…by Professor Hugo V. Bemmerly
Two entries today, boys & girls, to make up for missing yesterday.
The Doclopedia #145
The Alphabet: D
D is for DRAAN
The Draan are a race of people on a fantasy version of Earth, They control the Draan Empire, which on our world would would be the lower 25% of California, all of Arizona and a 100 mile wide strip of Mexico stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the border of Arizona & New Mexico. Three other sentient species make up the Empire, all of them under the thumb of the Draan.
Physically, the Draan look like large muscular humans with pronounced brow ridges and sharp teeth. Their skin, eyes & hair are a uniform dark brown. Men average around 6’4” and women average around 6’1”. Both sexes wear their hair long and in braids. Both sexes also sport ritual scarring and tattooing.
The Draan were once a totally warrior race, but since they lack the ability to use magic, they have not been able to expand their empire in over 350 years. This has lead to them branching out into areas of commerce, where they have done quite well. Draan traders drive a very hard bargain, but because their race holds to a very strong code of honor, they are also among the most honest of sentient beings. Their physical power and prowess with weapons, coupled with that code of honor, also insures that nobody ever cheats a Draan twice.
Besides commerce, many Draan have gone into ranching. The primary livestock they raise is the very wild, very dangerous and very tasty Sorgot Buffalo. These creatures resemble a large bison crossed with longhorn cattle and a rhinoceros. Roping one is not unlike roping a speeding armored vehicle that has long sharp horns and a homicidal driver. If a Sorgot kills one or more Draan cowboys, it is kept back for breeding and given a noble name taken from Draan mythology. It goes without saying that Draan cowboys are tough customers.
A few Draan, those who lack the seemingly species wide tendency towards seasickness, become pirates. They usually join up with Human or Elvish crews and sail the Western Sea from Hadrinia in the south to frigid Zolzad in the north. Any Draan who becomes a pirate instantly has an Imperial Death Decree on his head, as well as a 5,000 k’nark reward to the killer.
While a rather harsh seeming people, the Draan are very tender with their children and their mates. Since each Draan male can have two wives and each female can have up to four husbands, families can be very large with exact relationships a bit complex. Draan can also be very attached to their companion animals and they often grieve deeply at the loss of a beloved horse, dog, thrak or hunting eagle.
The Draan have their own religion, which is largely ancestor based and has almost no holy days. They give only a passing nod to the Three Pantheons, but don’t generally talk down about anyone else’s religious beliefs.
As mentioned above, the Draan cannot work magic at all. This is because they are not native to the planet they now inhabit. Just over 500 years ago, the first 10,000 Draan came to the world in a large starship. This ship never actually landed, but it did send the Draan and some very basic supplies down. Of the first 10,000, nearly 8,000 were small children. The starship never contacted them again and legend says this was due to something called a “Ga’nact Aad” overload. No living Draan could tell you what that means.
The Draan (who were actually known by another name back then) were barely surviving in this strange new land when they met up with the kindly Draav people. Physically inferior, but magically superior, the Draav soon arrived at a truce with the Draan that allowed them to survive and prosper.
The Draav were a dying race, but by mating with the Draan, they insured a sort of immortality to their line while somewhat “softening” the harsher edges of the Draan. Later matings with the conquered human Olaru people shaped the Draan race even further.
In general, Draan respect humans, are both amused and respectful of Elves, are extremely respectful of Dwarves and are quite hateful of Goblins, Trolls and the like. While they would never admit it, most Draan are afraid of wizards.
The Doclopedia #146
The Alphabet: E
E is for ECTO GUN
Invented in 1870 by the famed Bavarian ghostbuster Rudolph Bader, the ecto gun is an indispensable part of any occult investigator’s bag of tricks. Resembling a sawed off shotgun, it fires a burst or “ecto energy” that can render even the most powerful spirit temporarily paralyzed. Generally speaking, the gun can fire six bursts per twelve hours of charging, but the modified Borovski-Tanner version can fire seven bursts on a ten hour charge.
An ecto gun of good quality will usually cost around $150. 00, U.S, currency.
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