Page 105 - Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes Deluxe

CYRROLLALEE UROGALAN
Cyrrollalee embodies the spirit of friendship and hospi- In ancient times the halfting hero Urogalan left his
tality that is part of every halfting's makeup and is rep- village with his faithful hound to venture into the af-
resented by one's home and hearth. The home is a wel- terlife-and then, much to the villagers' amazement,
coming place, but it is also sacrosanct. Halflings honor he returned. They could see that Urogalan had been
Cyrrollalee by opening their homes to visitors, and by deeply affected by his experiences, since he didn't speak
respecting the home of one's host as if it were one's own. for a long time. He merely sat in a white robe with his
Every ha I fling village tells its version of the legendary hound by his side, watching the world go by. When he
tale of Cyrrollalee and the troll pies. Long ago, a large did speak at last, he told of a place he called the Green
human town near Cyrrollalee's village was regularly at- Fields, where the halftings' god-heroes live alongside
tacked by a vicious troll. Warriors from the town hacked mortals who have passed on, enjoying lush farmland,
at the troll, but even its most dire wounds would heal, bright sunshine, and all the comforts of home.
and the troll would come back again. One day Cyrrol- Urogalan declared that all who have gone before still
lalee presented herself at the town gate in apron and watch over their loved ones from this place of eternal
peasant clothes, and she offered to rid the town of the peace, sending messages to the material world. In ac-
troll. The proud human warriors all scoffed at her, but knowledgment of this assertion, halflings look for signs
the desperate mayor asked Cyrrollalee for her help. from their departed loved ones. One might be thinking
So Cyrrollalee set all the people in the town to baking about catching butterflies with his grandmother long
pies, but not just any pies. They were special troll pies. ago, when suddenly a butterfly lands on his hand- clear
Into each one she put a pinch of magic to make them evidence that, as Urogalan promised, she is still looking
irresistible to trolls. While the warriors of the town out for her grandson from beyond the veil of death.
grumbled and sharpened their steel, Cyrrollalee created As a divine being, Urogalan can move freely through
an atmosphere of fun, bringing cheer to the frightened the earth and across the planes of existence. He holds
people as they worked. When the day was done, she set aloft a magic lantern that protects him on his journeys.
off with a cart full of pies and laid them in a tasty trail With his black hound leading the way, Urogalan scours
far up into the mountains. When the troll came near the the multiverse and shepherds deceased halfiings to their
town and found the trail, it began to gobble up pie after eternal home in the Green Fields.
pie, following the delightful smells up the mountain path Unlike other halfting deities, Urogalan is surrounded
until it walked right into the lair of a young red dragon. by a cloud of melancholy. He is gaunt, with his dusky
The greedy troll was swiftly incinerated. skin covered by white robes. Priests who venerate Uro-
Cyrrollalee returned a hero, and from that day for- galan emulate this practice of dress and demeanor.
ward all the townsfolk remembered her with a word of
thanks when baking pies. THE HALFLING ADVENTURER
BRANDOBARIS WHO KNOWS WHERE A HERO'S SPIRIT WlLL GROW? EvEN
Dashing trickster, patron of thieves, and star of fantas- the smallest seed can produce the mightiest tree.
tical fables and wild stories of adventure- that's the
-Elminster Aumar, Sage of Shadowdale
legacy of Brandobaris, the Master of Stealth. Stories of
Brandobaris, full of artful trickery and narrow escapes,
Everything about halflings, from their small stature to
inspire many young halflings to play at roguish pursuits.
their easy demeanor, makes them unlikely candidates
In their imagination, a grain silo becomes a lofty wiz-
for taking up a life of adventure away from home. Yet
ard's tower to scale in search of treasures, or a rowboat
every generation produces a handful of exceptional in-
becomes the setting for a swashbuckling adventure. And
dividuals who defy conventional wisdom and seek their
for some-the youngsters who are said to "have a bit of
fortunes in the wider world.
Brandobaris in them"- that play-acting is the prelude to
Opinions vary on what compels some halftings to
a life of living as Brandobaris does: always on the look-
leave home and set off over the farthest hill to explore
out for the next challenge.
the unknown. The simplest explanation is that some
Brandobaris continues to wander in search of excite-
folk are born with an overabundance of curiosity. Some
ment, and now, as an ascended being, his travels span
say that Arvoreen or Brandobaris is responsible for urg-
the planes of existence. His curiosity takes him to all
ing them on, and others point to the stories told by the
corners of the multiverse in search of magical curios,
elders that inspire some youngsters to take such risks.
rare treasures, and mystical puzzles. When Brandobaris
Whatever the reason, from time to time a halfling feels
moves stealthily, no mortal or god can hear his foot-
the call of adventure and sets off with a walking staff,
falls- an ability he uses not only for defense, but also to
a satchel, and a few biscuits. The first stop for many of
bestow unlooked-for treats upon those he favors.
these plucky souls is a faraway city where they hope to
Although he never seems to rest in his travels, Bran-
find some like-minded companions.
dobaris always has time to reward halflings who dare
to take risks and explore the world to make their own
FANCY FEET
mark on it. He has been known to give a bit of aid to
A halfling's potential for adventuring usually manifests
halflings in dire straits, turning them invisible for a time
early in life. When a child first wanders away from the
or intervening so that they can't be heard or tracked.
village, seemingly by accident, or one day hops on a
log and tries to set off down the river, the parents are
C llAl'TER 5 I HAU-LI NGS AND GNOMES