Surus Myths. Deep within an impassable desert or thick dangerous jungle, you may just happen upon a children’s tale. Large hidden cities of ice white stone and coloured glass, wrapped up tight in a wall of black igneous rock. An adventurer lucky enough to approach such a place will find a Race like no other inside. As thick with muscle as they are tall, tough grey skin, and the head of an elephant. This is the Surus. A race of bipedal elephants men. A Race of Order. A Surus city is a place of order and law. Any outsider allowed entrance to such a place must be on their best behaviour. They respect the rules of their order above all things, anyone caught breaking their laws will be swiftly punished. Normally, this means being put to death in the colosseum. Although lawful, the Surus take a neutral approach to the goings on outside of their cities, preferring not to get involved with other Race's politics and drama. They wish to be just left in peace. Secret History. Not much is known about where the Surus come from, although it’s clear that they don’t originate from The Material Plane. Few Surus know their true origins, only the great Shaman, the leaders of the Clans, know the past of this troubled Race, though they would rather die than tell the tale. The research notes of an Elven scholar on the next page give some insight into their story. Clans. All Surus work together, but not all Surus are equal. At the age of 10, all Calf are taken by the Elders to be assessed and trained. Those found worthy of greatness are ripped from their families and taken to a secret place of training. No one knows what the training involves, but it is both harsh and cruel, many not surviving the ordeal. Those that do, become members of 1 of the 3 clans. The Foot, The Mind, or The Runetusks. Clan Descriptions: The three clans work in harmony with each other, keeping the realm safe, and The Kings Law unbroken. The Foot: The Foot Clan are elite warriors. They are personified strength. They are the first line of defence, and often the only line needed. In a crisis, a single member of The Foot Clan is all it takes to resolve it. Masters of strategy and battle, if they were to ever mobilise an army, the world would be left trembling. A member of The Foot Clan will have has his tusks coated in metal, shaped into barbed spikes.

The Foot Clan are elite warriors. They are personified strength. They are the first line of defence, and often the only line needed. In a crisis, a single member of The Foot Clan is all it takes to resolve it. Masters of strategy and battle, if they were to ever mobilise an army, the world would be left trembling. A member of The Foot Clan will have has his tusks coated in metal, shaped into barbed spikes. The Eye: The Eye Clan are often referred to as the wise ones. They guide their people in their spiritual beliefs, or settle disputes amongst The Clanless. Although not as ferocious as The Foot Clan, they are still a force to be reckoned with. Some member’s master the art of Ki, giving them power like no other. The rest call upon their gods and channel the powers of the ancients. A member of The Eye Clan will have a tattoo of an eye in the centre of their forehead, and their tusks will be decorated with bands of gold and gems.

The Eye Clan are often referred to as the wise ones. They guide their people in their spiritual beliefs, or settle disputes amongst The Clanless. Although not as ferocious as The Foot Clan, they are still a force to be reckoned with. Some member’s master the art of Ki, giving them power like no other. The rest call upon their gods and channel the powers of the ancients. A member of The Eye Clan will have a tattoo of an eye in the centre of their forehead, and their tusks will be decorated with bands of gold and gems. The Runetusk: Few Surus ever become Runetusks. They hold more respect and power than even The King of their city. Highly intelligent and in possession of great cunning, they are seen as walking gods. A Runetusk is easily recognised by their tusks, carved glowing green runes circling from the base to the tip. Leaving Your Homeland It’s very rare for a Surus to leave the safety of its home, and only a Clan member would be allowed to do so. Perhaps there are rumours of some forgotten knowledge that the clans require? There is a plague that needs outsider help? Maybe you have gone rogue and abandoned your people after a disagreement?



Research Notes of Scholar Dewshine The following transcript gives some insight into the original homeland of the Surus. An Elven scholar by the name of Dewshine had been conducting studies into the race, and he luckily came upon a human mercenary who had quite the interesting tale. How much is true or not though, no one can know for sure. I’m currently sitting in a tavern in the arse end of nowhere. The Wet Loaf Inn, what kind of name is that, I ask you? It’s a damp squalid hell hole. I’m sick of this expedition, not a single thing has been learned. I think once I have met with this idiot looking for coin I will return home. This entire trip has been a waste of time and resources. The meat head has just arrived, just what I expected; towering muscle on muscles, and not a single spark of intelligence anywhere in that scarred cruel face. He’s looking for a handout, I know it. Well he shan’t have any. Dewshine: So, you said in your message that you have some information regarding the Surus that no one else knows about? Bull: I do, yeah. You said there would be coin for what I tells you? Here we go… Dewshine: Yes of course, but only if the information pertaining to the Surus is something I can use. If you have come here to tell me they have tusks or some other such nonsense, well, you won’t be the only person who walks away from here disappointed. The stupid man looks like he has zero comprehension of what I just said. It seems like he could be thinking, but then again he could just have constipation. Dewshine: Please, tell me what you know. The idiot is smiling now. He honestly thinks I’m going to pay him. I hope he doesn’t turn violent… Bull: Er, well, I am a Merc , see? And I ran with one of them Elephant people for a job or two. He was quiet mostly, never really joined in with the ale talk. Just sat there in silence. That is until the Darrio job though. Fireball then mistystep, or mistystep followed by fireball? Dewshine: Yes, please continue, anything he said may be of help. Bull: Well, like, the Darrio job right? It went south. Entire squad dead, bar me and Nathifa, that’s the Surus, and we was surrounded by thousands of Goblins. Corellon give me strength! Dewshine: Yes, please continue. A thousand you say? Why, however did you survive? Bull: Hah, we almost didn’t! Me and Nathifa took refuge in an old watch tower. We bared the hatch and just kept firing our arrows. 4 days we were they for! Dewshine: And these Goblins, they never thought to burn it down with you inside? Bull: Oh yeah, after an hour that’s what they tried to do. Old Nathifa though, he had a way with spells. He just sat there, his eyes went all white like, and he couldn’t hear anything I was saying. He just sat there like that for hours. Well, after that no fires could catch. I watched I did, the Goblins kept trying but no flame would spread to the tower. When I asked Nathifa about it, he said it was a spell of some sort, and that he was a Runetusk. Don’t rightly know what that means, but he was a dab hand at that magic stuff. Dewshine: You met with a Runetusk? I thought they were only a legend, a story?! This changes everything. Please continue, how did you survive, what did he say to you about, well about anything? Bull: Well, arrows ran out pretty quick. After that, Nathifa just stood there throwing spell after spell. Wasn’t enough though. They got the trapdoor open after a while. I just stood there, stabbing over and over at that hole. Face, stab, face, stab, face stab. Over and over. I still dream of it you know? Days and days of thinking I was gonna’ die any second. Dewshine: Yes, yes, it must have been terrible. You say the Surus was using spells? What kind? What did they look like? Did he have to stop? Bull: I was a bit busy to be looking at what he was doing, but no, he didn’t stop. If he had I wouldn’t be here talking to ya. Amazing, such power.

Dewshine: Sorry, yes, please go on. Bull: Third day was the worst. They just kept coming and coming. We were both so tired. He turned to me he did, and he had tears in eyes. I ain’t never seen him show much emotion before, but to see him crying really took me aback. He turned to me he did, and he says to me “Bull, I don’t want to die. If I die I have to go back home. I don’t want to go home.” Dewshine: Home?! Did he say any more? Tell me! Bull: Ay yeah he did. I saids to him that home isn’t so bad, but he just kept crying. He said his home was. I could tell he wasn’t talking about his home home, he was talking about his afterlife. I never held with the gods much myself, never had the time or honour, but Nathifa seemed really scared. He said he was from a place called Carceri. I aksed him to tell me about it, that surly it can’t be that bad. Then he screamed at me, never before seen him raise his voice, right woke me up it did, even gave the gobble I was stabbing quite the start. He yells, top of his lounges, “You don’t understand! We were not the guards, we were the inmates!” Dewsong: WHAT?! Looking around, it seems like I have shouted. The other patrons are looking this way. Dewsong: What else did he say? Please, tell me everything. Bull: That was it I’m afraid. He had been standing there for a minute or so, not throwing spells. They were gonna’ overrun us. He went back to the window and carried on. We didn’t speak more on it. Don’t have a clue what he meant. I thought afterlives were meant to be nice? Never heard of a Carceri before. Anyway, forth day was when it ended. We wore them down and they finally gave up. Nathifa turns to me after. He says I’m not to repeat anything he said about his afterlife to anyone. That it is a secret known only to a few. He was fingering his dagger he was, I think he was thinking bout killin’ me. I promised I would keep it to myself, and then we went our separate ways. Never saw him again. Only telling you this cos’ I have some nasty men I owe money to. And really, what harm can it do? He was blood crazy, we both were. The Mercenary doesn’t have any more information. I paid the moron and sent him on his way. The things he just told me were worth a small fortune to the right person, he was happy with the 100 gold I gave him. Carceri, the prison plane of the multiverse. And they were prisoners! This will require much further research. I’m going to be a very rich and famous man. Dewsong was jumped and killed when he left the tavern. His notes and research was found in a small bookshop. The owners said a large muscular man sold them to him for 4 copper. The university bought the notes for 6000 gold. We got a very good deal. Surus Tusks The tusk of an Surus is a highly sought after item by certain individuals. Some believe it contains powerful magic, others want to turn a tusk into a dagger or sword hilt. The worst of course are the people who believe that a ground Surus tusk is an aphrodisiac, these people should be stabbed on sight.

