The Split Leaf Collective
Half-elves are dominant forces in Evanoch's cultural world, forging new paths in all manners of art. The clothing most people wear is half-elven in design; art galleries and bookshops are filled with half-elven works; taverns across Evanoch want bards who play half-elven music. The Split Leaf Collective, then, is a leviathan by even half-elven standards. The Collective, currently headed by the trio of Roderick Canniel, poet; Ysa Pollard, potter; and Tokine Rivers, musician. Each of the three is highly accomplished in their field: Canniel is the author of the poem "Half," a work that has spread quickly across Evanoch, spreading positive conceptions about half-elves; Pollard's distinctive style evoking nature and stark geometric shapes has become the most popular style in Evanoch, reproduced by many; Rivers, as frontman of The Door to the Other Door, has achieved rare success with both critics and the public at large. Together, the trio manages decisions and funds for a loose organization that essentially operates residencies for aspiring, talented half-elven artists. Under their stewardship, more than a dozen half-elven creatives in different fields have achieved continent-wide success, and half-elven culture has spread even further than it had prior to the Collective's assembly. The Collective currently has artists in residence in the fields of writing, painting, sculpting, clothing design, music, and pottery; Canniel, Pollard, and Rivers offer loose mentorship to the artists who share their fields. Entrance to the Collective is highly sought after by half-elven artists, as it is more or less a guarantee of success on a large scale. Residencies generally last between three months and two years, though Canniel was in residency for three years before becoming a member of its leadership.
The formation of the Split Leaf Collective began as a way to pool resources for struggling artists. Tokine Rivers of The Door to the Other Door, which was struggling in obscurity while working hard to keep food on the table. Novelist Rachel Disiel was fighting writer's block and a lack of coin. Painter Petra Willien hadn't sold a painting in months and was struggling to afford supplies. The three were sometimes drinking buddies and lamented their situations before deciding to go in together on a cheap property and turn it into a home for struggling artists, beginning with them. With their expenses shared, Rivers, Disiel, and Willien managed to spend more time on their work, and success eventually came. First, Willien sold a whole line of paintings of treelines beyond Finiel, where they were based. Then Disiel sold a short story, giving her an in to selling her novel, The Poison Throne Inn, which has been a top seller in Evanine bookstores since its release seventeen years ago. Then Rivers's band made a change to their playing--less aggressive to the audience, more pleasing to the ear, all while keeping their experimental sound--and were soon touring the continent. The trio decided to expand the program to other artists who would keep half-elven culture at the heart of their work, and the Split Leaf Collective was born. Over the years, Disiel left leadership to focus on her new work, and Willien tired of spending time managing the Collective instead of painting. Rivers remains, the true visionary of the group, and Canniel and Pollard came to replace Disiel and Willien, respectively. They have resisted merchandising deals with companies, preferring to manage their own output.
Most half-elves have strongly positive feelings about the Split Leaf Collective, considering them to be talented artists and good representatives of half-elven culture to the larger world. Almost all half-elves practice some manner of art privately if not publicly, so the Split Leaf Collective is for many a collection of idols of high success in the craft a half-elf has chosen. A small group of half-elves is wary of the Collective, arguing that they effectively choose which artists attain fame, and their judgment of who deserves that might not be perfect. For these half-elves, it is not the creative output of the group that is at fault, but the principle of allowing art to exist as it is on its own does matter in half-elven society. Outside of half-elven society, most people find the Split Leaf Collective quite remarkable--here is a group of highly talented individuals, all of whom make art people at large enjoy. For people of this mindset (half-elves included), the Split Leaf Collective is a guide to what matters in art, a sort of curated list of people to pay attention to. Some, mostly Daltoners with the occasional extreme traditionalist from other groups, are skeptical of half-elven culture at large, arguing that the prevalence of any one culture over others is a form of oppression; Daltoners in particular say that half-elven music could destroy Daltoner music, for instance. Whatever people feel about the Collective, they agree that the group is special and successful.
The Lilara Clan
Two years ago, Mishara guard Benson Lilara foiled an assassination attempt on the Cestalion Findlan Tristaa, leader of the elves; Lilara became a folk hero in the months that followed and soon leveraged his fame into a mercenary outfit specially designed for protection. Lilara mercs built a name for themselves in the first year of their existence, and today, a mercenary from the Lilara Clan can fetch upwards of ten times what a common mercenary might demand. But Lilara mercs are known to charge less to different groups depending on finances and the ideology of the people in question--the Lilaras support a progressive agenda, largely protecting elven, half-elven, and Faninite politicians calling for reforms in the elven government. This has earned the Clan the opposition of the elven government, ironically fighting against the man who saved the elven government single-handedly. The appeals of hiring the Lilaras are several--they are highly skilled, highly observant people with excellent combat skills; they rarely use those skills since they have great skill in defusing tense situations; they never harm anyone without fear of harm themselves; they donate part of their profits to charity groups in Mishara and Finiel, occasionally sending care packages to Fanin. This has made the Lilara Clan less of a straightforward mercenary group and more a political organization capable of protecting itself and other interests. Lilara Clan members have served as guards or military, receive a six-month long training in defusing tension, and most are half-elven; there are some elves and Faninites amongst the group; the politics specific to elven and half-elven society tend to dissuade others from joining.
The foiled assassination attempt took place on a day meant to celebrate the Cestalion. Lilara noticed a member of the crowd draw a wand and point it at Tristaa, and Lilara leapt into action, distracting the assassin and disarming them. The assassin's arrest led to the discovery of a larger conspiracy amongst elven nobles hoping to make a power play, and many elven elites being removed from public life meant a dispersal of economic opportunities for Misharan citizens. And so the single action by Lilara directly led to an economic golden age for Mishara, a golden age which would last nearly a century. Lilara, a failed adventurer, had been trained by a former adventurer named Amund Zigor, a specialist in non-lethal combat, who had described the value of using those skills for good. Lilara returned home to Mishara to use these skills and had developed a good reputation before the heroic assassination foiling. His separation from the Mishara guard was a hard-fought decision, but he felt his loyalties lay in his principles, not his city--being reprimanded for not following protocol when apprehending the assassin had left a bad taste in Lilara's mouth, and he believed the elven government no longer stood for what he believed in. The Lilaras were formed, people quickly donated funding, eager mercenaries appeared, and Lilara was able to quite easily establish a powerful clan of experts with real sway in a short time.
Perception of the Lilaras among half-elves is overwhelmingly positive. Often the subjects of violence and discrimination from guards, half-elves are excited that guards are increasingly opting for non-violence with Lilara's success, and they believe his pursuit of more progressive politics in northwest Evanoch would be good for everyone, especially half-elves. The occasional detractor argues that Lilara should have stayed with the guard and reformed it from within; when met with the idea that he might have been met with opposition, these people tend to have no counterargument. Elves are polarized by the Lilaras--those who support progressivism support the Lilaras, and those who support the traditional Cestalion oppose them. Faninites tend to support the Lilaras, more for their non-violent approach to justice than their political leanings. Daltoners and dwarves argue that a stricter, less compromising justice is necessary, dismissing the Lilaras altogether. The gnomes, halflings, and orcs deem the Lilaras fundamentally right in their thinking, but they usually lack a solid understanding of the political reality of the Lilaras and cannot make a substantive judgment of it.
The Raines Clan
Half-elves have few ideals: free expression, freedom of identity, and freedom to live as one chooses are the core beliefs of the half-elven people at large. It is no surprise then that an important half-elven clan would completely devote itself to freedom: the Raines Clan is a group of sailors and organizers who smuggle political refugees all over Evanoch to safety. The Raines Clan has a large network of ships and clan members who help refugees to escape to the ship, disguise the presence of the refugees, and set the refugees up with new lives upon arrival. The Raines Clan is largely half-elf, but much of the clan hails from other groups, including people from every group on Evanoch. The organization is completely secret, known only to members of the Clan and those it has rescued. Among the Raines Clan's more prominent members are Hylen Raines, leader of the clan and chief organizer; Jemma Williel, head of a small force specialized in extracting refugees; Edward Redmond, business contact whose cargo conceals refugees; and Xurk Roentar, the most daring of the Raines Clan's sea captains. [Xurk was developed for Brokk's intro session in Of Gods and Dragons and appeared in that session.] While the existence of the Raines Clan is confined to a select few, they are a powerful organization that has swayed political power toward the progressive side.
The formation of the clan was a necessity for Pilen Raines, founder of the clan and father of its current leader, Hylen Raines. Pilen Raines was wanted by the elven government for the crime of speaking out against its rule and using failed decisions by elven leadership to make his argument. Raines was a vocal and aggressive opponent to the government, and after nearly ten years of his campaign against the elves in charge, armed men appeared at Raines' door. He barely escaped with the help of his then-teenage son and smuggled himself aboard a ship bound for Finiel. There, he hatched the plan for the clan, securing a team to be on-call before he left Finiel. Raines worked most missions his clan went on personally, which he did for 22 years until his death in a fight at sea with a Daltoner government vessel. Raines was immediately replaced by his son, who had been on board for his father's death, and who made it his personal mission to see that the Raines Clan never goes away. Hylen Raines has overseen the Raines Clan for six years, and he has seen success even greater than his father's with an expansion of the clan's network. Raines dedicates all of his success to his father.
Those who are actually aware of the Raines Clan universally believe it to be a good thing which needs to exist. Many who are rescued by the Raines Clan join the clan less out of gratitude and more out of wanting to contribute. Hypothetically, should others know about the clan, half-elves would wholeheartedly support it. Half-elves are without a nation like the other groups have, and they find the oppressiveness of nations nonsensical; therefore, saving refugees and fighting for freedom would appeal to most any half-elf. Most other groups would approve of the Raines Clan according to their relationship with progressiveness--gnomes and halflings would adore the Raines Clan; Faninites, elves, and orcs would largely agree with the Raines Clan; Daltoners and dwarves would tend to disapprove of the clan. Because the clan is a secret, not even those who need the Raines Clan's help are aware of it, and members of the Raines Clan keep that secrecy with the utmost care.
The Long Leg Clan
While many merchants operate their businesses from a stationary shop, others move about or even do business on the roads of Evanoch. Bringing one city's trademark goods to another city can fetch high prices and potential danger, requiring caravans to employ armed guards. The logistics and expenses of caravanning can be staggering, and none have mastered the art like the Long Leg Clan. They were so named because a competitor joked that "they must just have extra long legs" as a way to explain their speed. Among caravanners, the Long Leg Clan is admired and detested for their impressive travel speed, their negotiation skills, and their intimidating might. Part of the clan's success comes from specialization. While many caravanners try to manage driving carts, setting prices, and directing guards all at once, the Long Leg Clan has internal training programs to develop experts in each field required for their work. The clan has no official leadership, but its three lead trainers are notable in their own rights. Grant Ieli, chief trainer of drivers, is not only a key part of the clan but also a highly skilled repairman and animal handler; Xirn Marlowe, the clan's lead negotiator trainer, has used good relationships develops over years of travel to secure more favorable prices and import rates; Brandy Ellien, leader guard trainer, developed a fighting style for caravan guards which combines elven, Faninite, and halfling techniques to teach aspiring guards to be nimble, powerful, and aware. Once a Long Leg has been trained to their trainer's satisfaction, they are trusted as mouthpieces of the clan, and the group takes admitting new members very seriously so as to preserve the value of their name. Not all Long Legs are half-elves, but around 80% of membership is half-elven.
The original Long Leg Clan, formed over three hundred years ago, was a joining together of three half-elven families who ran their caravan businesses. The Langfords, the Endiels, and the Quelsins had been competitors for years and decided to try their luck together. Each family had specialized in one element of the business--the Langords as quick travelers, the Endiels as shrewd negotiators, and the Quelsins as formidably defended. Together, they were able to very quickly dominate the caravanning market, and when the Long Leg Clan's routes took them all across Evanoch rather than its northwest, many rival caravanners were eager to see them leave for most of the year. The Long Legs realized that what they had was special after years of success, and it was unanimously agreed by the clan to induct and train new members. The original families went about this for different reasons. The Lanfords, the drivers of the operation, wanted to be able to attract new members to the least glamorous part of the operation. The Endiels, the negotiators, wished to see their success become a real legacy. The Quelsins wanted a way to provide full lives for their grandchildren and future children, and continuing the clan was a way to achieve that. By the time the original Long Leg families had become more minor parts of the clan's operation, the clan was cemented in Evanine culture as a trusted and special source of commerce.
There is very little reason to dislike the Long Leg Clan--they are professional, courteous, offer decent prices, don't scorn competitors, they're the best in the business, and they're worldly to boot. Half-elves largely regard the Long Leg Clan as exciting to encounter--many half-elven children's first experience with outsiders to their towns are through Long Legs bearing exotic wares and smiles. There is the rare rival of the clan who is bitter about their success, but there is no real disapproval in their dislike. Outside of half-elves, sentiment still remains generally positive. Many elves only trust elves and Long Legs to bring trustworthy goods. Orcs have found that Long Leg caravans have helped to rebuild their homelands post-War of Kraal. Halflings say that Long Leg caravanners respect their culture more than other visitors. Gnomes value the reliable access to specialty goods without traveling. Dwarves prefer dwarven traders to Long Legs, but they still grant Long Legs trade, which can't be said for their treatment of other groups. The Faninites are generally delighted by the Long Leg Clan's work, regarding them as the few honest people involved in trade. Daltoners accept trade from the Long Legs and offer them marginally less disrespect than other traders; their dedication to free commerce is strong, but to Daltoners, any non-Daltoner is sub-human.
The Ilyenil Clan
The Ilyenil Clan is, in the eyes of almost all Evanines, a cult. The leader of the Ilyenils is an elderly half-elven woman who claims to hold serious divine power from each and every god known to people (but refuses "on principle" to prove her powers). Ruth Ilyenil, leader of the clan, argues that as a half-elf, she is fundamentally closer to the gods than other groups--she adds that other half-elves can be trained to make use of this connection. The clan is a mixture of genuine believers who also claim to have access to the gods (about 50% of the clan), clerics who wish to invoke other gods (about 30%), and some simply looking for a sanctioned way to con people (about 20%). The Ilyenils are known in the northwest of Evanoch for their organization. Beyond that region, the Ilyenils are known for Ruth Ilyenil's various publications. Ruth Ilyenil publishes eight books per year (once a month with two months for other work), a weekly pamphlet, and an annual digest of all new things revealed to her. The topics of these publications tend toward spirituality, but Ilyenil is known to occasionally produce a work on another topic; previous writings include answers to questions asked by experts in world history, mating rituals among birds, architecture styles of the ancient gnomish people, and a complete manual for building a functioning windmill. Ilyenil's detractors claim that she has plagiarized a great deal of her work; she has denied this, and in any case, the sensational nature of her writing continues to drive sales.
The history of the Ilyenil Clan is brief; Ruth Ilyenil began her career as a religious figure twenty-seven years ago and has been its sole leader. She interviews and leads new members in their training. She wrote the code of ethics for the group and is the person responsible for administering the execution of that code. In twenty-seven years of leading the clan, Ilyenil has been confronted by clan members with complaints 318 times; the complaining clan member has been ejected from the clan 318 times (roughly one per month, which is notable given only an average of ten members at a time). Ilyenil has created an atmosphere where over-the-top devotion is rewarded and questioning is punished with ejection; as a result, all Ilyenil Clan members tend to be very loud and proud about their roles in the clan, and only members who are severely fed up with Ilyenil complain. Ilyenil keeps complete secrecy about her publications when they are being written, even from her followers, saying that the world will be ready when the text is ready. The Ilyenils live on a small compound near the Misharan coast outside of the city of Cintan, but they regularly make excursions to Finiel and frequently to Mishara, which Ilyenil claims is on holy ground.
Regardless of what group one hails from, most people think of the Ilyenils as an amusing foolishness. Ruth Ilyenil's publications in particular and frequently read ironically, people fascinated by what outlandish claim Ilyenil will offer next. There is a particular dimension to the feeling people have about the clan that is specific to each culture. Half-elves feel shame that one of their own would take so shameless an approach to spirituality. Elves sometimes use the Ilyenils as an argument that half-elves have gone astray. Faninites, who worship a spirit of nature rather than a god, think that the whole Ilyenil Clan is whipped up about nothing. Orcs see a use of money in spirituality and think of Ilyenil's work as profane. Gnomes believe that organized religion separates the individual from their deity and write off Ilyenil's group approach to worship. Halflings are skeptical of anyone claiming to have undemonstrated powers, and they regard Ilyenil as a cheap con artist. Dwarves see no point in any god beyond the first. Daltoners believe the half-elves-only rule is racist and dismiss the Ilyenils as bigots. A very, very small portion of any population is swept up in Ilyenil's publications and hangs on every word, though these fans are usually dismissed for their belief.
There you have it--a full guide to the five most notable clans among my half-elves. One thing I ran into with the half-elf writing process was getting writer's block. I said up top that half-elves leave me with a very warm feeling. But I didn't necessarily have a lot to say about them culturally. That's my fault. Classically, when designing the many homebrew guides on this site, I treat half-elves as basically assimilating into some large style that ends up being the dominant style. I hate to admit it, but I've often treated half-elves as a rationalization for why there's a dominant style in D&D aesthetics--the best assimilators create things that help others to assimilate, sometimes in the form of a distinct style of clothing or social custom. But assimilation isn't an identity. For this guide, I had to really slow down and ask what my half-elves value. The Split Leaf Collective puts art above all. The Lilara Clan shows the gentleness and mercy I've long attributed to half-elves. The Raines Clan places freedom at the highest priority. The Long Leg Clan uses cooperation to excel at things. The Ilyenil Clan (the perfunctory "rebel" clan in these guides) subvert half-elven values by placing oneself above others and subjecting others to cruelty and spreading ideas that aren't true. It took some time, but I got to remind myself of what really matters with my half-elves, and I'm once again grateful that this clan guide helped me better understand my world.
That's all for now. Coming soon: clan guides to the gnomes and halflings and crime and punishment in my homebrew setting. Until next time, happy gaming!
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