Page 24 - Critical Role: Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting

tal’dorei campaign guide

dwarven historians of Kraghammer’s House Thunder-
brand about the dark dwarves: What drove them into
the depths in the first place? The only time a duergar
prince was captured in battle, he only managed to rasp
“The six… we are the six,” before succumbing to his
wounds. The prevailing theory among dwarven historians
is that there was once a sixth noble house of Kraghammer
that fled or were cast out, but the dwarven archives—the
library that contains the most comprehensive histories of
the North anywhere in the world—give no mention of a
sixth noble house breaking off from Kraghammer.

elves

The elves were the first people of this land. They were
the fey descendants who first named their homeland
Gwessar, centuries before humans gave it the name
Tal’Dorei. The common origin of most elves lies within
the wooded lands of the Verdant Expanse, and many
elves—wood elves and high elves alike—still call the
great forest their home. Though the city of Syngorn is
a wondrous thing, many a young elf takes to the road
to see what else the world has to offer. This curiosity is
considered foolish, and those who leave the comfort of
Syngorn for this reason rarely return to open arms. Thank-
fully, the cities of the Republic of Tal’Dorei are welcoming
to such wanderers, and some elven families have called
these places home for many long generations.
wood elves
high elves
Hunting across the many Syngornian outposts, most wood
Within the city of Syngorn itself, many high elves focus
elves find their survival skills keenly matched for the wilds
their crafts on culture and learning, weaving magics with
of the forest. Wood elves have a long history of dutifully
grace and aplomb. It is understood that protection of their
protecting their homeland, and their people make up much
home is key to their continued prosperity, so many elves
of the Verdant Guard that patrols Syngorn and defends the
walk abroad to the Emerald Outpost to watch over rela-
forest around it. Of the elven races, wood elves are typically
tions with the neighboring civilizations. The high elves are
more venturesome than their kin and prone to bouts of
so named for their innate magical knowledge; a blessing
wanderlust, making them ideal adventurers. For guardelves,
they attribute to their supreme deity, the Archeart. Many
this manifests as a longing to be stationed in more remote
high elves become highly religious sorcerers, explor-
garrisons, such as the Emerald Outpost. This penchant for
ing their latent powers through their faith. Others still
exploration has led to the spread of wood elf civilization far
develop their arcane skill by seeking admission to the Ala-
beyond the Verdant Expanse.
baster Lyceum in Emon, where they can study the theory
South of the Stormcrest Mountains lies the massive
of magic in a controlled environment.
jungle of Rifenmist, and within roost the nomadic Orroyen
tribes, wandering wardens of the jungle primarily led by a
drow
bloodline of primal wood elves who embrace their animal-
istic nature. Rarely do these elves wander from their jungle Few elves wish to be associated with their degenerate, sub-
home except to trade with the other denizens of the pen- terranean cousins—while many humanoids call them dark
insula. But rumors speak of a rare few of these elves who elves, the elves of Syngorn instead call them drow. In times
leave their jungle home to see the wider world. long past, the drow were a wise, beautiful people with long,
In the frigid north of the Cliffkeep Mountains, under silvery hair and skin of ash. But their society grew decadent
the prismatic glow of the Moonweaver’s Ribbons, are the and cruel, and their leaders fell to the alluring whispers of
Elvenpeaks. The city atop the spires is Lyrengorn, and the the Betrayer God known as the Spider Queen, and they
wood elves who make their home beneath Lyrengorn’s allied with their venomous mistress against the Archeart
pines are known best for riding through the wintry skies and his elves in the Calamity. When the Spider Queen was
on wyvernback. Every year, a few people from across defeated, the drow were driven from the surface world and
Tal’Dorei travel to the Elvenpeaks to watch their sky- forced to rebuild their empire in the deep tunnels below the
swimmers shape the mysterious northern lights. earth. But another power existed in these dark places. The

chapter 1: campaigns in tal'dorei 23