One of the thoughts I have long dabbled with in a campaign is that the races seem to get along all too well for things to be realistic. Nothing in the entire history of humanity has ever set the precedent that elves/dwarves/humans/halflings/gnomes should get along even in a fantasy world. Add in other races that appear even less human in appearance or are animal in nature and we have a powder keg waiting to go off.
This is represented to some extent by the domain of Tuarhievel in the Birthright setting. A once idyllic elven realm that has man introduced into it and in less than 100 years peaceful coexistence has turned into man deciding it is theirs to do with as desired. The result is the near complete defeat of man and then a resulting civil war situation amongst the elves because of their taking sides and then an extended uncomfortable stalemate situation. This sounds like a realistic fantasy world to me.
I have always been more attuned to playing elves than dwarves so this works better for me as a domain to play in. The dynamics of the realm also add a higher level of role playing potential in my mind. There may not be as many dungeon crawls out of this but there could be countless "Diplomacy" style evenings which is what Birthright was designed for anyway.
Published: 1996
Pages: 32
From the Back of the Book:
Before the humans descended on Cerilia, the continent was virtually untouched, inhabited only by those who understood how to live in harmony with nature. Since the human incursion, however, the natives have been forced to realign themselves with their homelands and their neighbors. No group has felt the effects of these maneuverings as much as the elves, who now engage in a daily struggle to keep a hold on their lands, fight off human interests, and preserve their heritage.
In Tuarhievel, matters have recently gotten worse. Prince Fhileraene has disappeared after being coerced into answering a summons from the Gorgon--but before he went away he transferred his bloodline to his consort, a human female named Savane Mhoried. Many of the elves of Tuarhievel consider this act to have been a betrayal of their heritage, even though the interim regent has promised to pass the bloodline to her yet unborn child as soon as that child comes of age. But in the meantime, the elven nation is in upheaval. The land needs a strong leader to prevent traditional values from clashing with the needs of the nation, lest it be torn apart. Can your character walk the fine line between tradition and necessity to unify Tuarhievel?
This BIRTHRIGHT domain sourcebook is designed for players who wish to take part in the rulership of Tuarhievel, either as regent of as the leader of one of the domain's noble families. This information is invaluable to anyone who might wish to approach Tuarhievel as a political ally or embark on adventures in the area.
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