Tain Sylvan

Avg. Height: 6'0"

Avg. Weight: 130 lb

Avg. Lifespan: 600

Physical Characteristics:

Eyes:From golds and browns to occasional greens and blues.
Hair:Light blond, red and brown; frequently sun-streaked.
Skin:Tanned, often freckled.
Body Type:Most muscular of Sylvans.
Clothing:

Region: Kuthgard

Languages: Common, elvish.

Stat Adjustments:

Strength:4
Reflexes:8
Endurance:4
Dexterity:8
Reasoning:1
Wisdom:2
Will:4
Intelligence:4

Special: Bonus to Melee, Conditioning and Animal Handling learn rates.

Penalty to Larceny, Stealth and Mechanisms learn rates.

Finding deep satisfactions in a traditional rooted life, the Tain live almost exclusively in open grasslands on fertile, flourishing farms. Growing the most beautiful healthy fruits, vegetables and grains, Tain produce is known throughout the lands and served on most kings' tables.

Living in attractive farmhouses made of fallen deadwood and indigenous stone, most of which are millenniums old and built by the current occupant's ancestors, the Tain consider blood ties of the utmost importance. Families tend to live together, several generations all under one roof and when needed, additional rooms are added on to the existing homes or secondary homes are built very close by.

The farmhouses are designed to be warm and snug in the winter but in keeping with their love of nature, feature numerous shuttered windows to allow as much of the outside in as possible. Designed with comfort in mind; most feature large living areas filled with comfortable furniture and stone fireplaces topped with ornately carved mantles that hold cherished family heirlooms, typically displaying their devotion to Beade. Well-stocked kitchens and small but airy bedrooms with plump mattresses and feather-light quilts are common.

The farms are well maintained, but with none of the rigid order that is seen in the farms of the short-lived races. Rather than arrow-straight rows of vegetables, they grow randomly in well defined plots of ground because the Tain believe that as with all living things, even plants deserve some choice in where they will live. This is not to say that things grow wild or unchecked, but rather that through their intense connection to Beade, they are able to, in some unfathomable manner, commune with the plants to find a growing style that is at once, natural but structured.

While they specialize in crop growing, the Tain shun the penning and breeding of animals for profit. Not hesitating to kill wildlife for both food and protection, they cannot abide the restriction of freedom that raising animals for income would require. It is the antithesis of all they believe. On the other hand, they do keep various animals as companions. Dogs and cats abound on the farms as well as a number of less domesticated pets and the Tain ride horses so gracefully that they have occasionally, from a distance, been confused as centaurs.

The most intensely religious of all the elves, the Tain have numerous ceremonies designed to strengthen their bond with Beade. Most of the rituals are designed to encourage plant growth and happiness, and they view spring as Her personal season and the soil as the giver of all life.

When possible, milestones and events such as engagements, nuptials and births are planned for spring, and are considered especially blessed if a rainbow graces the sky during the proceedings. Identical twin births in the beginning of the new life cycle are seen as especially lucky, and the twins tend to be viewed as the closest to Beade and therefore imbued with more growing magic at their command than most.

Claiming the soil as their element, much as spring is their season, religious symbols and artwork are sculpted from clay and baked in special ovens making the items as hard and permanent as stone. Using little in the way of artificial color, the sculptures maintain their natural look and are almost exclusively representations of nature. Depending on the skill of the sculptor, these figures on occasion are imbued with a touch of Beade's magic.

In an effort to make their farms as productive as possible, the Tain have created a number of practical devices that aid in their work and their reasoning and dexterity allows them to be quite successful in these types of endeavors. Occasional small shops have sprung up around Tain lands that specialize in the sales of these gadgets and their sculptures.

Hardier and more disciplined than their cousins, the Tain are the most muscular of the race. Although still lithe and slender, their muscles tend to be well defined and their strength and stamina a bit higher than their cousins. Working in the fields and orchards, the Tain have a tendency towards light blonde, red and brown hair that is frequently sun-streaked. Complexions are usually tanned and often sport freckles and their eye colors range in hue from golds and browns to the occasional greens and blues.

Individual Tain communities are governed by the elders, who, with the unhurriedness of the long-lived, have a tendency to mull over decisions thoughtfully, waiting for spring in many cases to make their final judgments. Given the fact that most Tain remain in the area of their birth for their entire lives, the most severe of all punishments is banishment although rarely is such a sentence handed down. However, when it is, the accused frequently trudges to the furthest corner of their farm and lies down to die rather than being forced to leave the place of their birth.

Living on their farms and for the most part self-sufficient, the Tain have little awareness as to what goes on in the rest of the world. While their attitude may seem arrogant, it is really more a simple lack of interest, but if an outsider takes the time to cultivate a friendship with a Tain, they may find themselves with a friend for life.