Pentalithic Ramblings

The Fair Folk, the oldest of the fae, have many, many names. In Ireland they have been called Tuatha dé Danaan, Daione Sídhe, Aos Sí, and similar names. In Scotland they were usually known as the Daoine Sith. In Wales they were known as the Bendith y Mamau, Gwyllion, or Ellyllon. And they were known outside …

Appearance The behemoth inaccurately referred to as a “space bird” is an enormous, manta-ray-shaped, space-faring organism. They are pearly white in colour, usually with a hint of green, with most of their mass making up the wings; the head is quite small in comparison, though still usually large enough for a human spacecraft to enter. It’s …

Appearance The Qalinoris are an ancient, very long-lived humanoid species. They are among the oldest surviving races (only the conway and claximander predate them), and their extremely long lives have allowed them to make extraordinary advances in science and magic. An average Qalinori (often anglicized as “Thalinor”, though the Q more properly represents a voiceless retroflex …

Humans may be the dominant species on Pentalithia’s Earth, but they are widely varied. In addition to all the human variations that exist in the real world, there are other significant subraces: the elves, the dwarves, the goblins, and the nymphs. Nymphs The most significant (and divergent) human subrace is the nymphs, or naiads. They have …

Atlantean is a very old language and has had many writing systems over the millennia. The most ancient known one of these is the Anaglosian writing system, which is an alphabet similar in design to Tengwar. It was invented by one person in the city of Anaglosia, and is still used there (and in nearby cities, …

The Atlantean language is the oldest language in the Pentalithia setting, and it has magical properties. It’s far older than the Earth, even; the only reason Earthlings call it Atlantean is because it’s still spoken in Atlantis. The Atlanteans themselves call it by its proper name, £éŋωi. In this post, however, and probably in later posts, …

Appearance A fomorian’s base form is humanoid with animal features, the most common being goat. Cow-based, deer-based, and sheep-based fomorians are also common; canine-based fomorians (dog, wolf, fox) are relatively normal as well. However, fomorians are shapeshifters, and can take on many other forms. They tend to favour bestial forms, especially chimaeric ones combining parts from …

Appearance A djinni in its base form is a formless cloud of smoke which can waft through the air even against the wind. However, it is rare to see a djinni in this state except as a brief transition between forms. The majority of djinn prefer to take on a human guise, often appearing Arabic (a …

Leprechaun (Seelie) Variously known as leprechauns, clurichauns, far darrig, or fear dearg, these smartly dressed tiny humanoid creatures tend to be surly, but not malevolent. Appearance A leprechaun typically takes the form of an old man with a beard, about three feet tall, dressed in a red or green suit and hat. Female leprechauns also exist; …

The fae are a major subcategory of Earth species. The fae of Earth are native to the Shadow Realm, a place offset from the Earth, as if it were the planet’s shadow. Other names for the Shadow Realm include Faerie and Tír na nÓg; non-European cultures also have their own names for it. Generally speaking, the …