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The Diamond Throne
ill—almost falling out of their saddles. If the characters try to help, they learn that the giants were cursed by some exotic spell cast by a wind witch they encountered while patrolling the region. Too weak to go on, they ask the PCs to visit a nearby fortress and get help. They explain that their mounts know the way. If they agree, the characters must follow or attempt to ride the radonts to the fortress. On the way, a wild radont spies them and mistakenly believes that they are stealing or mistreating the domesticated individuals and intervenes. The PCs must deal with the regal beast and get to the giantish fortress to find someone to attend the warmains. Of course, the wild radont can communicate with their mounts to verify the story, but most likely the player characters won’t know that.
Rhodin Rhodin are bestial humanoids that survive by raiding and stealing from other intelligent creatures or by working as mercenaries. They are the traditional enemies of the litorians, whom they have attacked and pillaged throughout the centuries. Wiry, brownish-gray hair covers the body of a rhodin, with thick, spiky (and often darker) hair running from the top of the head down the spine. They have a predominant snout covered in cracked and peeling flesh. Thick, dark lips curl around jagged teeth. Just in front of their pointed ears, thick curling horns jut up and around their head. Small, black eyes hide no love or mercy. Some people liken a rhodin’s appearance to that of a hideous, maltreated ram or a goat with the body of a man. Rhodin can see well in little or even no light (they have both darkvision and low-light vision). They prefer to operate at night. These creatures eat meat almost exclusively and feed upon their own dead as well as those they kill in battle. Although they use armor, weapons, and tools, they rarely fashion these things on their own, preferring to steal them. As rhodin place no value on physical appearance, they wear whatever clothing or armor is at hand. If there is none, they go naked and do not care. They are usually dirty, and their gear is neglected and mistreated. Rhodin are lazy and selfish, but not intentionally cruel. Cruelty and brutality for their own sakes are not practical enough for these creatures: Such practices “do not put flesh in a rhodin’s belly,” as they say. Rhodin speak their own guttural tongue. It is noteworthy in its simplistic grammar and imprecise vocabulary. Like the rhodin themselves, the language is lazy, and when it must it steals from other languages. Only a few exceptional rhodin have truenames—most choose to be Unbound. Most rhodin males are warriors as presented in the DMG; the information in the statistics here describes one of 1st level.
Combat Rhodin use all manner of weapons but prefer those that allow them to capitalize on their natural strength. They favor ambushes, dirty tricks, and uneven odds (in their favor) over a fair fight. They do what is most expedient in battle. They never take prisoners unless there’s some extenuating circumstance.
Rhodin Society Rhodin leaders lead because they are strong—this is simply a practical matter. Rhodin not in this dominant position usually follow orders without question. Rhodin pack leaders are called draggets in their language, although an entire tribe is led by a kran, or chief.
