with large, photosensitive eyes set on the sides of their heads, much like frogs. They possess a connective layer of webbing beneath their armpits that facilitates swimming in underground lakes and rivers.