Kender: Racial Stats Kender: Abilities STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA Minimum 02 06 13 03 02 03 Maximum 16 19 18 18 16 18 On ability rolls, Kender gets -1 to STR and +2 to DEX
Appearance:
Height: 3'2" - 4'4". Weight: 83 lbs - 110 lbs.
Hair: Blond - Brown - Red. Eyes: Blue - Green - Brown.
Ears: Pointed. Age: 100 - 120 (Adult 20, Old 70).
Skin: Kender skin seems to change during the seasons, from a pale white in winter to a golden
chestnut brown.
Voice: Kender have a wide range of pitch ability. They tend to talk in realitivley high tones,
but their vocal chords allow them to speak in low tones as well. They can usually imitate
animal sounds very well. Older kender will tend to have lower voices. When kender become
excited, kender tend to speak very quickly and ramble at the same time, making it hard to
follow what they're trying to say. Facial Expressions: One thing about kender is that they are very emotional and always tend to
show it. They have intense facial expressions. A saying says that there is nothing as happy as
a cheerful kender and nothing as sad as a crying one.
Other: Facial Hair. Fair skinned but easily Tanned. Usually wears bright clothes. Lots of
pouches/pockets. Usually long hair often with a top knot. Wrinkles are a good trait.
Personality:
Curious: They are curious about everything.
Fearlessness: They fear nothing not even death.
Irrepressibility: Nothing other than death can stop a kender.
Independent: A Kender will not take orders, only suggestions.
Compassion: A kender has strong emotions for friends and family.
Lazy: A kender has no concept about time schedules.
Taunt: Due to their curious nature Kenders usually have shocking insight on other people.
This gives them the ability to cast damaging insults.
Handling: Kender do not know the meaning of ownership. If they see something they need or like
they simply take it. This is not done for gain they simply forget they have due to their short
attention spans. They are not thieves.
Misc: Kenders are more or less about 8 - 12 year old kids with an adults intelligence.
Kenders are always happy and care free. Should one be found otherwise, you can bet a devastating tragedy was the cause.
The Creation of the Kender:
The Greygem
Information provided by Arnaud Picard
When Reorx created the world, he began making things tough for us, Historians. He was responsible for creating races not originally planned for. According to most people, he was the one who built such things as the world of Krynn, the stars and the planets, the Greygem... One of the aspects of Reorx, as a god, is craft. So he wanted to teach humans how to use their brains and muscles to create things. He took some with him. They were called the Smithes. Yet they didn't do what the god wanted, so he transformed them outright. Where as they were formally human, they became shorter, and lost the way of the Forge, yet the desire to build remained. Thus were born the gnomes. After an altercation between the gods and the intervention of those of magic, Reorx was tricked by Hiddukel. The god of betrayal had Reorx build a gem, which was later placed on Red Lunitari. With the help of another Evil god, Morgion of the Diseases, Hiddukel won the Greygem, and tricked a little gnome. This gnome thought about a machine, as do all gnomes, that would be able to ascend into the sky. He built it successfully. Then, he went up into the sky, up to Lunitari, and with a net of his, he captured the Gem. Of course, that which nobody knew, Hiddukel had infused the power of row chaos into the Gem, that was alive. The Gem escaped,end the gnomes were forced to follow it accross an ocean, and sailed from Taladas where they had lived to Ansalon. There, the Gem was captured by a human, Gargath, follower of Zivilyn the Wise. Under the spell of two gems, it was held in place. When they arrived, the gnomes took knowledge of this, and they wanted the Gem. So they asked Gargath to gave it back. As he refused, they did what they could. They built machines to invade Lord Gargath's fortress. After the third try, they did it, though not like they thought they would. One of their machines broke down and began a fire. When they would have fought, they suddenly realized they were bathed in a strange kind of red light. All of them transformed. Those who sought the gem for its value became Dwarves. Those who thought it was just marvellous, and beautifull, and it would look preety on them, became Kender. Those were not the only one affected by the gem some sea-farers among the elves became sea-elves, Dargonesti Elves or Dimernesti Elves. Some bunches of ogres were made into Minotaures... And the greygem escaped once more.
Wanderlust is an affliction that is particular to kenders. Other races get it on occasion, but not as seriously as kender do. It is a phase in a kenders life that begins around their early twenties and last anywhere from twenty to thirty years. The kender's natural curiosity and desire for action is thrown into over drive. They need action - and they need it now! They thrive on the excitement of meeting new people and seeing new things. This intense need usually keeps kender on the move, and is responsible for the spread of kender across the continent Ansalon. Despite the wanderlust societies do exist because the younger and older kender seem to loose the drive that causes the afflicted to wander as far as they can go. But this does not mean that kender who are not afflicted are any less curious about things around them. They just loose the drive to travel long distances at will, and tend to remain with friends. If any person were to travel into a town full of kender they would find themselves pelted by a constant barrage of questions and relived of most all of their possessions for a closer inspection. At this time, they gleefully strike out for parts unknown, intent on finding nothing except adventure and whatever beautiful, horrible, or curious items might by chance fall into their bulging pouches. Completely immune to the self-preserving emotion of fear, afflicted by unquenchable curiosity, the kender population on Krynn was not a large one, for which most of Krynn was devoutly grateful.
Kender Funerals Kender view the Death as the The Last Great Adventure. This is not to say that every kender has a death wish, (although this has been suggested on more than one occasion). Many kender are not buried at home. Most of them begin that Last Great Adventure, while they are on wanderlust And though they call it a Great Adventure, death is a hard thing to take for kender. They are very easily affected by the loss of a friend or loved one. The normally cheerful kender may be very depressed for days or weeks getting over the loss of a love one. In kender society funerals usually occur for older kender...the beloved grannies and pappies. In these occasions most kender that were close friends or family will bawl their eyes out for the longest time and are sad and sulking for the rest of the day at least. The deceased's possessions are divided among the immediate family as "heirlooms" and each family member and friend present offers some small tribute of some kind to the departed. A time honored tradition is to give a map pouch with a quill and ink and a blank scroll to chart the departed's new travels on. There is always at least one pouch left empty for the deceased to fill in the afterlife. Customs differ on whether a kender is buried or cremated depending on the location of the kender settlement. In kender tree cities a kender is cremated along with something precious to him and scattered to the winds (symbolic of the journey he now takes). Part of the day is then spent telling stories about the deceased, the length of this time determined by how interesting a life they had. In larger kender villages and cities it is unusual to find cemetaries. Most of the time if a kender is buried, they are taken far from the village to a spot choosen by the family or friends, that may have been a special place or just a place of great beauty or peace. So that the desceased's spirit may begin his/her journey from this spot. In Hylo it is not uncommon for a desceased kender to be set adrift upon a flaming raft. Each town will have it's own particular custom. All kender funerals are a sad time, with an undertone of hope for a friend who has moved on, perhaps to something better. The Kender Mourning Song Always before, the spring returned. The bright world in its cycle spun In air and flowers, grass and fern, Assured and creadled by the sun. Always before, you could explain The turning darkness of the earth, And how that dark embraced the rain, And gave the ferns and flowers birth. Already I forget those things, And how a vein of gold survives The mining of a thousand springs, The seasons of a thousand lives. Now winter is my memory, Now autumn, now the summer light- So every spring from now will be Another season into night.
"If an asylum had turned loose it's inmates and a jail it's thieves to run the city, the end result could not have been more atrocious. I have been tormented by a hundred thousand questions, been told a million lies, and been run to exhaution by my guide. Half the population wants to make a gynosphinx their mayor on the grounds that they have never had one before, and the other half has left in search of one. Gods take me if I ever set foot in this land again!" From "ALL ABOUT KENDER" by Roger Moore, Dragon Magazine #101
History
The oldest kender civilizations were established by Balif. The kender settled the land just east of Silvanesti in 3043 P.C. (pre- Cataclysm). They called their nation and their city Bailfor. Three other small kender cities also sprang up from this time until the Cataclysm but the names were lost in the passage of time, much like the cities. The Cataclysm decimated the land of Bailfor, turning it into a deserted waste. The kender left their homeland to barbaric desert nomads and migrated north. They founded the small forest city of Kendermore on the edge of a human ruin (now called simply "the Ruins" by the kender who explore it). Some kender believe the Ruins are the remains of one of the missing Towers of High Sorcery.
Architecture
Kendermore resembles most human cities, but a short examination can reveal many differences. Kendermore is located on the Goodlund penesulia within a large forest. It's is sometimes called a forest city, but it is much more than that. Kendermore has buildings similar to any human settlement: Taverns, Stores, Inns, and a Town Hall. The most noticable difference in these buildings is that some of them are incomplete. Some buildings are missing one wall or are missing doors. Other buildings are complete, but they are a mix of different architectual styles, representing the views of the kender who helped create them.
Streets
Getting lost is very easy in this city. Many streets double back on themselves, or dead end in places where the crews got distracted and wandered off. One or two streets travel through kender's houses! A guide is a must in this city. They are easy to aquire, but sometimes hard to follow. The names of streets usually do not match the actual description, ie Direct Route Drive is a spiral that ends in a circle. Kender are the best map maker's in Ansalon, but for some reason maps of this city are horribly inaccurate. Asking directions is equally as bad: "Just take straight street. That one over there that curves around the grocer's and double's back around the tailor's. Just take that about half way until it dead ends for the second time right before the sweets shop. Then walk through that shop and out the back door, that will lead you to a little back alley that extends through most of the city..."
The Population
Kendermore is about 90% kender and 10% of the other races. Not many other races choose to live in a city full of kender. It can be very hard to cope with the kender race for extended periods of time. This city is also not the first place most adventures choose to stay for the night. The population ranges between newborns to twenty year olds, and kender around 40 and up. The age range from 20 to 40 are usually out on wanderlust. After the age of fourty most kender tend to loose the lust for traveling and return home for good. These kender will become the new merchants, farmers, politicians, tailors, woodcutters, fisherman, and countless other jobs that need to be performed to run a city. Kender from the mid-teens to the early twenties are apprentices. The younger kender between the ages of newborn into the early teens actually go to school... School is a loosely termed word here. The kender community is hard to comprehend sometimes. Kender children do not go to the same building everyday. That would be impossible to achieve, but instead children are taught by the members of the community. They are taught to read and write by other kender that decide that these children need to learn how. The children WANT to learn how because of their inate curiousity. When they find out that they could read all the secrets that the magic users are keeping from them, they learn to read. When they understand that they could taunt a goblin if they only knew how to speak goblin, they learn it. When they realize that they might be able to slip into the Great Library if the only had a proper note, they learn to write. Kender also learn to hide in shadows, and scale walls, and pick pockets. These are just the kind of things, every good kender learns how to do.
Leaders
The people of Kendermore feel that constant change is the best course for their leaders. This city has had more leader's than anyone can remember. Even Astinus himself has lost count of the number of mayors, kings, khans, warlords, councils, judges, and priestlords that have tried to rule over this everchanging city. It has been a rare occurance when one of these leader's has gone longer than a month, before being replaced, or being ignored. It's a good chance that if someone visits Kendermore more than once that it will be run by a different ruler. On rare occasions kender can be gathered together to create a formidable army. Kender can be quite serious when their homes are threatened.
Security
This is a difficult concept to understand in kender society. Since kender view possesion in a different way, it is difficult for outsiders to understand what is considered stealing and what is not. It is safe to assume that any outsider that enter's into a kender city has a good possibility of loosing anything she or he brings into the city. Some of the time the possesions will be taken by the town guards themselves. Just because a kender ceases to wander does not make the kender any less curious. A kender is always a kender no matter what the age.
If a kender is caught picking something up, any simple excuse will usually excuse the action. If something is found on a kender and it belongs to someone else, it is considered to be very impolite. But it is still not considered to be stealing. In fact "stealing" in a kender city is practically unheard of. So, if a person "looses" something it usually considered their fault.
Trade
The main trade of kendermore is Maps. Many retired kender will tade or sell their maps. One kender's map is not always accurate, but when many are collected together an accurate map can be created. Any map that is passed around the city for a couple of years will be about the most accurate map that you can buy.
Pay money
Do you need to pay money in Kendermore, when they usually find interesting objects of more value? It really depends what your buying in Kendermore. If your going to pay for a service performed, some kender will take an interesting object over money, but if your going to buy materials, armour, weapons, and things of that nature, most kender will take the money, because they have to deal with outsiders who will not trade "a pretty green rock" for a chainmail shirt. It usually depends on the nature of the business, and the mood of the business man.
Although most kender shortly after the time of the graygem settled (to use the term loosely) in the place that would one day be called Balifor, many did not. Wanderlust and numerous other reasons caused many kender to not follow Balif's lead. These set out exploring, mostly in groups, some of which became nomadic tribes (including the ones who would eventually found Hylo) which still wander the face of Krynn today. Many others, though, found their wanderlust waning after about twenty years or so, and settled at the place which was most convenient to have children. For many in the mostly virgin wilderness of ancient Ansalon, the most convenient place was in the tall trees around them.
Kender tree villages were numerous before the cataclysm, but that massive event shook them (in many cases literally) greatly. Suddenly, in many places where trees had been there weren't anymore. Most of the adaptable kender wandered, singly or perhaps forming nomadic tribes. Some of the older ones went to larger towns like Hylo or the budding Kendermore. As a result, there are only about half the amount of tree villages today than there were directly before the Kingpriest's folly.
Architecture
Although the architecture of tree villages is as varied as any other kender town, all have one thing in common: they are dependent upon the trees. Some carve out hollows likened to caves, painting the walls to avoid sap; others build cozy cottages (usually half finished, with a little added on by each owner) into the sides of the trees. Most tree villages have at least one hollow tree, with floors added at sporadic intervals to allow for multiple tenants. Because of their homes' vulnerability to fire, most tree villages have developed a way of avoiding it, whether not using it, or special sap which is tapped regularly from their homes.
Streets
The 'streets' in kender tree villages are where their true originality shines through; no two are alike. There are walkways, rope bridges, spiraling stairs, ladders, climbing ropes, swinging vines, or villages where the kender simply climb the trees. Despite the villages' small size, it's often as easy to get the lost as the larger cities, although it's easier to find your way again than in the likes of Kendermore. Looking up from the ground, though, it's unlikely you'll be able to see anything of this network of transportation.
The Population
Tree villages are typically very small, and very rarely do any non-kender live in one. Generally, a tree village will hold from 20 to 60 kender, although there are exceptions, most notably the tree town Lookit near Hylo, which has a fluctuating population of 150 to 200, about 10% of which are non-kender. As with most other kender towns, tree villages generally are inhabited by kender under twenty or over forty. In tree villages, the young learn by example; their natural curiosity makes them want to know what the adults are doing an how they do it, whether it be writing something down for later, carving a hoopak or admiring your neighbor's pouch. The more they see adults do something, the more curious they get about what it is, and thus they learn.
Leaders
Tree village society is a society of equals, but there are those who are respected more than others. These are the Elders, and they consist of the members of the community who are older than ninety- a bare minority. In many tree villages, there is only one Elder. Elders are revered and respected as much as can be expected of kender, but there is no doubt that they deserve their 'rank'; what KENDER could live that long and not be one of the most experienced and knowledgeable creatures on Krynn? Elders are loved by all of the community for their stories and kind advice, especially the children, the latter to whom they often teach what other kender simply cannot. While they certainly aren't leaders, there words carry weight that few will find among kender.
Security
The tree villages have gotten around the kender 'borrowing' urge quite nicely; everything in the community is shared, nothing belongs to anyone, and if you want something no one else is using, you take it. What would probably have been a disaster in a society of more lawfully inclined or cruel beings, works perfectly well for lighthanded, lighthearted kender. This arrangement sometimes causes some trouble when members of other races visit, or when a wandering kender encounters his first member of other races, but since the former almost never happens and they never truly understand the latter, the system continues to govern (or rather not) the kender as it always has.
Trade
Trade is nonexistent in tree villages, as implied by the previous section. Kender just share, and since almost never talk to kender or other races from elsewhere until wanderlust hits them, it never really hits them that anyone else would do anything different. This doesn't prove a problem during wanderlust- they just come off a bit more confused with human custom than most -but gods help the poor unknowing man who wanders into one of their towns.
Jan 1st, Trapspringer Day This day is in remembrance of the hero, uncle trapspringer, who became a demigod after the cataclysm. he wandered around krynn, spreading a bit of hope and good cheer wherever he went. because of his actions, the dark times after the cataclysm were not so dark as they might have been. he is still wandering around, giving help to those who need it, swapping stories and maps, and making a general nuisance of himself, like a good kender should!on this day, it is customary to imbibe copious quantities of kenderlager, or a similar beverage, listen to stories and make some up, and wreak general havoc upon members of unsuspecting races (kender included, of course!).
Jan 3rd, Dark Day Why are we celebrating? What should we do?Anniversary of the Cataclysm...a day of reflectionElder Kender retell the story of the Cataclysm toto remind the children of why such an event shouldnever happen again. This is a somber time even for Kender.
Jan 9th, Wish-We-Had-Malystryx Day A long time ago, "Wish-We-Had-A-Red-Dragon Day"was a holiday. It was lost until the Fifth Age,when the true kender wished they had the greatRed Marauder Malystryx in the dead of winter. Afterall, the true kender had NEVER seen a red dragonbefore and decided that there must be some betterway to light up your furnace than plain oldordinary wood. The afflicted kender call thisholiday "foolhardy and ridiculous".
Jan 16th, Blizzard Day Every year on Blizzard Day a blizzard is supposed to come and cover Kendermore with snow. On Blizzard Day we either go outside and enjoy this snow, or should no snow be forthcoming, collaborate with gnomes in order to make an artificial blizzard. Snowmen, snow angels, snowballs, snow forts, and snow cones are all acceptable, as are ice sculptures and other wintery creations. It's like a citywide block party. Humans, elves. friendly dragons, gnomes, dwarves etc. all welcome. How to get in: Submit some hot cocoa to the Kendermore Hot Cocoa Fund. :)
Feb 24th, New Stuff Day Make it a point to look through 20 peoples' pouches on this day.Feel free to take anything you need.They won't mind.I promise.(NOTE:This holiday is also known as "Everyday".)
Feb 11th, Duck Appreciation Day To celebrate the joy that is the duck.Common activities include: Feeding the ducks, playing Dressing ducks up incolorful outfits,Painting pictures of ducks,Goose-Goose-Duck(We're celebrating ducks here, we can't have the tagged person named, GOOSE.)And anything else involving ducks one could think of.
Jun 8th, Look at the clouds day On this day we kender must all take at least 11 hours, or until we get bored out of our minds,and climb up on a roof, tree, or any other place that's high up, and comfy. Now, be sure that youbring a large ammount of parchment (paper) and at least three and a half quills, and plenty of ink. Bring up a blanket, picnic basket (with lottsa food) and lay back and watch the clouds. On the paper be sure to draw (if not, write) down everyshape or person or animal etc you see in the clouds. By the end of the year, ALL kender are requires (unless otherwise arranged) to send theirdrawings or notes on what they saw, to their home-town, or (if they were born out of a kender town,)to Kendermore or Hylo.THis is celebrated because one day, Reebus Padfoot's father's uncle's brother's great-great-great-great grandfather's wife had three twins. One of which was the first creature to see shapes in the clouds. And he first noticedthem on this day. So they celebrate it now. =}
Mar 21st, Spring Dawning The Vernal Equinox...celebrating the reawakening of the land...Kender celebrating this holiday bang cymbals (or pot lids) and wear colorful clothing (even more so than usual) to welcome the return of Spring to the winter weary countryside.
Mar 3rd, Tasslehoff Day We are spending a day of rememberence for Tasselhoff. One of Krynns greatest heroes ever. We should all get something given to us by "Uncle Tas" and trade this with another kender. Plus, no borrowing any body's items.
Apr 4th, Harrowing Most races celebrate this as the start of the planting season, but for Kender it is a day of practical jokes...a favorite trick for late sleepers is to change their feather bedding withthistles and burdock.
Aug 16th, Really Serious Day This is the day where kender decided to stand aside and be serious, because of respect for several worshipped gods: Fizban, because a few times Fizban acted seriously (e.g. dealing with Silvara); Branchala, the highest god amongst kender, because his wife Chislev is of neutrality; Gilean, because he's serious and understands kender; and many others (some real, some fake).Anyway, the kender's attempts to be serious somehow always end up being hilarious. A famous story is when one kender who knew about the holiday was pretending to be Gilean, and then a kender who passed by who didn't know about played with Gilean's ink and book. The kender pretending to be Gilean joined in the fun and forget all about seriousness. "Really Serious Day" officially ended in 361 AC because it became like all other kender days.
May 4th, Pick-up Day Since this is the time that kender usually fall in love,"Kenderlove" is celebrated. This is the day when kender use the pick-up lines created at Darktime 97, such as:"Say, what's a nice hand like this doing in a pocket like mine?" (said to Darkstar Killacat)
Jul 21st, Midyear Day Why are we celebrating? What should we do?Midsummer's Eve...Kender believe on this, the longest day of the year, lightening bugs(we call them sparlkers) absorb all the light they need to glow for the rest of the of thesummer...so, on the day before Midsummer's Eve,we gather all the lightening bugs we can find and place them in glass jars, holding them up to the sunlight all during the day of Midsummer'sDay so they can be fully charged up! After sunset, we release the tiny bugs, and enjoy the spectaculardisplay of nature's fireworks!
Jul 4th, Boom day Flop Twinkletoes' Grandfather tells stories of once going to the Earth and visiting a land of humans calledUS (meaning they were greedy?). He says that on the 4thof Wandertime they shot flaming confetti into the sky,he brought this custom back, and it can only be found inhis town, beacause only he knows how to do it. And afterawhile, he'll teach it to Flop, who will teach her kids,and so on.
Jul 8th, Graystone Eve This is the day the Graystone of Gargath was unleashed upon the world. Kender hold 'stone hunts'. They roam around looking for interestig things, hoping that one may be the Graystone in disguise. Many cities call the day before Kenderleave, to make them leave their towns before they start grabbing and taking everything. It only encourages them to try to get back in though.
Sep 15th, Mapswapping Day! This is the day when every single kender this side o' the multiverse, all across Ansalon, that kender swap maps! Not just one map, or two maps, but as many as they possibly can! It's a time when Wanderlust is renewed, because of all the new and interesting maps they aquire! A kender may not be able to get rid of all his or her maps, but they sure do try! This holiday is only actively observed by kender, but many kender trade maps with other races, and not just their kin and friends. It's the absoloute most fun when you trade away the map you're using right now! Large groups of kender who get together to swap maps often end up travelling together when they can't decide who should follow the really really interesting map to Tarsis this year. Kender swap maps on this day as yet another prevention against boredom. (That, and it's a great chance to tell your friends where you've been, and have a chance to check out all the really nifty places they've been, too!) And hey, there's always Kender Celebration Punch! Of course, just because it's Mapswapping Day doesn't mean items traded are limited to maps... but then, I'm sure there's another holidy for 'trade everything you've got on you, (and everything on the person you've just passed) day.
Jul 20th, Wanderday On this day, kender youths of all descriptions gather in the middle of their respective towns. Each kender picks a fluffy white dandylion and blows the seeds upwards. The direction in which they're blown is the direction the kender begins Wanderlust facing. All except Merryblessings Bookbinder. She picked a non-fluffy dandylion and blew straight *down*. Since the seeds didn't go anywhere, she stayed precisely where she was. Since *WE* were all on Wanderlust, it was years before anybody noticed and had the kindness to put a stop to her odd behavior.
Aug 16th, Kendermourn This is one of the few sad kender holidays, practiced, predictably, mostly by afflicted kender. It is a time for remembrance of the day Malys razed Kendermore, and afflicted kender were born.On this day, an afflicted kender will always wear black, and will never carry any weapon other than a hoopak or similar tool, in remembrance of happier times. It is a day on which stories are told, wistful tales recounting the days when gods lived in the heavens and kender were all happy and carefree. Stories of uncle Tas are prefered (this last is the part of the day that true kender usually join in).
Oct 31st, Samhain (sah-VANE) This is the day when fae are aloud to come out and be free, they really like kender (well, most of them). Some fae, mainly quicksilvers, bean-nighe's and evil fae are aloud out most days, but today, they can walk around and, if you ask nicely, they might take you back to Tir-na-nog...Today you can go up to fae mounds and knock three times, and they'll let you in. Also, it's nice to trade on this day, because fae like generous people...
Oct 10th, Toe Day Why are we celebrating? What should we do?With a shout on this morning of "TODAY IS TOEDAY!", every kender runs around barefoot. Yes, this day celebrates the miraculous toes the Gods have given to Kender. Later at night, some like to go carolling singing songs like, "ToeDay is the Greatest" and "Big Toe, the Big Red Bunion" (to Rudolph).
Oct 8th, Full Pouch day On the eve of full pouch day, kender empty out their pouches with a group of other kender and they trade objects that they don't want anymore for more intriguing bric-a-brack some other kender doesn't want. This way, the kender always have new and interesting stuff in their pouches.
Nov 17th, Taleday Taleday has but one purpose, and that is to liven up the month of Bleakcold. Write up and post a kender tale today. If for some reason you can't post one, just tell your friends the tale repeatedly. Listen to their tales. Feel free to embellish a bit.
Dec 6th, Thanks Alot Day This is the day that kender give thanks for all things that have dropped into thier pouches in the past year. They celebrate by roasting the traditional "goat sucker bird". After the meal comes a sort of "show and tell" where they hear about and view each other's favorite possesions. Later the conversation inevitable drifts towards "You must have dropped it." or "This looks just like yours, doesn't it." And other typical kender phrases. All other races assiduously avoid kender on this day, but then, they try to always, anyway.:-)
Some people argue that the term kender civilization is an oxymoron. Despite this opinion there are two major kender civilizations on the continent of Ansalon. The oldest was established by Balif. The kender settled the land just east of Silvanesti in 3043 P.C. (pre- Cataclysm). They called their nation and their city Bailfor. Three other small kender cities also sprang up from this time until the Cataclysm but the names were lost in the passage of time, much like the cities.
Around the year 2600 P.C. The second kender nation called Hylo was founded in the Sentinel Mountains north of Ergoth. This settlement arose when an entire clan of kender explored and "borrowed" the first floating citadel, which had been created by a band of mages as a prototype for the Towers of High Sorcery. The floating castle was carried by prevailing winds to the northwest until it crashed into the ridge of the Sentinels. The kender named their new land Hylo after its citadel, which was high then low, after it's high mountains and low plains.
By 2500 P.C., when the citadel was engulfed in vines and new forest, enough kender had precipitated nearby to create a city. In 2450 P.C., Ergoth "conquered" Hylo; human armies surrounded the land and claimed it a subjugated province of Ergoth. The kender nation of Hylo exhibited none of Ergoth's concern for conquest and destiny. As such the kender shrugged and went about there business. When Ergoth instated a stiff tax of 20% of all transactions, the confused kender complied. After 50 years of collecting smooth stones and bits of phosphorescent moss from the kender, the empire abandoned taxation of its northern province. In 1799 P.C. the Rose Rebellion began as nations of eastern Ergoth rebelled against the exploitation of the Ergothean king, and in 1791 P.C. the fall of Ergoth liberated Hylo. The kender hardly noticed the change.
From 1100 - 800 P.C. the nation of Istar became a dominant force in trade. Istarian trade standards spread through out the world. It became the major supplier of tools and arts, and acting as brokers for grain, woods, and spices for the rest of the nations. In 850 P.C., in an attempt to better control international trade, Istar imposed trade standards and fair price standards. These regulations were poorly received by the kender of Bailfor to their south. The kender protested the end of bartering and haggling and refused to obey the strictly trade tariffs. In retaliation, they began to manipulate various trade markets, buying up all supplies to raise demand (and prices), then dumping their excesses onto the market to drop prices disastrously. The Kender Trade Wars nearly brought Istar to its financial knees, and it drove many merchant houses to bankruptcy.
In a desperate effort to save their economy, Istar agreed to the creation of a free market, with a special tariff exemption for kender (the so-called "Kender Tax"). In return, kender agreed to cease their market manipulations. This pact became known as the Kendermeld. The Cataclysm struck Hylo hard. All the kender settlements along the bay were swept under by tidal waves and the city itself became a port town. The eastern half of the nation disappeared and the western half clung to the newly formed isle of Northern Ergoth.
The Cataclysm also decimated the land of Bailfor, turning it into a deserted waste. The kender left their homeland to barbaric desert nomads and migrated north. They founded the small forest city of Kendermore on the edge of a human ruin (now called simply "the Ruins" by the kender who explore it). Some kender believe the Ruins are the remains of one of the missing Towers of High Sorcery. After the Cataclysm, many kender refused to return to settled life, preferring to wander. In the year 352 A.C. the kender Kronin Thistleknot killed a Dragon Highlord while trying to escape from him. This hunter-turned-warrior organized the resistance to the dragon army threat.
The next 30 years past uneventfully for the kender civilzations, until the Summer of Chaos. Tahksis created a new order of knights, led by Arikan son of Arakis, and tried once again to take over Ansalon. During the second War of The Lance Kendermore did not fall without a fight, due mainly to the kender's cunning war leader, Paxina, the daughter of Kronin Thistleknot, a hero of the First DragonLance Wars. Paxina "Stinging" Thistleknot had heard that Lord Ariakan had deemed the kender "Worthless nuisances" and planned to have all kender rounded up and put to death. Paxina announced this to her people, hoping to rally them to battle. She recieved shrugs, yawns, and "So what else is new?" in return.
Something else was needed to stir the kender's blood. Paxina thought the matter over, then started a rumor that the dark knights were coming to loot Kendermore, steal all the kender's most prized possesions.
This did the trick.
Appalled, the kender put up such a stiff resistance that even though he crushed them, they managed to win Ariakan's admiration. He determined that the kender might prove useful after all, if they could be convinced to serve the Dark Queen. Thus Kendermore survived, much to the disgruntalment of those knight's forced to serve there. On the other hand, Hylo, not being on the mainland managed to stay out of the war.
IMPORTANT NOTE: THE REMAINDER OF THE HISTORY IS FROM 5TH AGE DRAGONLANCE. IN MY OPINION FIFTH AGE DRAGONLANCE IS STUPID AND RETARTED. IN MY CAMPAIGNS I PLAY STRICTLY 4TH AGE DRAGONLANCE WHICH IS BEFORE THE FOLLOWING HAPPENED.
Tasslehoff Burrfoot, hero of the first War of the Lance, dies saving the world from certain desruction by wounding Chaos, the father of all the gods. But it was at a price, the gods were given a choice to leave Krynn or watch it be destroyed. The gods chose to leave, and Krynn was left with out clerics or magic. This was known as the second Cataclysm. Tasslehoff Burrfoot is buried in the Last Heroes' Tomb in Solace. A structure created to honor the people who had died in the Second Cataclsym.
In the year 3 S.C. About three years after what was now being called the "Chaos War", a massive red dragon utterly destroys Kendermore. For the first time in their lives the kender learn of true fear. These kender are known as "afflicted kender" and the kender of Hylo are the "true kender". Riverwind a hero of the first War of the Lance, and his two daughters try to help the kender by leading the kender into attacks on the dragon, but it cannot be defeated. After Riverwind and his daughter Brightdawn are slain in one of the attacks, his other daughter Moonsong leads the kender on a mass flight from Kendermore and Bailfor.
The following year refugees of the Choas war and the afflicted kender of kendermore began to fill the city with most of the refugees settling into small villages around the main city. The kender of Hylo didn't mind of course, but they were a little upset when Bille Juniper, an afflicted kender, took over as the ruler of Hylo, replacing Fallana Windseed. Afterall the Windseed family had been ruling for about seventeen years, a personal best as far as kender history goes.
Kender Etiquette A Guide to Treating Kender Nicely(Without Losing Too Many Possessions) This VERY IMPORTANT guide is organized thus:
A Kendergarten Course: What is a kender? Why do I need an etiquette guide to kender? Some precautions first! Here's a demonstration... And lessons to be learnt from it Here's ANOTHER demonstration which you shouldn't learn from
---------------------------------------------------------------------- A Kendergarten Course: If you don't know what kender are... You should be ashamed!!! What is a kender? A kender is anything that
Is less than four feet tall Is dressed colorfully Is blessed with a really interesting hairdo Is totally without fear Asks a lot of questions and Causes some of your possessions to be missing after you've met him or her. And now that I see that light of recognition dawning on your face, you're asking... Are they dangerous? Well, um...er... my friend Kipper here is a kender and well, he...um... Listen, I'm trying to protect myself but er, er... let's just continue shall we? ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Why do I need an etiquette guide to kender? Well...(and here comes that old excuse again)...Kenders have feelings... They really really do...and are so endearing for that (coochie coochie coo! uh, where was I?). Kenders are about the most sensitive beings on Krynn, and easily hurt, by insults and cutting remarks and others' indifference to the things they find are important. A sad kender is the saddest, most heartbreaking thing on Krynn to behold (though at the same time, I do think that they sniffle in the cutest manner possible...dragging their feet, quivering their chins, looking forlorn, using your hankerchief to blow his/her nose--give that back!--and looking like they're in great need of a hug--which they are, but nobody in his/her right mind would hug a kender before taking precautions first...). ----------------------------------------------------------------------
So What Do I Do? Some precautions first! If you anticipate that you will run into kender, do all these:
Fighters, That dagger in your boot is NOT safe. Take OFF your bracers. Don't bring your money pouch with you. If you have to (bring it), stashing the pouch in your armor might work, but try something more imaginative, if you can. (Don't ask me WHERE!!! Er...I DON'T wanna know!)
Mages, Keep those pouches SECURELY fastened to your belt, put wards on them if possible. If you do put a ward on your pouches you should NOT tell the kender that the pouches have a ward on them. It will only intice the kender into trying to get a hold of the pouches even more. If daggers are up your sleeve, keep your arms folded as long as conveniently possible. Flash your eyes. Look threatening. Exude an awe-inspiring, slightly frightening aura of power, if you can.
Clerics, START PRAYING that nothing important goes missing. (That's what you're best at!) It is also always a good idea to hold onto your holy symbol the entire time kender are around. If a kender is travelling with your party, the best thing to do is wear the symbol around your neck, without slack (you know, kinda like a choker--I heard it's quite fashionable to do that in Palanthas these days) so it can not be slipped over your head while you are sleeping--Oops!--I mean, so it cannot slide off your head, and a kender has to come along to store your symbol for safe keeping. Another good idea for you is to use this time to fall into deep reflection and prayer. The kender will most likely ignore you because it gets kinda boring sitting there for hours and hours.
Everybody, Take OFF your jewellery, including wedding rings, engagement rings (don't worry about your partner, he/she'll understand and will probably do the same thing under the same circumstances) and anklets (you ask, what will a kender be doing near my ankles? Um...). Don't carry anything on you. In fact, I'll give you the ultimate piece of advice now... The best thing you can do is to take EVERYTHING off you. Approach the kender naked. You will be the MOST BORING thing he/she has EVER seen in his/her life, and he/she will leave you alone. Of course, please check the circumstances before trying this out...lest you get thrown into the local prison, to share a small cell with twenty to thirty kender, at least... That may be real charming company to have, but WAY overboard, if you ask me...
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And now we shall have something really useful... Here's a real life example...and the etiquette lessons to be learnt from it. A typical encounter experienced by a kender, this one described by Tasslehoff Burrfoot, himself. (Borrowed fromThe Tale That Tas Promised He Would Never, Ever Ever Tell, by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.)
...Lord Gunthar turned to me. "Burrfoot, my old friend," he said, putting his hands behind his back. A lot of people have a habit of doing that when we're introduced. "So glad to see you again. I hope the roads you travel have been sunny and straight." (That is a polite form of greeting to a kender and I thought it very fine of the knight to use it. Not many people are that considerate.) "Thank you, Sir Gunthar," I said, holding out my hand. He sighed and shook hands. I noticed he was wearing a very nice set of silver bracers and a most elegant dagger. ...... (I said:) "For example, did I ever tell you about the time I was--" "Excuse me," said Lord Gunthar. "I must go welcome our other guests." He bowed, checked to see that he was still wearing his bracers, and left. "A very polite man," I said. "Give me the dagger," Tanis said, sighing.
To succeed in knowing how to treat kender nicely, study the above encounter closely. There is a lot of lessons to be learnt. It is obvious that Lord Gunthar was a fine man who knew the rules of kender etiquette, and he left a favorable impression on Tasslehoff Burrfoot, which, since you're reading this etiquette guide, you must be trying to achieve with kender in general.
What are the things Lord Gunthar did right?
Things he did right:
He acknowledged the existence of kender. He actually LOOKED at Tasslehoff Burrfoot. His eyes did not bounce off like the kender was not even there. This is a BIG thing. Kender are very sensitive about being ignored, and frankly, kender, in any room of people, are actually the ones you should be paying the most attention to...
He acknowledged the kender positively. Notice the lack of a sneer, or a disgusted, arrogant look in the eyes. He even spoke in a normal tone of voice, without any hint of derision, or a curl of the lip. His facial control is to be applauded. Please try to achieve the same effects by practicing in front of a mirror.
He put his hands behind his back. Well, not the best thing to do, but second best. (see "Ultimate piece of Advice".) Please refrain from suddenly wrapping your cloak tightly about you (it's too obvious, unless you're outdoors in cold weather), taking ten steps back in fear (even more obvious then wrapping yourself in your cloak) or jumping up and fleeing the scene, yelling "Help! Kender!! Thief!!!" (Much too obvious!!!)
He used a kender greeting. A proper one, mind you! Not the usual "get away from me, you thief" nor "step back away from me or I'll cut your slimy ears off, you maggot-thief-cutpurse-bigmouth-type small fry thingee" greeting, but a proper kender greeting. I hope the roads you travel have been sunny and straight, I hope your travels have been interesting, I hope your adventures far and wide have been rewarding...etc.
He shook hands. Best done under the circumstances described under Ultimate piece of Advice. In this case, it would not have been very practical for Lord Gunthar to have stripped down to his birthday suit, unless he had really been inclined to, that is.
He declined listening to Tas' story very poilitely. Don't say "Shut up!" or "Keep that trap shut!" or "Do you want me to cut that tongue off?" or "Quiet! you bloodsucking insect!" or "By the Abyss, you boob, I've heard that 1000 times already!!!" or "Will you stop talking or do you want this dagger in your scrawny neck" or "Pipe down, you dang doorknob!!!" or...
He checked his bracers before he left. Well, I did warn you fighter-types already... In general, always check your possessions before you leave. If you DO find anything missing (which you probably will, unless you've taken the Ultimate piece of Advice), just ask the kender politely if he/she has seen it, and they will return it to you, after looking in their pouches, finding it, and admiring it, and parting with it reluctantly. Speed this up as first as possible, so you can leave before something else is missing.
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Here's another real life example which you should NOT repeat.
(Borrowed fromTime of the Twins, by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.)
(A guard, to Tasslehoff Burrfoot)"And who are you, little cutpurse? His manager?" This was met by roars of laughter from the other guard and nervous high-pitched laughter from Caramon. Then he glanced down at Tas and knew immediately that they were in trouble. Tas's face was white. Cutpurse! The most dreadful insult, the worst thing in the world one could call a kender! Caramon's big hand clapped over Tas's mouth. ...... Tasslehoff's ears--the only part visible above Caramon's wide hand--flushed scarlet. Incoherent sounds came from behind Caramon's palm. ...... "Cutpurse! As if I were a common thief!" Tas was practically foaming at the mouth...
--end of excerpt--
NEVER, EVER EVER call a kender a cutpurse, or thief. The results are as above, or you may also get taunted, which gets really ugly... If you cared for the kender, you will apologize straight away, possibly even hug the kender, but only do that if you've taken the necessary precautions.
In Krynn there are other types of Kender other than the regular Kender. Below are links to pages I have created about other Kender races.
The Marak Kender: The ever suspicious and distrusting Marak Kender of the continent of Taladas on Krynn.
The Kendar: The always mysterious Kendar who live in Chorane.